Pampered in Putrajaya
Leong Siok Hui
The Star
Publication Date : 30-07-2008




What’s there to do in Putrajaya?” is the typical response one would get from a KL-ite (resident of Kuala Lumpur) who has never thought of the federal administrative capital as a chill-out destination.
I soon discovered that Putrajaya does indeed have lots to offer.
My partner and I have been sailing on the Putrajaya Lake since we picked up dinghy sailing last December. On a good day, we get about three hours of great wind and our Lasers or 420s (a type of dinghy) surge across the lake at full speed. What a rush!
Sailing aside, you can also cruise on your bicycle, stroll in different parks, hop on a horse at the equestrian park or just indulge in a day spa.
Last month, we checked into the Putrajaya Shangri-La Hotel for a weekend of pampering.
Resort-style, chic comfort
Nestled on a hilltop, Putrajaya Shangri-La boasts a commanding view of the “garden city”. The intimate, four-storey boutique hotel is cloaked in lush greenery and sits just below Istana Melawati.
With 118 rooms and suites, the hotel is equipped with banquet and meeting rooms, a 24-hour business centre and gym, and a full-fledged spa.
As we pulled up to the hotel entrance with bikes in tow, the concierge hurriedly strode to our car and helped us unload the bicycles.
We were given a choice of either storing them in the luggage room or taking them to our room. We opted for the former. After a brisk, fuss-free check-in, we made our way to the room on the fourth floor.

Putrajaya Shangri-La’s rooms are huge. The average size room is 40sqm, equivalent to my one-bedroom apartment. Complete with a large balcony overlooking the Putrajaya Lake and the Prime Minister’s office, our room came with luxurious amenities like a one-touch butler call system, free broadband Internet access, electronic safe, personalised voice mail, cable TV, well-stocked mini bar and tea and coffee-making facilities.
It was tempting to just sink into the soft, fluffy pillows and stay in. But we were raring to go cycling.
We headed to Palm Hill Cafe for a quick bite before the ride. Palm Hill dishes up a hodgepodge of local and Western cuisine and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Our murtabak with crunchy skin and juicy, shredded chicken filling was scrumptious. Crispy on the outside, the breaded mozzarella sticks melted in our mouths as we took a bite.
When the concierge spotted us descending the stairs to the lobby clad in biker shorts, he promptly wheeled out our bikes. He waved us off with a grin and hollered, “Have a nice ride!” Typical of the Shangri-La hospitality, the staff here are all smiles.
Cruising Putrajaya
With its tangled web of wide four-lane roads, rolling hills and relatively low traffic, Putrajaya is a favourite amongst road bike enthusiasts. All the attractions-—the various parks, lake club, Souq, Putra mosque and Alamanda Shopping Centre-—are accessible by bike.
The cycling/walking paths are best avoided as they either have potholes or end up going nowhere, as we found out.
Back at the hotel, we had a quick shower and sauntered into Azur Restaurant for dinner. Serving Mediterranean fare, the chic, fine-dining joint has indoor and outdoor candlelight sitting, coupled with a stunning view of Putrajaya’s night sky.
Chilled avocado and shrimp with salmon flakes, tangy mango slices and fiery red peppercorn whetted our appetites for the main course.
My partner enjoyed his pan-fried chicken breast stuffed with creamy spinach and slathered with forest mushroom ragout, but my Mediterranean-style baked seabass fillet was nothing to shout about.
The wine list pales in comparison to Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur, but we downed a couple of decent New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and Australian Semillon Chardonnay.
Melt-in-your-mouth warm chocolate cake and earl grey tea capped off a pleasant evening.
Blending play with relaxation
The next day, after a hearty breakfast at Palm Hill, we rode to Putrajaya Wetlands park, a man-made wetland that filters, treats and purifies water using aquatic plants. With its seven different large parks, it’s little wonder Putrajaya is dubbed the Garden City.
Visitors can take a leisurely stroll and learn about Malaysia’s native plants at the Botanical Park or pick up rubber-tapping or jam-making skills at the Agriculture Heritage Park
Those who don’t feel like exerting themselves can take a relaxing cruise on a passenger cruise boat or Malay traditional perahu (wooden boat) with Cruise Tasik Putrajaya.
After a long, hot ride we had a refreshing dip in the hotel’s infinity pool followed by a light lunch of green curry tuna pita sandwiches. And what better way to wind down than with a four-hour spa treatment at the hotel’s Health Club & Spa.
Its signature spa experience, the Zodiac ritual, offers treatments with blended signature oils that are compatible with your zodiac sign. Hence, the signature oil for an Aries, yours truly, is a blend of cedarwood, geranium, lavender, rosemary and juniper with the treatment emphasising the head and scalp.
As the masseuse’s fingers and palms deftly kneaded my shoulders and back, and worked at loosening the tense muscles, I grimaced in pain, but I could feel the knots slackening. The invigorating scrub with sea salts and essential oils sloughed away the dead skin cells, leaving my skin baby-soft and glowing.

At the Lobby Lounge, guests can treat themselves to free cocktails and finger food every evening and enjoy the sunset through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows. If you feel inclined to step out of the cosy hotel, you can hop on the free shuttle buses to Alamanda, Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur or Cyberjaya.
We were content to just stay in for the night, order room service (which is 24 hours) and enjoy a movie on DVD. We had planned to wrap up our weekend with sailing at the lake club the next day, but after lolling around in the hotel all morning, we were short of time.
Since it takes a mere 20 minutes on the new Putrajaya Highway from Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya is definitely high on the list of our weekend destinations.