Damansara and Hartamas are two middle- to upper-middle-class suburbs which lie to the west of Kuala Lumpur. Although largely residential, both have pockets of good restaurants, watering holes and even some clubs. Desa Hartamas is particularly popular with the expatriate community.
Damansara runs right up to the border between the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state and virtually merges with the city of Petaling Jaya. And just to create some confusion, many areas in the northern part of Petaling Jaya also deemed to be part of Damansara.
Sri Hartamas and Desa Sri Hartamas
Whilst there is nothing typically touristy to see or do in Sri Hartamas this is a fantastic place to really get a feel for Kuala Lumpur. Desa Sri Hartamas in particular has developed into a fantastic little eating area where you can experiment with a wide variety of international food relatively cheaply. The most appealing aspect of this is that most of the food retains its national identity. Of particular interest is sitting down to a korean BBQ- order bulgogi or sam giup sul, going for steamboat, or joining in the foodcourt when it starts to become busy after eight in the evening.
There is also a reputable dive shop in Desa Sri Hartamas that has a thriving little dive community behind it and runs regular trips out of Kuala Lumpur to a variety of diving spots.
Take a taxi, about 10Rm from the center of KL and about 10minutes. Ask to be put down at Desa Sri Hartamas. Taxis are easily hailable to return to the city. Within walking distance is Mont Kiara, an area of towering condominiums, that has a few nice bars, reasonable restaurants that are more expensive than Sri Hartamas and a growing expat community.
