I’m a planner (or a control freak, according to my husband) so, whenever we go on holiday, I like to have everything in order and be prepared. Sometimes with travel, however, things don’t go to plan, and you are forced to change your itinerary and your expectations.

This is what happened on a recent trip to Malaysia when a few days in Kuala Lumpur didn’t go to plan, thanks to forest and peatland fires in Borneo and Sumatra, Indonesia, that have been sending extreme levels of haze and pollution across South-East Asia.

While fires in the region are nothing new, usually occurring between July and October, peaking in August and September, this year’s situation has been exacerbated by a delay in the rainy season due to El Nino conditions.

My trip research, conducted at the beginning of the year when I secured very reasonably priced flights to Kuala Lumpur, assured me the conditions would be ideal in late October. They weren’t.

On arrival in Kuala Lumpur, the city was blanketed in a cloying haze. The city is renowned for its high-rise wonders — the Petronas Twin Towers and the Menara KL Tower. The Petronas Twin Towers reach 88 storeys at a height of 451.9m. Although no longer the tallest buildings in the world, they are the tallest twin towers.

The stunning skyscrapers offer spectacular 360-degree views of Kuala Lumpur and beyond, but not during our visit, when at times at ground level you could hardly see the towers through the haze. We opted not to waste our money to go up the towers only to be swathed in a grey blanket.

Instead, we jumped on the KL Hop-On Hop-Off bus — always a must-do for me when exploring a city. A standard ticket costing RM76 ($26.40) provides a 26-stop tour, split in two — a city route and a garden route. The city tour takes in attractions including the KL Tower, Petronas Twin Towers, KLCC Park, the aquarium, craft complex, Pavilion shopping centre, bustling Bukit Bintang shopping area, the national library and art gallery.

The garden route includes Chinatown, central market, Little India, National Museum, parliament, the beautiful National Palace which you can peek at through the impressive gates, bird and orchid parks, the Jamek Mosque and the stunning heritage buildings of Sultan Abdul Samad, which originally housed the British colonial administration and courts.

Following restoration work completed earlier this year, the building has returned to its full glory, including beautiful copper domes and the clock tower, with parts open to the public and including galleries, exhibitions and cafes.

I haven’t been to Kuala Lumpur for nearly 30 years, and the city is unrecognisable from then. It now hosts a high-rise, glassy commercial district but also retains the charm of heritage areas. As with many cities in the region, however, it also suffers from traffic congestion, which made the bus tour slow going at times.

As well as a daytime bus tour, there’s a two-hour KL City of Lights evening tour, but with the city lights less than sparkling through the haze we didn’t bother. We did see the light and sound Lake Symphony show at KLCC Park, with the haze not diminishing the show near to the ground.

The next day we were up early to visit the Batu Caves, 13km north of the city, before the draining heat and humidity reached its peak and ahead of thousands of tourists who flock to the site daily.

The 400-million-year-old limestone caves feature a stunning Hindu temple, but you need to climb the 272 colourful steps first, avoiding cheeky monkeys on the way. At the foot of the stairs is the magnificent golden statue of the Hindu god Lord Murugan. Also worth exploring is Sri Ramayana Cave with its colourful statues and scenes from the Hindu epic the Ramayana.

If temples and mosques are your thing, Kuala Lumpur has lots and they are stunning. The Federal Territory Mosque, National Mosque of Malaysia and Masjid Jamek all feature magnificent architecture and serene locations in a bustling city.

Then there is Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur, featuring a stunning gateway, and the majestic Thean Hu Temple, with its intricate carvings, dragon pillars and one of the most beautifully ornate and colourful ceilings I’ve ever seen.

On a clear day, located at the top of Robson Heights, Thean Hu Temple offers clear views of the city below. Alas, not for us.

The fortune sticks at Thean Hu Temple assured me that “the moon is emerging from behind the clouds” and the days ahead are “fine and flourishing”, while for my husband, “every cloud has a silver lining” and Lady Luck is smiling on him. That’s good to know.

Kuala Lumpur does not disappoint when it comes to shopping. The city has a multitude of top-quality shopping centres, with far better air-conditioning than any Perth shopping centre, offering a break from the humidity. They include the high-end Pavilion centre in Bukit Butang featuring every designer name you can imagine.

When it comes to food, Kuala Lumpur is a gourmet paradise, with the mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisines creating delicious results. An evening at the Jalan Alor open-air food street will satisfy every local craving, including nasi lemak, satay, hokkien mee, roti canai and grilled seafood, all finished off with fresh tropical fruit or a creme caramel.

The latter brings back childhood memories of a holiday in Spain where creme caramel was served up as the dessert each evening, with a different name every night. I was amused to see its popularity in Malaysia.

Despite the haze, we enjoyed our few days in Kuala Lumpur. Next time we hope to make it to the top of the Petronas Twin Towers for those spectacular views.