Houston

Houston

America’s fourth largest city is many things to its 2.2 million residents – and the many tourists who arrive on flights to Houston every year. It’s an energy capital, rodeo town, space travel innovator, international arts destination and is also home to some of the best restaurants in the south.

Much like its home state Texas, Houston is impossible to pin down. It mixes the old stereotypes of Southern hospitality and cowboys of the Wild West with the affluent skyline and financial districts of a city built on oil.

As the only major US city untamed by zoning laws, these multiple facets exist side by side, meaning each street is an unpredictable mix of old and new. This is a city where it’s just as easy to catch a show at the opera house as it is to track down a pair of authentic, handmade cowboy boots. And that’s what makes it such a diverse travel destination.

Houston is home to three separate skylines jagged with dazzling skyscrapers towering over leafy residential neighbourhoods. These are packed with world famous museums, fashionable shopping districts such as The Galleria, and art galleries including the Museum of Fine Arts Houston.

The Rothko Chapel is where art meets meditation, offering peaceful respite for the Houston locals, while the Space Center Houston, home of NASA, is a space enthusiast’s dream – and the only place in the world where you can discover how it felt to be in Mission Control when astronaut Jack Swigert said: “Houston, we’ve had a problem.”

With more than 11,000 restaurants that cater to every possible taste, it’s no surprise Houstonians dine out often. Prepare your taste buds for some of the best food, and biggest portions, in Texas.

Things to do in Houston

■ Visit the Space Center Houston
■ Tour the Downtown Tunnel System
■ Stroll around Buffalo Bayou Park
■ Get eccentric with Art Cars
■ Get cultured in the theatre district
■ Become a cowboy at Texas Junk Co.

Stay in Houston

■ The Westin Galleria Houston
■ Magnolia Hotel Houston
■ Hotel Sorella City Centre
■ Hotel ICON
■ Hotel Granduca
■ Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Eat in Houston

■ Vic & Anthony’s (Steakhouse)
■ Underbelly (American)
■ The Pass & Provisions (Modern American)
■ Oxheart (Modern American)
■ Caracol (Mexican)
■ Cajun Stop (Cajun/Creole)

Scheduled Flights to Houston (from Kuala Lumpur)

■ All Nippon Airways ANA (1 Stop)
■ United Airlines (1 Stop)
■ British Airways (1 Stop)
■ American Airlines (1 Stop)