mingtsainy

I have a brief stopover (3 nights) in KL before flying home to NYC via MAS on an 8:40 AM flight in August.

HOTEL: I need recommendations on hotels that are under US$100, have easy access to the airport due to my early flight, and are close to the most of tourist sites. My friend suggested Le Meridian, which is right at the Central Station but not close to the city sites. Mandarin Hotel, which I read on here, is out of my price range.

TRAIN to/from AIRPORT: How easy is it to navigate the train shuttle system to/from the airport? I have one suitcase plus one carry one so I don't want to navigate too many stairs or corridors.

METRO: How much is the metro system? Is it based on per ride or distance?

SITES: What sites are worth seeing? I was told not to miss the Batu Caves, the Selangor Pewter factory tour, the Petronas Towers and the shopping (although I'm not really into shopping). It's a guy thing! Everything I need, I already have. Well, almost everything.

Thanks in advance.



A friend suggested Le Meridian which is rig

MichaelBKK

The airport is far from the city, with only one nearby hotel (a Pan Pacific). You will want to stay in the city and use the very quick and convenient airport express.

There're two hotels at the Sentral station. Le Meridien is one and I think the other is a Hilton. You are correct that the station is not exactly in the middle of town. Closer to the center is New World / Renaissance (two hotels in one building), which is a short walk from the twin towers and next to a monorail station. It should be in your price range. Even cheaper, the Mutiara and the Federal are right in the Bukit Bintang area, where a lot of restaurants, pubs and shopping is located.

A taxi from the hotel to Sentral station should cost around 10 to 15 Ringgit. Note that since you're flying MAS, you can check your luggage at Sentral and get your boarding pass.

I have not found the Metro to be of much use for getting around to the sights, other than the monorail, which can get you from the New World to Bukit Bintang. That said, the system is easy enough to navigate if you know where you're going. The fare is by distance.

galiano

The plaza outside the Petronas Towers is a great place to hang out in the evening no matter what age you are. The locals love it, there are bars and restaurants with outdoor entertainment. Great place to spend an evening. And the Petronas Towers are spectacular.

gard

Hi

I went to KL twice last year. Here is a trip report with some pictures, links and maps: http://gardkarlsen.com/malaysia_kuala_lumpur.htm . Maybe you can find some useful info there to start with Get in touch if you have any questions.

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

sharon1306

We just got back from KL last week. Stayed at the Traders Hotel (owned by the Shangri La chain), which is right opposite the Petronas Towers. We had rooms on the club floor and the service was very good.

Its very easy to use the KLIA express from the airport into Sentral station. We had more bags than you, and managed fine.

The metro system is also very easy to use and is based on distance.

I wasn't very impressed by the Batu caves. If you want to go up to the Sky Bridge of the Petronas, you have to get there very early to secure tickets. They have limited tickets per day. We got there about 730 am (our hotel had a free shuttle to the KLIA Suria complex) and there was already a queue formed up. Also, go up the KL Menara Tower.

TravelTwiddle

Saw your post a few days back but figured if you have USD100 to splurge on hotel every night, you can afford to book tours available in most hotel front desk. Saves you the headache.

Then again, today I changed my mind. Just came back camping in the jungle a few nights and that set my "helpful" mood going.

HOTEL: With USD100, the world is yours. Apart hotels suggested earlier, do consider Sunway Lagoon Resort, Istana, Rennaisance, Equatorial and Maya Hotel (new). Don't worry too much about how far they are from KL Sentral (the hub for KLIA transfer). These hotels are walking distance to the nearest rail and lots of taxis around.

TRAIL to/from AIRPORT: There's only one rail service, see www.kliaekspres.com. It's easy to walk to the station and you won't miss it. Lots of lifts, conveyors and trolleys to help you with baggage. DO NOT USE THE TAXI service for the time being. The airport authority is currently having problems with touts overcharging.

METRO: The metro, to elaborate, is a network of 3 services - namely Star, Putra and Monorail. It is based on distance. See www.kiat.net/malaysia/KL/transit.html.

SITES: This is a tricky one. Let's see, you don't want shopping. Into caves (nature, religion), pewter (local specialty) and Petronas Tower (icon). For 3 days, allow me to suggest these for DIY ... (forget Batu Caves and pewter, too touristy)

Day 1 - Ride the Putra rail and hop of at "Medan Pasar" station. Walk 5 mins to Central Market and Petaling Street to feel in buzz of inner city. After that, just behind Central Market, trail along Klang River and find your way to Sultan Abdul samad building and Masjid Jamek mosque. This is where KL began, the junction of Gombak/Klang River. Great photos to take home. Get back to "Medan Pasar" station and head home.

Day 2 - Putra line again, make a pitstop at "KLCC" station. Take photos of the twin towers to impress everyone back home. If you have time, take a breathtaking elevator ride that zooms you up to its lofty tip. While you're there, check out KLCC Aquaria to soak in some Malaysian aquatic life without getting wet. Have lunch at KLCC's foodcourt. Very good spread of traditional cuisines from all over Malaysia. And before you head back to your USD100 room, leave some footprints in Bukit Bintang shopper paradise. You don't have to shop to enjoy the place y'know. People watching! Ask locals to show you the way to Alor Street for local eats in the evening. It's opposite BB Plaza.

Day 3 - Take a taxi ride to Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) in Kepong, 30 mins from KL. The bedrock of Malaysia's attraction is its rainforest. Why come and miss the best part. See a large collection of mature rainforest flora and fauna here. There a canopy walk you can enjoy too. Non-touristy. Locals go there to exercise and get fresh air in the afternoons. If you still have time, veer over Batu Caves nearby and make you friend happy. FRIM and BC are located in the same area.

Well, you have everything now - almost.

Melnq8

I didn't care for the Batu Caves at all, but I did enjoy the Selangor Pewter factory and the Petronis Towers.

We'd also been warned to go early to get tickets for the towers, but we turned up at 9:30, waited in line for 15 minutes and got tickets for the 1:45 tour.

There are inexpensive half and full day tours which cover most or all of the places you've mentioned and can be easily arranged through your hotel.

As far as costs, we took the monorail from start to finish and back again for 6.20 RM each. The LRT was cheap too - 3.20 RM for a ride to Chinatown and back (this was a couple of years back).

Taxis are cheap, but fares are all over the place. They're metered, but the meters are often ignored. Beware that some taxi drivers don't clear the meters between fares.

If you like Indian food, highly recommend the Bombay Palace, located across the street from the US Embassy.

Some other things to see and do in KL include the orchid garden, Little India, Chinatown, KL Towers, the butterfly park and the Petroleum Science and Technology Center.

lina219

I second traveltwiddle's suggestion of going to FRIM. or just go to Bukit Nanas nearby (well, if you are staying in Jalan Sultan Ismail's area : read Renaissance, Maya, Sheraton, Shangri-la) for a quick walk in the area & you can combine this with a visit to KL Tower.

Absolutely go to Masjid Jamek for its historical value & take photos there!

as a local, i don't really care abt Chinatown (Petaling Street) but do go to little india (otherwise known as Masjid India). you'll find a lot of interesting items such as traditional medicine vendors, malay & indian specialty shops there. it is nearby both Petaling Street & Medan Pasar.

perhaps, a visit to the Orang Asli Museum in Gombak?