| INTRODUCTION | | | | eat is fresh. To cut costs on food, my |
| Kuala Lumpur (or "KL" in short) is one of the | | | | recommendation is to try roti canai (a type of |
| cheapest cities in Asia for a vacation. Foreign | | | | pancake) in the morning which can cost as little as |
| currency exchange rates of the Pound Sterling and | | | | RM1.50 per piece. Variations such as roti canai with |
| US Dollar, for instance, as against the Malaysian | | | | egg, sardine or banana are also available. Two or |
| Ringgit are highly favourable. Backpacking is popular | | | | three pieces washed down with the "teh tarik" |
| as the city has a very low crime rate and English is | | | | (literally means "pulled tea" ) will give you sufficient |
| widely spoken. If you need directions, or wish to | | | | fuel for your tramping around. All major shopping |
| order food from a hawker stall rest assured that | | | | complexes also have food courts that offer local |
| someone will be able to communicate with you in | | | | food at decent prices. |
| English. However, some planning is in order to stretch | | | | TRAVELLING AROUND |
| your vacation money to the maximum if you are a | | | | Travelling around KL by taxi can be an expensive |
| backpacker. | | | | affair. The fare meter keeps ticking even though the |
| CHEAP AIR FARES | | | | vehicle is stuck in a massive jam, and this can burn a |
| Malaysia's AirAsia and Singapore's SilkAir are two | | | | hole in your pocket. A ploy by a few black-sheep |
| low-cost carriers that can fly you cheaply from many | | | | drivers is to take the longest possible route to your |
| destinations around the world to Kuala Lumpur and | | | | destination. Worst, a few drivers may refuse to use |
| Singapore respectively. (From Singapore, you can | | | | the meter and insist on an exorbitant flat fee. On |
| take a bus or train to Kuala Lumpur). For details of | | | | rainy days, especially, it is a take-it-or-leave-it |
| the flight schedules and fares of AirAsia and SilkAir, | | | | situation. Remember, there is also a surcharge for |
| please check their websites. Another Malaysian | | | | travelling after midnight and for putting luggage in the |
| budget airline is Fireflyz which caters mostly to | | | | boot. |
| domestic destinations in the country; however, it links | | | | Though buses cover most parts of the city, it can be |
| Kuala Lumpur with Medan and Bandar Acheh (both in | | | | difficult for foreigners to find out the routes of each |
| Indonesia) and Phuket in Thailand. | | | | bus. Most buses don't have conductors, and |
| To get the best prices for budget airlines, bookings | | | | passengers drop the correct fare in coins into the |
| have to be made at least a few months ahead. It is | | | | ticket vending machine. If you drop in excess fare, |
| also best to avoid the Malaysian school holidays which | | | | you will not be given any change. |
| fall during December, mid-March and mid-August. | | | | Despair not! The city has a network of train systems |
| The airplanes of AirAsia land at the Low Cost Carrier | | | | (referred to as Light Rail Transit or "LRT" in short) |
| Terminal (LCCT) about two kilometres from Kuala | | | | that run on elevated rails, (and sometimes |
| Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang, which | | | | underground) that can whizz you from one part of |
| is 60 km from Kuala Lumpur. The cheapest way to | | | | the city to another, whereupon you can take a short |
| get to KLIA from the LCCT is by shuttle bus | | | | stroll to your desired destination. Rail maps showing |
| operated by two companies; namely Nadi KL and | | | | the different stops can be found in all the train |
| Airport Liner. Fare is only RM 1.50 per person per | | | | stations. Services usually start from 6am till midnight. |
| way. The pick-up point is from Platform 8, bus | | | | Three LRT trains are in operation: STAR LRT, Putra |
| station at Ground Floor, Car Park C. Frequencies of | | | | LRT and KL Monorail. They each have a different |
| the buses are 15 - 20 minutes. From KLIA, the | | | | route but you can change trains at Stesen Sentral |
| economical way to get to the capital is by airport | | | | (Central Station). |
| coach. Fireflyz's aeroplanes land at Sultan Abdul Aziz | | | | AFFORDABLE SHOPPING COMPLEXES |
| Airport in Subang, about 15 kilometres from Kuala | | | | Avoid all shopping malls in the city's Golden Triangle |
| Lumpur. | | | | unless you just aim to browse around. This area is |
| WHERE TO STAY | | | | bounded by Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail |
| The most popular area for backpackers to stay in KL | | | | and Jalan Raja Chulan. Tucked within the area are Lot |
| is Chinatown. Its heart is Jalan Petaling (Petaling | | | | 10, KL Plaza, Sungei Wang Plaza, BB Plaza, Low Yat |
| Street). Accommodation ranges from simple | | | | Plaza and Starhill Shopping Complex that are targeted |
| bed-and-breakfast inns with communal bathrooms to | | | | at middle- to upper-class shoppers. The same advice |
| one-star and two-star hotels that are air-conditioned. | | | | applies to the highly popular Suria KLCC in the podium |
| (Hotels in Malaysia are rated by a star system, | | | | block of the PETRONAS Twin Towers and Mid Valley |
| ranging from one to a maximum of five stars; those | | | | on the Federal Highway. However, affordable |
| without any star rating are classified as "budget"). | | | | shopping complexes can be found around Jalan |
| Another advantage of staying in Chinatown is its | | | | Tuanku Abdul Rahman, nicknamed "Kuala Lumpur's |
| closeness to Puduraya bus station. This is the main | | | | "Golden Mile". They include Pertama Complex, |
| station for buses going to other cities in the country. | | | | Campbell Complex, and independent stores such as |
| Chinatown is also within walking distance to the KL | | | | Mydin and Globe Silk Store. In the fringe of |
| Monorail station on Jalan Maharajalela and also the | | | | Chinatown, Kotaraya Complex, UDA Ocean and |
| STAR Light Rail Transit station near the Central | | | | S&M Shopping Arcade also offer excellent for |
| Market. Chin Woo Stadium which has a swimming | | | | value-for-money buys. Not to be missed is Jalan |
| pool that is open to the public for a nominal fee is | | | | Petaling, which is chocked with stalls selling almost |
| just 20 minutes away by foot from Jalan Petaling. | | | | everything, especially cheap imitations of prestigious |
| Perched atop a hillock, it is a great place to cool | | | | watches and leather goods as well as pirated VCDs |
| down after a day of hectic sightseeing. | | | | of the latest Hollywood movies. Haggling is the order |
| My second recommendation for accommodation is | | | | of the day. Highly popular with tourists, Central |
| Brickfields, near Stesen Sentral (Central Station), | | | | Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi specializes in collectibles, |
| which is the city's rail transportation hub. All Light Rail | | | | souvenirs and also has an excellent food court. |
| Transit (LRT) trains stop here, including the KLIA | | | | Cultural performances are also held at scheduled |
| Ekpres that plies to and from Kuala Lumpur | | | | times, and best of all, they are free. Haji Taib |
| International Airport. The five-star Hilton Kuala Lumpur | | | | Hawker Centre in Chow Kit is good for jeans and |
| and Le Meredian are located within the complex. | | | | second-clothes but the area suffers from a bad |
| However, just across Jalan Tun Sambanthan are | | | | reputation. "Pasar malam" or "night markets" are held |
| affordable accommodations. They include Hotel | | | | in Kampung Baru and Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman |
| Summer View, De Sentral Hotel, Mexico Hotel and | | | | every Saturday evening. These spots offer excellent |
| Hotel Florida to mention but a few -- they all come | | | | opportunities to try local fare at dirt-cheap prices. |
| with air-conditioning and attached bathrooms. A few | | | | TRAVEL LITERATURE |
| inns that one rung down the price ladder are also | | | | There is no need to throw away your hard-earned |
| available, including the YMCA. The negative point | | | | money on expensive travel guides. You can get free |
| about this area is the lack of evening activities. Also, | | | | travel literature such as maps and brochures from |
| food is mainly confined to vegetarian eateries and | | | | tourist information centres operated by Tourism |
| Indian fan-ventilated restaurants serving banana leaf | | | | Malaysia. They are located as follows: |
| curry rice. | | | | Stesen Sentral (Central Station) |
| A useful contact is the Malaysia Budget Hotel | | | | Lot 21, 2nd Floor, Arrival Hall, Kuala Lumpur City Air |
| Association at No. 52 Tengkat Tong Shin, 50200 | | | | Terminal, Stesen KL Sentral, 50050 Kuala Lumpur, |
| Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +603-21412313. Fax: | | | | Phone: +603-2272 5823 |
| +603-21439313. Email: mbha1 @tm.net.my. Website: | | | | Kuala Lumpur International Airport |
| budgethotel.org.my | | | | Visitor Service Centre, International Arrival Hall, KLIA, |
| WHERE TO EAT | | | | Sepang 64000, Selangor |
| Finding cheap and hygienic food is probably the least | | | | Phone: +603-877 656 47 / 51 |
| of all problems for backpackers. Countless alfresco | | | | Malaysia Tourist Centre (MTC) |
| stalls are found in hawker centres. Two popular | | | | 109 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur 50450 |
| havens for cheap hawker food are Jalan Alor and | | | | Phone: +603-9235 4848 / 9235 4900 Fax: +603-2162 |
| Jalan Petaling. A meal with a fruit juice or soft drink | | | | 1149 |
| can cost as little as RM6! For more comfort, go to | | | | (Tourists are allowed a maximum of 20 minutes free |
| the food courts of shopping complexes, which are | | | | internet surfing here!) |
| often tucked away in the basement. Fast food | | | | Putra World Trade Centre |
| outlets such as McDonald, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, | | | | Level 2, Putra World Trade Centre, 45 Jalan Tun |
| Kentucky Fried Chicken to mention but a few are | | | | Ismail, PWTC, |
| scattered in many parts of the city. For Indian fare, | | | | 50480 Kuala Lumpur |
| go to Lebuh Ampang; Malay food is aplenty in the | | | | Phone: +603-2615 8540 Fax: + 603-2692 4554 |
| districts of Chow Kit and Kampung Baru. Avoid | | | | (Note: Putra World Trade Centre is located next to |
| 24-hour Mamak (Indian Muslim) eateries unless you | | | | the Best Western Premier Seri Pacific Hotel). |
| want to take the slight risk of a stomach upset. The | | | | Another helpful spot is Kuala Lumpur Tourism |
| food (fish, chicken, squid, etc) on display in glass | | | | Association (Tel. no. +603-22871830), which is |
| containers in such eateries may have been heated | | | | head-quartered in a charming wooden shack in the |
| and re-heated umpteen times. Order something that | | | | grounds of the National Museum on Jalan Damansara. |
| is cooked on the spot instead such as fried rice, fried | | | | IF IN DOUBT, ASK, ASK, ASK! |
| noodles or chicken chop to guarantee that what you | | | | |