Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

In Kuala Lumpur, Tourism Malaysia has several offices. The largest is at the MTC, the Malaysia Tourist Centre, located on 109 Jalan Ampang (tel. 03/2164-3929) and open daily from 8am to 10:30pm. In addition to a tourist information desk, MTC has a moneychanger; ATM; tourist police post; travel agent booking for Taman Negara trips, city tours, and limited hotel bookings; souvenir shops; an amphitheater; and Transnasional bus ticket bookings.

Vision KL Magazine is offered for free in many hotel rooms and has listings for events in KL and Malaysia. At newsstands, it costs RM6.80 ($1.95/£1.25). The monthly Time Out is a more comprehensive alternative.

Getting There

By Train -- I love KL's shiny new train station, KL Sentral. Not only does it serve as a clean, safe, and orderly base from which to take the train, but it's also a hub for local commuter train services around the city; it's got tons of facilities, moneychangers, ATMs, fast food, and shops; and it's got an easy taxi coupon system (about RM10/$2.90/£1.80 or RM13/$3.75/£2.35 to central parts of the city) -- cabs are really easy to find here. For KL Sentral information, call tel. 03/2267-1200.

By Bus -- If you're arriving in KL by bus, be warned, different bus companies drop off at different locations around the city. I recommended Aeroline buses from Singapore (tel. 65/6723-7222). These buses will drop you off at the Corus Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, which is located in the heart of the city. KL has three official bus terminals that handle intercity bus departures and arrivals to all parts of the country: the Puduraya Terminal on Jalan Pudu, Putra Terminal on Jalan Tun Ismail, and Pekililing Terminal on Jalan Ipoh. If you arrive at Puduraya, the biggest of the three, good luck! It's congested -- with both toxic fumes and traffic jams: one of the reasons I avoid standard bus travel in Malaysia. Taxis -- another less-than-pleasant mode of transportation can be found at any of these terminals, but beware of drivers who will try to overcharge you.

By Plane -- The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) (tel. 03/8776-4386), located in Sepang, 53km (33 miles) outside the city, opened in 1998. KLIA is a huge complex, with business centers, dining facilities, a fitness center, medical services, shopping, post offices, and a nearby luxurious airport hotel operated by Pan Pacific (tel. 03/8787-3333; www.panpacific.com/KLairport). The Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), which services budget airlines like AirAsia, is 20km (12 miles) away from the KLIA main terminal, so be warned that it is not easy to transfer between the two terminals. Although there are moneychangers, they are few and far between, so hop on the first line you see and don't assume there's another one just around the corner.

Getting into Town from the Airport

By Taxi -- City taxis are not permitted to pick up from the airport (although you will find illegal touts -- avoid them!), but special airport taxis (tel. 03/8787-3678) operate 'round-the-clock, charging RM92 ($27/£17) for premier cars (Mercedes) and RM67 ($19/£12) for standard vehicles (the locally built Proton). Vans with seating capacity up to eight can also be hired for RM180 ($52/£32). Charges may vary depending on your destination. Coupons must be purchased at the arrival concourse.

An express coach (tel. 03/2730-2000) connects KLIA to KL Sentral train station, where you can catch a cab to the city's major hotels. It costs RM35 ($10/£6.30) for a ticket, so you may as well take the Express Rail Link, listed below. It's faster. There are also express buses from the LCC terminal that connect to KL Sentral; they cost RM9 ($2.60/£1.60).

The KLIA Ekspres (tel. 03/2267-8000) is an express rail link that runs between KLIA and KL Sentral train station from 5am to 1am daily. Trains depart every 15 minutes and take 28 minutes to complete the journey. Tickets cost RM35 ($10/£6.30) for adults and RM15 ($4.35/£2.70) for children. From KL Sentral, taxis are always on hand and use a coupon system (about RM10/$2.90/£1.80 or RM13/$3.75/£2.35 to central parts of the city), or you can catch one of the city's commuter trains to a station near your hotel.

Getting Around

Kuala Lumpur is a prime example of a city that was not planned, per se, from a master graph of streets. Rather, because of its beginnings as an outpost, it grew as it needed to, expanding outward and swallowing up rural surroundings. The result is a tangled web of streets too narrow to support the traffic of a capital city. Cars and buses weave through one-way lanes, with countless motorbikes sneaking in and out, sometimes in the opposite direction of traffic or up on the sidewalks. Expect traffic jams in the morning rush between 6 and 10am, and again between 5 and 8pm. At other times, taxis are a convenient way of getting around, but the commuter train system, if they're going where you need to, is perhaps the best value and easiest route. City buses are hot and crowded, with some very confusing routes. Walking can also be frustrating. Many sidewalks are in poor condition, with buckled tiles and gaping gutters. The heat can be prohibitive as well. However, areas within the colonial heart of the city, Chinatown, Little India, and some areas in the Golden Triangle are within walking distance of each other.

By Taxi -- If you ask me, KL cabbies should have their tires slashed. If you can get one to stop, the driver will almost always refuse to use the meter (which is against the law), quoting what seems to be the standard -- RM10 ($2.90/£1.80), usually for a trip that normally costs RM4 ($1.15/70p). If it's raining, expect that quote to double. I usually don't dicker over the price because it's only a buck and a half. It's just frustrating when cab after cab passes you by. In some places within the city, taxi stands try to solve this problem. Be prepared for taxis to pull over, roll down the window, and hear the pleas from the line before deciding upon which passenger to take, regardless of the order of the line.

Taxis can be booked by phone with an RM1 (29¢/18p) booking charge. Call Cityline, tel. 03/9222-2828; Comfort, tel. 03/2692-2525; or Sunlight, tel. 03/9057-5757. Sometimes these services are not reliable.

Technically, the metered fare is RM2 (60¢/35p) for the first 2km (1 1/4 mile) and an additional RM.10 (3¢/2p) for each 200m (656 ft.) after that. Between midnight and 6am, you'll be charged an extra 50% of the total fare.

By Bus -- I don't recommend travel on city buses. They're cheap but not dependable, with city routes that will get newcomers lost for sure. It's not the most relaxing way to get around.

By Rail -- KL has a network of mass transit trains that snake through the city and out to the suburbs, and it'll be worth your time to become familiar with them, because taxis are sometimes unreliable and traffic jams can be unbearable. Trouble is, there are five train routes and each one is operated by a different company. How confusing! The lines don't seem to connect in any logical way.

The four lines that are most useful to visitors are the Putra LRT, the Star LRT, the KL Monorail, and the KLIA Ekspres to the airport.

The Kelana Jaya Line, formerly called Putra LRT, has stops at Bangsar (featured in the section "Kuala Lumpur After Dark"), KL Sentral (train station), Pasar Seni (Chinatown), Masjid Jamek, Dang Wangi, and KLCC shopping center. The Ampang & Sri Petaling Line, formerly called the Star LRT, is convenient if you need to get to the Putra World Trade Centre. It also stops at Masjid Jamek and Plaza Rayat. Average trips on both lines will cost around RM2 (60¢/35p).

The KL Monorail provides good access through the main hotel and shopping areas of the city, including stops at KL Sentral, Imbi, Bukit Bintang (the main shopping strip), and Raja Chulan (along Jalan Sultan Ismail, where many hotels are). Fares run between RM1.20 (35¢/20p) and RM2.50 (70¢/45p).

As a rough guide, all lines operate between 5 or 6am until around midnight, with trains coming every 10 minutes or so. Tickets can be purchased at any station either from the stationmaster or from single-fare electronic ticket booths.

On Foot -- The heat and humidity can make walking between attractions pretty uncomfortable. However, sometimes the traffic is so unbearable that you'll get where you're going much faster by strapping on your tennis shoes and hiking it.

Fast Facts

The area code for Kuala Lumpur is 03, and the city's phone numbers have an eight-digit format. Numbers in the rest of the country have seven digits.

The main office for American Express is located in KL at Menara Maybank, Ground Level banking hall, Jalan Perak (tel. 03/2050-0888). You'll also find headquarters for all Malaysian and many international banks, most of which have outlets along Jalan Sultan Ismail, plus ATMs at countless locations throughout the city. Look for moneychangers in just about every shopping mall; they're a better bargain than banks or hotel cashiers.

KL's General Post Office, on Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin in the enormous Pos Malaysia Komplex Dayabumi (tel. 03/2274-1122), can be pretty overwhelming. If you can, try to use your hotel's mail service for a much easier time. Internet service in KL will run about RM3 to RM6 (85¢-$1.75/55p-£1.10) per hour for usage. Internet cafes come and go, popping up in backpacker areas like Chinatown and the streets around BB Plaza off Jalan Bukit Bintang.

The emergency number for police and ambulance is tel. 999. For fire emergencies, call tel. 994.