La Hotels 5 Star - Tips For Backpacking in Kuala Lumpur

Some planning is in order to stretch your vacation money to the maximum if you are a backpacker, however. Or wish to order food from a hawker stall rest assured that someone will be able to communicate with you in English, if you need directions. Backpacking is popular as the city has a very low crime rate and English is widely spoken. As against the Malaysian Ringgit are highly favourable, for instance, foreign currency exchange rates of the Pound Sterling and US Dollar. INTRODUCTION
Kuala Lumpur (or "KL" in short) is one of the cheapest cities in Asia for a vacation.

It links Kuala Lumpur with Medan and Bandar Acheh (both in Indonesia) and Phuket in Thailand; however, another Malaysian budget airline is Fireflyz which caters mostly to domestic destinations in the country. Please check their websites, for details of the flight schedules and fares of AirAsia and SilkAir. You can take a bus or train to Kuala Lumpur), (From Singapore. CHEAP AIR FARES
Malaysia's AirAsia and Singapore's SilkAir are two low-cost carriers that can fly you cheaply from many destinations around the world to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore respectively.

Mid-March and mid-August, it is also best to avoid the Malaysian school holidays which fall during December. Bookings have to be made at least a few months ahead, to get the best prices for budget airlines.

About 15 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur, fireflyz's aeroplanes land at Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Subang. The economical way to get to the capital is by airport coach, from KLIA. Frequencies of the buses are 15 - 20 minutes. Car Park C, bus station at Ground Floor, the pick-up point is from Platform 8. Fare is only RM 1.50 per person per way. Namely Nadi KL and Airport Liner; the cheapest way to get to KLIA from the LCCT is by shuttle bus operated by two companies. Which is 60 km from Kuala Lumpur, the airplanes of AirAsia land at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) about two kilometres from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang.

It is a great place to cool down after a day of hectic sightseeing, perched atop a hillock. Chin Woo Stadium which has a swimming pool that is open to the public for a nominal fee is just 20 minutes away by foot from Jalan Petaling. Chinatown is also within walking distance to the KL Monorail station on Jalan Maharajalela and also the STAR Light Rail Transit station near the Central Market. This is the main station for buses going to other cities in the country. Another advantage of staying in Chinatown is its closeness to Puduraya bus station. Those without any star rating are classified as "budget"), ranging from one to a maximum of five stars; (Hotels in Malaysia are rated by a star system. Accommodation ranges from simple bed-and-breakfast inns with communal bathrooms to one-star and two-star hotels that are air-conditioned. Its heart is Jalan Petaling (Petaling Street). WHERE TO STAY
The most popular area for backpackers to stay in KL is Chinatown.

Food is mainly confined to vegetarian eateries and Indian fan-ventilated restaurants serving banana leaf curry rice, also. The negative point about this area is the lack of evening activities. Including the YMCA, a few inns that one rung down the price ladder are also available. Mexico Hotel and Hotel Florida to mention but a few -- they all come with air-conditioning and attached bathrooms, de Sentral Hotel, they include Hotel Summer View. Just across Jalan Tun Sambanthan are affordable accommodations, however. The five-star Hilton Kuala Lumpur and Le Meredian are located within the complex. Including the KLIA Ekpres that plies to and from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, all Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains stop here. Which is the city's rail transportation hub, near Stesen Sentral (Central Station), my second recommendation for accommodation is Brickfields.

Website: budgethotel.org.my Email: mbha1 @tm.net.my. Fax: +603-21439313. Tel: +603-21412313. 50200 Kuala Lumpur, 52 Tengkat Tong Shin. A useful contact is the Malaysia Budget Hotel Association at No.

All major shopping complexes also have food courts that offer local food at decent prices. Two or three pieces washed down with the "teh tarik" (literally means "pulled tea" ) will give you sufficient fuel for your tramping around. Sardine or banana are also available, variations such as roti canai with egg. My recommendation is to try roti canai (a type of pancake) in the morning which can cost as little as RM1.50 per piece, to cut costs on food. Fried noodles or chicken chop to guarantee that what you eat is fresh, order something that is cooked on the spot instead such as fried rice. Etc) on display in glass containers in such eateries may have been heated and re-heated umpteen times, squid, chicken, the food (fish. Avoid 24-hour Mamak (Indian Muslim) eateries unless you want to take the slight risk of a stomach upset. Malay food is aplenty in the districts of Chow Kit and Kampung Baru, go to Lebuh Ampang; for Indian fare. Kentucky Fried Chicken to mention but a few are scattered in many parts of the city, domino's Pizza, pizza Hut, fast food outlets such as McDonald. Which are often tucked away in the basement, go to the food courts of shopping complexes, for more comfort. A meal with a fruit juice or soft drink can cost as little as RM6! Two popular havens for cheap hawker food are Jalan Alor and Jalan Petaling. Countless alfresco stalls are found in hawker centres. WHERE TO EAT
Finding cheap and hygienic food is probably the least of all problems for backpackers.

There is also a surcharge for travelling after midnight and for putting luggage in the boot, remember. It is a take-it-or-leave-it situation, especially, on rainy days. A few drivers may refuse to use the meter and insist on an exorbitant flat fee, worst. A ploy by a few black-sheep drivers is to take the longest possible route to your destination. And this can burn a hole in your pocket, the fare meter keeps ticking even though the vehicle is stuck in a massive jam. TRAVELLING AROUND
Travelling around KL by taxi can be an expensive affair.

You will not be given any change, if you drop in excess fare. And passengers drop the correct fare in coins into the ticket vending machine, most buses don't have conductors. It can be difficult for foreigners to find out the routes of each bus, though buses cover most parts of the city.

They each have a different route but you can change trains at Stesen Sentral (Central Station). Putra LRT and KL Monorail, three LRT trains are in operation: STAR LRT. Services usually start from 6am till midnight. Rail maps showing the different stops can be found in all the train stations. Whereupon you can take a short stroll to your desired destination, (and sometimes underground) that can whizz you from one part of the city to another, the city has a network of train systems (referred to as Light Rail Transit or "LRT" in short) that run on elevated rails. Despair not!

These spots offer excellent opportunities to try local fare at dirt-cheap prices. "Pasar malam" or "night markets" are held in Kampung Baru and Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman every Saturday evening. Haji Taib Hawker Centre in Chow Kit is good for jeans and second-clothes but the area suffers from a bad reputation. They are free, and best of all, cultural performances are also held at scheduled times. Souvenirs and also has an excellent food court, central Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi specializes in collectibles, highly popular with tourists. Haggling is the order of the day. Especially cheap imitations of prestigious watches and leather goods as well as pirated VCDs of the latest Hollywood movies, which is chocked with stalls selling almost everything, not to be missed is Jalan Petaling. M Shopping Arcade also offer excellent for value-for-money buys, uDA Ocean and S& kotaraya Complex, in the fringe of Chinatown. And independent stores such as Mydin and Globe Silk Store, campbell Complex, they include Pertama Complex. Nicknamed "Kuala Lumpur's "Golden Mile", affordable shopping complexes can be found around Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, however. The same advice applies to the highly popular Suria KLCC in the podium block of the PETRONAS Twin Towers and Mid Valley on the Federal Highway. Low Yat Plaza and Starhill Shopping Complex that are targeted at middle- to upper-class shoppers, bB Plaza, sungei Wang Plaza, kL Plaza, tucked within the area are Lot 10. Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Chulan, this area is bounded by Jalan Bukit Bintang. AFFORDABLE SHOPPING COMPLEXES
Avoid all shopping malls in the city's Golden Triangle unless you just aim to browse around.

They are located as follows: You can get free travel literature such as maps and brochures from tourist information centres operated by Tourism Malaysia. TRAVEL LITERATURE
There is no need to throw away your hard-earned money on expensive travel guides.

Phone: +603-2272 5823 50050 Kuala Lumpur, stesen KL Sentral, kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal, arrival Hall, 2nd Floor, stesen Sentral (Central Station)
Lot 21,

Selangor
Phone: +603-877 656 47 / 51 sepang 64000, kLIA, international Arrival Hall, kuala Lumpur International Airport
Visitor Service Centre,

) Kuala Lumpur 50450
Phone: +603-9235 4848 / 9235 4900 Fax: +603-2162 1149
(Tourists are allowed a maximum of 20 minutes free internet surfing here, malaysia Tourist Centre (MTC)
109 Jalan Ampang!

50480 Kuala Lumpur
Phone: +603-2615 8540 Fax: + 603-2692 4554
(Note: Putra World Trade Centre is located next to the Best Western Premier Seri Pacific Hotel), pWTC, 45 Jalan Tun Ismail, putra World Trade Centre, putra World Trade Centre
Level 2.

Which is head-quartered in a charming wooden shack in the grounds of the National Museum on Jalan Damansara, +603-22871830). No. Another helpful spot is Kuala Lumpur Tourism Association (Tel.

Enjoy your stay in Kuala Lumpur and happy backpacking! So your safety is highly assured, a word of assurance is in order: Kuala Lumpur has a Tourist Police unit that has a high profile in the Golden Triangle. The owner of the budget hotel you are staying can also provide useful advice. And personnel manning information counters in shopping complexes, the most reliable sources of information are front liners in the tourist information centres. Avoid touts who offer to take you on a walkabout, also. Avoid asking for information or directions from such foreigners. Petrol pump attendants or retail sales persons, most of them work as waiters. Vietnamese and Myanmar contract workers, indonesian, kuala Lumpur has a sizeable population of Bangladeshi. ASK, aSK, aSK, iF IN DOUBT!