in2it54

I plan to be passing through Malaysia next May (flying into KUL). I have never stayed in Malaysia.
The plan would be, 2 - 3 days viewing everything touristy that the city has to offer, then very keen for beach rest holiday (4 - 5 days) at Tioman Island, before heading on towards Europe.

Now the questions (from my web research).
Tioman by air. Berjaya Air only - are they safe and normally run to schedule ? Departure is from Surbang (SZB) - what are my options for getting to SZB from the city. Luggage restrictions will be a issue unless I'm prepaired to pay excess - 10Kg and 5kg hand (we will probably have 20Kg each, as this is the first week of 5).
Tioman by bus and ferry from Mersing - ferry times are spasmodic and sometimes crowded.

What would be your Tioman travel choice and why ?
Any Tioman accomodation tips beyond what I see on TA ?
Is there a good beach holiday option that I have overlooked and you would recommend (sand between the toes, a good book and a cold drink !!!)

Dolphinyong

Hi,

Sorry for late reply=)

Well, for me, I would choose the flight=) It's safe so far, and I hope it's always safe=) Of course, you can save quite a lot by taking land+ferry transport, but carrying your luggage and squeeze around in the bus station and ferry terminal might make you exhausted before you reach Tioman=)

How to get there from KL? I would suggest you to take a cab if you are having some 20kg luggage with you. The fare is about MYR 28 only according to this website : http://www.taxiautofare.com/my/taxi-...-to-kl-sentral

You might wanna check out Perhentian island as alternatives=)

Do report back after your trip, it certainly helps the others=)

Hope it helps.

Regards,
Dolphinyong

imm2b

Awesome thread, Thank you Dolphinyong!

I'm planning for a family (5 people) trip to Singapore and Malaysia between Christmas and New Year. It sounds like "KKKL" bus from Singapore to Melaka to KL is the best option. I have a few questions for you:

1). Is there a direct bus from Singapore to KL?
2). Is there a way to book KKKL bus tickets online?
3). If we stopped in Melaka, do you have a recommendation for a hotel?


Originally, I was thinking about staying at the new Grand Hyatt property. But it sounds like the Westin or JW Marriott may be better for tourist purposes? Would you please PM the Marriott LNF discount and elite challenge info?

Thanks in advance for your help.

atLAS, aLAS

I am guessing resident expert Dolphin is a Malaysian, so I will try putting a different perspective as an American who is a frequent visitor to Malaysia.

The special high fare taxis I have only seen hanging around tourist venues. Last time I saw one was at KLCC.

Someone was asking about transport to Genting. It has been a number of years since I have gone, but I think the best option is the share taxis from Puduraya.

If you like using priceline.com, I have used the name your own price function to get the Renaissance, near the KLCC, for USD 44++.

No problems with monkeys at Batu Caves. I have been there twice.

Pulau Tioman I think is a little disappointing, if you have been to beaches in Thailand or the Philippines. The only advantage it has is that it is close to Singapore. For the guy who was looking for an outing from KL, I would do something else.

Malaysian registered cars can only spend a certain number of days per year (can't remember, think it is ten?) in Singapore. So if you want to take a rental car into Singapore from Malaysia, you can't rent in Johor Bahru, undoubtedly it has been in Singapore all of its allotted days already. But if you rent in KL, it should be OK. This saves you a bunch of money as rental cars are much cheaper in KL compared with Singapore.

I agree with Dolphin that Malacca is worth a short visit. Nothing is spectacular, but you can try their food, and it is cheaper than KL. I had a pleasant experience last time I was there. A tropical bird decided to visit me. He came up to my 6th floor hotel room.

Dolphinyong

Thanks a lot, atLAS, for your opinion, it certainly helps the others who plan to visit Malaysia=)

More opinions/advice and feedback from different people are very much welcome=)

Regards,
Dolphinyong

Dolphinyong

Hi, imm2b, very sorry for overlooking your post and sorry for the late reply.

1. KKKL doesn't provide SIN-KL direct service, you will need to take public bus/taxi from Singapore to Johor Bahru then only from Johor Bahru, you can take the KKKL to KL. Previous FT plan to stay at JB, that's why I recommend him/her to take KKKL from JB to KL. For a direct bus from SIN to KL, check out this online booking websites : http://www.easibook.com/ A lot of bus companies provide super VIP coaches, those are fine. Be aware of the different drop-off points at KL. Choose one which would be easier for you to get to your hotel=) If you plan to stay at JW Marriott KL, choose the drop off point as IMBI or Berjaya Times Square, you can either take the LRT (1 station away) or taxi(few minutes away, if there's no traffic jam, avoid taking taxi during peak hour) from there. You might wanna consider to take Airasia flight from Singapore to KL, sometimes they promotional price which is comparable to the coach ticket price=)

2. You can't.

3. I just returned from Renaissance Melaka, will choose to stay there again when I visit Melaka again. They provide complimentary shuttle service to and from Jonker street/the famous red baba-nyonya house and also to the shoppinge centre. Book those shuttle service before-hand as early as possible though, they get full very fast=) If you wanna get to some historical spot in Melaka like the Porte de Santiago which is not far away, you will need a taxi (or maybe public bus, never take it before) Email the hotel before-hand to get room upgrade if you are a marriott platinum=) I got a suite upgrade there using LNF rate of RM 250 nett

The location of JWM KL (and Westin KL which is next to each other) is perfect, shopping malls and nice eateries (Lot 10 and Jalan Alor local food) are all within walking distance=)

Do report back after your trip, it surely helps the others=)

Regards,
Dolphinyong

Dolphinyong

Hi,for those who are visiting KL, I strongly recommend you to eat at Lot 10 Hutong and Jalan Alor=)

As a Malaysian, I always eat at these two places whenever I visit KL=)

Lot 10 Hutong (http://www.lot10hutong.com/aboutus.asp)
- About 5 mins walk from JW Marriott KL
- It's actually a food court which gathers some of the best local food in Malaysia
- Price range : app. USD 2 to USD 8 per dish/meal (Yes, I'm not kidding!!!)
- Personally I love the prawn noodles, Penang Char Kueh Teow, Bah Kut Teh etc etc etc
- It's air-conditioned=)
- It opens from 10am to 10pm

Jalan Alor
- About 10 to 15 mins walk from JW Marriott KL
- You would find a lot of people holding menu, trying their best to invite you to eat at their area, don't be freaked out=)
- Which one along the street is the best? Follow the crowd=) Get the menu from the person who serves you, they have picture and price on it=)
- It opens from 7pm or so till late night=)
- Bring some tissue paper with you as most of them are open-area but some has air-conditioned indoor dining area.
- Price range : app. USD 8 per head (typically we would ordered several dishes and share among each other, it's the way to enjoy the street food!!!)

Hope it helps=)

Regards,
Dolphinyong

Dolphinyong

Hi, guys, I have just completed one night stay at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur using Marriott Megabonus free night cert (pm me if you are not yet a marriott member and would like to be referred in order to get some extra points).

About one week before our date of arrival, I emailed the hotel to ask for platinum complimentary room upgrade and perhaps 'something' special for my girlfriend's birthday. Got a reply almost immediately saying that they would take note about it. I didn't expect much actually as it's booked using free cert. They did ask for my girlfriend's name though. Besides we mentioned in our concierge email that we would arrive at 10am.

Check-in process :

We arrived at the hotel exactly at 10am. Our arrival was expected, a nice young gentleman (Mr. Jeoffery) was there waiting for us actually according to what he said (luckily we were punctual). He greeted my girlfriend and wished her happy birthday (she looked surprise and shy, ha). A lift attender is (and always) doing his job at the lift lobby. Mr. J led our way to our room which has been upgraded to a junior suite!!! However, we were stuck in the lift for about 10 minutes,zzz. Mr. J did his job well when we were stuck in the lift, totally professional. He brought us around our suite and briefed us about the platinum benefits. That was the best check-in process that I have experienced so far. However, he forgot to give us the platinum arrival gift card, I didn't utilize the platinum guarantee though as Mr. J doesn't deserve a complaint like that.

Staff service :

I would give them 11 out of 10. GM called to our room to apologize for the lift problem and wished my girlfriend happy birthday, afterwards, a huge set of chocolate with a hand-written card written by the GM was brought to our room as 'token of apology'. A plate of fruits and several boxes of chocolates were already there when we checked-in, my girlfriend took a box out with us when we go shopping, and they actually 'refilled' the missing box of chocolate when we got back 3hours later(o.O) Mr. J called our room saying that they have arranged 'something' special for my gf birthday and asked whether we would like to have wine or champagne. At 5pm, when we got back to our room, a 1kg chocolate cake, a bottle of champagne, macaron, chocolates, strawberries etc was already there (my girlfriend looked surprise and wonder how much would it cost, haha). We were allowed to invite one of my gf's aunt staying in KL to help us finish the cakes etc.

Room (Junior suite) :

The separate living area is not so spacious but cozy enough to accommodate 4 adults I guess. The decoration is stylish and modern. King-sized bed is perfectly comfortable. Bathroom was huge enough with a bathtub, a separate shower area and a separate toilet. A whole container of bath salt deserves a remark. A portable internet modem was provided and we were told that we can bring that modem out of the hotel, great isn't it!!!

Lounge :

Very high-class compared to the lounge in other Marriott hotels. Great view, great service. Food served during the cocktail hour has high quality but low quantity (better than the other way round isn't it?) I asked for some special non-alcoholic cocktail and the staff were nice enough to make something 'new' for us. She got back after a while to ask for our feedback, it's kinda too sweet for me, she immediately brought another glass of drink for me with different ingredients which is not so sweet=) I asked for a lemon from the lounge staff at night for our vodka, and she reopen the kitchen to bring us one=) Cheers!!!

Breakfast :

Free for gold/platinum member 7days a week. You can choose to have it in the lounge or the restaurant. We went for the restaurant breakfast as recommended by Mr. J=) That was the best hotel breakfast buffet which I have ever had so far at any marriott/non-marriott hotels across Asia and Europe. A wide variety of food, consisting of Western, Malay (local), Chinese and Indian cuisine. The food is excellent both in terms of quality and quantity. Do try some of the local food, which we, the Malaysian love!!! Besides, the settings of the restaurant deserves a remark, cozy and high-class=)

Location :

Absolutely perfect for both business and leisure purpose. It's located right the middle of shopping area with plenty of nice restaurants around. Try the local food at Jalan Alor which is about 10 minutes walk from the hotel, you won't regret=) The nearest LRT station is about 5 minutes walk away and please take the LRT when you are in KL, you might be stuck in super heavy traffic jam if you take the taxi, it's beyond your imagination. Just take care of your belongings well when you are taking the LRT.

Checking-out process :

It took 1 minute=)

Overall 12 out of 10=)

Public security tips when you are in KL :

Recently there are a lot of teenagers/youngsters wandering around the shopping area in Kuala Lumpur, especially somewhere near to the LRT station. Remember, just ignore them!!! They would approach you with some 'forms' in hand, asking for your signature (for charity purpose they said, ya right), they will force you to give them money after you have signed it. It's allover our local newspaper here, and they have recently turned their target to foreigners. Some of them speak understandable English, but please, just pretend as if you couldn't hear them.

Hope it helps some other FTers=)

Regards,

Dolphinyong=)

Dolphinyong

Hi, fellow FTers, I have just completed a stay in August 2012 and would like to share my experience. Hopefully it helps the others here=)

Check-in process :

Drinks were provided to every guest in waiting in the lobby. A friendly staff from the lounge brought us to our room and did the check-in process in the room. Platinum welcome gift card was given, chose the points, however, fruits and chocolate were given=)

Room :

Complimentary upgrade to 1-bedroom suite was offered one day before arrival. Spacious living area with a huge couch, flat-screen tv, writing desk and toilet. It can comfortably accommodate up to 6 persons I think. Bedroom itself is of standard size with comfortable bed (as usual). The bathtub which has jacuzzi function deserve a remark=) There's also a separate shower area.
In-room wifi is provided for free, kinda fast for Malaysian standard.

Lounge :

Tables by the window offers fantastic view. A wide spread of hard liquor was offered during the cocktail hour (5.30pm-7.30pm). Fruits, desserts, cold and hot stuff are ok. Staff were professional and deserve a thumbs-up=)

Breakfast :

Free breakfast for gold/platinum 7days a week, including public holidays. As usual, was given the choice to have our breakfast in lounge or restaurant. Had it in the restaurant, 7 out of 10. Some main dishes were not refilled frequently. Wide variety of food but again, none of them actually attracted me, not bad though.

Complimentary shuttle :

A shuttle van (8-seaters) brought us to and back from Jonker street and Mahkota Parade/Pahlawan Parade. Remember to get the schedule from the concierge and book your place before-hand, the shuttle doesn't run frequently (about 4times daily) and they can only accept 10 passengers in total per trip. The driver was very friendly and punctual=) This complimentary shuttle is very practical as driving in Melaka isn't easy because of the confusing roads and traffic jam.

Check-out process :

This is the horrible part of our stay. The rate shown on the receipt is different (about 120 USD) from what I had on my reservation sheet. I believed that the staff forgot to change the rate of my room after they upgrade my room to the suite. The first FD required me to show her my reservation sheet, and I did (luckily I printed it out). Then another FD (the supervisor I think) checked 'something' in their system and said that everything should be alright while apologizing to me. After that he brought me to another FD (Miss N) and told her what to do, then he left. Miss N checked 'something' in their system again and told me that there's a rate difference which she would like to find out why, zzz. It seems that she doesn't believe me, neither to her supervisor. I told her what had happened and so forth, but it seems that she couldn't hear me. She doesn't know what is Marriott LNF, I explained to her and asked her to find out herself when I think she doesn't understand me. She made a call, asking something (which I couldn't understand what she was asking for) then finally hung up with her last sentence to the person on phone " I don't think you understand what I'm asking for ", hah, exactly! FINALLY, she allowed me to pay at the LNF rate while having a copy of my reservation sheet, which she should have done it long time before. To my astonishment, she ended my checking-out process without an apology, moreover, she said "It's the first time I see this kind of rate at a 5star hotel like us, it's kinda impossible" I'm a person who doesn't like to quarrel in public, so I just didn't bother her. That check-out process took me ONE HOUR in total!!!

Overall, I would rate this hotel 8 out of 10.

JeremyZ

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt earlier this week. Most expensive large hotel in KL. I don't recommend it. If you like the location, I'm sure the MO is a better choice.

imm2b

Just in case if anyone is interested in a free night.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/hotel...28-2013-a.html

imm2b

Thanks. I've decided to stay at JW marriott.

Dolphinyong

Enjoy your stay, they have the most efficient and helpful staff, especially Jeoffery Nasir (a customer-recognition staff), send my regards (Mr. See) from Prague to him if he's the one who will be your concierge during your stay=) ^
He did an excellent job during our stay in last August=)

If you are an elite member of Marriott, email the hotel beforehand to ask for complimentary room (suite maybe) upgrade, that's what I did and were pre-upgraded to their superb junior suite!!! Lovely...

Do post your KL trip report here when you get back ya=)

beachfan

Is Subang airport and Firefly a reasonable choice for Kuala Lampur - Penang? They have an RM 95 deal that sounds very enticing price wise.

eponymous_coward

sbm12 has a blog post on Firefly that talks about his FY experience that you may find helpful.