orangutan

I agree with blueDC. I tried to tour the Putrajaya area on my own last year and found that it's not an area where you can walk around on your own because it's huge and well spread out.
I took the KLIA Express Train from KL Sentral Station (next to KL Hilton & Le Meridien), arrived Putrajaya and took the local bus. The Putrajaya bus terminal seems pretty empty and quiet and I had to wait for more than 40 mins for the bus.

I didn't even see anybody walking under the hot and humid weather. I tried to walk from one building to the next and it was a long, hot and humid walk. I gave up and decided to wait (for more than an hour) for the local bus to take me back to the station.

I did enjoy the view from the bus ride. The buildings, palace, lakes and parks are all very nice. I will definately sign up with a local tour agency next time.

jpatokal

Doing Putrajaya on your own is pretty much hopeless. I've toured it twice: once by chartering a taxi for an hour (RM 50-ish) and once by taking a public tour (RM 1 + tip). I'm usually very much a non-tour person, but the guide was quite good, the group was manageably small and at that price you can't complain! KL Transit (the rail company) also does "Explore Putrajaya" packages out of KL for around RM 20 including return train ticket and guided tour.

And a few links so you can get some idea of the megalomaniacal scale of this place...

http://jpatokal.iki.fi/photo/travel/Malaysia/Putrajaya
http://wikitravel.org/en/Putrajaya

Sweet Willie

thanks for the links^, where did you pick up/arrange the public tour?

jpatokal

We were staying at the Shangri-La Putrajaya, so they booked it for us. The tour left from Dataran Putra (the square/shopping mall thing in front of the PM's palace). Can't find a word about it online though, and the KLIA Transit site also says that their tours have been "temporarily withdrawn".

Sweet Willie

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BiziBB

Please keep the comments coming.

I've been advised to take taxis as they're relatively cheap - but the tour could still be good.

Which shops are worth a visit for clothes or electronics - for uniqueness or value? I was recommended these as 'MUST GO':

Mr. Roboto

If you're referring to the "Discover Putrajaya" programme by KLIA Ekspres, it seems to be no longer offered.

LINK

yogi

Time Square Shopping Center is huge, (10 levels) with an indoor amusment park, IMAX, regular cinema, shopping and dining. On the Monorail about 3 stops from KL Sentral. It's worth a stop and is close to SG Wang and Lo Yat.

SkyTeam777

Wow, how early are the tickets typically wiped out? I will be arriving mid-morning and will have a 12-hour transit period. Is there a hop-on, hop-off bus that comes to the low-cost airline terminal? Also, will there be a place to leave bags if needed? I wonder if the Pan Pacific where I would have stayed two nights earlier will keep my bags for me.

k_sheep

Normally you have to arrive around 7am, and wait about 2 hours. In ~12 visits to KL I've never thought this was a worthwhile way to spend my time, so I've still never been up there!

From the LCCT there are busses for RM8 (aerobus, or RM15 return) to RM15 (star shuttle) one way that take you to KL sentral. There is a hop on hop off bus but it seems very expensive and has all sorts of bad reviews on TA http://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserRe...rsekutuan.html . I've never used it.

Public transport around KL is super easy - the monorail will take you most places you'd want to see for less than RM2 (2.40 to the furtherest stop). There are several train lines that will take you to the rest, again maxing out at RM2 for around city trips. All signs / announcements / ticket machines have english translations. Otherwise try a taxi, just make them use a metre (MOST are getting better at this).

The main tourist areas are around Bukit Bintang (monorail to BB or Imbi) which is a block of huge shopping complexes. Good food at night is near here at Jalan Alor. KLCC (train, KLCC, putra line) is an upmarket set of shops at the base of the twin towers. The convention centre and aquarium are nearby. Chow Kit (monorail Chow kit) is where the cheap local markets are, but doesn't get started up til night - during the day it can be a bit depressing. Chinatown/Jalan Petaling is the tacky typical tourist market, starting from the afternoon. Can get the monorail here but is a little walk, so go a taxi if it's hot.

There are cheap baggage lockers available towards the domestic end of the LCCT.

pennywern

On a short visit I'd recommend ponying up the RM20 (US$6) and going to KL Tower instead. You go much higher, have an unobstructed 360° view, and can go any time you like. Plus, of course, you can take great photos of Petronas Towers, which is better than being inside them.

The main Chow Kit Market starts closing down by sundown. Afterwards it's nothing but a smattering of cheap crap stalls and a whole lot of drugged-out prostitutes. I think you might have bypassed the actual market, which though massive is hidden behind the buildings on the main road.

However, nearly Kampung Baru has some great Malay restaurants (one of the few places in KL you can easily enjoy Malay food) open well into the evening. Kampung Baru is also accessible via LRT (underground train).

For a slightly upmarket street market experience, go to Bangsar Baru Market which starts late afternoons on Sundays.

Also, there's a very enjoyable night market in the long alley behind Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman in the area called Little India, every Saturday from 6-10pm. Extremely friendly vendors and lots of fun foods to try. I heartily recommend this to any first-time visitor who's going to be here on a Saturday night. Quick walk from the Masjid Jamek LRT station, also accessible via a few blocks' walk from Medan Tuanku Monorail station.

Senator Henry

Are there any links to the KL Petronas Towers to check for when open to public etc etc. ? Will be there with my dad for a full day and searching for some "must have seen, been there , done that "

Thank you

Yaatri

Very good point. One one of our many trips to KUL, we couldn't get tickets for the same day and had to come the next day.