You folks are the best! Thanks for your patience and helpful responses! ^ ^ ^

One last question: Can anyone recommend any place else that I could do a daytrip, or something, outside of KUL, but still within a few hours? I always like to see another part of the country besides just the city.

Thanks so much! :)

The "historical" city of Malacca is about 2-2.5hr drive from Kuala Lumpur, and most of the journey is along a highway. I would stay overnight but its possible to do a day side trip from KL.

I agree. Malacca is an easy and inexpensive day tour. Buses leave very frequently from a bus station in KL. No reservations are required.

melaka is the obvious place but kuala selangor offers something quieter and a bit different

For hotel recommendation, I absolutely recommend Hilton Kuala Lumpur. The newest 5-star hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The hotel is decorated in contemporary style with great views towards Lake Gardens (the other side is not that nice). The hotel is directly connected to the KL City Air Terminal which for RM35, will take u directly to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The recreational area is shared with Le Meridien which is right next door, but the pool is beautiful, again with great view of Lake Gardens and the City. I did not stay onthe Exec floor, but was given a room on a Hilton HHonours (26th floor out of 35) floor. Having seen a lot of the KUL hotels, I can safely say that Hilton KL is the best. The only downside to staying in Hilton KL is that it takes about 20min to get into town via cab (but there is also the light rail, which is faster). I paid RM435+++ for the Grand Room

In the city itself, depending on the kind of decor you prefer, I would recommend different hotels. If you like the traditional decor, you might prefer Mandarin Oriental and JW Marriott. If you like the contemporary look, I would recommend the Westin.

The only thing that is really lacking in KUL hotels is service. I have not experienced immaculate service in any of the five-star hotels. There is always something, be it the doorman, operator etc that seems to spoil the experience.

I've stayed at both the Le Meridien and the Hilton. I prefer the Le Meridien. Both hotels have good service. However, I like hotels with a more classical, traditional decor.

Also, in comparing the executive lounges at both hotels, the Hilton in the mornings and during the evening cocktail hour can be quite a zoo. This is exacerbated by the television being on constantly which disrupts the tranquility in a lounge that I look for. The executive lounge at Le Meridien offers peace and quiet, and also more personal service.

But if you like hotels like the W, then Hilton is a good choice.

On my various trips I have spent about a year and half in Jakarta and perhaps two months in KL. Of the two, I prefer Jakarta hands down. I find it more interesting and the people more friendly. Lots of great clubs and restaurants make up for lack of cultural and tourist type things to do.

Relative terrorism risk: Jakarta is more likely to have something go boom (perhaps much more as KL just doesn't have any history of that), but the odds of it effecting you are minute. London will see another major attack long before either CGK or KL in my opinion. My sense is that there is a slightly higher level of street crime in Jakarta, but if you are an experienced traveler you should not get into any trouble.

Treatment of Americans: KL - no fuss one way or the other. Jakarta - huge affection for America and American culture, but everybody hates Bush. They do a nice job of distinguishing between the people and the government. I have never had a negative reaction to someone discovering that I am an American, and typically get a very positive reaction.

Jakarta:
- taxis: I use Silver Bird, Express, Blue Bird in that order.
- hotel: depends on what part of town you want to be in, Jakarta is huge compared to KL. The JW Marriott and Ritz are both very nice if you want to be in that part of town, the Grand Hyatt is great if you want to be over there, Dharmawangsa is the best of the group. Maybe $110 a night for all but the Dharmawangsa. One step down gets you into the Mandarin or the Aryaduta (Hyatt) for probably $20 less a night. My favorite is the Grand Hyatt as it is attached to Plaza Indonesia so you have a huge mall and entertainment center just through the lobby.
- things to do: malls, restaurants, drinking.

KL:
- taxis: all ripoffs, all the time (except from the airport but you should take the train from there). Most will not use meters and you will have to negotiate a price before you start.
- hotels: I have stayed at the Marriott and Ritz, prices are comparable, both are nice, but not the best of their brands. You should be able to work a deal for around $100 US per night.
- things to do: take pictures of Petronas Towers, then malls, restaurants, drinking.

Have a good trip, TJ

I find that question slightly amusing because as an American I feel much safer walking around at any time of day or night in Kuala Lumpur than I do in many downtown areas of some US cities... I feel safe in Jakarta too, but Im not as familiar with it than KUL (or of course BKK, my second home).... its a bit harder to get around in Jakarta (at least in my experience) just because more taxis etc. dont understand English....

Just goes to show that it is all what you are comfortable with - I would swear that it's much easier to find an English speaking taxi driver in Jakarta than Bangkok. I second your thought that both cities are much safer than than most large US cities.

I hadn't paid attention before to who the OP was. As I recall, Lucky is a bit younger than most of the folks on here. I would not recommend Jakarta for a teenager traveling alone at all.

Quill

you're right, most taxis in Bangkok (and there are thousands) are not proficient in English at all...however, my rudimentary Thai is now good enough to survive...

I felt very safe in Jakarta, but I just got the impression that the infrastructure set-up was just not as user-friendly or convenient for casual tourists (unlike KUL or BKK which are very much on the beaten track)....

Visited KUL a number of times in the last few years. As a caucasian American, I 've never felt unsafe, and I concur with another poster that this extends to some non-tourist areas as well.

I usually stay in either the Bukit Bintang area, or near the junction of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan P Ramlee near the Petronas Towers. The former location has a JW Marriott, Ritz Carlton, etc. while the latter has Shangri-La, Renaissance, and where I usually stay, the Concorde KL. The Concorde is immediately adjacent to a monorail station. Other hotels right nearby include Crowne Plaza, Equatorial, etc.

The new KL Hilton is another top property definitely worth looking at, and for many FTers coming in and out on their own on short trips, could well be the better choice. I'm usually in KUL for 3-4 night stays so it is less well-located for me, but no less a desirable property.

I usually stay near the Petronas Towers because Mrs. unagi1 likes to shop at the KLCC shopping mall right there.

Lucky, your biggest danger in KL is being bored to death. That's if the haze doesn't choke you first.

I felt very safe in Jakarta, but I just got the impression that the infrastructure set-up was just not as user-friendly or convenient for casual tourists

it s none too user friendly for the locals either...

Sorry to say but Jakarta can be an awful place to go as a casual visitor. The traffic is a mess at all hours of the day.
It is dirty and is woefully mismanaged on every level.

KL is a bit more sedate (fewer people live there)and a bit more planned, with a more modern infrastructure. If you are not going for business reasons I would choose KUL over CGK anytime. Also the food is better in KUL :p !

Thanks for the help! Just to confirm, Jakarta requires a visa, right? This would be very inconvenient, since I would now only have about two days. :(