8 hours in KUL - What to do?
 

My wife, my two adult children and I have about 8 hours in KUL. This will be our first time in KUL. Any ideas/tips on what to do or see? Thx.

Might be helpful if you could provide more details :

1) What time of the day do you arrive (watch out for KL's notorious traffic jam) ?
2) Do you need to check-in for your next flight ?
3) Do you have lounge access for a shower after your trip into town (KL is very warm and humid) ?

Grab a bite to eat.
From the local PNH food blogger: KUL streetfood stopover

- Michael

Take the KLIA Ekspres train to KL Sentral, and the light rail to KLCC to goggle at the Petronas Towers. Shop and eat a little at Bukit Bintang, check out Chinatown if you have some time left over, then head back to the airport. With four people, doing it this way will cost you a bit more than taking a taxi, but you'll avoid any traffic jams and miscellaneous taxi scams and hassles (KL's cabbies are a shifty bunch).

Various recommendations for KL: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur

Airport Transfers
 

The biggest rip-off in Kuala Lumpur is the KLIA Ekspress !

USD20 "per passenger" for a return ticket to the airport in a city where one can find a decent 3 star hotel room for around USD35 a night is nothing short of a legalised rip-off. And mind you the USD20 per passenger does not even get you into the city, the Sentral Station is outside the city centre and one has to take a cab into the city.

The monorail station is also not located in the Sentral Station. Its a long walk to the Brickfields station under the hot and humid weather. Taxis from the Sentral station to the city centre is "fixed and prepaid" and cost around MYR10 (USD3), hence I do not understand the monorail suggestion for 4 adults.

The airport taxis (also known as Airport Limos) has fixed fares. Fare into the city is around MYR70-80 (USD20-23) and MYR60-70 (USD17-20) to the airport. You prepay at the counter in the airport for trips into the city, and for trips to the airport they issue an official voucher/receipt showing the fare to be paid. I have never heard of scams by the airport limo drivers, my only gripe is that some of the drivers appear to be overworked.

For 4 adults the KLIA Express + taxi into/from CBD will cost around MYR300 (USD86); while the Airport Limo option will cost around MYR150 (USD43). As a KL resident, I also find it a lot less hassle taking the Airport Limo since it delivers you from door to door; I just cannot imagine a group of 4 first time visitors to KL with only 8hrs in the city trying to figure out the complicated, inefficient and downright stupid public transport system in KL.

1. We arrive into KUL at noon and then fly out at 9:45pm (to SIN).
2. Yes, we will need to check-in for our next flight (9:45pm flight to SIN on SQ).
3. We are flying "F" on SQ - I don't know if the SKL in KUL has showers or not

Thanks Michael.

Looks interesting!

I dont remember the SKL lounge in KUL having shower facilities, hence it may not be a good idea to spend to much time outdoors. And since you need to check-in for your SIN flight and you will spend 2-3hrs getting to/from the city; you are left with only 5hrs in the city :-

1300 My suggestion would be to take the Airport Limo into town (fixed fare and prepaid).

1400 You could perhaps spend an hour at the Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower) first for a birdeye's view of the city www.menarakl.com.my.

1500 Then take a taxi to the nearby shopping mall Suria KLCC www.suriaklcc.com.my which is attached to the Petronas Twin Towers. Have a late lunch/early dinner at the food court at level 4 overlooking the city park or at one of the local restaurants on that floor.

1700 Take a walk at the park to view the Twin Towers, or if the weather is too harsh you can take a complimentary buggy service to the Traders Hotel where you can have a drink and view the twin towers from the Sky Bar
http://www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpu...x.aspx?ID=6592

1845 Leave for the airport from the hotel lobby with your prearranged Airport Limo (arrange at the airport counter for pick-up at Traders Hotel Lobby). A city cab will also be willing to drive you to the airport for around MYR60-70.

2015-2030 Arrive at the airport to check-in for your 2145 flight to SIN.

Chinatown comes alive at night but I dont think you have the time for an evening visit.

Mario33, Thank you for the prompt reply and a very detailed itinerary. We will go with your suggested plan.

Haven't we had this debate before?

I'm not suggesting the monorail. I'm suggesting the Rapid KL (ex-PUTRA) light rail line, which goes directly from KL Sentral to the basement of KLCC in under 10 minutes. You never need to step out of the air-con.

I can't imagine taking risks with KL's notorious traffic jams if I only have 8 hours to spare, and taking a taxi from KLCC around 6 PM on a weekday is a recipe for getting stuck in one.

Other then that, though, it's a pretty good itinerary for a superficial but doubtless interesting visit to KL's touristiest bits. (I'd leave out the KL Tower though, it's really tourist-trappy.) And on a weekend the traffic should be fine.

True, but the OP's flight to SIN doesnt depart until 9.45pm and traffic starts easing off at around 7.00pm. I was suggesting leaving Traders Hotel at 6.45pm which I thought is more prudent than leaving at 7.15pm eventhough the OP may have to experience what most KL residents go through each working day (dont think you would describe KL's traffic jam as "touristy" ;) )

Being stuck in traffic in the privacy of an air-conditioned taxi is far better than being sardined amongst sweaty passengers in a train . While I am not a regular rider on these trains, those who rely on them to get to work often complain of air-con regularly breaking down (yes, Putra line) and unrealiable service. Ever wonder why KL residents prefer to drive and be stuck in traffic jams despite an extensive train network in place ?

The recent completion of the Smart Tunnel should also help ease southbound traffic leaving the city http://www.smarttunnel.com.my/opening_english.html

Just for information, we will be there on a Saturday (hopefully little less traffic).

The SKL lounge just about has seats - definitely not a shower in sight.

....and quite dreary as well. I was about to suggest that the OP change their SIN flight to MH which has a very nice lounge at KUL.

Traffic on Saturday evenings should flow quite smoothly.

Is it possible to use the MH lounge while flying SQ? If not, we will change to MH.