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Kuala Lumpur International Airport Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur
The KLIA control tower and part of the airport
IATA: KUL – ICAO: WMKK
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		Government of Malaysia
Operator		Malaysia Airports (Sepang) Sdn Bhd
Serves		Klang Valley, West Malaysia
Location		Sepang, Selangor, West Malaysia
Hub for		AirAsia AirAsia X Malaysia Airlines
Elevation AMSL		71 ft / 21 m
Coordinates		2°44′44″N 101°42′35″E / 2.74556°N 101.70972°E / 2.74556; 101.70972
Website		www.klia.com.my
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
14L/32R	13,530	4,124	Concrete
14R/32L	13,288	4,056	Concrete
Statistics (2009)
Passenger movements			29,682,093
Airfreight movements in tonnes			584,559[1]
Aircraft movements			225,251

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (IATA: KUL, ICAO: WMKK) commonly known as KLIA is one of Southeast Asia's major aviation hubs. It is also Malaysia's main international airport. It is situated in the Sepang district, in the south of the state of Selangor, about 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. KLIA was built at a cost of $3.5 billion.^[2]

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is capable of handling 35 million passengers and 1.2 million tonnes of cargo a year in its current phase. As of 2007, it was ranked as the 13th busiest airport in the world by international passenger traffic, and is the 7th busiest international airport in Asia. The complex handled 26,938,970 passengers in 2007, a 13.0% increase over 2005. In 2008, Kuala Lumpur International Airport handled 667,495 metric tonnes of cargo, which is a 2.2% increase compared to 2007. The increase in cargo volume made Kuala Lumpur International Airport the 27th busiest airport by cargo traffic.^[1] Also, KLIA was awarded a prestigious 4-star ranking by Skytrax, along with Zürich Airport and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

The airport is operated by Malaysia Airports (MAHB) Sepang Sdn Bhd and is the airline hub or home base for Malaysia Airlines, MASkargo, AirAsia and AirAsia X. KLIA is also the stopover point on the kangaroo route for Malaysia Airlines.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport serves the Klang Valley Metropolitan Region, Greater Klang Valley, Shah Alam, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and South Perak. With the large catchment area, the airport has become one of the key economic strengths for the nation, where it is well connected via expressways to all parts of Peninsular Malaysia, highly industrialized areas like Shah Alam, and the information and communications technology hub, the Multimedia Super Corridor. It is one of the important components in the economy of Malaysia, as the airport is the main import-export center for the country.

The IATA airport code, KUL was inherited from the previous international gateway for Malaysia, Subang International Airport, which currently handles only turboprop aircraft, general aviation and houses a military air base.

Contents 1 History 2 Operations and infrastructure 3 Terminals 3.1 Main terminal building and contact pier 3.2 Satellite terminal A 3.3 Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) 3.4 KL City Air Terminal 4 Airlines and destinations 4.1 Passenger 4.2 Cargo 4.3 Prospective airlines and routes 5 Ground transportation 5.1 Inter-terminal transportation 5.2 Rail 5.3 Taxis and limousine 5.4 Bus 6 Expansion and developments 6.1 Plans 6.2 Low cost carrier terminal extension and new LCCT 6.3 A380 Upgrades 7 Awards and recognitions 8 Accidents and incidents 9 See also 10 References 11 Gallery 12 External links

History

The planning of KLIA began in 1990 when the government decided that the existing Subang International Airport (now Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport) could not handle future demand. Malaysia's Former Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad was a prime driver behind the project, which was seen as an important component of the Multimedia Super Corridor.

After the move to KLIA, Subang Airport's Terminal 1 building was demolished. In 2007 however, Malaysia Airports entered into agreement to redevelop Terminal 3 of the then Subang Airport and is currently undergoing major transformation to become Subang Skypark, an integrated airport for turboprop and chartered planes surrounded by residential area and business park.

With the airport site spanning 100 km²,^[2] it is one of the largest airport sites in the world. It is built on a piece of agricultural land and required no demolition of private property. The master plan of Kuala Lumpur International Airport involves constructing five runways, and two terminals accompanied by two satellite terminals for each terminal over three phases.^[3] Phase One development includes constructing one main terminal accompanied by one satellite terminal that is enough to accommodate 25 million passengers and dual full service runways. Under the implementation of Phase One, sixty contact piers, twenty remote parking bays with eighty aircraft parking positions, four maintenance hangars and fire stations will be built. Implementation of phase two and three will be expansions of the airport to include increasing number of passengers.^[3] Ultimately, the airport will be able to handle 100 million passengers per annum once all three phases are implemented.^[3]

With the workforce of 25,000 workers working 24 hours a day, the airport was built within four and half years.^[2] The airport was officially inaugurated on June 27, 1998, a week ahead of Hong Kong International Airport, but flights were shifted from Subang only three days later on June 30 in time for the 1998 Commonwealth Games. The first domestic arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1263 from Kuantan (Kuantan Airport) at 7:10 am and first international passenger jet arrival was Malaysia Airlines flight MH188 from Malé (Malé International Airport) at 7:30 am while the first domestic departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH1432 to Langkawi (Langkawi International Airport) at 7:20 am and first international passenger jet departure was Malaysia Airlines flight MH84 to Beijing (Beijing Capital International Airport) at 9am.^[4]

The inauguration of the airport was marked with problems. Aerobridge and bay allocation systems broke down, queues formed throughout the airport, and baggage handling broke down, with lost bags and waits of over five hours.^[5] Most of these issues were sorted out eventually, but the baggage handling system continued to be plagued with problems, and it was finally put up for a new complete replacement tender in 2007.

The airport also had to contend with the East Asian financial crisis, SARS, bird flu epidemic (Avian flu), the global financial crisis and recently the swine flu pandemic which decimated passenger traffic in Malaysia and the region. Passenger growth was negative during the financial crisis and airlines that had started flights to KLIA including All Nippon Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa(later reinstated) and Northwest Airlines, terminated their services due to unprofitability. The first phase of the airport was designed with a capacity of 25 million passengers per year but on the first full year of operations in 1999, it saw only 13.2 million.^[6] However, traffic did eventually increase with 21.1 million passengers recorded in 2004 and 23.2 million in 2005 — although this, too, fell short of the original estimate of 25 million by the year 2003.

The name Kuala Lumpur International Airport was previously used as an alternative name for the then Subang International Airport which is now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) in Subang.

Operations and infrastructure

Infrastructure
Passenger terminal buildings
Totals	(current)	(After LCCT Relocation)
Floor area	514,694 m2	Unknown m²
Handling capacity	40 million passengers	55 million passengers
Parking bays	46 (aerobridge) 68 (contact) 21 (remote)	LCCT Relocation Plan yet to be unveiled
Main Terminal Building 1 & Contact Pier
Opened	27 June 1998 (operational)
Floor area	336,000 m2
Handling capacity	5 million passengers per annum
Parking bays	20 (aerobridge) 23 (remote)
Satellite Terminal A
Opened	27 June 1998 (operational)
Floor area	143,404 m2
Handling capacity	20 million passengers per annum
Parking bays	26 (aerobridge) 15 (remote)
Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Opened	23 March 2006 (operational)
Floor area	35,290 m2
Handling capacity	15 million
Parking bays	30
New Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Opened	Under Planning
Floor area	Under Planning
Handling capacity	30 million
Parking bays	Under Planning
Bunga Raya Complex
Opened	27 June 1998 (official)
Floor area
Handling capacity
Parking bays	1

KLIA features a number of modern design features that assist in efficient operation of the airport.

Terminals

The Passenger Terminal Complex (PTC) was built with an emphasis on allowing natural light into the building. Thus, there is a huge expanse of glass throughout the building, and the spectacular roof has cut-outs for natural light to filter in. The PTC comprises three buildings - the Main Terminal Building, the Satellite Building and the Contact Pier. Besides the 80-room hotel at the Satellite Building, there is a 450-room 5-star Pan Pacific KLIA hotel a 10 minute (indoor) walk away. Shopping spots are available in an area encompassing 85,000 square metres. Currently, the retail space at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport stands at 63,644 square metres (685,060 sq ft). The airport operator plans to increase the retail space to 103,251 square metres (1,111,380 sq ft), an 62.2% increase in retail space. Malaysia Airports's retail arm Eraman will boost retail shops to 277 from 242 and add more food and beverage outlets to 99 from 88 presently.^[7]

As there are international flights operating out from the airport, therefore terminals of the airport are equipped with immigration processing facilities and security scanning for all passengers including domestic passengers. The Satellite terminal handles most of the international flights, while the main terminal building's contact pier handles domestic traffic, regional international flights and international flights routed to other hubs within Malaysia. Malaysia Airlines operate from both terminals, where main terminal building's contact pier is their preferred terminal for domestic flights. Conversely, low cost carries such as AirAsia Group of Airlines, Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific operates domestic and international flights out of the low cost carrier terminal.^[8]

The initial passenger growth was below average due to Asian Financial Crisis and the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic in 2003 and the airport failed to reach its target capacity of 25 million passengers per annum (before the inclusion of low cost carrier terminal) by 2004. However, the recovery of Malaysia's economy boosted Kuala Lumpur International Airport's passenger movements, and the airport saw significant growth in traffic, hitting the 25 million passenger mark in 2007. In January 2008, the airport saw a growth of 8.3% in aircraft movements and 7.7% in passenger traffic to 2.17 million in January 2008 from 2.02 million in the same period last year.^[9]

Main terminal building and contact pier

The Main terminal building or Terminal 1 is located in between the two runways. The floor area of the terminal covers 336,000 square metres and the building consists of 39 square roof units, which enables future expansion of the building. There are a total of 216 check-in counters, located in 6 different islands, identified by the letters A – M (excluding I). Multi check-in services are available, designed for the use of all passengers arriving, departing or in transit. On 2 February, 2007, Malaysia Airports introduces 12 integrated self check-in kiosks (CUSS) for passengers. The first airline to use that system is KLM.^[10] A further 24 kiosks will be added later by the airport operator^[11][12]

The contact pier is the rectangular-shaped terminal that is connected to the Main Terminal Building. It serves as the domestic terminal for Malaysia Airlines. Some international flights are handled there as well. Previously it used to cater to low-cost carriers' passengers. At the north side of the pier, it can only accommodate narrow-bodied aircraft. In contrast, the south side of the contact pier can accommodate B737 and B747 or similar sized aircraft.

The Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad derives 65% of its total annual revenue from non-aeronautical sources, with 35% from commercial space rental and a percentage of sale receipts^{[citation needed]}. There were plans to increase and maximize the Main Terminal Building's and Contact Pier's retail area however, the plan was postponed due to Visit Malaysia Year 2007.^[13]

The gates in Main Terminal Building's contact pier has alphabet prefix of A and B for domestic flights, and G and H for international flights.

Satellite terminal A

The 143,404 square metres (1,543,590 sq ft) satellite building accommodates international flights departing and arriving at KLIA. Passengers have to travel to the satellite building via the Aerotrain. There is a wide array of duty-free shops and prestige brand boutiques in the satellite building. This includes international brands such as Burberry, Harrods, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo and recently, Mango has opened its first boutique at an airport in the Asian region. Among all international labels available within the terminal, some boutiques such as Harrods are only available in the airport. Liquor and perfumes are particularly popular, accounting for over half of total retail sales, followed by watches and tobacco products^{[citation needed]}. A number of restaurants and international airlines' lounges are available as well as an Airside Transit Hotel.

Within the terminal, wireless internet (Wifi) is provided free of charge. The terminal also has prayer rooms, showers and massage service. Various lounge areas are provided, some including children's play areas and movie lounge, broadcasting movie and sport channels such as Star Movies.^[14] The terminal also features a natural rainforest in the middle of the terminal, exhibiting the Malaysian forests.

Under Malaysia Airports Berhad retail optimisation plan, the retail space in satellite terminal A will be further optimized to increase its revenue derived from commercial space rental and a percentage of sale receipts to 50% by year 2010 which currently stands at 35%. Some notable improvements that will be seen after the refurbishments will be the Jungle Boardwalk which will be the first of its kind in the world and larger mezzanine floor to accommodate F&B outlets and viewing galleries.^[15]

The gates in Satellite Terminal A have the prefix C.The Satellite A terminal has 27 boarding gates altogether.

Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

The first purpose built Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was specifically built at KL International Airport to cater to the growing passengers of the low cost airlines, especially the passengers of Malaysia's "no-frills" airline, AirAsia. Construction of the LCC Terminal was on a fast-track basis beginning June 2005 at an approximate cost of RM 108 million.^[16]

The 35,290 square-meter terminal is designed and built to suit the low cost carrier business model that requires only basic terminal amenities. In order to offer lower landing fees, handling fees and airport taxes, it cuts back on amenities such as aerobridges, elaborate physical structures and decorations in the passenger terminal building. There is no transfer facility to the main terminal. Passengers who need to make transfers need to clear immigration, collect their luggage, clear customs, make their way to the main terminal and re-checkin with the respective airline.

LCCT is located on the opposite side of the apron from the Main Terminal Building, near the air cargo area. By road, LCCT is about 20 km from the Main Terminal Building.

However, the current Low Cost Carrier Terminal is a temporary solution for the increasing demand of no-frills airline passengers. Therefore, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad has incorporated the plans to build a new permanent LCC terminal which can accommodate 30 million passengers per annum^[17] . In the mean time, the airport operator decided to expand the current terminal to cope up with the increasing demand. The new arrival hall was first open on December 15, 2008.^[18] This airport was the first airport to have separation between normal carriers and low cost carrier.

The gates in LCCT have alphabet prefix of P for domestic departures and T for international departures.

KL City Air Terminal

KL City Air Terminal, sometimes known as Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal or KL CAT located at KL Sentral is a virtual extension of KL International Airport where city check-in services are provided. KL City Air Terminal is recognized by International Air Transport Association which carries IATA designation XKL. Currently there are only 4 airlines providing city check-in services, they are Cathay Pacific, Emirates Airline, Malaysia Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines. However, the situation is due to be changed as 10 SITA's AirportConnect CUTE (Common Use Terminal Equipment) were installed on 10 check-in desks in KL CAT that enables all airlines to offer city check-in service for their passengers.^[19] Apart from providing check-in services, the virtual terminal operator, Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd which operates KLIA Express is planning to roll out baggage check-out service in January 2008 whereby passengers only collect their baggage and declare taxable items in Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal.^[20]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
AirAsia	Alor Setar, Banda Aceh, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Bangalore [begins 20 May], Bintulu, Chiang Mai, Chennai [begins 17 May], Clark, Colombo, Denpasar/Bali, Dhaka, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad [begins 20 July], Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kochi, Kolkata, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Krabi, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Macau, Makassar, Manado, Medan, Miri, Padang, Pekanbaru, Penang, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Sandakan, Shenzhen, Sibu, Siem Reap, Singapore, Solo, Surabaya, Tawau, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Yogyakarta, Vientiane	LCCT
AirAsia X	Chengdu, Delhi [begins 4 August], Gold Coast, Hangzhou, London-Stansted, Melbourne, Mumbai [begins 6 May][21], Perth, Tianjin, Taipei-Taoyuan	LCCT
Air Astana	Almaty	Satellite
Air China	Beijing-Capital	Satellite
Air-India Express	Chennai, Hyderabad, Tiruchirapalli	Satellite
Air Mauritius	Mauritius	Satellite
Air Niugini	Port Moresby	Satellite
Air Zimbabwe	Beijing-Capital, Harare[22]	Satellite
Biman Bangladesh Airlines	Dhaka	Satellite
Cathay Pacific	Hong Kong[note 1]	Satellite
Cebu Pacific	Manila	LCCT
China Airlines	Taipei-Taoyuan	Satellite
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou, Fuzhou	Satellite
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	Satellite
EgyptAir	Cairo	Satellite
Emirates	Dubai, Melbourne	Satellite
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi	Satellite
EVA Air	Taipei-Taoyuan	Satellite
Garuda Indonesia	Jakarta, Mataram	Satellite
GMG Airlines	Dhaka, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	Satellite
Gulf Air	Bahrain	Satellite
Indian Airlines	Chennai	Satellite
Indonesia AirAsia	Denpasar/Bali, Bandung, Jakarta, Medan, Padang, Surabaya, Pekanbaru	LCCT
Iran Air	Tehran-Imam Khomeini	Satellite
Japan Airlines	Tokyo-Narita	Satellite
Jet Airways	Chennai	Satellite
Jetstar Asia Airways	Singapore	Satellite
KLM	Amsterdam, Jakarta	Satellite
Korean Air	Seoul-Incheon	Satellite
Kuwait Airways	Kuwait, Jakarta	Satellite
Lion Air	Jakarta	Satellite
Lufthansa	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Frankfurt	Satellite
Mahan Air	Shiraz[23]	Satellite
Malaysia Airlines	Alor Star, Bandar Seri Begawan, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Bintulu, Cebu, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kaohsiung, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, Kuching, Labuan, Langkawi, Manila, Medan, Miri, Penang, Phuket, Sandakan, Sibu, Singapore, Surabaya, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tawau, Tokyo-Narita, Yangon, Yogyakarta	Main
Malaysia Airlines	Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bahrain [seasonal], Bangalore, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Beijing-Capital, Beirut, Brisbane, Buenos Aires-Ezeiza, Cape Town, Chennai, Colombo, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Dhaka, Dubai, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Istanbul-Atatürk, Jakarta, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kaohsiung, Karachi, Kunming, Kuwait [seasonal], Lahore, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Male, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Perth, Phnom Penh, Rome-Fiumicino, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Siem Reap, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Xiamen	Satellite
Merpati Nusantara Airlines	Mataram, Surabaya	Satellite
Myanmar Airways International	Yangon	Satellite
Nepal Airlines	Kathmandu	Satellite
Oman Air	Muscat [begins 1 May]	Satellite
Pakistan International Airlines	Karachi, Peshawar	Satellite
Qatar Airways	Doha	Satellite
Royal Brunei Airlines	Bandar Seri Begawan	Satellite
Royal Jordanian	Amman [resumes 1 May], Bangkok [begins 1 May][24]	Satellite
Saudi Arabian Airlines	Dammam, Jakarta, Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh	Satellite
Shenzhen Airlines	Nanning, Shenzhen	Satellite
SilkAir	Singapore	Satellite
Singapore Airlines	Singapore	Satellite
SriLankan Airlines	Colombo, Singapore	Satellite
Thai AirAsia	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	LCCT
Thai Airways International	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	Satellite
Tiger Airways	Singapore	LCCT
United Airways	Dhaka	Satellite
Uzbekistan Airways	Tashkent	Satellite
Vietnam Airlines	Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City	Satellite
Xiamen Airlines	Fuzhou, Xiamen	Satellite
Yemenia	Dubai, Jakarta, Sana'a	Satellite

Note 1: ^ Although some of Cathay Pacific's flights to Hong Kong stop in Penang, Cathay Pacific has no rights to transport passengers between Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

Cargo

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Cargolux	Baku, Chennai, Luxembourg, Singapore	Cargo
China Airlines Cargo	Penang, Taipei-Taoyuan	Cargo
China Cargo Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	Cargo
Coyne Airways		Cargo
DHL		Cargo
Eva Air Cargo	Taipei-Taoyuan	Cargo
FedEx Express	Anchorage, Cebu, Los Angeles, Penang, Singapore, Subic Bay, Tokyo-Narita	Cargo
Gading Sari	Jakarta-Halim	Cargo
Indian Airlines Cargo	Chennai	Cargo
Japan Airlines Cargo	Singapore, Tokyo-Narita, Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Manila[25]	Cargo
Korean Air Cargo	Seoul-Incheon	Cargo
Lufthansa Cargo	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Chennai, Frankfurt	Cargo
MASkargo	Amsterdam, Basel, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Milan-Malpensa, Shanghai-Pudong, Sydney, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tashkent,[26] Tokyo-Narita[27]	Cargo
Nippon Cargo Airlines	Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita	Cargo
Republic Express	Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta	Cargo
Singapore Airlines Cargo	Singapore	Cargo
TNT Airways		Cargo
Transmile Air Services	Anchorage, Bangalore, Chennai, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Luik, Malmo, Manila, Medan, Mumbai, Nagoya, Nanjing, Osaka-Kansai, Penang, Riverside, Shanghai, Shenzen, Singapore, Tokyo-Narita, Taipei-Taoyuan[28][29]	Cargo
Tri-MG Intra Asia Airlines	Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta	Cargo
UPS Airlines	Anchorage, Cologne/Bonn, Dubai, Penang, Singapore	Cargo

Prospective airlines and routes

• Alpine Air (Launching Kathmandu-Kuala Lumpur in April 2010)^[30]

Ground transportation

Inter-terminal transportation

Terminals of Kuala Lumpur International Airport are well connected with the KLIA Automated People Mover (Aerotrain), a three-car driverless train that runs on elevated rail and under the taxiways and also the bus system.

Main Terminal Building – LCCT

The LCCT is connected with the Main Terminal Building with a NadiKLIA bus for RM1.50. The Malaysian government announced in November 2006 that it had approved in principle the construction of a rail link between the Main Terminal Building and LCCT. However, the construction is pending until the new LCCT hub complex is fully constructed by 2010.

Main Terminal Building – Satellite Terminal A

The Main Terminal Building and Satellite Building are connected by Aerotrain at three to five minute intervals. The journey between terminals takes under two minutes, and each 250-person capacity train is able to transport 3,000 passengers per hour per direction with the maximum speed being 56 km/h (35mph). This is a complimentary service for all passengers traveling to/from Satellite Terminal

On November 25, 2008, the train manufacturer and airport operator announce a deal to purchase 3 new vehicles plus a spur line to a new Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility worth 45 million euros. The new system is expected to be fully functional by 2011.^[31]

Rail

Main articles: KLIA Express, KLIA Transit, KLIA ERL station, KL Sentral

Kuala Lumpur International Airport can be reached by the KLIA Express and the KLIA Transit train services. KLIA Express provides a non-stop express train service to the KL City Air Terminal (KL CAT) which has an IATA designation XKL, part of the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur. The non-stop trip between Kuala Lumpur and KLIA is 57 kilometers and takes exactly 28 minutes. Passengers departing from KL CAT can check in their luggage for flights on Emirates Airline, Cathay Pacific, Royal Brunei Airlines and Malaysia Airlines. Whereas KLIA Transit is a high-speed commuter train service linking Kuala Lumpur Sentral, and the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ERL station. It shares the same tracks as the KLIA Express but with stops at three intermediate stations. Check-in facilities are not available at KLIA Transit stations. Passengers to/from Low Cost Carrier Terminal can reach KLIA ERL station by boarding the Feeder Bus provided.

Taxis and limousine

Airport taxis or airport limousines are provided by Airport Limo. The taxis and limousines are readily available at the Taxi and Limousine counters. They run from airport itself to destinations in Klang Valley and Greater Klang Valley. The fares are to be paid at the counter and are charged according to the destinations' zone. A surcharge is applied for services between 12 a.m. to 5 a.m.

Bus

Both public and private buses connect KLIA to several points in Kuala Lumpur and beyond.

Expansion and developments

Plans

Under the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport Masterplan, a new runway and a new satellite building will be constructed to accommodate the increasing number of passengers. The airport Phase 2 development plan is to handle 40 million (▲5 Million) passengers per year by 2008 with the expansion of low cost carrier terminal. For phase 3, the airport will expand to handle 75 million (▲35 million) passengers per annum with the construction of a new satellite terminal and replacement of current low cost carrier terminal with a new low cost carrier terminal that will be capable of handling 30 million passengers alone. Under Phase 4, the airport will be capable to handle 130 million passengers per annum by 2020.

With the slight modification of the masterplan, the future Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be combined into one satellite terminal. The expansion of Terminal 2's satellite terminal will be exactly the same as Terminal 1's satellite terminal, where initially the satellite terminal will have four arms, and another four arms when the terminal reached its capacity. There is sufficient land and capacity to develop facilities to handle up to 130 million passengers a year, five runways by the year 2020 and two mega-terminals, each linked with satellite terminals.^[3] The airport's vicinity will include hiking trails for jet-lagged travelers, golf courses, convention center, a theme park, a shopping center, hotels, and a wetlands nature preserve. Sepang International Circuit, which hosts Formula One, A1 Grand Prix, Super GT, IndyCar Series and MotoGP races, is also nearby. There has also been a proposal for a monorail link to the F1 circuit. The development plan is due to be ready by April 2008.^[32]

In November 2006, the Malaysian government announced that it had approved in principle the construction of a rail link between the main terminal building and the low-cost carrier terminal. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2007. There were however no details of which company would carry out the project, nor was there an indication that it would be directly connected to the existing airport high-speed train Express Rail Link.

Summary of Kuala Lumpur International Airport Masterplan
Phase	Year	Description
Phase 1	1998	Initial Capacity of 25 million Passenger Per Annum
	2006	Capable of Handling 35 million Passengers per annum with the construction of Low Cost Carrier Terminal
Phase 2	2008	Expansion of Low Cost Carrier Terminal to accommodate 40 Million Passengers per annum.
Phase 3	2012	New Low Cost Carrier Terminal will be constructed to accommodate additional 30 million (55 million) passengers Per Annum, Current Low Cost Carrier Terminal converted to cargo usage.
	Not fixed	Satellite Terminal B will be constructed to handle maximum of 75 million passengers. (One terminal accompanied by 2 satellite terminal and one low cost carrier terminal)
Phase 4	Not fixed	Terminal 2 and Satellite Terminal C will be constructed so that the airport is capable to handle 120 million passengers.

Low cost carrier terminal extension and new LCCT

Operational Statistics[33]
Year	Passenger movements	Airfreight movements (tonnes)	Aircraft movements
1998	6,524,405	156,641	64,123
1999	13,172,635	417,068	116,589
2000	14,732,876	510,594	109,925
2001	14,538,831	440,864	113,590
2002	16,398,230	527,124	127,952
2003	17,454,564	586,195	139,590
2004	21,058,572	651,747	164,483
2005	23,213,926	653,654	182,537
2006	24,570,385	677,446	183,869
2007	26,938,970	649,197	193,982
2008	27,529,355	649,076	209,681
2009	29,682,093	584,559	225,251

With an increasing number of passengers using the 'Low Cost Carrier Terminal '(LCCT), MAHB has approved an expansion beginning early 2007 to accommodate more passengers as the current LCCT is nearly in full capacity. The expansion of LCCT also shows the support for launch of Malaysia's first long haul low cost carrier, AirAsia X by making the terminal able to accommodate wide-bodied aircraft that are used by AirAsia X^[34] However, the Low Cost Carrier Terminal is a temporary solution for budget travellers, MAHB has submitted a proposal to the Transport Ministry to build a new, permanent LCC hub in between the main terminal building and satellite building A to replace the present Low Cost Carrier terminal.^[35]

The airport operator has announced that the construction works for the extension of LCCT will begin in March 2008 and expected to complete by December 2008. The capacity for the LCCT will increase from 10 million passengers a year to 15 million passengers a year. A proposal for a more permanent building to house a new LCCT has been submitted and expected to have a capacity for 30 million passengers a year. It is also expected that the new LCCT will be completed by 2011 to 2012.^[36] It is expected that the current LCCT will be converted in to a cargo hub once the new terminal is completed.^[37] The RM124 million LCCT expansion project tender was won by Fajarbaru Builder Group Bhd and construction work is expected to begin March 2008.^[38] The new international arrival hall was opened on December 15, 2008 with expectation that the rest of the wing will be fully operational by March 2009.^[18] The international departure hall was finally open on March 18, 2009 which expanded the handling capacity from 600 passengers at one time to 3200 passengers.^[39]

The airport operator has announced that the construction of a permanent LCCT will commence sometime in 2008 although the site has yet to be finalized. It is expected that the permanent LCCT will have a design capacity of 30 to 35 million passengers per annum.^[17]

KLIA East @ Labu was a proposed future airport. The airport will be located at Labu, which is 10 kilometres away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). It is proposed to replace the low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) in KLIA for AirAsia flights only. The construction of the new airport, on a 2,800 hectares (Template:Convert/ac) area at the state’s central corridor in Labu, would be financed by the private sector. The two parties who have agreed to it are AirAsia Group and Sime Darby who owns the land). It had been planned to start construction on January 2009 and will open 2011. Meanwhile, Malaysian Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), the operators of KLIA, plans to continue ahead with the construction of a new LCC Terminal at KLIA to increase terminal capacity for low cost airlines. After consultation with the government, the government instructed the airport operator to build the terminal at KLIA instead in close consultation with AirAsia.^[40]

To accommodate the overwhelming increase in passenger traffic at LCCT, limited service hotel chain Tune Hotels.com announced that it is on track to open a 222-room hotel at the terminal in by the first quarter of 2009^[41].

According to news reports, the MYR 2 billion terminal will be funded by the government as a part of the second economic stimulus package. The new terminal will be located 1.5 km from the current main terminal, will have 70 aircraft parking bays and possibly a third runaway which is located 1.5 km from the second runaway. The new terminal is expected to be 150,000 square meter in size and able to accommodate 30 million passenger with provision to expand to 45 million passenger a year. There is also a possibility to include a rail extension for the Express Rail Link. The construction is expected to begin in mid-2009 and finish in Q3 2011.^[42]

During an announcement to set up virtual hub in Middle East, AirAsia X has cited fear that the new Low-Cost Carrier Terminal might not be ready by 2011 as there is no sign of any construction work or even groundbreaking of the new LCCT. The existing LCCT will not be able to cope as there won't be enough parking bays as AirAsia X is poised to take delivery of 12 more A330 by 2011. If the fear were true, it would be another blow to AirAsia and AirAsia X expansion plans. This comes just days after the Malaysian government denied AirAsia X the rights to fly into Sydney and Seoul.^[43][44]

The airport operator announce that works on the new Low Cost Carrier Terminal is expected to begin in November 2009 with a targeted completion date in 3rd quarter of 2011. The transport ministry also said that the works will include construction of a new runway, taxiway, parking bays, terminal, control tower, fire station and related facilities like hotel, retail outlets outlets. A 2 km extension of the KLIA Express will be included in the plan. ^[45]. WCT Bhd has been award contract for site preparation, earthworks and construction of main drainage which should to be completed by 1 January 2011.^[46] A new runway worth RM291 million will be built by Gadang. Construction of the new runway and taxiway is scheduled to start in February and finished by December 2010.^[47]

A380 Upgrades

The operator of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad, had spent about RM135 million (approx US$39 million) to upgrade facilities at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang to accommodate the Airbus A380. Upgrading works started on April 3, 2006, and was completed by May 28, 2007. Works include the provision of shoulders on both sides of the two existing runways of 15 meters as well as the taxiways, building additional aerobridges at the three departure halls, namely C17, C27 and C37, and enhancing the mezzanine lounges for upper deck passengers of the aircraft at the departure halls.^[48]

Awards and recognitions

Since its inauguration in year 1998, it has won numerous awards from international organizations around the world such as Skytrax and International Air Transport Association.

KLIA's commitment to promote environment responsibility for all local and foreign travellers was recognized by Green Globe, which is the first and only airport in the world to receive Green Globe certificate in year 2004 onwards.^[49]

Since its inauguration on June 27, 1998, the airport has won awards. With its continuous effort to provide excellent services to passengers, the airport has emerged as one of the top five airports in the world.

In 2007, KLIA was rated the best airport in the world for 15-25 million passengers with Third Best Airport in Asia Pacific and Worldwide for the year of 2006. The award was organised by Airports Council International Airport Service Quality (ACI-ASQ).^[50] While in the 2007 Skytrax Airport of the Year awards, it finished fifth behind Hong Kong International Airport, Incheon International Airport, Singapore Changi Airport and Munich Airport.^[51] In the 2008 Skytrax Airport of the Year Awards, it moved up a place to fourth in the World's Best Airport for the year 2008.^[52]

In 2008, KLIA was honored again with the best airport in the world for 15-25 million passengers category n the Airport Council International's (ACI) Airport Services Quality Awards 2007. KLIA also improved its ranking this year for Best Airport Worldwide and Best Airport Asia Pacific by coming in second behind Seoul's Incheon International Airport,^[53] beating Singapore Changi Airport and Hong Kong International Airport which are leaders in service excellence.^[54]

Apart from these, Kuala Lumpur International Airport is the first airport in the world to be accredited with Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Assured certificate from Airports Council International (ACI)^[55]

Accidents and incidents

• In 2001, a Saudi Arabian Airlines Boeing 747 aircraft suffered nose damage as it entered a monsoon drainage ditch while being taxied from the hangar to the gate before a return flight to Saudi Arabia. None of the six crew members on board at the time were injured.

• July 14, 2007 – An aerobridge suddenly shifted downwards, damaging the door of a Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330 bound for Beijing. The aerobridge was not occupied at the time, and no passengers or crew were injured.^[56]

• October 15, 2007 – A Palestinian national managed to hide in the landing nose gear of flight SQ119, from KLIA to Changi Airport, Singapore. He was discovered in Singapore as he fell 2.4 meters from the nose wheel after landing. Despite the cold, thin air during flight, the man survived but was apprehended in Singapore. KLIA authorities have yet to find the cause of the security breach.^[57]

• April 9, 2008 – Armed robbers shot six people in a three-minute heist and walked away with RM 3.5 million in cash. The incident happened at 7.30 pm at Door 8 when two moneychangers and two security guards walking towards the gate were ambushed by six men from a BMW vehicle. Victims were seriously injured but in stable condition.^[58]

• January 9, 2009 – A small fire broke out in the LCC terminal, shutting down the terminal for two hours and delaying 20 flights. The fire was caused by a welding spark in the construction area of the terminal.^[59]

See also

• Megaproject

References

Gallery

Pan Pacific Hotel at KLIA	Skybridge from Main Terminal Building to Pan Pacific Hotel	An Alternative View of the Satelite Terminal	Control Tower
Baggage Claim Area

External links

• Official website
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport Real Time Flight Schedule
• KLIA Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Terminal Website
• Kuala Lumpur International Airport travel guide from Wikitravel
• SkyBus website
• Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad
• Airport information for WMKK at World Aero Data. Data current as of October 2006.

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(Redirected to Kuala Lumpur article)

From Wikitravel

Kuala Lumpur is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — consider printing them all.

Kuala Lumpur [1], or simply KL, is the capital of Malaysia. Literally meaning "muddy estuary" in Malay, KL has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis of around 6.5 million (city-proper population of 1.6 million) in just 150 years. With the world's cheapest 5-star hotels, great shopping and even better food, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.

Kuala Lumpur is quite a sprawling city and its residential suburbs seem to go on forever. The city also merges with the adjacent towns of Petaling Jaya (originally developed as KL’s satellite town), Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang and Port Klang, creating a huge conurbation called the Klang Valley.

The city can be divided into the following areas, each of which offers a particular attraction or activity.

• City Centre – This is the traditional core of Kuala Lumpur where you’ll find the former colonial administrative centre, with the Merdeka Square, Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Selangor Club. This district also includes Kuala Lumpur’s old Chinese commercial centre which everyone refers to now as Chinatown.

• Golden Triangle – The area of Kuala Lumpur located to the north-east of the city centre, the Golden Triangle is where you’ll find the city’s shopping malls, five-star hotels, Petronas Twin Towers and party spots.

• Tuanku Abdul Rahman – This is the traditional colourful shopping district of Kuala Lumpur north of the city centre that moves into high gear when the festivals of Hari Raya Puasa (Eid ul-Fitr) and Deepavali approach. Located just beside the Golden Triangle (northern neighbour) with many popular budget accommodations. The gigantic Putra World Trade Centre & the traditional Kampung Baru food haven are among the most important landmarks.

• Brickfields – This area, located south of the city centre, is Kuala Lumpur’s Little India filled with saree shops and banana leaf rice restaurants. Kuala Lumpur’s main railway station – KL Sentral – is located here.

• Bangsar and Midvalley – Located south of the city, Bangsar is a popular restaurant and clubbing district while Midvalley, with its Megamall, is one of the city’s most popular shopping destinations.

• Damansara and Hartamas – Largely suburban, these two districts to the west of the city house some interesting pockets of restaurants and drinking areas. This district virtually merges into the northern part of Petaling Jaya.

• Ampang – Located east of the city, Ampang is home to Kuala Lumpur’s Little Korea and most foreign embassies.

• Northern suburbs – This huge area to the north of the city is home to several attractions, such as the Batu Caves, the National Zoo and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.

• Southern suburbs – This district may not interest travellers much, although Kuala Lumpur’s main stadium at Bukit Jalil and The Mines theme park are located here.

Merdeka! Prior to independence, Malaya was a British colony. When Malaya's independence, to be attained on 31 August 1957, was approved by the British Government in 1956, the first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman announced it to the public in Malacca at what is today Dataran Pahlawan. On the evening of 30 August 1957, crowds gathered at what was then known as the Selangor Club Padang (Green) to celebrate the historic event. As the clock on the State Secretariat Building (today's Sultan Abdul Samad Building) struck 12 midnight, the crowds, led by Tunku Abdul Rahman, shouted "Merdeka!" seven times. The Union Jack was lowered and the flag of the new country was raised to the strains of the national anthem, Negaraku. The Selangor Club Padang is today known as Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square). The next day, the official handing over of power by the British was held at Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium). The country was renamed Malaysia on September 16, 1963, when Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya formed a new federation.

Founded only in 1857 as a tin mining outpost, Kuala Lumpur is fairly new as far as Malaysian cities go and lacks the rich history of George Town or Malacca. After rough early years marked by gang fighting, Kuala Lumpur started to prosper and was made capital of the Federated Malay States in 1896. Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957 in front of huge crowds at what was later named Stadium Merdeka (Independence Stadium), and Kuala Lumpur continued as the new nation's capital. The economic boom of the 1990s brought KL the standard trappings of a modern city, bristling with skyscrapers and modern transportation systems. Like most of Malaysia's big cities, about 55% of Kuala Lumpur's population is of Malaysian Chinese descent.

Get in

By plane

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)

All scheduled jet flights, whether domestic or international, arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport [2] (IATA: KUL ICAO: WMKK) located about 50km to the south-west of Kuala Lumpur, in the Sepang district of Selangor. The US$2.5bil modern structure of glass and steel was inaugurated in 1998 and has been ranked as one of the top airports of the world. It replaced the former Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport in Subang, which is now used for chartered and turboprop flights. Over 50 airlines call at KLIA.

A new Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) opened in March 2006, and is currently used by AirAsia [3], Tiger Airways [4], and Cebu Pacific [5]. Though the LCC Terminal is across the runway tarmac from the Main Terminal Building, it is nearly 20km away by road. Frequent shuttle buses connect the two terminals, costing RM1.50 per trip. At the Main Terminal Building, catch the shuttles at the Bus Terminal on the Ground Floor of the Car Park C building, while at the LCCT, wait for the buses at the bus bays right in front of the terminal. If transferring from the KLIA Ekspres train, make your way to Level 2 and follow the signs to Car Park C and the Bus Station.

Be careful when locating the transfer bus from the main terminal to the LCCT, as taxi drivers giving the appearance of being airport customer service personnel will try to steer tourists to a mini-bus or taxi with a cost many times greater than the actual LCCT transfer bus. Frequently they will ask for a fee similar to a taxi ride into Kuala Lumpur, typically RM90.

Transfers - Main Terminal

By train:

• The high-speed KLIA Ekspres [6] links the airport directly with the KL Sentral transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur in 28 minutes. Trains run from 5AM to 12 midnight. There is one train every 15 minutes between 5AM and 9AM, and between 4PM and 10PM; while trains run every 20 minutes outside those hours. The cost of a one-way ticket is RM35. There is no discount on return tickets. If flying Malaysia, Emirates, Cathay or Royal Brunei, you can also check in your baggage at the Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal in KL Sentral. See "Get around" section below on how to get to/away from KL Sentral.

• The KLIA Transit [7], like the KLIA Ekspres, also links the airport with KL Sentral except that it stops at three intermediate stations - Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya, and Bandar Tasik Selatan. The journey takes 36 minutes. The fare from end to end is the same as for the KLIA Ekspres, which is RM35. Different fares apply for journeys to the intermediate stations. From KL Sentral, trains run every half hour from 5.33AM to 12.03AM, while from KLIA, trains run every half hour from 5.52AM to 1AM. You may use the KLIA Ekspres' check-in services even when holding a KLIA Transit ticket.

• You can also catch KTM Komuter [8] trains to Nilai station and take a connecting bus to KLIA. The frequent Nilai-KLIA buses are operated by Airport Coach and Sepang Omnibus. The entire journey may take about two hours, but the cost is considerably cheaper than the above two options. For example, the fare from KL Sentral to Nilai is RM4.70 while the bus fare from Nilai to KLIA is about RM2.50. You can also use the KTM Komuter to go to other destinations, such as Seremban in Negeri Sembilan. For other KTM Komuter destinations, see "Get around" section below.

By bus:

• Airport Coach runs a one hourly express bus between KL Sentral and KLIA from 5AM to 10.30PM from Sentral, and 6.30AM to 12.30AM from KLIA. RM10 one way, or RM18 return.

• Star Shuttle bus runs from KLIA to Kota Raya and Pudu Raya (both are near the Chinatown), RM10 one way.

• Sepang Omnibus runs local bus services directly to Seremban in Negeri Sembilan, Banting in Selangor and Sepang town where you can get connecting buses to/from Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan. The buses may be a little basic and uncomfortable, and do not follow a timetable (at least, not one that is publicly known).

• Both Airport Coach and Sepang Omnibus run frequent buses between KLIA and Nilai where you continue your journey on the KTM Komuter. See the "Get around" section below for details on the KTM Komuter.

Alternatively, you can take the bus to the LCCT then connect to KLIA.

Note that taxis hovering outside, near where the airport shuttle buses depart from, will try to get your business claiming that trains and the Monorail are not working, or finished for the day. Always check these schedules before believing a word the taxi drivers say.

By taxi:

• From KLIA: Only Airport Limo limousines and budget taxis are allowed to pick up passengers at the airport. You buy coupons from Airport Limo counters just before you exit the international arrivals gate, or just outside the domestic arrivals gate. Ask for a budget taxi, which is perfectly fine and costs a fixed RM 74.80 to get to Kuala Lumpur; otherwise you'll be given a misnamed "premier" car that costs an extra RM25. If there is more than one person, it is probably cheaper to take a taxi directly to your destination, rather than going by train and then having to take a taxi onto your destination.

• To KLIA: Any taxi can bring passengers to KLIA, including Kuala Lumpur's metered red-and-white taxis, although you will find it very difficult to get drivers to use the meters. Make sure you agree on a price before getting into the taxi. Fares should be between RM80 and RM100. For your information, in December 2009, I took a taxi from Jalan Ipoh (downtown of KL) by meter, and it cost around RM 70, plus additional airport surcharge RM12 and some toll fees (taxis only pay half the normal toll fees), totally became RM 90).

By road:

If you have your own wheels, KLIA is well connected to Peninsular Malaysia's expressway network. The airport is directly linked with the North South Expressway Central Link (known by its Malay abbreviation "Elite") about 70km or nearly one hour away from Kuala Lumpur city centre. Exit the expressway at KLIA interchange for both the Main Terminal and LCCT.

Transfers - Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT)

By train:

• There are no direct train connections to the LCCT (although the government has agreed to build one). However, you can buy a "KLIA Transit to LCCT" ticket (RM 12.50/22 one-way/return), which covers the KLIA Transit to the ERL Salak Tinggi Station and a free connecting bus to the LCCT.

By bus:

• SkyBus [9] runs direct services every half hour or so from KL Sentral to the LCCT. RM9 one-way.

• Aerobus [10] also runs direct bus services every half hour from KL Sentral to the LCC Terminal. RM8 one-way, free return journey.

• Star Shuttle [11] (Tel: +60-3-40438811) has direct buses to the Pekeliling Bus Terminal and Batu 3 (3rd Mile) Jalan Ipoh in Kuala Lumpur, as well as direct connections to the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station and the PKNS Building in Shah Alam. Check its website for schedules. Fares are RM9 per trip.

By road:

The LCCT is about 20km from the Main Terminal and can be accessed via the KLIA circular or airport cargo road.

Note: The Government is planning a newer, larger and more permanent LCCT Terminal closer to the Main Terminal Building but this is not expected to be ready for several years.

Subang Airport

The Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (IATA: SZB) (ICAO: WMSA), more commonly referred to as the Subang Airport, was the country's main international airport until KLIA was opened in 1998. As it is much nearer to the city centre than the newer KLIA, it can make a convenient entry point for those flying from Singapore or other parts of Malaysia. It was designated for turboprop aircraft and is currently served by two airlines:

• Malaysia Airlines subsidiary Firefly [12] began operating from Subang in late 2007, flying initially to Penang twice daily but now serves a whole range of destinations with new ATR aircraft in Peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and to Koh Samui and Phuket in Thailand.
• Berjaya Air [13] flies daily to/from Tioman Island, five times a week to/from Pangkor Island, and special flights to Redang Island. It also has two flights weekly to/from Ko Samui in Thailand.

Getting there/away: The airport is 25 km from the city centre and the best way to get there is by taxi. Rapid KL bus U81 (destination Mah Sing and Pekan Subang) from the Sultan Mohd Bus Hub next to the Pasar Seni LRT station goes past the airport. Fare is RM2 and the ticket is valid for the whole day for all RapidKL routes with "U" prefix.

By road

Most important roads in Peninsular Malaysia lead to/from Kuala Lumpur. The city lies about midway along the North-South Expressway (Motorway) (NSE; route numbers E1 and E2) which runs from the Malaysia-Thailand border at Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah to Johor Bahru in the south, on the Malaysian side of the Causeway to Singapore. The main expressway exits for Kuala Lumpur on the NSE are Jalan Duta (from the north) and Sungai Besi (from the south).

The Karak Highway (E8), which later turns into the East Coast Expressway, links Kuala Lumpur with the East Coast states of Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.

For those who do not want to pay toll, Kuala Lumpur is on Federal Route One (the "Trunk Road") which, like the NSE, runs through all West Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia from Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah to Johor Bahru.

Those travelling along the West Coast Road (Federal Route Five) should leave the road at Klang and get to Kuala Lumpur via the Federal Highway.

By bus

Kuala Lumpur has several bus stations or terminals/terminuses/termini(Malay: stesen bas or hentian) which handle long distance express bus services; many destinations are served by more than one terminal.

Hentian Puduraya

The biggest (and invariably most crowded) terminal, located in the city centre near Chinatown. Beware of pickpockets, ticket touts and other undesirables, especially late at night.

Access: Plaza Rakyat station (Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines) is within walking distance; many local bus stops nearby.

To/from Hat Yai, in Thailand:

• Konsortium Bas Ekspres Semenanjung (KBES [14]) (Counter 73. Tel: +60-3-20313036) has departures at 10:30 & 23:00 - RM45 one-way.

To/from Singapore:

• Transnasional (Tel: +60-3-20703300) is Malaysia's biggest long-distance bus company. Economy class departures to Singapore's Lavender Street terminal at 08:45, 10:30, 13:30, 17:30, 22:30 & 23:59 - RM30 one-way and takes 5 hours.

• Konsortium Bas Ekspres Semenanjung (KBES [15]) (Counter 81. Tel: +60-3-20701321) has several buses daily to/from the Golden Mile complex in Singapore.

Hentian Putra

Most East Coast services use this terminal which is in the northern part of the city centre on Jalan Putra.

Access: PWTC station (Ampang and Sri Petaling Lines) and Putra station (both KTM Komuter lines) are within walking distance. Also the Chow Kit station (Monorail train) is only 15 minutes walk away.

Hentian Duta

Many north-bound Transnasional [16] express buses use this terminal which is located a distance to the west of the city centre on Jalan Duta.

Note that Airport Coach buses to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) no longer use this terminal - they now use KL Sentral instead.

Access: the only convenient way is by taxi.

Kuala Lumpur Old Railway Station

Now used as a bus terminal, but still handles commuter trains on both KTM Komuter lines, also accessible via Rapid KL City Shuttle No. 109, 115.

Plusliner luxury services (under the brand names "Nice" and "Platinum Service") are based here; destinations include Penang, Johor Bahru, Singapore, and Hat Yai in Thailand.

Others

Pekeliling Bus Terminal is on Jalan Tun Razak to the north of the city centre, and handles local bus services to some Pahang destinations like Genting Highlands, Bentong, Raub and Temerloh. Access: Titiwangsa station is within walking distance. Rapid KL City Shuttle No. B101, B102, B103, B104, B109.

Deluxe long-distance buses leave from all over the place:

• Aeroline [17] uses the Corus Hotel (on Jalan Ampang) serves as the terminal for express buses to/from Singapore. Access: KLCC station is 300m away. Rapid KL City Shuttle No. B103, B104, B105, B106, B114. The company also runs the same service from various locations around Klang Valley.

• First Coach [18] services to/from Singapore leave Bangsar LRT station.

• Transtar [19] uses the Pasar Rakyat bus station off Jalan Melati, a 5-min walk from Bukit Bintang.

• Transnasional [20] Executive Coaches to Singapore and Penang leave from the Malaysian Tourist Information Complex (MATIC) on Jalan Ampang, between KLCC and Bukit Nanas.

By train

KTM's intercity trains arrive at the new KL Sentral [21] railway station, located (despite the name) a fair distance to the south of the city centre. Take the Putra LRT, which goes from Kelana Jaya in Petaling Jaya to Gombak in Kualar Lumpur. Or KL Monorail to the city centre, or RM10 coupon taxi to most destinations in the city centre.

Note that taxis hovering outside, near where the airport shuttle buses depart from, will try to get your business claiming that trains and the Monorail are not working, or finished for the day. Always check these schedules before believing a word the taxi drivers say.

Most services are available at the station, including showers (RM5 for shower only, RM15 if you want a towel & toiletries too).

By boat

Kuala Lumpur is not located by the sea. However, there are ferry connections to/from Sumatra (Indonesia) at Port Klang, about 40 km west of Kuala Lumpur. See the Port Klang article for details on how to get there.

The first phase of Kuala Lumpur's ambitious public transport system is now complete, the city's public transport system is excellent but there's still a fair amount of room for improvement. The city, like many developing cities, suffers from paralytic traffic jams periodically throughout the day. In rush hours, it may be worthwhile combining public transport by different means. For example: soar over traffic jams by monorail to the station closest to your destination and thereafter take a taxi for the final leg.

By train

Kuala Lumpur's public transport system consists of 3 LRT (Light Rail Transit) lines operated by RapidKL [22], the semicircular KL Monorail [23] looping through the Golden Triangle and the KTM Komuter [24] for trips to the outer northern, southern & western suburbs. Fares are cheap (RM1.2 and up), although connectivity between the lines is poor (read: you will also need to buy a new ticket for the next leg of your trip, and will likely get wet if it is raining since connections are not covered). The Touch 'n Go [25] card, which can be purchased for RM10 at major stations, can now be used on all lines except the airport express. Some particularly convenient stations include:

http://zarenclyde.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/malaysia_putra_lrt2.jpg

• Bukit Bintang (KL Monorail), for shopping in the Golden Triangle
• Bukit Nanas (KL Monorail), for clubbing at P. Ramlee
• KLCC (Putra), for the Twin Towers and the Suria KLCC shopping mall
• KL Sentral (Kelana Jaya/KL Monorail/KTM Komuter), for intercity trains and the KLIA Ekspres to the airport
• Masjid Jamek (all LRT lines), for LRT interchange as well as access to Chinatown and Little India
• Plaza Rakyat (Sri Petaling/Ampang), for Puduraya bus station

A few quirks to be aware of:

1. The Kelana Jaya and Gombak LRT lines, formerly known as "PUTRA LRT", is now known as "Putraline" while the Sri Petaling and Ampang LRT lines, formerly known as "STAR LRT", is now known as "Starline". Signage is a bit inconsistent but is slowly being updated.
2. The KL Monorail's "KL Sentral" station is now a bit of a haul from KL Sentral. The covered walkway and the parking lot that was once used for access has been closed off for construction. To get to the KL Monorail, you will have to walk around the parking lot which doubles the distance you had to walk before.
3. Trains usually follow a timed schedule, with the frequency increased to two/three minutes during peak hours. Take note however that as Putraline is a "driverless" system (unlike Starline where the trains are driven by human drivers), in the event of a train breakdown, service may be disrupted for two hours or more, although such breakdowns are few and far between.

By bus

City Shuttles (this part is not updated, most of the buses are no more in service)

RapidKL's [26] City Shuttle (Bas Bandaran in Malay, hence the B prefix in its route numbers) buses come in handy for tourists. The 10 routes cover most major areas in Kuala Lumpur city centre. The fare for City Shuttles is RM2 for the whole day. If you buy an integrated daily pass (Sepadu) for only RM7, you can ride any RapidKL bus and LRT for as many trips as you like for the whole day. Buy a ticket on your first ride and just flash your ticket at the driver for all subsequent rides.

All City Shuttles have a B prefix in their route numbers. Most City Shuttles operate from "hubs" which can be accessed by rail-based public transport. The routes are:

• B101: Titiwangsa to KL Sentral via Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman
• B102: Titiwangsa to Bukit Bintang via Kampung Baru
• B103: Titiwangsa to Bukit Bintang via KLCC
• B105: KLCC to MidValley Megamall via City Centre
• B110: MidValley Megamall to Bukit Bintang via City Centre
• B111: Maluri to Chow Kit
• B112: Maluri to KL Sentral via Jalan Loke Yew
• B113: Maluri to Pasar Seni
• B114: Maluri to Titiwangsa via KLCC
• B115: Pasar Seni to Jalan Duta government offices

Other services

RapidKL also operates other bus routes which serve the far flung suburbs of the Klang Valley. There is little reason to use them unless you are going to be living in Kuala Lumpur for a period of time.

There are many other bus operators besides Rapid KL (Metrobus, Len Seng, Permata Kiara, Selangor etc) and a severe lack of signboards and other forms of passenger information makes Kuala Lumpur's complete bus network just a little too complicated for a short-term traveller to fathom. Specific bus information is given at each place of interest on this page.

By taxi

With RM3 flagfall (2 km) and around RM0.90/km afterward, red and white normal taxis are reasonably priced and probably the best way to get around, at least outside the congested peak hours. Bright yellow premium taxis have a RM4 flagfall and also charge a bit more by the kilometre. There are also various small surcharges for radio call (RM2), baggage (RM1 per piece), etc.

While all taxis are supposed to use the meter, when demand exceeds supply or during rush hour, they may ask for a fixed price before commencing travel. This is technically illegal (and reportable), and happens most often with cabbies who lurk outside hotels, stations and major malls, waiting for unwary tourists to come along. Hail cabs off the street if you can, but if you must, at least negotiate hard: RM5 should cover most cross town trips of 15 minutes or so, even with traffic. If you're staying in an expensive hotel, give a nearby shopping mall as your destination instead.

It is cheaper to use the meter through the day, although the opposite is true late at night, and especially after midnight, when the displayed meter price at the end of the journey is increased by 50% (ie. at 1AM, if the meter shows RM12, then you have to pay RM12+6).

A few popular places (notably the airport, KL Sentral and Menara KL) enforce prepaid coupon systems, which generally work out more expensive than using the meter, but cheaper than bargaining.

Combining public transport with taxis can sometime make trips quicker if there are traffic jams.

Some taxi drivers will hang around near hotels offering tours similar to those offered by established companies. Feel free to listen to their offers and bargain with them if you like. Some of these cabbies are quite knowledgeable and you may end up with a specially tailored, private tour for less than the cost of an official tour.

If you get so off the beaten track that you need to call a cab:

• Comfort Cabs +60-3-62531313
• Sunlight Taxi +60-3-90575757
• Public Cab +603 62592020
• Uptown Ace +603 92832333

By car

Driving in Kuala Lumpur can be a nightmare, with heavy traffic, a convoluted web of expressways and too many signages that can confuse. Reckless drivers are common - Malaysia infamously has one of the highest road accident rates in the world. Suicidal motorcyclists will also keep you on your toes.

Do not park at the road of busy districts such as Bangsar, Bukit Bintang etc. Other cars might lock you in by parking next to you in the 2nd or 3rd lane. Use covered car parks or park a bit off the beaten path and then walk back.

On foot

Depending on your age, physical fitness and urban inclination (or not), Kuala Lumpur is a fine city for walking. It must rank as tops in the world for clear, well-placed signage. Street signs are jumbo sized, blue with white lettering at eye level. Most corners have multi-directional pointers. There are city maps in places. Tiled sidewalks are 5 meters in width, on average (a warning: treacherously slippery at sloped curb sides!). Main arteries are boulevard-broad and tree-lined. Most intersections have bright, yellow striped pedestrian crossings. While traffic can be daunting at times, it rarely moves fast enough to be seriously hazardous. Beware of speeding and criss-crossing motorcyclists, though!

Here is a walking tour (circle) that encompasses the main centre attractions (2-3 hours): starting at Chinatown (Petaling Street), identify on a map the following landmarks: the Maybank building, the Times Square towers, the Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower. Once on the street do a visual scan of these buildings. You'll likely not need the map henceforth. Proceed from the Maybank building (vertically striped wedge) up Jalan Pudu, which turns into Jalan Bukit Bintang (Royale Bintang Hotel) at about 1 km. Stop for coffee at Bintang Walk, or check out the electronics mega-mall, Plaza Low Yat. Continue on Jalan Sultan Ismail towards Petronas. Be amazed! Wind your way from Petronas along Jalan P. Ramlee past the KL Tower and down Jalan Raja Chulan back to the Maybank building and Chinatown.

If you're fortunate enough to do this walk on a typical Sunday afternoon, you'll be blessed with a calmness unimaginable for a city this size.

When it rains the pavements and streets turn into small rivers and crossing a street can be an adventure.

Generally, it is safe and rewarding to walk in the city but caution must still be exercised, especially if walking alone or in a small group.

Care must also be taken with any alleyways or parking grounds that appear to be dark and deserted. Petty thieves with knives or sometimes even small firearms might mug you, at especially night time of the day.

That said, enjoy your walks!

Despite having many attractions,Kuala Lumpur is one of those cities which is short on must-see attractions: the real joy lies in wandering randomly, seeing, shopping and eating your way through it. It's hot, humid and sometimes crowded though, so schedule some air-conditioned downtime in shopping malls or restaurants into your plan. You may find that most attractions are only crowded on weekends/holidays and deserted on weekdays.

The following gives a brief description of KL’s attractions according to district. See the respective district pages for more details.

The main attractions are spread throughout the city, although the greatest concentration of places of interest are in the City Centre, where you’ll find Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), where Malaysia would usually celebrate the Malaysian independence day (the exact spot where independence was declared at the start of Aug 31, 1957 is at the Stadium Merdeka); the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and other Colonial-era buildings surrounding the square; the modern and rather unadorned National Mosque; the Moorish-style Kuala Lumpur Railway Station which now houses a mini-museum on Malaysian railway history; many of KL’s other museums including the recently refurbished National Museum (RM2) tracing the history of the region through prehistory and the Malaccan empire to Independence, and the extremely well-regarded Islamic Arts Museum (RM12, 10-6PM), and the nearby 'Police Museum; and the pretty Lake Gardens to the west. Within the city centre is also the fascinating narrow streets of Chinatown, KL’s traditional commercial district, with its many Chinese shops and places to eat.

Another area of interest to the traveller is the Golden Triangle. Although predominantly a shopping and night-life district, it is also home to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and the Petronas Twin Towers, once the world’s tallest building. In the nearby KL Convention Centre is the Aquaria KLCC which contains some 5,000 varieties of tropical fish. Just south of the Twin Towers is Menara KL Tower, which is situated on top of Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill), a forest reserve right in the heart of the city. PDA-Guided views from Menara Tower (RM38, 9AM-10PM) being at 276m, are far superior than those from the Petronas Towers (viewing deck at 170m), and come highly recommended since it allows first time visitors the chance to quickly orient themselves about the layout of the city. It is however, not a particularly easy place to reach by public transport, so use either a taxi or the "hop-on/hop-off" tourist bus that makes a continuous circuit through the city.

There are also several attractions just outside Kuala Lumpur which are worth visiting. The Batu Caves in the Northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur, are located in a limestone outcrop and are the focal point of the fascinating annual Thaipusam festival, usually held in February. The caves are easily accessible by RapidKL bus U6 from Titiwangsa station, though ask the driver to let you know the correct stop as the caves are not immediately obvious. Do some light cave exploring in Batu Caves which is really facinating.The entrance is 50 ft below the main temple cave and on the left as you climb. The event will be memorable and is not risky even for children as young as 3 years. Another option is to catch Metrobus 11 for RM2 at Lorong Bas, near Central Market. Malaysia’s National Zoo (Zoo Negara) is also located in the north of the city.

• KL Bird Park (free-flight walk-in aviary), 920, Jalan Cenderawasih, Taman Tasik Perdana, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (Next to Islamic Art Museum in the City Centre), ☎ +60322721010, [27]. 9:00-18:00. Great semi-wild habitat for many different species of mostly Asian birds. The Bird Park allows you to approach quite close to the birds which are skittish but not fearful for some very nice photos. A bit pricey, but makes for a nice long day in a mostly shaded area. Feedings and shows throughout the day give something to see at any time, and the 20+ acres provide plenty of area to walk and explore. The photo booth offers a wide array of tamed birds that will happily sit on you and pose for photos for a small price (RM 5 per person: your camera, 2 birds; RM 20 per print: glossy printout of your group covered in birds). Concession stands are priced fairly and offer drinks, ice cream, etc. Bring bug spray as the mosquitoes can be rampant. RM 39 (adult), RM 29 (child).  edit

KL is the type of city where the first things that come to mind when you talking of doing anything is "shopping", both of which are adequately covered by the Eat and Buy sections.

Those activities aside, KL has its fair share of sporting opportunities such as golfing, cycling, running, jogging and even equestrian. If you’re into rock climbing, the Batu Caves in Northern Kuala Lumpur is a popular weekend haunt of those wanting to scale some heights. However, for anything more strenuous and challenging, you’re better of heading to other spots in country.

Malaysia is trying to encourage greater cultural expression and KL has several good theatres and places for performances, such as the National Theatre (Istana Budaya) and KL Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in the northern part of the city, the KL Philharmonic in KLCC, and the Actors Studio in Bangsar.

You can also get a good dosage of pampering in KL. For those in search of spas, there are several five-star hotel-connected as well as independent treatment centres in the Golden Triangle. You’ll also find heaps of reflexology and foot massage places everywhere but especially in Bukit Bintang in the Golden Triangle and Chinatown.

Volunteer

If you are taking an extended trip consider spending a week or more volunteering.

• Nur Salam (Chow Kids), No. 24A-B Jalan Chow Kit, ☎ +03 4045-4021, [28]. Volunteer with the street kids of Chow Kit (KL) to "help improve the quality of live for the children of Chow Kit whose parents are usually former & current drug addicts & sex workers in Kuala Lumpur". Chow Kids offers training for volunteers who wish to spend any amount of time interacting and helping these deserving children.  edit
• Zoo Negara, Hulu Kelang 68000 Ampang, Selangor, ☎ +603-410-822219 (zooedu@streamyx.com), [29]. Love animals? Volunteer at the National Zoo - Zoo Negara outside the city. Simply fill out the Volunteer Form on the website and show up for a shift at the zoo in a variety of areas. Check out their volunteer website for more information.  edit

There's some great shopping to be done in Kuala Lumpur. Goods are available in every price bracket, and while electronics are a tad more expensive than in Singapore or Hong Kong they can still be much cheaper than Europe.

Kuala Lumpur's premier shopping district is the Bukit Bintang area in the Golden Triangle, named after the street of the same name, although stores and hotels sprawl in all directions along Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi. A number of large shopping malls within the area cater to varying budgets. Fans of electronic gadgets would delight in the multitude of choices at Low Yat Plaza, whilst shoppers hunting for the latest in affordable Asian style should definitely check out Times Square and Bukit Bintang / Sungei Wang Plaza. Pavilion is a recent addition to the cluster of shopping malls in this area and houses a wide range of international retail brands in an ultra-modern complex. There is also a large shopping mall at KLCC, which is approximately 2 km walk from the Bukit Bintang area.

Several popular malls lie outside the Golden Triangle. The Bangsar and Midvalley areas are home to some of the best shopping malls in KL, namely the MidValley Megamall and the adjacent upmarket The Gardens, the more cozy Bangsar Village and Bangsar Shopping Center in Bangsar.

There are also many shopping malls in the neighbouring towns of Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya.

Despite the onslaught of malls, KL still offers some Asian tradition with traditional shopping streets and markets. The best area for such shopping is Chinatown in the City Center. This district is also the best place to hunt for souvenirs, especially in Central Market, a former produce market which has been converted into an art and craft market.

The Little India near Jalan Masjid India offers various fabric for use. Most of the fabrics are imported from countries like Indonesia, India and China while some are locally produced. Indonesian traditional batik and songket are traditional fabric commonly found in Central Market. For greater satisfaction choose the hand made ones. You may be interested to buy ready made baju kurung or baju kebaya(the traditional Malay dress). For peace of mind, buy from the bigger stores. Some Thailand's handicrafts are also sold here, besides handmade Malaysia's wooden souvenirs.

• SKOOB books, Lot 122, Menara Mutiara Majestic, 15 Jalan Othman. close 8PM. An old fashion book shop frequented by expats looking for English titles sold no-where else in the city. They import most of their books directly from London. SKOOB is staffed by well-read university students that are handy at online advertising.  edit

Eat

Malaysians are obsessed with food and it is hardly surprising that as the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur reflects this love affair with eating. You'll be able to find the entire range of Malaysian cuisine (although some, especially those from Penang, argue that what you get in KL is not the best) as well as food from around the world.

As far as the budget is concerned, you can eat fairly well for fairly little in KL. Just head to the roadside stalls and what Malaysians call coffeeshops (kedai kopi) - a shop which operates like a food court with many stalls selling a variety of food (some of them are halal and some non-halal, Chinese coffee shops usually serve non-halal) . Some coffeeshops offer streetside dining by placing their tables on the sidewalks of roads. Coffeeshops are found on virtually every street in KL but Chinatown (especially Jalan Sultan, Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Petaling) in the City Center and Jalan Alor in the Golden Triangle have some of the greatest concentration of coffeeshops and stalls. They mostly open only at night.

Rivaling the coffeeshops in terms of numbers, as well as the price of food, are what Malaysians call "Mamak shops" - food outlets run by Indian Muslims. They can also be found at almost every street corner in KL. The food is of course halal (Food permissible by Muslim law - much like Kosher for the Jewish tradition). The streetside version, called the "Mamak stall" is also popular. One famous collection of streetside Mamak stalls is at Jalan Doraisamy near the Heritage Row (see Tuanku Abdul Rahman page). The most popular food is the 'roti canai'.

Food courts in shopping malls can also provide you with a good opportunity to sample Malaysian food in more hygienic conditions, although the prices will be a little higher than coffeeshops.

KL has a good number of restaurants, some of them offering better food than others. The Golden Triangle, Bangsar and Midvalley, Heritage Row and some areas in Damansara and Hartamas are the usual places for people looking for a restaurant meal. Beware that most restaurants close by 10 PM, so you'll probably need to look for street food if hungry at night. the street food stalls are getting better during the late night.

In terms of ethnicity, Malay food can be found in Jalan Masjid India, Chow Kit and Kampung Baru areas in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman district.Chinatown is the best place to search for Chinese (especially Cantonese) food, although all kinds of Chinese cuisine, from the simplest to the most sophisticated, can be found all over KL. Head to Lebuh Ampang in the City Center and Brickfields for Indian food. Bangsar has many high-end restaurants offering Western food. If you are dying for Korean food, head to Ampang Jaya. A lot of Arab and Middle Eastern restaurants have mushroomed in Bukit Bintang.

KL has quite a vibrant night-life and the Golden Triangle is the epicentre of most of the partying which goes on in the city. Jalan P. Ramlee, just south of KLCC, is Kuala Lumpur's central clubbing area, while the action also spills onto Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Pinang and Jalan Perak. Nearby Bukit Bintang also throbs with action, and its neon-lit nightclubs, many of them with hostesses, certainly have a more Asian feel to them.

Heritage Row, in the Tuanku Abdul Rahman district, is fast catching up as a popular nightspot. It occupies a row of refurbished colonial-era shop houses and is now home to one of KL's swankiest clubs and trendy bars. Strictly for well heeled visitors and locals. It is on Jalan Doraisamy just off Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Dang Wangi.

Bangsar has long been one of the busiest places in Kuala Lumpur after the sun goes down. The action is around Jalan Telawi and its side streets, and is definitely the place to go for clubbing and deafening music.

Sri Hartamas and Mont Kiara in the Damansara and Hartamas district have popular pubs and some clubs as well as nice coffee places. You may be able to find live performances in some of the outlets.

After a tiring night out, Malaysians like to head to Mamak stalls - streetside stalls or shops operated by Indian Muslims - which offer a range of non-alcoholic beverages like teh tarik (frothed tea) and light food. In fact, these stalls have also become night hangouts in their own right, and many outlets have installed wide-screen projectors and TV where they screen football matches. Most outlets are open 24 hours. They are found all over the city and are a wonderful part of the Malaysian night scene.

Another trend that has hit Malaysia is the kopitiam fad, a more upmarket version of the traditional Chinese coffeeshop. These mostly open during the day and offer some of the best tea and coffee and light meals and snacks like nasi lemak (coconut flavoured rice with fried anchovies and peanut) and the ever popular toast with kaya (coconut curd, used as a spread). If you prefer Western style coffee, there are many coffee outlets in KL, most of them part of international and local chains like Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and San Francisco Coffee. Most of them can be found in shopping malls.

Sleep

KL's budget accommodation is mostly found in the City Centre where a bed for the night can be as little as RM20. Increasingly, more are opening in the Bukit Bintang and Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman / Chow Kit and Jalan Ipoh / Jalan Pudu ( which is just opposite Hentian Puduraya bus station ) areas which are near the Golden Triangle, where prices are slightly higher than in Chinatown but you’ll be next to KL’s entertainment, shopping and dining centre.

If you are arriving on the overnight buses from the east coast islands, buses will stop at Hentian Putra in the Chow Kit area.

Try and avoid any hostels marked Rumah Tumpangan; these are dodgy boarding houses for foreign workers or cater to the trade where rooms are rented out by the hour. Albeit being dodgy, these Rumah Tumpangan may be a good experience for those who have bored themselves with the luxury hotels.

Mid-range hotels are comparatively poor value in KL, and it's worth it to spend a little extra (or look a little harder) for a true luxury hotel on the cheap. KL has a deserved reputation as one of the world's cheapest places to experience five-star luxury, with rooms available for as little as RM250 (at the right time and with the right discounts).

Please see the individual KL district pages of a list of places to stay.

Contact

Internet cafés are quite plentiful in KL and you can find them in most shopping centres. If you have your own laptop, Maxis' [30] WLAN service is the best deal around: as of Dec.07, a prepaid RM15 card gets you unlimited use for two weeks. Few hotels in Kuala Lumpur offer Internet access in their rooms. However, some hotels around the KL Sentral station now start to install LAN cables with Internet access in the rooms. Furthermore, many hotels offer free WiFi access in their lobbies. Free WiFi access is also available from many dining establishments and shopping complexes in the city

• Malaysia Tourism Centre (MTC), 109 Jalan Ampang (between KLCC and Dang Wangi), [31]. Formerly MATIC, this tourist information centre has a wealth of information on Malaysia, occasional cultural shows, surly staff and semi-crippled but free PCs for browsing the Net.

• Starbucks Coffee Company, selected outlets in KL (including KL Sentral). Selected outlets of Starbucks in KL have partnered with the Time telecommunications company to provide free Zone Wi-Fi service to customers who have Wi-Fi-equipped laptops or PDAs. Outlets which do not have free Zone Wi-Fi usually have commercial WLAN services such as Maxis' WLAN in its place.

• Coffeebean, free wi-fi in all Coffeebean outlets, you just ask for the password when you order.

• Air Asia Counter in KL Sentral Several computers with internet access are available for you to check out the Air Asia website (and maybe glance at your e-mail or the news quickly)

• Argentina Embassy, 3, Jalan Semantan Dua, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 2550176/2552564.  edit

• Australian High Commission, 6 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21465555, [32].  edit

• Austria Embassy, Wisma Goldhill, Suite 10.10-01, Level 10, 67, Jalan Raja Chulan, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20578969, [33].  edit

• Bangladesh High Commission, Blok 1, Lorong Damai 7, Jln Damai, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21487940/21423271/21422505, [34].  edit

• Belgium High Commission, Suite 10-02, 10th Floor, Menara Tan & Tan, Letter Box N 10-02 207, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21620025, [35].  edit

• Brazil High Commission, Suite 20-01, 20th Floor, Menara Tan & Tan, 207 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21711420, [36].  edit

• Brunei Darussalam High Commission, No. 19-01, Tingkat 19, Menara Tan & Tan, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21612800.  edit

• Cambodia Embassy, 83/JKR 2809, Lingkungan U Thant, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42571150.  edit

• Canada High Commission, 17th Floor, Menara Tan & Tan, 207 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 27183333, [37].  edit

• People's Republic of China Embassy, 229, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21636815 (extension: 102,103,104,105,106), [38]. Also handles Hong Kong/Macau visas.  edit

• Croatia Embassy, 3, Jalan Mengkuang, Off Jalan Ru, Off Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42535340.  edit

• Czech Embassy, 32, Jalan Mesra, Off Jalan Damai, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21427185/21413205, [39].  edit

• Denmark Embassy, Wisma Denmark, Denmark House, 22nd floor, 86 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20322001, [40].  edit

• Finland Embassy, Wisma Chinese Chamber, 5th floor, 258 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42577746, [41].  edit

• French Embassy, 192-196, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20535561, [42].  edit

• German Embassy, 26th Floor, Menara Tan & Tan, 207 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21709666, [43].  edit

• Greek Consulate, 33rd Floor 340-33-1, Vista Damai 340, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 27752388.  edit

• India High Commission, 2, Jalan Taman Duta, Off Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20933510, [44].  edit

• Indonesian Embassy, 233, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21164000, [45].  edit

• Iranian Embassy, No. 1, Lorong U Thant Satu, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42515576.  edit

• Irish Embassy, Ireland House, The Amp Walk, 218 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21612963, [46].  edit

• Italian Embassy, 99, Jalan U Thant, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42565122-42565228, [47].  edit

• Japanese Embassy, 11, Persiaran Stonor, Off Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42565122-21772600, [48].  edit

• DPR Korea (North Korea) Embassy, 4, Persiaran Madge, Off Jalan U Thant, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42569913/42516713.  edit

• Republic of Korea (South Korea) Embassy, No. 9 and 11, Jalan Nipah, Off Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42512336/42515797.  edit

• Kuwait Embassy, 229, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21421062.  edit

• Laos Embassy, No. 12 A, Persiaran Madge, Off Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42511118.  edit

• Maltese Consulate, No. 51-3, 2nd Floor, Feisco Suite, Kompleks Udarama, Jalan 2/64A, Off Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 40423618, [49].  edit

• Mexico Embassy, Menara Tan & Tan, 22nd Floor, 207 Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21646362, [50].  edit

• Myanmar Embassy, 12, Jalan Ru, Off Jalan Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42560280/42570680.  edit

• Nepal Embassy, Suite 13A.01, 13th A Floor, Wisma MCA, 163 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21645934/21649656, [51].  edit

• Netherlands Embassy, 7th Floor, South Block, The Ampwalk, 218, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21686200, [52].  edit

• New Zealand High Commission, Level 21, Menara IMC, 8 Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20782533, [53].  edit

• Royal Norwegian Embassy, 53 Floor, Empire Tower, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21750300, [54].  edit

• Pakistan High Commission, 132, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21618877/21618878/21618879.  edit

• The Philippines Embassy, 1, Changkat Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21489989/21484233/21484682/21484654/21421508, [55].  edit

• Poland Embassy, 495, 4 1/2 Miles, Jalan Ampang, Ampang, ☎ +603 42576733/42576719.  edit

• Russia Embassy, 263, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42560009/42567252, [56].  edit

• Royal Saudi Arabia Embassy, 4th Floor, Wisma Chinese Chamber, 258 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42579831/42579433/42579825, [57].  edit

• Singapore High Commission, 209, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21616277, [58].  edit

• South African High Commission, Suite 22,01 Level 22, Menara HLA, No. 3 Jalan Kia Peng, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21702400/21688663/21617629, [59].  edit

• Spanish Embassy, 200, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21484868/21484655/21428776.  edit

• Sri Lanka High Commission, 12 Jalan Keranji Dua, Off Jalan Kedondong, Ampang Hilir, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42568987/42571394, [60].  edit

• Sweden Embassy, Wisma Angkasa Raya, 6th floor, 123 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 20522550, [61].  edit

• Switzerland Embassy, 16, Pesiaran Madge, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21480622/21480751/21480639/21428766, [62].  edit

• Royal Thai Embassy, 206, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21488222/21488350/21488420/21458004, [63].  edit

• Taipei Economic and Cultural Office, Level 7, Menara Yayasan Tun Razak, 200 Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21614439, [64].  edit

• Turkey Embassy, 118, Jalan U Thant, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42572225/42572226.  edit

• United Arab Emirates Embassy, 12, Jalan Kenanji 2, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 42535221/42535420.  edit

• British High Commission, 185, Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21702200, [65].  edit

• United States Embassy, 376, Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21685000, [66].  edit

• Vietnam Embassy, 4, Persiaran Stonor, Kuala Lumpur, ☎ +603 21484036/21414692/21484534.  edit

Respect

Kuala Lumpur is a liberal city and wearing shorts, short skirts and low-cut tops is fine. That said, many mosques and temples require covering up, and you'll get more respect from officialdom if you dress up a little.

Also, keep in mind that while you may drink at bars, public drunkenness is a no-no! You will be robbed while you are at it, and sooner or later you'll see yourself in the rear seat of a police car.

Stay healthy

Tap water in Kuala Lumpur is heavily chlorinated and thus safe, but unfortunately the pipes that carry it may not be. Most locals boil or filter it before use; alternatively, bottled water is cheap and ubiquitous.

There is no malaria in the city, but dengue fever can be a problem at times,so take precautions against mosquitoes.

Between May and October, KL is occasionally shrouded in dense haze from forest fires in Sumatra and Borneo, which can be a health concern for asthmatics (and pretty unpleasant for everybody). However, the haze comes and goes, and varies greatly from year to year: it was terrible in 2006, but non-existent in 2007, and had started again in 2008.

Stay safe

Kuala Lumpur is generally quite a safe city to visit. You're unlikely to be a victim of violent crime in KL, but pickpockets are common and bag snatching is rising significantly. Keep a close eye on your valuables in crowds, especially street markets and public transport (especially during rush hour), and hold your bag on the side away from the street if there are motorbikes around to avoid bag snatching.

Taxis are generally safe, but they often refuse to use the meter and a few cabbies will gouge tourists mercilessly. If they won't use the meter, then don't take that taxi, as by law they are required to use the meter. However if you are desperate to use that taxi, always agree on the fare in advance, and try to get an estimate of the cost from a local before you climb on board. Do watch out for counterfeit banknotes (such as RM50) given as change by a dishonest taxi-driver, the easiest way to tell being to hold it up to the light to see the continuous silver strip. If in doubt, don't pay with a RM100 note.

Be careful of a scam that has been going on for years, and seems to be doing the rounds again - you may be approached by someone on the street. They tell you that they have a friend / relative who is going to your country as a student and needs some information about living there. They ask you to go back to their place for 20 minutes to meet the person. When you get there, the person is out, so they ask you to wait and in the meantime an uncle or someone likes to play cards. They teach you how to play and how to win...... and to cut a long story short you end up gambling and losing money, and some people have had trouble getting away,etc.

Malaysian law requires that visitors carry their passport at all times, and both police and "RELA" (civil volunteers) carry out spot checks for illegal immigrants.

Locals are very friendly to the tourists, and many in Kuala Lumpur can speak decent English. Greet them well with warm smile and they will be happy to show you around. Be friendly! If you are lost, just ask someone on the street.

• Genting Highlands, 40 minutes by road using the East Coast Highway, has cooler weather, theme parks for the kids and a casino for the adults.

• Putrajaya, Malaysia's megalomanic new federal administrative centre is 30 km to the south (20 minutes by train called KLIA Transit) along the way to the airport.

• Kuala Selangor, 1 hour north-west of KL, is famous for its fireflies and seafood restaurants.

• Taman Negara National Park, The largest national park on Peninsular Malaysia, known for its excellent jungle trekking and wide variety of birds and insects.

• Singapore. 55 minutes by plane, 5 hours by coach. A globalised city with good tourist attractions.

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