Malaysia, truly Asia, is a country located in the Southeast Asian region bordered by Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia. Its capital is Kuala Lumpur, a bustling city filled with super skyscrapers and iconic buildings such as Petronas Twin Towers and KL Tower.

My trip to Kuala Lumpur was really not so planned. I booked my flight two months before the scheduled departure and it was not on sale. My round trip ticket was expensive but it was all worth it.

I did some research on what places to visit in eastern Malaysia and I have decided to visit three cities – Kuala Lumpur, Melaka, and Ipoh. Most of the places I visited are located in the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur.

PLANNING FOR THE TRIP AND SOME IMPORTANT TIPS

In every place that you intend to visit, always make a research. Being spontaneous is good. However, having an outline for your trip is also very important especially if you have a limited time for your vacation. I listed below some necessities and tips that you can follow before you head to Kuala Lumpur.

BEFORE DEPARTURE

BUDGET and ITINERARY – When plotting your itinerary, always put a price on every particular that you placed. This will help you know how much money you have to spend for that day and if you exceed, you can adjust your budget later during the trip.

ACCOMMODATION – Research about the places you want to visit and decide which area you are going to stay. In my case, I stayed in Leo Palace Hotel which is near Putra World Trade Center (PWTC). My hotel is also near a mall, an LRT/MRT, Monorail, KTM and bus stations.

MONEY – I exchanged my money here in the Philippines because local currency exchange shops offer better rates than the ones in Malaysia. (I swear!!!!)

WEATHER – Always bring sunscreen for your body and face when visiting Kuala Lumpur. KL can get really hot and sunny during the day and you have to have protection for your skin. Also bring umbrella with you always and a bottle of water to hydrate yourself.

TIMEZONE – The Philippines and Malaysia share the same time zone (GMT +8). However, the sunrise in KL is around 7:15AM. It is still dark at 6AM in Kuala Lumpur but ignore this especially if you booked scheduled tours.

SOCKET – Malaysia is using the type G socket like the UK. Never forget to bring your own type G socket adaptor or universal adaptor.  Some hotels do not have flexible type G sockets. I bought mine in the Philippines for quite a price so I recommend you purchase it in Malaysia. You can buy in KL Art Gallery for Php300.00 (USD6.00) or in Central Market near Pasar Seni station for Php150.00 (USD3.00).

BOOK TOURS IN ADVANCE – I went to Kuala Lumpur during Christmas and New Year so it was really packed with tourists. This was my biggest mistake when I visited KL. I did not book some of my tickets in advance so don’t follow me. If you plan to visit Genting Highlands, enter Petronas Towers and KL Tower’s observation decks; book your tickets in advance through klook. When I went there, all tickets were sold out and the next available tickets were still a week after.

ON ARRIVAL

CONNECTIVITY – You can either book in advance through Klook or Air Asia shop or buy in the airport. The price is just the same. I bought a sim in Tune Talk for MYR25.00 (Php310.00 / USD6.20). It lasts a week with 15GB data cap.

TRANSPORTATION – Rapidkl buses in KL does not accept cash as fees. Upon alighting KL Sentral, purchase Touch N Go card which you can always top up. You can use this card to ride rapidkl’s buses, LRT, MRT, Monorail, and BRT transports. Alternatively, you can use money to buy tokens to ride rapidkl trains but having Touch N Go will save you money because fares are discounted. Also buy KTM card to be able to ride KTM trains.

AFTER THE TRIP

IMMIGRATION – Kuala Lumpur’s airport is really big compared to Philippine airports. To avoid being left by the plane, arrive at the airport at least 3 hours before your flight. For example, your flight is at 12:00Nn, be at the airport at least 9:00AM. The queue for immigration is really long. In my experience, two dudes missed their flight. I queued in the immigration for over an hour. After clearing immigration, your designated gate is still a 10-minute walk so always keep this in mind.

HOW TO GET THERE

From Cebu – You can book a direct flight from Cebu to Kuala Lumpur through Air Asia and the flight duration is 3 hours and 55 minutes.

From Manila – You can book a direct flight from Manila to Kuala Lumpur through Air Asia, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and the flight duration is almost the same with CEB-KUL route.

From Singapore – You can book a direct flight with several airlines or you can opt for the cheaper option which is to ride a direct bus from SG to KUL and the journey will take 5-6 hours.

HOW TO TRAVEL FROM KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO KL SENTRAL

If you booked your flights with an LCC like Air Asia, your plane will land at the KLIA Terminal 2. Most of the flights are served by Air Asia. Once you got off the plane, just follow the signage to the immigration. In my experience, it took me 12 – 15 minutes to walk from my arrival gate to the immigration.

Since Kuala Lumpur is one of the most visited cities in the world, the queue for immigration is really long. On average, it may take you 30 – 60 minutes to clear the immigration. Once cleared, you will pass through customs.

There are several ways to travel from KLIA to KL Sentral.

HOW TO TRAVEL FROM KL SENTRAL TO YOUR ACCOMMODATION

Once you arrive in KL Sentral, traveling to your accommodation will be a lot easier. Just use google map and key in your destination and the map will reveal different ways to go to your accommodation. You can take KTM, rapidkl, Grab, and Free Bus GOKL.

In my case, I took the free bus GO KL red line from KL Sentral going to my hotel in Putra Area. The bus is free from the name itself.

GOING AROUND KUALA LUMPUR

It is easy to go around Kuala Lumpur. Rapidkl and google maps are going to be your best friends. Always use your Touch N Go card when riding rapidkl buses and trains. Rapidkl has extensive lines around KL so traveling around would be a lot easier. Sometimes though, you will  have to change lanes from time to time.

TOP PLACES TO VISIT

BUDGET AND ITINERARY

Airfare and hotel expenses are not included in my budget. See below my comprehensive itinerary and daily budget during my tour in Kuala Lumpur for a week. 

Overall, my first solo trip abroad went smoothly. Kuala Lumpur is a great starter for those who want to travel solo. Transportation system is very efficient and on time. Google maps and train stations are accurate. The people are helpful and nice. Kuala Lumpur is great city overall.

If you have questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below.

Thank you for reading.