Will be in Malaysia for 2 weeks over the Xmas break
Have 3 nights booked in KL and nothing else
Any tips on things to do/see and places to visit?
Malaysia tips, recommendations
Heracles26 on 07/11/2018 - 12:30
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I was in Singapore last year. I used UBER all the way. And it as very pleasant to use UBER. I have not been to Malaysia recently. However, for transportation, I was pleasantly surprised to see UBER there…
Yeah, good luck using UBER there now.
GRAB bought out Uber SE - so no more Uber, which is bad for competition.
Uber drivers then did not know where you want to go, but GRAB drivers did. GRAB drivers pick and choose, usually not accepting short trips during high-demand periods. It was much better when both were operating. Riders could also pick the cheaper one - and Uber often was. Nowadays, there is only GRAB and too often it is peak pricing.
Kuching is lovely, so is Kota Kinabalu.
Totally worth seeing those areas and exploring for 10 days, and 4 days in KL.
DON'T take water/drinks from strangers.
Try the KFC :) the chicken tastes better.
Aside from KL, maybe do Penang and Ipoh, as they are in the same direction from KL, and the train service between them is excellent (Penang's station is Butterworth, then a ferry across). Penang is a world heritage town with exceptional food, Ipoh is a very interesting, quiet town also with great food - its own regional specialities like bean sprout chicken and kai see hor fun, and some historic coffee shops in the old town.
If you feel like burning off excess calories from all the food, hike Bukit Tabur, which is about 30 mins or so from KL?
Not something I'd do on my own though, use an experienced guide/local who knows the way. It does involve some climbing and descending via rope.
KFC!
Listen to the other and don't forget the islands!
Redang/Perhentian are good stops, takes a bit to get there (plane then road then boat) but they are worth the trip. Warm clear waters with white sandy beaches.
Damn I wanna go now
Exercise caution in KL, try not to walk alone late at night in areas you aren't too familiar with, from what I've heard from locals it can get a bit sketchy, not like your typical eastern asian country.
Kl is pretty damm safe. I've walked from chinatown to the towers and back at night alone several times. Also got lost on a highway somewhere on foot. Locals are good. The homeless population is tame compared to sydney
Btw theres some strict ass laws there. Be careful
Yes there are strict laws about ass .. eg the dudes wearing Malaysian flag undies and got arrested :)
Imagine Malaysian officials faces when they visit a beach for the first time. Oh the horrors of the human body! đŸ‘™
I love the landing warning. "There is a mandatory death sentence for drug couriering".
We need that too
Go to Penang for nice food.
Sarawak & Sabah for nature.
Use Fave app. It is Groupon for Malaysia. Use Grab app for rides, it is so cheap and fixed pricing. Costs about 110 MYR including tolls from the Airport to KL city. Visit KL China Town, awesome food. Do gut exercises before travelling to Malaysia, you need to be ready to eat everything and anything once you get there. If taking kids, recommend visiting Petrosains and Kidzania.
Use Fave app. It is Groupon for Malaysia. Use Grab app for rides, it is so cheap and fixed pricing.
Fave is good but probably not good for its primary selling point for a tourist. When you use it as a payment app, it gives you cashback to use at the same shop again at some time in the future.
GrabPay is sorta similar ("loyalty" points instead of cashback), but it's "better" in the sense that you're very likely to be using it anyway for getting Grab rides.
Good thing is you no longer need to pick. Link your GrabPay account to Fave - so that way you'll get both.. but seeing as you're a tourist, it's super unlikely you're going to have a chance to use the cashback again within the 3 months the cashback is valid for.
Having said that, I'm not sure if you'll be able to activate GrabPay as a foreigner in Malaysia - give it a shot. From memory, you have to provide ID, but I can't remember if they accept foreign ID.
But yes, you could always just use Fave the way you use Groupon to purchase deals in Australia - just that there's the extra feature of paying through the app at merchants which Groupon doesn't have.
Costs about 110 MYR including tolls from the Airport to KL city.
For a standard Grabcar from airport to KL city, it'll be no more than RM80. RM110 would be the cost for a more premium vehicle.
You are right. It is about 80RM. 110RM was for a 7 seater.
Good thing is you no longer need to pick. Link your GrabPay account to Fave - so that way you'll get both.. but seeing as you're a tourist, it's super unlikely you're going to have a chance to use the cashback again within the 3 months the cashback is valid for.
Correcting my own post.
This is not applicable/valid in Malaysia. Only relevant in Singapore.
Definitely the night markets! Get some knockoff watches. Don't buy the ones on display, rather ask them for the good stuff under the tables. You will pay more but get some actual knockoffs hard to differentiate from the original (despite what some might say). Do your research first as to the exact "make" and style you like and seek it out.
And Haggle Haggle Haggle! Be reasonable but ready to walk away - discount up to 40% from memory. If at any of the shops they pull out a calculator to calculate some price, just beware you're being duped at that point.
Also, someone mentioned Langkawi. I agree with this if you have time. Cheaper than KL and much nicer, more relaxing and authentic (at least when I visited some time back).Also, someone mentioned Langkawi. I agree with this if you have time. Cheaper than KL and much nicer, more relaxing and authentic (at least when I visited some time back).
I have to firstly admit I have not been to Langkawi, but I find it hard to believe that it's cheaper and more authentic, considering it's a resorty/touristy destination?
I can certainly imagine it being nicer and more relaxing though.
Mrs B and I love KL.
Some tips;
Remember, there are two airports, KLIA and KLIA2.
Don't change your money before you go, or at KLIA. Do it at Sentral Station in KL, you will get a better rate (really). Small booths, very friendly staff and exchange rate close to XE rate.
Don't get a cab to town, the KLIA Ekspres train to Sentral is just as quick and easier. The fare is about 100MR return ($35).
The Christmas sales start on the 25th, not Boxing Day.
The food is amazing, as stated, and Petaling St is one of the places to go. Try to find the 'duck lady', she has a small push trolley and the duck is just amazing. Take away only and it will be all gone by 12:30pm.
Also, go to 'Food Street', Jalan Alor, where the tables appear on the footpath at night. There are so many restaurants there and we are yet to have a bad meal.
Use the new underground system. Cheap, easy, fast and as clean as the one in Singapore. Also the monorail is very handy.
Go to the Islamic Museum, near the National Mosque. If you are even vaguely interested in history, art and architecture, it is great.
If you want to have a memorable afternoon tea go to the one at the Majestic Hotel. The old part of the hotel is restored colonial, a bit like Raffles at 1/3 the price! IIRC tea is about $20pp.
The Majestic also has a great bar called The Smoke House. They have happy hour every night in a restored 1930s bar with, believe it or not, a downstairs cinema that shows old musicals (if you like that). There is something about having a few cocktails while Fred and Ginger cut a rug…
There's nothing worse than coming back home with dirty washing, so use a laundry service, but not the ones at the hotels. They are quite cheap and pickup and deliver in 24 hours. We use Momawash, they have an app now.
Even the airport has great food, so if you have time and leftover cash, chow down before you leave.
Penang and Langkawi are great but if you don't have time, that's a good reason to go back to Malaysia next time…Remember, there are two airports, KLIA and KLIA2.
Yep - will be important to know for when leaving, but OP will just arrive into one or the other.
General rule of thumb is if it's budget, then it's at KLIA2. If it's full service, then KLIA - but double check, regardless.
Don't get a cab to town, the KLIA Ekspres train to Sentral is just as quick and easier. The fare is about 100MR return ($35).
I spoke about why Grab/MyCar would be a better option than KLIA Ekspress, basically saying that if you don't have much luggage, you're by yourself and you're basically staying at KL Sentral, only then would KLIA Ekspress be easier/quicker. Otherwise, I definitely think Grab/MyCar would be the better option.
KLIA Ekspress is likely to be either RM110 return (no promo), RM93 return (Visa PayWave promo), or RM90 return (GrabPay promo) per person. Then add on a Grab/MyCar/cab from KL Sentral to your accommodation. Likely to take around ~50-65 mins all up.
Grab/MyCar will be no more than RM80 for the whole car including tolls, should take ~60-70 mins all up.
Basically, Grab/MyCar is probably going to be more convenient, and almost definitely cheaper if OP is not alone.
If you want to have a memorable afternoon tea go to the one at the Majestic Hotel.
Definitely this.
- Choose afternoon tea at the Tea Lounge or Colonial cafe, to enjoy live jazz music on piano at the adjoining bar. Less crowded/cheaper/better service on weekdays. At nightfall, the famous Soliano family musicians (musicians for generations) perform - and it is open for drinks, dinner etc.
- As branners said, checkout the facilities - Smoke House (Johnnie the barman provides interesting historical anecdotes and origins of cocktails), screening room, Truefitt and Hill (friendly barber happy for visit/chat, even though not a customer), cigar room etc.
- If around Pavilion, can also use free shuttle to get there; pickup/dropoff hourly from JW Marriott, across Pavilion.
Best Buffet in KL?
If you like fried chicken… go to Kyochon in KL, when you get back… send me a thank you message.
Also. Dinner in the dark was a great experience. Street food is delicious and safe.
Hey OP. So I'm in KL now. I took MyCar (instead of Grab, to save RM6) from KLIA2. Still RM59 as I mentioned not including tolls.
One small disadvantage I can think of of MyCar (relative to Grab) is there's probably going to be more of an assumption that by using the platform, you're a local, because it's not as well known/widespread as Grab, so drivers may send you messages in-app in Malay. Obviously if you do decide to go down this path, just reply and let them know you don't understand…. unless… you do?!
I used GrabShare today for a 12km trip. Cost RM14.50 including tolls (vs RM16.50 for not sharing) and got lucky because no one shared. Used Grab because MyCar was the same price for not sharing and I wanted Grab points.
Interesting, they must have just launched not that long ago. Happy with any competition :-)
- Do you have to wait especially long (enough drivers?)
- Does the MyCar driver know the passenger's destination before pickup? (For context, my previous comment). Grab driver does, and Uber driver doesn't.
Thanks in advance.
Not sure how long MyCar have been around for, but I first used them around June.
- Depends where. Heaps of drivers around KLIA, so wait times are not long at KLIA (1 or 2). Never used it in KL city area but I'd imagine there would also be quite a lot. Have had long wait times in suburban KL though or even no drivers.
- Yes I think so. I recall having asked a driver and I think he said he could see the destination.
Many MyCar drivers are also Grab drivers, so where there's a high concentration of Grab drivers, wait times shouldn't be long. I would therefore imagine wait times on MyCar shouldn't be an issue around touristy areas.
Got kids? Legoland’s down in Johor.
The Muslim Temple, where is a biggets one in Malaysia. And try to "dissolve" in to the local Native-Malaysian community, the brown-skin community, they just the appearce looks violence, in fact, the heart is very good, they are the race do not exist of Mafia untill today. And the local Malaysian government help them a lot too to enjoy their life there in their own land. For example, any enterprise must keepa ratio of the job for such Native-Malaysian. They do not work as hard as Chinese there, it does nt mean lazy, it's about they really try to enjoy every day life even without the goof matrials condition. And that's a soft-sight-seeing exist only in Malaysia.
Coming back to add that there's another ridesharing option called EzCab. I don't think they're new but haven't really noticed them before. Haven't used them yet, but I've downloaded the app and their UI looks nicer than MyCar's. Probably slightly short of Grab, which has a really good UI.
In terms of pricing, I've recently found that MyCar is not necessarily cheaper than Grab. EzCab also seems to be even more expensive than both Grab/MyCar, so I'm not sure why anyone would use a smaller platform when there are less drivers and it's more expensive. This doesn't apply to KLIA trips though, which have a fixed price (tolls payable additionally by the passenger) of RM59 on MyCar and RM65 on Grab (which I've mentioned in comments above)
Only reason I can see someone using EzCab is if you also open a Boost Pay account so you can take advantage of 2x RM5 discount codes on EzCab with Boost Pay as the payment method - valid until 23 Feb.
I know OP's holiday is well and truly over, but for anyone else who comes back to look at this post for Malaysia tips I guess..
Ok, literally just tried using EzCab for the first time but at a really odd time - 5:30am from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (aka Bandar Tasik Selatan) which is a major transport hub in KL (but not the main one - KL Sentral). No driver accepted my request over about 4 requests. App showed drivers were not far away so I can only presume they didn't want to take me to where I was going.
Went back to taking Grab for RM23 even though MyCar was RM21 because I want GrabRewards lol.
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I had a long layover and decided to eat a kebab . Destroyed me. I eat street food all the time in thailand and never had food poisoning.