Travel and Review : Going to Kuala Lumpur ( KL ) Malaysia

It has been a while since I visit Kuala Lumpur Malaysia or better known as KL. In this write up I will write the different ways to reach KL via Singapore as well as review the Hilton Hotel KL.

Via Singapore there are a few ways to reach KL, Malaysia :

1) Via bus. If you decide to visit KL via bus you can do it a few ways.

a) Take a Singapore~KL bus. One of the companies I have tried is called Aeroline. I wrote a review on it and you can read all about it here.

b) if you prefer a cheaper alternative. Take a public bus (bus number 170 for instance) all the way to Johor Malaysia and you will alight at Larkin Bus Terminal. From there just take another bus to KL for around 30RM. There are no bus numbers in Larkin Johor Bus Terminal and the price of the tickets can be rather dodgy at times so if you don’t feel safe buying from the ticket peddlers (they will try to sell you the tickets when you alight) then just head to one of the many booths to buy your ticket there. In all if you take the 8am bus you should reach KL around 2pm. You will reach at KL Pudu bus station in which you can take a train (LRT) to KL Sentral.

2) Via budget airline. (My favorite way) You will have two choices:

a) Take Airasia airline. You can book your ticket at http://airasia.com From Terminal 1 Changi Airport it will take you to KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal aka LCCT. From LCCT you can then get a bus for RM9 to go to the KL Sentral (there is no typo in the spelling but that is how it is being spelt there) where you can pretty much go anywhere from there cos its the centralized train station to anywhere in KL. Do not get into cab here unless you want to pay up to more than RM100.

b) Take Jetstar airline. You can book your ticket at http://jetstar.com From Terminal 1 Changi Airport it will take you to KL International Airport aka KLIA. This airport terminal is way better than LCCT and from here you can take a fast express train for RM35 all the way to KL Sentral.

I have tried both and I have to say that landing at KLIA is way better than LCCT and the cost of Airasia vs Jetstar is comparable and not much of a difference so I highly recommend going via the Jetstar route.

For this article, I am going to review the KL Hilton Hotel Plus Room which is situated just 100m from the KL Sentral. I had a chance to visit it on May 1st this year and it was really terrific. If you arrive via the express train from KLIA then you cannot miss the HIlton signage that if you choose to follow will have you escorted to your hotel via a limo(No prior appointment necessary ~ just go to the person and show your Hilton Honors card or your bookings). And yes even though its only like 5 minutes away, you cannot dismiss this great customer service from Hilton. If not , then just follow the signs allocated at the train station.

Hilton customer service will totally mesmerized you…. well at least for me. I am not sure whether its because I am a Hilton Honor Silver member but from the look of it, I believe they treat every single guests with impeccable customer service. The last time I stayed was in a deluxe room so if you wish to know how it looked like, then just click on one of my tags to read the review on such a room. However this time round since I am given a PLUS room, which is bigger and coupled with dinner and breakfast….. why not?

Nice small but cozy living room that comes with simple yet useful furnitures.

 

A small “office” to do your work as well as huge LCD tv to keep you distracted if you want to from your work.

A nice small hallway leading to your bedroom and bathroom.

King size bed ~ my only kind of bed to sleep in.

A laze chair to read your favourite novel.

Another large LCD tv to view while you are lazing on your bed.

Huge bathtub as well as a shower facility that is equipped with my favourite…… RAIN shower!

Kimonos bathrobe for those who feel rather Japanese. Then again, it looks batik like so I am confused with this one.

A place to sit while waiting for your bathtub to be filled up. The two mirrors on the left and right hide a compartment areas for your wardrobe, ironing board and security facilities.

Crabtree and Evelyn toiletries. (Not really a fan of Crabtree and Evelyn but some may like them)

Pics of some of the room service items that I ordered,

They have a restaurant called Chynna which I did not have a chance to go thus I ordered instead cos it was said that their dim sums were the best in Malaysia and they really don’t disappoint.

Three types of burgers for your dining pleasure.

However, if you decided to go to the SUDU restaurant for your dinner and breakfast, you won’t be disappoint either. I simply love the Ostrich meat that I had for dinner. Simply mouth watering and delicious! Highly recommended.

In short, HIlton KL , in my opinion, still managed to upheld its highest standard of customer service and is still my favourite NO 1. hotel in KL.

If you only have a weekend or two in KL then just hop to KL Sentral and take the KTM to Mid Valley. It costs only RM2 for a return trip. The drawback to going by Mid Valley this way is the sheer long waiting time unless you plan your train ride carefully because the train will only come every half and hour so missing one would mean a half an hour wait. Plus it is always crowded all the time so you may consider taking a cab instead which may set you back RM20 per journey so thats RM40 for a return trip or even more for peak periods.

Do not get confuse because there are 3 train companies at KL Sentral. KTM, Putra and Monorail. KTM goes to Mid Valley shopping mall. PUtra goes to all the downtown area such as Masjid India, Pudu Bus station etc. Monorail (you have to walk for 5 to 10 minutes from KL Sentral to reach the main station) will take you to the Golden Triangle for shopping malls such as Lot 10, Pavillion and to hotels such as Westin, Piccolo, JW Marriott etc.

For this review , I want to take you to MId Valley Mega malls because if you only have a day or two in KL , this place is sufficient for everything you need while shopping.

Upon entering the Mid Valley mega mall you may noticed that the shops are more catered to general shoppers thus if you are into high branded genuine goods such as LV, Boss etc then do not fret, you can find them there as well but require a little light walking. The first thing you noticed about this malls is its sheer size which is divided into many zones so remember which zones you come from. Head down to the basement for delightful food. I highly recommend Rak Thai, a thai halal restaurant that sell good thai food.

I ordered a normal Phad Thai and it was delicious.

Fancy donuts? For all manner of good food, just head to the basement. I am sure you will find something that you will enjoy savouring.

Like I said earlier, if you fancy high branded good , fret not because Mid Valley Mall is now connected to the Garden Malls via the basement so from the basement you will see the sign below:

And by heading up, you will notice all the high end shops. Of course here the crowd will be much less due to its price range.

If you think the above is a statue, think again. She is a human model.

And there she went walking away.

 

Louis Vuitton should be open in June 2010.

At the top of the Garden Mall you will find the food garden which sells good food but a tad expensive.

In all Mid Valley Mega Mall will satisfy anyone needs be it for the average shopper or for the high-end shopper who prefers to pamper themselves with luxury goods. Either way, it is a great place to shop during the weekend.

Till next time.