םייללכ םיפיט -
תויצקרטאו הכישמ ידקומ -
הרובחת -
םילכונ - תוריהז -
: לובג ירבעמ ,תויורירגש ,הסינכ תורשא
Travelling to Malaysia by train from Singapore has got to be less confusing than a few months back. In Singapore, you must fill in two forms
Train from Singapore to Malaysia: the situation at Singapore station is a bit confusing. Your passport is checked by Malaysian Immigration and your customs card is stamped. Later, in Woodlands, you go through Singapore Immigration. In Johor Bahru nothing happens as youre in Malaysia. So technically you enter Malaysia before you leave Singapore. My passport didnt get stamped in Singapore (I thought this would happen in Johor Bahru) so I entered Malaysia illegally. This happens quite often according to the immigration officer in KL. Getting a visit pass is straightforward if somewhat time consuming, as long as you still have the train ticket.
The telephone number for the French Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has changed to: 203 5500; the fax number is 203 5501.
After several tiring hours walking the streets of KL we finally discovered the Myanmar Embassy in KL has changed address. The new address is:
We had to pay for a visa to exit Sabah to Indonesia. It's RM120 for the standard three month visa plus RM10 for four passport photos. So this is not a visa free entry point. The only one currently from East Malaysia to Indo is Entikong.
: םייללכ םיפיט
Turtle watching at Rantau Abang has become a farce. The Lonely Planet guide notes that the turtle numbers are rapidly diminishing and I fear from what we heard and didnt see, they have all disappeared.
If you wear eyeglasses and visit a rainforest you need to make special preparations. In the beginning everything is okay because you can wipe off your glasses. However when it starts to rain, and it will, you will become saturated making it impossible to find anything dry to wipe off your glasses. My glasses were useless and I was blind - tripping and slipping on rocks and roots on what became the most dangerous hike of my life. My suggestions 1/bring a hydrophobic spray that makes water sheet off or 2/get contact lenses.
Taman Negara National Park. When visiting dont forget to buy a permit for yourself and your camera and if you plan to do any fishing the fishing permit. Also remember if you are visiting on a Friday almost everything is closed until 14:30 as most staff members are Muslims and they go to the mosque to pray so it could be difficult to arrange some excursions.
Make sure you take new bank notes, if travelling with currency, as we found it impossible to exchange pound sterling notes which had been written on.
It is important to know that most of the museums in Malaysia are closed on Tuesdays. We were in Melaka for one day (yes, a Tuesday. . .) and found out the hard way that all the museums including the Stadthuys were closed.
The phone cards sold at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport are only able to be used at the airport, not at any other phones around the country. The Traveller Service Centre at KLIA should inform you of this when you purchase one.
We were unable to get any Malaysian ringgit before we entered Malaysia. We understand this was because of currency controls introduced by the Malaysian government, but we also had problems getting ringgit after crossing the border on a Saturday. No bank was open at the border town nor were there any money changers evident. Thai baht nor US dollars appeared acceptable and we needed to pay for transport to Kota Bharu. The only thing we could do was offer a few dollars for ringgit to a shopkeeper at way below the fixed exchange rate. We also learned on arrival at Kota Bharu that there was only one money changer operating and that the banks, when open during the week, may only accept travellers cheques and not notes for purchasing ringgit.
There is now an interesting Heritage Trail to the east and south of Captain Kling Mosque. Its well marked and includes the house where Dr Sun Yat Sen planned the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in the 1911 Canton uprising.
Perhentian Islands: pre-book your accommodation on the mainland or get to the islands before noon. There didnt seem to be enough accommodation to go round so we spent about five hours looking for somewhere to stay, as did many other travellers we met. Prices for food and drinks are approximately twice the price of those on the mainland and charges for the water taxis are much higher than suggested in the guidebook. It may be worthwhile taking your own water across (and beer too).
National parks: cooking is now discouraged in the Sarawak national parks (the gas cylinders have been removed). Bako was beautiful - wildlife, beaches and a huge variety of vegetation. Even getting there was an adventure. The rooms were a bit shabby and the canteen was inadequate. Lambir Hills was similar. Niah Caves, on the other hand, was a treat - clean, spacious rooms and a canteen that served basic but honest food.
Monkeys are a big problem at Bako National Park. They are aggressive, particularly during the mating season, and will steal your food or luggage. As a result, many of the trails are closed to the public making it impossible to reach Teluk Limau and walk in Jalan Bukit Gondol.
If you are travelling from Ranau to Sandakan/Sepilok by bus, check that the road is open before you set off. We left Ranau at noon only to find after travelling for two hours that the road had been closed since the previous night by a landslide. We had to wait for almost five hours before having to walk to the other side of the blockage (with all our bags) and persuade, (at a cost), a bus to turn around and go back the way they had come to deliver us to our destination. Be especially cautious if there has been heavy rain.
Mulu National Park: dont book a guided tour to Mulu from Miri unless you absolutely have to. It is very easy to arrange everything at park HQ and much, much cheaper. Give yourself plenty of time and there should be no problem.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Kuala Lumpur office, has moved from the Royal Thai Embassy as of December 1998. Its new address and contact details are:
Langkawi Island: don't book accommodation at the pier; you will find it cheaper if you go directly to the beach of your choice.
While in Malaysia, try to go to Malacca, which is a great blend of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, English, and of course, Malay. Don't leave without a copy of the classic The Kampung Boy, which offers a simple account of life in a typical Kampung, in cartoon format. It is hard to get a copy but we found one in a store in Central Market in Kuala Lumpur. The buses are unbelievably cheap in Malaysia, but we often took taxis and asked the driver to take us along the Kampung and travel a local route. It was great to see some of the back roads and how the people lived. You can also learn quite a lot from the drivers who were delighted to be able to speak to foreigners.
Pulau Pangkor: exploring the island on foot was less taxing than by bicycle; we felt sorry for those who had to carry their bikes due to the steepness of the road. I think it is better to go round it clockwise. We were advised against taking the trail from Teluk Nipah to Foo Lin Kong Temple.
Amendment to below re duty-free: actually, the Malaysian government changed the restriction in mid-98 after the Malaysian ringgit plunged and tourism suffered as a result of political instability. Today anyone can buy a lot of duty-free on Lankawi as long as you stay on the island for at least two nights.
To avoid leeches: wash your socks in salt water before you go jungle trekking.
You can buy a lot of duty-free on Lankawi, but in order to take it to the mainland, you have to stay on the island for three days. If you leave early, you have to pay a tax of 50%.
Fort Margherita no longer requires a passport for admittance.
We were initially upset to have to hire a guide to climb Mt Kinabalu, but after the climb were happy to have done so. On the granite peak, the path is sometimes tricky with steep climbs, and the guide clearly wanted to ensure our safety, leading us to better routes. He was also helpful and informative, pointing out species of plants and answering questions. Sharing a guide with other people is a problem though. The park reception centre allows any group up to eight to share a guide, provided they arrive together. We arrived as a couple, and they would not help us join another group. We eventually found two other couples, and together at reception we had to sweet-talk our way into being allowed to share one guide.
The taxi metres have disappeared in Bandar Seri Begawan. BSB, and the surrounding area (to Jarudong and Maura) is divided into zones. Likewise is the Seria-Kuala Belait region. Signs on the road indicate when you are leaving one zone and entering another. A trip within a zone is B$3. Each time you cross into another zone, it is another B$3. The night time surcharge (10 pm to 6 am) is another B$3, as is the airport surcharge.
All travellers are advised not to accept RM1000 and RM500 notes, as they are due to be taken out of circulation and cease to be legal tender on 1 July 1999.
You can exchange ringgit into foreign currency at the Penang and KL airports, and at the large duty-free store on the Thai Malaysian border (the shop is actually in Malaysia). Finding money changers or banks in Thailand that will convert ringgit proved an impossible task, even when asking for informal transactions with bureaux de change on Khao San Rd in Bangkok.
The very numerous 'health clubs' are in fact brothels.
Many of the old street names have been changed to the names of important Malaysian people, eg Jalan Palm is now Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce. As yet, there are not many maps available with new street names on them.
Gunung Gading National Park is first class. The staff are very helpful and there are some lovely scenic walking trails, waterfalls and swimming pools. Once you're there you won't want to leave. Make sure you take plenty of drinking water.
Ringgit are routinely referred to in speech and writing as dollars. If they mean Singapore or US dollars they will say so specifically.
The Museum of Popular Arts and Beauty has just opened on the cultural strip at the base of St Paul's hill. One floor is devoted to kites, one to pictures of the governor's official duties, and one explores worldwide conceptions of beauty. Containing more detail about foot-binding, tooth filing, lip-piercing, tatooing and corsetry than you might wish to know, the pictures and examples are nevertheless interesting and informative. Most of the information is in English.
The United Overseas Bank in Melaka, located at the end of the bridge next to the tourist office, has a good exchange rate and does not charge commission. However, they don't like torn or dirty notes.
The Penang Museum of Applied Arts at the University Sains Malaysia is very pleasant and does not charge an entry fee. To go there, take any yellow bus, except numbers 82 and 85. The campus is large and involves a bit of a climb up to the museum (the guard at the gate gave me a lift on his motorbike), but the walk back down to the main road through the gardens is delightful. The main specialties are music, dance, metalware and textiles. There are very few visitors.
Souvenirs: paper imitations of valued possessions, made for burning at funerals, make great presents if you can get them home in one piece. I saw paper mobile phones, trainers, laptop computers, beer cans, pineapples, as well as credit cards and money. They are available at all the incense shops around the temples.
The Qantas Airline office in Kuala Lumpur has moved. The new address is as follows:
Qantas/British Airways
Iain Grosvenor (Oct 98)
Since trading of Malaysian ringgit outside the country was banned by the government, conversion must be done prior to leaving the country. When travelling overland from Malaysia to Thailand, many of the mini-buses stop at a duty-free store on the border that will convert ringgit to Thai baht. This is the last place on the journey north where this is possible.
As one of the contributors to Travel with Children (1995 edition) wrote: 'on the whole Malaysia is an excellent destination for travel with children, especially if it is your first trip with young ones in tow'. Our daughter Santi was almost one year old and enjoyed every minute of our trip. Compared to many other countries in South-East Asia, Malaysia is fairly small and well-organised. Bus trips are comfortable and needn't take longer than four or five hours at the most. Hotels and restaurants are not only cheap and clean, but come equipped with such indispensable items as child cots and high chairs. Disposable nappies are available everywhere, even on Tioman Island, as is formula milk and jars of baby food (although, as far as the jars are concerned, fruit meals seem to be easier to come by than meat and vegetables). As for the people, they absolutely adore children, especially if they are white, have blue eyes and enjoy making eyes at strangers. Not only that, they also seem to know exactly how to treat them, which is something I wouldn't say of most of the people we know. On several occasions, they asked us if they could 'borrow' her for a couple of minutes and took her away so quickly that she didn't have the chance to burst into tears. When they brought her back, sometimes as long as thirty minutes later, they would tell us that they had introduced her to the cook, taught her to play on their computer or fed her tropical fruits.
In Kuching, the American Express office is not in the MAS building any more. It has moved about four blocks away.
We travelled to Tioman Island in Malaysia and found the beaches on Air Batang, Tekek and Monkey Bay very polluted. Waste seems to be dumped everywhere: on the jungle tracks, in the caves, in the little lagoons between the chalet complexes and on the beaches themselves. It is absolutely terrible. It is such a shame because it is such a beautiful island.
The Directory Enquiry number is 103 for all of Malaysia; an important piece of information.
Kuala Lumpur is clean! Just one month before the Commonwealth Games - it looks and smells like Singapore, can you imagine? No more problems at KLIA either. Luggage handling was quick and smooth, no check-in problems and real espresso coffee!
Malaysia is one of the best value locations in the world right now. During July and August of 1998, the ringgit is gradually declining in value, but hotels all seem to be offering promotional rates. Never before would my hotel search begin with the top end places, but in Malaysia that often meant spending relatively little for quite a lot: US$24 (plus tax) for a room at the Hyatt Regency in Kota Kinabalu, US$21 (total) for the Hotel Seri Malaysia in Marang, and US$20 plus tax for the Primai Park Inn in Kuala Terengganu. Even if a traveller finds these prices to be out of range for several nights, I would highly recommend the occasional splurge to taste some of the luxury that we might otherwise deny ourselves.
The Semengok Sanctuary (for orang-utans) will be moved from Semengok to Matang. The plans were to move it on 25 July but nobody was sure about when it will start receiving visitors.
Although Langkawi is still a good place to stop on the way to/from Thailand, it is becoming more expensive and difficult. The budget chalets on Pantai Kok have all been demolished as have the places to eat and meet. Pantai Cenang still has chalets but many of the good places to eat (such as AB Motel, Samilla Hotel) have either closed for the foreseeable future or shut very early in the evening. Ferry trips to nearby coral islands are also twice the price of the same trip from Penang. Georgetown, especially Lebuh Chulia, is still a fantastic place to visit and buy onward tickets.
The Sabah parks office doesn't make bookings for Mt Kinabalu National Park any more (nor any other national park). You now have to make them through Kinabalu Gold Resorts. Their address is: Lots 3.46 & 3.47, 3rd floor, Block C, Kompleks Karamunsing, Kota Kinabalu. Phone: (08) 8 257 941 / 257 214.
We have just been to Langkawi late March and there have been some changes on the island, particularly with Pantai Kok. The places on the beach have now all gone, ie Last Resort, Country Beach Motel, Impapam Mama, etc. There is, in fact, nowhere to stay except at the Burau Bay Resort.
We were in Kelantan during Ramadan and most Malay food outlets were closed during the day time. Chinese and Indian outlets were open.
Generally in Sabah we found ATMs available everywhere, even outside the bank in Seporna - so do not change money in the UK or in your own country unless for small change.
Some cyber cafes:
The Tourism Malaysia Office (Map no 11, p312), has moved to:
The beach at Pantai Kok is now totally void of any hotels, restaurants or shops. Everything has been pulled down to make way for the golf course. The best (only) places to eat are now in Pantai Cenang.
Telephone: 00 is now the international dialling code replacing 007. MAXIS international dialling cards are now available, costing RM25 for just over seven minutes. Available in MAXIS mobile phone shops.
: תויצקרטאו הכישמ ידקומ
We went on a lovely two hour boat ride from Kuala Krai in Kelantan to Dabong, which is down river. It is not geared to tourists and we had to work out the details but it was a great journey. You go to Kuala Krai and follow the road to the river beside the police station. Then walk along the left of the river past the shops and stalls. Then take the path down to a wooden house on stilts over the river. On the side of the house is a rough sign saying boat for Dabong. It costs RM10 each and we went on one of the long motor boats that carry passengers and cargo down the river. The Dabong boat leaves daily at 10am When we arrived we were told to wade ashore and go up a path to the top of the river bank. Once we got over the crest of the bank we found one of the prettiest and friendliest unspoilt villages in Malaysia. There is no return boat, a train leaves about 2:15pm.
While on a transit stop at Kuala Krai, waiting for the next train, we selected an outside seafood restaurant overlooking the main street. During the meal, at about 7pm, out of nowhere 1000s of swallows filled up the skies to roost on the electricity wires and buildings in the street. It was an incredible and amazing sight. So if you have to wait for a train in Kuala Krai dont despair, have a meal and wait for the show.
A group of us recently visited Kuala Lumpur and then transferred to Penang. While we were transferring to the airport, it was noted that the bus was too full and wouldnt be able to carry all our luggage. An open truck was employed for the task. Imagine our concern when, two hours later (15 minutes before the plane departed), the bus had not arrived with our luggage. It was decided that one person would remain behind and accompany our luggage on a later plane. It turns out that it had started to rain and the truck driver, not wanting our luggage to get wet, had waited under a bridge until the rain stopped.
To our mind, Georgetown is the only reason for visiting Penang. It was the only place where we saw some kind of cultural event.
Perhentian Islands were the highlight of Malaysia for me. I stayed on Pulau Keal and the snorkelling was fantastic there, with beautiful beaches. It has a very easy-going atmosphere, and there is not one big hotel, only wooden chalets.
During the Commonwealth Games, I took the opportunity to make a trip down to Melaka as I had heard so much about it. I decided to ride a bike, which was wonderful as I took a coastal road. To be honest, I didn't expect much from Melaka but I was wrong: it is a charming place to visit, offering relief from the city. Life seems to take a slower pace here, with the backdrop of old buildings and interesting streets filled with antique shops and art gallerys.
I strongly recommend that anyone visiting Sandakan should make a bee-line for the library: it is first class.
Recently restored by a private organisation in Penang, the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion on Lebuh Leith in Georgetown is a must-see. Tours are conducted in English and held at 11 am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. They contain fascinating snippets about the history of the mansion and Penang, as well as the history of the Chinese in Penang.
The Pudi Jail in central Kuala Lumpur opened to the public only a couple of years ago. This 100 year old prison had become too crowded (at the most it accommodated 6500 prisoners but it's meant for 2000!) and plans were made for a new, high-tech prison in the outskirts of KL. Not knowing what to do with that valuable piece of land, some genius suggested a museum, rather than just another office complex or four-star hotel.
Just completed the ascent of Mt Kinabalu and it was fantastic. If people can afford the airfare (RM699 with Malaysia Airways for a return) and a few days, it is a tremendous experience. Climbers should note on arrival in KK that the place to book accommodation has changed: Kinabalu Gold Resorts (see entry in 'Travel Tips' above). Ask to be dropped opposite their office when boarding the bus from the airport or take a taxi. Pack light - some passengers from KL to KK had their luggage misplaced (Sepang airport is still having a few teething problems, it seems). The cost of climbing has gone up - permit is RM50, insurance 3.50, guide 50 (cheaper if you share) and the cheapest accommodation for two nights, including one in the mountains, is RM21. Bus to the power station is still RM2 and well worth the money. Take very fast film (minimum 800 ASA) for the sunrise, otherwise you may be disappointed by the pictures of the surrounding landscape.
I can't believe no one has written about Pulau (Island), Sipadan! I was there last fall and if you are a scuba enthusiast, you'll love the place! It's rated as one of the top ten sites in the world. It's not cheap, but the Pulau Bajau resort was reasonable and the cheapest of the six resorts at approximately US$300 for five days of diving, accommodation and food. The diving is AMAZING!
Bangsar (a suburb, 15 minutes west of the city by taxi), is rapidly becoming the trendy place to be seen. Numerous pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants are springing up offering anything from pints of Guiness and oysters to modern Malaysian cuisine. May not be a particularly cheap night out, but worth it.
The good points about Sarawak:
Sipadan: a haven for divers with all the large pelagic fish and wall to wall turtles. Seven dive operators now operate on the island. Here are six:
: הרובחת
When driving on Malaysian motorways stick rigidly to the speed limit. They pull everyone over who exceeds the speed limit, with speed guns and road blocks further up the motorway.
You have to pay the fine in the same district as you received it - which means a return trip if its outside office hours.
Air Pelangi no longer operates flights from Kuantan to Pulau Tioman.
The train connection between Kuala Lumpur central station and KLIA (airport) is still under construction. Instead you can go by train to Nilai and change to a bus to KLIA. However it takes quite a while. Count on at least 2 hours to get there.
When making the ferry crossing from Melakka (Malaysia) to Dumai (Indonesia) the ticket has to be purchased from the Indomal Express ticket office but the office is not at the port. Its about a half hour drive away so get it the day before. The ferry usually runs late but once it eventually departs it takes you out to the middle of the sea, you then board a bigger ferry via thin wooden planks between the boats (it is not a common form of transport for tourists) Make sure you get your passport stamped when you arrive at Dumai or you could have problems getting out of Indonesia.
When travelling in Kuala Lumpur by taxi never bargain when you wish to go somewhere, as it is against the law not to use the meter system. Take particular care at the Puduraya bus/taxi station.
Borneo Airways have decided to stop services from Brunei to Mulu, Mira and Labuan, effective 1 September 99. It seems the 19-seater Dorniers they have been flying are running far from capacity. The only way from Brunei to Mulu now appears to be overland to Miri and then flying Malaysian Air. You could also take a long, expensive, yet interesting series of boats from Miri.
Sandakan, Sabah: the long distance buses no longer leave from the bus station in town. They now leave from in front of a parking area next to the 5km marker on the main KK-Sandakan road. It is opposite the Petronas petrol station near the hospital. Note that the bus that goes to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary still leaves from the place mentioned in the current edition of the guidebook, however, services appear to run every hour throughout the day.
There is an RM92 flight between Penang and Kota Bharu flying Pelagi Air. This is very cheap and a worthwhile alternative to the seven hour bus trip!
Kuching to Sibu and Niah Caves: the boat from Kuching to Sibu left five minutes early. Dont be late. To get to Niah Caves, there was a fast bus leaving Sibu at 9 am for Miri, stopping at Niah Junction but bypassing Bintulu. From there, take a local bus to Batu Niah and a taxi (RM10) to the park. We asked around at the junction and met a local guy who drove us directly to the park for RM20. The bus from Miri to Sibu also stops at Niah Junction, but you have to wait on the road.
To reach Tioman from Mersing if you can not catch the fast ferry you may travel with the Blue Ocean. This is a kind of fisherman boat, very slow and the time of departure can be delayed often because they try to pull up all the late travellers, which means you may reach Tioman in the middle of the evening.
Bus service: the Bakti Express bus, which runs between Melaka and Mersing, has gone out of business. I was wondering why their ticket office was never open (after three visits) and then a local friend told me about their closure. So if youre trying to get to Tioman via Mersing, the best way is to take the Orchid Express buses to Kluang (RM7.50; buses run every 90 minutes), then take another bus to Mersing. A long distance taxi from Kluang to Mersing costs RM48 for the whole taxi. Orchid Express phone numbers are: (06) 283 5553 (Melaka) and (07) 773 7246 (Kluang).
The national airlines of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Brunei have launched an air pass targeted at long haul travellers from the US and Europe. All you have to do is fly to any of the above countries on the airlines mentioned above and you can buy a ticket to any other destination within the six countries for only US$90. You need to buy at least three tickets however.
Malaysian Airlines have introduced a 'Discover Malaysia' pass. US$99 for five sectors within Sarawak or Sabah within 28 days. Or, US$199 within Malaysia, ie peninsular and states. Need to buy within 14 days of arrival in Malaysia.
Don't expect to be able to return across the river from Bako National Park in Sarawak whenever you'd like. The tide gets so low for a long period of time that even the shallow draft motored longboats they use will be stuck in the riverbed until the tide returns. This happened to us when we wanted to leave the park in the late afternoon.
Response to below, re no buses on Langkawi island: sure there are! They just do not look like your average city coach. They are blue eight-seaters and they pass on average every 45 minutes, going between the beaches on the western part of the island and the port. The driver and his helper (who handles the payment and luggage), yell out their destination while passing - it took us a while to realise these were actually a form of public transport. There are no marked bus stops though, so you better jump on when approached. It is well worth the wait as the cost is only about a tenth of a cab fare.
Langkawi Island: there are no buses on the island, so taxis must be taken everywhere.
The overnight train to Butterworth was very comfortable, but there was a seven hour wait for the connecting train to Hat Yai. The buses from Butterworth don't cross the Thai border any more (the costs are too high, apparently) or even go directly to it; they stop at a town near the border and a taxi is required to cross it. You then need another taxi or bus on the Thai side of the border. It is better to take a long distance taxi all the way from Butterworth to Hat Yai.
The non air-conditioned buses are a nice way to see the countryside and meet people, and they cost next to nothing. While they are moving, they are well cooled.
The Labuan ferry terminal is now near Maura. To get there, you can either take a taxi or the charter bus that departs from the bus terminal in Bandar Seri Begawan (number 26 on the map on p567 of your Malaysia guide). Do not take the regular bus to Maura, as it goes to the city and not the terminal.
Minibuses leave Penang three times daily for Krabi (5 am, 8.30 am and noon) via Hat Yai. The service necessitated a stopover in Hat Yai and a change of minibus.
After all the hype of the KLIA, Subang Airport is back in service; Malaysia Airlines have begun to use it for domestic flights. This is good news for many, as it is easier (not to mention cheaper) to get to KL from Subang. However, domestic flights with international connections will still be using the new KLIA. As such, it is a good idea to check which airport you are flying from.
There is no fast, cheap way to get to or from the new KLIA airport. The KTM Komuter train takes over an hour from KL to Nilai; the bus from there to the airport is an ordinary local bus that takes about half an hour, depending on local detours. Each runs every half hour, but not in conjunction, so you should allow at least two hours for the entire journey. The luxury and semi-luxury airport coaches run every 15 minutes (alternately) but they only go to a terminal outside KL called Hentian Duta. They are supposed to connect with a local FD1 feeder bus, but this is also every half hour, and does not always connect with the airport coach. It is probably easier to take a taxi to or from Hentian Duta. The best solution may be to take the airport luxury coach to the nearest luxury hotel but I haven't tried this.
You are required to fill in a currency declaration when crossing between JB and Singapore. This slows down traffic. The local papers are full of stories of bus passengers (mainly foreign) being stopped at random and imprisoned due to discrepancies in their claims.
Try to arrive at the bus stop at least half an hour before the stated departure time as they sometimes leave when the driver is ready, not necessarily the passengers. This especially applies to the Petra Jaya buses to Bako, Santubong, Damai, etc. Also, don't be surprised if the STC bus that you are on stops at the depot to change tyres (while you're still on the bus). Make sure you have a drink with you as it can get quite hot sitting on a stationary non-air-conditioned bus for twenty minutes.
Apparently there used to be a direct bus service to Mersing, but it has been discontinued recently. Instead, take a bus to Keluang (RM7). From Keluang, there are frequent buses to Mersing (about the same price).
There is a new ferry between Sandakan (Sabah, East Malaysia) and Zamboanga (Philippines). It started on 28 August 1998. This ferry is much faster than the old one: it leaves from Sandakan on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 am. The trip takes eight hours and costs RM100 in economy class and RM150 in first class. For more information call Sandakan Kawana Express No 1 (Phone: 274 743) or Sampaguita Shipping Corporation (Phone: 616 935).
I've used KLIA twice now and the 'teething problems' were not apparent. The main difficulty seems to be that none of the staff knew where anything was and we kept getting lost! Luckily there are little on-line stations everywhere so it's easier to log on to one of these than ask someone at the moment. The aerotrain to the departure gate was fab.
Kuala Lumpur's new international airport (KLIA) opened on 30 June 1998. Located approximately 70km south of the city, it's not the easiest place to get to, especially when a new direct rail link originally planned is now only scheduled to be completed in 2000 or later. However, a new bus terminal serving only the KLIA has opened at Jalan Duta (next to the Tun Razak Hockey Stadium) a few kilometres away from the city centre.
The pink mini-buses in Kuala Lumpur have been sold. All the buses are now grey Intrakota air-conditioned ones.
Super hubs, mega delays: both Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong have recently opened brand new airports, and both suffer from what the airport authorities like to call 'teething problems' - more like cock-ups to me. I flew from the new HK airport at Chep Lap Kok on opening day to KLIA (am I a glutton for punishment or what?). Although CLK did not suffer from the massive check-in failures that afflicted KLIA on opening day (when I flew from KLIA to HK, check-in alone at KLIA took one hour 15 mins, and I was only the third passenger in the queue - allow loads of time for check-in!), gate changes were frequent and many monitors still did not work well. CLK is a huge terminal over 1.5kms long so if your flight was first allocated gate 33 and then gate 11 and then finally gate 24 (as mine was), and half the moving walkways don't work, make sure you've got good walking shoes. Avoid checking in bags: they have a very good chance of getting lost - both airports are competing to see who can lose the most. Both CLK and KLIA may well eventually become very fine airports but for the moment, stick to Changi or Bangkok if you can.
Kuala Lumpur's new international airport is now up but not running as smoothly as it could. Be prepared for delays and long waiting periods. Friends of mine flew out two days ago to London and had a wait of over four hours (should have been about one hour). Other people I have spoken to have waited overnight, as they missed connecting flights due to congestion in air traffic or baggage problems. Hopefully, it will sought itself out in time for the Commonwealth Games in September.
Getting to the main bus station in Kuala Lumpur (Pudura) from any location by taxi can take a long time in the traffic jams. You should give yourself two hours.
Recommendation for unbelievable service: I am amazed at the efficiency of the Malaysian Train system Web site. It is called Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad. It's brilliant: has all routes and prices and I just booked a ticket to Tampine from Singapore from my home in Melbourne, Australia. They sent me a confirmation slip with the appropriate booking number - I simply have to turn up and cough up the money! Great Service: otherwise I would have had to waste time in Singapore going to the train station a few days before just to book.
There are now three bus stations in Kota Kinabulu: the long distance station that also handles buses to Tuaran and Tamparuli and is opposite the library; the station for scheduled buses to Penampang and Tanjung Aru, which is opposite the post office; and the station for buses to Likas and minibuses to Tanjung Aru, Penampang and most places south or east of KK behind Centrepoint. Buses to the beach are rarely red any more as the operator has a set of smart air-con buses. It's 80 sen from the bus station by the post office and the bus is No 2 - BEACH (I've forgotten the name of the operator but the buses are white with a pink stripe).
We thought we might get a ferry to peninsula Malaysia from Sarawak but it is impossible. There are flights only.
Belaga to Bintulu by air: Malaysian Rural Service has one plane per week on Wednesday for RM45 which includes a boat ride to the airport. Book at the agency on the main street. I found this a very enjoyable cultural experience from beginning to end.
The MPPP Bus #8 doesn't run to Kek Lok Si temple of Penang Hill anymore. Take the 131 that leaves from the bus terminal under Komtar.
For those who use minibus to travel in Kuala Lumpur, the pink coloured buses will no longer be on the road as of either 1 April or 1 May 1998. They will be replaced by blue coloured buses by the name of 'Intrakota'. The destination is by the number on the bus. Travellers take note, or you might be waiting for the bus that no longer exists.
The phone number of British Airways in Kuala Lumpur has changed: it is now 267 6188.
Domestic air: only one direct flight between Kota Bharu and Penang - on Pelangi Air.
Today, bridge number two to Singapore is opening, but they're still fighting over the high tolls (four times the ones on the first bridge!) Prices for motorists crossing the 1.9km second link would be set at RM32, and prices on the first link are going up as well, to promote the usage of link number 2!
The boats from Tawau to Nunukan/Tarakan only depart three times a week. Furthermore, the border between Sabah and Kalimantan is closed on the weekend and neither Tawau and Nunukan are worth spending a couple of nights.
If you cross the border between Thailand and Malaysia on the eastern side after dark (through Sungai Kolok and Rantau Panjang), be sure to have some Malaysian ringgit (RM) acquired in Thailand before you enter. Bank machines or money exchanges close early at the border, and there is little close at hand. Thai baht carries outrageous difficulties for bargaining, and we ended up paying about five times too much to get to Kota Bharu by taxi.
Malaysian Tourist Rail Pass is still US$120 for 30 days or US$50 for 10. It is cheaper to travel by bus but we travelled the whole system (down the modern east side to Singapore and up the jungle west side) and found the pass to be a very simple, convenient and problem free way to travel.
I travelled on the 'Jungle Railway' in Malaysia - definitely a worthwhile experience. It travels between Gemas in the south-west and Tumpat in the north-east corner of Malaysia (near Kota Bharu). I went from Gemas to Tumpat on a Saturday so that I could spend the following Sunday exploring Kota Bharu before flying back to Kuala Lumpur. Jerantut is the gateway to the Taman Negara National Park, and the middle section of the journey north of Jerantut until Kuala Kri has the most picturesque scenery: native jungle that is beautiful and unspoilt. On the last leg, the dense jungle transforms into open plains with intermittent large limestone monoliths rising magnificently out of the ground.
: םילכונ - תוריהז
If going to Kuala Lumpur be careful around the Pudu Raya bus station. There is a major drug problem in the area. We were attacked and had everything stolen. They dont care about your life or their own and theyll have a go at anyone (my boyfriend is 6ft 3 and well built). Fortunately we werent hurt. We also heard reports of break ins at hostels nearby.
The haze that shrouded Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia two years ago is back. The haze is caused by plantation and forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Up until now the PSI index is still below the hazardous level (in Singapore and Malaysia at least), but there is definitely a strong and irritating burning smell in the air. Concerned parties should check out the following Web site: www.gov.sg/metsin/home.html
Cherating: while looking for accommodation, I went to the entrance of a hotel and was about to enter when I was confronted by several big monkeys that were rather hostile to me. Naturally I retreated. I thought they were monkeys kept by the owner. In the afternoon, I took a boat trip and on the river I saw quite a few more monkeys. The other tourists on the boat said that they had seen these monkeys the day before. Also, the boatman told us that these monkeys were not afraid of people. So be careful with these wild monkeys!
Perhentian Islands: to leave the island (Kecil) we took the small taxi-boat out to the bigger ferry. Leaving Long Beach, large waves suddenly appeared resulting in our boat being filled with water. It was really hard to swim in the waves and there were dangerous undercurrents as well. We talked to people on the beach afterwards and heard that this had happened many times before. One guesthouse lost four boats because of the dangerous beach last season. So my advice is to be sure to go to the other beach to take the taxi-boat - the water there is much safer. Hopefully they will eventually build a pier.
I want to issue a warning when booking the speed boats to and from Mersing, Tioman. I spent six hours on the jetty at Salang, Tioman waiting for the speed boat I had pre-booked. Since we were only two people going from Salang at that particular time, the speed boat conveniently broke down and never appeared. Three other people at the same jetty but with a different boat company, were also abandoned. They missed their flight out of Malaysia. We finally forced ourselves on another companys speed boat and got in to Mersing. This seems to be standard practice - sell tickets first and if it turns out that there are too few people at one location, dont send the boat. So beware!
In the LP guide it says, Water can be drunk straight from the tap in most Malaysian cities. I would have agreed with this when I moved here in 1992 but the situation has badly deteriorated in recent years (coinciding, coincidently or not, with the privatisation of the water supply). Several times a month the tap water in KL is a rich orangy-brown (much prettier than plain old clear water). My Malaysian relatives all filter or boil tap water (or both) before drinking it. I would advise visitors to do the same.
The Jakarta Post of Friday 12 March said that there is a Japanese Encephalitis outbreak in Malaysia in the regions of Perak and Negeri Sembilan. Vaccination is probably a good idea if youre going there. Thirty three people have died and the government will spend US$9.9 million for vaccinations for the people of Malaysia.
Japanese encephalitis has broken out, causing the death of about 15 people near Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur. All victims lived near pig farms.
Take care at the junction of Jalan Petaling and Jalan Hang Lekir, as this area is known for thieves.
Perhentian has changed dramatically from a relatively unknown and safe place to an island riddled with theft. The thieves are not locals; they are tourists. So don't bring too much cash to the island. Most of the dive centres and some of the beach resorts accept credit cards now. There is even a small beach cabin on Long Beach that cashes travellers' cheques. Also, you should bring your own lock as the thieves seem to be able to open the standard locks of some of the beach cabins.
Macaque monkeys: travellers should be forewarned about the 'darker' side of these animals. Probably due to these particular monkey's over-familiarisation with people, the monkeys on Penang have become expert thieves (with food as the primary thought in their minds). Not only did we have problems with the Macaque monkeys and observed them trying to get into bags, etc, but we also heard many instances of trouble caused by these animals. These had occurred in Batu Ferringhi and other locations in the Northern Beaches as well as other locations throughout Malaysia. Thefts included watches, cameras, bags, clothes, etc. Some girls swimming in the sea had their bag taken on the beach by a monkey. This bag contained their clothes, passports, money, credit cards, etc.
Kinabalu Park, a warning: the path may look simple but the trek turned into a nightmare with scores of leeches that even seemed to manage getting through our socks. We were very lucky to have made it back without serious injury or a night in the jungle in shorts and tee shirts.
Despite any information you may get in Jerantut or in the Taman Negara Resort during the video show, DO NOT BATH AT ANY TIME AT LATA BERKOH. The water level of the river can rise from 15cm to over 2m within less than five seconds! My girlfriend and I were standing on a rock in the middle of the river when suddenly the wave came and took us down over the cascades. It was pure luck that we survived this fall and could make it to safe ground again. But we lost everything and my girlfriend got seriously injured. To our amazement, not one of the locals was really surprised to hear that. 'River crazy' was the answer we got. But only 24 hours earlier the same people suggested we go there for a swim!
1) Malaysian embarkation form (white)
2) Malaysian Travellers Declaration Form (blue)
Both forms are available at the Tanjong Pagar Railway Station (Singapore).
You will need to clear Malaysian Immigration first. They will not do anything to your passport or the white form.
Secondly, you will clear Malaysian Customs. These guys will chop and sign the blue form.
Then get on the train. Do not lose the train ticket or either of the forms. Since there is no visa in your passport these documents prove you entered Malaysia legally.
After a 45 minute ride youll have to clear Singapore Immigration and Customs. Go to the last two counters on the right, as they are usually the least crowded. At this point, Singapore Immigration will grant your exit visas.
Sahril Mahmood, Singapore (Oct 99)
Peter Buechel (Aug 99)
Aristea Parissi & George Kechagioglou, Greece (Dec 98)
10 Jalan Mengkuang
Kuala Lumpur 55000
Phone: 456 0280
It's off Jalan Ru near the Risma building. Consular hours are 9 am to 1 pm and visas cost RM70 for normal (three days turnaround) and RM140 express (24 hours).
Frank Cheshire & Angie McErlain (Aug 98)
Sophy D'Angelo, UK (Apr 98)
Annon. (Oct 99)
David Levy, USA (Sept 99)
Luigi Ceccarini & Antonella Belpassi, Italy (Sept 99)
Barrie Morgan, United Kingdom (Sept 99)
Marcel Groeneweg & Sytske Damsma, Netherlands (Sept 99)
Ian Parsons, Australia (Sept 99)
Leo & Fran Cini, Laos (Jul 99)
Warning on the Perhentians: Long Beach is totally packed out in the high season. The ferrymen dont tell anyone this, leaving scores of people on the beach with nowhere to go, because they have an interest in seeing people pay for additional taxi services to other beaches. Ask disembarking travellers at the Kuala Besut ferry terminal what the situation is like.
Ian Lamont, USA (Jun 99)
Kim Piotrowska (Jun 99)
Peter Herd, Canada (May 99)
Corrando Mantovani, Italy (May 99)
Richard Durkin (Apr 99)
Suite 22.01 Level 22 Menara Lion
165 Jalan Ampang
50450 Kuala Lumpur
tel: (03) 262 3480
fax: (03) 262 3486
email: sawatdi@po.jaring.my
homepage: http://www.amazingthailand.th; www.tourismthailand.th
This information was published in the New Straits Times, 6 January 1999.
Teresa Ong (Jan 99)
Erica Jolly, China (Dec 98)
Alisan Lohan-Conway & Mary Conway, USA (Dec 98)
Taiping: the money changers next to the Sri Mariamman Temple have good rates
Marang: we were told that there are no turtles in Rantau Abang these days.
Aristea Parissi & George Kechagioglou, Greece (Dec 98)
Danny Chang (Feb 99)
Friedrich Bielenstein, Germany (Dec 98)
The deer cave in Sarawak does in fact go through the mountain, but the walking path does not; you must exit where you came in. Also note that just before exiting, you can see a remarkable silhouette resembling former US President Lincoln.
Rick, Singapore (Dec 98)
All travellers must declare their currency notes to the Immigration Official upon arrival in, or departure from, Malaysia. Travellers are permitted to bring with them, and take out, ringgit notes not more than RM1000 per person. The export of foreign currency notes, including travellers' cheques should not amount to more than the equivalent of RM10,000. Prior permission is required from the Central Bank for any amount larger than stated. Their address is as follows:
Head of Department
Exchange Control Department
Bank Negara Malaysia
Jalan Dato Onn
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: 603 2910 772/2907 353; Fax: 603 293 7732
Lee Chen Yi, Malaysia (Dec 98)
I highly recommend anyone spending more than a couple of days in Georgetown read Streets of George Town, Penang: An Illustrated Guide to Penang's City Streets and Historic Attractions, by Khoo Su Nin. Each of the streets in the colonial part of the city, including lanes, are mentioned, with good descriptions of the origin and history of each street as well as information about historic buildings. There are lots of photographs. The local softcover price was RM35. We used it as a guidebook for our stay there. It is available in book stores or at the Cheong Fatt Tze mansion.
Dr John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Dec 98)
Many activities take place at the Godolphin Amphitheatre on Kuching Waterfront. A list of these can be obtained from the STA office.
We found that the Hong Kong Bank was by far the best place to change travellers' cheques. If you have Thomas Cook travellers' cheques, no commission is charged. The service is very quick and efficient.
Bako National Park is really an adventure. I can strongly advise all visitors to read up on the Macaques. They are the most fearless monkeys on earth and will quite happily attack you if you stare or threaten them. Do not feed any of the animals, especially the Macaques, as they can become very aggressive if they have had a little food and there is no more left.
Mr & Mrs Andrews (Nov 98)
The library in Kuala Lumpur is now the National History Museum; the Infokraft centre is the Textiles Museum. The Karyaneka Craft Centre has moved about 200m further along Jalan Conlay; the old position is now the MISC shipping position.
You can't walk around the foot of St Paul's hill in Melaka: the stretch in front of the Palace Cultural Museum is closed off. To get back to the main square you either have to go over the top of the hill and go around the base, or detour through the town - this takes at least half an hour.
Antiques: prices are reasonable (after normal bargaining) at the current exchange rates, but it's still officially illegal to export them. The tourist office told me that small items, such as jewellery, are okay. Other shops said that cheap, portable items are OK to export, but never old kris.
The World War II Museum in Kota Bahru is presently closed for restoration.
The museum in Penang is open again and well worth visiting. It is open every day except Friday.
The Cheong Fatt Tse mansion in Penang has also reopened; restoration tours are available on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. The guide is enthusiastic and very knowledgable, and will also tell you all about the Cathay and Waldorf Hotels if you are interested.
The Penang flea market is located on Lorung Kulit, in a carpark behind the stadium. Any Air Itam bus will take you there. It is open every morning until lunchtime, but the dealers pack up immediately at the slightest hint of rain. It is said to be at its liveliest on Sunday. Items to be found there include: household tat, old clothes, second-hand electrical goods and watches, metalware, coins and war souvenirs.
The admission fee for entry to the Peranakan House at Peranakan Place, Singapore, is now S$10. It's only open between 3 and 4 pm for groups of at least four people. If you aren't going to Melaka but wish to see some Peranakan culture (and the Asian Civilisations and National Museum isn't enough), the Katong Antique House is better value. The original house on 208 East Coast Rd is closed for restoration, but you can visit by telephoning them in advance on: 345 8544. Alternatively, a good selection of the contents are on display for free at the Peranakan Cultural Centre on 220A East Coast Rd. Here you will be able to speak with knowledgable enthusiasts.
Jane Perry (Nov 98)
Rohas Perkasa West Wing 8th Floor
8 Jalan Perak
Kuala Lumpur
Phone: 267 6188
John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Oct 98)
Martin Bottenberg & Yvonne Wester, The Netherlands (Sep 98)
It is difficult to book things in Borneo. It is not a place to be in a hurry or to get upset if you can't book a hotel/tour. I was there this past March and I can't tell you the number of things that fell through, which is fine if you have time to wait a day or two.
Ann Krumboltz, USA (Aug 98)
Leila Buijs & George Smith (Aug 98)
Shibu Basheer, Malaysia (Aug 98)
Marlijn Sonne (Aug 98)
Matt Ebiner, USA (Aug 98)
Alberto (Aug 98)
Karen Stevenson (Jul 98)
Thomas Rau & Andrea Rogge, Germany (Jul 98)
Beverley Herbert (Apr 98)
Electricity: you can buy adaptors in department stores for use with Australian appliances.
A new shopping centre, Sunway Pyramid, has just opened - situated next to Sunway Lagoon. The shopping centre has an ice skating rink - ice skating has become a very popular sport.
Diana Ong, Australia (Feb 98)
J P Bingham, UK (Jan 98)
Kuala Lumpur: Sega Satellite, 2nd Floor Sungei Wang Plaza, Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL. Phone: 03 242 7980.
Kota Bharu: Email Cafי, Bangunan Sede Tingkat 1 (next to food stalls), No 6s-1 Hadapan Hankyu Jaya, Kota Bharu. Phone: 748 3267.
Kota Kinabalu: Cyber Cafי, 95 Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu. Phone: 08 823 1089. Email: sabahnet@mail.sabahnet.com.my
Kevin Scott, UK (Dec 97)
5th floor
Menara Jayasan Islam
Jalan Sultan Omar
(near Malaysian Airlines)
BR Pearson, UK (Nov 97)
Victor Wood, Germany (Oct 97)
Ed Fogden & Suzanne Donnelly (Sep 97)
Anon. (Oct 99)
Jon, Thorn Tree (Oct 99)
Gaye McArtney, Australia (Jul 99)
Aristea Parissi & George Kechagioglou, Greece (Dec 98)
Wilco Proysers, The Netherlands (Dec 98)
Alex Chin, Malaysia (Nov 98)
David Vicars, Philippines (Nov 98)
The Penang Museum is now open and well worth a visit. It has interesting displays with excellent documentation in English and Bahasa Melayu. Entry is free and the museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, except on public holidays.
John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Oct 98)
This is supposedly the first prison in Asia to open its doors to the public and number four in the world. It's definitely the first one with a death row and a gallows with a light and sound show - very bizarre: you don't know if you're supposed to be shocked or laugh your head off! Out of respect for the two Australian drug traffickers who were hanged there in 1986, we withheld our laughs.
You can enter the cells and read the sometimes woeful poetry, or check out the last list of 'Tomorrow's Canings' on the black board and then try the wooden stand where the inmates got their bare backs and rear ends whopped on a regular basis. There's also a movie about the history of the prison, shown in three languages.
Not for the soft-hearted.
Jorg Ausfelt, Sweden (Sep 98)
Gary Spinks, UK (Aug 98)
D Chong (Jul 98)
Ken Chye (Mar 98)
1. Excellent bus and aeroplane connections and a good shuttle and taxi service;
2. The Sarawak Cultural Centre is excellent although the price (RM45) is a bit steep for budget travellers;
3. The National Park system is well set up and provides excellent opportunities for eco-tourism;
4. The Information Centre in Kuching and Miri are well staffed and extremely informative;
5. The Bidayuh people are a credit to the population of the earth; and
6. The food is second to none. Excellent.
Dennis Paradine, Canada (Mar 98)
Borneo Divers, Phone: 88 222 226; fax: 8888 221 550; email: bdivers@po.jaring.my
Abdilla Sipadan Paradise, Phone: 88 223 918; fax: 88 233 562; email: jworld@po.jaring.my
Pulau Sipadan Resort, Phone: 89 765 200; fax: 89 763 575
Borneo Sea Adventures, Phone: 88 230 000; fax: 88 221 106
Scotty's Dive Centre, Phone: 89 782 055; fax: 89 782 059
Pulau Batau, Phone: 89 777 517; fax: 89 752 517
J P Bingham, UK (Jan 98)
Sean & Sarah McHugh, (Oct 99)
Bart Timmermans, Netherlands (Oct 99)
Helle Johansen, Denmark (Sept 99)
Rob Hayes, United Kingdom (Sept 99)
Farid Kareem, Malaysia (Sept 99)
Gerry Mott, UK (Aug 99)
Tedd Fuell & Alex Baker, UK (Aug 99)
Ian Lamont, USA (Jun 99)
Peter Herd, Canada (May 99)
Corrado Mantovani, Italy (May 99)
Derek Tokashiki, USA (Apr 99)
Magdelene Lim (Feb 99)
Conrad (Jan 99)
Derek Ewell, USA (Jan 99)
Christina Gustavsson, Sweden (Mar 99)
Erica Jolly, China (Dec 98)
Carolyn Johnson & Craig Barrack (Dec 98)
Most taxis have a 'kereta sewa' sign on the roof, which literally means 'car for rental', but is the same as a taxi/teksi.
The air-conditioning in the express trains is ice-cold, so you should bring blankets and jackets.
Friedrich Bielenstein, Germany (Dec 98)
Rick, Singapore (Dec 98)
Dr John Lam-Po-Tang, Australia (Dec 98)
Victor Teo, Malaysia (Nov 98)
There is now only one public bus to the airport from Singapore: number 36. This replaces the old 16E express.
Jane Perry (Nov 98)
Mr & Mrs Andrews (Nov 98)
Martin Bottenberg & Yvonne Wester, Netherlands (Sep 98)
Richard Felber (Sep 98)
Karen Stevenson (Jul 98)
Travel to KLIA from Jalan Duta by:
Stage (public) bus: RM7.70 one-way - not frequent; travel time two hours
'Semi-luxury' coaches: RM18 one-way - hourly; travel time one hour
'Luxury' coaches: RM25 one-way - every 15 minutes; travel time one hour
Limousine taxis: from KLIA to city centre from RM65 one-way; from city centre to KLIA from RM55 one-way.
Or another alternative: take the KTM Kommuter from KL Railway Station to Nilai and thereafter by stage bus to KLIA: RM6.50.
K P Lee (Jul 98)
Norman Shepherd, Australia (Jul 98)
K P, The Thorn Tree (Jul 98)
Lisa, The Thorn Tree (Jul 98)
Dr R A Duncan, Seychelles (Jun 98)
Froggy, The Thorn Tree (Jun 98)
Tara George (Apr 98)
Sophy D'Angelo, UK (Apr 98)
Carole Smith, Canada (Apr 98)
A Sulkowski, Australia (Mar 98)
Amran (Mar 98)
Frederic Schneider (Mar 98)
Diana Ong, Australia (Feb 98)
Jצrg Ausfelt, Sweden (Jan 98)
Joris Postema & Kim den Boer, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Sandra de Souza & Dan Oleskevich, Canada (Dec 97)
Andy Bolas, UK (Nov 97)
Please note that there are absolutely no decent connections between the west coast trains and the Jungle Railway. I spent a very unpleasant six hours in the wee hours of the morning in the cold mosquito infected Gamas station. It is definitely advised to spend the night before the train journey in a guest house at Gamas!
Ian Ward, Malaysia (Oct 97)
Stephanie Hine, United Kingdom (Oct 99)
Thng Hui Hong, Singapore (Aug 99)
Wong Wai Cheung (Apr 99)
Daniel Fridell & Linda Clevberger, Sweden (Apr 99)
Peter Gotenstam, Malaysia (Mar 99)
Daud Creelman, Malaysia (Mar 99)
Edo Plantinga (Mar 99)
Anon (Jan 99)
Friedrich Bielenstein, Germany (Dec 98)
Raf Aerts & Eva November, Belgium (Oct 98)
B & J Norden, UK (Mar 98)
J P Bingham, UK (Jan 98)
Stephan Oetiker (Nov 97)
1999 (C) Cly-on ל תורומש תויוכזה לכ