Taking connecting flights to reach your destination will definitely save you money. But sure, it is time consuming and spending a long layover in the airport might get boring. We had such long layovers many times in Kaula Lumpur and made sure, we utilize it.
This post will help you plan your stopover in Kaula Lumpur.
If you are travelling to any place via Kaula Lumpur and have a transit of more than 7 hours, you can plan to visit the city on a Malaysian visa.
The first time:
We had a stopover for the first time in Kaula Lumpur on our way to Phuket, Thailand.
We booked our flights with a 9 hour transit in Kaula Lumpur. Always remember, you need at least 4 hours of buffer time while visiting the city. This would include your travel time to and from the airport and the time for boarding the next flight. So, we were left with 5 hours.
To visit most popular places for picture stops in the city of Kaula Lumpur, 5 hours is good enough time. We took the KLIA express and reached Sentral station. We then hired a taxi from Sental and gave a list of places that we wanted to visit in the next 4.5 hours. The driver was a nice guy and helped us plan our trip to save some time.
At first, we went to the iconic land mark “I love KL”. It is located in merdeka square and there is no entry fee to visit the place. This was a photo stop and we spent about 20 minutes there. There is a gallery building near to the land mark and you can plan a visit if you have time. We then headed towards the grand mosque. Make sure you are dressed appropriately to visit the mosque. As it was a Friday, there were plenty of stalls that served food and sold books outside the mosque.
The next stop was the National monument which is a war memorial. It was built to honor the soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the world war. We spent about an hour here as we needed some rest from the scorching sun. From the memorial, we went to the PETRONAS towers (twin towers). We did not have time to go inside the towers or the mall and hence stopped for few pictures. While on the way back from the towers, we stopped again to get the full view of the towers for the pictures.
We were very hungry by the time we left the towers and on the way, we stopped for food.
The next destination was KL tower; KL tower is a telecommunication tower and it looks taller when compared to the twin towers. There is an elevator to reach the top of the tower. If you have time, visit the revolving restaurant- atmosphere 360 on top of this tower and it will surely be an amazing experience.
King’s palace was also on our list. It was on our way back to the airport. We were not allowed inside the palace. So, we took few pictures and left for the airport. The palace is now shifted to a different location. We skipped taking the KLIA express and asked our driver to drop us to the airport.
That was our 5 hour city tour.
The second time:
On our way to Bali, we had a transit of 7 hours in Kaula Lumpur. We were a group of 4 people and decided on renting a self-driven car. We had offline maps downloaded on our phones and there was GPS in the car. The traffic outside the city is manageable. While, within the city limits, during peak hours, there will be huge traffic and it can get messy if you have not planned a grace time. There is always an option to book a taxi instead of renting a self-driven car.
We dedicated to visit Batu caves and nothing else as we had only 4 hours excluding the buffer time that we always plan. 3 natural caves formed from limestone and a Hindu temple built on the hill top which is the main cave. There is a huge Murugan, a statue of Hindu god standing at the foot hills. Get ready to climb about 300 stairs to reach the first cave. There will be monkeys on the way and they are used to humans. So, do not worry. At the bottom of the cave, there is a beautiful waterfall and plenty of colorful fish.
There are small restaurants at the foothills if you wish to try the local food.
After our food, we left to the airport.
The third time:
On our way back from Bali, we did a stopover again in Kaula Lumpur. We had a window of 7 hours excluding the time for travel and the departure. Bird Park in KL was the major place to visit in the itinerary this time. We reached the park around 10 AM and spend about 4 hours in the bird park which is a home for variety of birds from all over the world.
After this we went to the PETRONAS towers and visited the Surya mall. We spent our rest of the time in the mall taking pictures, eating food and then drove back to the airport.
A total of 3 stop overs in Kaula Lumpur and we covered most of the popular destinations in and around the city. If you have more than 12 hours, you can plan a whole day to visit the Genting highlands. There is an indoor and outdoor theme park on the highlands and lot of casinos. You should definitely try the cable car to reach Genting. The climate here usually is between 14 to 18 degrees.
VISA:
Previously, Malaysia used to issue transit visa which is not valid now. If you have to get out of the airport and visit the city, or travel from KLIA1 to KLIA2, you need a valid Malaysian visa.
The VISA is valid for 12 months for multiple entries with a maximum stay of 30 days for a single visit.
Transport:
Once you land in the airport you can book a taxi, rent a self-drive car, take the KLIA express or the hop in-off bus.
We have tried all the means of transport and felt that renting a car is affordable if you are a group of 4 or more. Otherwise, go for the other options.
KLIA express connects the two airports KLIA1, KLIA2 and also covers Sentral.
There are plenty of cabs available just outside the airport and give a good deal on Bargain.
Food:
Malaysia offers you a variety of food and if you are an Asian cuisine fan, then you must try the local food. There are in-numerous KFCs, MCDs and subways for those who do not want to take a chance.
So, make the best use of your layover in Kaula Lumpur and visit the beautiful city and ENJOY!