Kuala Lumpur (KL for short) is one of the least expensive cities in Asia to enjoy a vacation. The exchange rate for foreign currency, for Sterling Pound versus the Malaysian Ringgit is very favorable. Because English is commonly spoken and there is a very low crime rate, backpacking around the city is quite popular.
If you are lost and needs directions or want to buy food from a vendor be confident that someone will know how to communicate with you in English. However you still need to have some planning involved in order to get the most out of your vacation money.
Two airlines that are low cost and have a number of flights from all over the world and fly you into both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are Malaysia’s AirAsia and Singapore’s SilkAir. If you fly into Singapore there are many buses that will transport you to Kuala Lumpur.
Another Malaysian airline that is low cost is Fireflyz which is usually for domestic flights within the country nevertheless it links Kaula Lumpur with Bandar Acheh and Medan, both located in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand. The best prices are always when you book well in advance and you also want to miss Malaysia during the school vacations between December and mid March and the middle August.
AirAsia planes land at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) that is just over two kilometers from the International Airport in Kuala Lumpur (KLIA). The best way to get to KLIA from LCCT is on shuttle buses that are operated by two companies known as Airport Liner or Nadi KL.
Once at KLIA the best and most economical way to get to the capital is on airport coach. The airplanes from Fireflyz land at Sultan Abdul Aziz Airport in Subang 15 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur.
In KL the most popular place backpackers stay is Chinatown, located in the heart of Jalan Petaling. There accommodations are from a simple bed and breakfast with shared baths to one and two star hotels that have air conditioned rooms. In Malaysia hotels are rated in a start system from one to six and those that have no stars are considered budget hotels. Chinatown is also very close to the main bus station Puduraya.
