Retail Therapy in Kuala Lumpur

One Utama

A major suburban retail therapy centre in KL, the area has been a bit tricky to reach previously by public transport, if you were not a local.  Ikea [at The Curve nearby] had their own feeder buses, but more development in the area has meant better public transport - mostly buses.

It is a big mall, with now two major areas - the old original and the newer stage 2.  Large corridors, plenty of shops,  but a bit flat in terms of the shops available.  More directed at local Malaysian customers probably, rather than tourists.  There are a few international upmarket brand shops, and Tangs from Singapore, but the experience with sales staff was not good.  Not focussed on wooing tourists to open their wallets is my view.

On most weekdays, it is reasonably empty, a distinct difference to KLCC, Mid Valley MegaMall or areas around Bukit Bingtang, where bustling might be a good term to use to describe them.

Think it is a bit flat overall, but it would depend on whether there was a focus on doing some shopping [with some specific needs] or not and whether there was much doing in the "sales" themes.

KLCC

Definitely a good shopping location, with major Malaysian, Japanese and Singaporean department stores - Parksons, Isetan, Tangs, and most of the name brands synonomous with high end high quality retail.  Particularly for women - LV, Prada, Burberry, Coach, Gucc, Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, Sony, HTC, Samsung and the list could go on.  There are about 6 or 7 levels of shops, and easily accessed using the rail network with a MRT station directly below the centre.

 

Think the options for eating are modest, but with such good local food available in other locations around KL it is hardly an issue.  Most eateries are for western food, so I guess for locals, that is a bit different.  Several coffee chains - Dome and Starbucks among them.

You can access the Petronas Towers from this area, but sometimes it is difficult to get access that same day, if it is busy.  You need to go and check as it was not possible to book otherwise when last checked out.

It is a worthwhile experience to go up and cross the skybridge. [ Remember the movie with Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones??]

Sungei Wang Plaza

Used to be the go to place for all sorts of shopping, especially electronics, illicit movies and software, and with a wide range of smaller shops selling many different items and plenty of eateries.  Also has a Parkson department store.

Sungei Wang Plaza is now 35 years old and very tired.  As an offering against many others - The Pavilion and Lot 10, Times Square - all very close by, it is now awful.  Run down and at times a bit grubby.  That said there are some bargains to be had, if you wander around.  Pirated DVDs and software are more difficult to obtain.  BUT - a big renovation is underway, and will continue through 2013 and into 2014.  Hard to tell so far on whether it will "come back", but it certainly lacks some features now more common in newer centres eg SWP has quite low ceilings, whereas newer places are more "öpen".  Time will tell.

But do get of the monorail at Bukit Bintang.......lots to do around that area, and you can get to both The Pavilion and Lot 10 from that stop.

1 Utama - Getting There by Public Transport

A major suburban retail therapy centre in KL, the area has been a bit tricky to reach previously by public transport.  Ikea [at The Curve complex nearby] had a special bus service previously, but with developments surely there is public transport now.

There is not of easy to find information on getting around Kuala Lumpur easily by public transport, but it is getting better.

Yes……you can get to 1 Utama by public transport, quite easily now.  A couple of options to consider.

From Stesen Central in KL, take a U89 bus, which goes to the Damansara interchange just about 100m from 1 Utama.  And you can also take the same bus in the reverse order, back to Stesen Central.  The travel time is about an hour.

Even better time wise, is to catch the train to Kelana Jaya which is the last station on the line that operates between Gombak and Kelana Jaya.  Go across the overpass and down to the street, and wait for a U82 bus, which goes to the Damansara interchange about 100m from 1 Utama.  There are a few other bus routes also going to the same location, including U43.  Do not be confused as some of the bus routes to 1 Utama are a bit convoluted, with sidetracks to pick up within housing areas.

For the return trip, catch the U43 at the interchange, or you can also catch the bus directly in front of 1 Utama, at the bus stop there.  You stop directly in front of Kelana Jaya rail station.

Best of all, these buses now operate with the same Touch N Go preloaded card that can be used on the trains……no hassle with fares at all.

Be prepared though………do not expect to see many non-Malaysians on the bus!!

But hey, why not??   Buses are air conditioned, seats okay and available and an easy option.  Be adventurous, and use public transport.

Kuala Lumpur Public Transport - Getting Around

Access to the train system around the Kuala Lumpur greater urban area used to be horrible, with multiple operators and multiple ticketing systems meaning journeys involving multiple operators required multiple tickets. 

A few years ago, that started to change, and finally a single touch’n’go preloaded touch card was introduced which not only provided access to the train services, it could be used for toll roads, fuel, and other services.  Improvements have continued, with more recent changes seeing the introduction of use of the card on many of the public buses in KL.

Prior to that, the local bus service was a bit of a magical mystery tour.  Information on routes and pricing was difficult to negotiate and even find in some cases.  Buses were at best pretty crappy, and mostly non air-conditioned although windows did open, and very crowded.

Now that the touch’n’go cards are being used it is easier, although getting route details is not always any better.  More improvements to the bus system are planned.

The trains within the near city area can be crowded – and getting back from MegaMall on a Sunday afternoon can be a very crowded experience, with one train we were on once so over full that occupants were not sure it would move between the Mid Valley station one stop back to KL Sentral. [Yes, you can get to and from Mid Valley MegaMall by train easily].

Finding information from hotels is not always easy either.  Many people only know the route numbers they use regularly and as far as is known no comprehensive guide is available.  But a few hardy souls are sussing out some of the more useful ones for tourists……….including us intrepid old fartz.

With around 4 million people in KL, many using public transport regularly, there has to be some logic in the system.  That is the start point!!

 

Touch'N'Go cards can be purchased at KL Sentral, as well as many train station and a few other locations, and are topped up at ticket windows at many train stations.  You need to pay a small deposit or fee for the card, and the balance on the card is valid for up to 12 months.  Some old cards are no longer operational due to some access changes,  and can be redeemed at a special ticket centre at KL Sentral.  A bitof a hassle if it happens to you, but is fixable.

Definitely an easy way to move around the city, and they operate on all city trains and many buses.  Easy access to many of the shopping and tourist areas in the main city areas can be achieved via one of the train systems of public transport, if you want to be a bit adventurous.

Test it out..........the trains work just fine.

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 3

At Kluang there was a large group of elderly Japanese golfers waiting when we pulled into the station. They came aboard, with much noise, confusion and enthusiasm; assisted by several guides. One of the guides insisted that we were sitting in their seats. We consulted our tickets, which showed we were in the correct seats; and as all travelers know, possession is nine tenths, so we stayed where we were. Much confusion ensued, but finally everyone appeared to have a seat. Then the picnics were delivered to the golfers. Rather typically Japanese; very neatly and organized presentation, many choices of fruit, sushi and drinks.

Did I mention drinks? There was just about every choice they could possibly want. The gentleman across from us very swiftly polished off two cans of Japanese beer, water, but dispensed with the can of oolong tea and offered us a can top jar of saki. Pull the lid off and you have a full glass to drink. It is a long time since I have drunk any of it, but the taste memory returned with a bang and I remembered why I had previously named it rocket fuel!

Ah .......the last time 'canned" liquor was consumed by me on a train was on the Trans Siberian Railway, many years ago, through a swap deal with Russian [ sorry USSR] troops, who were keen to taste better quality scotch whiskey. In this case the cans were about the same size as a condensed milk can - two quick holes in the top of the can - hey presto - vodka, army issue! and you drank it neat, too. At least the sake was branded and obviously Japanese.

It wasn’t too much longer and we were approaching Johor Bahru. Since our last trip by train, the new Immigration and Customs hall at JB had opened, so we were interested to find out if the transition from Malaysia to Singapore would be any less painful. We had previously done a reconnoitre from Singapore to JB by bus to check out the transition but had not been able to see how the train transition worked.

We didn’t use the new station on this trip as it was not yet operational. The officials came on the train and we were cleared out of Malaysia with little time taken.

Then it was on, across the causeway to the Woodlands Immigration facility for clearance into Singapore. Everyone disembarks with their luggage and proceeds through immigration and customs and when everyone is cleared, the doors are opened, you can re board the train and proceed to Singapore. Or, you can clear immigration and customs and exit the station there, and catch a taxi, train or bus direct to your destination in Singapore. This was the course we chose. It was the first time we had tried this tactic. This decision was taken, mainly because the supposedly short trip to Singapore railway station had taken such a long time last trip. There can also be a long wait for taxis at the somewhat isolated station when you arrive. If you haven’t seen the station, it is worth the visit, as it has recently had a clean up and is quite a historic building (with traditional malay food available, particularly late at night), but that is another story …

Would there be a taxi readily available or would we be left standing at Woodlands while the train chugged on to Singapore without us? So we made the decision not to reboard and once we were out the sliding doors we were committed and could not change our minds.

Through the doors, up the escalator and directed out to the taxi rank, we found three taxis waiting, and within 20 minutes we were settled into our hotel room and having a fresh cup of coffee. Successful comfortable transfer from Kl to Singapore; and that is the way we will do it next time too!

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 2

A while into the trip I realized that the carriage seems rather quiet, no-one wandering up and down to the restaurant car. Later on, during further discussion with the English couple, I find out that there is no restaurant car this trip. OK, so the donuts are now going to look a lot more appealing further down the line! Industrial dispute or technical issue? That may have something to do with why there was no First Class Lounge open at KL Sentral too.

The train is travelling along quite quickly. On the previous trip there had been many stops and the general speed of the train was a lot slower. At that time, there had been a lot of work on the line for much of the distance. It would appear that it has been completed.






















We have one little stop on a side line while a couple of other trains travel past in the opposite direction. It is single line for a lot of the journey, so this is to be expected.

I find train travel quite civilized. It always seems a lot less hassled than a bus trip and even less so than most short hop air travel these days. What with the trip from a major city to the airport being long, the need to be at check-in so long before the departure time and then the wait for actual departure, some journeys can be accomplished in not a lot longer and with a lot less hassle.


















There are several short stops at tiny stations along the way. The train line, and the main highway also, for that matter, run the length of peninsular Malaysia, so there are lots of roads running from the costal areas in to the rail line. There is an old carriage on the side of the line at Gemas.

























Glad they have upgraded to the one we are in! This station is the start of the “Jungle Line” trip to Khota Bahru. I am told the daytime 3rd class slow train from Gemas to Khota Bahru (Wakaf Bahru) is worth the trip, as the scenery is superb. We have “thought” about it several times, but as yet the trip hasn’t eventuated.

After Gemas we decided to have lunch. This consisted of two donuts each and a drink of water (which we always carry with us). More sustenance than nutritious, but it filled a gap.

to be continued ...

From First Class to All Class …

…A journey from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore by Malaysian Railways – part 1

Mention at checkout from the Le Meridien KL that you are leaving the city by train and you are immediately offered (well, it is insisted on actually) assistance to the railway station. This is not a long distance but you can feel a bit like someone out of an old movie being followed across the road to the station by a bellboy with a typically large hotel “trolley” with just your bags on it. The feeling of importance is quickly dashed when it is discovered that the First Class Lounge is not open prior to this trip. Hmmm, is this a warning of things to come, as it has been open for the morning departure on our previous trips. We find a seat in the departure area and assure the bellboy that we will be OK. Nothing else in the station is yet open in the way of food establishments. I had planned to perhaps forage and gather some sustenance for the journey. Ah, wait a minute; Maccas is open. Why did that not surprise me? An orange juice and a McMuffin will do while we wait and we will get lunch on the train.

An attempt to buy two donuts, for a bit more junk food on the train, accelerates into a major negotiating business deal. They don’t have their cash register working yet, the shop assistant who does that has not arrived and no-one else can set it up. Can I just leave the money with them and take the donuts? No, they are not sure how to calculate the ++ and the amount may not be correct. Hmmm. Ah, but there is a nett price on the menu for six donuts and can I just pay that? Consultation takes place between the staff, and at that stage I almost totally loose the inclination to eat a donut. However, it is decided that I can do that if I choose six donuts. OK, six donuts are selected, placed in a box, I hand over the correct money, and then there is a long search for an appropriately sized plastic bag to carry them in. I escape with just the box of donuts, wondering what himself is going to say when I turn up with six donuts! It is all said; I won’t spell it out!

Soon there is an announcement that we can board and there is a rush for the entry. Eventually we settle into our seats and find that the carriage is only about one third full. We find that a bit unusual, as we thought, when we booked that we had got the last two seats. A brief chat with an English couple who are settling in a few seats from us, and the train pulls out of KL Sentral on its way towards Singapore.

to be continued ...

Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu

Flying into Singapore at night is usually quite a visual experience; this time was no exception. We circled around the island to the northwest and the water surrounding the island was dotted with boats, small and large, emitting varying amounts of light. Once on the ground it takes quite a time to travel to the terminal. Singapore airport is almost a city on its own; three terminals and all the attached facilities. Once inside the terminal building your senses are accosted by colour, noise and a sea of pure humanity. Most people are moving around the terminal purposely; while some just window shop to pass the time between flights. If you have a few hours and want to catch a real flat, still sleep, there is a transit hotel where you can stretch out and freshen up before your next journey.


Out intention is to move on a quickly as possible, so we continue and look for the usual latest tourist information just past the Immigration counter. It must be the Japanese tourist season as most of the brochures are in that language! I always like to get a current map.
Singapore changes so much and the map will show the MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) map as well as we use the trains and buses in Singapore a lot.

If you are not sure where your hotel is, or its proximity to a MRT station, a taxi should cost less than S$20 to most hotels – catch a taxi from the arrival concourse.

The trip to the checkpoint takes about an hour and travels through suburban Singapore. Not many non-Singaporeans on this stage of the journey [like NONE], but a reasonable trip because you can usually get a seat and there is room for reasonable amounts of luggage. There are lifts and escalators all the way in the Singapore section, and they are pretty much always working – not always the case in the Malaysian part of the journey. Everyone has to leave the bus at Woodlands checkpoint to clear immigration. Then it is back on the bus and across the causeway. In the evening this stage of the journey can sometimes look as if everyone is escaping Singapore; but then you look at the incoming traffic and there is as much traffic coming that way too! Many large vehicles are carrying fresh produce and many other products into Singapore overnight. Across the causeway and it is time to join the Immigration queue to enter Malaysia. Depending on the time of day or night and the day of the week, this can be a bit tedious, but it has to be done. Tonight it is quick and then it is time to run the “want a taxi?” gauntlet. We get a taxi and travel to the hotel. We could have got back on the bus and travelled to the Kotaraya 11 terminal and either walk or catch a taxi from there. The haggling is still the same and we realize we are probably closer to the hotel here. The hotel is quite good, so now it’s a shower, a coffee and bed. It has been a long day.

For more photos click on the image below.


by oldfartz99

Breakfast in the restaurant is a pleasant experience, whether your choice is light, full cooked meal or ethnic. I have never been very good at eating rice at breakfast so I will steer clear of the congee. The roti looks good, so I have just a taste of that – aaah yes, haven’t tasted that since I was last in this part of the world.

Wandering down to the shopping centre is next on the agenda. The weather is overcast with light showers of rain so inside is not a bad idea. Lots of looking, joining the locals enjoying the airconditioning on a hot day, a coffee at my familiar coffee spot and then a decision to make a return trip to Singapore. We go past the JB railway station, now dwarfed by the construction site of the new Customs complex (that should make a big improvement to moving across the causeway when it is finished) to the Malaysian checkpoint; on the bus and train and into Singapore to our favourite haunt for cultural shopping. Around the corner for a beautiful meal at a sidewalk eatery we like and then back across the causeway with the many Singaporean workers who live in and around JB.

Up early, breakfast and into a taxi for the trip to Senai airport and on to Kuala Lumpur.

If travelling by a budget airline the 15kg baggage limit is strictly enforced without paying excess, no allocated seats (they do have provision for preferred boarding, but you pay for that) oldies board first (finally a benefit!); but it seems to work well and gets people on the plane and settled fairly quickly. They operate from the LCC (low cost carrier) terminal.

Arrive safely in Kuala Lumpur, bus from the airport to the city, about 75 minutes and then to our hotel.

I have not found the food in KL to be as good as I have hoped; maybe we are just not finding the best places. It is OK, but not something that I would write home about. Following the old principle of eating where there appears to be plenty of locals eating hasn’t yet resulted in fantastic food here, but I live in hope.

A trip to the Petronas Towers is a worthwhile excursion in KL.

We made a trip to Putrajaya and recommend this a very worthwhile journey. Putrajaya is Malaysia’s designated Federal Government Administrative Centre begun in 1993. It is built on 4932 hectares of land in Prang Besar and was named in honour of Malaysia’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. The entire development is expected to be completed in 2012. It includes all the usual players in the government sector.

The Petra Jaya mosque is quite a magnificent building, holding 15,000 worshippers! I had seen it from the air when we were arriving in KL this time and decided that I really wanted to see it up close! Its main colour is a pale mushroomy pink and this in itself causes it, in my mind anyway, to stand out from the crowd, even from the air. When we arrived at the mosque I just wanted to sit and take it in. I felt it really had an aura; and then just as I sat down back a little way from it, the imam started his call to prayer. It was quite eerie really and set the right feeling for the place. We spent quite a bit of time walking around in the square in front of the mosque before heading down the stairs to the quay to find where the boat tours left from. The Putrajaya Lake has many bridges over it built in many different architectural styles and I felt a boat would give a good view of them. It did and was well worth the trip! The Putrajaya lake is a 400 hectare man-made lake in the heart of Putrajaya. Building is continuing, including a new mosque that will hold 21,000 worshippers! We stayed until around 7pm; by then the heat had gone from the day and the evening light put another perspective on the place as we stood in front of the mosque to wait for our taxi. Well worth the trip! It is possible to do independently, particularly if you don’t want the side trip to the amusement park!

Next it was back on the plane and on to Kota Kinabalu. No mountain climbing this time, but plenty else to see and do.

Places to visit: Atkinsons Clock Tower, Likas Mosque, North Borneo Railway, Signal Hill Lookout, Waterfront Markets and eateries.
…and a bit further out of town: Mt Kinabalu, Poring Hot Springs, Sandakan, Sepilok Orang-Utan rehabilitation centre and plenty more!

Getting a taxi for a few hours is probably a reasonable option if there are two to three of you and you want to spend your own time at places. Bargain to do a deal. Most taxi drivers have some English, try for one who has or plan to wave your hands and gesticulate a lot!