Monday, March 13, 2006
Malaysia "Truly Asia" Airport, Hotels, Transportation
Moving on to another country...Malaysia. It's a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). http://www.oic-oci.org/
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is known locally as KLIA. It's really a wonderfully Japanese-designed airport built in an Islamic style. Quite interesting and very clean/modern. http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=8&pg=6&ac=65
Airport Food
Starbucks located in Terminal C above the bookstore before you enter the tram on your right to the main terminal. Burger King is located on your left - opposite end of the hall/2nd floor.
Currency Exchange is found after immigration near Baggage Carousel E. ATMs with banks like Maybank, EON Bank and RHB Bank are located:
• Arrival - Baggage Carousel E
• Arrival Hall Lobby
• Departure Hall, Level 5 of Main Terminal Building
• Satellite A – Upstairs after customs/immigration
• http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=8&pg=6&ac=67
Transportation by Train
Baggage Carousel E has a desk to take the KLIA Ekspress train to the center of town. It's a good thing - leaves every 15 min. @ RM 35. The trains are like Hong Kong's --clean, fast and comfortable. After customs - exit the sliding glass doors and head out towward your right (thru the touts) to the first set of elevators. You can only use the set on the right with the purple signs "KLIA Ekspress". You can push your trolley all the way down, thru the train gates and via the escalator - right to the train door.
http://www.kliaekspres.com
Transportation by Taxi
A less comfortable way to town is via the airport taxi. It's uncomfortable because a.) you have to use the airport monopoly which is unfriendly and will actually try to charge you .10 cents! (How many international travelers just arriving are going to have .10 local cents?); b.) you have to figure out which door to exit to the taxis; c.) the taxis will get upset at you if you mistakenly gave a slightly different street than your actual destination; d.) the taxis/limos are small, old and locally made.
Hotels Near the Airport
Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur International Airport http://www.concorde.net/sepang/
Locked Bag No. 8, Jalan KLIA 1/60, KLIA, 43900 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MAL Tel: 603-8783-3118 Fax: 603-8783-1211 Complimentary hotel shuttle (Level 1/Door 3) at 30-minute interval from 5.30 am to 12 midnight. After hours, must take taxi (3 min away) - RM 145-175/US $38-46 nett w/brkfast (Check-In 2pm & Check-Out 12NOON)
Pan Pacific Connecting to the Airport
Jalan CTA 4B, 64000 KLIA, Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel: +603 8787 3333 Fax: +603 8787 5555, klairport@panpacific.com
Cheapest corporate rates: RM 378 w/breakfast, RM 325 w/o brkfast
Business Class Lounge open to all passengers: RM70/US $18
Plaza Premium Lounge - Mezzanine Fl., Satellite Bldg KL Int'l Airport
Tel: (603) 8787-2323 Fax: (603) 8787-2727 www.plaza-asia.com
Transit Lounge Open 24 hours (near LIFT #2) - US$18 includes food/beverage/free flow beer, shower, high-speed internet, free local calls, papers, magazines, movies, massage chair and golf putting. http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?WebsiteId=13&ch=62&pg=135&ac=2643
Airside Transit Hotel http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=22&pg=72&ac=49 Satellite Bldg A, near Gate C5. KL Int'l Airport, Tel: (603) 8787-4848 Fax: (603) 8787-4747 airsidehotel@klia.com.my This is not a good hotel if you are arriving on one carrier w/your bags arriving KL & flying back out on a different carrier - you'd need to exit immigration and get your bags. If your flight is more than 2 hours away, you can't check-in and go thru immigration again to get to the airport hotel. However, if you were flying in/out on the same carrier - then you could have your bags routed to your final destination and no need to go thru immigration. Room starts at RM120 for 6 hours.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is known locally as KLIA. It's really a wonderfully Japanese-designed airport built in an Islamic style. Quite interesting and very clean/modern. http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=8&pg=6&ac=65
Airport Food
Starbucks located in Terminal C above the bookstore before you enter the tram on your right to the main terminal. Burger King is located on your left - opposite end of the hall/2nd floor.
Currency Exchange is found after immigration near Baggage Carousel E. ATMs with banks like Maybank, EON Bank and RHB Bank are located:
• Arrival - Baggage Carousel E
• Arrival Hall Lobby
• Departure Hall, Level 5 of Main Terminal Building
• Satellite A – Upstairs after customs/immigration
• http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=8&pg=6&ac=67
Transportation by Train
Baggage Carousel E has a desk to take the KLIA Ekspress train to the center of town. It's a good thing - leaves every 15 min. @ RM 35. The trains are like Hong Kong's --clean, fast and comfortable. After customs - exit the sliding glass doors and head out towward your right (thru the touts) to the first set of elevators. You can only use the set on the right with the purple signs "KLIA Ekspress". You can push your trolley all the way down, thru the train gates and via the escalator - right to the train door.
http://www.kliaekspres.com
Transportation by Taxi
A less comfortable way to town is via the airport taxi. It's uncomfortable because a.) you have to use the airport monopoly which is unfriendly and will actually try to charge you .10 cents! (How many international travelers just arriving are going to have .10 local cents?); b.) you have to figure out which door to exit to the taxis; c.) the taxis will get upset at you if you mistakenly gave a slightly different street than your actual destination; d.) the taxis/limos are small, old and locally made.
Hotels Near the Airport
Concorde Inn Kuala Lumpur International Airport http://www.concorde.net/sepang/
Locked Bag No. 8, Jalan KLIA 1/60, KLIA, 43900 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, MAL Tel: 603-8783-3118 Fax: 603-8783-1211 Complimentary hotel shuttle (Level 1/Door 3) at 30-minute interval from 5.30 am to 12 midnight. After hours, must take taxi (3 min away) - RM 145-175/US $38-46 nett w/brkfast (Check-In 2pm & Check-Out 12NOON)
Pan Pacific Connecting to the Airport
Jalan CTA 4B, 64000 KLIA, Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Tel: +603 8787 3333 Fax: +603 8787 5555, klairport@panpacific.com
Cheapest corporate rates: RM 378 w/breakfast, RM 325 w/o brkfast
Business Class Lounge open to all passengers: RM70/US $18
Plaza Premium Lounge - Mezzanine Fl., Satellite Bldg KL Int'l Airport
Tel: (603) 8787-2323 Fax: (603) 8787-2727 www.plaza-asia.com
Transit Lounge Open 24 hours (near LIFT #2) - US$18 includes food/beverage/free flow beer, shower, high-speed internet, free local calls, papers, magazines, movies, massage chair and golf putting. http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?WebsiteId=13&ch=62&pg=135&ac=2643
Airside Transit Hotel http://www.klia.com.my/index.php?ch=22&pg=72&ac=49 Satellite Bldg A, near Gate C5. KL Int'l Airport, Tel: (603) 8787-4848 Fax: (603) 8787-4747 airsidehotel@klia.com.my This is not a good hotel if you are arriving on one carrier w/your bags arriving KL & flying back out on a different carrier - you'd need to exit immigration and get your bags. If your flight is more than 2 hours away, you can't check-in and go thru immigration again to get to the airport hotel. However, if you were flying in/out on the same carrier - then you could have your bags routed to your final destination and no need to go thru immigration. Room starts at RM120 for 6 hours.
