Tips on how to make your trip to Kualalumpur cheaper

Tourists who visit Kualalumpur find the city expensive, especially those who have hit the streets of Kualalumpur for the first time. The city is certainly expensive, but the basic necessities are cheaper. What has been remarkable about Kualalumpur is the fact that the city has something for everyone. It doesn’t matter what budget a tourist has, he will simply find the city geared to his needs. A tourist who is visiting Kualalumpur for the first time might not exactly know how to make his trip cheaper. He should look for advice from those who have had experiences in the city.

It was not long ago, when traveling to the city of Kualalumpur had fewer options. Most of the airlines that used to fly to Kualalumpur were premium airlines. But with the arrival of Air Asia, the popular budget airlines, many tourists from countries within Asia have now access to a very cheap form of travel to the Malaysian capital city. Even tourists from Australia and New Zealand can now travel cheap to Kualalumpur. Air Asia has pursued expansion plans. And they now have the flights to European countries, such as Paris in France and London in UK.

The best and the only way to save on air travel -- choose Air Asia. Air Asia has flights from Australia, New Zealand, France, London, Brunei Darussalam, China, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Macau, Japan, Vietnam, Laos, South Korea, Iran, Myanmar, Singapore and Philippines. If an Asian plans to travel to the Malaysian capital, he can always find the cheap way to reach his destination. Those from Europe can get to Paris or London, and then take an Air Asia flight to Kualalumpur.

A traveler should book his tickets much earlier from his travel date to steal a chance to find cheap air tickets. Moreover, Kualalumpur is the hot destination for world tourists and Air Asia tickets in particular, vanish pretty soon. Therefore, buy tickets long before the travel date.

· KLIA to Kualalumpur city

The city of Kualalumpur has two large airports. The biggest is the Kualalumpur international airport (KLIA). Every major airlines use KLIA, and therefore the airport is the major hub. KLIA is connected to the city with an underground train communication system. It is the fastest and the cheapest as well. The underground airport rail link only take 28 minutes to reach KL Sentral, the most important transportation junction in Kualalumpur city and it costs 25 Malaysian Ringgit. Tourists who arrive in the Malaysian capital should use airport rail link to make their trip cheaper. It not just saves time, but it is much more convenient, and significantly, trains are usually available every 30 minutes during peak hours, and every 60 minutes during non- peak hours.

Once tourists get down at KL Sentral, they can take LRT (train) to reach to the centre of the city, KLCC, which hardly takes half an hour. Tourists who land at the Kualalumpur international airport should take trains to reach their destination in the city to access cheap transport. Any other means of transport could be very expensive.

· LCCT to Kualalumpur city center

Air Asia flights arrive at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Kualalumpur. LCCT is far from KLIA. Tourists who come to the city by the Air Asia flight will not be able to use the airport rail link. However, it is much cheaper for Air Asia passengers to reach their destination in the city. Tourists should take sky bus from the LCCT airport to KL Sentral. Air Asia has plethora of buses to take passengers from LCCT to KL Sentral. It will cost 8RM, and another 1.60 RM to catch LRT train to get to the center of the city.

Taxis, on the other hand will cost around 90-100 RM to reach city destination from the airport, which is quite expensive.

Kualalumpur is dubbed as the hub for cheapest 5 star hotels in the world. The city has accommodation facilities for every budget traveler. A tourist can choose the rest house, or find a hotel, or even a dormitory. Hotels are the preferred option, as they provide a certain degree of comfort. The best place to choose hotels in Kualalumpur is Bukit Bintang and its surrounding areas. China town also has a number of cheap hotels. The price of hotel accommodations are little expensive in Bukit Bintang area, but still, it is much easier to move around. It is the central part of the city, with hordes of shopping malls, and plenty of entertainment options, along with food joints and bars. Tourists can choose to stay in other places around the city, but they will have to spend money to travel all the way to the city center.

Tourists are advised to book hotels through hotel booking sites. Such sites allow tourists to find incredible discounts. Look for last minute bookings and make stay cheaper in Kualalumpur. Good hotels start from 100 RM and above. There are other cheaper options, but those may not be comfortable enough.

Good food is cheap in the city. Many new comers to Kualalumpur have to do a little survey before they can find the real cheap place with good food. Tourists who have the affinity for seafood should travel to China town and try some of the best and cheap sea food dishes. In fact, tourists would be able to combine shopping with dinner. Do a little shopping in China Town and sit at one of the roadside restaurants. They offer clean food and beer would be cheaper compared to any other place in the city.

Tourists would also find reasonably priced food in shopping malls. A walk through one of the biggest shopping mall in Kualalumpur, Surya KLCC, will allow tourists to choose the best food of their liking. Every floor in the shopping mall has food courts. Shoppers will come across Japanese food stalls, Asian food stalls, MC Donald’s, and many other food joints spread across floors. The cost may not be damn cheap, but it is cheaper, considering the quality of food they offer. Tourists would be able to find good food at Surya KLCC by spending less than 12 RM per person.

Some places around Bintang walk area are cheaper, but most of the traditional restaurants in the area will be priced higher. Drinks are expensive. The whiskeys and the wines are expensive because the Malaysian government has decided to tax the liquor industry heavily. Overall the food is cheap and has lot of options. For those who have chosen a hotel in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area, there’s a restaurant right across the lane in front of Radius hotel international, which is damn cheap. Food can be had for around 5 RM.

A Shopper who carries high expectation to Kualalumpur usually gets disappointed. There’s not much to shop cheap in Kualalumpur. There are two notable places for cheap shopping, China Town, and the Central Market near Masjid Jamek. China Town is perhaps, the best when it comes to buying fake items, but they look as real ones. A shopper will be able to find the best designer watches to the best branded ties, and also the best leather bags. But they are fake items. The beauty of shopping in China Town is the fact that items don’t look as fake stuffs. They look absolutely real, and are good, considering the price one pays for it.

A shopper should bargain a lot in China Town to get the right stuff at the right price. China town is definitely cheap, but only, if a person can bargain properly.

Central market is also cheaper, but a shopper will only find antiques, and art galleries, apart from handicraft works.

Low Yat Plaza is another place near the Bintang walk area, where electronic items are damn cheap. Tourists will find SD cards, mobile phones, LCD TV’s, Laptops and cameras cheaper.

For moving around the city, where trains and buses does not go, taxis are the only option left for tourists. Kualalumpur is connected well enough, and every point in the city is somehow connected either by bus, LRT or Monorail.

Tourists should act wisely while choosing a transportation mode. Short distance is best covered by Taxis. They are fast, and they can save enough time. Choose the red and white Taxi, as they are cheap. Tourists will have to pay 3 RM, that’s the bare minimum. The flag fall rate is fixed for the first 2 kilometers, and then the meter increases.

Avoid executive taxis, as the flag fall rate is double at 6 Malaysian Ringgit.

For long distance travel within the city, choose LRT (trains), or Monorail. They are fast and convenient as well. Tourists should use buses, only if they need to. Beware of traffic congestion, as it can spoil the holiday for tourists.