21 Hours in Kuala Lumpur

Q: We are pensioners having to spend a day in Kuala Lumpur in transit from Australia to South Africa. How do you suggest we fill our time there, seeing as much as we can with the least effort? We arrive at 04.30 and leave the following morning at 01.30, 21 hours later. - Rose Haldane

A: With such an early arrival, you should consider taking a hotel room in Kuala Lumpur. You will have a place to rest, store your hand luggage and freshen up before leaving that night. You can check the discount booking sites like www.booking.com or www.agoda.com for cheap rooms, but explain your arrival/departure times before you guarantee payment. You should get a good hotel room for around 60 US dollars. Some hotels have a special day rate from early morning to early evening which you could take advantage of. You could use the high-speed train for your transfers from the airport to the city centre. As for sightseeing, the best way to see the city is by using the Hop On Hop Off bus. The bus makes a circuit of the main tourist sites every 30 minutes throughout the day. The air conditioned double-decker bus allows you to visit places like the main shopping zones like KLCC, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Chinatown. You also have the option of visiting popular sites like Merdeka Square, the Petronas Towers, the Butterfly Park, the National Planetarium and many of the city's museums. The price of a ticket is 38 Malaysian Ringgits (about R97). If you would rather join a traditional guided tour, a full-day tour will take you to the Petronas Towers, the King's Palace and the Batu Caves outside the city. You will also visit Independence Square, the National Monument, the Lake Garden, the Bird Park and shopping outlets. The tour costs around 100 MYR (about R256) per person. You can get further details and book on www.visit-malaysia.com. (13/11/11)