Once again I have been lured by an AirAsia sale and find myself in Kuala Lumpur. I didn’t intend to book a flight when I checked the AirAsia page, I was just checking if there was anything new on the site. Next thing you know the flashing $149 AUD one way sale banner was hypnotizing me and I had my credit card out ready to go.
Being not too dependent on time my criteria for booking flights is to find the cheapest available. The two cheapest flights I could find were 2 and a half months apart. So for the next 80 days Southeast Asia is my living and working playground.
I’ve been through KL a few times this year due to AirAsia flying from here to Melbourne. It’s been a handy hub for connecting to destinations around Asia.
AirAsia X
If you stand at a certain spot at Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur you can see the most iconic buildings of the city in one view:
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the Petronas Twin Towers and Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower).
Iconic buildings of Kuala Lumpur
Air Asia was voted as world’s best low-cost airline for 2009. I’ve been writing plenty about AirAsia, but how can I not when they keep offering up great fares. A return fare from Melbourne to KL for $292 AUD is an offer too good to refuse, so I have taken up the offer and will be basing myself in Indonesia for a month.
World's best low cost airline - Air Asia Kuala Lumpur
I have always thought that the daily changing of sheets at hotels was unnecessarily wasteful. So I was happy to see this good idea when I checked into my room at Tune Hotels in Kuala Lumpur.
Optional Linen Change
Tune Hotels is a “low cost hotel”, brought to you by the man behind Air Asia, Tony Fernandes. Like a low cost airline, this hotel chain employ an a la Carte pricing method to your hotel bill. So you pay for your room, then choose any extra’s such as internet and air-conditioning (fan rooms come as standard).
Reducing their laundry bill is another way they are reducing costs, but I like how they remind you that it is the environmentally friendly thing to do.
The Brit’s got their marching orders from Malaya over 60 years ago but they left the art of queueing, at least at KL Sentral Train Station.
KL Sentral Platform Queue
The British are famous for queueing, but I have never seen a line this orderly in the London Underground. Maybe the art of queueing went out with the bowler hat.
I am mad for Indian food so I always like coming to Malaysia. Malaysians of Indian descent make up about 7% of the population of Malaysia. This means there are decent Indian restaurants all over KL.
I always make my way to the Brickfields area, which is not far from KL Sentral train station. The area is famous for banana leaf meals, which is cheap and filling.
Banana Leaf Meal
So far I have been impressed with the wireless situation in Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur I paid 10 MYR ($2.75 USD) for the privilege of gaining the wireless code at the guesthouse I was staying. You can use that code for the length of your stay.
In Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands the rate was 5 MYR ($1.37 USD) for unlimited access for the length of your stay.
My final stop in George Town Penang has been even better – Free! was looking online to find which place offered free wireless but it is not prominently advertised as a feature. My first night here I stayed in one of those classic backpacker flophouses and I was surprised to find when I opened my laptop that I had access to free wireless.
In George Town even the flophouses have wireless
I upgraded myself to a nicer guesthouse on my second and third night also had free wireless.
It is good living for a nomad in George Town. There is so much great food, accommodation is cheap and good access to wireless.
What a difference a new President makes. This money changing booth is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Need to change some Banjamins? How about some Baracks
Don't Pee
