Heading to Malaysia next week for a visa run, but will have 10 days to get around the country. I plan to spend about 3-4 days in KL, then go off to the beaches for the rest of the time. Can I get some recommendations on hotels that are competitively priced (CHEAP)? I found one on asiarooms.com called Tune Hotel for $20US, about 600 NT, which seems pretty good. Waiting on a response from them.
I don’t really care about luxury when it comes to hotels, just a place to crash since I’ll be out most of the time. At the same time, I don’t want to be scared for my life! A good central location would also be nice.
Also, I’m planning on heading to Penang or Langkawi. Any suggestions for these locations would also be appreciated.
Any additional heads up info on some great things to do would be great (besides the usual like Batu Caves or Petronas Towers).
Well, I can’t really recommend any hotels, but I can recommend this: Pulau Tioman (Tioman island) off the east coast of Malaysia. It is remote and relatively undeveloped, so if good food, drinks, and accomodation are a main reason to go somewhere, then don’t go to Tioman. If, however, you are looking for a pristine and genuine tropical island (the only way to get around once you are there is either by boat, or follow the single telephone line through the jungle): go here. The beaches and (scuba) diving are pretty much unmatched. If you find it hard to deal with mass-tourism, definately consider this over Penang, although Penang has much better infrastructure and nightlife, of course.
Best way to get to Tioman is by small, propeller plane, one of which flies between KL and Tioman (and Singapore) once in a while. It’s serviced by Berjaya air, who also run a resort in some corner of Tioman if you do need the luxury. I can probably get you a phone number, as what I did was call upon arrival in KL and get a seat on the plane the next day. If I remember correctly, one-way costs about NT$2,800
The central area is called The Golden Triangle. Great place for hanging out but expensive for hotels. Just go online and input KL, hotels. I think Chinatown might have some less expensive hotels. You might be outside of the triangle a bit but their MRT system is quite good and fast for getting around. If you’re taking a bus to Penang, check out Ipoh along the way. It’s 2 1/2 hrs from KL and 1 hr from Penang, just off the hwy and is the third largest city in Malaysia. Other than caves, not sure what sites there are but again, check it out online. Georgetown is the main city for Penang but I suggest you rent a car and drive around the Island, that is, if you’re comfortable with right-hand drive. There are some sites worth taking the time to see. Hawker stalls are excellent with the mixed cultural foods, namely, Malay, Indian and Chinese (Cantonese mostly).
After looking online for hotels, I thought I’d look up hostels on hostelworld.com to see what was available. Ended up finding a great hostel called “Hostel Cosmopolitan.” Clean, comfortable, free internet, free breakfast (just toast with butter, jam, honey, etc. and coffee and tea), and towels and sheets provided. Bathrooms and showers are very good. Overall, the best hostel I’ve ever stayed in. And for the low low price of… 250 NT (25 ringgit) per night!!! On top of that, it’s right next to a monorail station and loads of buses stop right near the street.
So for those of you that don’t want to fork out the cash for a hotel and don’t mind associating with some backpackers, I highly recommend this hostel. Check it out on hostelworld.com.
Oh, the info on the location of the TECO in KL is wrong here. Security guard told me it moved 2-3 years ago!!! Here’s the location:
Yayasan Tun Razak (YTR)
Jalan Bukit Bintang (Road)
7th floor
sorry, don’t know the exact address on Jalan Bukit Bintang Road. It’s across from a Shell and Mobil gas station.