Travelling around Kuala Lumpur may prove to be the easiest and most convenient feat, thanks to the multiple access roads, public transportation, and pedestrian-friendly streets in the city. Kuala Lumpur has in fact been dubbed the most “walkable” city in the country, making it a favourite for expatriates to live in.
Aside from those who choose to live within the city centre, there are also the tourists who love visiting Kuala Lumpur over and over again for the sights it offers alongside its convenience of getting around. As the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is seamlessly integrated with highways and public transportation.
Getting to Kuala Lumpur by Car
Either as a visitor or as an expatriate, travelling by car within the country is desirable if you are not used to the tropical heat and humidity. Fortunately, wherever you travel within the suburbs or not, all roads eventually lead to Kuala Lumpur.
Image source: unsplash.com
Kuala Lumpur is connected by a most comprehensive network of highways and major trunk roads that connect you to all parts of the central region. These include the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), Maju Expressway (MEX), Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) Highway, and Kuala Lumpur - Seremban Expressway.
The AKLEH highway connects the heart of Kuala Lumpur to the busy neighbourhood of Ampang, while on the other side there is the MEX highway that provides effortless travel to Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, as well as the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2.
Via the MEX highway, the KLIA airport is only 45 minutes away in clear traffic – a major boon for frequent travellers. There is, of course, the alternative of taking the ERL, which will be covered in the below section for railroad travellers.
Following that is the SMART tunnel which closes during heavy storms to funnel rainwaters out of the city, but during all other times, it provides a route to the other parts of the city, such as Petaling Jaya and Kuchai Lama among others.
The SMART tunnel is also an access road to other highways, including the Seremban Highway, Federal Highway, Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya), and the East-West Link Expressway, which is otherwise known as the Salak Expressway that connects to Cheras.
Hence however you look at it, whichever highway you choose to take from the Kuala Lumpur city centre, you will be well connected to the suburbs – to and fro.
Travelling to Kuala Lumpur by Train
The favourite alternative, and also the reason why many expatriates choose to live within Kuala Lumpur, is its amazing public transportation via railway. There are 5 major train lines in Malaysia: the Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Monorail, KTM Komuter (KTMB), and Express Rail Link (ERL).
The LRT line is the train you will want to use when travelling within the Kuala Lumpur city centre and the other suburbs. There are 3 LRT lines – the Ampang LRT line, Sri Petaling LRT line, and Kelana Jaya LRT line. All 3 neighbourhoods that the LRT connects to are some of the most frequently travelled to places, especially Sri Petaling that is home to a multitude of untainted local food, cafes, and karaoke lounges.
For more on Sri Petaling, check out our Guide to Sri Petaling
The MRT line which can be hopped on at Bukit Bintang and is also known as the Sungai Buloh - Kajang Line, it provides seamless access to both Sungai Buloh and Kajang. It is the line that provides accessibility to the outskirts of the city, alongside the Seremban KTM Line and Port Klang KTM Line.
But if you are looking to get to Putrajaya or Cyberjaya, you will want to hop onto the ERL KLIA Express Line or ERL KLIA Transit Line. Both of these rail lines are only accessible via KL Sentral.
The hop-on/off points to interchange between the trains vary. While you can access the majority of the lines at the KL Sentral hub, there may however be nearer or more easily accessed transit points as can be seen in the map below.
Taking in Kuala Lumpur on Foot
But if you are running on a lack of time or merely want to integrate yourself into the local culture, travelling by foot is still the most highly recommended form of travelling within Kuala Lumpur.
Unlike the other suburbs within the central region aside from Petaling Jaya, Kuala Lumpur is as mentioned above one of the most “walkable” cities in Malaysia. This is especially important, as cities in Malaysia were not originally designed to be pedestrian-friendly. This has however changed over time due to an awareness of global warming and an effort to reduce traffic.
Unlike many other Southeast Asian countries, Kuala Lumpur has proper pedestrian crossings with traffic lights. While there are also zebra crossings, it is highly recommended that pedestrians use the pedestrian crossing with traffic lights, as many local drivers do not practice stopping for pedestrians at zebra crossings.
Image source: unsplash.com
The sidewalks are wide and properly paved to accommodate throngs of people at a time, and there are streets that are entirely closed off to vehicles as well. An example is Jalan Alor which while not officially closed to vehicles, still does not invite them to pass through as everybody walks on the road on this street. There is also the clubbing scene at TREC which is entirely closed off to vehicles, enabling party-goers to walk or stumble across streets to their hearts’ content.
The roads are well lit within the main streets, providing the comfort of walking even in the middle of the night. And thanks to the many police booths stationed around the city centre, even solo female travellers can walk around the city centre safely at night. This is especially important, as the city of Kuala Lumpur wakes up to a different life – an exciting and colourful one – once the sun sets.
And if you plan to go on a shopping spree, travelling by foot from the famed Suria KLCC shopping mall to Bukit Bintang will be a comfortable and air-conditioned one via the KLCC - Bukit Bintang Walkway. At 1.173 kilometres long, the overhead bridge connects pedestrians from Pavilion KL to Impiana KLCC Hotel and the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Getting To and Fro Kuala Lumpur from KLIA
Perhaps the most important point for visitors would be the accessibility to the Kuala Lumpur city centre from the main international airport in Kuala Lumpur. As mentioned above, KLIA and KLIA2 have a direct line to KL Sentral, the main hub of public transportation in Kuala Lumpur, via the ERL KLIA Express Line and ERL KLIA Transit Line. Once you arrive at KL Sentral, you can hop onto an MRT or LRT line within the station itself and take a direct line to Bukit Bintang or KLCC where you can easily take a quick walk to your residence.
For more guides like this, please visit PropSocial’s discussion page.
(Written by G. Zizan, 15th July 2020)
