Close to KL, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is pioneering new ways of preserving and regenerating Malaysia’s rainforests. For more information on government forestry projects, visit the website of the Forestry Department (www.forestry.gov.my).
Environmental groups such as TrEES (www.trees.org.my) have also been campaigning for the protection of the rainforests and water catchment area along the eastern flank of Selangor. In 2010, 93,000 hectares of these uplands were gazetted as the Selangor State Park, making it the peninsula’s third-largest protected area of forest after Taman Negara and Royal Belum State Park. Find out more about it at http://selangorstatepark.blogspot.com.
Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are the most traded species, even though they are protected under Malaysian law. Their scales, believed to have medicinal properties, can fetch up to RM800 per kilogram.
River of Life
Following successes in Melaka and Penang on cleaning up polluted rivers, the focus has now turned to KL and the Klang Valley. The literal translation of Kuala Lumpur is ‘muddy estuary’ and anyone gazing on any of the milky-coffee-coloured waterways that flow through the city would still find that name appropriate. Following moves in 2010 by the Selangor state government to clean up a 21km stretch of Sungai Klang around Klang, the federal government has stepped in to offer to coordinate the project. This makes sense, as the 120km-long, heavily polluted river flows through the capital on its way to the coast.
KL's RM4 billion River of Life project includes a plan to clean up a 110km stretch along the Klang river basin, shifting the water quality from its current Class III–Class V status (not suitable for body contact) to Class IIb (suitable for body-contact recreational usage) by 2020. Also part of the project are beautification proposals for the riverbanks, including new parks and walkways.
Cutting Carbon Emissions
At the 2014 UN Climate Summit, Prime Minister Najib confirmed that Malaysia was well on its way to achieving a 40% reduction in carbon emissions by 2020, a goal set by his government in 2009. Malaysia’s average per capita carbon footprint remains around twice that of Thailand and four times higher than Indonesia or Vietnam, although it is just half of Singapore.
To reach its stated goal the federal government has added green technology to the portfolio of the Ministry of Energy & Water and announced the launch of a national green technology policy. Malaka is creating a smart electricity grid with the aim of becoming the country’s first carbon-free city by 2020. The Carbon Trust (www.carbontrust.com) is also working with the local government of Petaling Jaya in Selangor to help develop its five-year carbon reduction strategy.
In the meantime, there’s an ongoing air-quality threat in the region from ‘haze’ – smoke from fires set by Indonesian farmers and plantation companies to clear land for agricultural purposes. The haze is usually at its worst in Malaysia around March and just before September and October’s rainy season.
Responsible Tourism
ATread lightly and buy locally, avoiding (and reporting) instances where you see parts of or products made from endangered species for sale. Call the 24-hour Wildlife Crime Hotline (019-356 4194) to report illegal activities.
AVisit nature sites, hire local trekking guides and provide custom for ecotourism initiatives. By doing so you’re putting cash in local pockets and casting a vote for the economic (as opposed to the purely ecological) value of sustainability and habitat conservation.
ASign up to be a voluntary forest monitor at Forest Watch (www.timalaysia-forestwatch.org.my), a Transparency International Malaysia project.
ACheck out projects sponsored and promoted by the Ecotourism & Conservation Society Malaysia (http://ecomy.org) and Wild Asia (www.wildasia.org) to learn more about responsible tourism in the region.
AKeep abreast of and support local campaigns by checking out the websites of organisations like WWF Malaysia (www.wwf.org.my) and the Malaysian Nature Society (www.mns.org.my).
Transport
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur
Getting Around Kuala Lumpur
Tours
Transport
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur
Most likely you'll arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), although a handful of flights land at SkyPark Subang Terminal. Coming overland, arrival points include KL Sentral for trains and Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) for buses. Ferries from Sumatra (Indonesia) dock at Pelabuhan Klang, which is connected by rail with KL Sentral.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Trains RM55; every 15 minutes from 5am to 1am; 30 minutes to KL Sentral. Buses RM10; every hour from 5am to 1am; one hour to KL Sentral. Taxis from RM75; one hour to central KL.
KL Sentral Transport hub with train, light rail (LRT), monorail, bus and taxi links to rest of city.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) Long-distance buses from most destinations now arrive here. It's connected to KL by LRT.
KLIA
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA; GOOGLE MAP ; %03-8777 7000; www.klia.com.my; dKLIA), which comprises two terminals, is about 55km south of the city.
Bus
The Airport Coach (%016-228 9070; www.airportcoach.com.my; one way/return RM10/18) takes an hour to KL Sentral; for RM18 it will take you to any central KL hotel from KLIA and pick you up for the return journey for RM25. The bus stand is clearly signposted inside the terminal. Other bus companies connecting KLIA to KL Sentral are Skybus (%016-217 6950; www.skybus.com.my; one way RM10) and Aerobus (%03-3344 8828; www.aerobus.my; one way RM9).
Taxi
Taxis from KLIA operate both on a fixed-fare coupon system and the meter. Buy your taxi coupon before you exit the arrivals hall; standard taxis cost RM75 (for up to three people), premier taxis for four people RM103 and family-sized minivans seating up to eight RM200. The journey will take around one hour. Given the extra charges on the metered taxis for tolls and pick-up at the airport (RM2), plus the unknown traffic factor, the fixed-fare coupon is the way to go.
Going to the airport by taxi, make sure that the agreed fare includes tolls; expect to pay RM65 from Chinatown or Jln Bukit Bintang.
Train
The fastest way to the city is on the comfortable KLIA Ekspres (%03-2278 9009; www.kliaekspres.com; adult/child one way RM55/25), with departures every 15 to 20 minutes from 5am to 1am. From KL Sentral you can transfer to your final destination by monorail, light rail (LRT), KTM Komuter train or taxi.
The KL Transit train (%03-2267 8000; www.kliaekspres.com; adult/child 1 way RM55/25) also connects KLIA with KL Sentral (35 minutes), stopping at three other stations en route (Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, and Bandar Tasik Selatan).
If flying from KL on Malaysia Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Royal Brunei or Emirates, you can check your baggage in at KL Sentral before making your way to KLIA.
SkyPark Subang Airport
Firefly and Berjaya Air flights land at SkyPark Subang Airport (Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport; GOOGLE MAP ; %03-7842 2773; www.subangskypark.com; M17, Subang), around 20km west of the city centre.
Bus
Trans MVS Express (%019-307 2521; www.facebook.com/Transmvsexpress) offers on-the-hour services from KL Sentral to SkyPark Subang (RM10, one hour) between 9am and 9pm; and from SkyPark Subang to KLIA and KLIA2 (RM10, one hour) roughly every two hours between 5am and 11pm.
Taxi
Taxis charge around RM40 to RM50 into the city, depending on traffic, which can be heavy during rush hour.
Boat
Ferries from Tanjung Balai (Asahan) and Dumai in Sumatra arrive at Pelabuhan Klang port. The KTM station is opposite the ferry terminal; trains to KL Sentral take just over an hour.
Bus
KL has several bus stations, but nearly all buses now leave from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), 14.5km south of the city centre. Other long-distance bus services are operated by Aeroline and Transtar Travel.
Terminal Bersepadu Selatan
Connected to the Bandar Tasik Selatan train-s
tation hub, about 15 minutes south of KL Sentral, is Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS; GOOGLE MAP ; %03-9051 2000; www.tbsbts.com.my; Jln Terminal Selatan, Bandar Tasik Selatan; dBandar Tasik Seletan, LRT Bandar Tasik Seletan). Built to replace Pudu Sentral as KL's main long-distance bus station, TBS serves destinations to the south and northeast of KL. This vast, modern transport hub has a centralised ticketing service (CTS) selling tickets for nearly all bus companies (including services offered by major operator Transnasional Express ( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-9051 2000; www.transnasional.com.my; Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, Jln Terminal Selatan, Bandar Tasik Selatan)) at counters on level 3 or online (up to three hours before departure).
Pekeliling Bus Station
Buses arrive at Pekeliling from central peninsula locations including Kuala Lipis, Raub and Jerantut. It's next to Titiwangsa LRT and monorail stations, just off Jln Tun Razak. Several companies, including Plusliner ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.plusliner.com), run services to Kuantan.
Pudu Sentral Bus Station
Steps from Chinatown and also close to Bukit Bintang, this bus station now serves only a few destinations, including the Genting Highlands, Seremban and Kuala Selangor.
Getting Around Kuala Lumpur
KL Sentral is the hub of a rail-based urban network consisting of the KTM Komuter, KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit, light rail (LRT) and monorail systems. Though the systems are poorly integrated, you can happily get around much of central KL on a combination of rail and monorail services. Buy the MyRapid card (www.myrapid.com.my; RM10) at monorail and LRT stations; it can also be used on Rapid KL buses.
AMonorail Stops in mostly convenient locations; gets very crowded during evening rush hour.
ALight Rail Transit (LRT) Handy for Chinatown, Kampung Baru and KLCC, but network is poorly integrated.
ABus The GOKL City Bus has four free loop services connecting many city-centre destinations.
ATaxi Can be flagged down with metered fares. Some designated taxi ranks operate a prepaid coupon system for journeys.
Bicycle
Cycling Kuala Lumpur (cyclingkl.blogspot.com) is a great resource, with a map of bike routes and plenty of detail on how to stay safe on KL's roads. KL By Cycle rents basic bikes at the information desk in the underground mall across from KL City Gallery. Rentals include a helmet. Rental bikes are also available at Titiwangsa Lake Gardens.
Bus
Most buses are provided by either Rapid KL (%03-7885 2585; www.rapidkl.com.my; RM1-5; h6am-11.30pm) or Metrobus (%03-5635 3070). There’s an information booth at the Jln Sultan Mohammed bus stop in Chinatown. Rapid KL buses have their destinations clearly displayed. They are divided into four classes.
Bas Bandar (RM1) services run around the city centre.
Bas Utama (RM1 to RM3) buses run from the centre to the suburbs.
Bas Tempatan (RM1) buses run around the suburbs.
Bas Ekspres (RM3.80) are express buses to distant suburbs.
Local buses leave from half-a-dozen small bus stands around the city – useful stops in Chinatown include Jln Sultan Mohamed (by Pasar Seni), Bangkok Bank (on Lebuh Pudu) and Medan Pasar (on Lebuh Ampang).
The GO-KL free city bus (%1800-887 723; www.facebook.com/goklcitybus; h6am-11pm Mon-Thu, to 1am Sat, 7am-11pm Sun) has four circular routes around the city, with stops at KLCC, KL Tower, KL Sentral, the National Museum and Merdeka Sq. Buses run every five minutes during peak hours and every 10 to 15 minutes at other times.
Car & Motorcycle
KL is the best place to hire a car for touring the peninsula, though driving out of KL is complicated by a confusing one-way system and contradictory road signs that can throw off your sense of direction. All the major rental companies have offices at KLIA. City offices – generally open from 9am to 5.30pm weekdays and 9am to 1pm Saturday – include Avis ( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-8776 6541; www.avis.com.my; counter C01, International Arrivals (Airside), Main Terminal Bldg, KLIA; h7am-10pm) and Hertz ( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-8787 4572; www.hertz.com; lot 16, ground fl, car park D, KLIA; h7.30am-10pm Mon-Sat, to 7pm Sun).
Kuala Lumpur's New MRT
To give it its full title, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (KVMRT) project (www.mymrt.com.my) involves the construction of a rail-based public-transport network that, together with the existing light rail transit (LRT), monorail, KTM Komuter, KLIA Ekspres and KLIA Transit systems, aims to ease the road-traffic congestion that plagues the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley region. The ambitious target is to make half of all journeys in the Klang Valley area taken by public transport.
The project involves the creation of three new commuter rail lines, the first of which is the 51km Sungai Buloh–Kajang line. Phase one, from Sungai Buloh to Semantan, was operational in December 2016. The remaining part of the line to Kajang will be finished during 2017.
Taxi
KL has plenty of air-conditioned taxis, which queue up at designated taxi stops across the city. You can also flag down moving taxis, but drivers will stop only if there is a convenient place to pull over (these are harder to come by when it's raining and during peak hours). Fares start at RM3 for the first three minutes, with an additional 25 sen for each 36 seconds. From midnight to 6am there’s a surcharge of 50% on the metered fare, and extra passengers (more than two) add 20 sen each to the starting fare. Blue taxis are newer and more comfortable and start at RM6 for the first three minutes and RM1 for each additional 36 seconds. Night surcharges of 50% also apply.
Unfortunately, some drivers have limited geographical knowledge of the city. Some also refuse to use the meter, even though this is a legal requirement. Taxi drivers lingering outside luxury hotels or tourist hotspots such as KL Bird Park are especially guilty of this behaviour. Note that KL Sentral and some large malls such as Pavilion and Suria KLCC have a coupon system for taxis where you pay in advance at a slightly higher fee than the meter.
One of the easiest ways to use taxis in KL is to download an app such as Uber, Easy Taxi or Grab (formally known as My Teksi) to your smartphone or tablet.
Train
Kuala Lumpur Monorail
The air-conditioned monorail (www.myrapid.com.my; RM1.20-4.10; h6am-midnight) zips from KL Sentral to Titiwangsa, linking many of the city’s sightseeing areas.
KTM Komuter Trains
KTM Komuter (www.ktmb.com.my; from RM1.40; h6.45am-11.45pm) train services run every 15 to 20 minutes from 6am to 11.45pm and use KL Sentral as a hub. There are two lines: Tanjung Malim–Sungai Gadut and Batu Caves–Pelabuhan Klang.
Light Rail Transit
As well as the buses, Rapid KL runs the Light Rail Transit (LRT; %03-7885 2585; www.myrapid.com.my; from RM1.30; hevery 6-10min 6am-11.45pm Mon-Sat, to 11.30pm Sun) system. There are three lines: the Ampang line from Ampang to Sentul Timur; the Sri Petaling line from Sentul Timur to Putra Heights; and the Kelana Jaya line from Gombak to Putra Heights. The network is poorly integrated because the lines were constructed by different companies. As a result, you may have to follow a series of walkways, stairs and elevators, or walk several blocks down the street.
Buy single-journey tokens or MyRapid cards from the cashier or electronic ticket machines. An electronic control system checks tickets/tokens as you enter and exit via turnstiles (you tap the token on the way in and insert it in the gate on the way out).
MYRAPID & TOUCH 'N GO CARDS
If you're staying for an extended period in KL or Malaysia, consider the prepaid MyRapid (www.myrapid.com.my) card, valid on Rapid KL buses, the monorail and the Ampang and Kelana Jaya LRT lines. It costs RM20 (including RM5 in credit) and can be bought at monorail and LRT stations. Just tap at the ticket gates or when you get on the bus and the correct fare will be deducted.
The Touch 'n Go card (www.touchngo.com.my) can be used on all public transport in the Klang Valley, at highway toll booths across Malaysia and at selected parking sites. The cards, which cost RM10.60 and can be reloaded with values from RM10 to RM500, can be purchased at KL Sentral and the central LRT stations KLCC, Masjid Jamek and Dang Wang
i.
Tours
If you need a guide or assistance getting around, many local agencies offer various tours of the city and attractions around KL.
KL Hop-On Hop-OffBUS
(%03-9282 2713; www.myhoponhopoff.com; adult/child 24hr ticket RM45/24; h9am-7pm)
This double-decker, air-con tourist bus makes a circuit of the main tourist sites half-hourly throughout the day and can be a handy way to get around, if you avoid rush hour. Stops include KLCC, Jln Bukit Bintang, Menara KL, Chinatown, Merdeka Sq and the attractions of Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park. Tickets can be bought on the bus.
Going Places ToursTOURS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2078 4008; www.goingplaces-kl.com; 60a, 1st fl, Jln Sultan; LRT Pasar Seni)
Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang Page 38