21 October 2009
Visiting Kuala Lumpur : Getting there from Singapore
Category : Family & Friends, Kids & Kids, places to visit Permalink
Some weeks ago I wrote about our recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and how it was like for the kids and I when we went out and about by ourselves on public trains.
Today, I thought of sharing how it all went when we chose to travel to KL from Singapore by Tiger Airways (and hopefully it’ll give more insights to you who’re planning your trip to KL)
Well, you see … we’ve tried taking the bus from Singapore, and driving there ourselves.
But this time round, we thought it’d be ‘faster’ and ‘more convenient’ (since we had the two kids coming along) if we flew there instead.
So, we bought tickets from Tiger Airways (It’s promotional price was like, S$65 per person, to go to KL and back!)
AND.
That’s when we found out that apparently going to KL by a budget airline was NOT better in terms of ‘time-efficiency’ or ‘convenience’!
And here’s how it all went for us:
1) We board Tiger Airways at the Budget Terminal. So upon reaching Changi Airport, we had to take the airport’s special shuttle bus to get there.
2) Our plane did not stop at KL’s International Airport. Instead, we reached KL’s LCCT, which stands for Low Cost Carrier Terminal (something like Singapore’s Budget Terminal)
3) From LCCT, we then took a shuttle bus called Star Shuttle.
We bought the tickets from their booth at LCCT (RM8 per person, and the kids were free). We waited for about 30mins at their ‘bus stop’ and it took us a good one hour to reach Jalan Pudu, the nearest bus stop to our hotel (we had to ‘hurry before the officers came’ when getting off the bus ‘by the roadside’)
4) We wanted to take a taxi to Swiss Garden Hotel, which was only about 8-10mins walking distance from there, BUT we happened to meet a taxi driver who kept on ’scolding’ us really rudely for asking if he’s using the taxi meter (taxi drivers knew we’re tourists and so they charged really expensive rates. Taxi meters are usually not used and so we need to ‘bargain’ with them)
In the end, we chose to drag our feet and luggages all the way to the hotel.
…
When it was time for us to fly back to Singapore, we chose to take a taxi instead, all the way from the hotel to LCCT (we paid about RM85)
And the ’surprising’ thing about our budget airline trip was, … just 5 minutes before it was scheduled to take off, we’re all told that the flight was delayed for FOUR hours.
Man.
SO many people were complaining to the airport staff, especially those who already had tickets to fly to another country upon reaching Singapore! (but since there’s no one from Tiger Airways there, there’s nothing much anyone could do)
As for us, we’re okay if the plane was delayed so that they could fix any technical problems with the engines, etc.
But, to have only known about the delay just 5 minutes before the scheduled take-off time … well, I thought they could do much better than that. We didn’t expect the delay to be that long too.
[Btw, they gave out food vouchers, so we all had our dinner there while waiting for the plane to come]
Anyway.
I’d LOVE to hear your stories.
What do you think is the best way to get to KL? (especially if you’re traveling with kids!)
Please do share. I’m sure it’ll benefit everyone else who’s planning a trip there!
Thanks everyone!
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Posted by Siska
23 October 2009 @ 12:47 pm
wah gw sih blm prnh ke KL with kids. klu prnh, ntar br gw kshtau deh hehe
Posted by Gwen
23 October 2009 @ 1:58 pm
With our kids being so young, we drive. But if you don’t have a car, the bus is the next best option. A bus ride from Singapore to KL takes only about 5 hours and would have brought you closer to your hotel in town minus all the hassle.
Currently, there are so many operators plying the Singapore-KL route, leaving from various points in Singapore that one is quite spoilt for choice.
The last time we took a budget flight to Malaysia was when we flew to Langkawi out of KL. We had a similar experience on the shuttle buses as you did…ended up in the middle of an unfamiliar spot in the end which was FAR FAR away from our destination and ended up taking a cab to get to where we needed to. In the end the total travelling time turned out to substantially longer and we were so road weary. Ever since then, I have avoided flights between Singapore-KL.
Kudos to you for keeping your chin up and keeping Anya and Vai occupied throughout your experience, especially with the four hour delay!
And by the way, the train takes too long too. It’s approximately a 10 hour ride, much too long in an enclosed space especially for the young ones!
Posted by Gwen
23 October 2009 @ 1:59 pm
Sorry, one point of clarification…KL to Langkawi was fine. Langkawi back to KL was the nightmare experience…
Posted by Wilson
23 October 2009 @ 5:09 pm
I remember our way to Langkawi by bus was very similar to Gwen, this was quite sometime back before the kids were born. They somehow ask us to get off and we were wondering where to go. Very weird bus operators & yet Malaysia keep publishing their wonderful destination. Not so for bus or taxi experience.
Well, just be prepared on what will happen with these & should know where to go if anything happen.
Posted by mumzzy
23 October 2009 @ 5:22 pm
agree, driving is the best!
Posted by Elise Lim
23 October 2009 @ 11:59 pm
I always heard a lot complains about Tiger airlines.Really really admiring yours courage.Anyway is a good experience…
Posted by Linda
24 October 2009 @ 2:34 am
At the end.. it’s not as cheap as people would think… we lost so much time…
Come to Penang next time… it’s a much smaller more relaxed city with good and cheaper food…
Posted by Sally
24 October 2009 @ 1:35 pm
Since by plane as just inconvenient as the rest. I would rather take plane as I never like going by bus on such a long journey, it gives me headaches from that bumpy ride your get when you take a bus and worse it has no toilet.
Posted by Liz Beh
24 October 2009 @ 3:34 pm
Definitely drive.. esp since you have 2 adults and 2 kids. The comfort.. the convenience upon reaching KL.. the flexibility. I only fly if hubby is not available to drive us there.. Even then.. it is definitely more tiring to fly then to drive. Bus is pretty out of the question for me.. because the kids are still so young. Train?? Will have to probably drugged the kids first… 10 hour ride.. no kidding!
Posted by corsage
24 October 2009 @ 5:53 pm
I’ve only just had a baby so I don’t have personal stories to share about travelling up to KL with kids. But my husband (being Malaysian) and I do go up to KL pretty often. We used to take the coach a lot, but with cheaper airfares we have tried budget airlines like yourself. Works well for couples without kids I think, as long as if there are no delays! But we think travelling with kids will be best via driving because you can stop for a break anytime you want. The only thing is that you’ll have to avoid peak times for traffic, and have a good map
Posted by sungrapes
25 October 2009 @ 11:16 pm
Budget airlines are cheaper,but they dun take care of their pax. Next time take SQ. More expensive, but with many flts daily, they are able to handle delays more efficently and they provide the best customer care!
Posted by Leonny
28 October 2009 @ 12:24 am
Hi everyone,
Learn a lot from you guys … and am sure others are picking up tips and inputs from what you’ve shared too!
Thanks heaps for sharing!!