When in Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur Overnight

Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is, indeed, the transfer hub of Southeast Asia. With numerous connecting flights daily, it serves as a pit stop for the many. So as planes come and go here, people tend to skip it as tourist destination despite having a couple of attractions. 

Coming from a backpacking in Laos to celebrate my birthday, I landed in Kuala Lumpur to spend an overnight. I knew it was too short, so I maximized my time and spent the most out of it. After being in Kuala Lumpur the third time around, it was about time to show itself now. Since then I knew there's a hidden beauty in it wrapped by the bustling capital.

From Airport to City Center

Most people usually take the ever-convenient KLIA Ekspres, a non-stop train service in Kuala Lumpur that connects the airport to the city. It's priced at RM 55 (PHP 633) for one-way and RM 100 (PHP 1,151) for two-way. However, I figured out a cheaper way to get to the center. 

First, I took a bus at the KLIA 2 airport's arrival area going to a town called Nilai. The bus fare was only 1.50 RM (PHP 17). It was a smooth ride, though the only setback was that the travel time took an hour due to multiple stops.  

Nilai is the last bus stop of that route. Next, I walked behind the bus station to find Nilai station of the KTM Komuter (blue line), one of the monorails in Kuala Lumpur. The train fare from Nilai to KL Sentral station costs 7 RM (PHP 80) paid in cash. Travel time is approximately 30 minutes.

On the way, the train passed by Bandar Tasik Selatan station, which leads to Bandar Tasik Selatan bus station, one of the central and busiest bus stations in Kuala Lumpur. Actually, I went down to this station on the next day to catch a bus to Malacca, Malaysia.

I went down at KL Sentral station that is considered as a central train station with multiple connections including red line, yellow line (of KTM Komuter), and KLIA Ekspres. 

Accommodation Backpacker Style

Kuala Lumpur is backpacker-friendly. For one, I stayed in a small dormitory-style accommodation called PODS Backpackers Home and Café located at Jalan Thambipillay across KL Sentral station and a shopping mall called NU Sentral.

It offers both bunk beds in a shared room and single/double beds in a private room. I scored this room at RM 60 (PHP 695) a night.

All facilities are shared with other guests including the usage of bathroom, kitchen, and lounge area. After all, sharing is caring! It is also a good way to bump into different travelers. 

Kuala Lumpur At Night
Since I arrived half day done already, morning activities were off the list. Even so, Kuala Lumpur did not disappoint since there are a lot of things to do during nighttime.

Couchsurfing (CS) is very much alive in Malaysia. In fact, I met a friendly local via CS who brought me around. We also bumped into other travelers throughout the night!

I first saw the Petronas Towers in 2012 during the Malaysia stopover of our Royal Caribbean cruise. I saw it in the morning. This time, I was able to catch its beauty at night, realizing that it was more beautiful than seeing it in daylight. 

At any day, the Petronas is an amazing structure. It was once the tallest building in Asia standing at 451.9 meters. Most of the floors are meant for office spaces, but the ground floor is being occupied by a huge shopping mall called Suria KLCC. 

After the twin towers, we dropped by Sentral Market for local shopping. It's a cheap shopping area for local products and souvenir items. You can even haggle for the price here.

Inside Sentral Market, I got to try Malaysia’s national dish Nasi Lemak. The taste was close to Filipino, and I wasn't surprised since Malaysia and the Philippines are neighboring countries. 

In fact, it is so famous that even the murals take pride of the dish.

Shelly Viajera Travel