Kuala Lumpur in two days on a budget
In this post we explain how we spent two days in Kuala Lumpur on a budget, including the best places to visit, where to eat and drink, and how to get a visa to enter Thailand.
Kuala Lumpur is a fast-changing city with a population of about two million and a mix of architecture, of which the most iconic is the Petronas Towers, the famous twin towers rising up from a charming chaos.
The country consists of three main ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indian. Despite its modernity, the mix of cultures attributes to the city a special energy that, in our opinion, is the driving force for maintaining intact temples, mosque, markets, as well as culinary traditions.
We have been in Kuala Lumpur more than ten times, however, in recent years we have noticed a few changes. In fact, beside the emerging of modern skyscrapers, we could witness the spreading of backpackers’ budget establishments, also due to the growing market of pioneering low cost airlines that have established their base in the capital of Malaysia, conveniently connecting passengers to hundreds of other destinations across Asia.
If you are coming from Europe and your next destination is Indonesia or Oceania, you will want to stop in Kuala Lumpur and catch a low cost airline from here, saving a lot of money. Applying the same principle, if you come from Australia or New Zealand and you are flying to Europe, you may use a low cost airline until Kuala Lumpur and then, from there, you may board a conventional airline to the old continent, saving a lot of money.
The result is that, nowadays, the city is considered a very important travel and business hub, as well as one of the most expat-friendly cities in the world.
The offer for budget travellers, who normally spend a couple of days in Kuala Lumpur, before catching a connection to other destinations, has also considerably increased in recent years. In this post, we explain how we spent two days on a budget is this great city.
From the airport
We arrived in KLIA2 on a low cost flight from Thailand. KLIA airport has two terminals, KLIA1, which is used for international flights and the national carrier Malaysia Airlines flights, while KLIA2 is used by low cost airlines.
The cheapest option to get to the city centre is by bus. With Star bus you can reach Sentral or Jalan Petaling from 10 MYR (about 2,5$). The journey takes about 50 minutes. You may also take the express train, but it is more expensive, about 35 MYR, while a taxi will cost around 60 MYR.
Accommodation
Although Kuala Lumpur offers a huge variety of hotels for all tastes and pockets, the majority of hostels and budget hotels are located in Chinatown, Little India and Bukit Bintag. Every time we are in Kuala Lumpur, we always stay at the Rainforest hotel in Jalan Petaling.
They offer very clean double and twin rooms from 70 MYR (about 15$) and they have a great common terrace, that after an entire day walking, is always an oasis where we can relax and meet fellow travellers.
Jalan Petaling street is very busy with its market, street stalls and shops, but the hotel is at the end of the road, in a quiet stretch. At only five minutes walking, there is a public swimming pool, at the Chin Woo stadium.
The entrance is just a couple of dollars, but be aware that men must wear a tight outfit and common swimming shorts are not permitted, while women are allowed to wear both bikini and the one-piece swimsuit.
What to visit on a budget
DAY 1:
Wander around the colonial district centred on Merdeka Square, Chinatown, Little India. Then, visit the Perdana Botanical Garden, the National Museum and the Butterfly Park.
DAY 2:
Visit Batu Caves, which are stunning limestone caves and home to a Hindu temple. Then, in the afternoon, visit the Golden Triangle.
All these sites have a free or very cheap entrance, and they can be reached by public transport.
The Golden Triangle is the area in the north-east of central KL. We suggest you to visit it on your second day, after Batu Caves. Here you can do some shopping at Buking Bintag, you can party in the streets of Jalan P. Ramlee and, most of all, you can visit the famous Petronas Towers.
The admission is Tuesdays/Sundays. Visiting Hours: 9:00am/9:00pm (CLOSED between 1:00pm and 2:30pm on Fridays). Last admission: 8:30pm.
How to move around in the city
If you are on a budget, the best way to move around is by using Kuala Lumpur’s efficient public transport, which counts on a modern network, connecting the city and the surroundings by bus, subway, train and monorail. Click here to visit KL official public transport web.
Eating on a budget
While Western restaurants are as expensive as in the European cities, the key to save money is to eat your meals in local restaurants, avoiding alcohol.
In fact, the majority of Malay are Muslim who do not drink alcohol, and if a product is not largely consumed in a country, prices are logically higher, since there is not a very high demand.
Beside that, the official religion is Islam and although alcohol sale is widely available and tolerated, heavy taxes are applied and make it more expensive than in some Western cities. In Jalan Sultan, just steps from Jalan Petaling street, there is a small liquor shop (next to the Laundry service spot) where they sell imported wines, beers and liquors at the best prices we could find in the city.
A bottle of unknown but decent red wine from Chile was about 7$.
Chinatown and Little India offer a great choice of budget restaurants. Our favourite places are the food court of Central Market (where we always get a menu that includes a Tom Yam soup, rice, vegetable and fruit for about 2$) and Yusoof Dan Zakhir restaurant, located next to the Central Market.
They offer an incredible choice of fried rices, nasi lemak and other local dishes at very cheap prices, including our favourite, naan, which is a bread similar to Italian piadina, served with beans sauce.
Drinking
Be aware that most of these bars do also serve food, but at expensive prices, so if you travel on a budget and you are planning to watch a sport match, you might want to eat before and then drink some beers in this area. Barfly and Baan 26 in Bukit Bintag are the places to go to for the cheapest beers.
Jalan Petaling is the major spot for cheap shopping in Chinatown. Central Market is an excellent centre for Malaysian culture, heritage, art and craft items.
Low Yat Plaza is the Mecca for cheap and good quality electronics and tech-related items.
If you are a fan of big shopping malls, there are a few interesting options, like Berjaya Times Square, Lot 10 and Sungei Wang Plaza.
Shopping
If you fancy a visit to more expensive shopping malls with international renewed fashion brands, you may find what you are looking for in The Pavillion KL, The Starhill Gallery or Suria KLCC, the shopping centre inside the Petronas Towers and Malaysia’s premier shopping destination.
Will you apply for a tourist visa to enter Thailand?
The Royal Thai Embassy is located in Jalan Ampang, 206 and you may easily reach it by public transport. If you stay in Chinatown or Sentral, you may take the direct Kelana Jaya Line (From Chinatown the station is Pasar Seni).
You will need to get off at Ampang Park station, the stop after KLCC (the Petronas Towers) and the ride is about 20 minutes. When you get off the train, keep your right and once on the main street, cross the road, keep your right on Jalan Ampang and walk for about 15 minutes.
Note that you will need to go to the embassy early in the morning with your passport, two pictures, a copy of your passport and a copy of a flight out of Thailand.
The current fee is 150 MYR. They collect visa applications from Monday to Friday (except Public Holidays and Festivities) from 9:30am to 11:30am and you will be able to collect your passport on the next day, in the afternoon, from 02:30pm to 04:30pm (if you travel from Thailand on a short trip to get a new visa, don’t forget that Malaysia time is one hour forward).
If you are planning to travel to other destinations from Kuala Lumpur, click here
Book your trip
Travel tips