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Travel - Internal
Note
During major festivals (especially Hari Raya Pusa, the Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Haji), internal travel becomes extremely difficult, unless tickets have been pre-booked long in advance. Domestic express bus tickets often go on sale up to two months before the festivals and sell out within one or two weeks. Even domestic flights tend to be packed during these periods.
Air
Malaysia Airlines (MH) serves numerous commercial airports in peninsular Malaysia. In East Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, backed by Pelangi Air, crisscross both Sabah and Sarawak and also fly to Brunei. Transmile Air offer discounts on domestic flights to Sabah and Sarawak. Also the Air Asia offer lot’s of domestic flight in Malaysia (visit www.airasia.com).
Domestic Airport
KLIA has replace the old Kuala Lumpur Subang (KUL) airport. All domestic flight departure from the domestic departure hall.
Departure Tax
RM50
Sea/River
Coastal ferries sail frequently between Penang and Butterworth also Langkawi Ialand and Pangkor Island and there is a scheduled passenger service linking Port Kelang with both Sarawak and Sabah. Small rivercraft often provide the most practical means of getting about in East Malaysia, even in the towns, and they are the only way to reach the more isolated settlements (unless one has access to a helicopter). Boats may easily be chartered and river buses and taxis are plentiful.
Rail
Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad) (tel: (03) 22 72 28 28; fax: (03) 22 73 65 27; e-mail: passenger@ktmb.com.my; web site: www.ktmb.com.my, operates nearly 2100km (1300 miles) of line. There are three classes of train: Deluxe or First Class (with upholstered seats), Executive or Second Class (with padded leather seats) and Economic or Third Class (with cushioned plastic seats). The fast daytime 'Express Rakyat' runs from Singapore to Butterworth, and continues on to Thailand. Express trains are modern, and some have sleeping berths and buffet cars. Some trains are air-conditioned.
East Malaysia has one railway line, known by travellers as the Jungle Railway, In Sahah, it runs along the coast from Kota Kinabalu (Sabah), then inland up a steep jungle valley to the small town of Tenom, Beaufort and Padas . Other than this line, there are two main lines operated for a passenger service. One runs along the west coast and from Singapore which runs northwards to Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth, meeting the Thai railways at the border. The other line separates from the west coast line at the town of Gemas and takes a north-eastern route to Kota Bharu and Tenom.
There is also a passenger service to two of Malaysia's seaports - Penang and Padang Besar on the west coast. The KTM Komuter, a commuter service, runs from Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang (west), Rawang (north) and Seremban (south). There are no rail services in Sarawak.
Cheap Fair
Children under four travel free; children 4-11 pay half fare. For further information on discount fares available to passengers, contact Malayan Railway.
Special Tickets
The Malayan Railway Pass is available in 10- and 30-day tickets, giving unlimited travel on all trains through peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. The pass can be purchased from train stations in Butterworth, Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Padang Besar, Port Kelang, Rantau Panjang, Wakaf Bharu and Singapore. However, reservations must be made in advance for seats in First Class air-conditioned trains and a supplement is charged. Reservations may be made up to three months in advance from the Director of Commerce, Malayan Railway, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Kuala Lumpur www.ktmb.com.my.
Road
Traffic drives on the left. Most roads in the peninsular states are paved and signs leading to the various destinations are well placed and clear. The north-south highway, spanning 890km (553 miles) from Bukit Kayu Hitam (on the Kedah-Thailand border) to Johor Bahru is now fully open to traffic since the Sultan opened the last stretch between Tapah and Gopeng. Another East-West highway spanning about 350km that link between Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan. The dual carriageway will provide shorter travel times between towns.
Bus: Local bus networks are extensive; there are almost 1000 routes, with regular services in and between all principal cities. Four-wheel-drive buses are used in rural areas of Sabah and Sarawak. Trishaw: Available in Penang and Malacca, these are inexpensive for short trips. Fares should be negotiated in advance. Taxi: Shared and normal taxis are a fast means of inter-town travel, but delays may be encountered whilst drivers get their passenger load before moving off. Ask drivers to turn the meter on before starting the journey.
There is a 50% surcharge for fares between 0000-0600 and an extra RM1 is charged for taxis booked by phone. Taxi coupons providing fixed prices to specific destinations can be purchased at the Kuala Lumpur railway station and the airport. Car hire: This is available through several agencies. Some agencies provide cars on an unlimited-mileage basis. Cars with driver are also available.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required. For UK citizens, a national driving licence is sufficient, but it has to be endorsed by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles in Malaysia.
Urban
Parking in the centre of Kuala Lumpur and other towns is restricted to spaces for which a charge is made and a receipt is given. Public transport services in Kuala Lumpur are provided by conventional buses; Metro and Intrakota fixed-route throughout the Klang Valley, taxis and pedi-cabs (trishaws) licensed by the Government. The PUTRA Light Rail Transit (LRT), STAR and Monorail is a quick way to get around the city and provides links to the eastern and western suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Estimate Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Kuala Lumpur to other major centres in Malaysia.
Air Road Rail
Ipoh 0.30 2.00 4.30
Penang 0.45 5.00 9.30
Alor Setar 0.45 7.00 7.30
Kuantan 0.35 4.00 N/A
Johor Bahru 0.35 3.00 6.00
Singapore 0.45 6.00 7.00
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