:: TRANSPORTATION
For travelers arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport: The airport is far from Kuala Lumpur city. However, there is a number of ways to get to the hotel.
- Get a prepaid coupon for airport limousine.Purchase the coupon as soon as you see the counter for airport limousines (the counter is BEFORE the arrival gate). You will not miss the counter. There are no counters outside the terminal or in the lobby of the terminal. If you missed the counter, you need to get back in and buy it. At the counter, you will inform the clerk that you wish to get to the Crown Princess Hotel on Jalan Ampang. The cab fare will be computed immediately and you will get a coupon upon payment of the stated fare. Take this coupon to the limousine area right outside the terminal (the white cabs) and show it to the attendants there. The cab should have no problems taking you directly to the hotel. You need not pay anything else to the cab driver upon arrival, not even tips. The trip should be around one hour to one and one half hour and usually costs not more than RM100. Advise: do not get into a metered cab or allow yourself to be led to one by someone in the terminal. If you are lost, or feel harassed, locate an airport personnel who will gladly help you.
- Take the ERL train into the city: This is a comfortable and fast ride and you don’t have to hear endless narrations from the cab driver. When you get off the plane, you will find counters to purchase the ERL tickets (RM35). Then make your way to the ERL terminal. Trains are every 15 minutes and it takes ONLY twenty minutes to reach Kuala Lumpur. When you get off the train, upon arrival, proceed to the main lobby and locate the counter for the prepaid cab coupon (there is only one counter there). Here, you can either purchase the coupon for the luxury cab or the non-luxury cab. The latter should do nicely. Tell the clerk that you want to get to the Crown Princess Hotel of Jalan Ampang, pay her/him about RM15, get the coupon and board one of the cabs outside the station. The cab should not be metered and you pay no other fees. The ride should be less than 30 minutes.
- Pertinent Advise: Be careful of metered cabs. Although many are sincere with their trade, there are a few who would overcharge customers, particularly Western travelers, despite the meter,. If you are any where in Kuala Lumpur city, and feel insecure or uncomfortable with any situation, go into any establishment and request help from the managers. Alternatively, call us (numbers will be provided later) and we will try to come and get you, although this may require you to sit down and have a long coffee before we arrive.
- Men and Women in Black: We will try and recruit our students to be at KLIA and the ERL final point, on the days of arrival to assist you. So watch out for them at the terminal lobby, arrival gate, in their conference T-shirts.
:: WHAT TO DO IN KUALA LUMPUR?
There are too many things to do and places to shop or visit in the space of time you have during the conference period. Some things are listed below:
Jalan Ampang
Actually, you need not go anywhere else for shopping and entertainment as Jalan Ampang has everything. If you head down towards the twin towers and KLCC (these are synonymous expressions), you will pass interesting places, and when you arrive at KLCC, everything is there. Shopping is world class. Visitors and locals enjoy the huge park there, and you will find yourself joining the crowd sitting at the Symphony Fountain. The night view of the KLCC up close is ethereal. Crown Princess Hotel has free shuttles to KLCC.
Jalan Bukit Bintang
Nearby (5 minutes by metered cab) is the famous shopping area of Bukit Bintang. There are several shopping complexes here selling world-class items to knick-knacks. Sungai Wang Plaza, for example, has hundreds of stores selling cheap computer accessories to clothes. Nice eateries here too.
Jalan Masjid India
This is thriving Little India, with colonial shophouses in several rows. You can shop for clothes, bags and shoes here. They are cheaper and the variety is authentically Eastern. From the hotel, it should be less than RM10 by cab
Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (Jalan TAR)
This is the main street parallel to Jalan Masjid India (which is located behind the rows of shops on Jalan TAR). There are a few nice shopping complexes on this road, e.g., Sogo. At night if you walk down the street, you will reach the famous old courthouse and the Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square). Here, you can sit on the field and sip in the night air in front of the fully lighted courthouse. At night, this area transforms into a garden city of lights.
Petaling Street
Although most cities in Malaysia are Chinatowns, this is considered the Chinatown of all Chinatowns. It is nice to browse through the stalls here, but wares are rather inferior. Most stalls sell imitation goods, so you can come face-to-face with a fake Rolex. If you want to window shop and experience the hustle bustle, this is an okay place. But to buy things, please have second thoughts. Maybe the T-shirts. Do note that here all foreigners will be quoted prices that are two to four times the price quoted to Malaysians. You can walk from Jalan Masjid India to Petaling Street. En route you will see the famous Central Market, which have stalls selling affordable Malaysian handicrafts
:: FOR YOUR INFORMATION
Pickpockets. Pickpockets ‘working’ in some of the areas mentioned above make more money than many professionals. Although police officers are always on patrol to minimize the problem, be careful with your belongings.
Language. Most Malaysians speak English.
Volunteers. If we have a dedicated group of student volunteers by November, you may request the volunteers to accompany you to some of the areas in KL, at your cab cost, in order to save you time and money and perhaps see KL from an insider’s view. The students will volunteer in groups of two or three.
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