Planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur with family or by yourself? Kuala Lumpur is one of the most visited destinations in the ASEAN region and a great location for honeymooners, family travellers, and backpackers.  Pre-planning your trip can save plenty of time and advance bookings can bring in substantial savings as well. For many visitors, Kuala Lumpur is normally the starting point for exploring most of Malaysia. KL is a hub of budget airline operators like AirAsia and Firefly that provides easy access to most destinations across Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur has gained popularity with international tourists escaping winter cold in Europe as well as Middle-Easterns looking for family holidays.

The Christmas season is the busiest part of the year to explore this amazing destination as this time of the year is the beginning of the holiday season.  A large number of overseas Pakistanis visiting their families from Europe tend to choose Malaysia as a one-week holiday destination because of its proximity and affordability. Kuala Lumpur is also the number one destination for honeymooners from Pakistan.

Here are some reasons that I find Malaysia a great destination to travel from Pakistan:

• Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim culture with a very moderate society
• Halal food is readily available
• Plenty of accommodation in all price ranges is available in all major cities
• Flights are very cheap from Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi
• You can book accommodation, tours and flights online
• Excellent transport network and intercity Freeway Network
• World-Class Restaurants and Bars
• Amazing attractions and Theme Parks for children
• Great Shopping Malls
• Malaysia is a safe place to travel
• Well-Developed Tourism Industry

With all these favourable options, Malaysia is definitely a great location for 5 days to a week travel getaway from Pakistan. Here is a suggested travel Itinerary for a 5 Nights.

Planning your Kuala Lumpur Travel Itinerary…

You have just arrived from Pakistan and settled into the hotel of your choice. The normal check-in time of the hotels is around noon. Make arrangements with your hotel before arriving if your flight is scheduled in the middle of the night or early hours of the day. Early morning flights are ideal as you can have a full day to yourself and catch up on sleep on the five-hour flight from Pakistan.

Booking a hotel in Kuala Lumpur pre-arrival is the best approach as walk-in rates are considerably higher than online rates offered by many booking platforms.  I prefer Booking.com Network to make my hotel bookings. You can get up to a 30% discount on a 14-day advance purchase. Select a quality 3-4-star hotel with good ratings. A comfortable hotel will add to your enjoyment during your stay in Kuala Lumpur. The options are endless with over 50,000 rooms available in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. You can select from 1-star hostels to 5-star luxury resorts with roof-top pools and luxury accommodation options.

When travelling with my family, I prefer to stay at a 4-5-star Serviced Apartments in Bukit Bintang. 

Out of my years of travelling to Kuala Lumpur, I suggest booking a hotel in Bukit Bintang as the location is quite central with easy access to most places of interest. I have stayed at the following establishments in Bukit Bintang and highly recommend these places for prices/comfort:

• Mesui Boutique Hotel ( RM 120/night)
• Parkroyal Serviced Apartments ( RM 400+ / night)
• Hotel Furama in Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur ( RM 200+)
• Melia Kuala Lumpur

Getting a Hop-on-Hop-off Bus Ticket is a great option to visit most places of interest in one or two days. You can purchase the tickets online or at the bus stop.

1. Central Market (Pasar Sanai) is a historic building with plenty of interesting things to explore. You can purchase local batik, artwork, local crafts, and other gift ideas or simply enjoy Nonya Cuisine at “Precious Old China Restaurant”. I highly recommend this place to foodies.

Walk over to Merdeka Square to take photos of the Abus Samad Building. After that, you can catch a taxi to KL Bird Park ( Entry Fee RM 30) / KL Botanic Gardens / Islamic History Museum / Butterfly Park depending on your interest and level of fitness as some places would require quite a bit of walking. Also, if the temperature is above 35c it can get quite humid in KL.

2. In the evening you can explore Petronas Tower and the adjoining KLCC Park. If you are comfortable staying at 5 Star Hotels, I recommend booking one of the following hotels at walking distance to Petronas Towers:

•  Mandarin Oriental – A luxury 5 Star Hotel located adjacent to Petronas Towers
•  Trader’s Hotel by Shangrila – looking next to KLCC Park and KLCC Suria Mall
•  Concorde Hotel ( one of my favourites)
•  Grand Hyatt
•  Fraser Suites Serviced Apartments

KLCC (KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTER) is the most uptown and trendy area with plenty of office buildings and expensive hotels. It is suited to business travellers. However, the benefit of staying here includes easy access to Petronas Towers, Menara KL, and KLCC Park. This area is the heart of fine dining and you can explore plenty of trendy bars and clubs.

At night you are up for some good local food and make your way to Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang. The place is full of activity and a wide range of local cuisines ranging from Thai seafood to grilled meats and Malay dishes.  Iranian, Lebanese, and Middle-Eastern joints are popular with Arab visitors and stay busy till the lake.

If you are picky about your food and not used to Asian food, I suggest sticking to Continental Food. There are plenty of fast-food joints and cafes across the city.

Wind your day with a one-hour foot massage at Changkat St adjacent to Jalan Alor. This activity must be on your daily routine as after hours of walking you will be exhausted at the end of the day. Zen Spa is a quality establishment in the heart of Changkat.

Depending on your group size and interest here are some recommendations:

Book a day trip to either Genting Highlands, Melaka, or Sunway Theme Park

Make sure that the tours are booked beforehand. Most hotels have their tour desks and can provide you with a quote. This option can be an expensive one, as they charge per person and the prices can add up.

For Genting Highlands, the best option is to book a blue Premier Taxi for approximately RM 400 for a day. Most drivers are very experienced tour operators and they can provide you with very useful information about plenty of places to visit. You can request a business card from the driver along with the rate list for different tours.

Genting Highlands is a popular hill resort situated at 800m above sea level. The driving time from Kuala Lumpur to Genting Highlands is 1 hour which makes it ideal for a day trip. You can enjoy the amazing Awana Cable Car (Ticket is RM 12 per person for a return ticket to Ghotong Jaya), casinos, indoor theme parks (Skytropolis), and a new outdoor theme park.

Melaka, an amazing historical destination near Kuala Lumpur

Alternatively, Melaka is a great option for a family holiday. You can plan a night stay if you want to explore a bit of colonial history, enjoy amazing Nyonya food, and shop at the popular Dataran Phalawn shopping Mall. The hotels in Melaka are quite cheap compared to Kuala Lumpur.

The third option is Sunway Lagoon Theme Park which is a premier location full of amazing joyrides and theme parks along with a 5-star hotel and shopping complex. Sunway Theme Park is a great location for a day out with the family.

You definitely do not want to exhaust yourself with daily day trips around Kuala Lumpur. Therefore, keep a day to relax and rejuvenate. Retail therapy can be quite healing for people who love shopping. The options are endless.

Here are some of the must-visit Shopping Malls in Kuala Lumpur:

•  Berjaya Times Square with indoor Theme Park on the 5th Floor
•  Pavilion, Fahrenheit88 – Fashion and Kids Clothing
•  Sungei Wang – Great for mid-range Shopping
•  Pavilion – Great restaurants and high-end shopping
•  Low Yat Plaza, electronics Market in Bukit Bintang
•  Mid-City Mall / Gardens Mall in Bangsar

Time to visit the amazing city of Putrajaya for a half-day tour. This tour can be booked with a local taxi driver for around RM 200-250 for half a day. Putra Mosque, Moroccan Pavilion in Botanical Gardens, or a Lake Cruise.

Alternatively, you can plan a day trip to Cameron Highlands. The distance is around 230km which can take over 3 hours to travel. You will have to start early for this trip. Cameroon Highlands is a great place for the outdoors with tropical rainforest and tea plantations. I recommend a one-night stay in Cameroon Highlands because of its distance from Kuala Lumpur. On your way back you can explore the historic city of IPOH.

Popular tours in Cameron Highlands:

• Boh Plantation Tours
• Mossy Forest Tours in Cameron Highlands

This is the time to buy some souvenirs and memorabilia for your amazing trip to Kuala Lumpur. Central Market, Bukit Bintang, and Berjaya Times Square have plenty of places to buy souvenirs.

A popular brand is Royal Selangor making amazing souvenirs in metals and wood. Check out the stores in all major shopping malls.

Make sure to keep an eye on flight timings are arrive on time. Do not confuse KLIA with KLIA2. Flights to Pakistan depart from KLIA.

• The bus ticket from KL Sentral to KLIA is RM 10.
• The train Ticket from KL Sentral is RM 56.
• A Standard Taxi Cost RM 100 / Premier Taxi charge RM 140 to International Airport.