SEA-15-Book 1.indb

MALAYSIA

KUALA LUMPUR •• Courses Book your stay at lonelyplanet.com/hotels

the National Monument (Map pp440–1 ) in

the Lake Gardens from 5.30pm to 8.30pm

every Sunday.

COURSES

Buddhist Maha Vihar (Map pp440-1 ; %2274 1141;

http://www.buddhistmahavihara.com; 123 Jln Berhala) This

Brickfields landmark offers a variety of courses. Meditation

and chanting classes are held daily.

Kompleks Budaya Kraf (see p448 ) Try your hand at

traditional Malay crafts such as batik or pottery at the craft

village in the grounds of this one-stop crafts complex.

YMCA (Map pp440-1 ; %2274 1439; http://www.ymcakl.com;

95 Jln Padang Belia, Brickfields) Offers Bahasa Malaysia

classes as well as Thai, Mandarin/Cantonese and Japanese.

You can also study martial arts and different types of

dancing.

SLEEPING

Vibrant Chinatown is your best hunting

ground for rock-bottom crash pads and is

an easy walk from the Puduraya bus station.

The Golden Triangle area’s budget options

are pricier but cleaner and in a more low-key

(and arguably less exciting) neighbourhood.

Unless otherwise noted, all the options listed

share bathrooms.

Chinatown & Little India

If you’re arriving from the airport or a long-

distance bus station other than Puduraya,

these guest houses can be reached via the Star

LRT to Plaza Rakyat, Putra LRT to Pasar Seni

or the KL Monorail to Maharajalela station.

Lee Mun Guesthouse (Map p442 ; %2078 0639; 5th

fl, 109 Jln Petaling; dm/s/d RM10/25/35; a) A skeletal

‘authentic Chinatown’ cheapie where the

cardboard partition walls are covered with a

collage of magazine clippings.

Wheelers Guest House (Map p442 ; %2070 1386;

http://www.backpackerskl.com/wheelers.htm; level 2, 131-133 Jln Tun

HS Lee; dm/r R10/25, r with private bathroom RM50; ai)

With its mini-aquarium, potted plants and

murals, Wheelers is one of KL’s quirkier hos-

tels. Yummy home-made yoghurt and muesli

is served for breakfast and free Friday night

dinners are held on the rooftop terrace.

Original Backpackers Travellers Inn (Map p442 ;

%2078 2473; http://www.backpackerskl.com; 60B Jln Sultan; dm/

s/d RM11/28/30, r with private bathroom from RM54; ai)

The highlight of this long-running hostel is its

rooftop bar where you can get breakfast and

meet fellow travellers.

Grocer’s Inn (Map p442 ; %2078 7906; http://www.grocersinn

.com.my; 78 Jln Sultan; dm/s/d from RM13/35/45; ai) In

a century-old building that was once home to

the grocers’ association this backpackers has

good fan and air-con rooms as well as rooftop

dorm and balconies overlooking Chinatown.

The entrance is in an alley, just off Jln Sultan.

Coliseum Hotel (Map p442 ; %2692 6270; 98-

Jln TAR; s/d RM38/45; a) If high-ceilinged rooms

with ancient electric switches and furnish-

ings are your thing, you’ll love this place. All

bathrooms are shared. Book well in advance,

as it’s often full.

Tune Hotel (Map pp440-1 ; %7962 5888; http://www.tune

hotels.com; 316 Jln TAR; r from RM50; ai) It’s just

like a budget airline: book online in advance

and snag a room with bathroom for under

RM50. The basic rate just gets you the room –

air-con, toiletries and wi-fi access are extra.

There’s also a branch next to the Low Cost

Airport Terminal (LCCT) if you arrive on a

late-night flight.

Golden Triangle

These guest houses can be reached via the KL

Monorail to Bukit Bintang station.

Red Palm (Map p444 ; %2143 1279; http://www.redpalm

-kl.com; 5 Jln Tingkat Tong Shin; dm/s/d/tr incl breakfast

RM25/50/70/105; i) Its rooms are tiny and

FORESTRY RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF MALAYSIA (FRIM)

Birdsong and wall-to-wall greenery replaces the drone of traffic and air-conditioning at the

Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM; %6279 7525; http://www.frim.gov.my; admission RM1, cars

RM5; h8am-6.30pm), 16km northwest of KL. The highlight of this 600-hectare jungle park is its

200m-long, 30m-high Canopy Walkway (adult/child RM5/1; h9.30am-2.30pm Tue-Thu, Sat & Sun).

The walkway is reached by a steep trail from FRIM’s information centre (h8am-5pm Mon-Fri,

9am-4pm Sat & Sun). Heading down from the walkway the trail picks its way through the jungle

to a shady picnic area where you can cool off in a series of shallow waterfalls. The return hike

incorporating the walkway takes around two hours.

Take a KTM Komuter train to Kepong (RM1.30) and then a taxi (RM5); arrange for the taxi to

pick you up again later.

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