What to do in a Malaysia Layover | Kuala Lumpur | Traveler Guide

"Salaam!" The Bali trip starts now, beginning with our layovers at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We booked a flight from Manila, Philippines to Denpasar, Bali since it was cheaper in comparison to flights that would fly directly from Macau (around MOP1000 plus difference. Yikes!). As I've mentioned in my WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL CARRY-ON? vlog, this is the 1st time I'm having connecting flights in different countries with quite long stopover hours in between. So I admit that we were a bit worried with what to do during those few hours. There were worries regarding visas, spendings, packing, and places to wait. To be more accurate our layover to Bali took 4 hours, and the layover coming back to Macau took 6. Keep reading for more of my flight details and some tips I have for you if you're stopping over KLIA, Malaysia.

I vlogged the whole layover trips in Kuala Lumpur, check it out to see what other fun stop we did while waiting for our next flights. Now on my YouTube Channel:
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Check out my more of my vlog(s) on my YouTube Channel: Katee Of The Day
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1. FLIGHT DETAILS:
- On the way to Bali
*Flew with Malaysia Airlines (booked via Expedia).
*Traveler notes: 30kg free luggage check-in, inclusive with an in-flight meal, and each seat has their own in-flight entertainment. I watched "The Greatest Showman" to kill time, it was great!

- Going back to Macau
*Flew with Air Asia (booked via Air Asia).
*Traveler notes: no free luggage check-in, no in-flight meal, and no in-flight entertainment. Slept the whole flight and pre-bought snacks.
  • We gave two whole days just to travel to and from Bali. On the bright side, I finally got to visit not only Bali but Malaysia as well.
  • All flights were direct transfers. No fuss with checking-in twice and luggage was secured.
  • For both layovers we only stayed at the airport and Mitsui Outlet Park (see photos below)
  • I searched my flights in Sky Scanner to see better deals!


2. KUALA LUMPUR INTL. AIRPORT (KLIA & KLIA2):
-PROS:
  1. Everywhere has signs. Although a bit confusing to read, at least you'd have an idea where you are.
  2. Only 10-20 mins away from Mitsui Outlet Park. Free shuttle schedule here.
  3. As for Philippine and Macau S.A.R Passports, no visas were needed. You can check yours here.
  4. Trains to central KL could be found in airports. See routes here.
  5. Lots of shops and eateries. You could very much just stay at the airport for your whole layover if you don't want the hassle of going through immigration.

-CONS:
  1. The airport is old and not well-maintained. It was a big airport but almost every spot we rested was filthy.
  2. Staff in general weren't friendly. Customer service was bad and the immigration staff was very intimidating which I hated.
  3. Not much money exchange outlets were found. We only saw one and the rate was a bit too high.
  4. I dislike their floor toilets in KLIA1; KLIA2 however, had toilet seats.
  5. Shuttle bus stops are a little bit confusing and had no signs.

3. MITSUI OUTLET PARK, SEPANG, KLIA:
Mitsui Outlet Park is a mid-size outlet mall found withing the vicinity of KLIA, specially catered to flyers like us. We weren't really in the mood to go shopping since we only exchange a few Malaysian Ringgit for both layovers. Although, it was fun walking around, seeing lots of boutiques, well-known brands, and local stores within two big levels.

The food was cheap! We tried local Malaysian dishes at the food court which was really delicious and only costed around MOP50. Another place we ate at was Sushi King. It's weird that we went Malaysia just to try a sushi bar, but it was all worth-it! 

- Address: Persiaran Komersial, 64000 KLIA, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Kuala Lumpur
- Opening Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Contact: +603 8777 9300



4. OTHER THINGS TO DO FOR YOUR KLIA LAYOVER:
It really depends on how long your free-layover time is (excluding boarding time and delays), as well as how many hand carry-ons you're bringing. We originally wanted to try stopping by the Petronas Twin Towers but cancelled last minute when we learned that it takes approximately 3 hours commute from the airport (1.5 hours each, KLIA Express train + taxi). You could probably tour more of downtown Kuala Lumpur if you're staying for at least 12 hours or overnight.

Mitsui Outlet Park is probably the best for short layovers like we did. It's near, it has everything, and at least you could say that you've touched Malaysian soil out of the airport. For even shorter layovers, I suggest just staying around KLIA and KLIA2. As previously mentioned, there are a lot of things to do at the airport(s) as well. You can refer here for more layover activities!


Whether it's a layover or direct flight to visit Malaysia, I hope that this post helped you a bit with your upcoming plans to KLIA. It was a very new experience for me, and as a beginner, I want to share everything I know and experienced with fellow beginners. Now we can finally move on to Bali. See you there next time!


Photo Credits to: Adrian Coronado (@dash_ad)

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