I travelled early this month (August 15th) from Chennai to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) by Malaysian Airlines for Tamil Internet Conference 2013 conference organized by INFITT. The choice of airline was due to the fact I like their in-flight service, the timing of flight was during the day which will not ruin my sleep and I got the ticket few months in advance at a reasonable fare.
On landing at KLIA (KL International Airport) I purchased a Prepaid 3G SIM card from Digi Network who had a stall near the gates itself, even before Immigration. It costs MYR 26 (MYR 11 for SIM card and MYR 15 for a one-week unlimited Data plan). They didn’t ask for any ID proof, just the cash and got it activated immediately. Digi Network speed turned out to be a bummer, worked great at places like malls, but the signal was poor in my hotel and University areas.
From KLIA to Le Meridien I took KL Express train, costing me MYR 35 for the 55Kms, 30 Mins journey. Super convenient, you can board right from the Airport without leaving the terminal and there is enough space even for large baggage you may be carrying. The views from the train were of beautiful Malaysian countryside. Similarly at the destination, get down in KL Sentral station and take a taxi to where you want to go – for me Le Meridien was just across the station building.
KLIA Express Booking Counter
On a Malaysian friend’s recommendation, I got a room at Le Meridien at KL Sentral. Booked the room online through MakeMyTrip as I got a great rate of MYR 1020 (~USD 307) for 3 nights exclusive of Breakfast. This was the first time I used MakeMyTrip, confirmation from the hotel came within days, email responses were slow but overall their service was acceptable. The hotel turned out to be at a convenient location for me, University of Malaya (the venue for the TI2013 conference) was near-by, costing about MYR 15-18 per trip from the prepaid counter in KL Sentral station. The Hotel was next door to KL Sentral station, so commuting by 3 or 4 train routes in KL or getting a taxi was very easy. Rooms, Breakfast and service at Le Meridien, KL was good. The views from the room where stayed were good too, see the picture below.
View from Kuala Lumpur Le Meridien Hotel