KL - what is there to do with kids

[Sibble]

We are looking at stopping in KL on the way too and from NZ to the UK in July. Can anybody tell me what the weather would be like (want to avoid cyclone season), what there is to do with 2 boys (age 6 and 11) and which area to stay. Also what is the airport like to tranist - we try to get the last flight in and first out or visa versa and stay at the transit hotel. Is this possible in KL? wE'RE Toying with staying 3 days on the way out and 4 on the way back or just overnight on the way out and 5-6 days on the way back. Need to book asap as the 'special fares' have just been released.

We have been through Hong Kong and Singapore a few times and thought we'd give KL a go!

Thanks in advance

Sibble

It'll be warm (30 degrees) day and night, with the probability of a heavy downpour each day.

I'd stay near KLCC; some big chain hotels in that area and much of the city is in easy reach on foot or by train. A pool is good.

No idea about a transit hotel, sorry.

Lots of shopping centres and restaurants in KL. Eating is a big hobby! A certain amount of touristy stuff, but no more than three or four days worth. Specifically suitable for children are an indoor theme park (in Times Square shopping centre) and a water park(Sunway Lagoon). Also there is a butterfly park and a bird park in the Lake Gardens. Walking around Chinatown and Little India is interesting.

Hmmm, I'll see if I can think of any more in a while, and let you know.

I would go straight through in one direction then get a flight up to Langkawi (for beach and nature stuff) or Penang (for beach, culture and shopping). I love KL but it can be a little harsh and I reckon two stops of 3/4 days would be too much.

Malaysian used to give a free internal flight on the UK to NZ route- worth checking. Connections are very regular and easy. KL airport is an absolute dream- like Singapore if you've ever connected through there.

Things to check out:

KL:
Batu caves are very cool.
The elephant rescue centre at www.myelephants.org/
Shopping at Mega Mall
Food courts at all malls
A night market

Penang:
Shopping in the centre
The pagoda up the hill (paid for by the bloke who invented Tiger Balm)
Take the funicular up the hill and have tea.
Snake temple (hint for this one- do not stand at the front unless you want a snake on your head).
See a chinese temple.

Langkawi:
Boat tour of the mangroves and fish farm. Brilliant.

Can you tell I've spent a wee bit of time on Malaysia? It's a decade since I went to Penang though.

Any q's I'm happy to help.

Kl

Chose a good hotel. With pool and relax nice break in journey
Go up towers
Shopping

You can go to langkawi but the hotels are very expensive - very cheap in - get a rate with breakfast

A5 star hotel in kl is often little more than a premier inn here if you book in advance.

We used to work there- last went in December to both kl and langkawi

This looks pretty amazing.

mumsnet really is amazing! Thank you all.

I think we might stick to the urban jungle - I have a phobia about snakes, just reading about the snake temple has bought me out in a sweat. One of the main reasons we live in NZ not OZ .

Think we will do overnighter on way out and 5 days on the way back - hopefully will be able to chill out in hotel pool as well as some of the sights on here. The UK is going to be frantic 2 weeks with family etc....

if you think of any other places please post.

There's a hop-on hop-off tourist bus around the city. Two hours ish if you don't get off but longer, obviously, if you do get off. Quite a good way to orientate yourself and to highlight places you might want to re-visit. It picks up at big hotels.

Batu Caves is really interesting (on littlestkiwi's list). Hindu temple in a huge cave up a load of steps. Most unusual. There's a station there now so getting there is easy.

A bit further out of KL are day trips to Melaka (Malacca) which is a two hour drive and Frasers Hill (bit less). Also an evening trip to Kuala Selangor (about hour and a half away) to see the fireflies from a boat on the river. The hotels put on trips to those places.

I've had the firefly thing recommended a number of times- also the bird park but haven't been yet.

I've not come across a snake I wasn't looking for in Malaysia after 18 years of visiting. But perhaps you should give Langkawi a miss. We were told our hotel had a problem with flying snakes when it opened. Yes, flying snakes FFS.

More importantly, you need a list of food to eat.

Roti cani- a fried bread thing that comes with daal. It is beloved by foreigners.

Nasi goreng - spicy fried rice.

Mee goreng - fried noodles

Beef rendang - a dry curry

Nasi Lamak is very popular- coconut rice, chicken curry and anchovies.

Hainese Chicken rice - poached chicken and rice in a nice sauce.

Fresh lime juice. Watermelon juice.

I would also recommend the Sheraton, Shangri La or Westin. The Westin has the most amazing breakfast buffet I've ever seen. You can choose your own fruit juice.

Food courts in malls are a good place to eat as you can point and choose. They are also quite clean. And huge. The Malaysians love to eat.

Had a 24 hour stopover there once. Not an easy city to walk around, loads of busy roads and flyovers, so take cabs. The butterfly farm is lovely. Lots of framed butterflies for souvenirs, too. Tropical butterflies don't live for long, they wait until they die naturally and just pick them up off the floor, so it's not cruel. I seem to remember there were some nice gardens around there. Chinatown is interesting; there was one restaurant selling dishes based only on chickens' feet.

You can go and see the famous Petronas Towers, one of the tallest buildings in the world, which is above a really naff shopping mall with a Starbucks and Laura Ashley store. We didn't enjoy that, but then we had just got in from Vietnam which is lovely and chilled with much less traffic. We were on our way back home and we were so depressed to get on the train to the centre of KL and see a KFC!

We didn't go to the bird centre but this is just by the butterfly farm, and other people said this was good. There are lots of people there for just a couple of days, normally on their way to Australia and NZ, so it's easy to strike up conversations. If they are about to leave, they might have some suggestions.

Thank you everybody. Well flights are on hold and I'll confirm tomorrow. So far there's $5.5K difference in price depending on days we fly from UK back to here!.

Will confirm booking tomorrow and start looking at sites for suggested places to visit.

Unfortunately for the cheaper flights we have night flights which some people love but I hate - prefer day flights. So thought of Pan Pacific airport hotel on the way out looks good (have checked website). ON the way back for the bigger stopover they have suggested the Dorsett Regency Hotel. DOes anybody know it?

Thank you all and keep the suggestions coming!

You can book the airport hotel for 6 hours if that works for you. I use wotif.com or the hotel website directly. I know we paid £50 a night for the Sheraton a few years ago when we booked in advance. And they had a man bring me a glass full of flower petals for my bath :) Bukit Bintang has quite a lot of restaurants and shops open till 10pm which may be handy a night. Don't know the Dorsett Regency I'm afraid.

At the airport you can either take the new, super train into town but a taxi will be cheaper if there are a few of you. There is a counter you go to to pay the fare, then you get put in a cab. It makes life much easier. There will be touts when you come out but ignore them and they are not aggressive.

Ok, we are booked and tickets are paid for am swinging between very excited and oh Sh*t that was alot of money - off to check passports and wotif for hotels!

The Pan Pacific aiport hotel is good for an overnight stopover- connected to the terminal by a bridge so v convenient. Has a swimming pool and good food and saves the hour's taxi journey into KL city centre.

In town there are loads of nice places to stay- Bukit Bintang or KLCC areas are central. There are usually good deals on Agoda's website. The JW Marriott is my current favourite- comfortable rooms, nice pool, and several great restaurants in the mall next door (Starhill)- Thai, Lebanese, Malay etc- all can be ordered on room service also. Traders hotel in KLCC is excellent too- with good views of the towers from your room! Also recommend the Millenium, Prince (can book a serviced apartment there, might be good with a family) and the Mandarin Oriental.

Activities wise- the bird park and butterfly park at Lake Gardens are worth a visit, as well as Bukit Nanas rainforest reserve. Also the aquarium and petrosains discovery centre in klcc (which could be combined with a trip up the twin towers to the viewing bridge).

The Islamic Arts museum is excellent, also interesting to walk around chinatown, maybe the Central market, and the craft centre on Jalan Conlay where you can see various artists at work. If wanting to burn off some energy, or for a wet day, there's an indoor climbing wall, camp 5, at 1 Utama shopping centre. The Royal Selangor pewter factory is another rainy day option- children can make their own bowl etc.

Depending how much time you have, Penang or Langkawi would also make great side trips for a couple of nights- just short flights away, and a nice contrast to the city.

Hope you have a great trip.

Thanks southchinasea. All great ideas. AM really quite excited now. Only have 4 nights so not long but looks like heaps to keep 2 boys busy.

Hotel with pool and the variety of food sounds good to me!