Kuala Lumpur , the official capital and largest city of Malaysia , attracts millions of travelers from all over the world every year thanks to its amazing cultural diversity and contrasting architecture. Founded more than 150 years ago at the confluence of two rivers, today this city has become a noisy modern metropolis with a lot of attractions and entertainment for every taste. Acquaintance with one of the main shopping centers of Asia for every visiting tourist begins with the largest air harbor of Malaysia - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL, KLIA), about which we will describe later.
How many airports are in Kuala Lumpur?
The first thing that almost all tourist-beginners face is the choice of the airport when booking air tickets. So, not far from the Malaysian capital there are 2 major air docks - Kuala Lumpur International Airport (Sepang) and Subang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (Subang). The last of them for 33 years (from 1965 to 1998) was the most important aviation hub of the country, taking up to 15 million passengers a year. Today, Subang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah serves mainly domestic scheduled and charter flights, as well as several destinations to Singapore , the rest of the international air services are provided through Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is today the largest not only in Malaysia, but throughout Southeast Asia. It was built in 1998 in the city of Sepang, almost on the border of the two states - Selangor and Negri-Sembilan (about 45 km from the capital). Several companies participated in the construction of the main air gate of the country, including the well-known Ekovest Berhad of Malaysian businessman Tan Sri Lima, who is also involved in the construction of the Petronas towers and the main buildings of Putrajaya administrative center.
Since its opening, KLIA has won numerous awards from international organizations (International Air Transport Association, Skytrax, etc.). Thanks to the joint efforts of designers and employees whose sole purpose was to provide excellent service for passengers, the airport was recognized three times (from 2005 to 2007) as the best in the world. In addition, for the concept of attracting local residents and foreign travelers to environmental responsibility, Malaysia's main aviation node received more than 20 Green Globe certificates and was awarded a platinum status in the EarthCheck Advisory Group for International Tourism.
Kuala Lumpur Airport Terminals
The total area occupied by the main aero node of Malaysia is about 100 thousand square meters. km. In this vast territory, there are 2 main terminals of Kuala Lumpur Airport:
- Terminal M (Main Terminal) - located between the two runways and covers an area of 390 thousand square meters. m. In total, the building has 216 check-in counters. Currently, the main terminal serves mainly international flights of Malaysia Airlines and is its hub. By the way, if you fly in transit with a transfer at the airport of Kuala Lumpur, one of the pillars of the main terminal can order a tour of the Malaysian capital, but only if the time of docking between flights is more than 8 hours.
- Satellite Terminal A (Satellite Terminal) is a new airport terminal designed by Kisyo Kurokawa (world-renowned Japanese architect and one of the creators of the metabolism movement). The main idea that guided Kurokawa in the construction of KLIA, was a simple and at the same time deep thought: "Airport in the forest, the forest at the airport." The goal was achieved with the assistance of the Forestry Research Institute of Malaysia, when one section of the tropical forest was transplanted into the satellite terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Although the distance between the terminals is about 1.2 km, it is possible to get from one building to another only by a special Aerotrain train with an automatic control system. This is not an ordinary mode of transport connects only 2 stations, and the trip itself takes only about 2.5 minutes. at an average speed of 50 km / h. Part of the mini-trip passes under the ground so that you can safely cross the taxiway.
Services and entertainment for tourists
The largest airport in Malaysia a year takes more than 50 million people, so comfort and good service are the basic working conditions for KLIA employees. So, on the territory of the main air quay of the country, tourists are provided with a lot of useful services, including:
- Currency exchange at Kuala Lumpur airport is the most popular service, because it is here that the course is the most profitable. You can make the conversion at one of the 9 exchange points in both the main building and in the satellite terminal. By the way, on the territory of KLIA there are ATMs of all major banks of the country (Affin Bank, AM Bank, CIMB, EON Bank, Hong Leong, etc.).
- Luggage storage is a very useful service, especially for transit travelers who want to travel lightly for a sightseeing tour around the capital of Malaysia. You can leave things as for a day (minimum), and for a longer time. The storage room department at Kuala Lumpur Airport is located in the main building on the 3rd floor in the arrival hall and on the 2nd floor in the satellite terminal. Both items are labeled with a Baggage Solutions sign.
- The medical center is one of the most important services on the territory of the airport, where qualified doctors will render timely assistance to each person applying. The clinic is located in the main building on the 5th level, in the departure hall. Working hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- The hotel - for all tourists experiencing about where to stay at Kuala Lumpur Airport, there are several hotels within a couple of minutes walk from the terminals. According to travelers' reviews, the best are Tune Hotel KLIA Aeropolis (price per day from 28 USD) and Sama-Sama Hotel (from $ 100). On request, guests have free access to the Internet, with extra charge - breakfast.
- The hotel for animals is a useful service for all tourists traveling with four-legged friends. Friendly staff of an unusual hotel will not only take care of the health and comfort of your pet, but also provide it with quality food throughout the stay.
In addition, looking at the scheme of the International Airport of Kuala Lumpur, we can say that this is a kind of "city in the city". Here, besides the basic services, passengers are also offered a lot of entertainment for every taste: duty-free shops, fashionable boutiques of brand clothes (Burberry, Harrods, Montblanc, Salvatore Ferragamo), several restaurants and bars, children's playrooms, massage room and many others. other
How to get from Kuala Lumpur Airport to the city?
The map of Kuala Lumpur shows that the main airport among Malaysia is located about 45 km from the city center. Overcome this distance in several ways:
- having ordered a taxi from Kuala Lumpur airport in one of the points of well-known Malaysian companies (the trip will cost about 12 cu);
- independently, taking a car directly to the main terminal building (Kasina Baru, Hertz, Pantas Rent A Car, Mayflower, etc.);
- by train or bus, directly from Kuala Lumpur airport to KL Sentral station (the fare for an adult is $ 2.5, a child ticket is $ 1.5).