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Page first created 16 Oct 2002; Last updated 21 Oct 2002

Where to stay

If you are on a budget, the usual tip is to select hotels where there is are high numbers and a wide range of choice. The intense competition among the hotels will generally result in lower prices.

As expected, all the hotels close to the circuit (or Kuala Lumpur International Airport "KLIA") were fully booked up (even the Hilton in Seremban?!). Even if they were available, it would be difficult to stomach the hefty rate hikes, around 250 to 450++ Malaysian Ringgit (RM).

For reasonable pricing, hotels in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas made better sense, in the range of RM70 to RM300++.

It would be wise to make advanced reservations by phone and fax, even if it is only the day before. The fax is probably better as it is documentary evidence on the agreed rate. Otherwise, if you walk in, you'd be slapped with the rack rate.

Generally, the two-star or less hotels around Petaling Jaya should fetch between RM75 to RM90 per night.

My personal recommendations if you are on a tight budget are:

• "Sun Inns Hotel" in Petaling Jaya, along Bandar Sunway
  • Address: No.1, Jalan PJS 8/5, Dataran Mentari, 46150 Petaling Jaya. Telephone: +60-3-7380993. Fax: +60-3-7380992.
  • If these are full, there are a pair of motels around the same Metari Plaza (square):
    • "Romeo Inn". Address: No.9, Jalan PJS 8/5, Mentari Business Centre, Bandar Sunway, 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: +60-3-56388202 / 56388303. Fax: +60-3-56383009.
    • "Juliet Inn". Address: No.9, Jalan PJS 8/7, Mentari Business Centre, Bandar Sunway 46150 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: +60-3-56212303 / 56212313. Fax: +60-3-56212339.
  • Easy for Singaporeans to locate: coming in from North South Central link, exit to KESAS highway (exit 603). Follow route to "Sunway" or "Sunway Lagoon". Once you see the famous Sunway Sphinx and Pyramid on one side of the Damansara-Puchong highway, Sun Inns is on the other side, in the sector known as PJS 8.

    

  • 20 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur and 40 minutes drive from Sepang International Airport (KLIA).
  • Rooms are basic, having airconditioning, bathroom and TV

    

  • Room price does not include breakfast, but there is absolutely no shortage of food given a McDonalds restaurant (8 am to 12 midnight) right in front of the hotel and two food courts nearby with plenty of cheap and delicious food (RM 3 to 5 for a meal) at practically all hours of the day (6 am to 2 am).
  • Does not have its own garage, but there is plenty of public parking space which is first-come-first-served. Might be difficult to park in front of the hotel from afternoon through the night is difficult because of the patrons of the busy restaurants. Best spot to park motorcycles is in front of McDonalds.
  • Also a supermarket, bars and karaoke parlours nearby
  • Also great for visiting Sunway Lagoon and Sun Inns sells these tickets at a special rate to its occupants.

• "Orkid Hotel" in KL, along Jalan Pudu.
  • Address: 300 Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Telephone: +60-3-2448033.
  • Easy for Singaporeans to locate: entering the city from the North South Highway, keep on going along Jalan Tun Razak, exit left at Jalan Pudu. Hotel Orkid is on the right (need to U-turn somewhere further down).
  • Rooms are basic, having airconditioning, bathroom and TV
  • Room price includes a simple western breakfast
  • Has its own parking garage at the back which is unfortunately often full. Don't park right in the garage otherwise you might not be able to get it out the next morning if the other cars block the entrance. Motorcycles should park around the entrance to that garage.

These are very economical and good value. They are also great as a base when visiting somewhat more expensive places around Kuala Lumpur, like the Genting Highlands. In any case, because the road system is often bewildering, it is generally suggested to get there a day earlier to get familiarised with the roads around the hotel and how to reach the highway.

Other Internet resources you can check out to look for hotels includes:

• the Malaysian Yellow Pages at http://www.yellowpages.com.my
  • painfully slow, sometimes doesn't respond, but a current and comprehensive list with phone and fax contact details
  • narrow search to "Wilayah Persekutuan" for hotels in Kuala Lumpur
  • narrow search to "Selangor" for areas around KL.
• the Telekom Publications (subsidiary of Telekom Malaysia) tourist guide at http://www.map.com.my/tourist/tourist_guide.htm

This then brings the second concern: easy access to highways and rapid commute to the circuit/airport. The two primary routes to the circuit are either by

• "Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur - Seremban"
  • the North-South Expressway
  • also federal expressway number "E2"
  • on the eastern side the original route that leads out of KL on the eastern side of the federal capital via Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Yew and Jalan Sungei Besi
• "Expressway Lintaran Tengah" or "ELITE"
  • the North-South-Central Link
  • also federal expressway number "E6"
  • on the western side the new loop that goes around around the KL, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya

The reality is that under most conditions, the ELITE expressway is the more sensible route, since there is little habitation there and hence low traffic volume on a very straight 3-lane expressway. The other route is often congested and often has road hogs who will crawl in the overtaking lane (includes sadly, Singaporean drivers who never learn any highway etiquette and are likely to end up as roadkill if they behaved that way on highways in the USA).

The ELITE expressway is most easily accessed from Petaling Jaya via the very congested Federal Highway Route 2 ("Lebuhraya Persekutuan" or "LDP") or the more free-flowing Shah Alam Expressway ("Lebuhraya Shah Alam - Kuala Lumpur" or "KESAS" or Federal Expressway "E6").

It doesn't show up on the maps, but the unusual thing about these Federal Highways is that because of the high numbers of local motorcyclists on low-powered slow-moving scooters (typically the Honda Cub and similar bikes), there is a small 4-foot-wide road running parallel to the highway exclusively for (small) motorcycles; big bikes (above 250cc) that can keep up with fast traffic are allowed to run on the Highway. This is extremely useful because during peak hours when the highways could be clogged with cars and practically at a standstill, motorcycle traffic still has a chance to chug along happily, albeit not at full highway speeds, but definitely better than the drivers trapped in their cages in the jams.

Don't KL bikers have it good?

A reasonably good map to get is the Kuala Lumpur Road Map and Highway Guide from World Express Mapping (or WEM). It has a city map of Kuala Lumpur on one side and a lower-scale map which includes the surrounding areas including Petaling Jaya, Damansara, Bangsar, Subang, Shah Alam, Puchong, Petaling, Cheras, Ampang. Costing only RM10, it is available from most petrol stations on the expressway. It is better to get these as you approach KL on the expressway, especially the gas stations close to KL (e.g. Sungei Besi, Dengkil, USJ, Seremban, Sungei Buloh).

• http://www.malaysiangp.com.my - The circuit website. Also carries some info on how to get to the circuit.

• http://www.sprint.com.my - Provides information about the highway system around Kuala Lumpur. Very good!

• http://www.kesas.com.my - Provides information about the Shah Alam-Selangor federal highway system (E5).

• http://www.llmnet.gov.my - Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia or Malaysian Highway Authority. Carries information about Malaysian Highway Network. Finally in English.

• http://www.linkedua.com - The concessionaire that built and operates the 2nd causeway bridge between Singapore (Tuas) and Malaysia (Tanjung Kupang) and the Federsal Expressway E3.