What activities can one pursue during an extended layover in Kuala Lumpur?

June 27, 2016 ASEAN Backpacking

Most AirAsia Fly-Thru Flights' transit point is Kuala Lumpur. I have spent 5 to 6-hour layovers at KLIA2, the new budget terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport, on multiple occasions. On these layovers, I chose to stay inside KLIA2 to shop and enjoy the food outlets.

Recently, during a 9-hour layover, we decided to hire a van and tour Kuala Lumpur. Here's a recap of what we did during that layover.

  1. Batu Caves

Our first stop was the Batu Caves.

It took us approximately an hour to get there. It was my first time visiting Batu Caves.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill that features a series of caves and a cave temple in Selangor, Malaysia. Home to the most popular Hindu shrines, it is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war.



To reach the Cathedral or Temple Cave, visitors need to climb a steep flight of 272 steps. Along the way, guests can interact with macaques. However, caution is advised as these monkeys are known to bite visitors.
2)  Merdeka Square

Merdeka Square is one of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic landmarks, renowned for its colonial architecture. It is situated in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with the Royal Selangor Club in front and St. Mary’s Church to the north.




3)  Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers stand as another iconic landmark in Kuala Lumpur. They held the title of the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers globally. The title was later claimed by Taipei 101 in 2004 and subsequently by Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.


The Petronas Twin Towers soar to a height of 452 meters with 88 storeys. The 41st and 42nd floors are connected by a 58-meter-long, double-decker Sky Bridge. Inspired by Islamic architecture, the buildings primarily house the corporate headquarters of the Petronas Company and other offices.

Although Central Market was dropped from our itinerary due to time constraints, we had a fun and whirlwind tour of KL. I would gladly do it again on my next layover.

Kelly is a public relations professional and entrepreneur whose projects have assisted multinational organizations, small and medium enterprises, government officers, international organizations and non-governmental organizations. She is partner-consultant of RubyComm-K.Austria, a public relations management and consultancy company. Kelly is also a former government employee having served at the Department of Tourism for two years. Being mountaineers, Kelly and her friends travel by land, sometimes on rough roads and trek for hours to give a new lease of hope to students. She is co-founder of the group TREK or Trails to Empower Kids.

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