Transportation
To Malaysia
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AIR
Most visitors arrive by air at one of the six international airports
in Malaysia. The main gateway is the Kuala Lumpur International
Airport (KLIA) at Sepang in the state of Selangor. The rest of the
country, including Sabah, Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan
in East Malaysia, is well serviced by 14 domestic airports and airstrips.
Located about 50km from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur (KL), the
fully computerised, state-of the-art KLIA is among the most modern
airports in the world. KLIA is a four-runway airport facility capable
of handling an initial 25 million passengers per annum with facilities
for expansion to 45 million passengers per annum.
Incorporated into the airport's design is an automated shuttle
system which links the satellite building, where passengers disembark,
to the airport terminal building, where immigration and customs
clearances take place. With a connection time of a mere two minutes,
this fully automated baggage and passenger clearance system is especially
efficient.
Within the airport terminal building, there are rest, recreation,
dining, and duty-free shopping facilities. The fitness centre at
the Hotel Airside Transit even comes with a well-equipped gym, steam
room and sauna. Just a mere 5-minute walk from the airport is the
luxurious 5-star Pan Pacific Hotel.
From KLIA, KL is a short 28-minute journey away
on the comfortable KLIA Ekspres, a high-speed rail service. By road,
visitors may travel via the ELITE highway or the North-South Expressway.
The North-South Expressway also links the main towns on the west
coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Car rental, bus, coach, taxi, limousine
and rail services into Kuala Lumpur and neighbouring towns are widely
available at the airport.
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SEA
Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are easily accessible via
sea ports. Located just outside the capital city of Kuala Lumpur
(KL) on the west coast of the Peninsular, Port Klang is Malaysia’s
largest modern sea port. With excellent harbourage, it is also a
major shipping and cargo terminal. Other major sea ports are located
on the islands of Penang and Langkawi, in the north of the Peninsular;
at Johor to the south; at Kuantan on the East Coast; and at Kota
Kinabalu in Sabah.
Westport on Pulau Indah
Already serviced by North Port and South Port, Port Klang is now
serviced by the new international harbour city - Westport located
on the island of Pulau Indah. A free trade zone, Pulau Indah is
currently being developed as an industrial, commercial, residential,
recreational and tourism hub with a marina and resorts.
Stretching over 11km, with a natural depth of 14-18 metres, Westport
is designed to be a high-tech regional port. It has a container
terminal, large warehouse area and commercial centre. Star Cruise
Terminal - the largest cruise ship terminal in the Asia-Pacific
region - is also situated here. Star Cruise is a major international
leisure cruise line that calls at Penang, Port Klang, Melaka and
Langkawi.
FerryLink operates a vehicular ferry service from Changi Point
in Singapore to Tanjung Belungkor on the southern coastline of the
Peninsular. Tanjung Belungkor is the gateway to the popular beach
resort of Desaru. There are four daily trips on weekdays and eight
daily trips on weekends. For reservations, please call 02-545 3600
(Changi Point) or 07-252 7408 (Bandar Penawar, Johor).
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ROAD AND RAIL
Located 48km north of Alor Star in the northern state of Kedah,
Bukit Kayu Hitam is the main entry point into Malaysia for visitors
from Thailand. The North-South Expressway links Bukit Kayu Hitam
to Kuala Lumpur – 490km away. Near the Malaysian immigration
and customs post are restaurants, shops, car parks and a duty-free
shopping complex.
Situated on the main rail route with a daily train service from
Bangkok, Padang Besar - in Malaysia's northernmost state of Perlis
- is another entry point. Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) or Malayan
Railway provides an international express from Butterworth to Haadyai
in Thailand, and regular services from Padang Besar to Singapore
via Kuala Lumpur.
The exclusive Eastern and Oriental Express also romances the route
from Bangkok to Singapore via Kuala Lumpur. Covering the entire
length of the Peninsular - over 2,000 km, this two-day journey has
frequent stops at scenic locations.
For visitors entering from the Singapore, Johor Bahru is the main
southern entry point. The North-South Expressway links Johor Bahru
with Kuala Lumpur - 220km to the north. A rail and road causeway
connects Johor Bahru to Singapore. Immigration and customs checkpoints
are based at the entrance to the Causeway. A second bridge links
Tanjung Kupang - 30km south-west of Johor Bahru - to Tuas in Singapore.
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