[one-77]

Thanks a lot, Y@SH, bhanu_AMG, abhijitvp, .anshuman, and naveen.raju! You guys have been most helpful.

Air Asia still do fly out of five southern airports according to their website. Also listed on Cochin Airport's flight schedule.
I considered flying Air Asia for the following reasons:

• They are the only airline that fly to KL direct from Kochi
• Even after meals and excess baggage, they work out over 10k cheaper than Malaysian Airlines or Air India Express, two airlines that fly out of Chennai. (This is excluding the COK-MAA airfare)
• KL to Langkawi flights are anyway from the low cost terminal, so we won't need to shuttle between KLIA and LCCT

Anyway, I'll enquire with travel agents and find out about the different options.

Thanks a lot for all the tips.

[k2max6]

Visa - i travelled to KL in october 2010 with family. My father submitted his office id along. No bank statements were required.

Air Asia. How good are they?
I was satisfied with the services considering the low fare i paid.The jet was in immaculate condition. I reached on time. Although i too have heard mixed reviews . Depends on your luck in what condition your plane is.
But don't worry its better than our indian budget carriers like spicejet.


I'm keeping a four hour buffer time between arriving in KL and the flight to Langkawi. Will this be sufficient?

More than enough.

Money. Should we carry USD along, as INR will be difficult to convert? Or will a traveler card do?

Generally you can get INR converted but do carry some USD as backup.

Renting a car in Langkawi. This seem to be a good option. But will they lend you one on your Indian license? Do they ask for a huge security deposit?

Took it from the airport.My guy just saw my indian license. No photocopy nothing. Since we were two families together, i took a toyota HIACE.No security was taken.Took it for 2 days so he took the 2 days rental in advance.At that time fuel was around 22 rs a litre.
No traffic at all in Langkawi. Its a breeze to drive.
I hope you have gps in your phone.

Language. Do people usually follow English?
Yes.Everyone

[one-77]

Thanks for the info, k2max6.
Yes, I do have GPS on my phone. Which brings me to the next questions.
Which company's sim card is better for calling India? And do they have affordable gprs in Malaysia or should we opt for some "internet pack" like in India?
Also what sort of power sockets do they use?

[Vik0728]

Hey Guys, me and wifey have planned a Malaysia Singapore holiday this weekend. Its a 3N 4D at Kuala Lampur and 4N 5D at Singapore.

We have everything in place but I had some queries and would be really helpful if you experts can answer:

1. We plan to shop in Kuala Lampur. So are there any particular malls/areas where we can get good deals on Clothes & accessories ?

2. Where can we find good hotels to dine in Kuala Lampur. My wife is a strict veggie and more often than not, our priority will be a Veg hotel.

3. Will I be able to use my Citibank Visa Credit card or should I carry only Cash ? Are there any alternatives to this and how can I get them ?

4. If its only Cash I need to carry, where can I exchange INR in KL and Singapore ?

Would really appreciate all your input on this since this is our first visit to either of the destinations.

[rjstyles69]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Hey Guys, me and wifey have planned a Malaysia Singapore holiday this weekend. Its a 3N 4D at Kuala Lampur and 4N 5D at Singapore.

That's a whole lot of time and good to see these places in leisure and with some time to spare.

1. We plan to shop in Kuala Lampur. So are there any particular malls/areas where we can get good deals on Clothes & accessories ?

Jalan Bukit Bintang has petty shops to car showrooms housed in the KL tower's mall. So ensure you stay someplace around Bukit Bintang and shop around. Check my travelogue which is about 2 years old now and I have pretty much covered most places in Malaysia and Singapore.

2. Where can we find good hotels to dine in Kuala Lampur. My wife is a strict veggie and more often than not, our priority will be a Veg hotel.

Gonna be a reason for concern, scout around am sure you will find a good place.

3. Will I be able to use my Citibank Visa Credit card or should I carry only Cash ? Are there any alternatives to this and how can I get them ?

You can use your CC but simply be careful. Instead carry INR and get it exchanged on the Jalan Bukit Bintang street. Umpteen forex dealers around the street and exchange where you get the best deal.
Tip : Carry 500's and 1000 Rupee notes. They aren't too currency happy with the 100 bucks notes.

4. If its only Cash I need to carry, where can I exchange INR in KL and Singapore ?

Malaysia = Jalan Bukit Bintang street. There is an Indian forex dealer just outside Bintang Warisan hotel on the same street. I got the best price from him.
Singapore = I still prefer going to Mustafa's which what I did on my last trip too.

My travelogue is here (They say " Selamat Datang " ::My Singapore and Malaysian séjour) and its been some time, I have pretty much covered most of Singapore and KL. Nothing much has changed from what it used to be from the time this travelogue was put up here.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by rjstyles69

That's a whole lot of time and good to see these places in leisure and with some time to spare.

My travelogue is here (They say " Selamat Datang " ::My Singapore and Malaysian séjour) and its been some time, I have pretty much covered most of Singapore and KL. Nothing much has changed from what it used to be from the time this travelogue was put up here.

Thank you So much rjstyles69, really appreciate your input.

This will be my "PDI" now for the Malaysian & SIngapore Holiday!!!

[rajshenoy]

Hey guys

Need some pointers on travel to Singapore/Malaysia.(mainly Air)

I saw that Airasia has some pretty cheap fare 3-4K to KL and 1K to singapore from there. but its a promo offer and i need to book by 16th dec !!! and travel between march and may next year

I plan to travel next may(2013), but thinking should i book so well in advance in hurry

Also apart from airasia, rest are pretty costly i guess(may be tiger airways is next cheap at 8-9K)

Also my main destination is Singapore only(3-4 days trip), but AirAsia operates to mainly KL from bangalore and KL-Singapore is just 1K so if i end up going via Malaysia, i dont mind spending few days there as well. in that case i am willing to spend couple of more days in malaysia.

Can someone tell me if AirAsia has any other hidden charges? they charge for even checkin baggage based on the weight i guess. plus food etc.

As i dont have much time till 16th Dec, Wondering if i really need to hurry or think and plan it out

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Hey guys

Can someone tell me if AirAsia has any other hidden charges? they charge for even checkin baggage based on the weight i guess. plus food etc.

As i dont have much time till 16th Dec, Wondering if i really need to hurry or think and plan it out

Only if you carry more than the mentioned weight. Other than that there are no charges. Food will be extra. You can order the food when you book the tickets (cheaper that way I guess rather than buying in flight - Not sure though). I would suggest you to book the tickets early if the dates are confirmed. Malaysia is now one hot tourist destination from Cochin. Tickets are sold out once as soon as they start advertising their next package. Moreover, they tend to increase the rate few months before the travel date. (Happened to me last year when we went to China. The difference was pretty large).We have used their services many times travelling to different locations.

I would recommend you to book the 'hot seats'. You will more leg room and you dont need to wait in the queue. Hot seats passengers will be given the first priority. Be their regular customers and at times they will upgrade your tickets to a business class. Happened to me once.

Mind you, the normal seats are very narrow and have less leg room (Reminded me of our semi sleeper coaches to Blore). After the first trip, I always took the hot seat.

Spend a day or two in Malaysia. Worth the visit.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

.

I would recommend you to book the 'hot seats'. You will more leg room and you dont need to wait in the queue. Hot seats passengers will be given the first priority. Be their regular customers and at times they will upgrade your tickets to a business class. Happened to me once.

Mind you, the normal seats are very narrow and have less leg room (Reminded me of our semi sleeper coaches to Blore). After the first trip, I always took the hot seat.

Spend a day or two in Malaysia. Worth the visit.

What is this hot seat ? i see only promo seat and regular seat (which has some option such as date change etc). And how narrow can it get ? worse than Spicejet and other budget indian carriers that fly between our cities ?

There is no direct flight from Bangalore to singapore. I either need to travel to chennai and take a flight to singapore or go to KL and then singapore which works same because KL-singapore is like crazy cheap 1K per person

Other reason to visit Malaysia would be to pick up some electronic goods(I need to think about it !!)

How about the Visa process ? Is it a hassle or can it be smooth ? i dont think there is any visa on arrival for Indians, so need to apply for two countries !!

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

What is this hot seat ? i see only promo seat and regular seat (which has some option such as date change etc). And how narrow can it get ? worse than Spicejet and other budget indian carriers that fly between our cities ?

How about the Visa process ? Is it a hassle or can it be smooth ? i dont think there is any visa on arrival for Indians, so need to apply for two countries !!

Hot seats will be in the front and near the emergency exit. Width would be the same. Only good thing is you will have ample legroom and there isnt any delay to board and exit the flight. They will call out the hot seat passengers and you can skip the queue. Width would be like our budget carriers. Width was fine for me but the legroom was bad was kind of claustrophobic. I guess these hot seats will be marked in red. If you ant find it online, you can easily upgrade to hot seats later. Of course, you need to pay extra for these privileges. Nothing major, just a small amount.

You can even spend some time in Malaysia airport. But Air Asia operates from the Low cost terminal meaning it wont be the main terminal and you will have to walk a lot to reach the baggage section. But still the terminal is huge compared to indian airports. There are many supermarkets, major eatouts (McD, KFC, etc etc) and one Indian restaurant.

Visa process is smooth. We had no problems. China wasnt smooth when compared to Mal and Singapore.

To get electronic stuff, just head to Bukit Bintang. There is one mall exclusively for electronic/computer stuff.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by naveen.raju

Hot seats will be in the front and near the emergency exit. Width would be the same. Only good thing is you will have ample legroom and there isnt any delay to board and exit the flight. They will call out the hot seat passengers and you can skip the queue. Width would be like our budget carriers. Width was fine for me but the legroom was bad was kind of claustrophobic. I guess these hot seats will be marked in red. If you ant find it online, you can easily upgrade to hot seats later. Of course, you need to pay extra for these privileges. Nothing major, just a small amount.

You can even spend some time in Malaysia airport. But Air Asia operates from the Low cost terminal meaning it wont be the main terminal and you will have to walk a lot to reach the baggage section. But still the terminal is huge compared to indian airports. There are many supermarkets, major eatouts (McD, KFC, etc etc) and one Indian restaurant.

Visa process is smooth. We had no problems. China wasnt smooth when compared to Mal and Singapore.

To get electronic stuff, just head to Bukit Bintang. There is one mall exclusively for electronic/computer stuff.

Thanks for the info. I ll keep you posted on these developments

[rajshenoy]

Guys

I have a query on the forex part for travelling to Singapore- Malaysia

few links on the net suggest that i can easily convert INR at any of the forex locations. Just wanted to confirm the same.

Do i need to carry some forex card or Travellers cheque or even local currency ? or I will be able to convert INR at airport etc into local currencies ?

I have already booked all the hotel and airfare, So mostly need local currencies for stuff like food and taxi, for which they may not accept my credit card.

I am travelling to Singapore, Langkawi and KL.

Please suggest what should be the ideal way to spend local currency.

[shivshanker]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Guys

I have a query on the forex part for travelling to Singapore- Malaysia

few links on the net suggest that i can easily convert INR at any of the forex locations. Just wanted to confirm the same.

Do i need to carry some forex card or Travellers cheque or even local currency ? or I will be able to convert INR at airport etc into local currencies ?

I have already booked all the hotel and airfare, So mostly need local currencies for stuff like food and taxi, for which they may not accept my credit card.

I am travelling to Singapore, Langkawi and KL.

Please suggest what should be the ideal way to spend local currency.

@Raj.. avoid the Travelex at the airports for changing currency, they give the worst of exchange rates. Change Currency from Thomas Cook or any of similar places from INR to SG Dollars or MY RM.

Keep around 100-200 $$ cash with u, with atleast a 50in small change. Travelers Cheques are best used as you will not be burdened with additional charges due to currency fluctuations and Bank's exchange rates.

Mustafa in Sernagoon gives the best rates also for MY RM.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by shivshanker

@Raj.. avoid the Travelex at the airports for changing currency, they give the worst of exchange rates. Change Currency from Thomas Cook or any of similar places from INR to SG Dollars or MY RM.

Keep around 100-200 $$ cash with u, with atleast a 50in small change. Travelers Cheques are best used as you will not be burdened with additional charges due to currency fluctuations and Bank's exchange rates.

Mustafa in Sernagoon gives the best rates also for MY RM.

Hey buddy i should have PMed you

Thanks for the tip. When you say i can change the currency outside. Do you mean US $ or Indian rupee? I think its anyway easier to carry $ because of its vaule

[shankar.balan]

What I find easy to do is to toodle outside the concourse after immigration and collecting the bags etc and go straight to the nearest ATM and pull out some local currency by using my International debit card which draws on my India account.
This way, I get to take advantage of the currency rate fluctuations without locking up capital in currency form at some particular rate.
The other thought is to just buy a pre paid Forex card from HDFC or ICICI.