You have got your flight tickets, made your hotel reservations, received your Malaysia visa, and packed your bags. You have decided on the places you are going to see, things you are going to do, foods you are going to eat, and places you are going to shop at. You are all set to have a fun and adventurous holiday in the amazing Southeast Asian country of Malaysia. But have you thought about how you are going to travel within the country?
You would have to travel within the cities, between different cities, and between the two different sections of the country: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo Island. While you can hire a private car to explore the different parts of the country, this can be expensive. Thankfully, the public transportation in Malaysia is efficient and affordable. So, once you get your Malaysia tourist visa and plan your itinerary, you must figure out your transportation. Here is a complete Malaysia public transport guide that will help first time Malaysia visitors to navigate through the country.
Malaysia Public Transport Guide
Different types of public transportation exist in Malaysia. One can choose among them as per their convenience and budget. The four types of public transport in Malaysia are roadways, railways, waterways, and airways. Let us look at each one of them in detail.
Roadways
Traveling by road is the easiest, fastest, and the most efficient way of traveling in Malaysia. Most of its cities and towns have good and smooth roads, making traveling by road a great experience. Even here, you have plenty of options.
Bus: Buses are the go-to transport mode for most Malaysians and can be adopted by tourists as well. There are more than one bus operators, both public and private operators. As there are numerous bus operators, it is easy to find a bus to go wherever you want to.
Public Bus Operators
- Go KL City Bus: This is a public bus operator that has 11 routes taking passengers anywhere they want to go in the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. The buses are color coded as per their routes, and you will find buses in colors like purple, pink, orange, blue, red, maroon, green, parrot-green, chocolate, turquoise, and grey. There is a bus every 15 minutes, and you can reach any of the major tourist places with this bus. It is completely free.
- Rapid Bus/Rapid KL: Another public bus transportation is Rapid Bus, which runs on 177 routes in and around Kuala Lumpur. You will also find Rapid Bus services in other cities of Malaysia, including Kuantan City, Penang, Nadiputra Putrajaya, Smart Selangor, PJ City, etc. There is a nominal charge of RM3 for this bus. This bus service offers city shuttles, express routes, local shuttles, and trunk routes.
- Konsortium Transnasional Berhad: Your travel to anywhere in Peninsular Malaysia becomes easy with Konsortium Transnasional Berhad, another public bus transportation. Also known as KTB, it covers 250 routes and has more than 1500 buses. You can choose among four types of bus services, which are Transnasional (stage bus), Nice (luxury bus service), Pushliner (express bus service), and Cityliner (specialized service).
Private Bus Operators: Malaysia has two private bus operators as well, which takes you bus rides across the country to another level. The first is Aeroline, which connects Peninsular Malaysia to Singapore, and are akin to traveling in an airplane. You not only get to ride in a comfortable and luxurious vehicle but also be served food and drinks by a crew onboard. These buses also have washrooms inside them. The second one is Super Nice which runs within Peninsular Malaysia. Also known as Supernice Grassland, Super Nice has luxury buses equipped with plush, reclinable seats, air-conditioners, LED lights, and even WIFI.
Taxi: Taxis are also another option for travelling within the city and between the cities as well. This is the best way to travel if you want to enjoy privacy while traveling. But this comes with a price, as taxis are generally expensive. If you do not mind the cost, you can hire a taxi to travel within Kuala Lumpur. Long-distance taxis are also available, which will take you from one city to another. You can avail long distance taxi facility at Puduraya Bus Station. But they are available on a shared basis. So, you may have to wait for a bit till the taxi is full to start your journey.
Rickshaws and Rental Bikes: Smaller cities and towns of Malaysia give you the chance to explore on rickshaws. These are simple carriages like vehicles on bicycles. This is not only fun but also an authentic way of exploring the place. You can easily find rickshaws in places like Malacca and Georgetown. An eco-friendly way of exploring the places in Malaysia is by rental bikes. Several companies offer rental bikes in Malaysia. The are quite common in places like Penang, Cameron Highlands, and Langkawi. You can choose from kid bikes, road bikes, mountain bikes, city bikes, and chopper bikes.
Railways
There are several options when it comes to rail travel in Malaysia. Although they are not as popular as the bus services, they are still good ways to travel in the country.
Local Trains: Local trains are frequently available in Kuala Lumpur. You can choose amongst light rail transit (LRT), mass rail transit (MRT), and monorail in Kuala Lumpur. These three railways’ systems connect most of the major places in Kuala Lumpur. The best part is that their frequency is good. They are quite affordable too.
Long Distance Trains: The long-distance trains in Malaysia are called KTMB. These are luxurious trains that have comfortable seats, good leg room, and air-conditioners as well. You will also find sleeper trains that connect major cities. But long-distance trains are more expensive than long distance bus services. But you will get to admire the beautiful landscape of the place. They are a good option for people who suffer from road sickness.
Waterways
As there plenty of islands in Malaysia, travel by waterways is also a good option to travel to different islands from the mainland. From the Peninsular Malaysia, you will find ferries and boat services to islands like Penang, Langkawi, Tioman, and Pangkor. Ferries and boats in Malaysia range from simple ones to air-conditioned ones. They are cheap ways of traveling too. You will find ferry services in Malaysia Borneo as well. Both areas of Borneo, i.e., Sabah and Sarawak, have regular boat services.
Airways
Airplanes are the easiest and the fastest way of traveling between different cities of Malaysia. The major airport of Malaysia is the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is well connected to different countries in the world. Apart from this, the country has five more international airports and 38 smaller ones. Langkawi International Airport and Penang International Airport are the other two popular airports for international travelers. You can book flights on airlines like Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, and Air Asia if you want to save time while exploring the different parts of Malaysia. If you are planning to travel from Peninsular Malaysia to Borneo, airways are your only option. There are no roadways or railways connecting these two parts of the country. Also, no ferries, boats, or ships operate between these two islands. The two major airports in Borneo are Kuching International Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport.
The strong public transport system in Malaysia makes holiday in the country smooth and hassle-free. You do not have to spend too much money while traveling within the country if you plan wisely.
