KLIA: Overnight Stopover in Malaysia

29/11/2017

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Main Terminal Building - Source: Wikipedia.

Big hopes, bad planning, little time.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), Sepang, Malaysia. Source: klia2.info

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) - Source: klia2.info

In the past, I have been pretty fussy when selecting the timing of my flights. Until I had explored Doha via the Qatar Airways free city tour, layovers beyond 2 hours seemed to be the worst possible option. Today, things have completely changed. Now I am a traveller actively aiming for stopovers longer than 5 hours; obtaining a chance to sample a new city mid-transit.

Flying into Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2) on AirAsia Flight 716.

At least, that was the plan for Malaysia. To arrive at KLIA then onto my hotel about 8 pm, have a refreshing shower, get ready, catch the bus from the airport to explore the city for a few hours, have a drink or 2 at a rooftop bar, and enjoy a skyline view of Kuala Lumpur - Perfect. But no, this would not be happening on my stopover en-route to Laos. I had overlooked the fact that during stopovers, the airline retains your checked luggage to transfer onto your connecting flight the next day - I needed that luggage. Plus, after arriving at KLIA and waiting 2 hours for airline staff to retrieve my bag, I reached the Tune airport hotel approximately 10:30 pm, only to discover I had booked the wrong hotel and the one I was in currently had no rooms available.

I was supposed to select the Tune hotel closest to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which is easily accessible by walking. However, I must have been half asleep when I made the booking, and I ended up booking Tune Hotel Aeropolis, the one furthest away.

The Glasshouse Cafe inside Tune KLIA2.

Luckily, the Tune Hotels run a free shuttle service between the hotels. Unluckily, I arrived during a hectic time, and all of the shuttles were full until 1:30 am, dashing any remaining hope I had of seeing Kuala Lumpur.

As the accommodation is 15 minutes drive away, catching a taxi to and from the hotel would have dipped too far into my tiny Malaysia budget. Instead, I opted to recharge at the hotel while waiting for the shuttle. I spent the next few hours in The Glasshouse Cafe, drinking wine and charging my phone, before arriving at the correct hotel and heading straight for a shower.

Coming next: A review of the facilities at Tune KLIA2 at and the rooms at Tune Aeropolis.