Set in the heart of Southeast Asia, Malaysia is easily
accessible from most parts of the world by air, surface and
sea links. Over 45 international airlines fly into the
country while national carrier Malaysia Airlines has a
global network that spans six continents and a national
network that covers more than 36 local destinations. AirAsia,
Malaysia's budget airline also services certain domestic and
regional routes.
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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 Malaysias 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.
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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, Malacca 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 more information, visit
www.diethelm-travel.com/eastern.htm.
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
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