KL Best Taxi Service

My last post was a little lame frankly. I probably left it a little too long after leaving KL to write it, and forgot some of the intricacies that I was originally intending to convey regarding the best magazines for expats in KL. Anyhow, at least I put forward my definite #1, which was Time Out.

Anyhow, this post is another bit of KL advice for expats, or anyone really, and that is taxis. Taxis - while incredibly cheap in KL compared to most other developed cities in the world (particularly bloody Australia!) - are a bit hit and miss. There are SO many different kinds of taxis, some of which are regulated, but many I believe are not. For the unsuspecting tourist or expat, this can lead to difficulties.

So let's start with the basics. There are 4 main ways you can get taxis in Malaysia:

1) At the airport

2) Online booking

3) On the street in KLCC/Bukit Bintang areas

4) On the street elsewhere

We'll go one by one.

1) Airport - as you leave Customs, you'll see a taxi counter. This is by far and away the best place to book a cab. You tell them your destination and the fare is fixed and paid upfront. No hassles. Ever. You can get taxi touts en masse in the arrivals hall, and hey some of them might give a decent competitive price, but my experience is most will try and sting you for tolls, extras, and also it is not registered, so you're in their hands. Flying in, either use the train (which is kind of stupid expensive now really) or use the taxi service counter. Easy.

2) Online their is an app called grab cab or something similar. The link is here https://www.grab.com/my/ Simply put, this service is awesome. You can choose exec, budget or even private cars, and between the 3 options, I have never had a problem getting a taxi, and they are always decent, I guess because it is registered. This is an excellent app, and I could not recommend it more highly, even when in the middle of town.

3) Be careful hailing a cab in this environment, as they try to stooge you often. Always immediately ask if they are going to use the meter. If yes, should be ok, if not, then just walk away. Otherwise you'll end up paying 3-10 times more than you should.

4) Generally, hailing a cab outside the central city is ok in my experience, and I have never had an issue with a cabbie not using the meter in this circumstance. But if they do not put it on as soon as you get in the cab, ask, and if they make some excuse, get out.

For me, even though it was more pricey, I was a big fan of Blue Cabs in KL. Clean, modern vehicles, professional drivers for the most part, and security. If you are not on a strict budget, this is the mode I would advise. A photo of one of their cabs, picking me up from my old home in KL is below:

KL's Best Magazines for Expats

Right, here's a post I have been planning for a while - a quick summary of the main expat magazines in KL and what they have to offer.

To me, there are three to consider:

1) The Expat

The Expat is a great magazine, but to me has a pretty focused target group(s). If you are new to KL, I could not recommend it more - it talks a lot about the best schools, gives good insight into places to live and shop/eat, and about expat-required services. I found it very useful in the early days. However, once I had been in KL a while, I kind of got bored with it. Apart from what I already mentioned, it mainly looks at social life for older people, not so much my target group. The exception to this comment is if you live in Penang. I love Penang, and holidayed there as much as I could, but never once met an expat who lived there. However I believe there is quite a large group, and The Expat magazine really caters to them well by having numerous columns on happenings in Penang, and the social scene, which seems mainly to cater to retirees.

2) Expatriate Lifestyle

Expatriate Lifestyle is the second on the list. Unlike The Expat, it is not free, but frankly from the few times I read it, I can't say it offers a whole lot more to justify the expense. It is a fun and well-made magazine for sure, but covers a lot of the same ground, perhaps with a slightly more social-life focus, and thus would be a drawcard for some. It is certainly worth a read, but even though I was initially keen to subscribe, once I found out it actually cost money, I decided to stay with The Expat.

3) Timeout KL

Timeout KL to me is the winner by a country mile. As said previously, if you are new to KL, you really need The Expat as it is a fantastic source of info for new people in town. But if you are a seasoned expat, then for me, Timeout is the only way to go. It covers all aspects of getting out and about - shopping, things to do, eating at all ends of the budget spectrum, kids activities, and general chit chat about KL life. Plus it focuses on individual suburbs on a monthly basis, which is really great when you're looking for somewhere new to try.

My vote for best expatriate magazine in KL goes squarely to Timeout KL. I thoroughly recommend you pick up a copy and find some great new bars, restaurants, malls or places to visit for your weekends off!

Ah.... KL. How I miss you. I left in early June, after spending most of the previous 8 years there. I do miss the place. Have a Tiger for me...

KL Bucket List #12 (Retro) - Harj

Alas this goes in as a retro post, meaning I didn't actually manage to do it during the bucket list period (i.e. final days in Malaysia) and instead have to rely on my old memories.

It may sound a little vague, but Harj refers to Harjeet Singh, my old friend and work colleague initially from the Penjom days of 2008-2012 (although he has been there a whole lot longer!).

For the expats of Penjom and anyone from those days who still hangs around Malaysia and passes through Lipis once in a while, Wesly Cafe - and Harjeet by association - is an institution.

This is a recent shot from earlier this year, showing Harj in his usual spot, and Sam, the Penjom accountant, who generally pops in each day for one, pops a few pills and then goes home. Harj as you can see, is drinking Anchor these days, but for many years was a Skol man. However the Skol rep was not customer-focused enough, whereas the Anchor one was, so Harj was converted!

The Wes was our watering hole pretty much from Day #1, back in 2008, when I started at Penjom. It was not unusual for Harj to be joined by Dean, Russ, Stu, Bob, Brian and myself, with numerous other ring-ins from time to time. Our drink of choice was Tiger cans, and at RM6 a drop, it was easy to turn one or two into many.

Haha, in fact that reminds me. The catch-cry was usually one of us asking the owner for satu lagi (one more), which was quickly followed by dua, tiga, empat (2, 3, 4) and then often Brian finishing up by throwing his hands in the air and crying banyak! (many). Brings a smile to my face. I loved those times, and loved working with and drinking with those boys. Sad that those days are long gone. Dean and Russ still work together, and a few of the Avocet group are still in KL, namely JR, Peter and Jason. But those heady days at the Wesly are but a memory now - a hazy one too just quietly!

I'll do a follow-up on the Wes once I get my stuff back from KL and retrieve some old pics. There's more to this story - namely the food and the toilet! But for now, this will do. If by any crazy chance you ever visit Lipis, drop in after 6pm any day except Friday and say hi to Harj for me....