Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUA) is about 45km from the town centre so can take an hour in a taxi if the traffic isn’t great.
We were lucky enough to be following what looked like a presidential car with little flags and accompanying motorcycle outriders but it still took about 40 mins. We’d arranged the taxi the night before. Whilst it’s only 75RM (Malaysian Ringgits, ~5MR to the GBP, ~3 to the USD) from the airport it is 130RM the other way. The previous night’s cab driver had been eavesdropping on our conversation about flying the next day and offered to take us for 80RM.
The express bus to and from the airport is 35 per person each way, so 80 is quite reasonable.
Obviously I didn't take this...source unknown
Taxis here have a habit of hugely overcharging if they’re parked. If you wave them down in the street they’re obliged to use the meter, but watch for them covering it up with a newspaper or towel as you may have the cost of their previous journey added to yours.
If they’re parked and having a cigarette they’ll try and arrange a fixed price up to quadruple that of the meter cost, and then add a hefty convenience fee for waiting. Once the tiresome process of arranging a price is completed they’re actually very knowledgable and chatty, and a great way to find anything in the city.
KLIA domestic terminal is modern but a bit haphazard so it took a while to figure our way through baggage drop off and security. We were flying AirAsia which is the regional budget airline. On booking a flight you get just a random seat on the flight with 7kgs of hand luggage and nothing else, but adding seat reservations and checked in luggage is still extremely reasonable.
Our 40 minute flight cost all of £4.38 each, and the additional 20kgs of luggage allowance between us was only another £10. Unlike certain Irish low-cost carriers the planes were new and clean. the flight went very smoothly and dropped us off at our destination – the only airport on Penang island.
