Malaysia: A Quick Tour of Putrajaya

Recently I found myself in Putrajaya, attending a private meeting at a hotel in the locality. The last time I went to Putrajaya, it was about 5 years ago, and the public transport system for the area was almost non-existent apart from a few public buses. The only viable option at the time was to take a taxi from the train station. Even then, you had to wait a long time for a taxi to come along. You're certainly better off driving there. Things however have changed for the better. I saw plenty of buses and taxis queuing at the train station this time around. Definitely good news for those who work and live there, as well as for tourists visiting the administrative capital city of Malaysia.
 

Using KLIA Transit train, Putrajaya/ Cyberjaya Station is about 20 minutes away from KL Sentral and about 20 minutes as well from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The train fares are MYR9.50 and MYR6.20 respectively. This means that Putrajaya could be a good option for those who are in transit at KLIA and have a few hours to kill before their next flight out but do not want to go all the way to Kuala Lumpur city centre.

As I was already in Putrajaya, I took the opportunity to do a quick tour of Putrajaya from the train station. There's a pre-paid taxi service where you can buy a coupon from a booth at the train station to hire a taxi driver to drive you around for a fixed price based on the number of hours that you require. For a 2-hour tour, you have to pay only MYR75 for a budget taxi (using Malaysia's Proton Waja). Other options available are premier taxi service (e.g. Proton Perdana, MYR130) and executive service (people carrier, suitable for 5-7 pax, also at MYR130).

Unfortunately I didn't have much time, so I asked for a 1-hour tour in a budget taxi which cost me MYR39. As I was travelling alone, I thought it's somewhat expensive, but at the same time I realised that if it's for 2 people or more, the rates quoted are quite reasonable.

This taxi tour works on the concept where you decide on where you want to go and where to stop, subject to the time frame that has been agreed on and paid for before hand.  For my tour, the first stop was Seri Wawasan Bridge (not seen in the photo) from where you can take a photo of the bridge as well as that of Masjid Putra (Putra Mosque) and the Prime Minister's Office which are located across the lake.

From here, my driver took me to the next stop, which was Millenium Monument.
  

From Millenium Monument, we headed to the nearby Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, which was completed in 2009, and named after the then Supreme Head of Malaysia, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.

Across the boulevard from the masjid is Putrajaya Corporation Office Complex and behind it is Palace of Justice, or what is locally known as Istana Kehakiman.

View of Putrajaya from the masjid.

From the masjid, we retraced our route and stopped by Ministry of Finance for a quick photo shoot. Below is the boulevard that runs in front of Ministry of Finance building.

And from here we drove to Putra Square (or Dataran Putra) for a few more snaps of Masjid Putra and Prime Minister's Office, which is officially known as Perdana Putra.

And lastly, another stop at Seri Wawasan Bridge to capture the sights on the other side of the bridge before heading back to the train station.

Apart from a few other main attractions (including some bridges), I think I managed to cover a large part of major attractions in Putrajaya. For the rest, hopefully there would be another trip to Putrajaya soon. I hope to try the lake cruise as well the next time I'm in town. Putrajaya is also well known for its botanical gardens (yes, plural :-)) - which means that it is also a good place for a day trip, especially for families.

How long did it take to cover all these sights? Believe it or not, it took me slightly over 1 hour, with just a few minutes to spend at each stop for some photo opportunities. At each stop, I was rushing over here and there trying to find a good spot for photos. My recommendation therefore is to take at least a 2-hour tour if you have the time, and definitely opt for a longer option if you prefer to take your time, wait for the right moment for photos, use a tripod, etc.

If you have the time and are on a budget, you can take a public bus to get around from the train station and within Putrajaya. Each bus trip would cost you just MYR0.50.

On weekends, there is an even better and cheaper deal for tourists. Putrajaya Corporation provides a 2-hour tour (twice daily on weekends) from the train station at a very minimal cost of MYR1 per person. No, it's not MYR10. It's just MYR1. Tickets are sold on first come first served basis. More info on this tour can be found here. One drawback of this tour is that there is a very limited number of stops where you can actually get off the bus to see some of the places. So there really isn't much of photo opportunities for budding photographers, unless if you are happy with taking photos from inside of the bus. Apart from that issue, it's highly recommended.

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Travelling to Kuala Lumpur and still looking for an accommodation? Start your search here. :) For other www.RambleAndWander.com blog entries on Malaysia, click here.