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Members' Recommendations

Moving to a new country can be a daunting experience. Information you can gather through  books and the internet, cannot replace first hand experience as shared below by WBFN members. If you are already in the Country Office and have some additional experience/tips you would like to share, please contact the WBFN Local Champion or the WBFN office and we will be glad to amend our members' recommendation for this specific country accordingly. WBFN is happy to share—but cannot endorse—information provided by members [consult WBFN Legal]. You have to be a registered WBFN member in order to access the information below; please log in/register

Members Recommendations

  1. 1. When arriving
  2. 2. Short term housing
  3. 3. Housing & understanding your lease
  4. 4. Neighborhoods
  5. 5. Schools and daycares
  6. 6. Security
  7. 7. Healthcare providers & emergencies
  8. 8. Shopping
  9. 9. Recreational activities
  10. 10. Communities
  11. 11. Other recommendations
  1. 1. When arriving
    • Lanson Place has two residences…
      • Bukit Ceylon location is quite popular among arriving Bank staff and in fact, several staff have chosen to move into the adjoining apartments Verticas for a more permanent stay. 
      • Lanson Place have tastefully furnished 1,2, and 3 bedroom places many with views of the Petronas towers. They offer twice weekly cleaning, a gym, beautiful pools, and fabulous staff. Lanson Place offers free shuttle service several times a day both to Pavilion Mall and to KLCC - where you will find a large park with walking paths, playgrounds and a water park area, The Petrosains Science center which is fabulous for the kids, the Aquarium, shopping and more.
    • Bukit Bintang is a lively tourist area with many restaurants and shops easily accessible. Located walking distance also from Pavilion Mall- a large, popular upscale shopping plaza, Lot 10 and other shopping areas. 
    • Fraser Place and Fraser Residence also have a good reputation and location
    • Lanson Place at Ambassador Row is a bit more budget friendly
    • In all cases remember to negotiate as the rate is usually lower for longer stays
    • Contact Monica L  m_larrieu@yahoo.com  or Patricia Myers at patriciarosemyers@gmail.com
  2. 2. Short term housing

    TEMPORARY HOUSING:

    • Lanson Place (Bukit Ceylon): This location is quite popular among arriving Bank staff and in fact, several staff have chosen to move into the adjoining apartments, Verticas, for a more permanent stay.  It has tastefully furnished 1,2, and 3-bedroom serviced apartments with views of the Petronas towers or KL Tower.  They offer twice weekly cleaning, a gym, beautiful pools, and fabulous staff.  School buses pick up at front of Lanson Place and Verticas.
    • Fraser Place and Fraser Residence in KLCC also have a good reputation and location.
    • Air BnB’s are available throughout Kuala Lumpur and can be more cost-effective so long as you know exactly where your location is (like with all ads, be sure to ask questions or look on the maps provided. Consulting with a local to understand location is ideal). When leaving KL and as home gets packed up, one can rent an apartment from AirBnB near the property you are vacating.
    • Lanson Place (Ambassador Row): is a bit more budget friendly and located near Glen Eagles/Great Eastern Mall.
    • In all cases, remember to negotiate as the rate is usually lower for longer stays.
  3. 3. Housing & understanding your lease
    • When choosing a house, you should keep in mind: Location of school and work.  Traffic flows fairly well on the highway system but can get jammed up near the City center.  Schools often have a published bus route so if you have children, ask at the school you select for a map of neighborhoods on the school bus service route.   With or Without kids- many fabulous neighborhoods to consider with easy access to office- but if you don’t have the school component you have a little more flexibility.
    • When negotiating the rental lease, you should: include diplomatic clause- generally speaking contracts are valid for 1 year and after that you may be released from a longer contract with notice.  Contracts here also can include a multi-year option with or without pricelock. Negotiate on price- prices were quite high for a while but came down during recent years due to downturns in the oil industry so one could really bargain hard.  Things have been picking up, however, so prices have steadily risen again but do negotiate as realtors tend to inflate pricing and ask around for comparable pricing,
    • Agents often only show you houses that they have in their network but you can request them to show you houses from another agent and then they will have to negotiate their commission with that agent.  If you do not like any of those, do not be shy to find another agent.  You can get an idea of properties for rent on iproperty.com.my   and propertyguru.com.my.  Not all properties listed on these sites are actually for rent but most are and it can give you an idea of what is out there.   Also, Agents love to show expats properties in Mont Kiara, which is a beautiful heavily expat community with many elegant high rise and detached home accommodations.  it would be an excellent choice if your children attend Garden or Mont Kiara International School, and for singles- however, there are many fabulous neighborhoods so don’t feel confined to Mount Kiara and ask to see other areas if it doesn’t suit you or just for additional options. 
  4. 4. Neighborhoods

    Some of the most popular areas:

    • KLCC - downtown, easy access to the office, many things in walking distance -  KLCC Park, Petronas towers, shopping malls, Aquarium 
    • Bukit Bintang/Ceylon - St Marys, Verticas, Lanson Place and a few other more budget friendly apartments  for those who like to walk to restaurants and shops in this lively area of KL . 
    • Ampang/U-thant convenient for families with children at ISKL- wide variety of condos and detached home choices. 
    • Seputeh - convenient for families with students at Alice Smith or the Australian School , close to Mid Valley Mall, easy highway access to work. Not ideal for those without children.  
    • Mont Kiara - one of the most popular expat areas, convenient to shops, restaurants, etc. Wide array of condos, semi-detached and detached housing options - convenient for families with kids at Garden or Mont Kiara International School lots to do for singles or couples without children.
    • Bangsar- another of the most popular expat areas - Shopping, restaurants, activities…. a lively place to live or to visit. 
    • KL Sentral easy access to work, very convenient for public transport to many places.
    • Bukit Tunku - very close to the office - houses are expensive here but a few nice and affordable condos. Definitely need a car, quick access to most areas as it is easily accessible by highways and main roads.
    • Damansara and Damansara heights - mostly compounds or detached homes… need a car.
    • Expat community is spread out as there are many options for affordable housing and desirable areas. Western type markets for food are available throughout the city.
    • International schools.
  5. 5. Schools and daycares
    • Children need to attend International schools as local schools teach mainly in Bahasa Malay. There are many international schools of varying quality.  Many are quite new to the scene as for-profit schools have become big business due to government policy changes.
    • These are some of the most well known International Schools,

    Only two are not-for-profit:

    • Alice Smith School:  71 years in KL - British education ages 3-19   ICGSE and A levels
    • International School Kuala Lumpur (ISKL):  53 years in KL - American curriculum for ages 3-18 with IB program in middle-high school. International community consisting not only of Americans, but also Australian, British, Scandinavian and other European families. There are many students from Malaysia, the region in general, as well as quite a few Chinese and Korean students. A brand new campus opened in August 2018 in Ampang Hilr.

                    For-Profit schools:

    • Garden International School:  66 years in KL - British Education ages 3-18 ICGSE and A levels
    • British School Kuala Lumpur:  British Curriculum
    • Mont Kiara International School:  IB program with an American curriculum
    • Australian International School
    • International School at Park City:  IPC curriculum  (in Desa Park City)
    • Nexus International School: IPC curriculum (located in Putrajaya)

    Domestic Help

    • Many nannies and or housekeepers are from the Philippines or Indonesia.  There is a wide range in salaries for full-time help. Filipina helpers command anywhere from RM 1,800 to 3,000 per month, depending on number of days/hours, where as local and Indonesian workers ask for much less.
    • When bringing a housekeeper or Nanny with you, contact the office for the procedure.  Hiring a Housekeeper or Nanny once in the country may require a special agent, but best to verify with the WB office. 
    • Many Filipina helpers are also available for part-time jobs and may already be sponsored and not need any paperwork if already sponsored by someone else.
    • One family brought their helper from Indonesia and originally hired an agent who realized long into the process that they were not able to process a visa for her, as they did not understand the procedure for Diplomatic visa holders.  In the end it was a fairly straight forward process that required the WB office to submit paperwork to the government on the WB family’s behalf. 

     

  6. 6. Security
    • WB staff and families are not given special security training.
    • As with any place there are some areas less safe than others.  Our experience has been that KL is generally safe. Like anywhere, watch your bag when shopping, don’t leave your purse or valuables visible in the car.  We were also told not to leave purse on the passenger seat where it could be easy to grab by opening the door at a stoplight.
    • Also, when walking on the sidewalk, hang your shoulder bag/backpack on opposite side of street. KL is known to have adept purse/phone/backpacks that approach pedestrians on sidewalks, swipe their belongings and speed away (usually in teams of two: one driving motorbike and the other doing the swiping). They are pretty crafty at snatching phones out of the hands of pedestrians as they are using the phone.
  7. 7. Healthcare providers & emergencies

    HOSPITALS RECOMMENDED BY WB REGIONAL MEDICAL OFFICER IN EMERGENCIES

    1. Prince Court Hospital

    Address is 39 Jalan Kia Peng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur,
    Phone: +60 1-800-88-7262
    www.princecourt.com

     

    2. Gleneagles Hospital

    Address is 282-286, Jalan Ampang, 50450 Kuala Lumpur
    Phone: +60 3-4141 3000
    www.gleneagleskl.com.my

     

    3. Pantai Hospital

    Address: 8 Jalan Bukit Pantai, Kuala Lumpur 59100
    Phone: + 603 2296 0888
    www.pantai.com.my/pantai-hospital-kuala-lumpur

     

    AMBULANCE SERVICES

     

    • First Ambulance (Falck) +60377851919  www.falk.com.my/en/:  Ambulances in KL are NOT staffed with EMTs and most will take you to the hospital of their choice unless you call an ambulance specifically for the hospital you wish to go to.  Falk will take you to your requested hospital.  (first choice of the Regional Medical Advisor; they work with the recommended hospitals)
    • Gleneagles Hospital Ambulance– (+603) 41413131

    • Prince Court Medical Centre Ambulance - (+603) 21600999

     

    IN CASE OF SERIOUS TREATMENT ISSUES OR CONDITIONS REQUIRING MEDIVAC-ING OUT OF KL:

     

    Dr Tiso Faletoese  - Regional Medical Advisor East Asia Pacific- WB Health Services Department

     tfalatoese@worldbankgroup.org   +65 6517 1245, DAMA 5720 71245.  Tiso is the CO’s medical advisor and is based in Singapore and is available and an excellent resource for medical and doctor references in Kuala Lumpur.

     

     

    SPECIALISTS

    Prince Court, Gleneagles and Pantai Hospitals have International Patient Liaison contacts that can help identify specialists and relevant expertise, based on your specific needs.  Feel free to contact them, telling them you are with the World Bank here.

    • Prince Court Hospital – contact Jennie Wong  HP 019 3155238
    • Rachel Chan Kwai Heong HP 012 6277601
    • Glen Eagles – contact Norma Daud  019.335.7276
    • Pantai – contact Gomathi Sugayindran HP 012 525 5447
    • Institut Jantung Negara  (National Heart Institute)    www.ijn.com.my  
    • Kuala Lumpur Sports Medicine Centre (KLSMC) (Orthopedics): Tel.  (03) 20961033 located in Damansara. Excellent doctors, facilities and physical therapy services.   

     

     

    ROUTINE CARE

    Twin Towers Medical Centre (TTMC):  Conveniently located on 4th Floor of Suria KLCC. Excellent and prompt service. Basic diagnostics and comprehensive pharmacy available on premises.  They don’t over-prescribe antibiotics. They are familiar with filling out forms for school or WB Medical Clearances.  

    Prince Court Medical Centre (PCMC):  The Executive Health Screening at Prince Court is extensive and exceptionally well priced.  Well worth your time and money for the number of tests provided and medical consults. 

     

     

    HEALTH INSURANCE

    World Bank members have the option to keep their Aetna insurance (as-is) or switch to Vanbraeda. It is a personal choice and depends more so on whether your family plans on seeing their same doctors in the US during vacations or for specific conditions or maintenance treatments. If not seeking services in the US during your assignment, Vanbraeda would be a better fit. However, if you decide to keep Aetna in order to seek medical attention on assignment as well as back in the US, it is easy to see any specialist in KL, pay out of pocket (credit cards are widely accepted) and get reimbursed with few, if any, complications.

  8. 8. Shopping
    • KL is a very popular shopping destination with a wide array of malls - the most popular are Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Mid Valley and Gardens Mall, Bangsar Shopping Center, Bangsar Village 1 and 2, My Town.    Two IKEAs -  Damansara and Cheras (My Town)
    • Popular supermarkets among those wanting high quality and Western goods   Jaya Grocer, Cold Storage, Jasons Bangsar, Ben’s Independent Grocer  (Publika), Village Grocers, Tesco, Hok Choon- Ampang for well priced western goods, TMC Bangsar for a little lower priced and more basic shopping atmosphere.  
    • Local Pasars- Bangsar and TTDI among others for more local experience of shopping in ‘wet markets.’
    • Delivery options are also available for many stores - try these apps: HappyFresh, HonestBee, Tesco, JayaGrocer Online.  very reliable but if you need to be sure to have a specific item may be best to pick it up in the store as sometimes stocks are limited for the delivery
    • You may find organics at Village Grocer, but all of the above offer some organics, order milk, cheeses, yoghurt and other organic dairy products  from Bright Cow or Onkar-  there is also a service that will deliver organic vegetables from Genting Highlands like a Community Sponsored Agriculture. 
    • There is a farmers market at Bangsar night market.
    1. 8.1 Supermarkets
      • KL is a very popular shopping destination with a wide array of malls-  the most popular are Pavilion,  Suria KLCC, Mid Valley and Gardens Mall, Bangsar Shopping Center, Bangsar Village 1 and 2, My Town. Two IKEAs  -  Damansara and Cheras (My Town)
      • Popular supermarkets among those wanting high quality and Western goods Jaya Grocer, Cold Storage, Jasons Bangsar, Ben’s Independent Grocer  (Publika), Village Grocers, Tesco, Hok Choon- Ampang for well priced western goods, TMC Bangsar for a little lower priced and more basic shopping atmosphere.  
      • Local Pasars - Bangsar and TTDI among others for more local experience of shopping
      • Delivery options are also available for many stores - try these apps HappyFresh, HonestBee, Tesco, JayaGrocer online. Very reliable but if you need to be sure to have a specific item may be best to pick it up in the store as sometimes stocks are limited for the delivery
      • You may find organics at Village Grocer, but all of the above offer some organics, order milk, cheeses, yoghurt  and other organic dairy products from Bright Cow or Onkar-  there is also a service that will deliver organic vegetables from Genting Highlands like a Community Sponsored Agriculture. 
      • There is a farmers market at Bangsar night market.
  9. 9. Recreational activities

    What to do with kids?

    • Hiking trails - Bukit Gasing, Botanical Garden, Light show at KLCC, Waterpark KLCC, Butterfly and Bird Park, outside KLCC - Elephant Sanctuary, Batik painting, biking in Desa Park City

    Indoor activities

    • KidZania for younger kids - primary age
    • Aquaria
    • Petrosains Science Center
    • Planetarium

    Adventure activities

    • Camp 5 Indoor Climbing (1Utama),
    • FastTraxx - indoor skiing and snowboarding,
    • Air Rider Indoor Skydiving 1 Utama, District 21 Putrajaya adventure indoors
    • Sky Trax - ziplines and outdoor adventure
    • Sunway Lagoon

    Museums, concert halls…

    • Malaysian Philharmic and others at Petronas
    • KLPAC Damansara
    • KL Players - acting group
    • Museums - National Textile Museum, National Museum,
    • Rugby - KL Tigers has a great kid league meeting each Saturday at Alice Smith Secondary
    • Horseback riding and lessons - Bukit Kiara, Selangor Turf Club
    1. 9.1 Restaurants

      Restaurants, nightlife, kid-friendly restaurants:  Food is a national past time in Malaysia and options for a variety of cuisines from fancy restaurants to local noodle shops abound.  Local food tends to be a tasty mix of Chinese, Indian and Malay options but food from around the world can be found here

      • Best views of the City: Helipad for drinks (not food), Fuego and Cantalope (Troika, which has since lost their view of one of the Petronas Towers to the Four Seasons), SkyBar (also for drinks in early evening at Traders Hotel); poolside restaurant at the Mandarin Hotel.
      • Brickfields is a neighborhood where you can find authentic local Indian food (Aroma, Betel Leaf and others)- many banana leaf restaurants throughout the city, Bombay Palace for more upscale dining
      • Asian Fusion/Atmosphere:  Tamarind Springs (Ampang) and Tamarind Hill (next to Shangri La Hotel)
      • Local Chinese - Siu Siu (Seputeh)- basic but well-known local Chinese fare
      • Thai - Rama V for more upscale Thai dining but lots of very good Thai throughout the city
      • For kids and anyone with a hankering for a good Burger-  Killer Gourmet Burgers.
      • Atmosphere- Botanica- decent food and nice ambiance… always crowded though.
      • Breakfast:  The Red Bean Bag (Publika); Antipodean (Bangsar); Wild Honey (all Day breakfast Pavilion); Huckleberry (Damansara); Yeast (Bangsar, Mid Valley); RaFT in KLCC (in between Intercontinental and Troika).
      • Best pizza delivery – Mikey’s - can order on WA and it arrives in 45 min…. large pizzas, not the most amazing pizza but decent and easy to order
      • For catering small events -  The PICHA project -  supports refugee families who cook delicious meals (Eleanor the EA at the WB office has the contacts).
      • Out of Africa (Petaling Jaya): Great South African barbeque joint with an Olympic sized pool kids can swim in between eating. Great for family gatherings (make reservation).
      • Great food/restaurant/spa blog:  www.theyumlist.net
  10. 10. Communities
    • Facebook page for buying and selling and advice -  KL Expats For Sale, Advise and Recommendations
    • Expat Car Guys -  very reliable for buying and selling used and or new cars
  11. 11. Other recommendations

    Buying a car:

    Expat Car Guys (Bryan Fong Tel 013.358.3589 Website: www.expatcarguys.com)

    KL Expats For Sale website

    School want ads

     

    Car Rental:  AVIS Rentals at the Renaissance Hotel: Surprisingly cheap for a big city (USD 30/day on an extended rental of a economy vehicle).

     

    NEED TO STILL PICK A FEW BRAINS? Feel free to contact:

     

    1. 11.1 Pets/Vets

      Kuala Lumpur can be a pet-friendly posting but it takes a little more work to find pet-friendly (read  dog-friendly) homes and neighborhoods. Cats are a bit easier to accommodate in rental homes.