Petaling Jaya

Petaling Jaya, or fondly called ‘PJ’ by the locals, is a thriving and growing satellite township in Selangor, and located west of Kuala Lumpur. Connected to the city by the Federal Highway, Petaling Jaya has grown from a small town in 1954 to become one of the busiest areas in Malaysia. The fact that it is the first planned town in the country is quite evident with distinctive segregation of areas designated as commercial, business and residential sections. The housing areas in PJ are well-planned with the older sections having houses with spacious gardens, a good network of connecting roads and lush greenery that is a welcomed respite during hot days. Now home to more than half a million residents, Petaling Jaya gained its ‘city’ status in 2006 in accordance to its fast-paced development and to meet the growing demand for more facilities and upgrade from its residents.

Largely a residential area, which was developed to ease the congestion in the city, Petaling Jaya does not have much to offer in terms of sightseeing. For a quick tour of the area, you can actually take the LRT from KL Sentral right up to the last station in Kelana Jaya. Almost half of the train line actually transverses through Petaling Jaya and most of the time you’ll probably just see houses and factories. There are some notable attractions namely the Kota Darul Ehsan Arch that sits across the Federal Highway and signals that you are entering the state of Selangor. Petaling Jaya area starts from there on. Others include the Wat Chetawan Temple which attract devotees especially during Thai festivals such as Songkran and Wesak, the Gasing Hill that offers a great view of the area and the only remaining forest reserve in PJ and popular with hikers on weekend and Taman Jaya, located across Amcorp Mall, which is a favourite spot for joggers and cyclists.

Malaysians in general love to eat and they can eat at anytime with many restaurants open 24 hours. The same trend is prevalent in Petaling Jaya with hundreds of restaurants, food courts, and hawker centres that offer all types of Asian and Western dishes. A veritable presence in PJ is the mamak restaurants that are mostly operated by Indian Muslims. Most of them are open around the clock, offer delicious fairly priced dishes and large screen TVs that attract football enthusiast on games days. Some of the more popular areas for food would be Damansara Utama that has many restaurants as well as a food court, Taman Megah that is the location for the Fatty Crab Restaurant which serves outstanding crab dishes, SS2 with its large hawker centre offering Chinese cuisines and many others. Petaling Jaya also has a healthy nightlife with pubs, karaoke joints and pool bars in almost all residential areas. For some exciting nightlife though, you may want to check out Uncle Chilli’s at PJ Hilton Hotel that has live bands playing on most nights and Rush, a popular disco and bar at the Eastin Hotel.

Petaling Jaya is a great place to shop and best of all most of the malls are not as crowded as the ones in Kuala Lumpur. People are more laid back here and take things a bit more relaxed including shopping. The latest shopping mall to open its door is the Tropicana City Mall which located in Damansara Intan. Open daily from 9am onwards, the mall is occupied by Carrefour hypermarket as the anchor tenant, popular bookstore, the Borders, fashion outlets and the new GSC Cineplex. Another notable destination is Jaya 33, an office cum retail area that offers its visitors a complete lifestyle experience with specialty shops, restaurants, spa and a gymnasium. For a more relaxing ambience, head on to Amcorp Mall which hosts the popular flea market every weekend. Though it’s not the glitzy kind of shopping centres, Amcorp Mall is a great place to find antiques and cheap books.

Looking for a place to stay in Petaling Jaya is an easy task with a number of good hotels available. A popular establishment would be the Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Newly renovated and with a great reputation for its service and facilities, the hotel is a favourite choice for business and leisure travellers. It also has a great location just off the Federal Highway with the Asia Jaya LRT station just a few minutes away. As soon as you step into the lobby, you will be engulfed by an unmistakable ambience of luxury. Long associated with international class service, Hilton Petaling Jaya Hotel Kuala Lumpur is also well-known for its fantastic buffet at the Paya Serai restaurant. During fasting month, it is recommended that you make an earlier booking as it’s a full house almost everyday. From a starting rate of RM239 (USD68), it is truly a great bargain for an opportunity to stay in such a legendary hotel.

Located in the same vicinity as the Star newspaper headquarters, the Eastin Hotel is favourite hangout for reporters and business travellers alike. Surrounded by hundreds of offices, it is a also a great place for office workers to partake in business lunches and dinner. This 4-star hotel offers not just convenience but also elegantly furnished rooms and interior that would melt away any tiredness. With fantastic amenities such as complimentary WIFI, the hotel also offers luxuriously designed Executive Floors that give extra privileges to those who seek additional perks. From a starting rate of RM190 (USD54), it is definitely worth your time to stay at the Eastin Hotel.

Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa (Formerly Sunway Lagoon Resort Hotel Petaling Jaya Kuala Lumpur) is great hotel for families. It is located next to Sunway Pyramid, one of the largest malls in Malaysia, and Sunway Lagoon, a popular wet and dry theme park. Parents would be relieved to see so many different things to do and see with their children. There’s even a skating rink in the mall for a quick spin on ice. But the hotel itself is quite impressive in terms of design and service. Located within an integrated ‘Resort within a City’, the Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa has an amazing 1234 rooms and each is furnished with the best that money can buy to ensure a decadent ambience for its guests. From a starting rate of RM330 (USD94), you and your family would be glad you choose to stay at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa. It would be an unforgettable experience for everybody.