Klang

Klang, also spelled Kelang, is the royal town of Selangor, on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia besides Shah Alam.

Understand
The town is named after the Klang River, which cuts the town in half, and sits at the western end of the Klang Valley.

Talk
As with anywhere else in Malaysia, Malay is the lingua franca, and upper-class people are usually able to speak English as well. Hokkien is the main language spoken by the ethnic Chinese community, though most ethnic Chinese are also able to speak Cantonese, with a significant number able to speak Mandarin as well. Tamil is the main language spoken by the ethnic Indian community.

By car
There are 3 major highways linking to Klang. The North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) links the Bukit Raja toll plaza in Klang to the North-South Highway. Visitors from Shah Alam, Subang, Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur can use the Federal Highway to reach Klang. Visitors can also use the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS highway) to reach Klang South. Alternatively, Klang is also accessible via coastal roads from Banting and Sepang (south) or Kuala Selangor and Sabak Bernam (north).

By train
Klang's railway station is located at Jalan Stesen in the part of town south of the Klang River. KTM Komuter, Klang Valley's commuter train network, connects Klang directly with Kuala Lumpur (RM3.60, 50 minutes) and Port Klang (RM1.00, 20 minutes). There are several famous bak kut teh (see below) restaurants near the station.

By bus
The Klang bus and taxi terminal has been moved to Klang Sentral, which is about 8 km away from the town centre.

Buses to and from Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang, Kuala Selangor, Banting and other destinations have been operating out of Klang Sentral since 2008. As Klang Sentral is far away from the town centre, the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) has established five bus pick-up points around the town.


 * Transnasional and Cityliner buses operate between Klang and Kuala Lumpur as well as Port Klang. The No. 710 goes to Kuala Lumpur while No. 126 goes to Port Klang.
 * Rapid KL buses operate between Klang, Kuala Lumpur (from KL Sentral and Central Market) and Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya. Wawasan Sutera and Metrobus also operate frequent services to Kuala Lumpur.
 * KMK Express, offering various route from Klang to different destination in Malaysia. The company has a fleet of 15 buses.

Other operators include Ardent Link and various minibus companies.

By boat
Klang itself is not reachable by boat. However, there are boats between Indonesia (Dumai and Tanjung Balai Asahan) and Port Klang which is 8 km away.

Get around
Generally it is more convenient to drive around Klang as public transportation is limited. Taxis are available for hire outside the railway station at Jalan Stesen. In Klang, getting a metered taxi is not convenient - expect to pay RM10-15 per taxi ride.

See
Most travel brochures do not list Klang as one of the "must visit" places in the Klang Valley as it has no architecture wonders like those of Kuala Lumpur nor the natural attractions of Kuala Selangor. Klang is more widely known for its mouth-watering dishes instead of its sights.

However, in the town (where bloody civil wars were fought and tin was traded in the past), Klang offers some sites and buildings that are of historical value.







Do

 * Cricket:
 * Go fishing at Port Klang. Its free and convenient. Just don't mind the smell.

Little India
The Little India enclave along Jalan Tengku Kelana, Klang is the biggest Indian street in Malaysia. Fierce competition among shop owners translate into cheaper prices for consumers, and people are literally spoilt for choice amidst the rows of shops on the left and right sides of the road, with stalls spilling onto the sidewalks and backlanes. Myriads of items such as saris, colorful accessories such as bangles and necklaces, textiles, stainless steel pots, Indian delicacies, gold and flowers are sold here.

During Deepavali, the street is transformed into a colorful spectacle of light and sound befitting the "festival of light". Most shop owners pool their resources together to decorate the street and the walkways of their shops. The street will be decorated weeks before the actual festival. The atmosphere is electrifying and traffic will be clogged up as thousands of people make their way from as far as Singapore to make their purchases. Some shop owners will also invite shoppers into their shops to sample delicacies and to celebrate the festival together.

It is easy to be caught up in the throngs of people walking in the narrow walkways, but a little awareness and precaution should be practiced for your own safety. Police patrol the street during the festive season to avoid unwanted incidents and to control traffic flow. Moreover, the Klang main police headquarters is just a stone's throw away from the street. So this area is quite safe for tourists.

Parking in this area is very limited, so it is advisable to take public transport to Little India. The bus station is located at the beginning (or the end to some people) of the street. Take the Metrobus from the junction facing Pasar Seni, Kuala Lumpur, This bus goes all the way to the Klang bus station. Alternatively, you can take the train from KL Sentral and alight at Klang station. Indian Street is only ten minutes away from the train station.

Shopping centres



 * Klang City Square, near Shaw Centrepoint. However, much of the building is deserted and not much tenancy.
 * Aeon Big Klang - Jalan Kapar Large hypermarket that caters mostly to the locals staying near Meru, Kapar and Klang Utama which was Carrefour earlier.
 * Tesco Hypermarket, Bandar Bukit Tinggi.
 * Giant Hypermarket, Bandar Bukit Tinggi
 * Tesco Hypermarket, Taman Setia Alam at a new residential area, Bandar Setia Alam. Large hypermarket that houses few local restaurants with a KFC. With a McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut drive-throughs nearby.
 * Klang City Square, near Shaw Centrepoint. However, much of the building is deserted and not much tenancy.
 * Aeon Big Klang - Jalan Kapar Large hypermarket that caters mostly to the locals staying near Meru, Kapar and Klang Utama which was Carrefour earlier.
 * Tesco Hypermarket, Bandar Bukit Tinggi.
 * Giant Hypermarket, Bandar Bukit Tinggi
 * Tesco Hypermarket, Taman Setia Alam at a new residential area, Bandar Setia Alam. Large hypermarket that houses few local restaurants with a KFC. With a McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut drive-throughs nearby.
 * Tesco Hypermarket, Taman Setia Alam at a new residential area, Bandar Setia Alam. Large hypermarket that houses few local restaurants with a KFC. With a McDonald's, KFC and Pizza Hut drive-throughs nearby.

Bak kut teh


Klang is the original home of bak kut teh ("pork rib tea"), the Hokkien-style dish of pork ribs cooked in a strong, dark herbal stock, served with tea on the side. This is considered a breakfast dish here and family get-togethers on Sundays for bak kut teh are particularly popular. There are many famous shops in Klang, and if you ask two locals for the best you'll probably get three answers, but here's a sampling.



Seafood
One of the best kept secrets of Klang, the seafood in Telok Gong, Klang is arguably the best in the Central region, if not the whole country. Tucked in the obscure vicinity within Pulau Indah, Telok Gong is only reachable by car or taxi as no other forms of public transportation make their way to this former coconut plantation. This does not deter customers who come from as far afield as Johor Bahru and Singapore to sample the fresh and tasty seafood delicacies.

Some of the signature dishes include Wong Kam Crab (crab cooked with duck egg yolk) and Marmite Crab. Singaporeans may disagree with this, but 'apart from that the next best Chilli Crab is available here. Bamboo, or razor clams and any dishes with prawns are generally very good as well.

Along with the seafood offerings, a must try is the toddy, or fermented coconut juice. It is an alcoholic drink with a slightly sweet flavor. Not everyone's cup of tea (or beer). In certain instances, mixing a glass of toddy with a little bit of Guinness, seems to appeal to some. An acquired taste.

There are rows of seafood restaurants at this premier seafood destination, but most locals swear by:


 * Coconut Flower Seafood Restaurant, 702, Jalan Udang Galah, Kampong Teluk Gong.

Drink

 * Cheong Foh Cafe (pronounced as Cheong Ho in Hokkien), a stone throw away from Klang Cendol. Famous with their aromatic coffee and nice and tasty toasted bread. A must try for coffee lovers.
 * Klang Cendol, opposite the former wet market (which has since been relocated to Jalan Meru). The business started out with cendol being sold on a tricycle, before progressing to a van, and finally to its current establishment. Besides cendol, the shop also sells rojak (Malaysian fruit salad) of good quality.

Sleep
Klang is easily covered in a half-day trip from Kuala Lumpur, but you can find some good hotels including: