Kuala Lumpur/West

Damansara and Hartamas are two middle- to upper-middle-class suburbs which lie to the west of Kuala Lumpur. Although largely residential, both have pockets of good restaurants, watering holes and even some clubs. Desa Hartamas is particularly popular with the expatriate community.

Damansara runs right up to the border between the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor state and virtually merges with the city of Petaling Jaya. And just to create some confusion, many areas in the northern part of Petaling Jaya also deemed to be part of Damansara.

Sri Hartamas and Desa Sri Hartamas

Whilst there is nothing typically touristy to see or do in Sri Hartamas this is a fantastic place to really get a feel for Kuala Lumpur. Desa Sri Hartamas in particular has developed into a fantastic little eating area where you can experiment with a wide variety of international food relatively cheaply. The most appealing aspect of this is that most of the food retains its national identity. Of particular interest is sitting down to a Korean BBQ — order bulgogi or sam giup sul — going for steamboat, or joining in the food court when it starts to become busy after eight in the evening.

There is also a reputable dive shop in Desa Sri Hartamas that has a thriving little dive community behind it and runs regular trips out of Kuala Lumpur to a variety of diving spots.

Take a taxi, about RM 10 from the center of KL and about 10 minutes. Ask to be put down at Desa Sri Hartamas. Taxis are easily available to return to the city. Within walking distance is Mont Kiara, an area of towering condominiums, that has a few nice bars, reasonable restaurants (that are more expensive than Sri Hartamas) and a growing expat community.

By car
This is probably the easiest way to get into the Damansara or Hartamas region.

From the city centre, head on to Jalan Kuching going northward and then connect to Jalan Duta, then get into Lebuhraya Sprint and follow the Sri Hartamas sign. Alternatively, one might also use Jalan Parlimen and it will eventually lead to Jalan Duta and Lebuhraya Sprint.

By train
For Sri Hartamas/Mont Kiara (Kuala Lumpur side), the nearest rapid rail station is the Segambut KTM Komuter station. From here, one can take the RapidKL bus route 190 (formerly U7) to reach Mont Kiara and Sri Hartamas. The ride between Mont Kiara/Sri Hartamas and Segambut Komuter station could last between 5 and 20 minutes, depending on the traffic condition.

Meanwhile, the closest rapid rail station serving Damansara (Kuala Lumpur side) is the TTDI MRT station at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail.

By bus
Alternatively, one can take the RapidKL Route 190 (formerly U7) bus straightaway from Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in downtown Kuala Lumpur and reach Mont Kiara/Sri Hartamas.

See




Budget

 * Safiz Corner. Most probably the cheapest dining outlet in Desa Sri Hartamas.  Safiz Corner serves a variety of mamak dishes with good taste and quality.  Satay is also available here.