Our friends at Touch ‘n Go claim that the benefits of MYPass Malaysia Travel Companion outweigh its 38 MYR (~520 PHP) cost. But what better way to prove how much convenience and savings it could bring than first-hand experience? Along with bloggers from Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, they brought us on a day out to try it ourselves. Read more…
After buying and reloading our MYPass at the Touch ‘n Go hub in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, just as a tourist would, we proceeded to do our twelve Kuala Lumpur experiences:
1. Ride the KLIA Ekspres. We took the KLIA Ekspres to and from KLIA and tapped our MYPass at the turnstiles. Indeed a premium express service, it’s the fastest train in Southeast Asia, linking the city to KLIA nonstop at a distance of 57 km in only 28 minutes.
2. Have breakfast at Old Town White Coffee. Over at KLIA, we proceeded to a small branch of Old Town White Coffee, and I had chicken rendang and some roti bakar kaya (kaya toast). The popular kopitiam takes MYPass payments at any designated amount, and there’s a voucher for a free cup of white coffee inside the MYPass booklet too!
3. Change money at a CIMB Bureau de Change. CIMB is one of the largest banks in Malaysia, so without a doubt, they could be trusted with foreign exchange transactions. Simply present a MYPass and get preferred buying and selling rates at their branches.
4. Take the KTM Komuter, the LRT, and the Monorail. Klang Valley has a very extensive metro rail network, and for all trains, including the KTM Komuter that reaches Negeri Sembilan, MYPass is accepted just like any other Touch ‘n Go card. It can be tapped at RapidKL buses too, so with it, there’s no need to queue or scramble for change anymore.
5. Redeem a free Hotlink SIM card. Included inside the MYPass package is a coupon for a free Hotlink SIM card with 5 MYR top-up. We redeemed ours at the Maxis Store in KL Sentral.
6. Receive a freebie from a restaurant. We had lunch at a Japanese restaurant at Mid Valley Megamall and got ourselves a plate of salmon sashimi for free! Actually, we had a hard time choosing a place to eat at because MYPass has vouchers for a lot of restaurants.
7. Have ice cream at Baskin Robbins. After lunch, we went to Baskin Robbins to get a scoop of ice cream each, and lo and behold, they also take MYPass for payment. The ice cream store isn’t the only place that takes MYPass, as it’s accepted in other select food and beverage outlets like Dunkin’ Donuts, The Chicken Rice Shop, and even 7-Eleven.
7. Shop with a discount at Pasar Seni. We didn’t need to haggle anymore because our MYPass had vouchers to several retail and food outlets at Pasar Seni (Central Market).
8. Tour Kuala Lumpur with KL Hop-On Hop-Off. From Pasar Seni, we took the KL Hop-On Hop-Off and saw the city from a new perspective. MYPass holders get 20% discount for a day ride, as well as a 20% discount towards a KL Bird Park ticket bought inside the bus.
9. Go up Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower). Rising at 421 meters atop a hill that’s 94 meters above sea level, the Menara Kuala Lumpur is one of the city’s icons, and fortunate were we to go up to the upper open deck and be mesmerized by such a breathtaking view.
10. Get a massage at Jojoba Spa. After a tiring day, we were rewarded with short massages at Jojoba Spa in Berjaya Times Square. With MYPass, their Jojoba Touch 60-minute massage is discounted by more than 50% to 68 MYR for one or 128 MYR for two people.
11. Wine and dine at Teeq Brasserie. Our friends from Touch ‘n Go treated us to a beautiful meal consisting of battered tiger prawns with lettuce and mint yoghurt; pan-seared sea bass with mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and garlic beurre blanc; and warm New York brownies with traditional whipped cream and berry coulis. At the chic Teeq Brasserie, MYPass holders get 20% discount off their a la carte menu.
The wonderful dinner was made extra special by the presence of the CEO of Touch ‘n Go himself, Mr. Abdul Karim Md Lassim. We had a hearty chat about Manila, where he was based for a month to study at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), as well as the exciting future of payment systems in Malaysia. I could only hope he could bring the innovative and convenient Touch ‘n Go system here in the Philippines.
Anyway, it was a tiring but very fulfilling day with MYPass. With the twelve Kuala Lumpur experiences we had during our day out, I could surely vouch that MYPass is a must-have travel companion in Kuala Lumpur and beyond. I mean, trust me, even after much calculation I was doing the entire day, I can prove that you’d get more than your money’s worth!
The MYPass Malaysia Travel Companion is available at Touch ‘n Go Hubs in KLIA, LCCT, and KL Sentral, as well as other designated outlets. Check out www.mypass.com.my for more details. Read more about its benefits on our feature by clicking this link.
RELATED POST: MYPass: New Must-Have Malaysia Travel Companion
Next year will be Visit Malaysia Year 2014 with the theme, “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia.” Visitors can expect a series of year-long special events and activities. For more updates on VMY 2014, check out tourism.gov.my and like Tara Na Sa Malaysia on Facebook.
