 Putrajaya Travel & Hotel Guide
Seri Perdana Building, Putrajaya (6 June 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Putrajaya is the administrative capital of Malaysia. It is a planned city built over land that was once palm oil plantations and disused tin mines. A visit to Putrajaya is similar to visiting Epcot Center in Disney World - the architectural styles transport you to various countries of the world, from the Taj Mahal to Central American pyramids to some of the state of the art buildings.
Guide to Putrajaya Hotels
It's never easy finding the hotel that's just right for your stay. Still, by taking a little time to do your research, you increase your chance of getting a good hotel at the best price. Go through the list of hotels in Putrajaya which we've put together, with full description, star rating, address, location map and evaluation. Pick the hotel of your choice and view the rates offered by different booking sites. Yes, we show you prices from different websites, so you don't have to visit them one by one.
I have visited Putrajaya a few times, during the day, evening and night. The shots you see on this page were taken from two of those trips. One of them was made with a few of my former school mates, friends whom I have not met for many years.
I am thankful for the patience of my friends as I run around with my heavy tripod taking photographs while they waited for me in the car. I think it could be a rather taxing experience travelling with me, unless you happen to be a travel photographer, and in a way, I am giving them a personal glimpse of travelling with the founder of AsiaExplorers.
Palace of Justice, Putrajaya (6 June 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
The shots enable me now to give you an online tour of Putrajaya. If you have never been there, I hope one day you would have the chance to explore it, whether on your own, or with a group of your friends.
Getting to Putrajaya
By Plane: If you arrive by flight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), you can reach Putrajaya by taking the taxi as well as the express train (see below).
By Taxi: If you are taking the taxi from Kuala Lumpur, there is a fixed fare at KL Sentral of RM35 to Putrajaya. If you're coming from KLIA, the fare is approximately RM60.
By Train: The KLIA Transit train makes a stop at Putrajaya on its way to KL Sentral. The train runs once every 30 minutes, and takes 20 minutes to reach Putrajaya. The fare is RM9.50 one way or RM15 return.
By Bus: There are buses from Sinar Kota in Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya. They run from 6:30am to 10:00pm every day. The fare is RM3.50 and the journey takes from 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the traffic condition. From KL Sentral, you can take the RapidKL bus to Putrajaya, for RM5.00.
Istana Darul Ehsan, Putrajaya (6 June 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
Getting around Putrajaya
There is inadequate public transport within Putrajaya, and to view all the sights, you are encouraged to self-drive. To charter a taxi, the cost is from RM30 per hour, and but can be negotiated down.
Accommodation in Putrajaya
There is as yet no budget or even mid-range accommodation in Putrajaya, perhaps under the misguided assumption that only CEO's need a place to sleep. There are three hotels available at Putrajaya, listed here in alphabetical order:
- Marriott Putrajaya is a palatial 500-room hotel. If you are lucky, you can get the "regular" rooms, going for as low as US$25.
- Palm Garden Hotel is located within the IOI Resort, this hotel was formerly the Renaissance.
- Shangri-La Hotel Putrajaya is centrally located right next to Istana Melawati. Rates start at US$70 and up.
View Putrajaya Tourist Attractions in a larger map
History of Putrajaya
The idea that the administrative capital of Malaysia should be moved out of Kuala Lumpur was hatched as far back as late 1970's. When Janda Baik, near Bukit Tinggi in Pahang, was deemed not suitable, a search was made to find a more appropriate site. Eventually in June 1993, Prime Minister Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamed settled for Prang Besar in Selangor. One and a half years later, the site was renamed Putrajaya, in honour of Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj. Mahathir performed the ground-breaking ceremony in September of 1996. Three years later, on 4 June 1999, the staff of the prime minister's department moved into their new office in Putrajaya.
Geography of Putrajaya
Putrajaya covers 4581 hectares. The site runs northeast to southwest, surrounded by lakes and wetlands, and connected by bridges. In this tour, we will visit the different areas, so you have an idea where you are in Putrajaya.
You can divide Putrajaya into two major areas: the Core Area and the Peripheral Area. The Core Area covers 1069 hectares and is divided into five precincts, namely the Government Precinct, Commercial Precinct, Civic & Cultural Precinct, Mixed Development Precinct, and Sports & Recreational Precinct. Forming the spine of Putrajaya is a 4.2km boulevard that runs right through the middle linking the Core Area precincts.
Seri Saujana Bridge, Putrajaya (6 June 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
The Peripheral Area comprises 15 precincts, twelve of which will be used for residental development. A total of 67,000 homes of various sizes have been planned here, served with schools, hospitals, shopping centres, mosques, multipurpose halls, learning centres and neighbourhood parks.
Do we need Putrajaya?
We probably don't. To many Malaysians, it represents the excesses of our leaders to build big. The amount spent to built it could probably go to better use elsewhere. How well will it be maintained goes to be seen. Yet to others, Putrajaya is the epitome of the Malaysia Boleh spirit - that if others can do it, so can Malaysians. As for myself, since we are getting Putrajaya whether we like it or not, we might as well enjoy it!
Let's now pay a visit to Putrajaya, visiting the many different places around it. By scrolling downwards, you will have visited all the major landmarks of Putrajaya.
Perdana Putra Building (6 June 2004)
© Timothy Tye using this photo
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