Puduraya bus terminal to close for 4 months from March 19

Latest Update: Puduraya Bus Terminal reopens today, April 16

Almost ready..

Related article: Puduraya's new location.. Bukit Jalil Parking lot F

Now here is a great picture (courtesy of The Star) of a popular landmark in Kuala Lumpur, the Puduraya bus terminal or Perhentian Puduraya in the local language. Notice how clear and bright the weather is. On most days, Malaysia is like this - clear and sunny. Surprisingly, there is not much traffic when this picture was taken - probably it was shot during a festival after the exodus.

The building complex in the center is the Puduraya station, the main bus station terminal in Kuala Lumpur where long-distance buses arrive and leave from Puduraya for all over Peninsular Malaysia, as well as Thailand and Singapore. Opened in 1976, Puduraya is especially busy during public holidays and around festive periods.

The Star reported that Puduraya will be closed for four months starting March 19 for a terminal upgrade. The drastic upgrade is aimed at taking care of current problems of traveller discomfort, lack of amenities and traffic congestion around the terminal.

Let's look around the area a little, shall we? The tower block on top of Puduraya station is the Puduraya Hotel. It's a 2/3-star hotel and has recently been refurbished.

The rail track you see on the right is the LRT (Light Rail Transit) track. This is the Ampang line, one of two lines that ply the city and the suburbs.

Chinatown is just a walk away. If you head towards the 4 o'clock direction, you'd be in Chinatown in 5-10 minutes. If you are taking the LRT, the station at Puduraya (called Plaza Rakyat) would be a good place to get off; the other station being Pasar Seni which is nearer Pasar Seni (Central Market).

Back to the picture.. The road on the left is the famous Jalan Pudu (Pudu Road). This road is one of the busiest and oldest in the city. This is the south-bound road. Yes, it leads south to Negri Sembilan (Seremban), Malacca, Johore (Muar) and Singapore. Shops along the road on the left (partly cut off) have been around for decades, probably pre-war era. The buildings further down the road are newer buildings that replaced the old shops.

Still further down Pudu Road, at the 11 o'clock location, is the hub of KL's Golden Triangle - the commercial district of Jalan Bukit Bintang - where you will find KL's best hotels, shopping malls, finest dine and wine restaurants..and everything else.

And that's a gist of what's there in that part of busy Kuala Lumpur. Like every city in the world, there is always the charm of the old amidst the new. If you venture downtown, you will still see enchanting pre-war buildings. They have been preserved and refurbished for their historical value.

Kuala Lumpur was once a flourishing tin-mining town which grew into what it is today. Kuala Lumpur still holds the record for having the tallest twin towers in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers. Let me leave you with this lovely image of the KL skyline at night borrowed from Wikipedia. Welcome to Kuala Lumpur!