Some hard core travellers would tell you that hopping on a tourist bus is a waste of time and money. By ‘hard core’ I mean backpackers on their thirdorfourth round-the-world trip who consider such things as expensive tourist traps. Why not just go around the city on your own? they would say. Why spend money on something you can do for so much less?
To some extent, this is true. But riding tourist buses has its own merits, too. For one, it allows a traveller to see major tourist attractions for the least amount of time. This is perfect for business or transit travellers. Aside from this, riding a tourist bus is a brilliant way to familiarize oneself with the city so that navigating the city on one’s own becomes much easier.
On our recent visit to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, hubby and I signed up for KL’s Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour via a double-decker tourist bus a.k.a. the HoHo.
We bought the HoHo tickets on the day that we were going to take the tour. But if you want to buy ahead of time, just go to a HoHo outlet nearest your hotel. There is usually a sign like this:
Tickets come in different denominations, depending on the number of days you wish to take your tour. We got a 48-hour pass which cost RM32. Buses run from 8:30am to 8:30pm at 15 to 30 minute intervals. Please take note that the HoHo will not pick you up from your hotel so make sure you know where the nearest HoHo bus stop is.
Inside, the HoHo provides headphones with which you can listen to a pre-recorded tour guide in nine languages. The bus also goes through a circular route that allows one to start and end the tour at the same location.
The HoHo has 22 designated stops where tourists can hop on or hop off from:
In less than 24 hours, we were able to see the major KL sights. That’s value for money right there because it also beats having to haggle / negotiate with opportunistic taxi drivers.
Overall, riding the HoHo was a pleasant experience that I would certainly recommend for first-timers in KL. For more information on the HoHo, visit their website here.
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