Selangor · Malaysia
Petaling Jaya travel guide
Petaling Jaya is a city in Selangor, Malaysia, home to about 639,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- SZB7 km · Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport
- Currency
- MYRMalaysian ringgit
- Time zone
- Asia/Kuala Lumpur
- Language
- Malay
About
About Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya, colloquially referred to as "PJ", is a city in Petaling District, in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. Originally developed as a satellite township for Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, it is part of the Greater Kuala Lumpur area.
Founded in 1954 as Malaysia's first planned town, PJ has become a busy commercial and residential hub in its own right with almost 640,000 inhabitants (2010). In the later years, further expansion to the north saw the rise of the Damansara area that gave birth to such housing estates as Bandar Utama, Kota Damansara, Damansara Perdana, Bandar Sri Damansara and Damansara Impian. Addresses in PJ are remarkably bureaucratic.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Petaling Jaya
See
If taking public transport, try the Light Rail Transit (LRT) via the Kelana Jaya Line which covers major residential and commercial sections of this town, starting with stations (from KL City); Taman Jaya, Asia Jaya, Taman Paramount, Taman Bahagia and finally Kelana Jaya. The best way to see this area is to take a leisurely drive during non-peak hours. Some of the major attractions around the Greater PJ area are listed below.
- Kota Darul Ehsan Arch
- Petaling Jaya Museum
Do
- Damansara Jaya central park
- DJROA community centre
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Petaling Jaya to stay in
Despite being just "next-door" to the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, PJ has its fair share of hotels in all categories. Note that there are no inns, guest houses, motels or hotels in Damansara Jaya.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Petaling Jaya
Petaling Jaya has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; November is the wettest, with about 300 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Petaling Jaya: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport (SZB), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL, 42 km) and Malacca International Airport (MKZ, 118 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
PJ is well linked with Kuala Lumpur and the rest of the country by road. The main Kuala Lumpur-PJ link is the Federal Highway which goes through the middle of PJ and continues to Subang Jaya, Shah Alam, Klang and Port Klang. The main link to the northern part of PJ is the Sprint Expressway while the southern areas of PJ are served by the New Pantai Expressway. If using the North-South Expressway (E1), the main exits for PJ are Subang Jaya, and Damansara.
Getting around
PJ is quite spread out and you pretty much need your own wheels to get around. A good web of roads link most parts of PJ. Main highways which cover most of PJ are the Federal Highway (covering central PJ), Sprint Expressway (serving Damansara and the northern part of PJ), New Pantai Expressway (linking the southern sections of PJ) and the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong or LDP (Damansara Puchong Expressway), which connects the northern and southern parts of PJ. The Kelana Jaya Line light rail transit (LRT) is convenient for those moving between PJ New Town and Kelana Jaya.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SZB · Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport
KUL · Kuala Lumpur International Airport
MKZ · Malacca International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Petaling Jaya
Eat
Eating is almost a national obsession with eateries available around the clock. Petaling Jaya is home to many restaurants and stalls serving all sorts of Asian and Western cuisine catering to almost all sorts of budgets. Mamak restaurants are found throughout the city. A veritable PJ institution, these 24-hour restaurants operated mainly by Indian-Muslims are popular amongst the young crowd for the live soccer broadcasts on weekends (and weekdays on occasion) as well as cheap food.
Drink
Just like in Kuala Lumpur, mamak stalls are also found all over Petaling Jaya. These are wonderful places to hang out with locals and it is possible to stay at one far past midnight (many are even open 24-hours!). They are run by Indian Muslims. They serve a variety of drinks and beverages, and the non-alcoholic options are varied and inexpensive. Traditional coffee shops can be found at the Mewah as well as the Atria shops.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Petaling Jaya: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Petaling Jaya?
Petaling Jaya has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. April is the warmest month, with average highs of 33 °C; November is the wettest, with about 300 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Petaling Jaya?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport (SZB), about 6.9 km from the city centre in a straight line; Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL, 42 km) and Malacca International Airport (MKZ, 118 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Petaling Jaya?
Malaysian ringgit (MYR).
Nearby
Destinations near Petaling Jaya
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.