Subang Jaya

A family day at Sunway Lagoon and Sunway Pyramid

Sunway Lagoon fills most of a family day in Subang Jaya. Arrive at opening by BRT or Grab and do the water park while it is quiet, move to the shaded dry rides and wildlife section at midday, and cool off at the Sunway Pyramid ice rink later. Weekdays in school term are far calmer.

Morning. Arrive at Sunway Lagoon for opening, by BRT or Grab, and head straight for the water park while the wave pool and slides are quiet. The park was built in a disused tin-mining pit, which is why its cliffs and lake look so unlike the flat suburbs around it. Bring sunscreen, a hat and a change of clothes.

Midday. When the sun is highest, move over to the dry rides and the wildlife section, where much of the walking is shaded. Afternoon thunderstorms are common, and the rides stop whenever lightning is around; use the break for lunch.

Evening. Take a short Grab or the LRT to SS15 for dinner among the students, or stay in the mall. To get back to Kuala Lumpur, ride the BRT to USJ7 for the LRT or to Setia Jaya for the Komuter, both a short ride from Sunway. On a school holiday or public holiday weekend, everything takes longer; a weekday in term time is a far calmer day.

SS15 noodle shops, mamak tables and Subang Ria

SS15 is the place to eat in Subang Jaya. The shoplot grid beside the SS15 LRT station is packed with noodle shops, ramen bars, Korean barbecue and bubble tea, and students fill every table in the evening. Mamak restaurants serve roti canai and teh tarik around the clock, and Subang Ria has lakeside seafood.

SS15, beside the LRT station of the same name and close to the colleges, is a grid of shoplots packed with cheap noodle shops, bubble tea counters, Korean barbecue and Japanese ramen; the suburb has more than ten Japanese restaurants.

The mamak restaurants run by Indian Muslim families are the local institution. Many are open around the clock, and the order is roti canai with dhal, nasi lemak, mee goreng and a glass of teh tarik, pulled frothy from a height. Football plays on big screens late into the night.

For seafood, Subang Ria in SS12 has the Crocodile Farm restaurant on its lake, a long-running spot for chilli crab and steamed fish. USJ Taipan, in the newer southern half, has rows of cafes and family restaurants. The malls, Sunway Pyramid, Subang Parade and Empire Subang among them, cover international chains and food courts.

Using the LRT and KTM lines from a Subang Jaya base

Subang Jaya works as a cheaper base for Kuala Lumpur, because the LRT Kelana Jaya Line runs to KL Sentral and KLCC without a change. The KTM Komuter goes west to Klang and on to Port Klang for Pulau Ketam, and at KL Sentral you can change for the Batu Caves branch.

The LRT Kelana Jaya Line runs straight to KL Sentral and KLCC for the Petronas Towers, with no change. Allow extra time at rush hour, when trains are packed, but they still beat the highways.

West on the Komuter, Klang is a short ride for bak kut teh breakfasts, the royal mosque and Little India, and the line ends at Port Klang for boats to Pulau Ketam. East, change at KL Sentral to the Batu Caves branch for the Hindu cave temples in their limestone hill, best climbed in the morning before the heat.

Going further, the Komuter runs north to Tanjung Malim, where you can join the ETS for Ipoh and Penang, and south, after a change at KL Sentral, to Seremban, known for its siew pau buns. Subang airport is a short drive away for domestic flights to Penang, Langkawi or Johor Bahru, but KLIA is a long haul, so do not cut it fine before an international departure.