When should I arrive at my host institution?

A common question is 'When should I plan to arrive at my host institution?'

Here is a guide.

1. Check what day your program begins

Most often, programs actually begin on a Monday with classes, meaning that the arrival day for the program will be the Sunday before classes begin. For some programs, however, the arrival day is either the first Monday of the program or even the Saturday before, so read your program information carefully.

2. Plan how much time you want to allow for pre-program sightseeing and adjusting to time difference
We normally recommend that students arrive in the correct time zone at least 2 days prior to the start of their program. This allows for plenty of time to adapt to the rhythm of being in a different country, culture and time zone - your body will definitely appreciate having the time to adjust to the new sights, sounds, smells and sleeping pattern!

Most students also like to plan on some time to do some travelling before or after their program. Remember that you'll definitely meet people on your program, so travelling at the conclusion of your program allows you to plan trips with new friends.

3. Ensure you know when you are able to move into your accommodation

Finally, make sure you've checked when you are able to move into your program accommodation and that you've got the address with you. In the case that you'll be brought to your accommodation as part of a group, make sure you've noted the meeting place for the group and know how to get there. Google Maps is a great way to be able to find locations in Australia and abroad.

4. Book your flights accordingly

Book your flights according to what you have worked out to be your ideal date to arrive. If you want further advice, you can always contact AIM Overseas and we're happy to help!
Check out our post on booking flights here.

Arriving in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur International Airport is located about 75km from the city centre - quite a haul as international airports go. The airport itself has three times won 'World Airport of the Year' in the definitive annual Skytrax poll.

There are two main ways to get from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to downtown Kuala Lumpur: train or taxi.

A train will set you back about 35 Malaysian ringgit, about AUD$14, and the express service takes you all the way to KL Sentral station in about 35 minutes with no stops. See the KLIA Ekspress website for more information.

Once you get off at KL Sentral you'll then either need to connect onto public transport or take a taxi to your final destination in the city.

A taxi will cost you roughly double the train but will, of course, take you right to where you want to go.

Taxi tariffs from the airport to the city centre are fixed according to 'zones'. It currently costs about 70 MYR (AUD$30) for a taxi right to your destination. As soon as you pass through customs you'll find a desk selling tickets for the taxis. Pre-purchase your taxi ticket here. Make sure you get the 'budget' option ticket as they have a tendancy to automatically sell you the 'luxury' option if you're not paying attention (which costs more than double!)

The taxi ride will take about an hour to cover the 70km, all depending on the state of traffic as you get into the centre of KL. Taxis in KL are safe and you should have no issues from the airport. Tipping is not required.