The Biggest Scam to Avoid in Kuala Lumpur

Bonjour and Good Day 😃

Kuala Lumpur is widely regarded as a safe city for tourists, especially when compared to other major Southeast Asian destinations. Beware of a common but frustrating tourist trap — taxi scams. Taxis in KL are known for overcharging tourists.
Let's see how to avoid these scams and travel stress-free 😊

How the Taxi Scam Works

You’re in Kuala Lumpur and need a ride. You hop into a taxi and ask the driver about the fare. Instead of using the meter (which they’re supposed to do), the driver gives you a flat rate — often much higher than the fare. Some drivers also take a longer route, claiming to avoid expensive tolls.

Avoiding the Taxi Scam

My personal take on this: never use taxis, just take Grab. This is like Uber but better (and cheaper 😄). I've made an article on how to use Grab in Kuala Lumpur.
With Grab (or any other similar app), you'll see the driver's license plate, the fare upfront and depending on your settings you can pay by card.

Otherwise another alternative is to take the public transportation, I repeat, never use taxis 😄
Same here I explain how to use the public transportation in Kuala Lumpur, the different lines and I talk about the Touch n Go card that's very convenient.

You really want to try a taxi

Really? Good luck 😄
Be sure to check that the driver agrees to use the meter. If they refuse or make excuses, thank them and find another one.

Here's two extra tips if you really really intend to take a taxi:

• Be sure to pay by cash, you never know if some might use skimming devices to overcharge cards or steal details
• Beware of fake taxis (^_ ^) , especially at the airport some cars may appear like taxis but aren’t legitimate. They'd charge crazy prices for short rides so get an official taxi with a stand on top (red cars).

Maybe I'm paranoid but who knows 😅

Terimakasih for reading until here! Happy travels 😇