
Ripe for discovery, the town has everything you need to relax, recharge and enjoy the finer things in life – yes, including a replete of shopping and dining options.
Ahh, Nilai. What is the first thing that pops into our minds when this town is mentioned?
Most will either say:
1) It is the small town squished in between Klang Valley (KV) and Seremban, the capital of Negeri Sembilan.
2) I don’t know, I’ve never been – Isn’t it too far from KL?
Well, Nilai is closer than you think – this town is located roughly 50km south of KL and is easily traversed via the North-South Expressway (NSE), Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban (LEKAS) and Elite Expressway. In fact, Nilai is just on the Selangor-Negeri Sembilan (NS) border, making it the closest NS suburb to KV.
Having been in existence for over 30 years, Nilai has all the necessary supporting infrastructure and amenities in place. Far from being a ‘vanilla’ or boring town, Nilai is an enclave of surprises and even excitements. No really, we aren’t pulling your leg – check out the 6 factoids below:
#1 Gordon Ramsay got schooled by Aunty Aini at her warung in Nilai
Even if you aren’t a foodie, you would recognise Gordon Ramsay, British chef extraordinaire and star of popular reality TV show, MasterChef. Famous for his fiery temper and scathing comebacks, Gordon has reduced many aspiring chefs to tears. However, the multi-Michelin star chef finally met his match in 2016 – in the likes of a petite Malaysian Aunty Aini.
She is the owner of Aini’s Garden Cafe, one of the most popular restaurants in Nilai – many city folk are known to travel to Nilai just to get a taste of her authentic kampung fare. So Aunty Aini who hosted Gordon in 2016, taught him a thing or two about preparing our well-loved Rendang.
She didn’t exactly mince her words either, watch for yourself here:
Unbeknownst to many, Nilai is actually a treasure trove filled with numerous yummy delights. Those who travel from KV to feast on Aunty Aini’s lip-smacking dishes usually continue their food trail by dropping by Nasi Kandar Lawood, Burger Bakar Abang Burn and Semangkuk Batang Benar.

#2 Busloads of people travel to Nilai 3 to shop to their heart’s content
What is at Nilai 3, you ask? Only the largest wholesale centre in Malaysia. Nilai 3 wholesale centre (WC) which currently holds the Malaysia Book of Records for the aforementioned title is a one-stop shopping destination offering a variety of goods at very attractive prices; including clothes, textiles, household products and furnishings, gardening supplies and wedding decoration items.
With over 700 existing shops spread across 165 hectares, Nilai 3 WC is said to receive over 20,000 visitors on an average weekday and 150,000 visitors during any other weekend!

Homeowners looking for home furnishings such as curtains, cushions and carpets will have a field day at Nilai 3, especially when the wholesale centre hosts one of its many super promotions, sometimes from as low as RM1.
And, if that isn’t enough,…
#3 The nation’s biggest AEON Mall will open its doors in Nilai soon
With a total lettable area of 1.2 million sq ft, AEON Nilai is set to be the biggest AEON mall in Malaysia once it is completed in Q4 2018. To give you a rough idea of the sheer size of AEON Nilai, it will be twice the size of AEON Seremban 2 (pictured below).
AEON Nilai will complement the newly-opened MesaMall, a four-storey shopping centre whose tenants include Jaya Grocer, Borders and Mr. D.I.Y. That is not all – popular hypermarkets, Giant and Tesco are also part of Nilai’s retail landscape, making grocery shopping a breeze for families, working professionals and students alike. Also, these 4 shopping centres are all within a 3.5km radius from each other!
Source: GIPHY
Nilai’s residents are never left wanting when it comes to conveniences and amenities. Besides health and educational components, residents benefit from commercial centres offering a complete range of major banks including Maybank, RHB Bank and AmBank as well as government administration centres – PTPTN and KWSP; the Nilai Springs Golf and Country Club which sports a 27-hole championship golf course; a sports complex and public recreational parks.
#4 It is home to more than a dozen universities & colleges!

On top of that, located just 10 km away in Bandar Enstek are two other prestigious schools, Tunku Kurshiah College and Britain’s Epsom College.
FUN FACT:The most famous alumni of Tunku Kurshiah College is our current first female DPM, Dato’ Seri Dr Wan Azizah!
Meanwhile, the 150-acre Xiamen University Malaysia is situated just 20km away in neighbouring Sepang. It is not surprising that Nilai serves as a good population catchment, as there will always be students and teachers looking for places to rent or stay. An added bonus for Nilai residents is the upcoming new hospital, to be built near USIM. This additional health service is welcome news indeed as Nilai’s rapid development has resulted in a significant population increase over the past few years in Nilai.
#5 KLIA2 and the Mitsui Outlet Park are only 20 minutes away
Those living in KL will be green with envy knowing this tidbit; the Lebuhraya Putrajaya – KLIA (MEX II) enables Nilai residents to reach the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA 2 within a mere 20 minutes! Shopping haven, Mitsui Outlet Park and Sepang Gold Coast are also a short drive away.

Besides that, Nilai enjoys seamless connectivity to KV (KL is 4o minutes away) and various other suburbs including Cyberjaya & Putrajaya (20 minutes drive) and Seremban via integrated highways namely NSE, Elite Highway, Nilai-KLIA Expressway, Senawang-KLIA-Salak Tinggi Expressway (SKLIA). Meanwhile, the Nilai and Batang Benar KTM stations connect commuters directly to KL Sentral.
Due to its fantastic accessibility and strategic location, Nilai has attracted multinationals from numerous industries, namely SKR Bearing, TDK, Asia Group and Emerson Electric to set up base in the township’s many industrial parks. These include the Nilai Industrial Estate, Arab Malaysian Industrial Estate and Nilai Utama Industrial Park.
Not forgetting KLIA Aeropolis, the catalytic project which is part of Malaysia’ Digital Free Trade Zone initiative. The 24,710-acre air logistics hub, which is slated to be completed in Q3 2020 is centred around 3 clusters:
- air cargo and logistics
- aerospace and aviation
- meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), including leisure.
Source: GIPHY
Young graduates and job seekers will be spoilt for choice when it comes to career options – maybe there is no need to move to KL after all to secure your dream job?
#6 You get to live in a green paradise
Can’t even afford a studio in KL? Still living with your parents? Okay, now imagine owning a spacious landed home built within a green haven from just RM236 per sq ft.
With many locals being outpriced of the Klang Valley’s housing market and given Nilai’s proximity to Klang Valley, this booming town is now considered an ideal place to settle down among working professionals, double-income couples and young families. In lieu of the rising demand, Nilai has been on the receiving end of some exciting residential developments these past few years.
One notable project is Nada Alam, a multi-award winning township with a blueprint focussing on nature by Seri Pajam Development. The developer has to be accredited for ensuring the freehold township promotes sustainable and comfortable living, which is clearly shown through its various Green initiatives and excellent streetscapes. These include:
- A 13-acre green area
- A mini-wetland (1)
- 5 concept parks (2),
- A 7km jogging track, family streets (3)
- A jungle walk
- A dedicated backyard for farming

Nada Alam is divided into 5 precincts and its homes’ Unique Selling Points (USPs) have to be the larger than average built-up sizes with high ceilings, accentuating the roomy interiors (4). Car porches and backyards are fully extended as well, while cross-ventilation and natural lighting are maximised via the generous usage of windows. Residents are well-protected too with the 3-tier security in place.
Thus it is hardly surprising that Seri Pajam Development has been duly-acknowledged for its efforts in championing holistic living and building a harmonious community in Nilai. Nada Alam’s numerous accolades include the 5 stars for Best Residential Landscape Architecture – Malaysia (2014-2015) and The Safe Home Award-Malaysia (2015-2016) by Asia Pacific Property Awards.
Homebuyers who wish to be a part of this sustainable development have to check out the latest phase, Nada Alam 5A which comprises of luxurious double storey landed homes. A 10% Bumi discount is available and the developer is offering a 36-month easy payment scheme on top of free SPA and MOT legal fees.
Register for your own slice of heaven here.