Malaysia, in South East Asia, often gets overlooked when considered against its more popular neighbour, Thailand. However, it offers a wide variety of experiences, including some beautiful beaches and tasty food choices.
If you like exploring cities including historical sights and/or shopping, want to get out into nature or trekking, or enjoy laying on a beach, Malaysia ticks each of these boxes – but where do you go for each?
Geography
It’s important to note that the country is split into:
- The main land Peninsular (West Malaysia) – which is more populated and fairly Westernised; and
- Malaysian Borneo (East Malaysia) – although less developed, has a larger land mass, and I would suggest is for the more adventurous.
I found both reasonably easy to get around on local transport, but the culture and experience is significantly different from state to state.
If you are planning a visit, why not check out some of my Malaysia recommendations.
The capital, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur offers a mix of old and new, but very little in the way of history. Getting around the key sights is possible on the monorail, it’s only when you want to venture further afield that it starts to get difficult.
I would honestly only recommend a short visit here (unless you have a lot of time available), as the rest of the country has a lot more to offer.
Don’t miss the Petronas towers, Batu caves and Petaling Street (for shopping) in Chinatown. A modern city which is easy to navigate. It’s also great for shopping, so perhaps by here on you way home.
Food
The food in Malaysia mirrors its cultural diversity. With the best food options, in my view, being on the island of Penang. In fact,
Meats on sticks, steaming bowls with noodles and snacks a plenty, the street food culture in Malaysia is everywhere. Chinatown and Little India seems to exist in every city, and both these were great places during Ramadan, when many restaurants and shops are closed. However, it’s also worth experiencing Malaysia during Ramadan.
Nature
If you want to dip your toe in a jungle without being left to fend for yourself in the middle of nowhere, Taman Negara is a great choice (read more about it, in my journal: Taman Negara, the friendly jungle). It’s best to book ahead of you can to guarantee the nicer accommodation but otherwise there are a few budget places to make a beeline for as soon as your boat docks.
The park is well set up for visitors, with raised walkways for the first couple of kilometres from the entrance, suitable for prams/wheelchairs and those unstable on their feet. Maps are available as well as guides to explore the trails. I highly recommend a night walk – to check out the nightlife… it’s a completely different perspective and great to learn about the creatures here.
Trekking
Mount Kinabalu is the obvious choice, for a trekking opportunity up the highest mountain in SE Asia, but this can be difficult to organise unless you book far enough in advance. You also cannot guarantee the weather, or whether your physical ability will allow you to reach the top.
I didn’t make the top during my attempt in 2006, and to be honest given the time involved I would recommend spending it doing something else. I really enjoyed spending a few days in Mulu National Park (in 2013) which has plenty of trekking options. My favourite was by far: Hiking to the garden of Eden valley.
History
There are a couple of historical areas in Malaysia which I would recommend for a visit:
- Melaka (Melacca) – known as The Historic Town in the southern part of West Malaysia. It’s a beautiful place to visit with buildings remaining from both the Portuguese and Dutch periods. Read more in my journal: Saved the best for last.
- George Town – on the island of Penang, is the home of traditional shop houses
Islands
There are so many islands in Malaysia to choose from and all quite different:
- Perhentian islands – remote beaches and no ATM’s. Read more in my journal: Perhentians island life.
- Tioman Island – flashpackers head here. I spent time in Juara, volunteering on a turtle conservation project, which I would recommend just for a visit as well as getting involved.
- Langkawi – a more luxurious choice and a great location to base yourself for diving. Sipadan is for hard-core divers.
- Penang – as mentioned, great food and plenty of heritage.
- Labuan – with a large expat community of rich bankers, it’s worth passing through.
- Kapas – remote and rustic.
Families
There are parts of Malaysia that are well suited to a family holiday, depending on what you enjoy doing. I would highly recommend Kuching in Borneo, for a base if you have young children as there is a variety of things to do close by. Check out my post – Things to do in Kuching (Borneo, Malaysia), for some suggestions.
Final tips
1. Malaysia is very different to many places in SE Asia, with less culture shock and more Western experiences.
2. The risk of Malaria is not high enough in most areas of Malaysia, so antimalarials are not normally necessary.
3. Western toilets are quite common, particularly in shopping centres, but my toilet tips for travellers post is worth a read before you visit.
4. Malaysia is suitable for families travelling with children. I visited numerous times when I was a child and remember some great places, along the coast and in the highlands.
5. There are a large variety of temples from different religions, open to visitors. Just remember to be respectful and dress appropriately, removing shoes, or covering up; when visiting.
