Malaysian Travel Tips

Top Tips for Malaysian Travel

So Malaysia is a place that many people visit as tourists, but also a place that many people don't. 

'What on earth do you mean?' I hear you cry. 

Well, Malaysia is a popular destination for travelers from South East Asia and Australia, but less so from Europe and the US. Partly this is a feature of distance, but partly because it's just not on people's radars. It's far away and little known.

Now the first part would definitely be a barrier to us, but the second is a perfect draw - I like to visit places that are a little off the beaten track. It's one of the reasons why I love my home county of Northumberland so much - it still feels largely undiscovered except for the locals and a handful of more intrepid visitors. 

One example was the holiday we took the year before lockdown. We went to Andorra in the summer. Yes, there were tourists, but it wasn't mobbed and we were able to explore freely. Most visitors were French or Spanish and, like us, had driven there from relatively close to the border. Most people visit Andorra as a ski resort, but we discovered that it was a great place to visit in the 'off season' and also meant we bagged a bit of a bargain holiday too!

A very impressive place to visit!

Now Malaysia is a much bigger destination than that and is well known in the region and to more intrepid backpacker types - Kuala Lumpur is one of the most visited cities in the world, only just behind Bangkok and Singapore and ahead of contenders like New York and Hong Kong. However it still remains a mystery to many, which is a shame as there are many excellent reasons to visit Malaysia.

So what would I recommend?

1: Just get here.

Whether part of a wider South East Asian tour or specifically to visit Malaysia itself - just come! You won't be disappointed.

2: Plan carefully.

Sorry about the stock images - I'm told blogs need pictures so...

There are so many things to do here you could easily miss some absolute gems. Take a look at YouTube blogs, travel guides and make a priority list. It's what we're doing. You need to make a list of your key targets as Malaysia is spread across two landmasses, both of which are fairly extensive.

3: Think about where to base yourself.

The obvious choice is Kuala Lumpur; it is central; it's probably where you will fly into; there's lots to do here. However, there are many other parts of the country that offer equally impressive experiences and are still relatively well connected - Penang for example, or if you are more focused on the natural environment of Borneo then Kuching or Kota Kinabalu would be good options. 

Top tip is to look at Google Flights and do an open ended search from your main destination. This will allow you to see where you can get to, how quickly and at what cost.

4: Travel widely both within Malaysia and to the neighbouring countries.

Malaysia has some incredibly diverse flora and fauna and is also culturally incredibly diverse too. Trying to pack the whole country into a brief two weeks would be impossible and I would always encourage a more extended stay if possible, but if you are limited timewise I would still suggest trying to hit up two or three separate destinations, maybe one nearby country you would never be likely to visit and then tour Malaysia itself. If you have never been to Singapore it is very easy to access from Malaysia and is a must visit destination in itself.

5: Eat!

You really must do the food tour thing. Make a list of the things you want to try and hunt down a couple of different versions of them. I'd suggest Nasi Lemak (of course), Roti Cani, Rojak, Laksa (Penang, Asama, Sarawak), Curry Mee (the Penang White Curry Mee is something that I'd suggest), Nasi Kandar/Campur. Frankly I'd just say anything that takes your fancy!

6: Arm yourself with Apps!

There are a bunch of must have apps to help you function in Malaysia; 

Grab for travel, food and payment.

Touch'n'Go - the most ubiquitous e-wallet.

 

Foodpanda - an alternative to grab and in my opinion a better food delivery app.

The must do list

There are some non-negotiables - things to see, things to do and most importantly, things to eat!

1: Visit KLCC and the Petronas Towers - this should probably be first on your list if you touch down in KL. The city is full of amazing things to do, but you definitely should prioritise this. If you can stay near to or in KLCC you should as this will make seeing the pace at night easier and that is definitely worth doing.

2: Visit a tropical rainforest reserve - doesn't matter which one, just do it. The best ones are in Sabah and Sarawak, but Peninsular Malaysia has some stunning natural environments you can explore too. The island of Langkawi (a family favourite) is a UNESCO Geopark and touring the mangroves and the skybridge walk are two highlights you should make an effort to experience. 

3: Penang - Okay, slightly biased as this is where I live (for now), but Penang is a must visit destination for most people in South East Asia, so there must be something in it. You can experience the UNESCO world heritage site of Georgetown, see temples and museums, chill out on some very nice beaches (don't go in the water - jellyfish and turbidity make the sea nice to look at, but not great for swimming), eat some amazing food, experience an 80 million year old rainforest and check out very cool street art and culture. 

4: Scuba diving or snorkelling on the East Coast or in Sabah - Take in some excellent dive spots on the island of Redang or the Perhentians. They are a short boat ride from the city of Terengganu and well worth the visit.

5: Langkawi - A real gem. Kind of gives you a lot of what Malaysia has to offer in a compact and laid back package. Definitely worth checking out the cable car and this is a great place to take a mangrove tour.

6: Kuching - Like Penang, this compact city offers a lot in a small package. Walkable, cool and friendly. You can visit an Orangutan sanctuary easily from here!

7: Eat in an hawker market or street food market - these are impossible not to find. We have our favourites here in Penang, but it's difficult to go far wrong. As always, look for the places with the queues - this is where the locals will be eating and it's almost always guaranteed to be a mark of quality.

8: Take a trishaw ride - okay we actually haven't done this as there are three of us!

9: Visit a cave temple - these are spectacular and there are many in and around KL and Ipoh. 

10: Check out a mega-mall - Malaysian's love a mall and they do them well. Not only are they nice places to escape the relentless heat and do some shopping for essentials, they usually have excellent food options. Some of the best food we've had has been in the food courts in the malls here in Penang. Here on the island I'd recommend Gurney (both Plaza and Paragon) and Queensbay. 

What don't you need to do?

Well this is an interesting point. There are things that guide books suggest to do that I think can be missed. 

Top of the miss list?  The Cameron Highlands...

Yep, this may sound a little heretical, but I know whereof I speak. 

They are overrated. There is not much to see other than the tea plantations, which are an interesting enough distraction, but beyond that, not so much going on. There are the usual night markets and food courts, some interesting little towns, but nothing that can't be seen in other parts of Malaysia. The elevation does give some nice views, but my overriding impression of the place was of the trash everywhere. We went to a market - trash everywhere. Walked to a waterfall - trash on the path, trash in the water. The whole place just felt grubby, even more than the rest of Malaysia - and there is a substantial trash problem across the whole of the country. 

Batu Ferringhi

Okay - I know I said Penang is on the list, but Batu Ferringhi is one of the most touristy bits. Now don't get me wrong, I like Batu, there are some great cafes, bars and restaurants there. However, it has seen much better days and the beaches, though spectacular looking, are frequently covered in trash and the water is not really good for swimming. 

It's probably worth a look if you're already here, but it's not somewhere to go out of your way to get to. Georgetown is the place to base yourself and is the main draw. There are far better beach resorts on Langkawi. That said, watching the sunset sitting outside of Frandy's Beach Bar is a pretty nice way to spend time.

Notable mentions:

It's probably worth mentioning Johor Baru - this doesn't make it to the must see list, but nor is it on the avoid list either. It's primarily a jumping off point to get to Singapore, but there are some attractions to the place itself. 

Firstly there is Legoland Malaysia - definitely worth a trip.

Forest city - a stuttering mega-project that is worth visiting out of curiosity.

The beach resorts of Desaru - we've not actually been, but we're planning to. Technically these are not in the city of Johor, but they are in the state.

Ipoh - We briefly visited the Lost World of Tambun, which was great, on an overnight trip, but also got in a visit to a great vegetarian restaurant and visited a cave temple. The geology is amazing and I'm told the rest of the city is very cool indeed!

Malacca - We've not been, but it is supposed to be very interesting. We will need to take road trip before we leave.

So to recap - just get here! You won't regret paying Malaysia a visit.