Malaysia itenary

What would be a good itenary for Malaysia for a three week trip.
Definately want to visit Kula Lumpa.

Some highlights:

Peninsular Malaysia

• Kuala Lumpur (3 days) - more in the travel guide
• Malacca (2 days) - an old town, the first point of European colonisation by the Portuguese (1511), then Dutch (1641), followed by the English (1824)
• Penang (2-3 days) - a former British Crown Colony (1786-1957). Its capital, Georgetown, is jointly-listed with Malacca as a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• Taman Negara (2-3 days), which means National Park in Malay, is arguably the oldest rainforest in the world
• Cameron Highlands (2-3 days) - a cool retreat from the hot and humid weather on a highland that's famous for its tea plantation (owned by a British family). One of the activities is guided jungle trekking.
• Perhentian Islands (3 days) - one of, if not the best islands on the Peninsular. Islands 'closed' during the north-east monsoon (Oct/Nov - Mar/Apr)
• Langkawi Island (3 days) - one of the best islands on the west coast, only about an hour ferry ride from Penang

Over on Malaysian Borneo, you can go climb Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia. The climb is relatively easy (though good fitness is required) for a 4096-metre-tall mountain. There are lots more to do on Malaysian Borneo, but you wouldn't be able to fit them into your 3-week trip.

Thank you very much, the information is most helpful. We wont be able to climb Mount Kinabalu though! My husband has not been too well recently, but we would like to go to Borneo.

Another place on Malaysian Borneo worth considering is the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in Sabah.

Hi Jenny,

Your 3 weeks in Malaysia would definitely give you the time to take in the natural wonders and modern sophistication that the country has to offer. All depends on your interests really.

Kuala Lumpur in itself has plenty to offer in terms of places of interest, shopping, and culture. A week's stay is ideal to enjoy a profusion of mouth watering delicacies, and to immerse yourself in the abundance of attractions and local culture.

Most would then journey to Langkawi for a 3-4 days stay for that "island paradise" pampering of Spa treatments, and activities like snorkelling, scuba diving, etc. or plain relaxation at its sandy white beaches.
Eco-adventures activity is also available on the island.

From Langkawi, you can then head over to Penang which has been touted as Malaysia's food paradise for another 3-4 days stay and enjoy the unique culture of the town. Penang has been listed as a World Heritage site .

There are connecting flights to Sabah and Sarawak from Penang and of course both the states are well known for their diverse natural attractions of caves, mountains and eco-adventure destinations like Danum Valley, Bako National park, Kinabalu Park, etc. This could take another 4-5 days stay before returning to Kuala Lumpur for your flight home.

Please log in to the blog/website below for an indepth information of the various states in Malaysia which might help you to replan your activities.

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Hey im going to gate crash!! i have been reading alot about Malaysia esp Kuala Lumpur. Can anyone advise:

1. Any Cheap accommodation u wud recommend???

2. I was thinking of flying frm Bangkok would this be the cheapest route - could i fly from the south of thailand??

3. What are the trains like thoughout Malaysia?? possible prices?

If i was going to go for 2-3 weeks how much do u think i need??

Thanks a bunch

Any info would be greatly appreciated

Quoting Annie0

1. Any Cheap accommodation u wud recommend???

Well, how cheap is cheap for you? What's your budget and what kind of accommodation you're looking for? Check out the budget accommodation in Malaysia.

2. I was thinking of flying frm Bangkok would this be the cheapest route - could i fly from the south of thailand??

Yes, check AirAsia and Firefly. (note: Subang Airport, which is nearer to the city centre, was the old KL airport before it moved to the current one in 1998)

3. What are the trains like thoughout Malaysia?? possible prices?

Trains are comfortable, but expect a longer journey compared to taking a bus because a large section of the railway network (except the central region) are still single track, so they need to give way to one another. Intercity fares range from £4 (2nd class aircon) to about £20 (1st class)

If i was going to go for 2-3 weeks how much do u think i need??

Depends on what you do/eat. Here are some prices so you know roughly how much things cost.

• KFC or McDonald's meal (regular, not large): less than £2 (fast food is considered relatively expensive for locals)
• Large bottled water (1.5L) and canned soft drinks (325ml): about 30-40p each
• Beer (325ml can) at convenience stores (i.e. 7eleven): about £1.50 (cheaper to buy at supermarkets)
• Movie ticket at a cinema: £2

• Bus: from £3 (regular aircon) to £15 (VIP), depending on distance

Activities in KL:

• Petronas Twin Towers skybridge: FREE
• KL Tower: about £5
• KL Bird Park: about £5

Read the Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur travel guides for more information. If you have more questions, just post them here.

[ Edit: Edited on 20-May-2009, at 15:55 by Hien ]

I visited Malaysia for 10 days last year. As I was there for a short time I visited an Island called Pulau Pangkor, which is about halfway between Langkawi/Penang and Kuala Lumpar.

I was looking for somewhere less busy and not so affected by Tourism. I wasn't dissapointed! The Island was beautiful.

Plus you've got to see this buddhist temple at the end of the beach, its crazy!! With a statue of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck at the entrance.......Bizzare!

Just posting to say that when I visited Malaysia I did almost exactly the itinerary suggested here by Hien, and they are all top recommendations. Listen to the man, he knows his onions!

Some recommendations

You can visit a lot of interesting places in Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, offers the following places to visit such as Petronas Twin Tower, Aquaria KLCC,KL Bird Park, Merdeka Square, a lot of shopping complexes for shopping , Sunway Lagoon - family entertainment & recreation centre.
Dont forget to experience the varieties of food available here which truly represent Asia's choices (you can find most of Asian food here, from Malay, Chinese, Indian, Arab, Japanese, Vietnamese etc).
From Kuala Lumpur you can fly to Penang Island (takes about 40 mins). Penang is a famous tourist attraction with its fine dining, good entertainment choices as well as sunny beach at Batu Ferringhi (a lot of hotels of good standard are available here). Some interesting places to visit are the Botanical Garden (monkey roams freely here), Batu Feringghi Night Market ( a lot of cheap stuff you can find here for souvenirs but you need to bargain), Kek Lok Si Temple, Snake Temple, Gurney Drive ( a hawker centre where you can eat a lot of Penang specialties such as Pasembor , fried kuay teow, laksa etc), fishermen's village at Teluk Bahang. Dont forget also to taste the 'Nasi Kandar' & Prawn Mee.

From Penang Island you can go further up to Langkawi Island (you can fly or even take the ferry). Langkawi is more tranquil and relax compared to Penang with its white sandy beaches and clear waters. The most popular one are at Pantai Chenang and Pantai Tengah as there are a lot of shops, hotels, dininng areas and souvenir centres here. You can just walk from the hotel to all these places. Accommodations ranges from budget up to 5 star hotel are available. Among places of interest to visit in Langkawi are Underwater World Langkawi, Batik Craft Complex, Dataran Helang at Kuah (this is more for shopping and snap some pictures), Mahsuri Tomb, Langkawi Geo Park, Langkawi Cable Car and visit to Pulau Dayang Bunting.

If you are really a beach enthusiast and prefer to just to relax at secluded beach with crystal clear waters, then Perhentian Island and Tioman Island are the ideal places to experience. Activities such as diving, snorkelling, kayaking, boat ride, jungle trekking are abundance here. If you have more time, then go to visit the islands in East Malaysia such as Mataking Island, Sipadan Island which are even more captivating.

If you prefer nature and adventure, you can visit Sabah (known as Land Below The Wind) and visit the Mount Kinabalu. This will take about 2 hours journey by flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu. Most of the hotels in Sabah can arrange the trip for you. Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia. On the way to the top, you can stop at Kundasang, it offers nice sceneries to snap photos as well as souvenir items and fresh vegetables and fruits.

Cameron Highland is another nature adventure place to visit. This is located in Pahang but the only convenient way to reach here is by driving. It is about 2 hours plus from Kuala Lumpur. It is a hilly area where one can find plenty of vegetable farms, tea plantation farm, strawberry farm with cool weather. Hotels are abundance here too. Ideally 2 -3 days here is sufficient.

Taman Negara is another nature adventure place you must not missed if you love the nature in its natural surroundings. In short if you want to find more information about the interesting places around Malaysia and the islands and beaches to plan your itineraries , do check malaysia beach point as a guide for you. Hope you will find the info beneficial.