Burmese temple in Penang, Malaysia. Photo courtesy of The Wandering Angel via Flickr.

With beaches, big cities, jungles and small villages, there’s a lot to see and do in Malaysia. Here are a few suggestions for how to spend one week in Malaysia to make the most of your time.

Days 1 & 2: Kuala Lumpur

Most people leave the capital city as soon as they land, but Kuala Lumpur is worthy of a day or two of your time. Spend a day wandering the streets, visiting Chinatown, Little India and the colonial center of the city. Set aside a few hours for a visit to the Islamic Art Museum, one of the best museums in Kuala Lumpur.

Days 3 & 4: Penang

Penang is a highlight of many a traveler’s trip to Malaysia, so plan to spend at least one day relaxing on the beach or participating in one of the many water sports on offer, like snorkeling, sailing, kayaking or canoeing. Plan to spend a morning or afternoon in historic Georgetown, strolling the streets and ducking into the museums. Make sure to sample some local food here, as it’s often considered the best in Malaysia.

Alternative Plan: If you want to spend some time in the Malaysian jungle, skip Panang and spend two days hiking in Taman Negara National Park instead. It’s the largest and most accessible park in the country, famous for its waterfalls, canopy walks, birds and insects.

Book a Palau Payar Marine Park Snorkeling Tour from Penang.

Day 5 & 6: Malacca

Malacca is one of Malaysia’s most historic and multicultural destinations, so spend one of your days in Malaysia exploring the historic center and its churches, mosques and temples. The local cuisine here is excellent, particularly the Portuguese-Eurasian fusion dishes. On your second day, take a trip to Palau Besar, an island off the coast of Melacca popular for its beautiful white sand beaches.

Alternative Plan: If you’ve had enough of big cities, skip Malacca and spend two days enjoying the Cameron Highlands instead. This hill station is known for its tea plantations, farms and beautiful lakes and is one of the most relaxing getaways from Kuala Lumpur you could take.

Day 7: Return to Kuala Lumpur

Now that you’ve had a taste of what Malaysia’s all about, it’s time to catch a bus back to the capital city and head home or onward to your next destination.

-Lydia Schrandt

How to Spend One Week in Malaysia from Malaysia Things to Do

Streets of Kuala Lumpur. Photo courtesy of Miikka H via Flickr.

Kuala Lumpur, or KL for short, is the busy capital city and the most common point of entry into the rest of Malaysia. Chances are, if you’re traveling anywhere in the country, you’ll spend at least a little time in this modern metropolis, and you have several transportation options to help you get around.

On Foot

Using the power of your own two feet is the best way to experience KL, especially since the old colonial center, Chinatown, the Golden Triangle and Little India are all within walking distance of each other. The city can be sweltering mid-day, but a walking tour can be an enjoyable way to avoid the city’s traffic jams in the morning or late afternoon.

Take a walking tour of Kuala Lumpur

Taxi

As long as you avoid the rush hour mayhem from 8 to 10am and 5 to 8pm, taxis are a quick and inexpensive way to get around the city. While meters are the law, may drivers refuse to use them, so be prepared to bargain. A trip clear across town shouldn’t cost you more than RM10. From midnight to 6am, expect to pay a 50-percent surcharge.

Commuter Rail

KL’s network of commuter trains, known as the LRT, operate from early in the morning until midnight and are a good alternative to taxis during rush hour or when it’s raining. If you want to get around the city center, ride the KL Monorail that does a half-loop through the Golden Triangle.

Tourist Bus

If you plan your activities outside rush hour, the KL Hop-On Hop-Off tourist bus stops at 42 destinations in town, making it a good value. You can purchase tickets for 24 or 48 hours good for unlimited rides, and kids under five years of age ride free.

See the sights on a Kuala Lumpur bus tour

- Lydia Schrandt

How to Get Around Kuala Lumpur from Malaysia Things to Do

Pulau Payar. Photo courtesy of Shahnoor Habib Munmun via Flickr.

What was once an uninhabited island transformed into a busy port when the British East India Company moved onto Penang. Today, it retains much of its British and Chinese heritage. The area’s real draw is its natural beauty, beauty you can experience for yourself on a short day trip from Penang.

Pulau Payar Marine Park

Pulau Payar, home of the Pulau Payar Marine Park, is a popular day trip spot for its snorkeling and diving opportunities. Crystal clear, sheltered waters provide a sanctuary for an abundance of marine life, including several endangered species, an even if you prefer not to snorkel or dive, you can still observe a lively reef from a glass-bottom observation platform just off shore.

Penang National Park

Penang National Park may be the world’s smallest national park, but it’s rich in biodiversity, with mangroves, wetlands, mud flats, beaches, a lake, coral reefs and beaches where sea turtles come to nest. After you’ve experienced the jungle from the ground, see it with a bird’s perspective by walking the Canopy Walkway. The park is also home of Monkey Beach, a stretch of sand inhabited by crab-eating macaque monkeys.

Butterfly Farm and Spice Garden

The Butterfly Farm, located off the mountain road leading from Penang’s northern coast to Balik Pulau, is home to more than 4,000 butterflies representing 120 species, some quite rare. You’ll also see frogs, lizards and bugs of various kinds — safely behind glass of course. Since you’ll only need an hour or two at the Butterfly Farm, you can make a day trip out of it by adding a visit to the island’s Spice Gardens to learn about the 500 herb and spice varieties that made Malaysia an important port in the spice trade.

Cycling Rural Penang

For an active day trip, rent a bike and circumnavigate the island. It’s about 43.5 (70 kilometers) around with only a couple hills to climb. You should still have time to stop at some beaches and Penang National Park along the way.

- Lydia Schrandt

Best Day Trips from Penang from Malaysia Things to Do

Get ready for the Dragon Festival!

Travelers who find themselves in Penang in early summer should take special care to watch the festivities surrounding the Plenitude Penang International Dragon Boat Festival. Beating drums, colorful boats and costumes, and high-caliber athleticism come together for three days of international competition and celebration. The dates of the festival vary by year by year, due to the fact that the schedule is set to coincide with the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month, usually occurring in May or June on the Gregorian calendar.

With a rich, mythological history that can be traced back through twenty centuries, dragon boat racing has emerged as a world-renown sport and pastime. While the original competitions at Penang, dating back to 1956, were only open to Malaysian teams, dozens of countries now compete in the series of races at the Teluk Bahang Dam. In fact, the competition is open to any team throughout the world, which holds membership in the International Dragon Boat Federation, and registration fees are relatively affordable. Watching the synchronized rowers paddling is a thrilling sight to behold, and the entry price to the festival is minimal. There are plenty of food options to be had at the festival site, so be sure to purchase food coupons from the festival organizers.

If you’re traveling in Penang during the festivities, it is best to stay in Batu Ferringhi, where there are many choices of hotels varying in price, including the Hard Rock Penang. Busses run from the Dam to Batu Ferringhi rapidly and frequently, and have extended hours during the festival.

- John Reality

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Malaysia tours and things to do, Malaysia attractions, and Malaysia travel recommendations, or book a private tour guide in Malaysia for a customized tour!

Penang International Dragon Boat Festival from Malaysia Things to Do

Pinnacles at Mulu, Gunung Mulu National Park. Photo courtesy of Paul White via wikimedia

One of Sarawak‘s most popular travel destinations, Gunung Mulu National Park features some of the world’s most astonishing cave systems, as well as some excellent jungle and mountain trekking.
Just getting to Gunung Mulu can be challenging. Depending on how adventuresome you’re feeling (and how physically fit you are), it is possible to approach the park by air, or via a combination of bus,
chartered longboat, and hiking along the famous Headhunter’s Trail. It is also possible to make the journey almost entirely by a series of connecting ferries and chartered longboats (though this journey can take multiple days, depending on the schedules of the various ferries, many of which do not operate daily).

Far and away the most popular aspect of the park is its cave systems, the exploration (and excavation) of which has resulted in the addition of Gunung Mulu to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in 2000. Recent archeology has indicated that Cave of the Winds in particular had been used for religious observances as far back as 3,000 years ago, and it’s easy to see why. The Sarawak Chamber is estimated to be the world’s largest cave chamber, and is still being mapped to this day.

Other caves worth visiting include Clearwater Cave, Turtle Cave. Deer and Langs Caves, the Garden of Eden, and Bat Exodus. Above ground, visitors should make it a point to visit Paku Waterfall and consider an ascent of one or more of the many arresting limestone pinnacles and peaks in the area.

Note: It is necessary to register at the park headquarters and pay a nominal fee per person per day. It is also necessary to obtain the services of a licensed park guide in order to enter any of the caves
legally (or safely).

- John Reality

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Malaysia tours and things to do, Malaysia attractions, and Malaysia travel recommendations, or book a private tour guide in Malaysia for a customized tour!

Gunung Mulu National Park from Malaysia Things to Do

The simplistic white exterior of the Islamic Arts Museum is itself a marveling sight. Inside, four-stories of open and plan design lets visitors wander through the permanent and traveling exhibits with ease.

Kuala Lumpur Islamic Arts Museum courtesy of phalinn on Flikr.

Along with a ceramic collection, the permanent wood carving collection is an impressive exhibition of Islamic artisanship.

Another highlight is the mini replica collection of notable mosques from around the world. Having the models in the one room highlights the nuanced cultural differences between the various Islamic populations across the globe.

Clothing and jewelry displays from various geographical and historical places are astonishing in their variety and intricacy.

It is recommended to budget two to three hours for a visit. Given the center is indoor and air-conditioned; tourists might want to plan to spend the midday or early afternoon hours here to escape the hot and humid Kuala Lumpur heat. The museum is open seven days a week from 10am to 6pm and admission is RMB12.00 ($4) for adults and RMB6.00 ($2) for kids over six and seniors over 55 years old.

Check the official website to see what non-permanent exhibits are traveling through when you are planning your travels.

- Contributed by John Reality

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Malaysia tours and things to do, Malaysia attractions, and Malaysia travel recommendations, or book a private tour guide in Malaysia for a customized tour!

Kuala Lumpur Islamic Arts Museum from Malaysia Things to Do

Entering Lake Gardens Park. Photo Courtesy of McKay Savage via Wikimedia Commons

Existing as a marked counterpoint to the extraordinary cacophony of Kuala Lumpur‘s main train station (which is situated just a stone’s throw away), the lovely refuge that is Lake Gardens Park has been offering respite to the city’s elders and betters since the late 19^th century. Originally opened as sanctuary for the colonial ruling class from the urban blight, bustling humanity, and – there’s no way around it – the resident native population, the park is now thoroughly democratized. Its 225 acres are open to everyone.

The brainchild of then-British State Treasurer Alfred Venning, the park contains an expanse of carefully sculpted and manicured gardens and other attractions. Constructed on what was once a festering tin mine, the park has a mixture of native plant species, British imports, and range of appropriate fauna.

Attractions of interest include a covered bird park (reputedly the world’s largest) with more than 200 species of birds, a national monument in bronze by American sculptor Felix de Weldon that commemorates the communist takeover in 1960, as well as a deer park, a hibiscus garden, an orchid garden, and a delightful butterfly park.

Located in the heart of the city, the park is close to the National Museum of Malaysia, itself a worthy destination for the culturally inclined, and the Islamic Arts Museum.

Of particular interest to visitors with little ones is an elaborate children’s play area and the lake that gives the park its name. Boats are available for rental, and practitioners of Tai Chi will discover throngs of like-minded devotees nearly every morning of the week.

 - John Reality

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Lake Gardens Park from Malaysia Things to Do

Built in order to house port laborers that could not afford housing on the mainland, the spanning clan jetties of Georgetown are today inhabited by the descendents of these workers. They are a bit run down and effectively shanties, but are considered by historians to be cultural landmarks that define a rather large group of people.

Clan jetty photo courtesy of Marufish on Flikr.

The wooden planks that make up the houses are aged and withered, but any visitor would be entranced by the structures that have lasted more than one hundred years, held together by the stilts that prop them over the waterfront.
The six jetties that still exist are Seh Lim Keo, Seh Chew Keo, Seh Tan Keo, Seh Lee Keo, Chap Seh Keo, Seh Yeoh Keo.

They are a bit difficult to get to since they aren’t very close to the main areas in Georgetown. Nevertheless, there is still a rather large bus network that can get you close to them, or even better, cheap taxis that will take you direct if you so choose. The six jetties are all one next to the other, so simply call one out and make your way around on foot.

- Contributed by John Reality

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Malaysia tours and things to do, Malaysia attractions, and Malaysia travel recommendations, or book a private tour guide in Malaysia for a customized tour!

The Clan Jetties of Penang from Malaysia Things to Do

Royal Fraser’s Hill Golf Club

Situated at 5,000 feet above sea level in the Pahang rainforest, the colonial-era hill resort known as Fraser’s Hill has remained relatively unchanged since it was made accessible by automobile from Kuala Lumpur in the early 20^th century.

Fraser’s Hill owes its name to a Scottish entrepreneur who made his fortune mining tin in the area and exploiting his mainly Chinese laborers by leaving the hardest tasks to them and then siphoning off their meager wages by selling them opium and providing them opportunities to fail at games of chance. The tin didn’t last, and neither did the area’s namesake (Fraser disappeared under mysterious circumstances after making countless enemies), but the assemblage of buildings of structures that make up this splendid little hamlet have remained virtually unchanged for nearly 90 years. The Tudor-style buildings were intended (somewhat bizarrely) to resemble a Scottish village, and indeed they do. Commerce in the township is centered around a market square that is dominated by a smallish clock tower.

In the immediate vicinity, visitors can avail themselves of opportunities for birding (there are more than 250 species of birds known to frequent the area), boating, fishing, and swimming. There is also one of the country’s oldest golf courses, as well as bungalows and various lodgings that can be rented. The popular Jeriau Waterfalls are a short walk from the town. Restroom and shower facilities are available for prospective bathers.

Three well-marked hiking trails offer a variety of jungles treks, ranging in difficulty from a short hike along the border of the golf course to a 4-mile schlep so difficult that it can take experienced trekkers the better part of a day.

- John Reality

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Fraser’s Hill from Malaysia Things to Do

Kota Kinabalu – capital of Sabah. Photo courtesy of Flanegan.

The Malaysian island of Borneo has long attracted tourists with its lush jungle, high peaks, world-class diving sites and beautiful beaches. With the recent armed conflict in the Sabah area between Malaysian military and Filipino militia, here’s what you need to know to stay safe on your visit.

In mid-February, a group of armed Filipinos — followers of Sultan Jamalul Kiram III — landed on the shores of Sabah 150 kms east of Lahad Datu. The situation escalated over the weekend of March 1-3 as the group claiming to be the rightful owners of the state clashed with Malaysian security forces, resulting in the deaths of at least 26 people, including eight Malaysian security officials. The Malaysian government sent in fighter jets and ground troops in an attempt to find the 200 or so Filipino men believed to be hiding out near a palm oil plantation, and has reported that as of March 20, only 50 or so remain at large.

This recent outbreak of violence raises concerns over the safety of traveling to the state of Sabah, a state that serves as the jumping off point for many of Borneo’s best dive sites. According to the March 8 report from the U.S. Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, travelers should avoid the southern coastal area extended from the far eastern tip of Sabah all the way down to the border of Indonesia, including the cities of Lahad Datu, Semporna, Tawau and Kunak. However, the villages where the actual conflicts took place are 150kms from Lahad Datu, so many travelers feel this warning is overly cautious, and the Sabah General Inspector of Police has said that it is safe for tourists to travel to Sabah.

Since the conflict is relatively isolated, travel to other parts of Sabah should still be safe, and businesses remain fully operational. While there is currently no advisory against visiting the city of Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding region’s attractions, travelers should, as always, be aware of their surroundings and obey any evacuation or curfew orders given by Malaysian officials. Carry a copy of your passport with you at all times, and be prepared to present identification should you encounter any official check-points during your travels.

If you plans take you to eastern Malaysia, you can register with the Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive the latest security updates and make it easier for the U.S. Embassy to contact you in case of emergency.

-Lydia Schrandt

Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Malaysia tours and things to do, Malaysia attractions, and Malaysia travel recommendations, or book a private tour guide in Malaysia for a customized tour!

Safety in Sabah: What You Need to Know About Visiting Now from Malaysia Things to Do