An Armchair Guide to Malaysia

As an Armchair Traveller, I’ve done plenty of Armchair Travelling. By that I mean that I have spent far too much time on my laptop/in my books researching destinations that I will one day visit. Instead of putting all of that information to waste, I thought instead I would compile everything in to a blog post. I hope this helps if you are planning on visiting this destination or even if you just interested like me!

I have been flirting with the idea of visiting Malaysia for a while. Asia in general is a continent I really haven’t visited much of yet in general (literally just Bangkok!). I think Malaysia appeals to me as a destination to visit in Asia because the peninsular part of the country seems relatively manageable to visit in one trip. Borneo is another story! But keep reading for my Armchair Guide on a trip to Malaysia.

Peninsular Malaysia is shown on the left and is what I'll be covering in this post! Let me know if you'd like a post on Borneo

Logistics

Getting there – You can find plenty of cheap flights by browsing and keeping an eye out on the usual comparison sites, particularly if you can be flexible (and opt for non-direct flights).You can find good options for under £500 in and out of Kuala Lumpur.

Getting around – Fly between major destinations if time is a priority but otherwise buses (including night buses) are available. Alternatively, hire a car for travel between states. This blog post is useful for more information on all of the options!

Where to stay? All over! The Malaysian Peninsular isn’t tiny so don’t be afraid to move around and spend a few days here and there based on your itinerary (see options below!)

From a brief look on my usual go to booking sites (Booking .com and Airbnb - blog post with details here), accommodation across all of the areas mentioned below looks very reasonably priced (hotels/guesthouses under £50 a night that look nice by my standards!). Of course you can always opt for more luxurious options if your budget is more or trade down to hostels if you’re really trying to save money. This blog post is useful in identifying where you might want to stay in Kuala Lumpur. In general though, you’ll find plenty of guesthouses/hotels/hostels depending on your style of travelling.

When to go? Annoyingly, the west coast’s wet season is the east coast’s dry season and vice versa! If you’re just interested in the west coast (Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Pulau Langkawi), go between November and August but if your preference is for the east (Pulau Perhentian), opt for between March and September. I suppose if you’d like to hedge your bets, go for a ‘shoulder’ season such as October.

Iconic Petronas Towers

Top Sights

• Kuala Lumpur – spend a couple of days here to tick off some of the top sights such as the iconic Petronas Towers and the Batu Caves

• Penang – found on the Northwest coast of the country. Its main city is George Town which I’ve heard has amazing cuisine!

• Cameron Highlands – rural highlands filled with rice terraces

• Pulau Perhentian – one of many pockets of paradise (pulau means island). Think crystal clear waters and snorkeling spots, and the cover post of this post

• Pulau Langkawi – seen this one a lot on Instagram recently! Another beach paradise that seems to be one of the most popular in Malaysia

• BORNEO (but I think Borneo as a whole deserves a separate post so let me know if you’d like one!)

Cameron Highlands

Long Weekend Itinerary

If you only have a long weekend to give to Malaysia, then spend it in one location and do it justice. If the Petronas towers are on your bucket list, then spend your time in Kuala Lumpur and make sure to take the trip to the Batu Caves. If you’d rather a cosmopolitan experience that’s more off the beaten path then head to Georgetown and explore the rest of Penang with that as your base. Your last option is to head straight to one of the islands and soak in the delights of the Malaysian coastline.

1 week Itinerary

Spend a couple of nights in Kuala Lumpur before heading north to Penang. From Penang carry on north to Pulau Langkawi for some well needed beach relaxation time! Choose how you’d like to divide your time between the cities and the beach! If you’d rather spend more than a couple of nights on the island then skip Penang or Kuala Lumpur.

Pulau Langkawi

2 week Itinerary

With 2 weeks you can do everything on the 1 week itinerary above (and can give everything more time!) while also visiting the Cameron Highlands on your journey between KL and Penang. If you have itchy feet then also hop over to the east coast to visit Pulau Perhentian – but remember that this has an opposite wet/rainy season to the west coast!

So is Malaysia on your bucket list? If it wasn't before I hope this post has inspired you to look into it - it's definitely on my list and seems like a great country with a lot to offer.