Good to know
Most places in Malaysia are safe to travel. Experience caution in bigger cities and try to avoid NE part of Malaysia (around borders with Thailand) due to higher security risks.
Most travellers get vaccinated agains Hepatitis A, B and Typhoid. Other vaccination should be considered if staying longer or in rural areas.
The most common type of power socket is type G.
Even though it is possible to pay with credit cards at bigger stores, shopping centers and for transport, we recommend using cash when travelling in Malaysia - most of the smaller stores, market places, local restaurants do not accept credit cards.
When to go?
Probably the best time to visit Malaysia is between December and March. During this period it is warm and rain showers are less frequent. On the other hand if you are not planning a beach holiday, the weather is good throughout the year (mostly hot, humid, partly clouded with few rain showers a day).
Price level
Malaysia can be fairly cheap country to travel, depending on your needs. Budget hotel rooms usually cost around 50 - 70 Ringgits and offer double bed, private bathrooms and some of them A/C. Meals in a street restaurants go for as low as 8 Ringgits and local transportation is also fairly cheap with one way tickets at around 2,5 Ringgits. The higher your demands are, the higher will be the price.
What to see?
Kuala Lumpur
Beautiful city with great diversity, offers busy old quarter, Chinatown with many street sellers and great opportunities to eat and shop, luxury new quarter with famous Petronas twin towers, beautiful and quiet city parks and gardens.
Batu Caves
Just a short train ride from Kuala Lumpur (one way ticket costs just RM 1 – 2) lies beautiful Batu Cave. To get there you need to climb many stairs, but since there are monkeys everywhere you won’t even notice it. Just be careful and hide all bottles and food so that the monkeys won’t grab it.
Malacca
Great seaside town with long history and red colored houses listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can easily get there by bus from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
Genting Highlands
Small theme park located at the top of the mountain offers cooler climate and many attractions.
Penang
Small Island north of Kuala Lumpur with nice historic town George town (great place to spend couple afternoons by exploring the narrow old streets and markets), possibilities for hiking and some great beaches in the north. Easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur on plane or bus.
Langkawi
Another Island close to the borders with Thailand. This place offers more upscale beaches, great opportunities for hiking, snorkeling and cave exploring. Easily accessible by plane from Kuala Lumpur.
Cameron Highlands
Located higher in the mountains, this place offers much cooler climate throughout the year. This place offers more challenging hiking opportunities, famous Mossy forest, numerous berry and honey farms and colonial architecture. Easily accessible by bus from Kuala Lumpur or Penang.
Taman Negara National Park
One of the best national parks in Malaysia with unspoiled nature and many hiking opportunities. This place might be little bit harder to get to due to its location and we would recommend planning at least 2 – 3 days to explore it. Many travel agencies offer visit to Taman Negara from Kuala Lumpur.
Mount Kinabalu
If you are looking for more demanding trek, Mount Kinabalu is the place for you. Standing at 4 095 meters above sea level, this is the highest mountain in Malaysia. In order to ascent, you need to obtain a permit (only 135 permits are issued per day and costs around RM 200 for foreigner). The hike usually takes 2 days. People usually reserve a guide (RM 230) and might reserve a porter.
