5 Must-Visit Places in Malaysia
Are you planning your Malaysia trip? Here is the list of 5 must-visit places in Malaysia that first-time travelers should include in their travel itinerary.
Endless sandy beaches, sprawling modern cities, laidback traditional towns, verdant highlands, limestone caves, tropical rainforests, exquisite cuisine, Malaysia has it all.
It's one of our all-time favorite countries in South East Asia, and although it could be our favorite place for thousands of reasons, the reason number one is probably the food.
Don't get us wrong, we love Thai food or Vietnamese cuisine, but this is probably more emotional than a rational conclusion. Malay cuisine and the combination of beautiful nature and modern cities stole our hearts.
We know it is always hard to write down top places and must-visit attractions from every country because all of us are individuals with different tastes and interests.
That's why this list is absolutely personal, and we must admit, that the title should have said probably something like 'our five favorite places in Malaysia' as it does not sound that definite.
But we hope, that after you visit destinations we are going to mention in this post, those places will already be your favorite as well.
So without further ado, let's get on with it!
KUALA LUMPUR
We must start our summary with the capital city, there is just no way around to leave Kuala Lumpur out from our top five list.
In general, we always try to visit capital cities when in the country, because they usually have a different vibe than other places, and it was a hundred percent true here in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur has developed into an incredibly pulsing city, and you have to love it for that.
For many travelers, KL is only a transit city on their Southeast Asia adventures, which is a pity, as the city has so much to offer. It combines modern and old, green and urban, in such a unique way, that staying in the city for a few hours is not enough.
Kuala Lumpur has a large number of best things to do, but if we should point out just one, you should not miss out on Petronas Towers, which is the city's dominant.
If time allows, it is for sure worth it to get to the top for splendid views, but you will get amazing photos even when standing on the ground.
Except for the towers, you should visit markets, eat street food, chill out in one of KL's many green parks, go inside mosques, and maybe even take a tour to famous Batu Caves.
It is pretty easy to stay in Kuala Lumpur for a week and not get bored, but we know many travelers cannot afford to stay in one place for so long, so we recommend you to allocate at least two days to fully explore the top things.
MELAKA (MALACCA)
When it comes to food tasting in Malaysia, there are two obvious choices, Melaka and Penang.
And you know what?
They are both excellent choices, so when planning your itinerary, it is a good idea to include them both on your list. We think, that Melaka has won it for us over Penang for a few simple reasons. The city center is more compact, so everything is easily accessible, there are some cool old buildings and a lively atmosphere.
Melaka was our first stop after we arrived from frugal Australia and New Zealand road trip, and we just couldn't stay away from the delicious food in Melaka, and finally could enjoy more than reasonable prices.
Thanks to the strategic location of Malacca Straits, Melaka has also a fascinating colonial history, which makes it a quite unique place among other Southeast Asian cities as there are many museums, temples, mosques and historical buildings scattered around Melaka's city center.
However, the ultimate highlight of your visit to Melaka is going to be the food.
When the Chinese first arrived in Malaysia, they brought their customs, culture, and most importantly, cooking techniques and ingredients, and the result is Nyonya cuisine, also known as Peranakan cuisine.
It's no wonder why Melaka became a must-visit place for both local and international foodies and food lovers who flood the city to taste a fine blend of exotic flavors.
TIOMAN ISLAND
Once you start planning your Malaysia itinerary, you will face a tough choice, which tropical island to choose?
Malaysia has many islands with crystal clear waters and sandy beaches, so deciding which place to visit is not that easy as it might seem at first.
Each island has something unique, that the others don't have. The most popular islands in Malaysia are arguably Langkawi, Perhentians, Penang, Redang, and Tioman.
Out of this big five, Penang together with Langkawi are the most developed islands, and on the opposite side sits Perhentians and Redang Island.
We kind of liked the Tioman Island from the bunch the most, but there are no clear winners.
Tioman is a large island 20 kilometers off the Malaysian east coast in the South China Sea, and a perfect getaway from the stress and busy life on the mainland.
And unlike stunning Perhentians, you can visit Tioman all year round, though the monsoon season will be very quiet, and not good for scuba diving.
Speaking of which, scuba diving and snorkeling are some of the most popular activities to do on Tioman Island (together with chilling out on the beaches and sunbaking).
The entry point to Tioman Island is a coastal town Mersing, from where take a ferry to the islands. Once you arrive on the island, the ferry stops in villages and beaches along the way.
TAMAN NEGARA NATIONAL PARK
Featuring one of the oldest rainforests in the world, Taman Negara National Park is a green lush gem among our top places to visit in Malaysia.
Being 130 million years old and being the largest park in Malaysia must mean something, and therefore Taman Negara is rightfully among the must-visit places in the country.
The park is a perfect place for outdoor adventures and activities. Bountiful wildlife, serious trekking, caving, river cruising, aboriginal villages, canopy walks, and much more sounds like a lot of fun.
From Kuala Lumpur, take a bus to Jerantut, then transfer to a bus to Kuala Tembeling, and from the jetty, take a wooden boat to Kuala Tahan, the official gateway to National Park.
And what to expect from Taman Negara?
Tigers, elephants, gaur, monkeys, snakes, toucans, tree frogs, and so much more. Don't get too excited about the tigers though, they're almost extinct, but a night jungle walk will allow you to see plenty of other nocturnal animals.
You can easily spend days trekking and camping in the park with local guides if you are feeling adventurous, but even a short trip to the jungle will reveal some of its secrets. The longest trek takes seven days, and it promises a real challenge on muddy trails in the hot and humid weather.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
IPOH
When we were thinking about places which we should include on our list of the must-visit destinations in Malaysia, we knew right from the beginning, that Ipoh will make it there. Ipoh is the capital city of Perak state and usually not the most obvious choice for many travelers.
When we first arrived in Ipoh, it was raining hard, we were kind of lost, and suddenly some local guy appeared, offered us help, and drove us around the city to find our hotel we had booked.
He was sharing with us his not so cheerful personal stories, but it was such a genuine experience we will never forget. Anyway, Ipoh is also a cool place to visit for other reasons.
Surrounded by forested white cliffs with caves and temples, Ipoh has plenty of appeal for all travelers.
However, it is often overlooked for the more famous Cameron Highlands, which means, that Ipoh is often used as a transit city, and not many people stay here too long.
If you allow yourself an extra night, you can visit most of the top attractions in Ipoh, and then resume your travels to the Malaysian highlands to cool yourself down, and eat some strawberries.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
