New Malaysia Travel Guide

Malaysia is genuinely one of my favourite countries in the world. Visit and you’ll see why. The people are welcoming, the food is incredible, the nature is beautiful and most things are delightfully cheap. After two years of living in Malaysia, eating and trekking my way around, I have discovered some of the best local secrets and have LOADS of top tips to share. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Quick insight

New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

It would be wrong, just WRONG, to visit Malaysia and not make the most of the ridiculously tasty food that is to be found all over the place. Malaysians love to socialise over food. Explore towns in the evening and you will see people out late eating, drinking tea and chatting away.  We have dedicated a blog especially to the topic of food. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Malaysia truly puts the MULTI into mutli-cultural. Travel Malaysia and you will meet Malaysian Indians, Malaysian Chinese, Baba and Nonya people, Bahasa Malaysians and many more. These fascinating cultures live side-by-side without losing their unique and beautiful heritage. Culture is expressed and celebrated through clothing, food, religion, architecture and festivals.

Malaysian adventure, just like Malaysian food and culture, is also incredibly diverse. From trekking through intense ancient jungle, to swimming in warm coral waters, to scaling the cold rocky peak of Kinabalu, Malaysia has it all. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Despite all of this Malaysia is slightly “off the beaten track” in South East Asia. Don’t miss out- travel Malaysia.

New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Questions and Comments

PLEASE do ask questions and ask for any advice you think you need in the comment section below, we really do want to help YOU make the most of your exciting adventure to Malaysia.  We have tried to get the balance of writing everything you will need, without over doing it, so if you think we have missed something, please just say… New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Fast Facts 

Staying Safe: Malaysia has a safe vibe and they are very welcoming to foreigners. Like any country there are isolated incidences of crime so take care of yourself and your possessions like you would in any country. Don’t forget to check out FIT FOR TRAVEL MALAYSIA LINK site too.

Staying Connected: Call only, 3G and 4G SIM cards are widely available and reliable. Prepaid sim cards tend to be cheap and are sold in many small shops. You will typically pay RM 5-15 (1.00 GBP / 1.30 USD) for the sim card and it will probably include pre-paid phone credit and mobile data. Wifi is common, pretty fast, reliable and often free. Internet cafes can also be found in some places.

Staying Charged: Malaysia uses the British-style three pin rectangular plugs (type G) 240V 50Hz A.C. In cities and towns powercuts are rare. In more rural areas there may be power cuts or homes may use generators if they don’t have a mains supply. It is easy to find plugs for charging in public places, cafes and coffee shops.

Staying Clean: If you are travelling to rural villages you need to carry toilet paper with you it is mostly squat and drop toilets. Rural accommodation can be a scoop and pour system but most guesthouses have warm showers.

Staying Healthy: Local tap water is not safe to drink, but bottled water is widespread and cheap. If your stomach is reasonably Asia proof you can eat pretty much anything, just apply common sense. Food is generally healthy and fruit is widely available.

Staying Classy: The Bahasa-Malay people have a strong Muslim culture and dress conservatively. The mix of ethnicities mean that people are generally fine with foreigners and non-malays dressing for the hot, humid climate. It’s fine to wear shorts and vest tops in the bigger cities and hiking in the countryside. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Money: Malaysian currency is called Ringgits. It is sometimes abbreviated to RM (Ringgits Malaysian) 1 RM = 0.20 GBP = 0.25 USD. ATM’s are widespread and generally accept foreign debit cards.

Discounts: Foreign student and OAP cards are generally not accepted in Malaysia.

Visas and borders: Check your entry requirements through the Malaysian embassy (WEBSITE?). For brits, entry into Malaysia is very simple and easy. Just rock up at the airport or land border and get stamped in on arrival.

Language: Most people in Malaysia are multilingual, speaking two or more languages. Chinese Malaysians often speak Mandarin, Hokkien or Cantonese. Indian Malaysians often speak Hindi or Tamil. Malays speak Bahasa Malaysian. Most people chat away in a mixture of languages- flipping back and forth mid sentence.  English is the common language and almost everyone speaks English to some extent.

Seasons: Malaysia is a tropical, equatorial climate. Some areas have wet and dry seasons, however these are not very distinct compared to other tropical wet-dry climates. Although Malaysia does experience monsoons, the monsoons are generally not too severe on peninsular Malaysia. The average temperature is 27oC and the humidity is typically very high. Temperatures at midday can easily reach 35oC.

Shopping: Kuala Lumpur has some very large shopping malls which sell a wide range of Asian and Western products. Prices in shopping malls are often comparable or more expensive than UK or American prices. You can also find night markets in some places. These sell a great range of things including clothes, gifts, bags, accessories and much more. If you buy anything more expensive (such a laptop or digital camera) it may be eligible for the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS). If the shop is registered for the TRS they will be able to provide a special receipt which you can provide at the airport when you exit Malaysia. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Check out the refund website for more details >>>

Packing Extras: We do have a great Backpackers Packing List, if you’re planning a long term trip. For Malaysia bring lots of light-weight, breathable clothing for the warm climate and consider getting a hammock and mosquito net if you plan to enjoy some jungle adventure. Don’t forget sunscreen- it is not cheap in Malaysia.

Culture, People and Quirks: Malaysian people seem genuinely very happy to greet and welcome foreigners. Each Malaysian sub-culture has its own quirks. To find out more about Malaysian culture check out the blog… New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Things you much know before visiting Malaysia >>

Best Bits 

If you love nature, food and culture you can’t go wrong. You could almost pick anywhere at random, rock up and find amazing things to do, see and eat. But we all have favourites. One of my personal favourites is trekking through the Penang National Park to turtle beach. Spend a night camping by the beach to take in the atmosphere at night. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Penang is also lovingly known as the “food capital of Malaysia”. I can see why. You just can’t get enough of the incredibly delicious food!

If you love beaches and swimming, make sure you don’t miss the Perhentian islands on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. The crystal clear waters are perfect for exploring the coral reef and seeing some very odd looking fish. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

The Cameron Highlands are also well worth a trip. The damp high altitude forests at the peaks make you feel like you have just stepped into the real life Avatar forest. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Best Places To Go

If you are planning a trip to Malaysia, here are a few suggestions for places to see. There are MANY more amazing places in Malaysia- but these are some places that make for an epic trip:

• Taman Negara
• Mount Kinabalu
• Penang Jungle and George Town
• Langkawi
• Perhentian islands
• Cameron Highlands
• Petrona Twin Towers in Kula Lumpur

Whether you decide to climb Kinabalu, dive in crystal clear waters or just relax on the beach you should definitely check out these blogs for some great inspiration and info:

TOP 10 THINGS TO DO IN MALAYSIA

WHAT TO DO IN MALAYSIA IF YOU HAVE 10 DAYS OR LESS

New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Budget Tips 

Money

How do you travel Malaysia on a budget ???

Malaysia is a very cheap country to travel. Food and transport is delightfully cheap and entrance tickets are minimal or non-existent. It is fine to barter in some places in Malaysia. Markets are a great example of a place where you can and should barter. If you end up in a taxi you will probably need to barter or request they do it on the meter. Don’t worry about offending someone by trying to barter- they will generally not be offended. If in doubt just barter!

New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Accommodation

If you want to be organised and actually get the best deals, just book with Agoda. We usually just put the dates in and slap the order into LOWEST to high for price.

Book your bed in Kuala Lumpur HERE ( See the Petrona Twin Towers )

Book your bed in Penang HERE (See the George Town and Turtle Beach)

Book your bed in Langkawi HERE (Swim, snorkel and explore the Island)

Book your bed in The Perhentian Islands HERE (To learn to dive and snorkel)

Book your bed in Taman Negara HERE (See the worlds oldest rainforest)

Book your bed in The Cameron Highlands HERE (See Tea plantations and the strawberry farm)

Book your bed in Kinabalu HERE (To climb Mount Kinabalu)

Style: Accommodation in Malaysia can be one of the more expensive costs of your trip. Some hostels offer dorms and these tend to be the cheapest option per person (NOTE: It is always worth checking the cost of a double or twin just incase it’s cheaper). The cheapest dorms typically start around 16 – 27 RM (4.00 – 6.50 USD / 3 – 5 GBP) per person per night. Cheaper hostels do not typically include breakfast, but wifi is very common.

Availability: If you’re not the type that likes to plan or book ahead, just know you may need to search for a while for when you arrive in a new town. Unlike Thailand, we didn’t find it easy or indeed cheaper to just rock up. We found that with Malaysia it really is better to actually take time research ahead and have an idea of where you might stay, Agoda really is your best bet. Cheap accommodation is generally available throughout the year and again can easily be reserved online in advance.

Cost: The cheapest dorm beds typically start 16 – 27 RM (4.00 – 6.50 USD / 3 – 5 GBP). Privates typically start around 54 RM (13 USD / 10 GBP). If you pay more you can find some very nice places to stay. If you are a flashpacker or holiday maker don’t be closed to hotels- there are some super duper nice places for great prices.

Time

How long you spend in Malaysia depends on your time pressures and how much you want to see and do in Malaysia.

In peninsular Malaysia: I would recommend 3 days in Penang, 2-3 days in the Cameron Highlands, 3 days on the Perhentian islands and 2 days in Kuala Lumpur (note I am not a city person!) Remember to allow travel time. A visit to Taman Negara (the world’s oldest rainforest) may only take 1-2 days unless you plan to do a longer trek, but it takes a while to access by bus.

In East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah): Climbing Kinabalu takes a minimum of 2 days- but you will probably need to be there the day before and take a rest day after. If you wish to see the Orangutans it will take less than a day for a visit to the sanctuary, but again remember travel time.

If you wish to learn to dive in Malaysia, the prices are very good and the waters are beautifully clear. There are diving schools in Kuching, the Perhentians and other places. Open water courses typically take 3 days. Click here for more information on open water diving >>>

If you have more time, you could very easily spend longer in any of these places. New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Transport

Style: Long distance buses in Malaysia are typically cheap and very comfortable. They can be a bit cold with the excessive A.C. Bring a warm top or blanket. You will also find short distance local buses which are cheap and reliable. Malaysia also has a train system connecting various cities. In Kuala Lumpur there is a city rail system called the LRT. Malaysia also has many taxis, which are almost always marked and may belong to a company. This doesn’t stop you needing to barter. If you want to keep a low budget- stick with the buses!

Getting to Malaysia from Thailand: If you are backpacking through South East Asia, you are most likely to be heading down from Thailand to Malaysia. The best place to transition would be overland from Hat Yai to Penang. It is a fairly straight forward boarder crossing, but there are a few things that can catch you put if you’re not prepared. So do take time to get to grips with the Hat Yai to Penang boarder crossing. Penang is definitely a place worth spending some time in too. George Town is super unique, don’t miss it when planning your travels around Malaysia. 

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Availability: Between bigger cities long distance buses are very regular and there is a large number of bus companies. Within towns buses also tend to be reliable and regular. It is not hard to find taxis, but they are not necessarily cheap.

Cost: A long bus journey (5 hours or more) may cost as little as 40 RM (10 USD / 7.50 GBP). Local buses are nice and cheap costing 1 – 2RM (0.25 – 0.50 USD / 0.20 – 0.40 GBP) New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

For more info on bus and rail services in Malaysia see the MyRapid website:

http://www.myrapid.com.my/

Food

Style: VARIETY is the key word. You can get so much in Malaysia. Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Mexican, European and American. And then there is the wonderful fusion of local foods: Indian, Malay-Indian, Malaysian, Chinese and Nonya Cuisine. At first I found that every meal I could try things that I had never heard of and had no idea what it is. Even after 2 years I was discovering new things. There is so much AMAZING food to experience in Malaysia it’s hard not to go crazy. My advice to backpackers in Malaysia is to see the food as part of the travel experience and not just fuel.

Availability: Food seems to be available EVERYWHERE and ALL the time. But different foods are typically available at different times of day. Breakfast: Try Roti Chanai, Indian bread served with dahl and a glass of Indian pulled tea (teh taric). Or try Nasi Lemak, rice boiled in coconut milk served in a banana leaf (typically 2RM which is 0.50 USD / 0.40 GBP). Lunch: Try nasi champur, a delicious Malay mixed rice meal served with a variety of curries, meat and fish. Dinner: grab a nasi kandar- this is Indian Muslim food and is typically served LATE into the night. Try If you are fed up of rice and spice then watch out for numerous western joints. Chilies is one of my favourites and can be found in most cities.

Cost: The rule of thumb is go local and you you will find it hard to blow your budget. An average local dish should cost you around 5 RM – 25 RM (1.20 – 6.00 USD / 1.00 – 4.50 GBP) depending on what you want. If you pay as much as 50 RM (12 USD / 9 GBP) you should be dining in luxury and ready to pop by the end of the meal! There are a few exceptions. Seafood can be surprisingly expensive depending where you go. Durian, the stinky fruit is a must try but can be pretty expensive, starting at around 15 RM (around 4 USD /3 GBP) for a small fruit. It really is an experience in itself!

New Malaysia Travel Guide Culture Top Budget Tips

Drink

Style: It’s easy to get bottled water, milky frothy sweet tea (teh taric), ice milo (cold choccy milk) and beer and wine. You can also find several coffee shop franchises including Starbucks.

Availability: Malaysia has a hot, humid climate. Make sure that you drink plenty. You can find drinks in shops, cafes and restaurants.

Cost: Bottled water may cost 2-3 RM (0.50 – 0.70 USD / 0.40 – 0.50 GBP) for a 1.5ltr bottle. Milo and teh taric for RM 2-3 (0.50 – 0.70 USD / 0.40 – 0.50 GBP). Western coffee shops are typically close to western prices for drinks. Beer and wine are also expensive, often comparing to western prices.

If you feel happier with a full guide, Rough Guide are pretty good. I always think you don’t want more than a ‘rough guide’ as it is about making it your own adventure! They have a pretty cheap kindle copy as well as the actual book.