Malaysia
Asia · #8 in the world · 5 votes
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Votes for Malaysia1 more vote to overtake 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates 👀
The short answer
December to March for Penang and Langkawi, March to October for the east coast islands. The two coasts take turns.
Most people connect through Kuala Lumpur and never stop. Penang alone is worth a week, and Borneo is a different country attached to the same passport.
When to go
Best months: Jan to Mar
What a day costs
Per person, not counting flights.
- Hostel bed$15
- Hawker food$10
- Trains and buses$10
- Hotel$40
- Eating out$20
- Transport$15
- Good hotel$130
- Restaurants$40
- Flights and drivers$30
What your whole trip would cost
1 vote = $1 US Dollar, charged by Stripe. No prizes, no refunds.
Votes for MalaysiaHow far it is
- London to Kuala Lumpur13h
- Dubai to Kuala Lumpur7h 25m
- Singapore to Kuala Lumpur1h 5m
- Getting aroundCheap flights, good trains and buses, one of the easiest countries in Asia
- When to avoidThe east coast islands from November to February, when most of them close
Nonstop times from a few big hubs, to give you a sense of the distance. We have no idea which airport you are actually leaving from. Fares move weekly, so we leave those out.
When you land
- Airport to townKLIA Ekspres reaches KL Sentral in 28 minutes. Grab costs less but takes about an hour in traffic.
- Cash or cardCards in the cities, cash for hawker stalls and small towns.
- Getting onlineAirport SIMs are fair value here, with Maxis and Celcom counters in arrivals.
- What catches people outBudget flights leave from KLIA2, not the main terminal. They are linked by train, but allow the extra time.
What not to miss in Malaysia
- Eating your way through George TownPenang is the best food city in Southeast Asia and the arguments about it are half the fun.
- Borneo, for the rainforestSepilok, the Kinabatangan river and Mulu. Older forest than the Amazon and far fewer people in it.
- The Perhentians or RedangClear water, cheap huts, and closed for the monsoon from November.
- The Cameron HighlandsTea terraces and jungle at twenty degrees, three hours out of the heat of KL.
Still deciding?
🧳 Plan your trip to Malaysia
Good to know
Curated with 
Nemo
Written and checked by hand. Nothing here about visas or entry rules: those change often and depend on your passport, so check an official source.