Breathtaking beaches, ancient forests, dynamic cities brimming with history and heritage, vibrant festivals, and mouth-watering street food make Malaysia a country you can’t not visit. For a quick peek into this magnificent nation, read our guide to Malaysia for first-time visitors.
MALAYSIA
Home to Malays, Chinese, Indians, and indigenous groups, the country of Malaysia, which has only existed in its present form since 1963, is truly a cultural melting pot. Pre-independence, peninsular Malaysia was an important port on the trading route between India and China, a history that is reflected in the abundance of Chinese shophouses, Hindu temples, and European mansions that line the streets of erstwhile colonial cities. The cultural diversity is amply reflected in the food; in Malaysia, you can eat Chinese classics like braised chicken feet, Indian thosais, and Malay laksas in a single night, at a single hawker pod. Plus, there are cuisines borne of cultural intermixing like the Jawi Peranakan and Baba Nyonya cuisines. Outside the cities, skyscrapers and monorails are replaced by kampungs and stretches of unspoilt natural beauty: White sandy beaches, turquoise waters, rainforests, and craggy mountains, the country has it all.
Malaysia has something for everyone: if you are an art afficionado, visit the UNESCO heritage cities of George Town and Melaka; if hiking and mountaineering are what you live for, there’s Mt. Kinabalu and Mt. Brinchang, and of course, Malaysia’s rainforests where you might chance upon the planet’s largest flower, the foul-smelling Rafflesia; if cities are your jam, spend days exploring Kuala Lumpur which was recently voted the friendliest city in the world; for adventure seekers, there’s scuba diving, snorkelling, and various other water sports; and if you are here to satisfy your inner glutton, pretty much anywhere in Malaysia will whet your appetite.
Malaysia can be divided into two regions: Peninsular or West Malaysia where cities like Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown are located and East Malaysia or Malaysian Borneo comprising Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan. East Malaysia is less visited by tourists but is a treasure trove of spectacular national parks and offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for nature and wildlife lovers.
We spent two weeks exploring the west coast of peninsular Malaysia and totally loved everything that the country had to offer. Check out our travel guide to Malaysia for first-time visitors for a handy list of to-dos that will undoubtedly make your trip easier!
Malaysia for First-Time Visitors
- When to Visit Malaysia
- What are the Best Places to Visit in Malaysia
- How Many Days to Spend in Malaysia
- Malaysian Visa
- Malaysia for First-time Visitors: Money
- Entering Malaysia
- Tourist Tax
- Can I find Vegetarian and/or Vegan food in Malaysia?
- Get the Grab App
- What should I Wear in Malaysia
- Malaysia for First-time Visitors: Safety
When to Visit Malaysia
The weather is pleasant from October to April but that’s also the high season when tourists visit in droves. If you don’t mind a bit of rain, go during the monsoon unless you are planning to snorkel or go scuba diving on the east coast or in Sabah and Sarawak. We travelled along the west coast of West Malaysia in August and apart from the fairly regular afternoon shower, it was pretty dry. Avoid national holidays when schools and offices are closed and the entire country goes exploring!
TIP FOR VISITING MALAYSIA IN THE SUMMER: It was scorching hot in the afternoon when we visited but it was the low season and therefore, we encountered fewer tourists. We spent a couple of hours indoors between 1 pm and 4 pm to avoid the sun and we were fine with that. Be warned that if you are visiting a popular destination like George Town in the high season, you might have to deal with massive crowds.
What are the Best Places to Visit in Malaysia
There is no dearth of fantastic places to visit in Malaysia. From bustling cities like Kuala Lumpur to rainforests like Taman Negara and pristine beaches of the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia has something for all types of travellers. If you are first-time visitor to Malaysia, the best places to visit in Malaysia depend on what you want to do!
- Places to visit in Malaysia if you like water sports and tropical beaches are East Malaysia. Sipadan Island in Sabah is a diving and biodiversity hotspot where you can spot, among other creatures, green and hawksbill turtles. On the mainland, Pulau Tioman, Pulau Perhentian, and Pulau Langkawi are famous for their beaches and turquoise waters. If you love to shop, these three islands are duty-free as well!
- Places to visit in Malaysia if you are interested in art, culture, and local Malaysian food are along the west coast from Melaka in the south to George Town in the north. The towns along this route in peninsular Malaysia, including Ipoh and Taiping, are dotted with colonial architecture and Chinese shophouses and have played significant roles in the history of Malaysia. If railways stoke the traveller in you, ride the jungle railway through the damp and misty rainforests.
- Places to visit in Malaysia if you are interested in hiking and exploring the outdoors are the rainforests of Taman Negara and those of Malaysian Borneo. Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah is Malaysia’s highest peak and you can huff and puff through damp rainforests to reach the summit! In Sarawak, you can go spelunking and explore some of the world’s most stunning caves. Back on the mainland, go to Cameron Highlands where you can taste Malaysia’s best teas.
How Many Days to Spend in Malaysia
Exploring the entire country of Malaysia could easily take two months! Or, maybe more depending on the pace at which you like to travel. But don’t be overwhelmed if you visiting Malaysia for the first time. We spent two weeks travelling along the west coast of Malaysia and you can use our guide to plan an itinerary. To see all that a city like George Town or Ipoh has to offer, you’ve got to stay at least a week! Sabah, with its immaculate beaches and countless hiking trails, can easily take over a week.
TIP: If you’re visiting Ipoh and George Town, plan to spend at least three whole days in each place.
Malaysian Visa
Malaysia offers visa-free travel of varying duration to nationals of almost all North American, European, and South Asian countries. Nationals of Australia and New Zealand are also eligible for visa-free entry. Nationals of all SAARC countries, except Afghanistan, can apply for an e-VISA. Check your visa requirements for Malaysia.
Do Indians Need a Malaysian Visa?
Malaysia is offering visa waivers to Indian passport holders from 1 December 2023 until 31 December 2024 to Indians. Indian passport holders are eligible for visa-free entry into Malaysia, which permits a stay of up to 30 days for each entry and visit to the country.
There were no Malaysia visa waivers for Indians in 2019 when we visited. Instead, we had to apply for an e-visa which was approved within a fortnight.
Malaysia for First-time Visitors: Money
The local currency is the ringgit and you can get bills of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 ringgit. It’s advisable to convert the money in your home country. We got a better conversion rate in India than in Malaysia.
Carry cash all the time because hawker stalls and public transport only accept cash. ATMs were available in all the places we visited. However, that may not be the case if you are travelling to the islands of the east coast or to the jungles of Sabah. It’s best to enquire before you go or draw cash before heading into not-so-touristy areas. We don’t have credit cards and I opted for an Axis Bank Multi-Currency Card. They do not have RM, so I loaded my card with USD. A cross-currency charge of 2.5-3.5% was deducted every time we swiped the card. Other than that, it was convenient and was accepted at all the hotels, travel companies, and stores we dealt with.
If you are travelling from the UK, consider a Wise card.
How Much Should I Budget for a Malaysia Trip
We are not backpackers through and through and we budgeted RM 200 / INR 3500 for the two of us per day. The daily budget included meals, transportation, sightseeing, and the occasional bout of shopping. Together, we spent around INR 125000 / USD 1800 / RM 7350 in 15 days.
Of course, you can do it for less! Hostels abound in south-east Asia with many offering beds for less than INR 700 / USD 10 / RM 40. At hawker stalls, you can have a filling meal for INR 85 / USD 2 / RM 5.
Entering Malaysia
You can fly into one of Malaysia’s six international airports at Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Senai. If you are flying into Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia, you will land at KLIA2. To get to the city, you can take the KLIA Ekspres for RM 55. The cheaper, though slower, alternative is the bus. A ride on the Star Shuttle to Pudu Sentral will take you an hour and cost you RM 12. You can book a Grab to your hotel from Pudu Sentral.
If you are travelling from Singapore, you can take the train or ride a bus to Kuala Lumpur. From Koh Lipe in Thailand, you can ride the ferry to Langkawi. Bus and train services are available between Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. And if you have USD 3000 to spare, book a seat on the ultra-luxurious Eastern Oriental Express that runs between Singapore and Bangkok!
Tourist Tax
In 2018, the government imposed a RM 10 tourist tax for all foreigners visiting Malaysia. You have to pay a tax of RM 10 per room at all hotels and hostels around the country.
MALAYSIA TOURIST TAX: Most hotels will insist you pay this tourist tax in cash, so keep some RM 10 bills on you when checking in.
Can I find Vegetarian and/or Vegan food in Malaysia?
Outside Kuala Lumpur, it is somewhat difficult to get vegetarian or vegan food especially if you intend to eat at hawker stalls. And especially if you are an Indian and don’t want to eat Indian food abroad! Your best bet at getting vegetarian food in Malaysia is at the many Indian restaurants that make excellent thosais and serve vegetarian curries with rice on banana leaf plates. The other alternatives are the Chinese Buddhist vegetarian restaurants where you can relish plates of noodles, mock meats, curries, soups, and more.
The most difficult to find are traditional Malay dishes. Even the most vegetarian-sounding dishes are often cooked in pork lard; do enquire before ordering. Vegetarian Nasi Lemak and Mee Goreng are pretty popular. Pop in at one of many Nasi Kandar eateries which serve a mind-blowing range of curries with rice and usually you can find one or two vegetarian options. For desserts, you’ve coconut milk cendol and stuffed glutinous rice balls called kuih. Malaysia, like all tropical countries, has an abundance of fresh fruits. Stalls overflowing with plump rambutans, dragonfruits, mangosteens, bananas, and durians are everywhere.
Get the Grab App
Grab is the Southeast Asian version of Uber and it’s a must-have app when travelling to Malaysia. You can also add your credit card as the default payment option or pay by cash.
TIP: If you don’t intend to buy a sim, make sure you install the Grab App before you leave your country.
What should I Wear in Malaysia
Malaysia is a Muslim nation and outside the cosmopolitan cities of Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown, expect to dress conservatively. If you are visiting mosques, Hindu temples, and Buddhist monasteries, wear clothes that cover your legs, arms, and mid-riff. You might be asked to cover your head, so carrying a small scarf often comes handy. At more touristy temples like the one at Batu Cave, you’ll be able to rent a sarong but at many other places, the authorities may turn you away if you are not appropriately dressed.
Malaysia for First-time Visitors: Safety
All the places we travelled to felt safe. The locals were friendly and police patrol cars made frequent rounds. Like in all places around the world, listen to your instincts. If you have a gut feeling that something might be out of place, get out of there. Avoid loitering in dark alleyways, don’t carry too much cash or too expensive equipment on you at all times, and don’t be overly friendly with strangers. Pick-pocketing and snatching incidents happen occasionally, so be vigilant at all times. A tip we got in many places was to walk in the direction of the traffic to avoid the occasional bike-riding purse snatcher.
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What do you think of our travel guide to Malaysia for first-time visitors? Get out there, fill up on steaming bowls of laksa and curry mee, and explore the wonders of this beautiful country.
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