For some countries it is best. And it’s not even that it’s much more profitable and interesting, it’s much more exciting. The very process of planning a trip, choosing a direction, and that’s what makes this way of understanding the world so attractive.
In this article I will tell you in detail how to organize an independent trip to Malaysia based on my own experience.
How to organize an independent trip to Malaysia
Of course, you can go to Malaysia through a travel agency, and it will be twice as expensive as an independent trip. But, when planning a trip to this Asian country, I had a desire not so much to save money as to organize everything myself.
Planning your route in Malaysia
The first thing you should decide on is the direction of travel.
There are many places in Malaysia where you can have a wonderful holiday:
- If you love beach holidays and not only then you should pay attention to Penang Island, Pangkor Island, Tioman Island, Rawa, Borneo;
- A wonderful time is guaranteed at the wonderful mountain resort of Cameron Highlands, which is considered the birthplace of tea plantations;
- If you love the concrete jungle and shopping, then a visit to Kuala Lumpur is the ideal solution. This is the capital of Malaysia and the main aviation gateway of the country, a city in which nightlife is in full swing and which, with its prices, attracts shopaholics from all over the world. The same can be said about the city of Malacca, but to a lesser extent.
Personally, I think that Kuala Lumpur should be included in your plan for visiting Malaysia, firstly, you will fly to it in any case, and secondly, this city deserves to be visited, believe me.
The cheapest flights to Malaysia
Once you have decided on your travel plan, you can start purchasing air tickets. We all know a wonderful service for finding the most, but unfortunately, in our case, it will not be possible to find the cheapest tickets to Malaysia.
Currently, the cheapest tickets to Malaysia from Russia can be purchased with the airline. They fly from almost all major cities of Russia, I had experience flying with this airline.
I was very pleased with the quality of service and service. At the moment, the optimal price-quality ratio (at least until it arrives in Russia :))
Booking hotels in Malaysia
The travel plan has been drawn up, the air tickets have been purchased, consider half the job done. All that remains is to book hotels.
The price level via the Internet and the price level directly at the hotel sometimes differ by one and a half to two times. Booking online is much more profitable by default. The reason is very simple, the hotel sells rooms in advance, thereby making it possible to plan for the future. When booking, the same rooms may have different prices, those that are cheaper - without the possibility of canceling the reservation, those that are more expensive - with the possibility of cancellation. But you can read more about this in the Hotel Booking section.
Car rental in Malaysia
After purchasing tickets and booking hotels, you can plan excursions, sightseeing, and simply moving around the area of your planned vacation spot. Of course, if you love beach holidays, then it will be enough to limit yourself to a couple of excursions and daily trips to the beach. But personally, I prefer movement and new experiences; in fact, this is why I travel far away from my native Siberia.
So, I naturally book rental cars via the Internet using the wonderful Rentalcars service.
Often, renting a car for the entire duration of your vacation is much cheaper than regularly using taxis and public transport. This is especially true for beach areas where there are many tourist attractions. You are not tied to a schedule, or to a time, or to a place; you can safely go anywhere and anytime.
The only thing is, if you are planning a vacation in the city, for example in Kuala Lumpur, I still advise you to use public transport, as it will definitely be easier and faster than a car.
Payment, finance and health insurance in Malaysia
Naturally, you can and should pay for all online bookings by credit card. My choice is a debit card, although you can also pay with a credit card. Moreover, many organizations prefer to accept credit cards for payment.
The most optimal card for traveling abroad, shopping in stores, and withdrawing money from ATMs around the world is a card from Alfa Bank. Especially for travel, you can open a currency card and withdraw money from any ATM around the world with absolutely no commission.
On the road, it is best to take evergreen currency + a bank card. It is best to pay with cash in dubious places and shops, and with a bank card in hotels and reputable shops and shopping centers.
Don't forget about health insurance. Personally, when traveling abroad, I always insure all members of my team. God protects the careful :) Naturally, you can also insure yourself online, it’s easier, faster and cheaper. For the past 7 years, I have always chosen Zurich for travel insurance. Recently, Zurich, together with the company FinAlliance, launched a new online service Zurich travel insurance.
Perhaps this is all about an independent trip to Malaysia. The only thing I want to say again is that booking in advance and purchasing online will inevitably and quite significantly save your money, thereby making independent travel even more accessible. Enjoy your experiences in Malaysia!
Blogger Vladimir Zhoga writes:
Heading to Malaysia? Then this post is for you!
Moreover, it’s winter now, which means it’s high season there. I think many have already bought tickets and are packing their bags, so some useful information will not hurt. Of course, you are experienced travelers and know everything yourself, but you never know... it’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes than from your own!
All advice has been “tested” in my own skin, and I will answer for each of them)
The cheapest way to travel within the country is by plane!
There are buses, there are trains, there are ferries, but in fact it turns out that a plane ticket costs almost the same as a train or bus ticket, and sometimes even cheaper. Air Asia gives very good prices, and if you catch a promotion, you can even fly for 1 dollar. But you shouldn’t put off buying tickets “until tomorrow”; planes, as a rule, are packed to capacity, and tickets may simply run out.
Buy a local SIM card with internet!
They sell tourist SIM cards with a couple of gigs of traffic right at the airport. If you don’t watch movies or hang out on social networks (there’s a lot of crappy WiFi for that), the traffic will easily last for a couple of weeks. Use the Internet for Google, translator, maps, instant messengers, vibers and most importantly - taxis.
Dress modestly.
Malaysia is a Muslim country, so be covered despite the heat. There is no need to flaunt your features, and besides, they simply won’t let you into many places without normal clothes, and when visiting holy places, carry some kind of scarf or pareo with you. Although in large mosques robes are given out free of charge. Malaysia is generally an amazing country, there are so many free things there!!!
Get around with Uber taxi!
Unfortunately, I didn’t open Uber in Malaysia right away. Could save a lot of money and time on moving. Uber works great in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, the prices are simply ridiculous, if you travel as a couple, it’s the same as using public transport, and sometimes even cheaper! To fully use Uber, you need to buy a local SIM card with internet. I didn’t do this, so to call a taxi I had to look for free Wi-Fi, which is not always convenient. Uber recently launched in Langkawi and it's a blast! There is no transport there other than taxis, and the tariffs are a little steep.
Make the taxi driver turn on the meter!
This applies to traveling in a regular city taxi. Taxi drivers there are cunning; they won’t turn on the meter and will demand twice the normal price. But what to do, everyone earns as much as they can... Again, in Uber the fee is fixed and visible when ordering (if you know where to go) and no one will deceive you.
There are free buses in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.
Use it, don't be shy! That's what they were made for. The pink buses, called GO KL, go to the most popular tourist spots. The schedule must be found on site or on the official website. Although in fact, due to traffic, they still don’t run on schedule)
Don't change money at the airport, the exchange rate is terribly indecent.
Well, like here, a dollar worth 60 at the airport is bought for 40))) On the edge, exchange a little for travel to the city. You get to KL Sentral, and there are already a lot of normal exchange offices there with a good rate. Again, you can pay for an express or bus ticket to the city by card.
It is not profitable to pay with cards; it is better to carry cash.
When converting, banks charge a high commission and calculate at a bad rate, so it is better to bring cash (Asia loves dollars and yuan), and only new and large bills. Old banknotes are not accepted at all, and small ones (less than 50) are exchanged at a low rate, and even then not everywhere.
Always have small change.
Cards and hundreds of dollars are, of course, good, but you always need to have change, especially for travel on public transport!! For example, in Penang you buy a ticket on the bus, and by default the driver does not give change! And in Kuala, to buy tickets from the vending machines, it’s better to have small change, otherwise you’ll get change in the form of a bag of 50-cent coins)
The best place in Kuala Lumpur to buy souvenirs, as well as unique handmade items, is the Central Market in Chinatown near Petaling Street.
Stop "Pasar Seni", the end of the purple line of free buses.
If you buy something expensive, be sure to apply for TAX FREE - 5% will be returned to you at the airport upon departure from the country. Tested, it works!
Don't waste much time shopping in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur is one huge shopping center, but I would not call the prices here cheap. Clothes (good) are expensive, but electronics are really cheaper here than here, especially considering the 5% TAX FREE refund. But in general, I wouldn’t recommend wasting time walking around the Malls. There’s nothing special here, I didn’t see any super discounts or sales, but for me, as a man with a height of 185 cm and a normal build, there are practically no things in size! Here the entire market is geared towards small Chinese and other Asian nations, and not towards large Europeans. And do you need it? Better go to the park (birds, butterflies or orchids)!
The best place to stay in Kuala Lumpur with walking distance to major places is Bukit Bintang.
The best place for transport accessibility is Little India near KL Sentral. But I would still advise living in Bukit, there is food nearby, the towers are just a stone's throw away, the nightlife is vibrant, and the buses are free. And housing prices... for every taste, from cheap guest houses and hostels (of which there are tons) to expensive chain hotels.
Take free city maps from hotels, you can find a lot of interesting things there.
For example, in Penang they hand out maps with ready-made routes along streets with street art. Google maps are great, but a paper map never hurts, especially when it's free!
The best view of Kuala Lumpur is from the Menara Tower.
The bridge in Petronas is, in my opinion, less interesting.
Go to the most famous and popular places early in the morning if you do not want to get caught up in the traffic of Chinese crowds of tourists.
For example, at Menara at 9 am we walked freely, without queues, took photographs comfortably and walked around the site. At 11 o'clock, when we left, the Chinese were already crowding around the elevators below - the bus tours had begun. If you overslept in the morning, then perhaps you should go closer to closing, but the main thing is to know exactly what time it closes so as not to miss it.
At 22-00 the park and fountain near the Petronas Towers close, and the local shopping center and its food court (by the way, very good and cheap) close.
So plan your time and don't be late. The fountain show near the towers is very beautiful and interesting!
Food in Malaysia is spicy.
Very spicy. This is Asia, everything is spicy here. In Malaysia, in addition to its own Malaysian cuisine, cuisines from neighboring countries such as India, China, Thailand are popular, and all of them are spicy!. Be sure to check before ordering a dish whether it is “spicy” or “not spicy.” If the dish is “spicy”, it means it’s spicy, but you can eat it, but if it’s “spicy”, it means it’s fire! I once took a “spicy” tom yam.... I ate and cried, ate and cried... although I love spicy things. If you can’t digest spicy food at all (or have stomach problems), then perhaps it’s better not to experiment with street food. Go to Grandfather's and eat chicken, look for McDuck or another European chain. Kuala Lumpur is full of them, and even has European “steakhouses”, but in more remote and non-touristy places, non-spicy food can become a problem.
Don't be afraid to eat outside!
But don’t forget about the rules of personal hygiene. Eat where there are a lot of people sitting - there the food will be fresh and the chance of getting poisoned will be minimal! Although they add so much pepper to food that not a single microbe can survive)
Cheap and tasty food in Kuala Lumpur can be found on Jalan Alor. This is the most popular food street in the city in Bukit Bintang. The restaurants are all street, and the choice here is huge. You can also eat inexpensively and tasty at the food court in the Petronas Towers shopping center. In Georgetown (Penang), I would recommend heading to Gurney Drive for dinner or looking for something at Lebuh Chulia.
Swim with caution!
There are a lot of stinging jellyfish in Malaysian waters!!! I especially don’t recommend swimming during high tides or swimming far. My wife was bitten by a jellyfish, the sensation is very unpleasant and can ruin the whole vacation. And if you come across a poisonous jellyfish or a person is allergic, you may be hospitalized (but this is an extreme case). How to protect yourself? Use swimsuits that are as tight as possible or choose hotels that fence off the swimming area with special nets (but these are usually not the cheapest hotels).
If you are bitten by a jellyfish, don’t do anything on your own, you can only cause harm! The best first aid remedy is vinegar! Go to the hotel reception or to the lifeguards on the beach, say “jelly fish”, and they will definitely help you (they will give you vinegar - “vinegar”). Coconut oil is very good for stings. Under no circumstances should you rinse with fresh water, much less alcohol! If 8 hours after the bite your condition is bad, you feel dizzy and nauseous, then you need to go to the hospital and get an injection.
Don't forget that you are a guest here! And believe me, if you are a good guest, the hosts will receive you very, very well!!!
The topic of the post is peninsular (mainland) Malaysia, without the island of Borneo. Borneo will be the topic of a separate post someday.
Malaysia is a comfortable, pleasant and civilized country. People speak English, love children, the roads are good and the buses are comfortable.
The topic of this post will be a very specific route we took a year ago. I liked it then, I like it now, I can recommend it with a clear conscience (to those going on vacation with small children, because we missed interesting places where it would be uncomfortable and difficult to go with a baby).
/For reference, we traveled then with 4 mothers (of which I am pregnant) and 5 children aged 2 years, 2 years, 2.5 years, 3.2 years, 6 years./
Let me start by saying that Malaysia is an incredibly comfortable country. There are good roads, comfortable transport, good and inexpensive housing, friendly people who speak good English, delicious food, a lot of cheap food, good beaches, colorful fish... Children are loved here, they are happy, they are not cursed at. I love Malaysia.
TRANSPORT - VISA FREE
It is convenient to fly to Malaysia - flights to Kuala Lumpur on Egyptian Airlines are quite reasonable. We flew with them.
If you are already in Asia, things are even better with Malaysia: the most famous Asian discounter, AirAsia, is, in fact, a Malaysian airline. Accordingly, there are many flights to Kuala. For example, there are very inexpensive tickets from Phuket (about $50 for sure), from Indonesia, from the Philippines, from Vietnam, India, from Sri Lanka, from many cities in Thailand, of course.
By land you can come from Singapore (about half an hour by bus to the border), from Thailand (along the west coast from Hat Yai it takes about 4 hours, it seems by minibus, it takes longer to get to the east coast, and the border crossing is not open 24 hours a day). You can arrive by boat from Sumatra. You can travel by boat from Thai Koh Lipe to Langkawi.
In addition, Malaysia is visa-free for Russians for up to 30 days. After 30 days, nothing prevents you from traveling by land to Thailand, for example, and entering for another 30 days. Upon arrival, if you have a return ticket for a date more than 30 days later, and you are asked about it (like you can only come to us for 30 days, but how do you have such tickets), you simply say that you are going again to Thailand, Singapore, etc. - verified by personal experience.
Traveling within the country is quite comfortable. Cheap discounter AirAsia, there are excellent buses with huge seats on the main routes, there are trains, and many regular (not incredibly comfortable, but completely decent) buses. Hitchhiking is wonderful, from my own experience (I had this experience even before children), even in the dark.
The thing to remember about the seasons is that the west and east coasts have very different seasons. We were there in February. On the west coast there is quite a season, but on the east there are not always boats operating until mid-February because of the monsoon. We were lucky with the weather then, but it is better to go east, starting in the second half of February.
ROUTE:
Kuala Lumpur - Pankor - (then we could go to Caneroon Highlands) - Langkawi - Thai Koh Lipe - Kota Baru - Perhentians - (then we could go to Taman Negara, but what about the children...) - Kuala Lumpur - Melaka - (it would be possible to go to Tioman) - Singapore - Kuala Lumpur
our road from neyasyt :
From Kuala Lumpur(in which and around which it is quite possible to spend several days) we moved up the west coast to the island Pancor. The ride to Lumut cost about 20 ringgit; we were transferred somewhere from bus to bus, but they didn’t charge us any extra money. Then there was a taxi to the port and a boat to Pankor. There is a taxi to the beach we need. We stopped at Teluk Nipah.
The two-year-old children survived the journey normally, but it was quite a long time. Pankor itself is a nice place. Quiet, calm, such a rural feeling. Some restaurants were closed at lunchtime, others in the evening. Like everything is family, everyone wants to relax. The beaches are not luxurious, but you can find very nice and clean corners. Housing is very cheap, we didn't even expect it. We had breakfast included, which is probably a common practice. We spent five days there, we enjoyed it. Very comfortable.
From Pankor we went to Langkawi. We didn’t want to go there, we understood that there would be noise, crowds of tourists, and no romance. And so it was. We also happened to be on a weekend with some kind of holiday. We barely survived for 2 days.
The move was long and tiring. Taxi to the ferry, ferry to Lumut, bus to Butterworth, then another one to Kuah, sort of, ferry and again a taxi to the beach... I absolutely wanted to lie down and die, and there were no places, so we went looking for housing. Found it, thank God. A big house, one for everyone.
Langkawi turned out to be as expected. The beaches are crowded with people, the streets are packed with tour carts. Expensive. Yes, everywhere they shove lobsters in your face, massages and other pretentious nonsense. But the pleasant feelings do not remain at all.
Therefore, we boarded an expensive boat (about 1000 rubles) to Thai Koh Lipe. Koh Lipe was wonderful, but I won’t go into more detail, because this is about Malaysia. If we talk about Malaysia, then in the north, in addition to Langkawi, there is Penang with its capital Georgetown. Essentially a nice place. The island is not a beach resort at all (there are about one and a half beaches there, which are ugly and don’t make you want to swim). But the city is quite interesting (there are all sorts of Chinese and Indian quarters, a fortress, and various food courts). You can ride around the island on a moped; there are a couple of pleasant, but not amazing, sights. Many people come to Penang from Thailand to do a visa run.
What else is there on or near the West Coast - Cameroon Highlands, Cameroon Highlands, or something. This is an area located on a hill, where the French established tea plantations. It’s cooler there than on the coast, you can walk and take a break from the heat. It should be nice, but I wasn’t there myself.
Next we moved to the east coast - Kota Baru(there are a number of very nice Thai temples around) and Perhentian Islands. We saw the temples with a driver in a minibus, which was completely broken down, but it was very cheap. The driver was unloading people at our hostel, and we “caught” him. He agreed to take us and quoted a good price. Everyone seemed pleased with each other.
Buses to Kota Baru go from Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Butterworth, Alor Setara (this is the question of how to get from the west coast - but these are all very long journeys), along the entire east coast there is transport from and to it, of course. We entered from Thai, traveling from Koh Lipe.
Perhentians: two islands, Kesil is smaller, Besar is larger. Besar is more expensive and promoted. Kesil is quieter and also cheaper. It has a western beach (Coral Beach), where the sea is calmer, and the accommodation is decent and more expensive, and the eastern one (Long Beach), which is more backpacker-friendly, budget-friendly and simple. There are big waves there, and the season comes there later (in mid-February nothing was working there yet). We lived on the western beach, there was excellent snorkeling in its northernmost corner, we rented a huge and luxurious house for 25 dollars for two (out of season and weekdays), enjoyed the fish and took a boat tour to watch huge turtles and sharks. The children were waiting for us in the boat or swimming in circles behind us. I really liked the islands, but there are no shops there, only cafes.
To the south of Perhentian there are a couple of small islands, where everything is also fine with fish, but we were afraid that it would be expensive and did not go.
From Kota Bharu we took a night bus back to Kuala, but there is also other options.
The first is to take a train or bus to the center of the country in Taman Negara National Park. It's wonderful there, but there's not much for small children to do there. It takes a lot of hard walking. All kinds of leeches on the ground.
The second is to go down along the east coast to Tioman Islands. We didn't get there, but we really wanted to. They write that on Salang beach the ebb and flow of the tides is almost imperceptible, and you can swim all day.
From there you can go to Johor Bahru (in general there is nothing special to do, but as an intermediate point), from there to Melaka.
We went to Melacca from Kuala, applying for a Singapore visa. Melaka is beautiful - it combines Portuguese influences with Chinatown, just a charming city. Small Vietnamese street food stalls, we ate too much for pennies, couldn’t walk around the same streets. It was wonderful. Not far from Melaka there seems to be something quite entertaining for children, like a bird park or a zoo.
You can return from Perhentian to Kuala, go down to Melaka and from there go to Mersing, from where boats leave for Tioman. From Tioman to Kuala and fly home.
There are many more islands in Malaysia, especially in Johor, as I understand it, but they are part of a different route :)
For hotels in case of emergency:
Ombak Inn on Pankor - very pleasant memories,
Porn Resort on Ko Lipe
Ideal Travelers House in Kota Bharu, but it didn’t seem to be very good there,
Shari-La Island Resort in Perhentian Islands is expensive and luxurious, but out of season you can bargain for a very good price,
Frankel Hostel in Singapore is a wonderful place, large rooms, which is rare for Sing, next to almost the cheapest food in the city, and delicious too.
CHILDREN'S ALL THINGS:
Kuala Lumpur has excellent playgrounds: we found several in Lake Gardens Park (Jalan Perdana) and two under the Petronas Towers (twin towers). On one of the latter there is a fountain in which you can officially swim; rules of use are posted on the wall; guards walk around blowing a whistle when the rules are violated. The playgrounds are large, there are a lot of swings and slides, I don’t know anything like that in Moscow. And in Lake Gardens there are also parks for birds, butterflies, orchids, deer and a planetarium.
The children's zoo and attractions "The Lost World of Tambun" in Ipo are great, small animals can be fed, touched, and picked up. Orangutan nursery in Bukit Merah.
Batu Caves is conventional entertainment. A tall staircase, entertaining by dragging children up it :) But at the top there are a lot of monkeys - this is for children. And a cave. This is also for children.
Sunway Lagoon Amusement Park is considered the national pride of Malaysia. Water activities, attractions and a Western theme park. The park consists of several sections. The Water Amusement Park has slides of varying heights, a large waterfall, several pools, including a separate one for children, and much more. A man-made beach surrounding a body of water, waves. In Adventure Park - a fall from Niagara Falls, a train with failed brakes and other Western-style attractions. Opening hours: from 11:00 to 18:00 (except weekends). Entrance fee: RM 39/27 (adult/child).
Genting Highlands - a world of entertainment and sports at an altitude of 2000 m. A unique entertainment complex 50 km away. from Kuala Lumpur, in the mountains. Two amusement parks (outdoor and indoor) offer 50 attractions. In the open park, water slides coexist with dizzying “American” ones, and a cheerful carousel rises above an artificial lake. Here you can go boating and take riding lessons at the horse farm. In the indoor park you can plunge into the exciting world of the latest computer games, and in the evening have fun in local discos and restaurants.
Aquanarium CLASS - there is a glass tunnel, the length of which is 90 meters. Behind the glass of the tunnel, along its entire length, right above your head, the inhabitants of the deep sea move freely.
The National Zoo and Aquarium is located 13 km from Kuala Lumpur and houses 4,000 species of animals, birds and reptiles, including freshwater and marine life. The vast area of the park has a separate area for fur seals. For children - travel on a miniature train.
Cosmo's World Theme Park is the largest amusement park in Kuala Lumpur. Located on floors 5, 7, 8 of Berjaya Times Square. It features numerous attractions for all ages. Entrance fee: RM 25/15 (adult / child). Opening hours : from 10:00 to 22:00.
Desa Water Park is the most popular water attraction park for the whole family. Situated on 5 hectares, the park is replete with entertainment, from which it is impossible to leave dry. Open daily (except Wednesday).
http://www.desawaterpark.com.my/
Bukit Nanas Forest Recreational Park is a green oasis in the middle of the capital, it’s good to come for a picnic (there are tables on the territory), there is a playground and paths for walking.
It is not very clear what to feed children, especially older children who want specific foods. Pasta is not our pasta, but often spicy and in an unusual sauce. The chicken is not chicken from the oven, but also unusual. But may God grant you non-picky children who are ready to try new things. What we ate: there was a standard Asian set of white rice + eggs, this is not spicy. There were simple soups like broth or with pasta. Most often it is not sharp, but poorly predictable (but they are inexpensive, you are not afraid to miss). It’s good to put a portion of rice in the broth, then it’s generally a complete dish. But it was difficult with non-soups - very often it turned out too spicy for the children. The chicken is very good. But it’s not easy to deal with food there, of course. You will have to try to understand what and how, learn to explain the concept of “not sharp”.
But it’s delicious for adults)) I love food in Malaysia))
Just in case, I brought some porridge for the child - it weighs little, can be diluted with water, either cold from a bottle or milk from Seven Eleven. It’s convenient in the morning - so you don’t have to look for what to eat. (But porridge is also sold in local shops, I was just afraid that mine would only be eaten as usual). On the other hand, you can eat pancakes in the morning (the Fox didn’t eat them yet, and she doesn’t eat eggs).
In general, it seemed to me that it all depends on how varied the food is required. If the main thing is non-spicy, for example, it is quite possible in a few days to select several dishes (rice, meat, chicken, broth, eggs, fruits, pancakes...) that will be mild and well suited for the child. But after that it’s better not to experiment and eat the same thing. If you don’t get bored, then everything is fine. And if you want something new all the time, then most likely you will come across the fact that you won’t like a lot of things, probably (if you don’t like spicy and unusual things).
STORES:
Lots of souvenir children's T-shirts, even small sizes. There are few decent, nice pants (in souvenir shops on the beach). It’s really bad with panama hats.
There are a lot of shops in Kuala, including children’s ones, the prices are different, the quality of the toys seemed kind of lame ((Well, in the sense that toys for a child are normal, they will fall apart and that’s okay, but if you want to buy something cool, beautiful, then I'm not sure it will be easy.
In terms of shopping, in general, the center of Kuala Lumpur is full of huge malls with stores of familiar brands like mexx, esprit, etc.
For children's clothing (from xanadue ): Many malls/plazas have departments of “Carter’s”, “Gap”, “OshKosh”, etc. Children’s trousers “OshKosh”, by the way, are of high quality.
In general, there are plenty of small shops in Malaysia; if you don’t pick on them, you will find everything you need. Perhaps before traveling to some remote islands like the Perhentians (where there are no shops), it’s worth purchasing diapers and some wet wipes. And beer.
From larsa_trier :
21 things to do when in Malaysia:
Climb the famous Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur
Visit one of the many colorful festivals, best of all: Thaipusam, Chinese New Year, or Hari Raya (check in advance in the calendar of festivals and holidays)
Try Ter Tarek - strong tea with condensed milk, tea with tonka ali - a natural energy drink, nasi lemak - rice boiled in coconut milk with chili sauce; roti flatbreads, see food and a variety of Indian vegetarian food
Take a ride on the metro without a steering wheel (it's automatic)
Watch Formula 1 races
Enjoy the mountain coolness of the highlands of Cameroon and the greenery of tea plantations
See with your own eyes the largest flower in the world - rafflesia
Learn meditation for 10 days http://www.dhamma.org/en/schedules/schmalaya.htm at the Goenka Center
Visit the government capital Putrajaya, which is just half an hour's drive from KL
Climb three hundred steps to the grandiose Batu Caves, full of monkeys
Swimming along a river whose banks are strewn with millions of fireflies is a fabulous sight.
Find yourself in “little Portugal” - historical Mellaca, full of museums
In Chinatown, buy T-shirts with drawings of Twin Towers and the words “suka Malaysia”
Send cards and gifts to all your friends and family (Malaysia Post is one of the cheapest post offices in the world)
Dive, snorkel next to sharks and giant turtles on Sipadan or other islands
Live in a traditional longhouse in Borneo with local tribes
Trekking in the jungle
Take a ride on the longest cable car in the world on the Langkawi Islands
And to top it all off, here’s a link to a report on a trip with children to Malaysia:
http://baby-tour.livejournal.com/680447.html And some of our beach photos from Lenka: http://neyasyt.livejournal.com/173709.html
At one time, I literally fled to Malaysia from the sugary popularity of Thailand. I love the Siamese kingdom, it all started with it one day, but at some point there was a strong desire for something radically different and, within Southeast Asia, Malaysia opened up for me with its colorful and crowded island of Penang, the cool highlands of Cameroon, the fashionable capital of Kuala Lumpur and the wild expanses of Sabah, in the land of Borneo.
Proboski Monkey, Borneo Island, Malaysia
Today, an introduction to the independent development of the Malaysian space - a Muslim state in Southeast Asia, where three nationalities coexist quite peacefully: the Malays themselves, ethnic Chinese and Indians.
How to travel to Malaysia on your own?
Visa
Good news for citizens of the Russian Federation: we do not need a visa; upon entry, a stamp is placed for a period of 30 days, which can be renewed without any problems when leaving for another country. So let's enjoy exploring. At the border they only ask for a passport. All. Moreover, unlike neighboring countries, they don’t ask about return tickets at the border, at least if you don’t enter the country every month, but just come to relax. Malaysia is loyal and welcoming.
Weather
The climate in Malaysia is equatorial and humid. The air temperature tends to remain stable all year round; the rainy season, depending on the area, falls in our calendar summer (west coast of the country) or in our winter (northeast Sabah). If they are afraid of rain, don’t go to Malaysia, it can get heavy at any time of the year, but it still makes sense to check the amount of expected precipitation in the area where you are going and not go to the epicenter of tropical downpours.
Where to live
In matters of economical travel housing, Malaysia is not inferior to its neighbors (Thailand, for example), except that everything again depends on the area. The center of Kuala Lumpur is full of hostels and guest houses, but the prices are much higher than in Bangkok (min. 30 dollars per day). As for the island of Penang, they have some of the most reasonable options for the price. The main thing is that there are plenty of options, the country is developing very actively in terms of tourism and offers many options for independent travelers. My recommendation is that if you are going to the wilderness, for example in the jungle, then book in advance; in other cases (with the exception of New Year holidays, including Chinese New Year), you can safely look for a cozy place upon arrival. Check the Lonely Planet website and books - there is usually quite up-to-date information, even phone numbers.
Things to do
With all due respect to the progress that Kuala Lumpur, the youngest capital of Southeast Asia, is the face of, I love nature and believe that Malaysia has something to be proud of in this regard.
In addition to the colorful beaches somewhere on Langkawi and other tropical islands, it literally captivates with the refreshing coolness of the Cameron Highlands or the exotic representatives of the natural world on the island of Borneo. By the way, the rare Proboski monkeys live in Borneo, which can be seen in the wild when going rafting. A good way to take a break from the jungle is to sip a cocktail somewhere on the 50th floor of a KL skyscraper (KL is the local name for Kuala Lumupr, author’s note).
To summarize. Add to your travel agenda: KL and Malacca, Kamera Highlands, Penang for the unexpected and Sabah for extreme adventures, such as climbing Mount Kinabalu or diving off the coast of the famous Sipadan.
Transport
KL has the best transport links in all of Southeast Asia in my humble opinion. Metro, monorail, buses, inexpensive metered taxis. I always try to travel only on the monorail; I really love the view of the city from a certain height. Moderately comfortable buses run between major cities. It would be fair to say that for some Russian cities these are very comfortable buses. If you know English at a basic level, you won’t get lost. Again, comparing with Thailand, which we know well, it is worth noting that the level of English language proficiency among the local population is an order of magnitude higher. Especially in large cities. The influence of the colonial past is evident.
Survive
Malaysia is a Muslim country, but you shouldn’t be afraid of that. The people here are quite friendly and tolerant. At least three religions are very common among the local population (Islam is the main one, as well as Hinduism and Buddhism), so you definitely shouldn’t worry. Safety measures - as elsewhere in Southeast Asia, be vigilant and that will be enough for you.
Happy exploring!
Hello friends. Today I will tell you how much a holiday in Malaysia costs and what it consists of. You will learn how much you can expect when planning your travel budget and how you can cut costs. At the end of the article I will show our budget report and, based on it, you can calculate your budget and plan your trip.
On this trip we combined two countries: Singapore. These two countries are neighbors, and it would be foolish to visit Malaysia and not visit Singapore for a few days. Moreover, ours, in any case, passed through Singapore. We will write about how much it costs to go to Singapore soon. Stay tuned for more news.
The most important and main point of a trip to any distant country is purchasing an air ticket. Malaysia is no exception. The journey to Malaysia is not close and with transfers the flight can sometimes take up to 24 hours. Let's look at the options.
There are several airports in Malaysia where you can fly from Russia. Firstly, of course, the capital of the country is Kuala Lumpur. This is the most popular direction. And the most budget-friendly. The average cost of a Moscow-Kuala Lumpur-Moscow air ticket is $500. Average travel time is 20 hours with 1 or 2 transfers. Etihad, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Qatar, Jordan Airlines fly regularly. Singaporean and Chinese flights also fly, but prices are usually more expensive, starting from about $700.
There are direct flights. This is Aeroflot. The price starts from 80 thousand rubles. Approximately $1000.
Read how Alla tried to find tickets to Kuala Lumpur through ticket offices. Very funny story.
When looking for tickets, do not forget about the hot seasons: New Year and holidays. On these dates, the cost rises significantly and for a long time. If you want to buy tickets for the New Year, start monitoring prices in the summer. We bought tickets at the end of September and missed out on some good options. I had to buy it for $100 more.
Other airports in Malaysia that you can fly to from Russia: the islands of Langkawi, Penang and airports on the island of Borneo - Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Ticket prices to the islands start at $500. If you are immediately planning to fly to Borneo, it is better to buy a ticket to Kuala Lumpur, walk around the city for a couple of days, and then take a low-cost flight with AirAsia to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching. And you’ll save money and see the capital.
How much does a visa cost?
Everything is simple here. For Russians, a visa is not required if you stay in the country for no more than 30 days.
To enter the country you need to have with you:
- Round-trip air tickets with a closed date, or a flight ticket to a third country
- International passport valid for more than 6 months from the date of departure from the country
- To confirm your solvency, have at least $500 per person with you
This applies to a tourist visa for a period of no more than 30 days. There are different conditions for a work or study visa. Read about them at official website Malaysian embassy.
We were never asked for air ticket reservations or money availability. But that doesn't mean they won't ask you. Always keep your airline reservations with you.
Migration card: it is handed out by the stewards on board, or you yourself take the form at special counters in front of passport control at the airport of arrival, fill it out and give it to passport control.
The visa is stamped in your passport upon arrival in the country. At passport control you will be asked to place your 2 index fingers on a scanner and your fingerprints will be taken. So don't forget to wash your hands 😉
How much does the hotel cost
Kuala Lumpur has a huge selection of accommodation to suit every budget. In the central tourist areas of Bukit Bintang and Chinatown you will find a luxury 5-star hotel, an inexpensive nice hotel, and a completely clean budget guesthouse. Moreover, all three options can be located across the street from each other.
The average price for a double room in a three-star hotel is $25-30 per night. This price includes a room with a bed, bath, toilet, air conditioning (or fan), TV. Sometimes the view is from the window.
Explanation of the view from the window: in Malaysia it is normal to rent a room without a window (curtains are hung to simulate closing the window). If you want one with a window, the room will cost more. There are options with a window to the courtyard. We in such a hotel lived in Kuala Lumpur. By the way, it’s a good option, you can hear less noise from the street.
To choose housing, we recommend trying AirBnb service. You can find an apartment with a kitchen for $20 in the city center. In Borneo and Penang we found good options through him. The cost was 20-22 $ per night.
We recommend choosing accommodation in the Chinatown and Bukit Bintang areas. There are metro and other transport both here and there. The only difference between the areas: from Bukit Bintang you can walk to via an elevated tunnel in 15-20 minutes, from Chinatown in 25-30 minutes. Bukit Bintang has a lot of large clothing stores and outlets. But in Chinatown (this is the historical center of the city) there are more temples and mosques and we found it more interesting.
Regarding shopping
Malaysia's economic strategy is focused on keeping money within the country. Therefore, in cities there are a lot of clothing stores, giant shopping complexes and outlets. There are also many electronics stores.
Things are of high quality, there are good fakes, there are brand stores. Their prices also vary greatly. Finding such stores is very easy: they are often located at the exit of the metro station. Or rather, the exit from the metro is through the store. I'm talking about Kuala Lumpur. New Year discounts up to 70%. Local residents said that there are discounts for various reasons almost all year round.
The difficulty of shopping is that in this gigantic, ultra-modern city of skyscrapers, it is difficult to find the right store. But here, too, local Russian-speaking guides come to the rescue. It’s much easier and less tiring to hire a specialist around the city who will take you to the hottest places and you won’t waste time moving, but devote yourself only to fittings and shopping.
The main shops and outlets are located in the Bukit Bentang area.
How much does food cost
I love Asian cuisine. In Russia I missed Thai, Lan and, oh horror, Indian cuisine. Apparently, I lacked sharp taste sensations. And I dreamed of trying Malay cuisine.
A small digression: Malaysia is predominantly inhabited by three peoples - Malays, Chinese and Indians. Therefore, the choice of food is mainly from these national cuisines. That is, in any case, food is spicy everywhere, maybe Chinese food is a little less spicy.
And if you forget to say the magic phrase “not spicy” (and the Malays may not ask you this), they will give you a dish so spicy that it will be impossible to eat it. Therefore, get ready for “sharp” surprises.
Prices in the cafe
In Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Alor street the average bill for dinner for two is 35-40 ringgit ($1 = 4 ringgit):
- Soup – 12-18 ringgit (2.8-4.3 $). Depends on the volume. Usually they offer small, medium, large. You can take medium for two and you will be full of it.
- Seafood, fish – 15-40 ringgit (3.6-10 $). Depends on weight in grams or quantity.
- Side dish – 5-10 ringgit ($1.2-2.4). The side dish usually includes white rice, rice with vegetables, egg, seafood, etc. Noodle is also popular - these noodles also come in different variations.
- Freshly squeezed juice, coconut, Fanta, cola – 5-10 ringgit (1.2-2.4 $)
- Alcohol: beer – from 15 ringgit ($3.6)
Dinner at Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur. Check 45 ringit
In a local non-tourist cafe you can spend 20-25 ringgit for two (4.7-6 $). The menu includes everything that was described above.
All other street snacks, such as fish balls on skewers - 6-10 ringgit per skewer ($1.4-2.4).
And don’t forget that there is a popular fruit in Malaysia - durian. We love it very much and bought it every time we saw it. There are several types of durian in Malaysia. The most expensive and “appetizing” is 20-25 ringgit per package ($1.2-2.4). In Kuala Lumpur we found it for 10-12 ringgit (2.4. -2.8 $). In Borneo it was twice as expensive and it was more difficult to find - December-January is not the season for this fruit.
Prices in the store:
| Name | Volume | Price (Ringgit RM) | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottle of water | 1.5 l | 2.30 | 0.55 |
| loaf of bread | 1 piece | 3 | 0.72 |
| Rice | 1 kg | 7.80-9 | 2 |
| Oil | 250 grams | 10.90 — 12 | 2.70 |
| Chicken | 1 kg | 7-8 | 1.90 |
| Sliced cheese | 12 pieces | 8 | 1.90 |
| Juice in bags | 2 l | 8 | 1.90 |
| Eggs | 10 pieces | 4.90-5.30 | 1.20 |
| Potato | 1 kg | 2 | 0.50 |
| Tangerines | 1 kg | 4 | 1 |
| Beer | 0.5 l | 9-12 | 2.40 |
We will also have a separate article about prices in stores.
What about transport?
Transport in Malaysia is well developed. The country is developing and building cities with an eye to the future - super modern and comfortable for living. We plan to write a separate article about transport. There are several nuances here. Let me just say that public transport is inexpensive.
I don't recommend renting a car. Driving on the left, heavy traffic. In big cities there is always a taxi nearby that will take you anywhere. Taxi prices vary. We count. that Kuala Lumpur has the cheapest taxi prices. From our hotel in the Bukit Bintang area we got to the bus station for 27 ringgit ($6.5), 14 kilometers, according to the meter. In Malacca, we spent 25 ringit ($6) from the bus station to the hotel – 8 km. The price is negotiable, taxi drivers do not use meters. In Borneo, from a house in the Tanjung Aru area to the center of Kota Kinabalu we spent 22 ringgit ($5.2) – 6 km.
If you are traveling in a group of 4 people, then the price of a taxi ride for four of you is equal to the cost of public transport.
How much do excursions cost?
While traveling around Malaysia, we realized that the country was simply created for eco-tourism. There are many national parks and nature reserves here. But there is one, in our opinion, important disadvantage: it is quite difficult to make excursions yourself. In most cases, it is worth using the service of a guide. We will talk about guides to Kuala Lumpur and Borneo in other articles. There will even be interviews with them.
Regarding the attractions in the cities: these are mainly buildings of various architectural styles, active mosques, Chinese and Indian temples. They are free to enter unless you wish to make an offering.
There are museums, the price is usually 5-10 ringgit (1.2-2.4 $). There are complex tickets, like in Malacca - one ticket gives you the right to visit 3 museums.
Our budget for Malaysia
We were in Malaysia for 19 days + 4 days in Singapore. Both countries will be included in the count.
All prices are indicated for two
:
Flights:
- Moscow-Kuala Lumpur-Moscow = $1300
- Malacca – Penang = 70 $
- Penang – Kota Kinabalu = 100 $
- Kota Kinabalu – Singapore = 106 $
- Singapore – Kuala Lumpur = 98 $
insurance = 50 $
Singapore visa = 70 $
Housing
- Kuala Lumpur (4 nights) = $98
- Malacca (2 nights) = 70 $
- Penang (3 nights) = $86
- Kota Kinabalu (8 nights) = $196
- Singapore (3 nights) = 92 $
Food
Sometimes we ate in cafes, sometimes we cooked ourselves in the kitchen. On average it was $15 per day.
15 dollars multiplied by 23 days = 345 $
Transport
Taxis, buses, metro, boats to the islands of Borneo, cable cars in Singapore. It's difficult to calculate. I had to keep all the receipts... But approximately, for all the moves in both countries it came out to $100.
This amount does not include air travel within the country (see above - Air tickets). We will talk about domestic flights in Malaysia in more detail in a separate article. Now let’s just say that using a low-cost airline is sometimes cheaper than getting to the desired point by bus/train.
Excursions
Visiting mosques and temples is free.
Other excursions with guides and on your own = $400
Total: $3181 for two. $1590 per person for 23 days including everything.
Conclusions
- Malaysia is not a cheap country. The prices seem better to us.
- If you want to know the nature of Malaysia, then be prepared to fork out for a guide. The budget will increase accordingly.
- You need to understand well what place and what time you are flying to. If you don’t do this, then you can expect surprises: jellyfish in the sea, rain, heat and stuffiness, out of season for certain fruits.
- Malaysia also attracts fans of diving. Equipment and diving training will cost a decent amount.
- The budget included expensive Singapore. Without it, the trip would be cheaper, but not as interesting.
Sincerely,
