1. Are you planning to visit Malaysia?
If you want to visit a country with a rich culture, natural beauty, and modern facilities, Malaysia may be the best choice for you because it’s an amazing country to visit. I’m a foreign student who is staying for 5 years in Malaysia. In this article, I will discuss my experience and every important thing that you need to know before visiting here. Where I will cover your planning until the end of your journey. Hopefully, After finishing this article — you will have a solid understanding of your journey in Malaysia.
2. About Malaysia
Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country. I have 13 different states and 3 federal territories. The area is around 330,803 square kilometers. Around 33 million people live here (2024). It’s a multicultural country. Traditional Malay, Chinese Malaysian, and Indian Malaysian are the main ethnic groups living here.
Bahasa Malaysia is the official language, but English is popular and used throughout Malaysia. Here, the temperature ranges from 25°C to 32°C (77°F to 90°F) throughout the year. It’s a short overview of Malaysia. If you want to know more you can find it here.
3. Why you should visit Malaysia
Malaysia is a country that is full of cultural diversity. You can find many types of people there. Traditional Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Indigenous traditions are the main ethnic groups living here. Not only that, you can find a huge amount of foreigners throughout Malaysia. A very beautiful culture has been created with different types of people.
If you like nature, Malaysia can be one of the best destinations for you. You can find small or big mountains throughout Malaysia. Here you will see beautiful Iceland, mountains, fascinating waterfalls, modern cities, iconic landmarks, warm hospitality, and so on. And to be honest, travel in Malaysia is not that much expensive!
4. The best time to visit
The honest answer depends on which place you want to visit. Malaysia has 2 major parts — The first one is West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) and the second part is East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo).
The states of West Malaysia area — Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor, Terengganu. If you plan to visit these areas then November and March will be ideal for you. During that period you will get sunny days and less rainfall which is suitable for outdoor activity. But still, you should be prepared for rain, as in Malaysia rain comes suddenly. 😀 But the possibility is very low during these months.
The other part is East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo) — Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan are the main states. If your plan is to visit these areas then March and October are the ideal time for you.
My recommendation is to come in March. If I am a visitor, I might come in March as it’s the best time to visit everywhere in Malaysia.😀
5. Language & currency
Bahasa Malaysia is the official language here. But don’t worry!! English is very popular throughout Malaysia. If you speak English then you can visit anywhere without any problem. Ringgit (RM) is the name of Malaysian currency and $1 is equal to RM4.5.
5.1 some important tips to exchange your currency
- My recommendation is to exchange your money from a Malaysian ATM (you must have an international David / Credit / Visa card for that). Because It maintains international exchange rates and provides you a good rate.
- Or you can exchange your money from Malaysian local banks (Maybank, CIMB, Public Bank, RHB, Bank Islam) are very popular in Malaysia. They also follow the international exchange rate.
- Try to avoid exchanging money from your local exchange agency or airport area or any hotel, as they charge a high rate to you.
Alright my friends, I do many things for you. Now give me some time and a break to take my coffee…hihihi 😀
6. Fly and Welcome to Malaysia
Congratulations!! You have your fundamental ideas about Malaysia, now it’s time to buy an air ticket and fly to meet with us!! Right? 😂
Alright, You can find many airlines (e.g. Malaysian Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Singapore Airlines, China Southern Airlines, and British Airways) that are very popular to fly in Malaysia. I prefer Expedia — which is one of the good booking platforms that provide flight tickets, hotels, cars, or other packages.
Most of the time I traveled by Batik Air Malaysia and Singapore Airlines with a good experience.👍
7. The transportation system in Malaysia
Welcome to Malaysia! Finally, you arrive there, hihihi…Now it’s time to find transportation, right? Don’t worry, I am going to give you the solid instruction for that.🥳
Though you are new here, hopefully, you won’t face any hassle if you follow some small steps. 👇
- you have to activate Google Maps.
- you have to install Grab on your phone. Grab is a ride-hiring service in Malaysia like Ubar. You can install some other ride-hiring options (e.g. inDrive, Maxim), but Grab is very popular here.
- You have to buy your SIM card from the airport.
Google Map: If you use an Android Google Map is automatically installed on your device. If you use Apple then you can go through with Apple Maps.
Grab install: Just go to Google Play Store and search Grab Malaysia > Install > Register. (done). It’s a very simple process.
Sim card: You will find many shops beside the airport that provide SIM (e.g. Hotlink, u-mobile, Digi, Celcom) you can buy one of them
After completing these steps, now you are ready to start your main travel. 👍
7.1 Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to KL Sentral
Mostly your flight will arrive at KLIA which is around 45 km from Kuala Lumpur KL Sentral. You will probably book your hotel around KL Sentral. So you can find several options to go to your destination from the Airport. Below I am giving you some travel guides.👇
KLIA Ekspres: It’s a popular train service from KLIA to KL Sentral. You can buy your ticket from the counter or Self-Service Kiosks (Terminal 2). The price is Approximately 55RM, and it takes around 25 min to arrive from KLIA to KL Sentral.
Airport taxi: After exiting the airport, you will find many taxi drivers — you can contact them and ask them to take you to your destination. Though they are a little bit expensive — but they will take you to your destination safely. The fare is around 75 RM to 120 RM.
Use garb: Grab is the most suitable option for you as it is cheaper than the taxi. The good thing about using Grab is — you can track your location through the app. And the Garb driver always brings you closer to your hotel. The fare is around 50 RM to 80 RM (depending on demand, time of day, and traffic).👍
Bus: You can also travel by bus from KLIA to KL Sentral. And it’s the cheapest way to travel then other transportation, but to be honest it is very slow and takes much time to arrive. If you have enough time on your hand then you can travel by bus.
It’s very easy to find the bus terminal in Airport. If you arrive at KLIA2, the bus terminal is located on the same level as the arrival hall.You can find the sign of the bus terminal there. And you can buy the tickets from these terminals. The fare is around 10RM to 15RM.
7.2 Traveling throughout Malaysia
Alright, you arrive at your hotel, and now you are planning to start your actual traveling. You have many options to choose. Below I am discussing some major transportation system throughout Malaysia.👇
- Using Grab is one of the suitable options for traveling short distances in Malaysia.
- Taxi can be another option if you want to travel a long distance, but it’s a bit more expensive than the grab.
- Travel by bus is one of the popular options if you want to travel a long distance at a cheaper price.
- You can travel by train, but it’s not available everywhere as Malaysia has too many mountains.
- You can use a domestic flight to move from one place to another place in a short time.
8. Hotel and food in Malaysia
Booking a hotel in Malaysia is very easy! Here you can find different types of hotels with food. Some of the hotels are very expensive and some are cheap as well. Hotel rates vary depending on the city and hotel facilities.
If you want to stay in a budget-friendly hotel then you have to spend RM50 to RM120 per night. The price of mid-range hotels is RM150 to RM350 every night. If you want to stay in luxury hotels then you need around RM350 to RM800 ($70 to $165) per night. And if you want to stay in a resort then you have to pay RM500 to RM1500 every night as well.
Malaysian food is very delicious. You can find many types of restaurants (Malay, Chinese, western, Indian, and Arabian) throughout Malaysia. If you spend RM10 – RM20 ($2-$4) you can get a full lunch or dinner. However you will also have the option to get expensive food as well. But if you are a lazy person like me, then you can buy your food from your hotel, hihihi. 😂 Most of the luxurious hotels provide accommodation and food. As a new visitor, I list down some popular foods you can find here. 👍
9. Attraction in Malaysia
To be honest, it’s a beautiful country. Malaysian people are so humble with the visitors.
If you like nature, Malaysia can be one of the best destinations for you. You can find small or big mountains throughout Malaysia. Cameron Highlands is one of the most beautiful places for those who like nature. George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its well-preserved colonial architecture, street art, and rich multicultural history. The Twin Towers is one of the most iconic buildings in the world.
Langkawi Sky Bridge is one of the most beautiful places in Malaysia. It offers panoramic views of Iceland and the Andaman Sea. If you enjoy climbing with a natural view then Mount Kinabalu can be an amazing place for you. Taman Negara National Park is one of the oldest rainforests in the world that you can visit. If you like snorkeling then you can go to the Perhentian Islands. There are many more tourist places (e.g. Genting Highlands, Putra Mosque, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, etc ) that you can visit here.
10. Travel Expenses in Malaysia
To be honest, it depends on your planning and budget. But generally, Malaysia is not an expensive country. Here transportation, food, and accommodation are really cheaper than in Singapore or any other European country. On average if you have a budget of RM1500 to RM2500 ($300 – $500) you can travel 7 days smoothly. Again it’s not the ultimate answer, because it depends on your planning.
11. Is Malaysia safe for visitors?
I am staying in Malaysia for 5 years. During that time I visited many places throughout Malaysia. Based on my experience I can tell, the people of Malaysia are very humble with the tourists. They always try their best to support you. If you are planning to visit Malaysia you are most welcome here. 👏
12. My last words
Thank you for reading this article! I hope you’ve gained solid knowledge about traveling in Malaysia. My goal on this website is to share my personal experiences and knowledge about this beautiful country. If you are interested in knowing more, I invite you to stay with us. Thank you.👏