Soaking up nature and exploring mouth-watering delights in Malaysia
- Keira Proust
- Apr 4
- 10 min read
My family often visited Malaysia (both the Peninsula and Borneo) when I was growing up. The places we explored remain some of my most vivid and delightful childhood memories. Returning here as an adult has solidified my love for the country, people, and, most importantly, diverse mix of food. Paddy and I spent three weeks wandering around mainland Malaysia after catching a ferry from Sumatra to Melaka.
Starting in Melaka
We arrived at the Port of Melaka (also known as Malacca) after six wonderful weeks crossing Indonesia. It was a smooth ferry ride from Dumai, and the city greeted us with a lovely change of scenery on arrival. Melaka is an absolute melting pot of cultures, cuisine and architecture. The Portuguese, Dutch and British all colonised/held the town at various points in history.
The city sits along the Malacca Strait, a very important trading route during the 15th to 18th centuries. Many Chinese traders came to the area and settled during that time. Melaka is also home to a sizeable Indian population. All of this has helped it become a popular spot on the Malaysian tourist map. I first visited the town as a child in the mid-2000s. It has changed a lot since then. The city was given a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 2008, and the city centre has clearly seen an influx of spending over the past 15 or so years. The town sits on a beautiful river that has been developed to allow pedestrians to stroll along each side, and boats to carry tourists up and down the waterway.
We spent five nights in a great, social hostel called Ringo's Foyer. We met a bunch of other travellers here and the volunteers organised multiple activities each day, including a sunset bike ride to the town's floating mosque. That was probably my favourite experience in Melaka. It was a truly stunning evening. The town is also filled to the brim with museums, so we had no shortage of things to see and explore. However, one of the best things was the food! I was SO HAPPY to be eating roti canai, laksa, Indian dahls, Chinese soups, etc, etc again. They have to be some of my most favourite cuisines in the world. The alcohol was fairly expensive here, so we didn't drink too much, and if we did, it usually involved 7-Eleven beers on the hostel rooftop.
Our strangest experience was heading to the Encore Melaka theatre show. It is usually put on twice a day in an incredibly extravagant theatre 15 minutes out of town. It was meant to be a show focusing on Melaka's 600 years of history, but instead just felt like an advertisement with potential political/overseas interference in the storyline. But it was so bad that I was literally bawling tears of laughter... although that still doesn't make it worth the $50-something ticket price.
Overall, I really liked Melaka. There was a lot of tourist infrastructure, and although it didn't feel as authentic as other places in Malaysia, it was beautiful, had amazing food options and was an easy place to meet other people.
Next stop: Kuala Lumpur
Getting to Kuala Lumpur was a piece of cake, especially compared to transport in Indonesia. We booked a bus online and got to the capital within three hours. We stayed in a studio apartment, which was a really nice luxury after hostel living. Our time in KL was spent mostly eating, wandering impressive religious structures and soaking up the nightlife.
A friend we made in Melaka, Lucie from Czechia, showed us around the artsy back alleys of Chinatown. They were beautiful and vibrant! We were also able to find some bars doing happy hour deals and had a great night out with Lucie and another new friend, Leena from Switzerland! This is where I finally had my first proper G&T (or many) since Australia, which felt incredibly good.
Kuala Lumpur highlights included people, monkey and pigeon watching at the Batu Caves (a mere 15-minute trip from KL's city centre). Macaques explored the Hindu temple complex like Indiana Jones. We also headed out to one of the most beautiful mosques I have ever seen. The Putra Mosque, also accurately known as the Pink Mosque, was about 45 minutes from the city centre. We shared a Grab with Leena and Lucie and donned Hogwarts-style robes to enter the complex. The mosque sits on Putrajaya Lake and was opened in 1999. Lots of volunteers work here and answer any questions that visitors have about the structure or Islam. I learnt more about Islam and Islamic traditions here than at any museum I've visited. It's also free to enter!
One of the best things about KL, like most places in Malaysia, is the food. We found great Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine throughout the city. My family would often stay near Jalan Alor, a popular food street, when we visited KL. The street was just as vibrant as I remembered as a kid. As you can see, there was plenty of seafood on offer. It ended up being one of our most expensive meals, but it was good fun soaking up the atmosphere.
Stop three: Cameron Highlands
My family never ventured up into the Cameron Highlands when we came to Malaysia as kids. I am so glad we made the journey on the trip because it's now my second favourite place on the Peninsula. It's known for stunning tea plantations, strawberry farms and many other reminders of the British colonial era. We took a windy bus up to the Cameron Highlands' Tanah Rata (the most popular tourist spot) from KL. Again, the bus trip was easy-peasy. The best thing about Tanah Rata is that it sits about 1,400m above sea level, so you're greeted with delightful, fresh, crispy air when you get off the bus. It was a wonderful reprieve after seven or so weeks of hot, humid weather.
We spent three nights in a Tanah Rata hostel and used the days to hike through the hinterlands, drink tea, eat scones and strawberries, and relish the cold nights. We enjoyed a three-hour hike through mossy forests, past nepentheses, streams and villages to reach the Cameron Highlands tea plantation. The plants covered rolling hills and looked like a postcard. We very happily demolished tea and scones after that hike. I also spotted some white-thighed leaf monkeys on a hike to a waterfall. About a dozen of them sat in a tree happily munching on leaves for lunch. It was lightly raining and I had the experience all to myself. Too good.
We loved the area so much that we decided to come back for an overnight pit stop on our way to Georgetown after Taman Negara.
Next stop: Taman Negara
Keen for another burst of nature, Paddy decided he wanted to head to Taman Negara National Park. I'd visited as a kid but was interested in whether it had changed, so I also came along for the ride. We spent about five hours in a bumpy bus to reach Kuala Tahan, a village that sits on a river opposite the national park entrance. We were staying in a hostel dorm right on the river edge. Unfortunately, I think our jungle experience in Sumatra had created some unrealistic expectations for other nature adventures. We didn't see much wildlife during our visit (just lots of leeches, some birds and creepy crawlies). However, the national park is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world, so it was really lovely to explore.
We decided not to pay for a tour and just explore the areas we could by ourselves. I'm glad we did this because other travellers said they did not see much more when they ventured deeper into the forest.
We heard gibbons calling in the distance during our trek, but our main focus was on the ground. We quickly realised it had come alive... with leeches!! A few had latched onto our legs and socks. Paddy bore the brunt of the leech attacks. When we were finally in a safe zone, the destruction became clear. As Paddy took his socks off, blood trickled down his feet and fat leeches rolled off. It was an exhilarating finish to the walk!
We decided to leave a day early and wound our way back to the Cameron Highlands. We treated ourselves to a night of luxury in Tanah Rata. The private room overlooked the hills and town, and it had a huge bath! Paddy and I had decided we would tackle Thailand on separate solo adventures, so it was nice to treat ourselves before that began.
My favourite: Georgetown, Penang
Our final major stop in Malaysia was Georgetown, Penang. My family also missed this spot on trips when I was younger! I can now safely say that Georgetown is the best place I've visited on the Peninsula. It has SO MUCH delish food!! I was incredibly sad to leave it all behind after five nights in the historic town. Georgetown is on Penang Island, which can be reached by ferry or the two bridges that link it to the mainland. The town is firmly on the tourist map these days. It also received UNESCO heritage listing in 2008, alongside Melaka. You can see why. There is so much history here. It's another historically significant port and also has a massive mix of cultures. The old streets and jetties are covered with art. We were staying at a hostel for the first couple of nights but moved to more comfortable digs for the final two.
The mornings were spent sleeping in to escape the heat and most of our activities were done in the afternoon or early evening. We were also treated to some lush sunsets during our stay. I mostly ate lots of roti canai, tandoori chicken and dahl at the many Indian establishments across the town. And I drank heaps of iced teh tarik (a delicious local milky tea). I think I'm a tea drinker now.
Georgetown was an excellent mix of nature, art, culture and food. It is home to possibly the most beautiful Buddhist temples ever! The Kek Lok Si temple sits elevated on Penang Island, just below Penang Hill. It has many layers and is filled with vibrant gardens, buddah statues and panoramic views of the city below. We were told it is lit up at night during Chinese New Year, which I would love to come back to see. The temple is also home to lots and lots of tortoises!
Two of my highlights involved the natural side of the island (surprise, surprise). I loved exploring Penang Hill. We took a funicular up to watch the sunset and the city lights. A mosque and Hindu temple sit on top, alongside a bunch of weird attractions like a zombie museum and fairy garden for kids. We wandered off down some forested tracks in search of wildlife. And wildlife we found!! A group of dusky leaf monkeys sat eating leaves as the sun set behind them. But the best find of all was thanks to Paddy. Just before the sky turned into complete darkness, he saw something jump onto the tree in front of us. Sure enough, it was a sunda colugo, otherwise known as a flying lemur!! I had seen a couple in Borneo when I was little. It's a freaky-looking creature. And this one had a baby strapped to it as well! We watched it climb up to the top of the tree before it launched off and glided down the valley. It was an absolute trip highlight.
We also spent a day exploring Penang National Park with some other travellers we'd met at the hostel. We shared a Grab to the park entrance to reduce the cost. You had to pay about $18 AUD each to enter the national park. It was a lovely 1.5-hour hike to reach Pantai Keracut (Turtle Beach). We checked out the government-owned turtle "sanctuary" and spotted a bunch of bats hanging in one of the huts. You sadly couldn't swim in the ocean due to jellyfish. After exploring the beach, we were picked up by a boat and taken to Monkey Beach, which was home to many cheeky monkeys. It was a beautiful day and yet another example of nature adventures taking out the top spot in my travel memories.
I spent one night on the Malaysian island of Langkawi on my way to the Thai islands. I had visited Langkawi with my mum before, so I didn't feel the need to stay longer. It was just nice to finally make it to the proper "holiday-mode" section of the trip!
Budget for three weeks in Malaysia
Essentially: $2,704 for two people. $1,452 each.
Malaysia was another incredibly cheap destination. Transport was quite affordable and we tried to split the costs of longer Grab journeys with other travellers to reduce the price even further. We stayed in a few hostels and dorms, which were more expensive than sharing a private room but worth it for the social aspect.
I roughly spent $484 a week across the three weeks in Malaysia. The most expensive week was our first in Malaysia. That was in Melaka and KL, which can be more expensive for tourists.
Travel cost breakdown
Food (highest cost)
We spent around $710 in total on food for two people. It accounted for 26% of our costs. We splurged a bit more than in Indonesia because there was so much more variety. In saying this, it is still incredibly cheap. I could have a roti and curry sauce for less than $1AUD, Chinese noodles for $2 and scones for $1.50.
Accommodation
We spent $663 in total on accommodation for two people. This was about 25% of our total costs. Dorms cost about $35 for two people, whereas private rooms usually cost around $30 per night.
Transport
Travelling was cheaper in Malaysia than in Indonesia. Simply because there is so much less land to cover. We spent around $526 on transport for two people. That was about 20% of the costs.
Alcohol
We drank a lot more booze in Malaysia than in Indonesia. It has a more social scene and there are more options. We spent around $297 for two people on alcohol, including cocktails and beers. That covered around 11% of our budget.
Activities
Our least expensive cost was the activities. We spent about $255 on activities, about 9% of the costs. You could easily spend a lot more, but we opted for more free activities, including visiting religious sites, hikes and exploring towns on foot.
In summary... Malaysia is another very affordable travel destination. It's overlooked by many travellers heading to Southeast Asia, but it's one of the most diverse countries in terms of food and cultures! It would be a good starting point for people on their first Southeast Asia trip. It is very easy to navigate, most people speak English, and there is a wide variety of food.
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