Malaysia travel blog — The fullest Malaysia travel guide for a budget trip for the first-timers

A tropical paradise located in the heart of Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a fascinating and attractive country all visitors over the world by its harmonious combination of ethnic groups and cultural beliefs. The country of Malaysia is divided into two regions including Malaysia Peninsula and Malaysia Island separated by the South China Sea. Peninsula Malaysia is extremely prosperous region with skyscrapers in the capital of Kuala Lumpur, while the Malaysia island region owns rubber forests and mystical beauty beaches that attracts the adventurous travelers. Let’s check out our Malaysia travel blog (Malaysia blog) — The fullest Malaysia travel guide for a budget trip to Malaysia for the first-timers that will help you prepare for the perfect trip to the beautiful country with many interesting things below.

Malaysia travel blog: When is the best time to visit Malaysia?

You can travel to Malaysia at any time of the year because this is a country with humid tropical climate, ecosystems are rich and diverse. The weather in Malaysia is divided into two distinct seasons: rainy season and dry season.

From April to August, September every year: It is the dry season in Malaysia, sunny but not too hot. Average daily temperatures range from 29 to 35 degrees Celsius, suitable for moving and enjoying outdoor activities without fear of weather.

From October to March of the next year: The rainy season of Malaysia, the weather will be much cooler. You may encounter a heavy rain but stop fast, so do not worry about the weather will affect your trip!

According to our Malaysia travel guide, from June to August is the best time to visit Malaysia because it is less rainy and sunny in this time. In addition, at this time, many shopping malls in Malaysia will have the biggest promotions of the year can be up to 70%. You will definitely be satisfied to buy a lot of bargains at this time.

Malaysia travel blog: Malaysia travel cost

Cost of transportation

Like other developed countries in Southeast Asia, the main means of transportation in Malaysia include public transport (buses, trains, MRT) and personal vehicles such as cars, motorbikes. Depending on your budget and the travel distance you can choose the appropriate means of transportation.

Normally, the bus will cost you about RM5-11 per trip. Other vehicles such as MRT, LRT, … are only popular in big cities like Kuala Lumpur. Taxis are quite expensive, costing about RM3 / mile and will be four times more expensive if you can not find one to go with.

Cost of accommodation

Malaysia is one of the most visited destinations in Southeast Asia and Asia, so you will easy to find motels, hotels, resorts and homestays. The areas that attract most visitors are Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi. Single bed in dormitory room from RM30-55 per night, private room at RM75 per night, RM100 per night for a double room. The hotel rates range from RM80 per night to several times higher, depending on the “number of stars” and location of the hotel.

With hotels in Kuala Lumpur you should rent near the KL Sentral area or Bukit Bintang area because it is easy to moving around and reasonable price. You can find, check rates, availability & booking for Kuala Lumpur on Agoda.com or Booking.com which is very easy.

Read more: Where to stay in KL? — Top 8 best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for the first-timers.

Cost of eating out

Food is also one of the attractions for visitors to Malaysia. From satay grilled, or Malaysian traditional dish – nasi lemak with rice, scented cake and coconut milk flavor. If you just want to taste the food, you will have to pay about RM4-11 for each street food dish. And it will cost RM7-20 for each dish you call in the restaurant. Or simply, you can join the gastronomic tours of Kuala Lumpur and Penang – famous cities for gourmets.

The cost of self-sufficient playing

Malaysia has the three most popular tourist areas: Kuala Lumpur, Penang Old Town and Langkawi. Each region will have a different kind of activity, but the price is quite cheap compared to other places in Southeast Asia. With city tours like Hop on hop off Kuala Lumpur, the fare is about RM38-75 per trip (24 hours or 48 hours). Other activities such as trekking in the forest are about RM35-75. If you want to go to the sea and playing on the islands, then you can choose to dive. The price for a snorkeling trip will be RM245-300 and the diving course will be only RM830-1325.

Malaysia travel blog: Some tips to save money when traveling to Malaysia

Pre-booking tickets, services, tours

For those who already have self-sufficiency travel experience, reservation of air tickets for travel Malaysia is probably should not discussed. However, if you are new to self-sufficiency traveling, the “hunt” for cheap tickets is one of the top priority. With Malaysia destination, AirAsia is a good option to find cheap tickets because it is headquartered in Malaysia and often has promotions.

Beside airline tickets, pre-booking services, tours, tickets will also help you save more cost and time. In many cases, you will save up to 30- 40% more than buying tickets directly, especially at the famous amusement parks such as Sunway Lagoon, The Lost World of Tampon or national parks. Or when you traveling go with a large group of people, buying tickets in advance will also help you to plan your leisure and entertainment more appropriately.

Moving by public transport

To save the best cost when traveling Malaysia self-sufficient, you should choose the public transport. This system is especially popular in Kuala Lumpur with buses and MRT, LRT, KLIA Express, KTM Commuter, … The price per trip is usually not more than RM50 and you can buy Touch-n-go card and MyRapid card to reduce the cost of the trip. For example, with a MyRapid card the price for a bus trip is about RM0.8 (compared to direct buy is RM1). In addition, if you go in large groups, you can take a taxi but need to bargaining before getting up the car.

Limit drink wine and alcoholic beverages

Malaysia’s religion is Islamic so the rules on drinking are very strict. Although visitors are not prohibited from drinking, but the costs of beer, wine, cocktails and alcoholic beverages are often expensive. Therefore, you should limit yourself to a certain amount of money for beverages is one of the best ways to save money.

Enjoy street food

Similar Thailand, you can find for yourself all kinds of street food, full flavors and variety price on the streets of Malaysia. Not only delicious, these dishes are quite cheap, the prices range from a few to a few dozen ringgit (RM). The only thing you have to keep in mind is choosing the right place for quality and clean. The secret is to choose places where there are many local people dining, this assures you both of price and quality.

Malaysia blog: How to get to Malaysia?

By plane

From Vietnam you can fly to Malaysia from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City by airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Jetstar and AirAsia. These airlines have direct flights to Malaysia with the price ranging from RM800 to RM1250 for a round-trip ticket. One thing to note is that AirAsia often has the most discounted rates for this route flight.

By road, railway

From Singapore: From the island you can take the bus to Johor Bahru, from here you continue to travel by bus to Melaka and Putrajaya and finish the journey by train to the capital of Malaysia.

From Thailand: From Thailand’s Hat Yai tourist destination, you can either take a bus or train to Kuala Lumpur directly.

Malaysia travel guide: How to get from Kuala Lumpur Airport to city?

When you arrival at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, it is about 50km from the city center, so you can moving into the center by a shuttle bus for around RM10. You can also easily buy bus tickets at the ticket counter at the airport hall. This bus operates on average about 30 minutes per trip.

Malaysia travel blog: How to getting around Malaysia?

To travel around in Malaysia you have many ways such as plane, bus, train … You should remember the railway stations, the main bus stations and the main public transports here.

Main railway stations, major bus stations in Malaysia

KL Sentral: This is the largest traffic hub in the capital of Kuala Lumpur, which is also the stopping point for most public transports in the city. You can easily find useful information about tourist attractions and local tours in Malaysia.

Pudu Station (or Puduraya): This is a bus station located in the center of the city and just 100 meters from China Town, 50 meters from the subway station and 300 meters from the Central Market.

Bandar Tasik Selatan (TBSBTS): This is the last stop of the bus routes from the South, at this stop you can choose services of RapidKL LRT, KLIA Transit and taxi.

The main means of transportation in Malaysia

LRT: LRT (Light Rail Transit) is a type of tram in Kuala Lumpur, with two main lines: LRT Kelana Jaya and LRT Ampang Line. Read more: Guide to LRT Kuala Lumpur — LRT Kuala Lumpur route, timetable & fare.

KL Monorail: This type of high tram is quite popular in Malaysia, including the important stations are Bukit Bintang, Tuah Cave (transit point), Maharajalela (near China Town).

KTM Komuter: This type of train operates with two main routes: Tanjung Malim – Sungai Gadut and Batu Caves – Pelabuhan Klang. It connects most of the outskirts towns of the city such as Rawang, Sungai Gadut, Seremban, Pelabuhan Klang, Tanjung Malim.

Bus: This type of public transport popular in Malaysia has six specific routes: KV1 runs in the city center, KV2 runs in the North City, KV3 runs in the East City, KV4 runs in the South East, KV5 runs in the South and KV6 runs in the West.

Taxi: Taxi here is quite expensive and according to the Malaysia travel experience you should only choose this vehicle if you do not choose alternative vehicles. The opening price is about RM3, approximately ~$1, nearly double in Vietnam.

Malaysia travel blog: Best places to visit and top things to do in Malaysia

West coast of the Malay Peninsula

Kuala Lumpur

Bustling, prosperous and full of fun, Kuala Lumpur is a great place for you to joining in fun games, shopping, or simply enjoy Kuala Lumpur cuisine in the small streets. Combination of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese culture, the capital of Kuala Lumpur is full of entertainment activities for all visitors.

Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s most important destination, is also the capital of Malaysia, with its symbol is the Petronas Twin Towers. Inside the tower is the famous shopping area Suria KLCC. Some of the British colonial buildings left include the Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Merdeka Square, and the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. In the city center there is Chinatown with many Chinese shops and eateries. The green of the city is concentrated in Lake Garden Park. It is not far from is the National Mosque of Malaysia, architecture is influenced by Islam. If you prefer shopping, go to the famous shopping district of Bukit Bintang, visit BB Plaza or Berjaya Times Square. Other attractions include Southeast Asia’s largest Islamic Art Museum IAMM, Muzium Negara National Museum, Zoo Negara National Zoo, Istana Budaya National Theater, and north of Kuala Lumpur is Batu Caves, where located of the Hindu Lord Murugan statue. From Kuala Lumpur, it is possible to ride to
the resort on the Genting Highlands plateau, another important destination of Malaysian tourism.

Read more: 

• Kuala Lumpur blog (KL blog) — The fullest guide for a budget trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Kuala Lumpur 1 day itinerary — How to spend 24 hours in Kuala Lumpur?
• Where to stay in KL? — Top 8 best areas to stay in Kuala Lumpur for the first-timers.
• 5 cool Kuala Lumpur souvenir shops you should visit.

Putrajaya

Putrajaya located 30km from the south of Kuala Lumpur, is Malaysia’s federal administrative center, formerly known as Prang Besar. There are magnificent buildings such as Perdana Putra, Putra Mosque, Seri Perdana, Taman Putra Perdana, Millennium Monument and Jambatan Seri Wawasan Bridge. Do not miss this place on your journey in Malaysia.

Penang

The big island of western Malaysia, is also a state name of Malaysia, includes Penang Island and part of the land adjacent to it. Penang is the central point of Malaysia tourism thanks to its rich cultural and ethnic diversity and rich culinary life. Some of the popular attractions are Penang Hill / Bukit Bendera, Penang Botanic Gardens, Kek Lok Si Temple, combined style of Khmer, Thai and Chinese, Penang Butterfly Farm, Snake Temple and War Museum. Some notable cities of Penang state are Georgetown, Butterworth and Nibong Tebal.

Read more:

• Penang travel blog — The fullaest guide for a budget trip to Penang of Malaysia.
• Best areas to stay in Penang — Top 5 best places to stay in Penang for the first-timers.
• Penang travel tips — Some best tips for traveling and dining in Penang Island, Malaysia.
• Exploring Penang – Things to do & what to see in The Pearl of the Orient of Malaysia.
• Penang Malaysia things to do — 9 awesome things to do in Penang from cooking curries to zip-lining.
• Penang food blog — 10 best street food in Penang & best places to find them.
• 4 reasons why you should visit Penang.
• Penang itinerary — How to spend 3 days in Penang?
• Penang street art — Wonderful street art painting in George Town of Penang.

Georgetown

Georgetown is the capital of Penang state, is also one of the most attractive destinations in Malaysia. Georgetown is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, combining the influence of Chinese culture and Islamic culture with the remains of British colonialists. Some best places to visit are Cheong Fatt Tze Building on Leith Street, Pulau Pinang City Council Building, Cornwallis Citadel on Light Street, Little India, Armenian Heritage Street with many colonial buildings, Leong San Tong Khoo Kongsi, Queen Victoria Clock Tower, Wat Chaiyamangalaram Temple, Dhammikarama Temple, Kapitan Keling Mosque, Hainan Temple on Munri Road, Kuan Yin Teng Ancient House, St. George’s Church and Church of the Assumption. Georgetown is also considered one of Malaysia’s best places to eat. Explore the Indian, Chinese, Malay and Western cuisines on the streets of this city.

Melaka / Malacca

Another Malaysia’s heritage is recognized by UNESCO, with the history and culture influenced by Portuguese, Dutch and British under colonial period. Melaka contributes to the Malaysia’s tourism outstanding attractions such as the Baba Museum and Nyonya Peranakan located in an old Peranakan house, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Christ Church Protestant, Dutch Square with Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower, Jonker Street, Heeren Road and adjacent streets – the old center of Malacca next to the Malacca River, the Masjid Kampung Hulu Mosque, the Porta de Santiago, the Stadthuys Dutch architectural building, Bukit China cemetery, Hang Li Po Well (King’s Well), Poh San Teng Temple and Geok Hu Keng Temple.

Read more:

• Where to eat in Melaka? — Best restaurants in Melaka & best places to eat in Melaka.
• Melaka food blog — Experience Melaka delicacies, arrived at by Trishaw.
• Malacca travel blog — The fullest guide to discover Malacca, Malaysia.

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