Malaysia

MarkY91

Looking for some Malaysia tips for people who have been there if possible.

Background: 28 year old guy, solo traveller. Been to Asia many times all over the place. First time in Malaysia though..


Staying in a condo in KL to get over jet lag and why the hell not, €30 per night for a fancy condo overlooking the city!!..2 nights then off to Langkawi(hostel) for 4 nights then back to KL for 1 night before cheating to the Philippines.

Thinking of a daytrip with a tour to Batu caves from KL?

Apparently the water visibility in Langkawi is crap so I will just snorkel, no diving. I'll hold that off until Philippines and get my PADI license there.

mx5ire

Used to be in KL a lot (had family there) but havent been in about 6 years now, so i am sure its changed a little but the basics are probably still the same.

You mentioned the Batu caves, they are a definite go and see.

You could do worse than a hop on/off bus tour, get to see places like the old Royal palace, which is now open to the public. The lake gardens and National Museum are nice to see and pick up some local history and culture. Central Market is nice to see and pick up some local products. The Petronas twin towers are great to go up, across the observation level between them, but book in advance. The other tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur) is well worth seeing too, glass floor etc. Great views of the city.

In shopping terms, you have loads. Suria KLCC at the Petronas towers, Bukit Bintang & Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10, Times Square. A few mins taxi ride outside the city centre is Mega Mall, and there is anew one beside it now, Gardens mall i think. If you want gdgets/electronics etc, then Plaza Low Yat in the centre, around the corner from Sungei Wang.

In the evening, definitely go to Chinatown (Petaling street). As you push through the busy market stalls from the Petaling street entrance, take the first left and eat at many of the places on the left side of the street. Like most asian cities, they look rough but the food is superb. A trip out to Bangsar in the suburbs is always nice, there is a great bar/restaurant on the corner of the main street there, sit outside on the upper terrace and watch all the wealthy locals go by in cars etc.

If you wanted to go a little further afield from KL, take a day trip tour to Malaka, an old cultural town and well worth a visit. Google it for best options.

mx5ire

Forgot to add, when in Langkawi go see the Telaga Tujuh waterfall(s), well worth treking up to. And take the cable car and also visit the oriental village. In the evenings, Kuah town and the area at Pantai Cenang has lots of bars and restaurants etc, and the beach there is really nice.

MarkY91

Wow thanks for such a detailed post!

Batu caves look to be a MUST do. Looks amazing

And I'm kind of obsessed with famous skyscrapers so Petronas towers will literally be something ticked off my bucket list. They are expensive to go to the viewing deck..is it worth it?

I'm staying at Bukit Bintang. I'll head out for some beers and food there and definitely look more into the places you named.

With Langkawi, I'm hoping to meet people in my hostel and/or do group tours so I won't be so "alone"

MarkY91

I was actually in two minds between Langkawi or
Penang.

I chose Langkawi for more of a relaxing beach time as opposed to a city area with beaches..well this is that I gathered from TripAdvisor anyway. Georgetown in Penang looks lovely though but a nice beach and (I'm praying) sunshine and I'll be a happy man with my snorkel.

mx5ire

No problem, glad to help a little. You will be staying in a good location in KL, very central. When i mentioned Bukit Bintang i actually meant the shopping mall that is adjacent to the Sungei Wang Plaza shopping centre, both sort of merge into each other, but your location is perfect. In that area you can also go to Jalan Alor, lots of small restaurants and a general buzz to the place, street food and markets etc. Kind of like chinatown really. And speaking of Chinatown, its a little longer walk there, best to grab a cab for 8 to 10 mins, its too hot to walk the distance.

Langkawi or Penang are different, but they kind of serve different needs. Langkawi is a quieter place, nowhere near as built up or industrial, and definitely better for beaches, swimming and generally relaxing. Penang has more to see and do, Georgetown is nice, but that's no good if you just want to sit on your backside for a few days in peace and quiet, rather than walk around. Langkawi has better options for tours to smaller local islands too. You will enjoy either way.

cdeb

MarkY91 wrote: »

Wow thanks for such a detailed post!

Batu caves look to be a MUST do. Looks amazing

And I'm kind of obsessed with famous skyscrapers so Petronas towers will literally be something ticked off my bucket list. They are expensive to go to the viewing deck..is it worth it?

I'm staying at Bukit Bintang. I'll head out for some beers and food there and definitely look more into the places you named. "

Bukit Bintang is nice and lively. There's even an Irish pub in waking distance, but probably better to try the small streetside restaurants. Great spot, even late at night.

On the towers - it depends. First off, they're pricey for foreigners. Also, you have to book in advance. You may get a ticket for the following day if you arrive at 8am to queue. I presume you can book online.

The towers themselves are amazing, especially at night. The problem of course is that from the top (which is only 80% of the way up), you can't really see anything because nothing else is that high. For city views, the KL Tower is better - you can even see the Petronas Towers from them.

But of course you get a guided tour in the Petronas Towers, and if you can time your trip for sunset, the views are supposed to be great. You need a clear day for that of course, so no chance if you're going in the rainy season. I think it's a box worth ticking overall.

There's doctor fish therapy in the main market, and on a disturbingly similar note, there's a piranha feeding session at 4pm each day (I think) in the aquarium, which is walking distance from the towers.

(It's 7 years since I was there, so some of that may be out of date now)

Caranica

The viewing deck in the towers is ridiculously low, less than halfway up. If you want a decent view of the city treat yourself to dinner in the revolving restaurant in the Menara KL

Yamanoto

Uber is great for getting around KL for very little outlay.

cdeb

Caranica wrote: »

The viewing deck in the towers is ridiculously low, less than halfway up. If you want a decent view of the city treat yourself to dinner in the revolving restaurant in the Menara KL

The Skybridge (the 42nd-floor connecting tunnel between the two towers) is less than half-way up. But the observation deck on the 86th floor is 1214 feet up, which is more then 80% of the way up (the building is 1483 feet tall in total). The tour brings you to both.

Caranica

cdeb wrote: »

The Skybridge (the 42nd-floor connecting tunnel between the two towers) is less than half-way up. But the observation deck on the 86th floor is 1214 feet up, which is more then 80% of the way up (the building is 1483 feet tall in total). The tour brings you to both.

It's many years since I was there so thanks for the reminder. I hated KL with a passion, was there as part of my honeymoon. My favourite thing was the hotel (Mandarin Oriental beside the towers). Having travelled extensively in SE Asia and around the world, you couldn't pay me to go back to KL.

MarkY91

Caranica wrote: »

It's many years since I was there so thanks for the reminder. I hated KL with a passion, was there as part of my honeymoon. My favourite thing was the hotel (Mandarin Oriental beside the towers). Having travelled extensively in SE Asia and around the world, you couldn't pay me to go back to KL.

What was so bad about KL? While it doesn't look amazing like HK, it still has the Petronas towers which everyone seen before veether they know where they are or not.

Most of my time in KL will be overcoming jetlag, having a few beers in bars and anday trip to Batu..oh and a selfie with Petronas


I recently realised how expensive beer is..wow! Even for local beers and beers that are made their like carlsberg are like €6..that's mental. That's expected in SG, HK etc but KL?

Gonna be great heading back to Philippines and paying €1 per bottle lol.


Thanks so much for all the tips guys. I wasn't expecting any replies as Malaysia isn't really part of the backpacking route i.e Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia etc but you've all been great. I'll definitely be checking through each post again once I land.