Two weeks in Malaysia in September 2017 (page 1 of 3)

Hi there,

Here’s our account of our trip to Malaysia from September 11th to 27th. I hope our tips can help others as much as this forum has helped us!

Day 0:

Departure from Nantes with a transfer in Amsterdam via KLM (720 €).

Day 1:

We arrive at KLIA1 in the early afternoon. First challenge: figuring out where to pick up our luggage. Turns out the answer is right under our noses—we need to take the airport’s internal metro! Once we’ve got our bags, we withdraw some cash from a Maybank ATM right there. Next up: SIM card! Just outside the arrivals hall, several kiosks offer them. We go for a Celcom 5 GB card (70 RM). Then it’s taxi time to get to KL, in the Bukit Bintang area—about 85 RM in a slightly old taxi with weak air conditioning. We check into our Airbnb apartment, which is clean, more spacious than a hotel room, and—best of all—has a charming balcony with a gorgeous nighttime view!



We end up hanging out on that balcony, reviewing our plans for the next day. After dark, we take the monorail just a short walk away to enjoy our first evening on a rooftop at the 34th floor: Hélipad (Raja Chulan station—you have to enter the Menara Tower at the base of the station) with a panoramic view of the city and its iconic towers.





Finally, we head to Jalan Alor to grab a bite in this super busy street. Big sleep ahead! 😴

Day 2:

Great night’s sleep—we don’t feel the 6-hour time difference at all. Breakfast in the apartment, then we head to the nearby metro station (Hang Tuah) to get to the Batu Caves via KL Sentral.

We discover this Malaysian quirk: there are signs, but not *too* many! 🤪Grab tokens (yes, actual tokens you scan at the gate to enter and leave in a slot to exit the station) for a direct trip: easy enough. But as soon as you need to change lines (meaning you have to leave the metro zone to reach another one)… disaster! You have to exit, cross a street, enter a mall, and get lost following arrows that make no sense whatsoever. Anyway, we eventually catch the train and finally arrive!

It’s crowded, and there’s construction in the main cave, but the impressive statues and the monkeys—so confident they’re almost cocky—leave us grinning like idiots the whole time.







After we’ve had our fill of exploring and worked up an appetite, we decide to take the train back to Bandar Tasik Selatan station to buy our bus tickets for the Cameron Highlands the day after tomorrow.

Another adventure on the spot—still the same issue with directions! Finally, in the huge hall packed with ticket counters, a guy spots us (or rather, spots our distress, I’d say 😄) and shows us what to do (basically, queue up at any counter to pick a time, company, and seats). 35 RM per person for the trip.

We grab a bite there, then head to Chinatown to wander around a bit. Nothing much to say about this area—we weren’t too impressed.

In the evening, we go back to Jalan Alor for dinner and pick the restaurant “Mickey” at the very south end of the street. We order several dishes to share—really good and not too expensive.



Tomorrow’s plan: elephant sanctuary!

Day 3:

After packing our backpacks, we're ready for today's adventure: heading to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, about 1.5 hours from KL.

Travel agencies will offer tours with pickup from your hotel, but we preferred the "homemade" option that day—it cost us three times less!

So here’s a quick tutorial to get there:

Get to the "Titiwangsa" metro station: lines 3, 4, or the monorail terminus. Cross the pedestrian bridge over the road, and you’ll find a bus station.



Ask which counter you need to go to for Lanchang—the closest stop to the sanctuary. Buy your tickets (around 10 RM per person) and wait. A bus leaves every hour (9 AM, 10 AM, 11 AM…). We took the 11 AM one and arrived in Lanchang around noon.

Once you get off the bus, if no one approaches you right away, head to the small shop right in front of the stop.



They offer to take you there and pick you up later for 60 RM round trip. Before leaving, we grabbed a bite: a full plate and a big glass of iced water each for 8 RM for two.



Before heading out, make sure to buy your return tickets to KL. You can do this at a phone shop a little further down.





On-site: contrary to what some travel agencies claim on their websites, entry isn’t paid. It’s a care center funded by the Malaysian government and donations. You can have a guide for a group of up to 10 people: 50 RM for the group. If you want to bathe with a young elephant and give it a little sand scrub: 10 RM per person, and a guide is mandatory.

We loved this day. We refuse to set foot in zoos or marine parks, and nothing shocked us at the sanctuary. You can watch the bath, help with feeding, hear the stories of some elephants, and see how they give a giant bottle to the youngest calf (who no longer has its mother). The guides are super friendly, and the visitor-guide interactions aren’t commercial (there’s nothing to sell). We couldn’t resist the final bath, and it was a truly magical moment.

Quick tips: if you want to bathe, bring a towel, soap, and a change of clothes.

That evening, we ate on Jalan Alor at a Thai restaurant I don’t recommend, across from "Mickey’s." A Chinese procession passed through the street during our meal—I heard it was to celebrate the devil. Firecrackers and colors guaranteed!





Day 4: Departure from KL for the Cameron Highlands

Day 4:

We leave our Airbnb apartment and head to Bandar Tasik Selatan station to catch our bus to the Cameron Highlands at 10 AM.

You need to arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled time and wait in the ground-floor waiting room. The bus leaves on time, and off we go for a 3.5-hour ride! The first part of the trip isn’t interesting at all: Nutella fields for hundreds of kilometers. 😕 The second part is more exciting as we climb the mountain (not on the edge of a cliff, phew!) through lush vegetation with a series of twists and turns. Don’t forget your motion sickness meds if you’re sensitive to it! 😉

Arriving in Tanah Rata… uh… well, it’s ugly. Zero charm, a main street dedicated to commerce, depressing buildings, and cars everywhere.

We had booked at Father’s Guest House: friendly welcome, clean, and the sheltered outdoor areas will come in handy!

We’re starving, so we walk down the street and pick a small Indian restaurant that doesn’t look like much but has tempting buffet-style dishes. Good and cheap.

We book the bus to the Perhentians for the day after tomorrow (125 RM/person, round-trip boat tickets included) and drop off our dirty laundry at a laundromat.

The rain that started when we arrived has gotten worse, so we scrap the idea of going for a walk and head back to the guest house instead. We treat ourselves to a very British snack with tea and scones… and some proper French butter!



The rain turns into a full-blown storm, forcing us to retreat to our room. By 7 PM, it’s still pouring, and we start thinking about leaving the next morning (which won’t be possible).

To cheer ourselves up, we go for a "steamboat" at Ferm Nyonya



(you’d better be really hungry!!) and grab a beer at the pub on the corner next door.

Tomorrow’s plan (if the sky ever stops dumping rain): BOH tea plantation

Day 5:

The sky is clear today! While yesterday we were wearing fleece jackets and vests, today we're in t-shirts.

After breakfast at the guest house, we set off to find a taxi to take us to the BOH tea plantation (the northern one, with its terrace and factory tour) because we wanted to go at our own pace and weren’t interested in the butterfly farm or strawberry fields. The taxi driver offers to be our guide for the morning (80 RM). He’s very cheerful, and since we weren’t sure we’d find our way back easily, we accept.

We leave at 9 AM, and luckily so—by 10 AM, it’s already traffic-jammed! (Probably worse because it’s Saturday.) We admire the tea field landscapes, make a few photo stops, and our guide drops us off in the parking lot. We have to climb a few steps before reaching the building.



There’s an explanatory exhibit and then a factory to “visit,” but you’ll finish in 5 minutes because there’s almost nothing to see! We stop by the shop for a souvenir and head to the cafeteria for a tasting. We find a spot on the terrace and enjoy the view while savoring a strawberry tartlet and some tea.



The downside? It’s packed in the cafeteria.



And the living conditions of the plantation workers.



Back in Tanah Rata for lunch, we decide to check out the Barracks Cafe, with its World War II-era recycled buildings. The food’s good (yum, those stuffed buns!), but it’s not exactly cheap.



For the afternoon, a short walk: Robinson Falls. Super well-signposted, like everything else. The walk is short once you find the entrance, but not recommended after rain—the dead leaves make the steps really slippery!



The waterfall is pretty… Well, nothing spectacular, either.



In the evening, we eat at another Indian restaurant on the corner—less tasty and more expensive than the one from the night before.



Tomorrow’s plan: trip to Pulau Perhentian Besar

Day 6:

We’re ready to take the minibus that’s picking us up in front of the guesthouse at 10 AM. An hour and a half later, we’ve only gone 10 or 15 km—those infamous traffic jams I mentioned earlier. 🙁 Finally, once we pass the BOH tea junction, we’re alone on the highway! A group returning from Taman Negara is waiting for us to transfer to a big bus—after grabbing a quick bite.

Around 5:30 PM, we arrive in Kuala Besut and notice the organizers have had excellent herding-dog training. 😛 We have to line up to sign a register with our passport numbers, then a guy *insists* that a few of us (including us two) do something with a young man on a moped?! Finally, it clicks! « Fodega » = « follow the guy » 😏 So, loaded with our luggage, we follow the young man on his moped for 200 meters (baaaaa)

Then it’s the counter to pay the marine park tax (30 RM/person), and we’re allowed to pass the barrier separating us from the boats. The 30-minute crossing doesn’t leave me with a great memory at all—it gets pretty rough at times! But finally, the Perhentians!

We’re the first to get off, dropped at the dock in front of our guesthouse. Night is falling, but we’re already enchanted. Our bungalow has a terrace facing the sea that delights us (230 RM/night).





Here we go for 7 days and 8 nights!

No one seems excited 😐 but just to clarify, I can't write the rest of the trip right now because our internet connection is having some issues.

I definitely plan to continue as soon as it's fixed 🙂

And here I am, grumbling at those who read my travel journals and never say a word—well, I did the same thing!! So mea culpa, I’m following you, I love it, and I’m really interested in what comes next (just to see if the Perhentians have changed since we were there a few years ago ;)). And it’s always great to have travelers who share their experiences instead of just people who come to grab info!! So thank you so much, Servane, and see you soon! 😎 Christelle

On the contrary! I can’t wait to read the rest because I’m slowly planning a 17-day trip to Malaysia in November-December... :) So go ahead as soon as you’re back to civilization! 🙂

Thanks for your encouragement, it’s really nice! 🙂 The line’s fixed today, so I’m carrying on!

Day 7:

Our stay on Perhentian Besar starts under a gorgeous sky and perfectly clear, deliciously warm water.

We decide to head to Teluk Keke beach, all the way south on the west side of Besar. To get there, we have to cross a first bridge by the rocks.



We pass a little hut serving cold drinks and tasty, super affordable meals for the islands (e.g., two noodle dishes and two cold drinks: 18 RM).



We cross another bridge and go through the camping beach (littered with trash—it’s heartbreaking), and finally:



Not much sandy space at high tide, but the snorkeling is pretty great, especially when you head toward the point and follow the rocks. By the way, after just a few minutes in shallow water, our first encounter 😮:



And later, near the reefs, a (very) brief appearance by two blacktip reef sharks, plus the sight of two more turtles (though farther away) swimming together... 😏 A fantastic morning—we head back just as the first snorkeling boats bring in swimmers wearing life jackets.

The day’s unpleasant surprise, though: I’d remembered to protect my back from the sun by swimming in a T-shirt, but the sunscreen wasn’t enough for my backside, which turned a lovely tomato red 🤪 and had me groaning every time I had to sit down. The next day, I invested in lycra swim pants (40 RM at the hotel’s souvenir shop—handy being on vacation in a Muslim country).

In the evening, like every evening, it’s happy hour at Tuna Bay (which serves alcohol), with a view of the little island across the way and its very pretty stilted mosque.

(poor-quality photo since it was taken from far away and on the evening of our arrival)

Days 8 to 14:

The days go by and are so gentle on the eyes and the heart.

Worth noting:

The bridge connecting Abdul’s beach to the beach bar was hit by the storm on the second night! It’s destroyed at both ends, so be very careful.





I’d planned to do some scuba diving (my husband is level 1 and I’m level 2), and when we went to sign up at Universal Diver (past Tuna Bay), my husband met one of those little squirrels you see everywhere jumping from tree to tree. Except this one wasn’t shy at all!



And as we left, a little family stripping a frangipani tree, totally ignoring our presence:



Scuba diving was my biggest disappointment of the trip. I wanted to do it every day because the prices are really good (130 RM for the “refresh” dive to get back into it, and 80 to 90 RM for the next ones, depending on how many you do), but I stopped after two because we found the seabeds 10 times more beautiful and with more wildlife just snorkeling!

Another day, we ventured into the jungle to reach the south side of the island. To find the path, you have to go past the campsite and spot the toilets… There’s a tiny sign in the middle of the vegetation (did I say Malaysia’s signs are top-notch?). Off we go for 45 minutes of sweating. We’d picked a “cooler” day for this adventure, but I’ve never seen so much sweat dripping from my nose. The mosquitoes quickly joined in, so it was more of a grueling walk than anything else. And not a single animal spotted that day! The south beach isn’t pretty or clean, and the snorkeling is just as bad, so I’d avoid it.

I’d heard that PIR Beach on the north side of the island is the most beautiful, so we decided to check it out another day. It takes a while because you have to find where to cross (hum, ), and do a short jungle walk (the mosquito repellent is in the bag this time! ). On that side, there are one or two hotels that seem pretty nice, but no beach.

Finally, we arrive at PIR Beach, and it’s a letdown. It’s not maintained, past the hotel there’s a disgusting stagnant pond, and it’s a dumping spot for beginner swimmers.





The snorkeling is way less fun than in Teluk Keke’s waters, but luckily we had a wonderful encounter that made the day special:

Days 8 to 14 (continued):

On the list of critters we encountered:

A small monitor lizard—I only saw its back legs because it bolted when we passed (my god, those things are fast!)

A giant grasshopper on the beach (my husband has big hands)





A... a thing... Indescribable... on a coconut tree trunk at sunset, right in front of our little terrace. And suddenly, the creature leaped to the neighboring tree, gliding on membranes between its front legs and torso: a flying squirrel!

Recap of these 7 days on Besar:

I read everywhere that 3 or 4 days were enough on the island, otherwise you’d get bored. Yet our 7 days were packed—snorkeling (+++), walks, naps, dives… We could’ve easily filled two more days without any frustration.

Restaurants are pricey compared to the peninsula. I’d budgeted a generous 30 €/day for 2 people, but we still slightly exceeded it with aperitifs and a couple of "grilled seafood" evenings that hit the wallet harder. You eat really well, and it’s easy to switch spots depending on your cravings, as long as you stay on the same beach.

To move around, there are "taxi boat" stands everywhere, competing with each other. On the south beach, no competition and the prices are sky-high in comparison (30 RM for 2 people for a 5-minute ride). We only took one because, honestly, I hate motorboats that slam against every wave. 🤪

Little pleasures:

Drinking watermelon juice at breakfast.

Watching, in hysterics, every evening at aperitif time, a man on a bike (???!) striking poses at the end of a pier while his wife (on foot) cheers him on. (Note: there are no roads on these islands—you get around on foot along the beach, through the jungle, or by boat. So why a bike??)



Letting your other half grab the breakfast tray before you get up, then eating while gazing at the sea before everyone else wakes up…



And to put it all in context: a map of the beaches and hotels.



Finally, a little tip for those like us who enjoy a cold beer without moving: We bought a 5-liter keg of beer in Kuala Lumpur (115 RM, I think). It’s heavy and bulky (especially if you’re backpacking!), but it fits perfectly in the mini-fridges of hotels. 😄 I’m a little embarrassed, but we really loved this little luxury just for us!

Day 14:

7:30 AM: We leave our bungalow and our king-sized bed to have one last breakfast on Abdul’s terrace.

The water taxi picks us up as planned at 8 AM, and we stop to pick up a few more passengers. By 8:40 AM, we’re on solid ground in Kuala Besut and head off to find a taxi to take us to Kota Bharu, where we have a flight at noon.

The taxi driver offers the ride for 70 RM, and off we go on a trip worthy of a rally race! It was a close call, but we made it first! 😄

Along the way, we spot a large monitor lizard finishing its road crossing, and a temple where I manage to photograph a spectacular statue—pure luck.



By 9:30 AM, we’re at the airport and alive. 😛

Nothing much to report there, except that a security officer wanted us to take a spray bottle out of our checked luggage and explain what it was. Awkward moment—and in hindsight, pretty risky—where I had to explain and even mime what it was for. Since he didn’t understand ("water spray when it's very hot"), and as a last resort, I sprayed a little water on his hand. Uh, well, he jumped like it was a terrorist attack, but thankfully, he got it and didn’t throw us in jail. Note to self: think twice before spraying anything on airport security agents. 😊

Finally, we board our AirAsia flight to KL (20 euros per person, with 25 kg of checked baggage—spring promotion). One-hour flight.

Hi there, Thanks for this generously illustrated feedback! 😎 You really enjoyed yourselves, and I get why you wanted to share some of your favorite moments. For the subway in KL, the explanation is simple: the lines were built by different operators and aren’t interconnected. A bit like the French railways before the S.N.C.F. P.S.: That gas canister trick really made me laugh. I’d probably just put juice in the fridge and look for a Chinese shop—or a 7/11—last minute for beer. 😉

Ah, thanks for explaining the metro lines! It all makes sense now! 🙂

The keg was bought in KL for the stay on the island, since there are no Chinese shops or 7/11s there (or if there are, they're very well hidden!!) You can buy cans of Tiger beer at the restaurant of ?? (north of Tuna Bay) for 11 RM, though...

As for the generously illustrated story, it's first because I love reading them when I'm preparing a trip (especially blogs), and second because someone pointed out during my first story that it lacked photos... There you go, it's fixed

Days 14 and 15:

Arrival at KLIA2 after a one-hour flight.

To take a taxi this time, you have to go to a counter that charges based on the number of bags (so you pre-pay, no meter). It’ll be more expensive this time (120 RM to Bukit Bintang) but much more comfortable!

Our driver was charming and gave us his card, so I’m sharing his details (he doesn’t just do airport trips): Faizal: phone number: +60166557036

So, in the early afternoon, we checked into our last hotel. This one’s special because it’s a 4-star—our little splurge of the trip for 68 euros a night, including breakfast. 😄





After a nap, we headed to the Petronas Towers and their shopping mall to pick up souvenirs for our teenage daughter.

To avoid getting squashed (KL isn’t pedestrian-friendly at all!), we went through the Pavilion Mall next door and walked through the tunnels. Nothing much to say about the Twin Towers’ mall (I’m not buying Chanel or Dior for my daughter), but the ads for purple chips in the tunnel were hilarious (well, they made me laugh! 😏)



Put off by this out-of-reach shopping, we postponed it until the next day. In the meantime, we had a drink at the hotel.



One last dinner on Jalan Alor at a great restaurant almost across from Mickey.



And a magical swim in the rooftop pool (with a bar) at the hotel.



The next day, after a luxurious shower, we set off for more shopping!

We went to Berjaya Time Square, and as we feared, aside from durian candies (disgusting but our daughter loves them), we could only find junk to bring her. We were still amazed by the 9 floors and the amusement park in this mall! 😮





We grabbed a bite, left our bags at the hotel, and headed to the grand mosque for one of our last visits. I’ll spare you the hassle of getting there 😇. There, we found out the visit wouldn’t be possible for another hour, so we walked to the KL City Gallery, passing by the very pretty textile museum.

The heat made us crave ice cream more than a visit. We asked to try (so we wouldn’t die ignorant) a durian sorbet—unsurprisingly, it was awful 🙁 (but not as bad as the candies), so we went for something more basic.

Finally, we entered the mosque after covering up (they provide everything at the entrance if your outfit doesn’t meet the standards), and we listened to the explanations from a very friendly gentleman.



...except after 10 minutes, the heat in our outfits overpowered our cultural interest, and we retreated to the tiny Islamic Arts Museum (air-conditioned!).

Then, we took a taxi to Kampung Baru, known for its traditional houses. So, was it fatigue, or were we just not in the nicest spot? But the visit left us with an unpleasant feeling—like zoo visitors or millionaires in a disadvantaged neighborhood 😐. It’s not far from the slums, and the towers right behind (the two areas separated by a huge impassable wall) reminded us of dystopian movies.



After this last visit, we had a beer while waiting for the taxi that picked us up at the hotel (100 RM) to take us to the airport—heading home!

Peninsular Malaysia: our review

Our first trip to Asia.

Highlights:

Almost everyone speaks English.

The people are generally friendly. It ranges from folks offering to help us on the street (super nice!), to taxi drivers and guides (nice!), to the bus ticket seller (not nice at all!!!). We loved the natural interactions, without feeling like walking wallets (even a taxi driver who offered to take us to the elephant sanctuary still stuck around to give us info after we turned down his offer).

The alphabet is the same as ours, making it easy to get around.

The diversity of places in Peninsular Malaysia. In 15 days and without rushing, we managed three very different stops.

The prices: it’s easy to find comfortable accommodation in KL with Airbnb, and restaurants are very affordable except on the islands (which are still a good deal compared to France—3.50 € for a full breakfast or 4 € for a meal, for example).

Transportation is pretty comfortable and easy to find/book, at least for major routes.

The apparent cultural diversity. I’d be less categorical here because I’ve lived in Mauritius and know the cultural hypocrisy… (On the surface, it’s all love and harmony, but in reality, everyone’s sizing each other up, and racism is rampant).

The beauty of the Perhentian Islands, with their jungle backdrop, crystal-clear waters in good weather, marine life, and animals that interact with humans fearlessly.

Super cheap domestic flights.

Lowlights:

Room for improvement on signage (metro, road signs…). We’re not exactly clueless (I think), but we still needed outside help to find our way sometimes! The specialty: a sign pointing one way, then nothing else! Or multiple signs with the same name pointing in different directions??!

KL: tough to get around on foot. You’re quickly trapped by roads that are impossible to cross without risking your life. To get from one “sidewalk” to another, you have to find pedestrian bridges over the roads, and they’re not every 100 meters. And even then, when you take those “bridges,” you’ll likely end up in a mall, and finding the exit is an adventure!

Still in KL: a very polluted, noisy, and pretty dirty city—you’ll be craving some peace and quiet fast!

Cameron Highlands: a so-so visit, even if the tea plantations are lovely. The town is ugly and so congested that the only road is hard to cross on foot…

Perhentian Besar: Some beaches are swimming lesson spots for Asian tourists, and they arrive by the hundreds! The seabeds can be desolate (like a Martian landscape), so don’t hesitate to seek out the prettier spots. Apparently, some people dump their trash in the water or on the beach—some places are absolutely heartbreaking! Personally, I tied a knot in my swim shirt and filled it with trash as I found it… straight to the bin! You can also (I wish I had) pack a few trash bags in your luggage.

In conclusion:

We’ll definitely be back someday to visit Borneo!

We loved this first trip to Asia! It’s a great destination, even for an off-the-beaten-path honeymoon!

If you’ve got comments, insults, or just questions about my story, don’t hesitate! 😉

Well, thanks again Servante for this complete and beautifully illustrated feedback. We also loved this country so much, even though it’s so little visited compared to its neighbors, and I still wonder why (religion maybe??). See you next time on VF! Christelle

Hi Solene,

Religion might be a factor... But it’s a shame, because unless you stay in certain areas, you don’t really feel the weight of radical Islam.

It’s still a very underrated destination (personally, I only discovered it while going through every country in Asia! 😄) and in a way, that’s a good thing.

Anyway, thanks for your comments—they’re always appreciated 🙂