Luxury Malaysia Vacations & Tours

Being located so close to the equator Malaysia experiences hot, tropical weather year-round. Wherever you travel and whatever time of year you should expect warm, humid days with short, sharp downpours (which usually dry up very quickly) arriving every other day or so. That said, if you intend to cover a ‘classic’ Malaysia itinerary – focusing on west coast destinations KL, Malacca, Penang, and Langkawi – you’ll generally see clearer weather from November through to April. Temperatures hover around 29-32C / 80-90F in these destinations year-round.

As long as you plan your travel effectively, Malaysia doesn’t have an ‘off-season’ as such. The summer months of July to October see heavier rains over on the western side of the peninsula (which includes Langkawi and Penang), but in contrast, the eastern beaches (Perhentians, Redang, Tioman, Terengganu) are ideal at this time. This also mirrors the best time to visit Malaysian Borneo, so complete itineraries which include some of the peninsula, the jungles and wildlife of Borneo, and a beach either in Borneo or on the east coast of Malaysia are perfect for summer family holidays or honeymoons.

Malaysia’s setting in the dead center of Southeast Asia, plus KL’s status as a major regional flight hub, makes combinations with nearby countries enticingly easy to put together. The obvious combinations are with the world-beating wildlife attractions of Malaysian Borneo, just an hour’s flight across the South China Sea, or with Singapore, located at the bottom tip of the Malay peninsula and accessed by road, rail, and also by air from many regional Malaysian airports. Indonesia has commonalities of culture, language, cuisine, and climate and makes an intriguing combination; Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia are all just a short flight away.

As with our other destinations in Southeast Asia, you’ll mostly be joined by a private English-speaking guide for all transfers and sightseeing. A key difference in Malaysia is that it is often a driver-guide (one person fulfilling both roles): partly due to cost as Malaysia has a stronger economy than its neighbours, and also as the roads are noticeably – but not entirely! – less hectic. Malaysia’s good roads also make self-drive an option: a particularly fun route connects KL, the Cameron Highlands, and Penang. Train travel connects all major points on the West Coast (plus Singapore) and comfortable, modern carriages make a relaxing and scenic way to get around.

Malaysia is an extremely friendly and accessible destination. A legacy of British rule, plus the many sub-cultures within the population, sees English used as a ‘Lingua Franca and widely spoken throughout the country. Most Malaysians you encounter will be near-fluent English speakers – albeit with an accent and some intriguing loan words and slang thrown in! Road signs and public transport are usually triple-printed in Bahasa (the official Malaysian language), English, and Chinese. Helpfully you’ll also find that Bahasa uses Roman script with many recognisable signs and menu items: kopi (coffee), teksi (taxi), restoran (restaurant), etc. As a rule, you’ll also find that Malaysian people are extremely friendly, largely informal, and great fun.

A west coast itinerary as outlined above could be covered in a compact 11-12 days. If you had time to spare however 13-15 days would give you that extra day or half-day here and there, or some precious extra time on the beach. Pushing up to three weeks would allow you to combine all the highland, island, and city destinations in one itinerary, or possibly look at combination tours with Malaysian Borneo, Indonesia, or Thailand. Ask us about ‘Grand Tours’ of Southeast Asia – we’d happily put together a bucket list itinerary of the whole region if you had a month or more!

A highlights tour of Malaysia will typically hug the western side of the peninsula, covering KL, Malacca, the Cameron Highlands, Penang, and Langkawi. You could also start this itinerary down in Singapore, hitting Malacca first, then into KL, and on northwards up the coast. These destinations can all be connected in easy-going road transfers – the Cameron Highlands down to Penang is the longest at around 5-6 hours; all others would be less than half a day – or by rail, with the western branch of the  ‘jungle railway’ hugging the coast and calling at all destinations of interest along the way.

Stepping away from the core destinations, you’ll generally find fewer tourists exploring Malaysia’s verdant (and largely still wild) interior. Taman Negara and Belum are your base for enticing jungle activities, while Fraser’s Hill and the Cameron Highlands offer cool highland temperatures and the throwback feel of a British-era ‘hill station’. For laidback beach time, you’ll find the east coast resort areas much less developed than those on the western side of the peninsula, with Tioman, Redang, and Terengganu all offering quiet escapes amongst pristine nature.

With so many excellent beaches on offer, it is hard to know where to start! Langkawi alone is made up of 99 sub-islands and scores of individual beaches, each suiting a different kind of traveler. Generally speaking, if you’re keen on having good amenities at hand then we’d suggest sticking to the busier beaches of Pantai Cenang on Langkawi, Batu Ferringhi on Penang, or Long Beach on Perhentian Kecil. All other beaches are generally very quiet, with most of the top-end resorts situated on totally exclusive stretches of coast.

Peninsular Malaysia’s best-protected reserve areas are Taman Negara and the Belum Reserve. Both offer excellent nature, with both easy-going and challenging hikes, canopy walkways, and lots of enticing fauna, birdlife, and small mammals. The accommodation level is moderate in both so should only be offered to those with a keen sense of adventure. If truly dramatic jungle scenery and big-hitting wildlife is what you’re looking for we advise looking across the South China Sea to Malaysian Borneo.