If you are planning your next adventure and you wonder what to see in Malaysia for free, here we leave you a complete guide to help you organize your trip. Below, we tell you step by step our itinerary of 15 days in Malaysia and Singapore, with destination recommendations and what to do in each place. We also share with you Other places to visit in Malaysia In case you have more days or would like to change any of the destinations we suggest. At the end of the post we share with you number of nights per destination, video and map of our route through Malaysia that will be of great help to you in planning your trip. Let's go!
10 must-see places in Malaysia and Singapore
First of all, you should know that Malaysia is a very safe and affordable destinationYou can stay at 5-star hotels for €100 a night and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants for less than €20 per person. Also, if you have a Spanish passport you do not need a visa, just make sure it has one validity of at least 6 months and fill out the entry form. Finally, you don't need any special vaccinations. Below, we share our 15-day Malaysia itinerary including Singapore. At the end you will find one Very useful table with the number of nights by area and the hotels where we stayed to save you this hard work.
1) Kuala Lumpur, where your route through Malaysia begins
We started our route through Malaysia en Kuala LumpurA modern and traditional destination at the same time where you will enjoy a lot of the local gastronomy. In Kuala Lumpur there are two must-see places: the Petronas Towers and Batu caves, two of the tourist attractions in MalaysiaBut it doesn't end here, Kuala Lumpur's street food blew us away, the street points out Jalan Alor and also Kampung BaruYou can also enjoy the gastronomy of Little India and know Merdeka Square, the central market, China Town, The second tallest skyscraper in the world (Merdeka Tower) and much more. We've extended the list of places what to see in Kuala Lumpur in our blog.
2) Malaysian Borneo: Sepilok and Kinabatangan River
If you love nature, Borneo has to be on your bucket list. things to do in MalaysiaWe opted for Sepilok and the Kinabatangan River (Sabah state). We definitely wanted to see orangutans and the proboscis monkey. In Sepilok You can visit the Orangutan Rehabilitation Center and Sun Bear Conservation Centre). In addition, night tours of the Rainforest Discovery Center They are a must have with species such as the Malayan tarsier, the smallest primate in the world. From Sepilok we traveled to the Kinabatangan River where we made several river safaris and we saw orangutans, proboscis monkeys, crocodiles and many beautiful birds. You have all the details in our guide about what to see in Malaysian Borneo.
Other travelers visiting Borneo choose the route of Kuching and Bako National Park to see the proboscis monkey and the orangutan, but we prefer more adventure.
3) Perhentian Islands, a paradise to see in Malaysia in 15 days
The Perhentian Islands are known for their white sand beaches, crystal-clear waters and marine fauna. The closest airport is New City, then you have to get to Kuala Besut, from where boats depart for the Perhentian Islands (1 hour from the airport). There are two islands: Perhentian Besar (the big one and where we stayed) and Perhentian Kecil. At this stop during your route through Malaysia, in addition to enjoy its beaches surrounded by jungle, can you do snorkel at different points: Shark point, Turtle point, Fish point, etc.
Likewise, from here you can take excursions snorkel to other nearby islands with even clearer waters. We went to rawa, but the island of is also very close redang. Without a doubt, the Perhentian are one of the Malaysian must-sees If you like the sun and the beach (only travel during the dry season from April to October). We leave you with our complete guide on What to do in the Perhentian Islands, with practical advice, how to get there and where to stay.
4) Penang and its capital George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We stroll through its street murals, colonial houses y templesWe loved the atmosphere, the cultural mix, and the local food. You can get around by bus or rent a bike to explore the entire island of Penang, including its famous Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si TempleIn this article we share our list of things What to do in Penang with highly recommended restaurants.
5) Singapore, a city to include in your route through Malaysia
We finished our itinerary through Malaysia en Singapore. This futuristic city It is very well connected to Malaysia and many travelers include it in their Malaysian route for all it offers. From the Gardens by the Bay adjacent to iconic Marina Bay Sands hotel, such as the local food in the hawker centers and different ethnic neighborhoods such as Chinatown and Little IndiaWe recommend booking accommodation in advance because it's the most expensive city in Southeast Asia. And, if you can afford it, don't miss the opportunity to stay at the hotel with the world's largest infinity pool. We got a deal called "Stay and Savor" with breakfast and $100 creditYou can see availability and prices at this page, which is where we booked it. And if you want a guide on what to visit in Singapore, all yours on our blog.
And these are the 5 destinations we visited during our tour of MalaysiaWe spent a total of 12 nights in the country (not including the flights there and back). If you have more vacation days, we'll share some more below. tourist spots in Malaysia that we had to rule out. By the way, if you don't have travel insurance yet, we recommend IATI. We always We booked the IATI Backpacker policy because we are more adventurous. You can benefit from a 5% discount on all IATI policies and destinations when booking through this link.
6) Malacca, another of Malaysia's tourist attractions
Malacca is another of the Charming colonial cities to visit in Malaysia. Here stands out its historic area to discover the Portuguese and Dutch remains. Also the hill of St. Paul or with a boat ride on the Malacca River at sunset.
7) Cameron Highlands, things to see in Malaysia
If you like hiking and nature, another of the things to do in Malaysia is to visit tea plantations, moss forests and enjoy cool temperatures. We had to rule it out, but we don't want to forget to mention it because we think it's very interesting if you have more time to explore the country.
8) Taman Negara National Park
This Malaysian national park is home to the oldest jungle in the worldFrom Kuala Tahan you can organize hiking trails, visit suspension bridges and take river trips. Ideal for ecotourism lovers who don't want to travel to Borneo. We preferred to make the effort and fly to the Malaysian side of Borneo. The wildlife you'd find along the Kinabatangan River was impressive.
9) Langkawi Islands
Langkawi is an archipelago of paradisiacal beaches. On its largest island you can visit the Kilim Geoforest Park, tour its famous Sky bridge or relax in the Cenang Beach. We certainly believe that it is another destination to visit in Malaysia For nature lovers. When we were in Penang, we saw boats leaving for Langkawi from here. So if you have more days, you could combine it perfectly.
10) Redang Island
La Redang Island is another tourist attractions in Malaysia which stand out for their white sand beaches and coral reefs. As we mentioned before, there are organized excursions from Perhentian. The locals told us that to make diving and snorkeling It's much better here. In fact, they showed us a video of the ocean. full of turtles. We didn't have time to combine it and we chose snorkeling in Rawa which was also great and we saw the famous Napoleon fish.
And here we conclude our recommendations on what to do in Malaysia for 15 days or more. Depending on your travel schedule, this itinerary could possibly work for you for 2 weeks or 20 days. Below, we share the distribution of nights on our independent route through Malaysia and Singapore. We've also included the hotels we booked ourselves, which were a great choice.
Malaysia itinerary on your own with accommodation (our route)
To help you plan your trip, here is the itinerary we made about the places What to see in Malaysia on your own with accommodationThe accommodation area is marked in bold, along with the sites to see from that base city or town. Keep in mind that We had to do a "technical night" in Kota Bharu, the city where the nearest airport is located to visit the Perhentian Islands. This is because Our flight arrived at night, but if you find a daytime flight, it's better to save it.
| No. nights | Places Malaysia route | Hotel |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Kuala Lumpur | Ascott Star KLCC Kuala Lumpur |
| 2 | Sepilok (Borneo Island) | Borneo Sepilok Rainforest Resort |
| 1 | Kinabatangan River (Borneo Island) | Sukau Tomanggong View (remote and local area, don't expect great luxuries) |
| 1 | New City (technical stop) | Ibis Styles Kota Bharu |
| 1 | Perhentian Islands (Perhentian Besar) | Tuna Bay Island Resort |
| 3 | Penang Island (Georgetown) | The Granite Luxury Hotel Penang |
| 2 | Singapore | Marina Bay Sands |
We distributed the nights according to the flight connections we found to travel within the country. The stay in Kota Bharu was rather forced due to the logistics involved in getting to Perhentian (the city is not essential). On the other hand, In Penang we spent three nights because we arrived at night and flew early on the day of departure to Singapore.
Malaysia 15-day route video
Next, we will share our tour of Malaysia and Singapore on your ownIf you're planning your trip, it's sure to help you get a visual idea of the places mentioned. If you don't want to miss the rest, subscribe to our YouTube Channel where we will share the complete list of the trip to Malaysia.
Map of places to see in Malaysia for 15 days
Below we leave you the map with all the places to visit in Malaysia that we mentioned in this itinerary. We hope it helps you organize your trip more visually. We've also highlighted two airports: Kota Bharu (the closest to the Perhentian Islands) and Sandakan in Borneo.
Remember We have a 5% discount on Holafly eSIMs with unlimited data so you can enjoy your adventure in Malaysia. We recommend the eSIM Asia, which was the one we hired and We had coverage in all destinations. Both in Peninsular Malaysia, as well as in the islands (Perhentian, Penang and Borneo) and in Singapore.Even on the Kinabatangan River we had internetYou can reserve your eSIM at this page, from which you will directly benefit from our discount.
If you have any questions after reading this article, please leave us a comment. We'd love to help, and your question might be a common one for other travelers! We hope this guide on What to see in Malaysia and Singapore has been helpful to you. Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @welovegrancanaria for more adventures and travel tips.
Hello! I am Ruth, Canarian with a traveling soul. With training and experience in the tourism and digital marketing sector. In this blog I tell you all the tips you need to get to know the most authentic side of Gran Canaria on your own. I also share my travel guides to all the places in the world that I am visiting so that you can discover the destinations like a local and save time planning. In addition to traveling, I love gastronomy and sports. I run and hike in the mountains with my “dog-children” (Silver and Plata). In all these adventures my partner accompanies me, Jorge, which you will also see a lot on this blog.
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