Orangutans in Borneo’s rainforest, the street food of George Town and island beaches on two different monsoon coasts.
Malaysia is two places. The peninsula has Kuala Lumpur, the old trading city of George Town and island beaches on both coasts. Across the South China Sea, the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak have large tracts of rainforest, with orangutans, proboscis monkeys and pygmy elephants.
We usually plan both: a few days of food and city life, a river lodge in Borneo, then a beach to finish. Distances are covered by short flights, there is a direct flight from Heathrow, and English is widely spoken.
The honest caveat is the monsoon, which hits the two coasts at different times. The east coast islands are best from March to October, and many resorts close in the winter monsoon. FCDO also advises against the islands off eastern Sabah, so we keep Borneo trips to the mainland.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan cares for orphaned orangutans and releases them into the forest around it. Watching them come in to the feeding platforms is a gentle start. Next door, the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the canopy walkway at the Rainforest Discovery Centre add a day. Then look for wild orangutans on the river.
The Kinabatangan is Sabah’s longest river, and its forested banks are rich in wildlife. Take early and late boat trips from a riverside lodge for proboscis monkeys, hornbills, crocodiles and, with luck, pygmy elephants and wild orangutans. Two or three nights is ideal. It is mainland Sabah, outside FCDO’s island advice.
George Town, on Penang island, is a UNESCO World Heritage city of Chinese clan houses, temples, mosques and colonial buildings. Walk its shophouse streets for the murals and the clan jetties, and eat at the hawker stalls: char kway teow, laksa and cendol. Stay in a restored mansion or boutique shophouse hotel, and eat late when it is cooler.
Langkawi is a UNESCO Global Geopark of limestone, rainforest and mangrove. Take a boat through the Kilim mangroves to watch eagles, ride the cable car to the summit of Gunung Mat Cincang, and swim from the quieter beaches of the northwest coast. It is at its best from December to April, when the west coast is dry.
Off the northeast coast of the peninsula, the Perhentian and Redang islands have white sand, clear water and reefs full of turtles and reef sharks. They are at their best from March to October, and many resorts close from November to February for the northeast monsoon. That makes them a good summer choice, when Langkawi is wetter.
Kuala Lumpur mixes mosques, Chinese temples and Hindu shrines with good-value international hotels. See the city from the Petronas Towers, eat in Jalan Alor, and climb the painted steps to the limestone Batu Caves early. At Thaipusam, in January or February, the caves draw huge crowds of devotees and pilgrims.
Stay two nights in a Kuala Lumpur tower hotel, then a restored heritage hotel in George Town. In Borneo, choose a lodge near Sepilok and a riverside lodge on the Kinabatangan. Finish at a rainforest resort on Langkawi or an island resort on Redang, depending on the month.
We match each trip in Malaysia to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsMalaysia is hot and humid all year, and rain comes in heavy bursts rather than long grey days. What matters is which coast. The west coast, with Langkawi and Penang, is best from December to April. The east coast islands are best from March to October, and close in the winter monsoon.
Borneo is wet all year, but drier from March to October, when river trips are most reliable. Put together, there is a good combination for every month.
An 11-night trip mixing food, beaches and rainforest wildlife. Best from February to April. 11 nights.
Arrive on the direct flight. The Batu Caves early, the old city with a guide and Jalan Alor for dinner.
A short flight to Penang for heritage walks, clan houses and hawker food.
Fly to Langkawi for the mangroves by boat, the cable car and rainforest beaches.
Via Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan for the orangutan centre, sun bears and the canopy walkway.
Boat trips at dawn and dusk for monkeys, hornbills and elephants, then fly home via Kuala Lumpur.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Malaysia (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
Malaysia Airlines flies direct from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur in about 13 hours. Penang is about an hour onwards, and Sandakan in Borneo under three hours.
UK passport holders can currently visit visa-free for tourism, and must submit an online arrival card before travel. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) and the advice on eastern Sabah.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Malaysia (opens in a new tab)
See TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) before travel. In the rainforest, wear long sleeves and leech socks, and use repellent. Drink bottled water.
The currency is the ringgit. Cards work in cities and resorts; carry cash for hawker stalls and in Borneo.
Mobile coverage is good on the peninsula and cheap data SIMs are easy to buy. Signal is patchy deep in the Borneo rainforest.
Tipping is not customary. Most air-conditioned restaurants add a 10% service charge. We suggest tipping guides, boatmen and porters.
All year. Sepilok’s feeding platforms can be visited in any month, and wild orangutans are seen on the Kinabatangan year-round. March to October is drier, which makes river trips and forest walks more comfortable. The wettest months, roughly November to February, still work but expect heavy rain and muddier trails.
It depends on the month. From December to April, choose Langkawi or Penang on the west coast. From March to October, choose the Perhentian or Redang islands on the east coast, which have clearer water but close in winter. In Borneo, the beaches near Kota Kinabalu work for most of the year.
Mainland Sabah, including Sepilok, the Kinabatangan and Kinabalu, is well established for travel. FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the islands and dive sites off eastern Sabah, from Sandakan to Tawau, because of the risk of kidnapping. We follow that advice and do not send travellers to those islands.
Very good. The wildlife in Borneo, the snorkelling off the east coast and the food of Penang all appeal to children, and English is widely spoken. Flights are short and the hotels are good value. For younger children, we choose lodges with good walkways and resorts with calm beaches.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: January, February and April.
An easy first stop in Asia: hawker food, garden architecture and four cultures on one small, very green island.
Beyond Bali: Komodo dragons, the reefs of Raja Ampat, the temples of Java and the wild coast of Sumba.
Temple cities, cool northern hills and two coasts with opposite monsoons, so there is nearly always a good beach somewhere.
