HomeAsiaSoutheast AsiaMalaysia 20 Places to Visit in Malaysia + Things To Do for First-Timers By Marcos Detourista. Updated on January 2, 2019. Where to go in Malaysia? Achieve your travel goals with this list of beautiful destinations, things to do, best places to visit, Malaysia tourist spots, attractions & more. Malaysia sits between Singapore and Thailand, literally and on the scale of how easy it is to travel. The country is divided into two main regions, Peninsular Malaysia on the west, composed of Kuala Lumpur & nearby states. And, East Malaysia, composed of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo Island. You can enjoy many of Southeast Asia’s best heritage cities, natural spots, food havens and urban experiences in Peninsular Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur offers direct connections from major cities in Asia & beyond. It’s the primary hub of AirAsia, so finding cheap flights shouldn’t be hard to come by. There’s also the option to a bus or train and cross the border from/to Singapore easily within a day. Once you’ve arrived, getting to main tourist spots is convenient by land or air. Venture to East Malaysia for the best beaches, diving & trekking. It is home to Mount Kinabalu, the tallest peak in archipelagic Southeast Asia (outside of Papua) as well as many beautiful off-shore islands. Is Malaysia on your bucketlist? Inspire your trip with these must-visit places and top things to do for first-time travelers. Follow me on Instagram 1. Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumput Skyline view from Titiwangsa Lake, at dusk, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Bukit Bintang shopping district in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia Kuala Lumpur is definitely worth exploring if ever you’re visiting Malaysia. The capital city’s urban landscape, dominated by iconic KL Tower and Petronas Towers, is dotted with grand heritage buildings, worthwhile museums, well-maintained parks, revered temples, and mosques. How to go — Arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), the main flight gateway to Malaysia. It’s one of the busiest and most well-connected airports in the world with direct flights to tourist hubs in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, South Asia and major cities in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Major airlines include Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Lion Air, Malindo Air & Firefly. The airport is 30 minutes to 1 hour south of the city center by land. You can take the train, bus or private car. From the Philippines, go on a flight to Kuala Lumpur on AirAsia, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and Malaysia Airlines. Travel time takes nearly 4 hours. Flights to KL are also available from Clark, Cebu & Kalibo. Where to stayTours + discounts Top discounts 23% OFF KL Tower Observation Deck Admission Ticket 8% OFF Malaysia 4G Data SIM Card (MY Pick up) 8% OFF Malaysia 4G Pocket WiFi Hotspot (MY Pick up) See more 19 Places To Visit in Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide 2. Penang & Georgetown Kek Lok Si (Buddhist temple) near Georgetown in Penang, Malaysia Georgetown & Penang Hill at night, in Penang, Malaysia Municipal Council of Penang Island in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia Food in Georgetown, Penang is widely known as the best throughout the country and is reason enough to visit. It’s definitely my favorite place to visit in Malaysia. There is no place in Southeast Asia that can match its satisfying mix of old-world cosmopolitan heritage, relaxed feel, exotic allure, and lush natural landscapes. How to go — Georgetown & Penang Island is one hour north of Kuala Lumpur by flight. Penang International Airport (PEN) serves frequent direct flights KL, Singapore, Bangkok, Jakarta, Hong Kong, Taipei & many domestic destinations in Malaysia including Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Langkawi, and Kota Bharu. Popular airlines include AirAsia, Malindo Air, Malaysia Airlines, Tigerair, Jetstar & Cathay Dragon. You can also reach Georgetown by bus/train/car, after a 4 to 6-hour land trip from Kuala Lumpur. Where to stayTours + discounts Top discounts 7% OFF Penang Hill and Temple Sightseeing THE TOP Komtar Penang The Habitat Penang Hill Admission Ticket See more 20 Places To Visit in Penang & Georgetown 3. Melaka Christ Church at night in the Portuegese-colonial district of Melaka, Malaysia A Famosa (Fortress) in Melaka, Malaysia Melaka River & Dutch-colonial buildings, in Melaka, Malaysia Melaka (Malacca) is a former Portuguese-colonial trading port conveniently located between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. If you’re traveling to both cities by land, this heritage and food destination is worth a stopover. How to go — Melaka is easy to reach by land from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The bus ride from Kuala Lumpur usually takes 2 to 3 hours. If you’re coming from Singapore, travel may take between 3.5 to 5 hours, depending on the queue at the Singapore-Malaysia immigration checkpoints. Where to stayTours + discounts See more 19 Places To Visit in Melaka 4. Langkawi Langkawi Sky Bridge, Malaysia Dayang Bunting Lake, in Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia Overlooking Langkawi, Malaysia If you’ve been to the best beaches in the Philippines and Thailand, Langkawi’s natural scenery is probably not going to blow you away. That said, it still is a stunning place to visit with worthwhile things to keep you busy for a day or two. What I like about Langkawi the most is that is easy to travel yet remains approachable and largely underdeveloped. It’s also one of the few tax-free islands in Malaysia where you can enjoy duty-free shopping. How to go — Langkawi is one hour north of Kuala Lumpur by flight. Langkawi International Airport (LGK) serves flights from KL, Singapore, Johor Bahru, Kuching, Penang, Guangzhou & Shenzhen, operated by AirAsia, Tigerair, SilkAir, Malindo Air & Malaysia Airlines. If you want to go by land & ferry, ride a bus or train from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Kedah or Kuala Perlis (6 to 8 hours travel time). Then, ride a ferry to Kuah in Langkawi Island. The sea journey takes around 1 to 2 hours. You can also arrive in Langkawi on a direct ferry from Penang or Satun in Thailand. Where to stayTours + discounts Top discounts Shared Ferry Transfers Between Langkawi and Koh Lipe Ferry Ticket between Koh Lipe and Langkawi by Hi Lipe See more 13 Places To Visit in Langkawi 5. Putrajaya Putra “Pink” Mosque under the sunset light in Putrajaya, Malaysia Night shot of Putrajaya, Malaysia Putrajaya is home to many of Malaysia’s most impressive monuments. Here, you’ll find grand mosques, government buildings, and iconic bridges surrounded by manicured parks and a 600-hectare lake. It can be reached on an easy day trip from Kuala Lumpur or on a drive-by to the airport. How to go — Putrajaya is easy to visit from Kuala Lumpur. It is located between KL city centre and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. You can go by train on the KLIA Transit or by bus. Travel time may take as quick as 30 minutes or up to 1 hour depending on the traffic. Where to stayTours + discounts 6. Legoland & Johor Bahru Grand Entrance at Legoland, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Legoland in Johor Bahru, Malaysia Lego replica of India’s Taj Mahal at Miniland, in Legoland, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Legoland Malaysia is one reason to visit Johor Bahru, located just across the causeway from Singapore. It is the first Legoland theme park in Asia and features many cool attractions including a Lego-themed water park, Lego-themed hotel, and impressive miniature recreations of many of Asia’s best-known landmarks. How to go — Most travelers visit Legoland & Johor Bahru on a day trip from Singapore. Travel time usually takes 1.5 hours to 3 hours depending on the queue at the Singapore-Malaysia immigration checkpoint. If you’re traveling from abroad, Johor Bahru-Senai International Airport (JHB) serves direct flights from Bangkok, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh, Jakarta, Surabaya & Shenzen. Fly with AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Sichuan Airlines or Spring Airlines. You can also reach Johor Bahru by bus or train from Kuala Lumpur. The travel time is 4 to 6 hours. Where to stayTours + discounts Top discounts 20% OFF Legoland Malaysia Admission Ticket Legoland & Hello Kitty Town Transfers See more Singapore Itinerary 7. Kota Kinabalu Mamutik Island in Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia Kota Kinabalu dusk view from Signal Hill, in Sabah, Malaysia Kota Kinabalu is a bustling yet laid-back city in Sabah, East Malaysia known as a gateway to Borneo’s amazing natural sites including Mount Kinabalu, Mulu Caves National Park, diving spots, and pristine jungles. From the Philippines, you can fly direct to Kota Kinabalu from Manila on Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. Flight duration is 2 hours. How to go — Kota Kinabalu is 2 hours and 30 minutes easy of Kuala Lumpur by plane. Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) serves flights from KL, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Tokyo and many domestic destinations in Malaysia. Major airlines include AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines & Malindo Air. See more 8 Places To Visit in Kota Kinabalu On My Bucketlist 8. Mount Kinabalu Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia 9. Cameron Highlands Cameron Highlands, Malaysia 10. Perhentian Islands Perhentian Islands, Malaysia. Photo by G E M via Flickr CC BY 2.0. 11. Redang Island Redang Island, Malaysia 12. Sipadan Island Sipadan, Malaysia. Photo by Benjamin Hollis via Flickr CC BY 2.0. 13. Tioman Island Tioman Island, Malaysia. Photo by ben klocek via Flickr CC BY 2.0. 14. Genting Highlands Genting Highlands, Malaysia. Photo by m4sh.3d via Flickr CC BY-SA 2.0. 15. Mulu Caves Mulu Caves, Malaysia. Photo by Eric Lanning via Flickr CC BY 2.0. 16. Kuching & Sarawak Kuching, Malaysia Kuching Bako Park – Semenggoh Orangutan Wildlife Centre, Malaysia Where to stayTours + discounts 17. Sandakan Sandakan – Proboscis Monkey in Sepilok, Malaysia 18. Pahang Taman Negara Hanging bridge in Pahang Taman Negara (National Park), Malaysia Wooden boat ride in Pahang Taman Negara, Malaysia Where to stayTours + discounts 19. Ipoh Ipoh – Kellie’s Castle, Malaysia Where to stayTours + discounts 20. Bukit Tinggi Bukit Tinngi, Malaysia. Photo by chee.hong via Flickr CC BY 2.0. Places to visit in Malaysia 1. Kuala Lumpur 2. Penang & Georgetown 3. Melaka 4. Langkawi 5. Putrajaya 6. Legoland & Johor Bahru 7. Kota Kinabalu On My Bucketlist 8. Mount Kinabalu 9. Cameron Highlands 10. Perhentian Islands 11. Redang Island 12. Sipadan Island 13. Tioman Island 14. Genting Highlands 15. Mulu Caves 16. Kuching & Sarawak 17. Sandakan 18. Pahang Taman Negara 19. Ipoh 20. Bukit Tinggi Note: Destinations featured above are not listed by rank. Don’t Stop Here Click below for more travel inspiration: 8 Places To Visit in Kota Kinabalu 19 Places To Visit in Kuala Lumpur 13 Places To Visit in Langkawi Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide 6 Places To Visit in Ipoh 19 Places To Visit in Melaka 6 Places To Visit in Pahang Taman Negara 8 Places To Visit in Kuala Lipis Share your travel goals with #detourista Just keep swimming 🌊 Summer is coming! I didn't Weekend swim & stretch with diving paddlers @iloil One with nature 🌊 First freediving adventure in Do Your Best Today. It Might Not A Difference Imme Let's roll with the waves 🌊 Exploring Antique Province underwater and over the Follow on Instagram Pin on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/detourista/best-of-detourista/ Don’t leave yet. There’s more! 32 Places to Visit in The Philippines + Things To Do…19 Places to Visit in Hong Kong + Things To Do for…13 Places to Visit in Cambodia + Things To Do for…33 Places to Visit in Singapore + Things To Do for… Discover more blogs and travel tips in: Kuala LumpurMelakaKota KinabaluPahangLangkawiPenangJohor BahruPutrajayaSabah Southeast AsiaAsia See all places Find more posts about:FeaturedBest TravelBest PlacesBest Things To Do Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.Comments jack says December 11, 2015 at 4:09 am How much po ba dpat ang show money sa airport for them to allow u to leave? Im gona stay in malaysia for 3 weeks Reply Marcos Detourist says December 11, 2015 at 1:48 pm There’s no set amount that’s required to be shown at the airport. You just have to justify that you have enough money to spend on your whole trip, depending on your budget. If your budget is P1,500 per day, for example, you simply need to have at least P31,500 on your bank account. It also helps to have extra, to show them you are able to pay for unforeseen expenses, like emergencies or last-minute flights. Reply Kimi Soni says November 20, 2018 at 1:30 pm So many great destination ideas! Even though I have already had mine, I still like to get to know some nice destinations, even for holidays with my wife. I would also add one more place that we really like to visit, Bali in Indonesia Reply Sharon says January 28, 2019 at 4:03 pm Wow! Such a great resource you have here! Been in love with Malaysia since day 1 of our visit. The beaches and culture is outstanding! Sooo looking forward to our comeback. Wonderful guide! Kudos! Reply Nathan says December 5, 2019 at 2:15 pm The most famous places to be visited in Malaysia especially Kuala Lumpur is Twin Tower, KL Tower, Dataran Merdeka and many more. Reply Claire says May 5, 2020 at 8:35 pm There are so many great places in Malaysia, it’s so hard to choose the best! Awesome round up :) Reply
jack says December 11, 2015 at 4:09 am How much po ba dpat ang show money sa airport for them to allow u to leave? Im gona stay in malaysia for 3 weeks Reply
Marcos Detourist says December 11, 2015 at 1:48 pm There’s no set amount that’s required to be shown at the airport. You just have to justify that you have enough money to spend on your whole trip, depending on your budget. If your budget is P1,500 per day, for example, you simply need to have at least P31,500 on your bank account. It also helps to have extra, to show them you are able to pay for unforeseen expenses, like emergencies or last-minute flights. Reply
Kimi Soni says November 20, 2018 at 1:30 pm So many great destination ideas! Even though I have already had mine, I still like to get to know some nice destinations, even for holidays with my wife. I would also add one more place that we really like to visit, Bali in Indonesia Reply
Sharon says January 28, 2019 at 4:03 pm Wow! Such a great resource you have here! Been in love with Malaysia since day 1 of our visit. The beaches and culture is outstanding! Sooo looking forward to our comeback. Wonderful guide! Kudos! Reply
Nathan says December 5, 2019 at 2:15 pm The most famous places to be visited in Malaysia especially Kuala Lumpur is Twin Tower, KL Tower, Dataran Merdeka and many more. Reply
Claire says May 5, 2020 at 8:35 pm There are so many great places in Malaysia, it’s so hard to choose the best! Awesome round up :) Reply