Many backpackers head to Southeast Asia. Their first stop is usually Thailand, Vietnam, or Indonesia. But Malaysia also has a lot to offer and is a diverse and exciting country. We’ve only had positive experiences with the people, the culture, and the places. Have you ever thought about backpacking in Malaysia? Today, we’ll share all our tips for your trip and show you some highlights you definitely shouldn’t miss.

• Entry & Visa
• Arrival & Onward Travel
• Health & Vaccinations
• Climate & Best Time to Travel to Malaysia
• Currency & Budget
• Language & Religion
• Getting around in Malaysia
• Booking accommodation
• Backpacking in Malaysia & Safety
• Food & Shopping
• Internet & Cell phone
• Backpacking Malaysia Highlights
• The most beautiful islands in Malaysia
• Booking a tour in Malaysia
• Travel reading

Entry & Visa

Malaysia is a truly backpacker-friendly country. With your passport, you can enter the country without a visa for 90 days. You will receive a residence permit stamp at the airport. You should just make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months upon entry. Children need their own travel document; an entry in their parents’ passport is no longer sufficient.

If you want to stay in the country longer, you must go to an immigration office. Here, you can usually get an extension of up to three months. Since all these regulations can change at short notice, you should always check the website of the Federal Foreign Office. You can find our detailed article on this here: Malaysia Visa and Entry.

Arrival & Onward Travel

From Germany, you can fly non-stop to Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines. Lufthansa also serves this route with direct flights. Singapore Airlines flies via Singapore, and Thai Airlines via Bangkok to the Malaysian capital. Oman Air and Qatar will take you to “KL” at a reasonable price, stopping in Doha and Muscat. Emirates also flies to Kuala Lumpur with a stop in Dubai. Flights are often available for under €400. Within Asia, you can get from A to B very cheaply with Air Asia; buses also travel from Thailand, for example, to various cities in Malaysia.

By plane, you can fly from Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, or even Penang to many other cities and countries. Singapore is also not that far from KL. We took a minibus from Penang to Krabi in Thailand. We’ve also flown inexpensively to the Thai island of Phuket, Hong Kong, and Bali. We primarily use Skyscanner, Kayak, and Momondo to search for flights.

Health & Vaccinations

Generally, there are no special vaccination requirements for Malaysia. However, most backpackers (including us) have the standard vaccinations, which are valid for several years. Your health is always paramount, and you shouldn’t be stingy, especially when it comes to this. You should take a closer look at tetanus, diphtheria, polio, hepatitis A & B, typhoid, and Japanese encephalitis.

Don’t forget your international health insurance. Anything can happen – whether in Malaysia or Thailand. There are numerous online providers; this insurance usually costs only €7 to €10 per year. Then you’ll be covered for several weeks at a time (up to 6 weeks) abroad. All information about international health insurance here.

Climate & best time to travel to Malaysia

The climate in Malaysia is tropical and always humid. Each region has its own unique climate. Malaysia can be divided into 4 different climatic regions. You can travel to Kuala Lumpur year-round, but the winter and summer months are best. The west coast of the Malay Peninsula is highly recommended, especially from June to August.

The east coast is recommended during the months of June, July, and August. You can expect significantly less rain during this time. Borneo is generally very rainy. However, you might prefer the months of March to September. Detailed information here: Best time to travel to Malaysia.

• West: year-round (June to August is best)
• East: June to August
• Borneo: March to September (April and July are best)
• Kuala Lumpur: year-round (December to February is best)

Currency & Budget

Backpacking in Malaysia is really comfortable and easy. You don’t have to worry about money and finances either. In Malaysia, you pay with the Malaysian Ringgit (RM, MYR). Currently, you get around 4.5 MYR for 1€ (as of May 2019). You can withdraw the local currency at any ATM. So, be sure to have a credit card with you. We’ve put together a comparison of the best travel credit cards for you. Depending on your credit card, you won’t even have to pay any fees at the ATM.

You’ll find numerous ATMs at Kuala Lumpur Airport. It’s best to get some cash there so you’re prepared for emergencies. You can also exchange your money at exchange offices. You’ll also find several ATMs at Kuala Lumpur Airport, so you don’t have to get cash before your trip. However, you should have a few euro bills with you in case of emergency, which you can exchange anywhere (including at the airport).

Malaysia is quite cheap compared to many other countries. As a backpacker, you can easily get by on €20 to €30 a day. With this budget, you don’t have to watch every penny, you’ll live comfortably, and you can also travel from A to B. We spent an average of €45 per day in Malaysia for two people. This included all costs: accommodation, food, drinks, sightseeing, transport, internet, and more. In Malaysia, we always lived well, were able to travel around, and eat well. If you’re traveling on a super-low budget, you’ll certainly be able to get by on €15 to €20 a day.

Language & Religion

In Malaysia, the language spoken is “Malaii.” Due to the long British colonial period, English is widely spoken in Malaysia and is the most important language between Malays and Chinese. So, in most cases, you won’t have any problems communicating in English. Furthermore, Malay is written in European script, which is especially helpful for place names, street names, etc.

Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, and Hainanese are also widely spoken. Islam is the state religion in Malaysia, and almost 52% of the population are Muslims. In addition, there are many Chinese and Malaysians of Chinese descent who are Taoists or Buddhists. Only a small portion of the population belongs to Christians, Hindus, and other religions.

Getting Around in Malaysia

The number one means of transport in Malaysia is definitely the bus. Domestic flights, especially with Air Asia, are usually very cheap and highly recommended. Boats, minibuses, and trains are also available. In terms of transport connections, Malaysia is arguably the best-connected country in all of Southeast Asia. Even when we first visited, we were amazed by all the good roads, buses, trams, and trains.

Getting Around by Bus

If you want to travel a longer distance in the country, you can easily take one of the many buses. The long-distance buses serve almost all major towns. If you start from Kuala Lumpur, you have significantly more choice. We found the buses to be really comfortable and convenient. We’ve never traveled from A to B so relaxed in any other country. You can buy your ticket at the train station or in small travel agencies. We always did this online in advance at www.easybook.com. During peak season, it’s best to book your tickets a few days in advance. You can also find a lot of great information on this topic on the Journey Malaysia website.

Here are some current sample routes and prices:

• Kuala Lumpur – Buttworth = 8 USD
• Kuala Lumpur – Melaka = 3 USD
• Butterworth – Cameron Highlands = 8 USD
• Kuala Lumpur – Singapore = 11 USD
• Kuantan – Kuala Lumpur = 6 USD
• Kuala Lumpur – Mersing (Tioman Island) = 9 USD

Traveling by train

Trains are also a great way to get around in Malaysia. We traveled from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth in just 4 hours. From there we took the ferry over to the island of Penang. We highly recommend the KTM train. Kuala Lumpur’s main train station, KL Sentral, is also a convenient option. From there, you can also take a bus to the airport. Train tickets, timetables, prices, and availability can be found online.

Of course, you can also take a taxi. You should either negotiate the price in advance or insist on using the meter. For 5 kilometers, you’ll pay around 10 MYR; it’s a bit more expensive in Penang. There are also intercity taxis that travel to specific destinations and have a fixed price. However, you’ll have to wait until there are at least 2 to 4 passengers. You’ll usually pay 100–200% more per person than for a bus ticket. You can usually expect to pay 1 MYR per kilometer. This is especially worthwhile if you can split the entire fare. You can find prices on the notice boards in the stations.

Tip: We’ve also had good experiences with theUBER app. It’s helped us get from A to B easily and inexpensively many times.

Booking Accommodation

Whether in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Ipoh, or on one of the islands—you can find accommodation almost everywhere. You’ll find a suitable place to stay for virtually every budget. There are simple hotels and luxurious ones, a simple bed in a dorm or your own apartment.

Price-wise, everything is possible. You can get a private room for as little as €10 to €20, and a bed in a shared room for as little as €5 (depending on the time of travel and location). If you prefer some peace and quiet, we highly recommend Airbnb. Here you’ll find an incredible number of apartments (condos), private rooms, bungalows, and houses. In Malaysia, we booked almost exclusively through Airbnb. In Penang, we booked hostels on Booking.com and Hostelworld. On average, we paid €15 for our accommodation (mostly private rooms).

Backpacking in Malaysia & Safety

Malaysia is fundamentally a truly safe country. Nothing ever happened to us personally; we weren’t mugged or victims of any kind of violence. The people were always friendly, helpful, and open-minded. We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. If you travel with common sense and exercise a certain degree of caution and common sense, nothing should happen to you either (of course, we aren’t liable for this).

Pickpockets exist everywhere in the world – especially when many people gather in one place. You’ll often see a sign saying “Beware of Pickpockets.” Don’t necessarily carry your valuables with you; simply be even more careful with your belongings in malls, squares, or train stations. We don’t need to talk about con artists. They’re everywhere, so don’t let them talk you into anything. Don’t be too gullible in hostels. There are scammers who pretend to be travelers and then empty the rooms!

You’re in a Muslim country, so you should follow a few “rules.” While Malaysia is very modern, it might be advantageous to avoid dressing too revealingly. Drug possession is punished severely with prison sentences in Malaysia. Drug trafficking is even punishable by death. So, better stay away! Whether backpacking in Malaysia or enjoying a luxury resort vacation, you are a guest in a foreign country. Follow the rules, respect the culture and religions.

Food & Shopping

We didn’t find the food in Malaysia particularly good, but that’s a matter of taste. We were probably too spoiled by Thailand. You’ll find mostly Chinese and Indian dishes. The food usually consists of rice or noodles, with meat and vegetables. Prices in Malaysia are generally quite reasonable, unless you go to expensive restaurants and fast-food chains. There are plenty of those in the country (Subway, KFC, Dominos Pizza, Pizza Hut, Texas Chicken, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, A&W, and many more).

On the island of Penang, in George Town, for example, there are some really cool cafes that not only look great, but where the food also tastes really good. We’re talking Western and European cuisine here. Whether fresh bagels, waffles, churros, salads, or baguettes—we really enjoyed George Town. You can, of course, also find these in Malacca or Kuala Lumpur. In the larger cities, you’ll also find huge shopping malls and markets that cater to every need.

Internet & Cell Phone

Generally, we never had any problems with the internet – whether on the mainland or on an island. You can find internet cafés in every city. However, you’ll usually be able to use Wi-Fi in your accommodation. You can also buy a SIM card for your cell phone at 7-Eleven or a cell phone store. You can get prepaid cards for top-ups for as little as 10 MYR (2€).

You should check in advance whether you need a regular SIM card, a micro SIM, or a nano SIM. In Malaysia, prepaid cards are available from providers like Digi or Celcom. The staff in the stores usually set everything up for you, so you don’t have to do anything else.

Backpacking Malaysia Highlights

There’s so much to discover in Malaysia. Most backpackers start by checking out the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur. We stayed in the city for over a month because we kept ending up there. Generally, you only need to plan a few days (2 to 4) for your backpacking trip to Malaysia. If you have enough time, you could also visit Singapore. The country has an incredible number of islands, each of which also has a lot to offer. So, if you want to explore not only the big city but also the beaches, you should check out one or more of them. Here, you can unwind and truly unwind under the palm trees. Popular travel destinations here include the Perhentian Islands, Tioman, and Langkawi.

Culturally, the colonial cities like George Town on the island of Penang or Malacca are particularly interesting. If you want to explore nature, you should take a detour to the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands. There are also many great hiking trails and walking paths here.

It gets even more exciting when you travel to Borneo. Here you’ll find numerous national parks, mountains, islands, some of the best diving and snorkeling spots in the world, as well as the last wild orangutans on earth.

The most beautiful islands in Malaysia

• Mamutik, North Coast of Borneo
• Sapi, North Coast of Borneo
• Perhentian Besar, East Coast
• Kapas, East Coast
• Penang, West Coast
• Langkawi, West Coast
• Cherating, East Coast
• Tioman, West Coast
• Rawa, East Coast
• Pangkor, West Coast
• Redang, East Coast
• Sibu, East Coast

Book a tour in Malaysia

Want to go on a cool tour in Malaysia? Then browse through the offers from GetYourGuide*. Here you’ll find a good selection of different offers.

Travel reading

Want to learn more about the country and its people? Then take a look at the Dumont travel guide. Here you’ll find all the information you need about Malaysia on 432 pages. We also have a summary of the best travel novels currently available.