Two Weeks Malaysia Itinerary
Do you want to know what to do in Malaysia how to organize your itinerary on the peninsula?
With a territory the size of Norway or Finland, spread over several islands and territories, Malaysia is a vast destination that combines jungle, history, the dynamism of a young population and fine sandy beaches.
It would be impossible to be exhaustive, which is why we invite you to explore some of its riches in a two-week Malaysia itinerary.
Let’s go!
Day 1: Arrive in Vibrant Kuala Lumpur
Capital with 7 million inhabitants, Kuala Lumpur is a city that moves 24 hours a day, and the modern showcase of the “Asian Tiger” as the country with extraordinary economic growth has been nicknamed.
But beyond the skyscrapers, including the famous Petronas Tower linked by a steel footbridge, all you have to do is take a step aside to explore its neighborhoods with their authentic atmospheres. Booming market of Petaling Street, Little India with multicolored Hindu temples, English colonial buildings and Chinatown, the city surprises with its eclecticism.
For a break from the hustle and bustle, head to Perdana Lake Gardens Botanical Garden, KL Forest Eco Park, one of the oldest tropical forest reserves, or further afield to Battu Caves, a Hindu shrine carved into the rock.
Recommended Accommodation:
Kuala Lumpur © Ming Han
Day 2: Excursion to Malacca, a trading city with multiple influences
At the edge of the strait to which it gave its name, Malacca is a patchwork of influences where you get lost after a 2-hour drive from the capital. On the outskirts of Dutch Square, Dutch colonization reveals the Christ Church, the oldest Protestant church in Malaysia and the Stadthuys, the former governor’s house, in bright red.
You can also admire the Clock Tower and the Queen Victoria Fountain, witness to the passage of the British, while a few steps away, Cheng Hoon Teng is the oldest functioning Chinese temple in Malaysia, founded in 1645.
With its quaint canal-side cafes and restaurants, Malacca, whose center is recognized by Unesco, is also home to the Porta De Santiago, which leads to the Portuguese fortress built in 1511, and one of the oldest mosques in the country, Kampong Kling, dating from 1748. Suffice to say that a day in the pearl of the strait is not too much to wander through its streets and discover all its riches.
Back in Kuala Lumpur for the evening, it’s time to enjoy the nightlife at Jalan Alor Street Food Market or Changkat Bukit Bintang Street, where the golden youth come to party in cocktail bars and trendy restaurants.
The main road ends here, and only small lanes allow you to enter the forest
Day 3: Depart for Jerantut, gateway to the tropical jungle
It is one of the most remote regions of Malaysia. We reach Jerantut, on the border of the three regions of Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu, after a 3-hour drive.
The tropical jungle and fields surround the city, which immerses us in the daily life of the inhabitants of a small town. The main road ends here, and only small lanes allow you to enter the forest.
A few walks around the city give you a taste of the jungle, between waterfalls and a thousand shades of green, but it is the Pahang river, which borders Jerantut, which serves as the local “highway” for getting around.
We embark on a cruise among the vegetation, disturbed only by the monitor lizards swimming on the surface of the water.
Recommended Accommodation:
Day 4: Exploring Taman Negara National Park
Mountains, tropical forests and dense jungle, sumptuous landscapes which constitute a dream playground for hikers and lovers of fauna and flora. Taman Negara National Park contains what scientists consider to be one of the oldest rainforests in the world, dating back 130 million years.
We begin the exploration with a walk on the mountain of Bukit Terisek which gives us magnificent views of the immense green expanse, before challenging the treetops on the Canopy Walkway, suspended in the canopy. Guaranteed sensations.
By boat, we go to the lake of Lata Berkoh with crystal clear waters, before swimming in the rapids of Sungai Tahan. The lapping of the water, the foliage of the trees and the sounds of the jungle are a perfect setting to relax after an intense day of expedition.
Day 5: Enjoy the Freshness in the Cameron Highlands
Like the English who popularized these high plateaus in the 1930s to escape the tropical heat, we escape to the hills of the Cameron Highlands, nicknamed the giant Green Carpet of Malaysia.
At an altitude of 1,500m, it is only 20°C, the perfect temperature for exploring the temples lost in the mountains, walking the wooden path of the Mossy Forest or admiring the 360° landscape from Mount Brinchang.
Here is also the region of tea. The plantations are spread over the hills, in the Cameron Valley or at Boh, Malaysia’s most popular and well-known tea.
The manufacturing process with original machines and a tasting of the best wines facing the view of the hills are essential.
Recommended Accommodation:
Day 6: On the road, between historic towns and coffee plantation
Today is a road trip to the coast. From the Cameron Highlands, we descend towards Ipoh, one of the oldest cities in the country, famous for its white cliffs which are home to many cave Buddhist temples.
Access to the Sam Poh Tong, founded by a monk in 1890, after climbing a staircase of 246 steps. Pool where turtles swim, pagoda roofs, figures of gods, the atmosphere is quite mystical.
An hour’s drive further, we go in search of British buildings with colonial architecture in the city of Taiping before a break among the lush vegetation of Taiping Lake Gardens, one of the most beautiful parks in the country.
Taiping City is also home to the country’s oldest museum, The Perak Museum, dedicated to the artistic heritage of the Malay people.
More than an hour and a half drive before arriving in Penang. After a break at the Aun Tong Coffee Mill, coffee roaster since 1933, we arrive at dusk on the island-province, just in time to taste the local specialties of the night market.
Recommended Accommodation:
The temple of Sam Pot Thong © DR
Day 7: Penang, from former British trading post to artsy island
Today, we stay all day on the island of Penang, in the very north of the country. Its capital, George Town, is proudly listed by Unesco as a former British trading post and a place of exchange with the Chinese and Malay communities.
Here, the old workshops and villas renovated into boutique hotels like The Edison George Town or Seven Terraces rub shoulders with Fort Cornwallis adorned with bronze cannons; the 52 works of street art that adorn the city merge with the Blue Manor, erected at the end of the 19th century by a wealthy Chinese merchant, where you can come and drink tea.
As you will have understood, Penang is a city that is both old and fashionable. Need a breath of fresh air?
We borrow the funicular of Penang Hill, which makes it possible to embrace all the capital of the glance, or one goes to Kek Lok Si Temple, with its pagoda of 7 stages with the ten thousand Buddhas.
Crossroads of influences and heritage, by turns trendy and picturesque, Penang is an unforgettable stop on a two-week itinerary in Malaysia.
Fine sand beaches, turquoise waters, mountains covered by the jungle, a real escape-beautiful out of the world
Day 8: A Taste of Paradise in Langkawi
From one island to another in a flash… From Penang, a 40-minute flight takes us to the Langkawi archipelago, 99 paradisiacal islands scattered over the Andaman Sea.
Fine sand beaches, turquoise waters, mountains covered by the jungle, a real escape from the world. Tropical as one could wish, the seaside atmosphere with palm trees waving in the breeze along the beaches of Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengah and Pantai Tanjung Rhu.
Thrill seekers are served by jumping in the cable car which flies over the virgin forest and leads to the Sky Bridge, a suspension bridge 700 m high and offering a panorama of the islands and the sea that leaves you speechless.
From the top, you can also reach the waterfalls of Seven Wells, Durian Perangin Waterfall and Temurun Waterfall, where you can bathe in natural pools in the company of… monkeys, who also come to cool off.
Recommended Accommodation:
Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi
Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah
The Datai Langkawi
Day 9: Relax under the palm trees in Langkawi
After a morning at the beach, head to the marine park of Pulay Payar, a paradise for divers, teeming with angelfish, puffer fish, clownfish but also barracudas, leopard sharks…
You can also explore the mangroves, the limestone caves, hike in the tropical forest and come across the rich fauna of the islands at the turn of a path: monitor lizards, monkeys, red kite and the sea eagle, whose name in Malay is said to have baptized the archipelago.
In the late afternoon, head for the airport for a flight to Borneo, with a stopover in Penang or Kuala Lumpur. On arrival, on the way from the airport to our hotel in the city of Kuching, we are already dreaming of the wonders that await us on this new island which already resonates like the promise of a thick jungle and wild nature.
Recommended Accommodation:
Day 10: Kuching, Capital of the State of Sarawak
Between jungle and ocean, Kuching is a cosmopolitan and effervescent city, mixing old colonial buildings and modern towers.
Around the great mosque and the Sikh temple, the old quarter is a giant and always lively market, while the meanders of the Sarawak river concentrate walkers, as well as the Astana, former palace of the white Rajahs, and Fort Margherita, built to repel pirates. In the alleys, we get lost for a moment before falling on the Chinese temple Tua Pek Kong, the traditional houses of the rue des charpentiers or the old courthouse.
Throughout the walk in town, we do not forget to count the statues of cats installed everywhere in town. For what? Chat is called… “kuching” in Malay.
A few kilometers from the city, the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Center has been collecting and caring for orangutan babies since 1957.
The opportunity to see, in semi-freedom, this emblem of wildlife of which there are only 5,000 individuals left on the island.
To find out more about Kuching: Visiting Kuching – Best Things to Do in the Cat Town and Surroundings
Day 11: Immersion in the jungle with the Iban people
From Kuching, the road to Batang Ai National Park passes through rice paddies, pepper and oil palm fields intermingled with jungle.
Populated for several centuries by the Iban people, the park is the only reserve in this region of Sarawak where the local community participates in its management. Sheltering a huge artificial lake, the natural park is an aquatic labyrinth where you can travel by canoe to the Iban villages.
The immersion stays, organized by the cooperative created by the Ibans themselves, plunge us into the traditional way of life of this people who actively participate in the preservation of their environment, where orangutans, giant hornbills and gibbons live.
After a boat crossing on the lake, we reach different camps and lodges including the Nanga Sumpa lodge or the Lubok Kasai camp, where you can live for a few hours in the middle of the jungle, and spend the night in traditional houses to the rhythm of the Iban culture. .
Head to Kuching in the northeast of the island of Borneo, where to browse its lively markets and sunbathe on its beaches
Day 12: Direction Northeast Borneo
Back to Kuching, you can stop at Lachau or Serian for lunch, before reaching the airport and boarding for Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the state of Sabah. Head to the northeast of the island of Borneo, to this coastal town surrounded by thick jungle, where to browse its lively markets and sunbathe on its beaches.
It is also the gateway to Kinabalu National Park, where the highest peak in the country stands at 4,095 meters. Before heading deeper into the canopy the next day, one can visit the Sabah Museum or the Mari Cultural Village to learn more about the culture of the local indigenous peoples.
Lovers of diving and idleness will take the boat for the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, an archipelago made up of 5 islands with crystal clear beaches and a seabed where fish and coral liven up.
Recommended Accommodation:
Day 13: Kinabalu, a UNESCO-listed piece of jungle
Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, Kinabalu National Park is one of the biodiversity hotspots on the island of Borneo.
Dominated by Mount Kinabalu, it is home to 6 zones of vegetation which rise on its slopes, from tropical forest to alpine maquis, which contain thousands of animal and plant species.
In addition to the hikes accessible by numerous paths, we launch an assault on the trees to discover the fauna and flora at canopy height, in a route that rises up to 41 meters in height in the treetops. .
Those who like to keep their feet on the ground can take a walk in the botanical garden and admire the orchids, bamboos, carnivorous plants endemic to the region and rafflesia, the largest flower in the world.
To relax after your hike, nothing better than a bath in the hot springs of Poring, channeled into 5 large pools with steaming, sulfur water.
Recommended Accommodation:
Day 14: Kudat, the northernmost point of Borneo
For our last day of travel, direction the extreme north of Borneo, near the small town of Kudat, where members of the Rungus people await us in their village of Bavanggazo.
Discovery of their way of life, installation in the wooden longhouses, round of tapai (rice wine), the immersion in the local tradition is complete.
We explore the surroundings of the village where we go to the northernmost point of the island, the beach of Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.
Recommended Accommodation:
Kampung Bavanggazo, the village of the Rungus.
Do not hesitate to send me your feedback and suggestions in the comments. 😉
