Places in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
Average costs
Stay – Dirt cheap hostels and budget hotels are very well represented all around Malaysia. Definitely in bigger cities. For only €4 to €8 a night, you can find a hostel. A little more luxury starts at €10 to €12 a night. Five star hotels and ressorts aren’t extremely expensive. For these hotels expect to pay 80 EUR a night.
Eat – Street food is the most economic way to eat. A good meal will cost you one to three euros. For Malaysian meals, you’ll pay around four euros in a restaurant.
The Malaysian kitchen isn’t what you expected? Western meals cost a little more. About €6 a meal.
Transport – Taxi’s are the most common way of transport in Malaysia for tourists. They’re quite cheap but not dirt cheap. A lot of taxi’s aren’t metered. So definitely settle the price before you start driving. To get from one part of Malaysia to another, there are quite some cheap busses and even trains.
Sea nomads of Borneo at the Malaysian part.
Saving Money
Street food – Good and perfect to try the local cuisine. At evening’s there are plenty of (food) markets where you can choose whatever you like for a very fair price.
Train to Singapore – Plane tickets are expensive. A nice trip you can do is to go over the borders for one or two days. Try getting to Singapore with the train. This doesn’t cost a lot of money, just a couple of hours of your time. Plane tickets easily cost ten times as much.
Mantabuan in Malaysia.
Do’s
Kuala Lumpur – The capital of Malaysia is worth a visit. Try to keep in mind that you are in a muslim country. So wear appropriate clothing; no shorts, (tank)tops, sandals and flip flops. Otherwise you might get an uncomfortable feeling because a lot of people stare at you.
Once you are in Kuala Lumpur, you can use the public transportation (train) to see most of the sights. Definitely go see the Petrona towers and the Batu Caves.
Visit the beaches – Malaysia has some of the finest beaches in the world. It would be sad to leave them behind! Sipadan is great for diving and snorkelling. Redang is an ideal vacation destination for everyone who just wants to relax.
Wildlife tours – The country has a huge diversity of sights and attractions. Spread over the mainland and the islands, there are quite some national parks and nature reserves. Be surprised by Borneo with the almost extinct orang-utan.
Tea plantations of Malaysia.
Don’ts
Drink alcohol – For the most part, Malaysia is muslim. Drinking alcohol is not really accepted in most parts of the country. It is done, but not often.
Too little clothing – Shorts, tops, tank tops, flip flops… Avoid if possible. Don’t try to stand out of the crowd as a rich, cheerful tourist. First of all, most Malaysians won’t like it, but more important: the chance that you get robbed gets a lot higher.
Taking expensive products with you – Don’t wear expensive bracelets or collars. Keep your camera in a bag. These are only a few tips to keep your stuff safe from getting stolen. I heard lots of stories from unfortunate tourists who lost their expensive toys to thieves or gangs. Also don’t take big amounts of cash with you when sightseeing.
Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia.
