Faces of
Malaysia
Singapore

Singapore is an island nation located at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. At 704.0 sqkm (272 square miles), it is one of the few city-states in the world and the smallest country in Southeast Asia.

Tioman

Largest island of Malaysias east coast. It’s located 32km off the coast and is some 20km long and 12km wide and the highest peak is Gunung Kajang with 1038m. In the 70ies TIME magazine selected Tioman as one the world’s most beautiful islands but lost some flair in recent years due to do development. The island has eight main villages, many beaches and is densely forested and is surrounded by numerous coral reefs, making it a scuba diving haven.

Fraser’s Hill

Hill resort spread along 7 peaks at 1,200 - 1,500 meters above sea-level on the Titiwangsa mountain range, about 100km north of Kuala Lumpur. Originally it was set up as a tin mine in the 1890s by Louis James Fraser (hence the name) until the tin ran out in 1913. A few years later the area was rediscovered as British-colonial hill resort. The cooler temperatures made it popular getaway destination from the hot and humid weather for the British. To this day Fraser’s Hill still retains its colonial charm. The area is recognized destination for bird watching with over 250 species recorded. Other activities include jungle trekking, golf, horse riding, archery, boating and mountain biking.

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia. Being a young city (founded only in 1857) it developed fast into a bustling metropolis of 1.5 million people (6 million including the satellite cities in the Klang Valley). Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL (as it is it called by Malaysians), literally means “muddy estuary” in Bahasa Malaysia. With good and cheap accommodation, great shopping and even better food in this multi-cultural melting pot, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.
Having been in the shadow of other big cities in the region like Bangkok and Singapore, KL was put back on the map for good with the opening the Petronas Twin Towers in 1997, until 2004 the highest and still one of the most impressive buildings in the world. Though, the sights are not what makes this city unique, it’s KL itself and it’s mixture of people and visitors.

Backpacking Malaysia
Sign at Buddhist Temple in Penang
Selamat Datang! Welcome to BackpackingMalaysia.com!

Georgetown / Penang, Lebuh Chulia
Georgetown / Penang
Lebuh Chulia
Tioman, Salang beach
Tioman
Salang beach


The Responsible Tourist and Traveller
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This is practical 8-step guide based on the "Global Code of Ethics" for Tourism of the World Tourism Organization. It promotes traveling with an open mind and respect for people, culture, animals and environment. ... more

Chinese New Year in Malaysia
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Chinese New Year, the spring festival, is the most important holiday for the Chinese community and a public holiday in Malaysia. ... more

Ferry to and from Pulau Tioman
Ferry schedule from Mersing and Tanjung Gemok to Pulau Tioman and other information on getting to the Island ... more

Penang - Langkawi
How to get from Penang to Pulau Langkawi and vice versa ... more

Kuala Lumpur - Johor Bahru
How to get from Kuala Lumpur to Johor and vice versa ... more

Taman Negara - Perhentian Island
Taman Negara - Cameron Highlands
Rainforest World Music Festival
Beaches on Pulau Lang Tengah
Development Projects in Kuala Lumpur
... read more stories

Things to Do & See
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Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur
Limestone hill in the north of Kuala Lumpur with a series of caves and cave temples. They are a sacred place for Hindus in Malaysia and the location of the famous Thaipusam celebrations at the end of January attended by up to one million devotees. ... more
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Church of St. Francis Xavier, Melaka
Neo-Gothic Catholic church on Jalan Laksaman in the historical city center. The Church was built in 1856 by the Paris Foreign Missionary in honour of St. Francis Xavier, a prominent 16th-century Catholic missionary. ... more
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Pasar Besar Kedai Payang (Central Market), Kuala Terengganu
The colourful wet and dry market of KT is right next to Chinatown and along the Terengganu River. At the entrance are still traditional trishaws taking costumers back to their home. ... more
Members of Backpacking Asia Network
Tubotel, Langkawi
Unique accommodation concept located at its own jetty at the northern end of Pantai Cenang with unspoiled sea views and tubes to sleep in ... more
Mohsin Chalet & Cayaku Restaurant, Perhentian Islands
Chalets and Restaurant on Long Beach, Pulau Perhentian Kecil with the best views over the beach. ... more
Red Palm, Kuala Lumpur

Our favourite hostel in KL closed 2015. RIP Red Palm. We miss you!!!

... more
Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya Eco Resort,
Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya is an Eco-Resort in the jungles of Pahang only accessible via off road 4×4 vehicles, about 1 hour outside of Kuala Lumpur. It offers 3 types of accommodation: campsite, dormitory and chalets. ... more
TGs Nasi Kandar, Kuala Lumpur
Mamak-style restaurant in Bukit Bintag offering Indian, local Thai and Pakistani food ... more
Restaurants & Food Courts
Sutraa Kitchen & Bar, Kuala Lumpur
Chillout bar serving Indian tapas on Changkat Bukit Bintang ... more
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Fish Farm Thai Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur
Thai restaurant at a fish & vegetable farm in the middle of the jungle in the hills behind Ampang ... more
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Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur
Food Paradise in Bukit Bintang. Jalan Alor turns into a giant open air street restaurant at night ... more
Nightlife
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Pubcrawl KL, Kuala Lumpur
The pubcrawl takes you, and around 40 travelers & locals to 4 bars and finish the night at a club! ... more
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Heritage Row, Kuala Lumpur
Nightlife area at Jalan Doresmy. Nightlife spot for the rich and beautiful. Row of refurbished colonial-era shop houses. ... more
twenty.one kitchen+bar, Kuala Lumpur
Restaurant and bar on Changkat Bukit Bintang ... more
Transport
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Shahab Perdana Bus Terminal, Alor Setar
Main long-distance bus terminal of Alor Setar, located at the north-western edge of town ... more
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Kuala Terengganu Bus Terminal, Kuala Terengganu
KT's main express long-distance bus terminal is located right in the city center on Jalan Sysed-Hussin at the corner of Jalan Abidin ... more
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Terminal AmanJaya, Ipoh
Ipoh's main bus terminal in the northern outskirts of the towns ... more
Shopping
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Plaza Low Yat (Tech Mall), Kuala Lumpur
Low Yat is the place go to buy electronic and high-tech stuff like computers, laptops , computer parts and accessories, cameras, mobile phones, blanks discs etc. ... more
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BB Plaza / Sungei Wang, Kuala Lumpur
Sungei Wang, located in Bukit Bintang, is the oldest shopping complex in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The connected BB Plaza was shutdown in 2015 because of the MRT construction to make way for a new high-rise building. ... more
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VivoCity, Singapore
Singapore's largest shopping mall, located at HarbourfFront with direct connection to Sentosa Island via Monorail or Boardwalk, also has a Golden Screen Cinema ... more
(Day) Trips
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Kuala Selangor (Fireflies), Kuala Lumpur
A trip to Kuala Selangor at estuary of the Selangor River usually includes river boat tour see Firefly colonies living in the mangroves as well as visiting Bukit Melawati and a seafood dinner. The Nature Park is also worth a visit. ... more
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Bukit Tinggi, Kuala Lumpur
Bukit Tinggi is a hill retreat area about 55km northeast of Kuala Lumpur with resort hotels - most notably the french village themed Colmar Tropicale, a japanese garden, botanical garden and activities like horse riding, paintball, mountain biking and golf . ... more
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Kinabalu National Park, Kota Kinabalu
Kinabalu National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site located 90km from Kota Kinabalu, offers jungles trekking and climbing Mount Kinabalu - the tallest mountain in the Malay Archipelago at 4,095 metres. ... more
HOSTELS
The Nest Guesthouse, Kuala Lumpur
Hostel
Guesthouse in an residential area in Bukit Bintang ... more
Swiss Cottage, Tioman
Chalets
accommodation on Tekek Beach, RM65 - RM140 ... more
Liana Hostel, Taman Negara
Hostel

Hostel in Kampung Kuala Tahan near the jetty in a scenic location overlooking the river.

... more

... view all hostels

Perhentian Islands, Long Beach
Perhentian Islands
Long Beach
Backpacking Malaysia
DID YOU KNOW?
Abbreviations

Malaysian like to use abbreviations. So if you wanna belong you call Kuala Lumpur KL, Johor Bahru JB, Kota Kinabalu KK.

PRESS ARTICLES
Malaysia???s Jungle Train Loses its Trees (Asia Sentinel)

Article about the charms of the jungle train and the on-going deforestation around it.

STORIES

Accommodation on Pulau Lang Tengah



The small island only has 3 operating resorts: Summer Bay, Sari Pacifica and D'Coconut. Another resorts currently abandoned.