Korean Job Discussion Forums

aeln · Joined: 04 Dec 2008 Location: Seoul, Korea

A friend and I are planning a trip to Malaysia for a week in August before heading to the Philippines for a week.

Does anyone have any suggestions for where we should go in Malaysia to get the most out of the visit? We were thinking about going to Kuala Lumpur and Kuching?

Also, suggestions about what to do while we're there/cheap places to stay.

Thanks! Smile

Morgen · Joined: 02 Jul 2008

To be honest with you, Kuala Lumpur is one of my least favorite places I've ever been. I loved the Cameron Highlands, Penang and Malacca, but it's kind of a tricky country to travel around in that kind of timeframe unless you rent a car. I don't know how cheap you're looking for, but you can find ok private rooms for under $10 with no problems.

Kurtz · Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Location: ples bilong me

I spent 5 weeks there about 10 years back so my memory is a bit hazy but I remember the east coast being good, Tioman Island, Cameron Highlands, Georgetown Penang, food is the best in the world if you like Indian food.

ajgeddes · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan

Malaysia is easily my favourite country to visit. Making trip number 3 this summer.

I went to the peninsula the first time, Sabah last time and this time Sabah and Sarawak.

If you want to spend a week doing something different, head to Kota Kinabalu and then head into the jungle to see the wildlife and then out to one of the islands to see the sea turtles.

I haven't been to Kuching yet, but that's where I am going this summer.

I actually really like Kuala Lumpur and might make a side trip there this summer too. The east coast was really nice. You could try hitting the Perhentian islands, but if you want somewhere easier to get to, try Tioman as it has an airport.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Do one night in KL, on in Malaca, and spend the rest of the time in Singapore.

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

Just got back from a trip to Penang. That's a nice island. Only one place was good for accommodations, however. It's an outfit by the name of Tune, and you can find them online. I stayed on the island for five nights, and three of those were in PestHouses and Flea-stels. It took me two days to get all the bugs out of my pack. Go with a good hotel if you go. Bug-galows, flea-stels, and pesthouses are for the birds. I've heard of guys going to these places and spending 5 or 10 bucks a night on accommodations. Good luck staying bug-free is what I say to those people.

Morgen · Joined: 02 Jul 2008

I've only ever stayed in Georgetown so I don't know about the other miscellaneous guesthouses on the island, but in the places I've been, paying a maximum of 15USD, I have never had a problem with bugs.

Tobias · Joined: 02 Jun 2008

It must be the time of year, as I've never had bug problems until this trip, and I've been to Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand (lived there two years). I've gone to a lot of places around Indo-China and not til this trip did I meet a bedbug. It's an experience to hear a rustling in the dark beside your ear and discover it's a 2" cockroach with bike handlebar antennae. Maybe the economic crisis is giving new life to the bugs and the bug lovers. A bedbug is kinda cool lookin'...and then it bites.

waywardwanderer · Joined: 04 Dec 2005

Check the weather for where you want to go before you decide. If I am not mistaken the west side of the peninsula is wet in the late summer while the east coast is drier (and reverse in winter). Also, there is a turtle migration of leatherbacks and loggerheads that lay eggs on the beaches near Rantau Abang and the Perhentian Islands. Years ago I watched turtles digging their nests on the beach and spending all night laying eggs. It was quite an event.

As another poster mentioned, Kota Kinabalu is a great jumping off point for Sabah. If you dive, Sipidan is one of the best dive sites in the world. However, Sipidan is not cheap because you can no longer stay on the island. You need to book a dive trip though one of the nearby dive resorts and they run around US $100 a night with food and diving. Mt. Kinabalu is a great hike, though somewhat challenging. It would take a week or to do Sipidan, Mt. Kinabalu and the orangutan reserve on eastern Sabah. It will also cost additional $$$ and time to fly to Sabah.

You can check yearly weather patterns at:

http://www.weatherbase.com/