Malaysia: 15 Essential Solo Travel Tips for a Seamless Stay

Solo traveling in Malaysia is an adventure that combines rich cultural experiences, stunning landscapes, and budget-friendly options. Whether you’re exploring the futuristic skyline of Kuala Lumpur, trekking through the Cameron Highlands, or island-hopping in Langkawi, Malaysia is a top destination for solo travelers seeking both adventure and relaxation.

I’ve traveled solo across Malaysia multiple times, and I’ve learned that safety, budgeting, and itinerary planning are key to a smooth journey. The country is one of the safest in Southeast Asia, with a well-developed infrastructure and a welcoming atmosphere for tourists. However, knowing how to navigate public transport, pick the best accommodations, and stay connected with reliable SIM cards can make your trip even better.

Food is another highlight of solo travel in Malaysia. From hawker centers in Penang to bustling night markets, you’ll find some of the world’s best street food at unbeatable prices. English is widely spoken, which makes communication easy, but understanding some basic Malay phrases can enhance your experience.

In this guide, I’ll share essential solo travel tips on safety, budgeting, transport, must-visit destinations, and cultural etiquette. Whether you’re a first-time solo traveler or an experienced backpacker, these Malaysia travel tips will help you plan an unforgettable trip with confidence.

Tips for Traveling Solo to Malaysia

In Malaysia, one of the most developed capitals in all of Southeast Asia awaits you. You can visit paradisiacal places like the Perhentian Islands and immerse yourself in a cultural mix where peoples and religions as diverse as Islam, Hinduism and the Chinese world coexist. Get ready to enter one of the most surprising and complete countries in Asia with these tips for traveling to Malaysia on your own!

1. Best time to travel to Malaysia

One of the most important things when planning your trip to Malaysia is choosing the best time to go, as this will greatly influence your stay in the country. Therefore, I am going to give you some tips that will help you decide when to go to Malaysia.

Malaysia is located close to the equator, which means that it has a very warm tropical climate (it is always hot) and very humid throughout the year. In addition, it is influenced by two monsoons : the northeast monsoon and the southwest monsoon, which affect each area of the country differently.

During the northeast monsoon (also known as the winter monsoon), winds blow from the South China Sea region towards Malaysia. This monsoon season runs from November to March , meaning that during these months there will be a lot of rain on the east coast of the Malaysian peninsula and the northern coast of Borneo.

The rains are so heavy that some places like the Perhentian Islands close to tourism during the busiest months (December, January and February), so you should take this into account when planning your trip.

On the other hand, there is the southwest monsoon (also known as the summer monsoon) when winds hit Malaysia from the Indian Ocean. It takes place from May to September and is a bad time to travel to the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula and the south coast of Borneo.

This doesn't mean that any month is good for travelling to Malaysia, it's actually much simpler: if you want to avoid the rains, my advice is to travel between March and October , as it is the driest and sunniest time of the year in most regions of the country. And to be even more precise, to enjoy crystal-clear and calm waters on the islands on the east coast (such as Perhentian, Kapas, Redang or Tioman), it is best to go in the months of June, July or August .

Annual weather charts in Malaysia — *Source: weatherspark.com*

2. Visa to enter Malaysia

If you have a Spanish passport and are thinking of travelling to Malaysia, I have good news for you: you do not need to apply for a visa . As a Spanish citizen, you have 90 days of visa-free travel with the typical stamp they put in your passport upon entry. Great, right?! All you need to have is a passport valid for at least six months from the date of entry and a ticket to leave the country. With this, you can enter Malaysia.

This condition is maintained for the majority of European and Latin American nationalities , although in some cases such as Mexico, Chile or Bolivia (among others) the permit will only be for 30 days.

3. How to get to Malaysia

There are several options to get to Malaysia from Spain, the most common being to fly to Kuala Lumpur on flights with a stopover. The most interesting option is to buy flights with only one stopover with one of the best-known airlines such as Qatar Airways, Fly Emirates, Turkish Airlines or KLM.

If you prefer to save money, there is also the option of looking for flights with low-cost companies , although this will mean taking 3 or 4 flights to get there, which can make the journey excessively long, and honestly, sometimes the savings are not worth it.

A third option is to look for alternative routes . For example, you can fly to other cities in Malaysia or to nearby countries like Thailand or Singapore and then take a flight or train to Malaysia.

In any case, my advice is to compare prices and schedules on Skyscanner to find the option that best suits you.

If Malaysia is one of your stops on a longer trip through Southeast Asia, you can also get there by crossing one of its land borders . To the north there are several border crossings with Thailand, including the ferry crossing from Koh Lipe (Thailand) to the island of Langkawi (Malaysia), and to the south with Singapore. To make these crossings, it is best to book the entire trip with a local agency. The bus will stop at the border, you will have enough time to complete the paperwork and then it will be waiting for you on the other side, to continue the trip to the final destination.

In this case we recommend you compare with local agencies or book online on websites such as 12go.asia or bookaway .

Tips for a trip to Malaysia Redang Island beach

4. How to get around Malaysia

The best way to get around Malaysia depends largely on the type of trip you're planning to take, the destinations you want to include in your itinerary, and the time you have available. Luckily, Malaysia is a highly developed country and is quite adapted to tourism, so there are many options available to get around the country :

✓ Domestic flights

Domestic flights are usually very cheap, making them the best option for long distance travel if you are short on time. Larger cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Kota Kinabalu have international and domestic airports, meaning you will find several flight options to travel between these cities.

Also remember that AirAsia, the largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia, is Malaysian and has its hub in Kuala Lumpur, so there are plenty of routes with this company. As always, it is best to take a look at Skyscanner to compare and get the best prices.

✓ Buses

In Malaysia, bus travel is quite cheap, very comfortable and there is a huge selection, making it the ideal means of transport for getting around the country, both for long and short journeys. You can book tickets at the bus station, at a local travel agency or buy them online on websites such as 12go.asia , bookaway or easybook , all of which are reliable.

✓ Trains

The Malaysian railway system is quite efficient and safe , but it has two drawbacks: they are more expensive than buses and they do not connect all the tourist cities. Even so, I recommend taking at least one train ride to get the experience . If you are interested in seeing all the connections and timetables, you can do so on the official Malaysian railway website . And to book, as with buses, you can do so at the station itself, at travel agencies and also online on the same websites as before.

✓ Ferries to the islands

They usually leave from the nearest ports in the morning and it is not necessary to book in advance , as there are usually always places available and you can buy the ticket directly at the port ticket office a few minutes before setting sail. Please note that these ferries tend to reduce their frequency or even be suspended during the monsoon season (from November to March).

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5. What to see in Malaysia

Malaysia is a multicultural country, full of wonderful and surprising places. Of all of them, these are the ones that I think you can't miss on your first trip:

Kuala Lumpur : Malaysia's capital, a surprisingly clean city for an Asian city. A cosmopolitan city where you can be amazed by impressive skyscrapers, see Hindu and Chinese temples and mosques on the same street, climb the Petronas Towers and haggle in Jalan Petaling, the capital's Chinatown. More about Kuala Lumpur .
Penang : This island is a paradise for lovers of gastronomy, culture and history. In Georgetown, the capital, you will be amazed by its streets full of street art and colonial buildings. A must-see city on your trip through the country. More about Penang .
Melaka : Together with Georgetown, both cities are World Heritage Sites. Melaka (or Malacca) is another place not to be missed if you want to enjoy charming streets full of colonial buildings with Portuguese influences. More about Melaka
Cameron Highlands : If you are looking to escape the stifling heat of the city, Cameron Highlands is the perfect place to visit. There you can visit tea plantations, waterfalls and beautiful mountain scenery.
Perhentian Islands : for me, the jewel of the country. Beaches of fine white sand, crystal-clear waters and an incredible underwater world, without a doubt a little paradise on earth. It is the perfect place to relax, snorkel and sunbathe 🙂 Travel guide to the Perhentian Islands .
Borneo - If you want to explore Malaysia's most pristine wilderness, visit the Orangutan rehabilitation centre or dive in one of the best places in the world, Borneo is THE place. More about Borneo .

⭐ In this post we tell you the 10 must-see and do things in Malaysia

Cameron Highlands

6. How many days are needed to get to know Malaysia?

Although Malaysia may seem like a small country, it is not really: if you add the Borneo area to the mainland (including the islands on the east coast), it becomes a vast territory that can be covered in a trip of just a few weeks. Therefore, depending on the time you have, it may be interesting to focus on just one area of the country .

For example, if you don't have many days and you don't want to rush from the moment you get up to the moment you go to bed, my advice is to limit yourself to getting to know the peninsular area of Malaysia , which will allow you to get a fairly complete idea of the country in about 15 days .

If you have 3 weeks or more , then I highly recommend that you add the Borneo area to your itinerary through Malaysia; I assure you that you will love it.

7. Malaysia travel itinerary

Taking the above points into account, I am going to outline what I believe to be the best route through Malaysia (peninsular):

Kuala Lumpur (2 days)
Melaka (1 day)
Ipoh (1 day)
Cameron Highlands (2 days)
Penang (3-4 days)
Perhentian (3-4 days)
Kuala Lumpur (last days)

This route can be done perfectly by land combining buses and trains , the only problem is that the frequency of buses is sometimes a bit scarce, especially in some destinations such as Perhentian or Cameron Highlands. Therefore, I recommend that you check the schedules carefully before planning the route to try to avoid "dead days" as much as possible.

Now that you know what the most common route is, I'm going to give you some tips so you can visit Malaysia adapting the itinerary to your travel style :

Tip 1 : Get to know the Malaysian jungle . If you are a big fan of nature, between Cameron Highlands and the Perhentian Islands you can add Taman Negara , Malaysia's oldest national park, known for its impressive rainforest.

Tip 2 : Save time by taking a domestic flight . This way you will save a lot of time and flights are usually not very expensive (long live AirAsia!), so it won't be a big hit on your wallet. For example, there are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur or from Melaka to Penang, also from Penang to Kota Bharu (the closest airport to reach the Perhentian Islands) and from this airport back to Kuala Lumpur.

8. Expansion with the Borneo area

If you have more time to explore Malaysia, you can add a short route through Borneo . Here is what I did:

Kota Kinabalu : you can get there from Kuala Lumpur on a direct flight for around €40 or €50 and visit the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park , made up of 5 beautiful islands. Also nearby is the highest peak in Southeast Asia, Mount Kinabalu , at 4,095 metres, although to climb to its summit on a 2-day, 1-night trek you will have to request permission (for a fee) months in advance.
Sandakan : for around €10 you can find direct flights from Kota Kinabalu, which will save you a few hours on a bus on somewhat “uncomfortable” roads haha. There you can visit the Sepilok orangutan rehabilitation centre .
Sukau : Public transport to get here is non-existent, so you will have to hire a driver to take you to the Kinabatangan River (or even rent a car yourself!) and take one or more river tours. A must!
Semporna : Although the city is very, very ugly, if you like diving or snorkelling it will be worth the effort to get here, as there are many paradisiacal islands in the surrounding area where you can marvel at the seabed. You can dive in one of the top 10 destinations in the world: Sipadan . The nearest airport is Sukau, an hour from Semporna.

⭐ Here we tell you the best things to see and do in Malaysian Borneo

Malaysia travel tips beach

9. Travel budget

As you can imagine, calculating the budget for a trip is a bit complex since it depends a lot on the type of traveler, tastes and priorities. However, in general terms it could be said that Malaysia is a cheap country to travel to , although it is not one of the cheapest in the southeast. To give you an idea, I am going to tell you some prices based on my experience:

✓ Accommodation

Although in the most popular cities it is a bit more expensive, on average you can sleep in shared rooms from €4 per night and in private rooms with bathroom from €10 or €11. However, on some islands such as the Perhentian Islands, accommodation is more expensive and the quality-price ratio is quite bad, but you can find double rooms from €20 per night.

✓ Transport

To get around Malaysia, the bus is the cheapest option, with prices ranging from €1-2 per trip for shorter distances (such as Kuala Lumpur – Melaka) to €7 or €10 for longer journeys such as Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Besut (the port to go to the Perhentian Islands).

If you prefer more comfort, trains are a good option, but they have two drawbacks: prices are usually higher and the network does not cover all tourist routes.

✓ Food

Malaysian cuisine is very varied and best of all, it is very affordable . At street stalls you can eat kebabs, rotis, etc. for less than €1 and in typical local restaurants there are complete dishes from around €2.

You will also find Western food without any problem, but the prices will be more expensive (although much cheaper than in Spain, calculate about 6-8€ for pizzas, hamburgers, or even very good quality meat, especially in Georgetown, for about 15€.

* Drinking : Now, if you are one of those who accompany every drink with a good beer, in Malaysia you will have a bit of a hard time (remember that you are in a Muslim country). It is not extremely expensive, but it is in comparison to its neighbors. A 500ml bottle of beer costs about 3-4€.

10. Is it advisable to travel to Malaysia on your own or is it better to book a tour?

Travelling around Malaysia on your own is easy and recommended . It is a country that is very used to receiving tourists and getting around is easy and, as you can see, very cheap. It is also a fairly developed country, the infrastructure is good and you will have no problems with English when communicating.

There is no need for a lot of planning, and if you are a backpacker who prefers to move on impulse, you will always have free seats on buses to any destination 😉

However, if you are short on time, it may be interesting to book an excursion , especially if you want to visit a destination that is somewhat far away and that means losing a lot of time in travel. For example, Cameron Highlands and Taman Negara are in the center of the country and do not have airports nearby, so visiting them means “losing” several days between visits and trips. If this is your case, a good option could be to book an excursion from Kuala Lumpur such as these:

Taman Negara Tour from Kuala Lumpur
Cameron Highlands Tour from Kuala Lumpur

11. Is it safe to travel to Malaysia?

Of course! Malaysia is a super safe country to visit . I have been there several times and have always felt very safe. However, as with any destination in the world, you need to be careful and take some measures to avoid finding yourself in unpleasant situations.

In big cities like Kuala Lumpur you have to be a little careful with “friends of others”, but nothing too exaggerated, probably cities like Madrid or Barcelona are much more unsafe as far as theft is concerned, so don´t worry.

It is not mandatory to have any vaccinations before travelling to Malaysia, although it may be advisable to get one against Hepatitis A+B, typhoid fever or Japanese encephalitis. But I repeat, if it is a short trip of a few weeks, I don't see it as interesting, however you can always contact the international vaccination centre nearest to you.

And of course, protect yourself from mosquito bites (use mosquito repellent, avoid wetlands especially at dawn and dusk, try to cover most of your body and wear light colored clothing, green, purple, blue and white are good). More than anything to avoid getting infected by a bug , we have a friend who knows exactly which mosquito gave it to him while he was in Kuala Lumpur.

When changing money , it is advisable to choose the place where you do it carefully. Check the reviews of other travelers on Google Maps beforehand to make sure that the exchange rate is not horrible and to make sure that it is a trustworthy place. Pay attention to the fact that they do not charge hidden fees to avoid last-minute problems.

In some areas of the island of Borneo , especially in the east of Sabah, there were some kidnappings of tourists years ago by extremist groups from the nearby Philippine area. But it is quite rare for something like that to happen today since the area has been quite militarized for years, so don't worry too much 😉 . I spent a week in the Semporna area and I didn't feel unsafe or see anything strange, despite it being an extremely poor place.

Overall, if you are a sensible traveller, you should not have any safety issues in Malaysia.

Melaka

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12. Travel Insurance for Malaysia

Regardless of the security level of a country, things can always happen that are out of your control : eating something bad, a drop in minerals after sweating day after day (I promise you that Malaysia is very, very hot), a stupid fall, a cancelled flight, losing your luggage... etc. So it's better to be prepared and not regret it.

Healthcare in Malaysia is generally good, the big cities have modern hospitals with good professionals and you will be well looked after. However, the best ones are private and are not cheap, sometimes they even require you to pay in advance or have a payment guarantee, which is something that can be solved by having insurance.

As for the type of insurance, we believe that Iati Backpacker is the best suited to a medium-adventure trip through Malaysia. It has a more than adequate spending limit and includes adventure sports (with diving up to 40 meters, trekking, etc.), rescue and other interesting clauses. If you still don't have travel insurance, here is a 5% discount so you can calculate your budget and compare coverage.

⭐ Here we talk in depth about which is the best travel insurance for Southeast Asia

13. Gastronomy in Malaysia

If you are a lover of world cuisine, you are in luck, since over the years Malaysia has been a country greatly influenced by Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian and European culture (among others), which has led it to have a super varied food.

The best way to immerse yourself in Malaysian cuisine is to visit Jalan Alor street in Kuala Lumpur at night as soon as possible. You will see the bustle of people, restaurants and food. What a spectacle!

Some of my favorite specialties are:

Nasi Lemak – Malaysia’s national dish, it’s made from rice cooked in coconut milk and comes with a bunch of things like egg, peanuts and cucumbers, even sambal (a spicy sauce) and some kind of meat, like chicken or beef.
Laksa : A soup made with rice noodles and a mixture of spices, chili and coconut milk. It can be made with a variety of ingredients, such as shrimp, chicken or tofu.
Satay : This is a kind of marinated and grilled meat skewer. It is served with a delicious peanut sauce.

⭐ These are the 10 dishes you must eat in Malaysia , if you have the chance, don't hesitate to try them all!

tips for traveling to malaysia food

14. How to get cash in Malaysia: options and tips

Another important point when planning your trip to Malaysia is how to carry cash and how to pay . Although some cities in the country are very developed and accept cards in many establishments (even using contactless), in most local restaurants and small shops or in smaller cities you will need cash. Therefore, here are some tips to get ringgits (MYR) at the best price:

Bring cash : If you want to bring euros and exchange them for ringgits, you can do so at any exchange office. But… how can you do it without losing as much money as possible? Follow these tips:

Look up several currency exchange offices on Google Maps and check if they have good reviews.
Go in person and compare prices to find out which one offers you the best exchange rate.
Make sure they don't charge any hidden fees for the transaction 😉

Withdrawing money from an ATM : This is the best option to waste the least amount of time and get the best prices, avoiding commissions. Plus, you won't have to carry large amounts of cash with you. But be careful, because not all cards are recommended when withdrawing money from a foreign ATM. I recommend getting at least these two: the Revolut card (with a €10 promo) and the N26 card . Both are free and will be great for you.

You should also bring your bank cards , which, although it is the least advisable option because they will charge you a commission and give you an excessively bad exchange rate, can get you out of a tight spot at any given moment.

Which bank can I withdraw money from in Malaysia for free? Regardless of the commission charged by your bank, there are commissions charged by ATMs for withdrawing money from them. That's why it's important to do so at banks where withdrawals are free, such as HongLeong , Maybank and HSBC .

With these recommendations and tips, I assure you that you will be able to get cash in Malaysia without problems and enjoy your trip to the fullest 😛

15. Which SIM cards are recommended?

Having internet on your mobile when you travel is essential for me, as it allows you to do simple things like looking up the places you want to visit on a map, reading reviews of a restaurant or ordering a Grab. And for this, the best option is to buy a local SIM card when you arrive in Malaysia, they are quite cheap and will save you a lot of headaches.

The most popular phone companies in Malaysia that offer prepaid SIMs with very cheap plans are Celcom , Maxis , U Mobile and Digi . To give you an idea of the prices, the last time I was in Malaysia I bought a Digi card for 30 days with 30 gigas for 35 riggit.

Where to buy a SIM card in Malaysia? On these sites:

At the airport , as soon as you land and after passing through immigration control, you will find little shops where you can buy them.
In official stores in the city or in shopping centers.
In most convenience stores like 7eleven or KK.

When you buy it, make sure it remains working and write down the numbers or sequences to request the balance (and check that you actually have the GB you have paid for).

Another option if you like to be connected from the start and prefer to save yourself the trouble of finding a store is to get a virtual SIM (eSim) before your trip. In this case, HolaFly is probably the leading company right now and this is the eSIM for Malaysia . When you buy it, you will receive a QR code and once you scan it, voila! You will have a SIM card with which you can use the Internet anywhere in the country. You will have a 5% discount , already applied in the link.

⭐ We provide you with more information in our article on how to have internet in Malaysia

Latest tips for traveling to Malaysia

Before you go, take note of these small recommendations that will surely help you have a much more pleasant trip to Malaysia:

To save money on transportation and avoid having to haggle with taxi drivers every now and then, I recommend using the Grab app , a transportation app similar to Uber. You can pay in cash or link it to your Revolut card.
If you like coffee, don't miss the chance to try kopi , a very popular coffee in Malaysia that is prepared with roasted beans with sugar and butter. If you prefer something a little cooler, teh tarik is a very sweet milk tea that is served hot or cold and you will be hooked on it.
Forget about fancy western restaurants and go eat at local restaurants . Ideally, you should go to places where there are local people eating, as this way you can be sure that the food is fresh and in good condition 😉 And if you don't understand anything on the menu, just look at what other people are eating and point out the dish that you find most appetizing 😛
If you visit Malaysia during the rainy season, I recommend that you have a raincoat handy as the rain there is very heavy and can be very unpredictable. Did you forget it or do you have a hard time carrying it around? You can buy them at any 7eleven (a cheap one) for about one euro. They are made of plastic and don't take up much space, so you can carry them in your backpack or purse without it getting in the way.
Malaysia is a Muslim country , so I recommend that you dress accordingly and always respect the culture.
As much as possible, avoid travelling during Ramadan . Although it might be culturally interesting, most local places will be closed during the day. And this will ultimately make you miss out on the atmosphere, which for me is the essence of the country.
The plugs are type G , different from those in Spain, so you will need to use an adapter . However, you do not need to bring one from home as most shops sell them or even hotels can lend you one at reception.
More advice on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

Tips for traveling to Malaysia Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur

And that's it for the post with all the tips for travelling to Malaysia on your own ! I hope that this complete guide with recommendations for visiting Malaysia has been useful to you and helps you organise your next trip. Remember that on the blog you will find a lot more information for travelling around the country 😉 Don't miss it!

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