Classic Malaysia: KL, Penang, Malacca, Cameron
Duration : 10 days
Route : Kuala Lumpur (3 nights) → Cameron Highlands train (2 nights) → Penang train (3 nights) → Malacca train (1 night) → return KL (1 night)
Custom travel to Malaysia
Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's most diverse destinations, a cosmopolitan country (60% Malay Muslims, 23% Chinese, 7% Indians) where mosques, Buddhist, and Hindu temples coexist peacefully. 33 million inhabitants between the peninsula and Malaysian Borneo, separated by the South China Sea. Kuala Lumpur offers the Petronas Twin Towers (452 m), KL Tower, and Batu Caves with 272 colorful steps. Penang (UNESCO) charms with renowned street food and street art in Georgetown. Malacca (UNESCO) preserves Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial heritage. Cameron Highlands offer coolness and tea plantations. In Borneo: Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m), Sepilok orangutans, Sipadan diving. Exceptional fusion cuisine. Allow 12-15 days to combine peninsula and Borneo.
Highlights
- Kuala Lumpur: Petronas Towers and Batu Caves
- Penang: UNESCO Georgetown and street food
- Malacca: UNESCO and colonial heritage
- Borneo (Sabah): orangutans and Mount Kinabalu
- Sipadan: world top 5 diving
- Cameron Highlands: tea plantations
Sample itineraries
Complete Malaysia: peninsula and Borneo
Duration : 14 days
Route : KL (2) → Penang (3) → Malacca (1) → Borneo Sabah flight (5, Sepilok + Kinabatangan + Kinabalu) → Sandakan-Sipadan flight (2 diving) → return KL flight (1)
Exclusive KL and Borneo
Duration : 10 days
Route : Kuala Lumpur Mandarin Oriental (3 nights) → Borneo Sabah flight → Borneo Rainforest Lodge (3 nights Danum Valley) → Sipadan-Mabul Resort (3 nights) → return flight
When to go
March-October is the best period for the peninsula (dry season). May-September for Borneo (calm sea at Sipadan, visible wildlife). Avoid November-February (monsoon on east peninsular coast, some islands closed).
- Dry season (March – October), All peninsular sites, festivals
- Borneo dry season (May – September), Sipadan diving, Kinabatangan wildlife, Kinabalu ascent
- East coast monsoon (November – February), West coast and KL still accessible, Tioman and Perhentian closed
- Inter-season (April, October), Ideal to combine peninsula and Borneo
Practical information
Generally safe. Vigilance for pickpockets in KL tourist zones. No visa for French citizens < 90 days. Cards accepted in hotels, restaurants, malls. Cash useful for street food and markets. Avoid tap water (bottled water). Covering attire in mosques (shoulders, knees; headscarf for women). Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country: tolerance for alcohol consumption in licensed restaurants and hotels (except Kelantan, Terengganu stricter).
Frequently asked questions
When?
March to October is the best period for the peninsula (dry season, 28-32 °C), with Kuala Lumpur pleasant year-round thanks to its stable tropical climate. For Borneo, favor May to September: the sea is calm at Sipadan (optimal diving visibility) and Kinabatangan River wildlife is easier to spot. Avoid November to February, monsoon season on the peninsula's east coast, when Tioman and Perhentian simply close; the west coast and KL remain accessible year-round though. April and October are excellent shoulder periods, with sporadic rain but fewer crowds, ideal for combining peninsula and Borneo.
How long?
Allow 10 days for the peninsula alone: Kuala Lumpur (3 nights, Petronas and Batu Caves), Cameron Highlands (2 nights, Boh tea plantations at 1,500-m altitude), Penang (3 nights, UNESCO Georgetown and street food), Malacca (1 night, UNESCO colonial heritage). To add Borneo (Sepilok, Kinabatangan cruise, Sipadan diving), allow 14 days total, the formula most requested by travelers with two weeks. A more condensed 10-day format dedicated only to Kuala Lumpur and Borneo, without the full peninsula, remains possible for nature and diving enthusiasts.
Budget?
Allow €2,600 per person for the Comfort tier (12 days, 11 nights in 4★ hotels in KL like Traders Hotel and Borneo lodges like Sukau or Mabul Water Bungalows, Malaysia Airlines domestic flights, Sepilok and one Sipadan diving session included). The Premium tier (from €4,200, 12-14 days) upgrades to Mandarin Oriental KL, Eastern & Oriental Penang and Borneo Rainforest Lodge in Danum Valley, with a private French-speaking guide. The Exclusive tier (from €7,500) adds the Banyan Tree or Four Seasons KL and a privatized stay at overwater Sipadan-Kapalai. Add €700-€1,100 per person for a Paris-Kuala Lumpur round-trip flight in Economy (Malaysia Airlines, Air France).
Visa?
No visa is needed for French citizens, nor for EU, UK, US or Canadian citizens, for a stay under 90 days. The passport must remain valid at least 6 months after the return date. No vaccine is mandatory for a classic peninsula + Borneo trip, but some doctors recommend typhoid and hepatitis A for extended stays in rural areas.
Family?
Yes, Malaysia is a family destination, particularly suitable from age 8. Kuala Lumpur and the peninsula (Petronas, Batu Caves, cool Cameron Highlands tea plantations) are very accessible, with short ETS train rides. Borneo requires a bit more maturity, from around age 12, as it involves the jungle (Kinabatangan cruise, mosquitoes, humid heat) and diving (minimum Open Water level for Sipadan). For families with young children, I recommend focusing on the peninsula and possibly Sepilok (safely observing orangutans from platforms), without pushing on to Sipadan.
How to get around?
Malaysia Airlines/AirAsia domestic flights (KL-Borneo 2 h 30). ETS train for peninsula. Private car with driver.
Sipadan: how to book?
120 permits/day, distributed 1-3 months in advance by resorts (Mabul, Kapalai, Mataking). Minimum Open Water level, 20 dives recommended.
See orangutans: where?
Sepilok (Sandakan, Sabah), sanctuary with feedings. Danum Valley (Sabah), wild observation. Semenggoh (Kuching, Sarawak), alternative.
How do you pay on the ground in Malaysia?
The currency is the Malaysian ringgit (MYR), about 5 MYR per euro. Cards are widely accepted in hotels, restaurants and malls in major cities (KL, Penang, Malacca). Bring cash for street food, as Georgetown and Chinatown stalls generally only take cash, plus markets and small local transport. ATMs are plentiful everywhere, except in some remote Borneo areas where I recommend withdrawing enough beforehand.
Do you need to speak English or Malay?
English is omnipresent in Malaysia, a legacy of British colonization: it's commonly spoken in hotels, restaurants, transport, and by most Malaysians, especially in cities. No Malay is therefore necessary to travel comfortably. In mosques, wear covering attire (shoulders and knees, headscarf for women): Malaysia remains a moderate Muslim country, where alcohol is tolerated in licensed restaurants and hotels, except in the stricter states of Kelantan and Terengganu.
Combine?
Yes: Malaysia + Singapore (40-min flight, 7-h train), Malaysia + Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia + Thailand.
Tips?
Service charge 10% often included. Appreciated in hotels, with guides.