I'm sure someone asked for Malaysia so here is a little idea of a trip that incorporates some city life and some of Borneo with some idea of places to visit. There are cheaper hotels and you will need to add on cost of transportation to hotels etc but taxis and drivers are dirt cheap and if you added on £50 this will more than cover additional transportation costs. If you wanted to extend the trip and include places like Langkawi for beaches than this is an additional option.
10th September
You'll fly from London with Turkish Airlines to Kuala Lumpur, with a short stop in Istanbul of 3 hours.
11-15th September
You'll arrive into Kuala Lumpur today and spend 4 nights at the lovely Citin Seacare Pudu by Compass Hospitality which has fantastic ratings and is ideally located near Chinatown, the bus station and public transport links. Given the long flight and arrival time 4 nights is q good amount of time to get a feel for the city. Some good ideas of places to visit is the
Petronas Towers - tours petronastwintowers.com or for more city views the KL Menara tower.
For shopping and food you can visit Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor in the evening and from there walk to Chinatown/Petaling Street Market and Central Market, Merdaka Square and Little India. If you want to head out of the city then Batu Caves is just out of town and on the public transport routing (easily accessible on the monorail or public transport from the hotel).
15-19th September
Fly with Air Asia to Penang today. You will spend 4 nights in Georgetown in Penang and the amazing and highly rated Le Boutique Hotel. From temples to street art and good food Penang is going to be very different than Kuala Lumpur. You can get around the island with public transport or even catch the ferry to really explore.
19-23nd September
You will fly with Air Asia to Kota Kinabalu on 19th September where you will stay for 4 nights at the highly rated Oceania hotel which includes a free shuttle of the local area. There is plenty to occupy your time here. Personally I'd be up for hiking up Mount Kinabalu or you can hire a driver cheaply to get around and explore the gorgeous wildlife and nearby attractions.
On 23-25th you will fly to Sandakan where you will need to get a taxi or a driver to take you to Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat. You are pretty much staying in the jungle. Hiring a taxi or driver is cheaply and easily done (you can even sort this out in advance) and drivers can be arranged in advance. You will stay for 2 nights and this is ample time to hire a driver to take you to Sepilok to see the Orangutans at the rehabilitation centre or do a jungle river cruise.
On 25th you fly from Sandakan back to Kuala Lumpur where you have a final night staying at the Hotel Maison before your flight home on 26th.
26th September
You fly back to the UK today. Your flight has 13hrs in Istanbul but Turkish Airlines will put you up and give you a free city tour. I'm doing this myself in October when I go to Japan.
Breakdown
Return flights for 2 to Kuala Lumpur book at Fly Sharp £717.26
4 nights in Kuala Lumpur £61.87 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Penang £16.43pp book at Air Asia
4 nights in Penang £148.49 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Fly from Penang to Kota Kinabala £43.74pp book at Air Asia.
4 nights in Kota Kinabalu £89.54 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Fly from Kota Kinabala to Sandakan
£20.63pp book at Air Asia.
2 nights in the jungle £56 book at booking.com
Fly from Sandakan back to Kuala Lumpur £28.37pp book at Air Asia.
1 final night in Kuala Lumpur £30.85 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
just got back from Borneo, did KK to Sandakan via lahad Datu and the kinabatangan river. KK climb will take 2 full days minimum, mind...fantastic price, though!
dale86uk to crumpo
13 Apr 16#20
We set off on the climb at 9am one morning, got to the peak just before sunset and got back to the bottom at 1pm in the afternoon.
Haevee
11 Apr 16#3
Having been to Kota Kinabalu I personally think Kuching is preferable
rachelandgromit to Haevee
11 Apr 16#4
That's easily done and you could fly from Kota Kinabala to Kuching With Air Asia too very cheaply.
Master G
11 Apr 161#5
If you can, make time for a few days in Langkawi. It's a beautiful island with stunning beaches. It's a short hop, cheap flight from KL. A good tip is to make use of the hop on, hop of tourist bus to see all the sights around KL.
el_cheapo
11 Apr 16#6
TIP. If your stopover with Turkish in Istanbul is more than 10 hours overnight they will accommodate you in a hotel.
rachelandgromit to el_cheapo
11 Apr 16#7
Yep and a city tour for free too. There are details of it on their website.
goldengirlz
11 Apr 161#8
This looks amazing, its on my bucket list x
Costalot
12 Apr 16#9
Just booked but code VENAPR1516 didn't work so it cost a lot more
rachelandgromit to Costalot
12 Apr 16#10
Code still worked for me, perhaps it's as I'm on their mailing list. Forgot to say, have a lovely time and let me know how you get on.
skybluearmyontour
12 Apr 16#11
Is there a way to miss out Istanbul?
rachelandgromit to skybluearmyontour
12 Apr 16#12
Flights are with Turkish Airlines so have a stop in Istanbul, some stops longer than others. Of course you can look for a different airline but the ones with KLM I saw were around 36 hours plus and more expensive. Keep checking flights daily and that may change.
missingman
12 Apr 16#13
Cold for me, I've seen Midnight Express.
pemasa
12 Apr 161#14
After reading all that, I don't really need to go there anymore... :smile:
jsty3105
13 Apr 16#15
Only downside is that Citin Seacare Pudu is in a pretty poor location relative to the city. The description says near Chinatown but since just about the whole of central Kuala Lumpur is Chinatown that's a bit vague. The reality is that you'd be nearby the city centre but would likely need about 30 minutes to get in as Pudu is infamous for terrible traffic jams.
For the Sandakan portion of the trip, make sure you indulge in plenty of seafood especially dishes like lobster noodles (yee mee) and seafood bak kut teh (a misnomer as the translation would read as seafood pork broth!). Some of the best seafood is in Sandakan as they are incredibly fresh.
A delicious primer to the many noodle dishes found in Sabah - http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/a-delicious-primer-to-the-many-noodle-dishes-found-in-sabah
As someone recommended, Langkawi is a great destination - duty free alcohol and chocolates are the primary highlights. There are loads of beaches in Langkawi to relax in and the food is varied and great. Loads of Westerners have settled there so you'll easily find something to suit your taste buds if local cuisine doesn't suit.
When in KL, do not take any unmetered taxi, especially if you're fair skinned, as the fares would triple. Public transport isn't great in terms of links but it's serviceable in central KL to get around. Try to get the hotel to call a taxi for you if you need one as sometimes the taxis don't want to take you if you don't accept them not using a meter.
Penang is often known as the best state in the country for food (though each state has it's own signature dish) - highlights are the shaved ice dessert, fried kuay teow, curry noodles, and assam laksa (spicy sour soup noodles with shredded fish). There is a type of biscuit there which is incredibly popular as well.
Some other uniquely Malaysian items to try that aren't too exotic: white coffee (coffee roasted with margarine and served with condensed milk), roti canai/pratha (there are usually many options for fillings ranging from banana, to fried egg, to onions), and Nasi Lemak (the nation's signature dish - coconut rice with fried anchovies, chilli, and usually served with fried chicken or beef rendang).
Feel like a tour guide now!
mhhbizz
13 Apr 161#16
i was born in KL and lives in UK now. definitely going back soon!
would recommend langkawi, KL, KK, sandakan, and terengganu. terengganu especially has awesome islands and resorts to chill.
almasurfingalmasurfing
13 Apr 161#17
going to Borneo , Mulu is the must see place . also for dive sipadan island in Sabah( one of the top dive destinations in our planet :smiley:
kingcrimson
13 Apr 16#18
Any innoculations needed for Malaysia
jsty3105 to kingcrimson
13 Apr 16#22
No, only thing to watch out for is if there are any denggi fever reports. Unlikely in central kuala lumpur though as it tends happen closer to more residential areas (clogged drains, trapped water in vegetation, etc).
Maybe I'd advise upping the good bacteria in your gut so that you can enjoy the local cuisines will less fear. Rule of thumb in Malaysia is the dirtier the eatery looks, the better the food will be.
Very glad you had such a memorable and pleasant experience! :innocent:
Malaysians are generally warm but that's very good outcome - Hopefully the cheap fee you mentioned was less than £10 though! Travelling from the main part of Langkawi to the more northern section doesn't really cost that much.
united4eva
13 Apr 161#19
Amazing... What a country. Friendly locals, super safe, great food and much to see and explore.
We got stuck in langkawi town centre one evening and couldn't get a taxi back to our hot so a local offered up a lift in return for a cheap fee. You probably wouldn't take up that offer anywhere else!
gordondavenport
13 Apr 16#21
I'm sure you can fly direct to KL from heathrow with malaysian and cut out all the wasted time.
crumpo
13 Apr 16#23
The hotel listed was in KK, so factor in at least a couple of hours to get to and from the national park...so two days.
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Opening post
10th September
You'll fly from London with Turkish Airlines to Kuala Lumpur, with a short stop in Istanbul of 3 hours.
11-15th September
You'll arrive into Kuala Lumpur today and spend 4 nights at the lovely Citin Seacare Pudu by Compass Hospitality which has fantastic ratings and is ideally located near Chinatown, the bus station and public transport links. Given the long flight and arrival time 4 nights is q good amount of time to get a feel for the city. Some good ideas of places to visit is the
Petronas Towers - tours petronastwintowers.com or for more city views the KL Menara tower.
For shopping and food you can visit Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor in the evening and from there walk to Chinatown/Petaling Street Market and Central Market, Merdaka Square and Little India. If you want to head out of the city then Batu Caves is just out of town and on the public transport routing (easily accessible on the monorail or public transport from the hotel).
15-19th September
Fly with Air Asia to Penang today. You will spend 4 nights in Georgetown in Penang and the amazing and highly rated Le Boutique Hotel. From temples to street art and good food Penang is going to be very different than Kuala Lumpur. You can get around the island with public transport or even catch the ferry to really explore.
19-23nd September
You will fly with Air Asia to Kota Kinabalu on 19th September where you will stay for 4 nights at the highly rated Oceania hotel which includes a free shuttle of the local area. There is plenty to occupy your time here. Personally I'd be up for hiking up Mount Kinabalu or you can hire a driver cheaply to get around and explore the gorgeous wildlife and nearby attractions.
On 23-25th you will fly to Sandakan where you will need to get a taxi or a driver to take you to Paganakan Dii Tropical Retreat. You are pretty much staying in the jungle. Hiring a taxi or driver is cheaply and easily done (you can even sort this out in advance) and drivers can be arranged in advance. You will stay for 2 nights and this is ample time to hire a driver to take you to Sepilok to see the Orangutans at the rehabilitation centre or do a jungle river cruise.
On 25th you fly from Sandakan back to Kuala Lumpur where you have a final night staying at the Hotel Maison before your flight home on 26th.
26th September
You fly back to the UK today. Your flight has 13hrs in Istanbul but Turkish Airlines will put you up and give you a free city tour. I'm doing this myself in October when I go to Japan.
Breakdown
Return flights for 2 to Kuala Lumpur book at Fly Sharp £717.26
4 nights in Kuala Lumpur £61.87 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Penang £16.43pp book at Air Asia
4 nights in Penang £148.49 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Fly from Penang to Kota Kinabala £43.74pp book at Air Asia.
4 nights in Kota Kinabalu £89.54 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Fly from Kota Kinabala to Sandakan
£20.63pp book at Air Asia.
2 nights in the jungle £56 book at booking.com
Fly from Sandakan back to Kuala Lumpur £28.37pp book at Air Asia.
1 final night in Kuala Lumpur £30.85 book at Venere using code VENAPR1516
Total £1322.35/£661.17pp
All comments (23)
For the Sandakan portion of the trip, make sure you indulge in plenty of seafood especially dishes like lobster noodles (yee mee) and seafood bak kut teh (a misnomer as the translation would read as seafood pork broth!). Some of the best seafood is in Sandakan as they are incredibly fresh.
A delicious primer to the many noodle dishes found in Sabah - http://www.themalaymailonline.com/eat-drink/article/a-delicious-primer-to-the-many-noodle-dishes-found-in-sabah
As someone recommended, Langkawi is a great destination - duty free alcohol and chocolates are the primary highlights. There are loads of beaches in Langkawi to relax in and the food is varied and great. Loads of Westerners have settled there so you'll easily find something to suit your taste buds if local cuisine doesn't suit.
When in KL, do not take any unmetered taxi, especially if you're fair skinned, as the fares would triple. Public transport isn't great in terms of links but it's serviceable in central KL to get around. Try to get the hotel to call a taxi for you if you need one as sometimes the taxis don't want to take you if you don't accept them not using a meter.
Penang is often known as the best state in the country for food (though each state has it's own signature dish) - highlights are the shaved ice dessert, fried kuay teow, curry noodles, and assam laksa (spicy sour soup noodles with shredded fish). There is a type of biscuit there which is incredibly popular as well.
Some other uniquely Malaysian items to try that aren't too exotic: white coffee (coffee roasted with margarine and served with condensed milk), roti canai/pratha (there are usually many options for fillings ranging from banana, to fried egg, to onions), and Nasi Lemak (the nation's signature dish - coconut rice with fried anchovies, chilli, and usually served with fried chicken or beef rendang).
Feel like a tour guide now!
would recommend langkawi, KL, KK, sandakan, and terengganu. terengganu especially has awesome islands and resorts to chill.
Maybe I'd advise upping the good bacteria in your gut so that you can enjoy the local cuisines will less fear. Rule of thumb in Malaysia is the dirtier the eatery looks, the better the food will be.
Very glad you had such a memorable and pleasant experience! :innocent:
Malaysians are generally warm but that's very good outcome - Hopefully the cheap fee you mentioned was less than £10 though! Travelling from the main part of Langkawi to the more northern section doesn't really cost that much.
We got stuck in langkawi town centre one evening and couldn't get a taxi back to our hot so a local offered up a lift in return for a cheap fee. You probably wouldn't take up that offer anywhere else!