Malaysia is a country with a rich cultural history, resulting in an interesting mix of Chinese, Indian, and Indonesian traditions and the most delicious food. The capital Kuala Lumpur is also an interesting mix of cultures, modernity, and old customs. Diversity is a good word to describe Malaysia. The country is overshadowed by its more popular neighbors Thailand and Singapore, but is therefore no less worth a visit. You’ll find stunning landscapes, delicious food, a vibrant mix of cultures, and a variety of faiths and traditions.
You will be amazed at the variety this country has to offer.
The best time to visit Malaysia depends on the region you want to explore. The country has two seasons: wet season and dry season, but the period of these seasons differ from region to region.
The best time to visit the East Coast is from April to October. If you want to visit the West Coast, the best time to visit is from December to March. The best time to visit the island of Borneo is from March to October. Because Malaysia is located close to the equator, the weather is hot, and humid with quite of lot of rain most of the year.
The official currency in Malaysia is Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) and you can pay by credit card in bigger restaurants, hotels, and shops in tourist areas, but not everywhere. Especially not in the smaller, local restaurants, bars, street food stalls, and shops. It is therefore always useful to have enough cash with you.
You will find ATMs in every touristic area and/or major cities where you can withdraw money, but not in the more remote places.
The official language in Malaysia is Malay. English is generally widely spoken in urban areas as it is a compulsory subject in primary and secondary school.
Malaysia is, in general, a safe country to travel. Tourism is one of the most important industries of the country, so the people are very welcoming and polite to tourists. Of course, you always have to be attentive to crimes that can happen anywhere, such as pickpocketing. So, always pay attention to people who behave suspiciously.
Tourists are sometimes taken advantage of and get scammed. Some very common scams are overpriced taxis, fake tour ticket scams, overpricing, and ATM scams. So, make sure you inform yourself in advance about the possible scams you may encounter.
It is possible to drink tap water in Malaysia, but only if it's filtered. However, we found that the water always smelled very strongly of chlorine so we did not think it was recommended to drink it. But you can safely brush your teeth with it.
In Malaysia, the dress code is casual but modest. You can wear shorts and flip-flops as long as you dress decently. It is expected to cover your shoulders and knees when you plan to go to public places, especially religious places. Note that it can be very hot and humid, so try to bring clothes with lightweight fabrics.
You can buy a local SIM card (e.g. at the airport) to be able to use mobile data at a low cost in the country. If you plan on visiting both mainland Malaysia and Borneo, you should definitely check whether the SIM card works in all areas.
Another option is to buy an e-SIM, Jetpac is an excellent partner for this!
In Malaysia, it is common to negotiate the price of a product on the streets, in markets, and in small shops, but not in stores where there is a fixed price. By haggling a product will often cost you less than what they originally asked for.
Tipping is not customary in Malaysia, but it is appreciated to show your gratitude if you are really satisfied with the service. In most restaurants and bars, the service fee is included in the bill. If you still like to tip on top, you can always leave a tip of 5% to 10%.
Most power plug sockets in Malaysia are of type G. The standard voltage is 240 V and the frequency is 50 Hz.
The time zone in Malaysia is GMT+8 year-round.
