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Malaysia overland experience - Singapore to Langkawi

Route: Singapore - Malacca - Kuala Lumpur - Taman Negara National Park - Cameron Highlands - Penang - Langkawi

Modern skyscrapers, culinary delights from across the country and for your grand finale: soft white sands and clear blue sea on a paradise island. The Asian capital cities Singapore and Kuala Lumpur may seem identical at first sight, but look closer and you’ll notice that metropolitan Singapore and multicultural Kuala Lumpur definitely have their own distinctive character. During this Malaysia holiday, you’ll experience the best of both worlds.

You’ll begin your Malaysia holiday in small and mighty Singapore where you can admire the magnificent skyline from a boat on the Singapore River before taking the train across the border to neighbouring Malaysia. You’ll delve into the colonial past in the historic town of Malacca, visit the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and swing along lianas in the world’s oldest tropical rainforest in the world. Then you’ll escape to cooler climes in among the rolling tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands before ending your Malaysia holiday with a spot of island hopping. Wander among the temples and endless food stalls of Penang before stepping onto the soft white sands of Langkawi where you can spend the last couple of days lazing in a hammock in the shade of the palm trees or snorkelling your way across the coral reefs before boarding the plane back home.

During your Malaysia holiday you’ll travel by minibus, train and boat, a fun and inexpensive way to travel. Public transport in Malaysia is well-organised, comfortable and you’ll meet lots of fellow travellers and locals on the way. You’ll be staying in authentic, charming hotels in the cities, comfortable lodges in the jungle and a relaxed resort on the beach.

Fancy building your own holiday in Malaysia? You can choose from our range of bite-sized Malaysia tours. Alternatively, take a look at our range of suggested holidays in Malaysia. Want to combine your holiday in Malaysia with a trip to Borneo? Take your pick from our bite-sized Borneo tours or ready-made holidays in Borneo.

Duration	18 days / 17 nights Departs daily	Accommodation	Comfortable, authentic hotels, resorts and charming wooden bungalows. Comfort level 3 (see accommodation).
Price	£1095 per person - based on 2 people sharing (High season supplements apply in July, August, September & December.)	Includes	Accommodation with breakfast, bus and train, transfers as described
Transport	Minibus, bus, train, boat	Excludes	International flights & airport taxes, domestic flight Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur, any excursions and other meals

Day 1 and 2 - Singapore

Most international flights arrive in Singapore early in the morning. On arrival at the airport you'll be transferred directly to your hotel where you can drop your luggage and hit the town, but you might want to take a refreshing shower as you get used to the tropical heat. You'll be staying for the first two nights of your Malaysia holiday in this spotlessly clean metropolis. Singapore is exciting, lively and incredibly modern. The skyline is dominated by huge skyscrapers but down in the streets you'll find an eclectic cultural mix; the busy markets of Chinatown, the exotic facades in Little India, and temples and colourful streets around Arab Street. It’s a food-lovers and shopaholic’s paradise (though the famous Orchard Road isn’t what it used to be), all in a true Asian atmosphere. If you want to escape the hectic city then go to Sentosa where you can relax on the beach, play around in the amusement parks or just enjoy the nightlife. There are plenty of museums, you can take a boat trip down the river and then there’s the famous Raffles Hotel. The MRT (metro) will get you where you want to be, fast and easy.

In Singapore you'll be staying in a monumental building in Little India in the centre of the city. If you'd like to start your Malaysia holiday with a bit more luxury, we can also arrange an upgrade for you.

Malaysia holiday - Singapore, from the sea

Day 3 - Singapore - Malacca

Travel time: 5.5 hours

Once you’ve checked out of the hotel, take a taxi to the train station where you'll board the train to Malacca and your Malaysia holiday will really begin. Travelling by train may not be the fastest way, but it's certainly the most fun. Lying back in your seat you can watch the countryside pass by and chat to your fellow passengers. The train journey to Malacca takes about 5 hours. The train doesn't actually stop in Malacca but in Tampin, from where you'll take a taxi or bus to your hotel in Malacca. Malacca's quite a big city but you can easily do everything on foot. Alternatively, hire a bike and pedal your way around the city.

If you'd like us to arrange a bike tour for you, just let our friendly Malaysia travel specialists know. During this bike tour, our local guide will take you to all the interesting places in the city and out of the city where you'll find yourself surrounded by the strong aromas of fresh, spicy chillies. In the evening you can enjoy the local specialities in one of the many restaurants. On our first night we went to the Peranakan Restaurant close to the hotel where they serve the typical Baba Nyonya dishes, an aromatic mix of Malaysian and Chinese cuisine.

Day 4 - Malacca

After a local breakfast you can spend the fourth day of your Malaysia holiday exploring Malacca. Try a sightseeing boat trip along the Malacca River past colonial Dutch houses, boat wharfs and colourful markets. The boat leaves every hour between 10am – 2pm as soon as the boat’s full. Tickets are available at the tourist office for around 10 Ringgits.

A great way to see take in all the sights in Malacca is by trishaw. Theses typically Asian ‘taxi-bikes’ are a tourist attraction in themselves; elaborately decorated with flowers, tinsel and trinkets. For many of the less well-off Malaccans, these ornate trishaws are an essential source of income. Malacca has a rich colonial past, which you can tell by the many historical Dutch and British buildings like the Dutch Heritage Tour, Christ Church, the Old Post Office Building, Stadthuys (Town Hall), St Paul’s Hill, A’Famosa, the Independence Memorial and the Maritime Museum. In the evening you'll be spoilt for choice again with the many restaurants.

Malaysia holiday - Try the local delicacies

Day 5 - Malacca - Kuala Lumpur

Travel time: 2.5 hours

On day five of your holiday in Malaysia, you can enjoy another tasty breakfast at your hotel before taking a taxi to the bus station where you'll board a bus to the bustling capital of Malaysia. No Malaysia holiday would be complete without a visit to Kuala Lumpur. Like most Asian cities, 'KL' is enormous, but still surprisingly small-scale and easy to get around. A few top attractions you don't want to miss during your stay are the world's highest towers, the Petronas Towers, the neo-colonial Anglo-Moor style train station and the hyper modern Masjid Negara-mosque. We've selected a hotel in the heart of Chinatown. In the evening you can wander straight into the night market where you can buy everything from bags and sunglasses to beautifully carved Chinese chopsticks. You won't have any trouble finding a good place to eat in Chinatown.

Day 6 - Kuala Lumpur

If you want to go somewhere a bit quieter on your second day in Kuala Lumpur, you could pay a visit to the Bird Park. You’d almost think you’re in the heart of the jungle surrounded by tropical birds flying through the trees above your head. The park also has a great restaurant for lunch; try the Nasi Lemanak. Kuala Lumpur has plenty for the adventurous traveller, from fast-food restaurants to huge air-conditioned shopping malls where you can spend all that holiday cash burning in your pocket. In the evening you can try one of the Thai, Chinese, Indian or Malaysian restaurants in the area. If you want to try some real authentic Malaysian food during your this Malaysia holiday, make sure you try one of the food stalls. Sitting on the pavement, you can soak up the atmosphere as you try some of the most amazing dishes you’ve ever tasted.

Malaysia holiday - Take the Monorail in Kuala Lumpur

Day 7 - Kuala Lumpur - Taman Negara National Park

Travel time: 6 hours

This morning at 8.00am you'll catch the luxury bus from China Town to the small village of Kuala Tembeling, a 3 hour drive. At the head office of Kuala Tembeling you’ll be asked to fill in your personal details for your pass (RM1) to the Taman Negara National Park. You’ll need to pay extra for your camera too (RM5). We suggest packing a small bag or rucksack with the essentials for the next two days and leaving the rest of your luggage at the office in the port. We thought it was very handy, but remember leaving luggage is at your own risk.

Next on your Malaysia holiday, you'll head onto a wooden jungle boat for a beautiful boat trip along the Sungai Tembeling river. As you pass the densely overgrown river banks you’ll get a good impression of the Malaysian jungle. After about 3 hours the boat will moor at the jetty of your luxury resort where you’ll be staying during your visit to Taman Negara.

In the evening there’s a video presentation about the National Park if you’re interested. The resort has an excellent (buffet) restaurant, but you can also head across the river to one of the floating restaurants in Kuala Tahan.

Day 8 and 9 - Taman Negara National Park

This morning you can enjoy a bit of a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Over the next few days of your Malaysia holiday you'll be exploring the world's most ancient rainforest as you continue your Malaysia trip. There are several activities and excursions organised by the resort. Go in search of thrill and adventure, or enjoy another relaxing boat trip. Every morning at 9.30am you can go on a Canopy and Jungle Walk together with a local guide you’ll head into the dense jungle for the canopy walk; a suspending walkway that wind through the jungle treetops. From 30ft up you’ll get a completely different perspective of the rainforest around you. The walk takes around 3 hours so in the afternoon you can relax back at the resort and recover from the tropical heat and exercise.

Later on you could choose to go rafting or visit a local village of the Orang Asli tribe, Malaysia’s indigenous inhabitants, or even enjoy on a sunset cruise. For dinner head to the excellent hotel restaurant, or cross the river to one of the riverside restaurants in Tahan. Daily at 8pm there’s a night walk from the resort. We thought it was quite a thrill walking through the jungle in pitch dark to spot animals and plants that only come out at night…

If you are interested in completing the Canopy walk and jungle night safari excursions during your stay, then pleased ask one of our Malaysia travel specialists and they can include these into your Malaysia holiday itinerary for you.

Day 10 - Taman Negara - Cameron Highlands

Travel time: 5.5 hours

It's day ten of your Malaysia holiday and after breakfast you'll take the boat across the river where you'll find your driver waiting. From here, your Malaysia holiday continues to the Cameron Highlands, roughly 5 hours' drive. Following a beautiful route into the hills you’ll notice the temperature gradually begins to drop the higher you get. In the afternoon you'll arrive in Tanah Rata where you'll be staying in a colonial styled hotel. Once you’ve checked in you can take a look around town and visit some of the little souvenir shops. In the evening you can stay in the hotel for dinner or head into town to try one of the local dishes like the ‘steamboat’ a kind of Cantonese fondue in the Restaurant Mayflower.

Day 11 - Cameron Highlands

On the eleventh day of this Malaysia holiday, there is an optional excursion to the tea fields on the agenda. If you are interested in completing the tea excursion during your stay, feel free to ask one of our Malaysia travel specialists and they can include the tour into your Malaysia holiday itinerary for you.

If you would like to take part in this, you'll be picked up at your hotel around 9am and taken to one of the largest tea plantations in Malaysia, the Boh Tea Estate. Afterwards you and your guide will head out into the Mossy Forest, so you may want to wear decent walking shoes or sandals today. After visiting the tea factory (which is closed on Mondays) and learning all about the process of making tea, you'll have a picnic lunch at a lovely spot on the Boh Tea Estate. During your lunch stop you can choose to visit the tea shop to taste a wide variety of teas while enjoying the view of the endless terraces of the tea fields. After a while you'll return to the hotel and during the ride back, you'll visit a butterfly garden (entrance fee to be paid locally). Here, you'll find literally hundreds of colourful tropical butterflies fluttering around.

Day 12 - Cameron Highlands - Penang

Travel time: 4 hours

You'll start day twelve of your Malaysia holiday with a tasty breakfast in your hotel among the tea plantations. Later you'll be picked up by your driver and transferred to Georgetown on the cultural island of Penang. During this part of your Malaysia holiday you'll stay in our special stay hotel in the heart of Georgetown within walking distance of all the sights. The hotel restaurant serves some great Malaysian food, but if you want to head into town, we can recommend the Dragon King within walking distance of the hotel.

You can try some of the best Nyonya dishes in Georgetown here. Nyonya is an aromatic mix of Chinese and Malaysian cuisine. And while we're on the subject of food, make sure you grab a bite at one of the food stalls. You'll find quite a few at the 'Datuk Keramat Hawker Centre', which is also known as 'Padang Brown'. You'll often find a typical night market here as well. Be sure to ask your hotel's concierge when these markets take place, it differs from time to time.

Day 13 - Penang

If you want to see everything Penang has to offer (and there's plenty), we suggest getting up a bit early on day thirteen of your Malaysia holiday. There are several ways to travel around Penang; besides local buses there’s a free shuttle hop-on hop-off service to all the major sights, very useful if you want to visit other places outside Georgetown. Within Georgetown (where you'll also be staying) you can take a trishaw to get about, or if you would like to hire out a bike, take a trishaw to the Swiss Hotel on Lebuh Chulia where you can hire out a bike for around £3 a day. You can then cycle your way around the city, anywhere you want at your own pace. If you want to do a trishaw city tour, our Malaysia travel specialists can pre-arrange this for you. It's a fun and typically Malaysian way of getting round the city and taking in all the sights.

To make your stay in Penang extra memorable, we offer our guests a stay in our beautiful special stay accommodation. You'll be spending your time in a 19th century Chinese mansion, which is now a UNESCO listed building. If you'd like to spend more time relaxing rather than sightseeing, check out our beach accommodation, especially fun if you're travelling with children. Penang has lots of beaches, though admittedly they're not the best in Malaysia. They're still great for a quick dip in the morning, then spending the afternoon wandering along the historic temples.

Day 14 - Penang - Langkawi

Travel time: 2 hours

In the morning, you'll continue your Malaysia holiday as you take a taxi from your hotel to Georgetown harbour, where you'll catch the boat to Langkawi. One of the most popular islands of Malaysia, Langkawi has lots of beautiful beaches, with plenty to see and do. During this part of your Malaysia holiday, you could pay a visit one of the museums, take a cable car to the top one of the highest mountains on the west coast, or explore the marine life. You won't find the picture postcard beaches of the east coast islands, but you'll find lots more to do here, with a good choice of both lively and deserted beaches. Well known for its great restaurants, Langkawi's beach restaurants are particularly enjoyable, as you can tuck into freshly grilled fish, with your bare feet in the sand as the sun sets, colouring the sky pink and orange...

During this part of your Malaysia holiday, you'll stay in one of our favourite guesthouses right in Pantai Cenang Beach, one of the more popular beaches on Langkawi. If you're looking for a bit more comfort and quiet, we can also offer you a luxury resort. For something a bit more special, check out our Special Stay. You'll be staying in your own private Malaysian cottage in the middle of the rice paddies. Whether it's cosy, comfortable or special, you'll certainly enjoy the last few days of your Malaysia trip lazing on Langkawi.

Days 15 - 17 - Langkawi

The next few days of your Malaysia holiday are for you to spend as you like. Whether its sun and sea or the island activities you're looking for, you certainly won't get bored. For a bit of outdoor activity, head to the west side to Pantai Kok where you'll find the Telaga Tujuh, or 'Seven Wells' where you can go follow a hiking trail to a waterfall that crashes down 330ft into seven small pools. For a real thrill, try the 'air trekking experience' (approximately £26), a challenging adventure course high above the ground. Further south is the Langkawi Bird Paradise (admission approximately £3). During your stay on Langkawi, you could also visit the Underwater World in Pantai Cenang, one of the largest aquariums in Asia.

If you want to experience the real underwater world up close during your Malaysia holiday, you can hire a snorkelling kit at most of the beaches and go on a boat trip to one of the nearby tropical islands. You can also book a trip to Pulau Payar Marine Park for some excellent diving.

Malaysia holiday - Pulau Payar Marine Park

Day 18 - Langkawi - Kuala Lumpur

Langkawi is the last destination of your Malaysia holiday. Your flight from Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur departs late in the afternoon, so you'll have plenty of time to spend in the sun or enjoying your last lunch on the beach. In the afternoon you'll arrange for a taxi to pick you up at your hotel and take you to Langkawi Airport. The flight to Kuala Lumpur takes about 1 hour.

Our Malaysia travel specialists will try to book an international flight for you on Malaysia Airlines so that your domestic flight from Langkawi can be added to your flight itinerary and will be operated by the same airline. If there are no seats available on Malaysia Airlines, we'll book a separate domestic flight for you on Air Asia. Once you reach Kuala Lumpur, you'll fly on to London, where you'll arrive early the next morning.

If you don't want your tropical adventure to end just yet, you might want to travel on to one of islands of southern Thailand. Just let our friendly travel specialists know on your quote request form, or check out our tours in Thailand.

Click here for the quote request form

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