A trip to Malaysia and Borneo guarantees many beautiful impressions and diverse areas. Start in Kuala Lumpur, explore the tea plantations at Cameron Highlands, eat the best food in Penang, enjoy island life at the Perhentians and finally tour the jungle in Borneo. With this itinerary for Malaysia and Borneo in 3 weeks, you will have the tools to plan your trip in the best way possible so you can see a lot but also relax.
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Tip: The best travel time for Malaysia is from March to October. The other months are known to be very rainy in Malaysia and Borneo and you will often have pouring rain for several hours a day. Pay close attention to this when you want to travel to Malaysia and Borneo and follow this itinerary!
Kuala Lumpur: 4 days
How to get to Kuala Lumpur: From almost anywhere in the world, you can find direct flights to Kuala Lumpur. These tend to be expensive flights, though. If you go for the cheaper option, you often have a transfer in Jeddah, Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Check Skyscanner for flights and compare prices carefully!
Things to do in Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur is a truly global city. It has much to offer. On the first day, go out on a bike tour to discover the great spots in Kuala Lumpur. In addition, of course, make sure to visit the world-famous Petronas Towers and Batu Caves. Transportation in Kuala Lumpur is well organized with several subways and grabs taking you to all places in the city.
Besides the well-known hotspots in Kuala Lumpur, you will also find some lesser-known activities such as the Wilayah Mosque and the Thean Hou Temple. Check out the 15 best activities and tips in Kuala Lumpur here.
Accommodation in Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur is the best destination to book a fine accommodation with rooftop pool. The best hotels, which have a good location as well as a rooftop pool, are the Platinum Suite (which is still quite affordable) and Star Serviced. Are you a solo traveler looking for a nice hostel? Then the Mingle hostel is very nice, check our reviews on the 3 nicest hostels in Kuala Lumpur here.
Cameron Highlands: 2 days
How to get to the Cameron Highlands: from Kuala Lumpur, the bus ride to the Cameron Highlands takes about 5 hours. Bus tickets are very cheap: available from as little as €8. Book your tickets in advance on 12GO.Asia and pay close attention to which station you depart from. Often this is the TBS station in Kuala Lumpur. By subway from downtown Kuala Lumpur, it takes about half an hour to get to this station.
Things to do in the Cameron Highlands: the Cameron Highlands is a lot higher than the rest of Malaysia. As a result, there is a lovely cool climate. You will often still be able to wear shorts during the day but it cools down nicely at night. You come to the Cameron Highlands for the many tea plantations as well as for hiking. In fact, there are 14 wonderful hiking trails in the area.
Accommodation in the Cameron Highlands: the nicest and most social hostel in the Cameron Highlands is the Traveller Bunker Hostel. This hostel also has private rooms. Still looking for a hotel? Hillview Inn is a fine hotel with a good location a 5-minute walk from most restaurants. In addition, The Quintet Tower is a great hotel in the Cameron Highlands, which is also a 5-minute walk from the restaurants. At The Quintet Tower, you also have the option of renting a spacious apartment, convenient if you are traveling with a large family!
Penang: 3 days
How to get to Penang: From the Cameron Highlands catch a bus to Penang/Georgetown that takes about 5 hours. Be sure to book the bus at least 1 or 2 days in advance through 12GO.Asia because it sells out quickly.
Things to do in Penang: The island of Penang is best known for the city of Georgetown. Most travelers stay overnight in Georgetown because this is where most of the action is. Yet, the rest of Penang also has much to offer. Take a day on the motorbike to visit the beautiful Kek Lok Si Temple, visit Penang Hill and go hiking in Penang National Park.
In Georgetown, it is recommended to visit the Blue Mansion. Here you will learn more about the interesting history of this building. Also be sure to visit a rooftop bar and eat delicious food in Little India. Check out our 7 recommendations for Penang and Georgetown here. Penang, by the way, is known worldwide as the street food capital. You can eat fantastic food here so enjoy it to the fullest!
Accommodation in Penang: Most travelers spend the night in Georgetown and it is recommended. From Georgetown you can easily use the motorbike or Grab to visit the other highlight on Penang. Great Shanghai is a fine hostel in Georgetown with incredibly friendly owners. They recommend the best places to eat, you will eat SO extremely delicious with their recommendations! Lang Hoose, on the other hand, is a nice little hotel in a prime location: right in the middle of Georgetown. It is located in an old building with nice rooms, already available from €20 per night! OZO is a beautiful hotel with a rooftop pool and nice, luxurious rooms. The price per night is still quite affordable for such a nice hotel. Already available from €50 per night!
Perhentian islands: 4 days
Please note that from November to February, the Perhentians are closed due to the rainy season. You can ‘t go to the islands then. The island of Langkawi is a good substitute at this time to relax for 4 days. From Penang, you can easily take the bus and ferry to Langkawi. Because the Perhentian Islands are a lot more beautiful than Langkawi, we recommend it in this itinerary.
How to get to the Perhentian Islands: from Georgetown, grab a boat to Butterworth on the mainland for €0.30. You come out near the bus station where you can buy bus tickets directly for the 7-hour bus trip to Kuala Besut. These bus tickets cost about €8. The first buses often leave at 10:00 but it is advisable to check with the owner of your ho(s)tel. From Kuala Besut, boats leave for the Perhentian Islands. Unfortunately, the last boat leaves as early as 5 p.m. so sometimes you can just miss the boat. You can then spend a night in Kuala Besut to catch the first boat early the next morning. To avoid this, you can also take an overnight bus from Butterworth so that you arrive in Kuala Besut early in the morning.
Things to do on the Perhentian Islands: the Perhentians consist of two islands: Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil. Besar is the largest island with mostly (luxury) resorts. Kecil is the smaller island where you will find more backpackers and parties. You mainly come to the Perhentian Islands to relax on the beautiful beaches, swim, snorkel and dive. After all, there is a reason the Perhentians are also called the Maldives of Malaysia!
Accommodation on the Perhentian Islands: on Perhentian Kecil, Perhentian Chomel Chalet is a highly recommended place to stay. The staff is very friendly and books boats to beaches for a good price. On your doorstep you also have a great beach and the bars and restaurants are within walking distance. In addition, Perhentian AB Guesthouse is a good budget option. The rooms are good, clean and it is located in a local village.
On Perhentian Besar, the Tuna Bay Resort is a very nice stay on the beach with fine rooms and good food. Another good option is Suhaila Palace which is also on the beach and has good restaurants within walking distance.
Kota Kinabalu: 4 to 5 days
How to get to Kota Kinabalu: After relaxing on the Perhentians, it’s time to spend the last week of your trip exploring nature. From the Perhentians, take the boat back to the mainland. From here, take a bus or cab to Kota Bharu. From Kota Bharu catch a (direct) flight to Kota Kinabalu. For a list of all flights, check out Skyscanner.
Things to do in Kota Kinabalu: welcome to Borneo! You will spend the next few days exploring the beautiful nature here. From Kota Kinabalu you can climb the more than 4,000-meter-high Mount Kinabalu on a two-day hike, guaranteed to be a great (sporting) experience. Or do you opt for the multi-day tour through the jungle of the Deramakot Forest to spot wildlife? In any case, there are plenty of cool tours to do from Kota Kinabalu!
Accommodation in Kota Kinabalu: As a solo traveler, Homy Seafront is a great social hostel in Kota Kinabalu. The Horizon Hotel is a great option if you are traveling together, with a beautiful rooftop pool overlooking the sea. The last good hotel with a perfect location is A Residence.
Kinabatangan River: 3 days
How to get to the Kinabatangan River: From Kota Kinabalu, you can catch the 8-hour bus to Sandakan. It costs 46 RM (€10) per person (tip: read our experience with this bus here ). If you prefer not to spend so long on the bus, it is also possible to fly to Sandakan. The next day, the tour operator will pick you up in Sandakan/Sepilok and take you to Kinabatangan. So you have to spend one night in Sandakan/Sepilok. We recommend doing this at Jungle Camp Sepilok. This is a lovely stay, in the middle of nature and with a pool starting at €15 per night.
Doing in Kinabatangan River: you are going to spot a lot of wildlife here. During the 3D2N tour of the Kinabatangan River, you will take several cruises. You’ll spot lots of macaques, crocodiles and if you’re lucky even elephants and orangutans! This is a great end to your tour of Malaysia and Borneo. The tour includes accommodation, 3 meals per day and transportation to and from Sandakan/Sepilok.
Accommodation in Kinabatangan River: we booked our tour at Sukau Greenview and highly recommend it. The guide/ranger knows a lot about the animals and nature and is very enthusiastic. You can book a tour through the website that includes everything.
Back to Kuala Lumpur
Your wonderful tour has come to an end. From Sandakan, you will fly back to Kuala Lumpur and then to your home country. You can look back on a wonderful tour of Malaysia and Borneo!
Hopefully, through this itinerary for 3 weeks in Malaysia and Borneo, you have a better idea of how to fill your trip. Do you have any specific questions about this itinerary? Let us know in the comments below!
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