For couples who want to have the best of both worlds, Malaysia might be the perfect honeymoon destination. Malaysia is undeniably a melting pot of different cultures. It is a country where the modern world meets with the exotic atmosphere of Southeast Asia. The country consists of two regions; one is the Malaysian Peninsula and the other one is East Malaysia, also called as the Malaysian Borneo. Both of these two regions are home to countless natural wonders, rich wildlife, cultural sites and tourist attractions.
Table of Contents
- Honeymoon in Malaysia at a glance
- Honeymoon destinations in Malaysia
- Things to do in Malaysia on honeymoon
- Best time to visit Malaysia
- Useful information for Malaysia
Honeymoon in Malaysia at a glance
Capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpur, one of the most vibrant cities in entire continent of Asia full of character. Kuala Lumpur is a great city for shopping, sightseeing, partying and relaxing; where you can give your honeymoon a great start. Nevertheless, Kuala Lumpur is not the only reason spend your honeymoon in Malaysia. There are many exotic locations in Malaysia where golden beaches, blue waters and lush green rainforest meet with each other. Luxurious resorts are scattered across the beautiful beaches and islands of Malaysia. If you would like a little bit more privacy, you can rent a holiday villa with a private pool for a very good price in most of the touristic destinations.
Malaysia is a great choice for an unforgettable honeymoon because no matter where you go or where you stay in this beautiful country; you will get to taste many delicious dishes of the Malaysian cuisine, experience the colorful atmosphere of this multi-cultural country, meet with friendly Malaysian people and explore the wild life above the ground and under the sea.
Honeymoon destinations in Malaysia
Malaysia offers a lot of good options to spend your honeymoon and in terms of the value you get for your money, it’s one of the best places in the Southeast Asia. You can either plan a vacation with lots of exploring in the city and in the nature or you can just enjoy the sandy beaches to get rid of the post-wedding stress. If you are planning to spend your entire honeymoon in Malaysia, we suggest you to do a little bit of both as many other couples are doing.
Langkawi Islands, Tioman Island and Coastline of the Penang State are known as the popular beach holiday destinations in Malaysia where you can enjoy the sea, sun and sandy beaches.
Langkawi Islands are probably the most famous destination among all of them. Consisting of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, Langkawi is located just 30 km off the coast of northwestern Malaysia, very close to Thailand. Lush green tropical rainforests, limestone cliffs, white sand beaches and emerald waters of the Andaman Sea makes Langkawi a perfect place to spend your honeymoon. When it comes to accommodation; Langkawi has plenty of options from high-end 5 star resorts to Airbnbs.
On the south of Langkawi, Penang State is also a very popular destination, known for its rich heritage and architecture, its vibrant multicultural society, a wide range of modern entertainment and retail facilities and natural wonders such as beaches and hills. Penang cuisine is very famous and thanks to its multicultural heritage; Penang is often called the food capital of Malaysia. Today, Penang’s capital city George Town is renowned for its diverse street food and the city has been named as one of the best food destinations several times.
Borneo Island and Cameron Highlands are must see destinations for those who want to leave the urban life behind and enjoy the spectacular nature. Cameron Highlands is the largest hill station area in Malaysia. This area located approximately 200 km north of Kuala Lumpur with an altitude which starts from 1300 meters and rises up to 1829 meters is a cool getaway from the tropical climate for Malaysian people. Lush green hills, tea plantations, flower gardens and picturesque mountains in Cameron Highlands offer breathtaking sceneries. If you have enough time, Cameron Highlands is definitely worth visiting during your honeymoon. After you hit the beaches and soaked up the sun, you can visit this area to enjoy the cooler climate.
East Malaysia or Malaysian Borneo is located on the island of Borneo, which is the world’s third largest island. The landscape of Malaysian Borneo is mostly consisting of lowland rain forests with areas of mountain rain forest towards the hinterland. Borneo Island has a worldwide reputation as having an incredible biodiversity. Borneo is one of two places on Earth (Sumatra is the other) where tigers, rhinos, orangutans, and elephants live together and still be seen in the wild. Borneo has a lot of natural wonders under the sea as well and it is home to some of the best diving spots in the world.
Finally, bustling capital city Kuala Lumpur offers more than you expect from a modern city with its world famous temples, caves and lots of landmarks. Kuala Lumpur is the cultural and financial center of Malaysia and one of the most important cities in the entire continent of Asia. However, Kuala Lumpur is more than just a modern city with a rich and colorful history. It’s a great destination to experience a unique culture, explore famous landmarks, taste incredible foods and do some shopping.
To find the perfect place for your honeymoon and create your itinerary in Malaysia, you can take a look at the resorts within your budget and decide on what types of activities that you are looking for.
Things to do in Malaysia on honeymoon
- Observing Kuala Lumpur from above at the Petronas Twin Towers
- Exploring Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur
- Exploring Kuala Lumpur city centre and the KLCC Park
- Taking the Langkawi SkyCab to visit Panaroma Langkawi Sky Bridge
- Exploring the Kinebalu Park and Mount Kinebalu on the island of Borneo
- Exploring Gugung Mulu National Park which is home to one of the most spectacular cave systems in the world
- Hiking and trekking through the lush green landscapes of Malaysia
- Trying various water sports
- Visiting mosques and temples across the country
- Booking a day tour in Malacca City
- Visiting the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in the state of Sabah
- Exploring the Genting Highlands
Best time to visit Malaysia
Like many other countries in the Southeast Asia, Malaysia offers warm temperature year round with occasional tropical rain showers. However, since the country consist of 2 regions; the Malaysian Borneo on the East and the Peninsular Malaysia on the West, best time to visit Malaysia depends on where you want to go. In addition, in the Peninsular Malaysia East Coast and the West Coast have different climates. In short, we can summarize the best periods to visit Malaysia as follows:
Malaysian Borneo: From June till the end of August is the best time but this period is the peak season with lots of crowds and higher prices. If you are on a budget you can visit the Malaysian Borneo in the shoulder months April and October with lower prices for hotels and plane tickets. December and January are the wettest months with heavy rainfall.
Peninsular Malaysia – East Coast: From April till September is the best time to visit the East Coast. Tioman Islands and Perhantians are the most popular regions on the East Coast. March and September/Early October are shoulder months with less crowd and cheap prices. From November to till the end of February, East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia experience wet season with rain showers.
Peninsular Malaysia – West Coast and Islands: Unlike the East Coast, winter months of December January and February are the best months to visit the West Coast. From November to April is the dry season in the West Coast with least amount of rainfall. During the summer months, sudden but short rainfalls occur in the West Coast. September and October are usually the wettest months but the chance of experiencing a severe rainstorm in Penang and Langkawi is very rare. Like many other tourists, you can visit the West Coast during the mid season from April to August. While there will be occasional rains, the weather will be pleasant in general and you can find great deals in this period.
Useful information for Malaysia
- Official language is Malay in Malaysia but there are more than enough people living in urban areas and major touristic destinations can speak English.
- The Malaysian Ringgit is the local currency in Malaysia. You can find ATM machines in the bigger cities and famous tourist spots. When you are using cash, don’t accept RM500 and RM1000 denominations because they are demonetized. Some of the small merchants and street vendors don’t always accept credit cards; therefore you should always carry a little bit cash with you.
- In general, tipping is not common across Malaysia, most people won’t expect you to tip but some restaurants include a service charge in the bill.
- Although Malaysia is a modern county, certain areas of the country are conservative. Therefore, you may need to wear modest outfits in some places. If you are planning to visit lots of temples or spend time in rural areas, you may need to dress a little bit conservatively. Some temples might ask you to cover your legs and hair as well; therefore bringing a scarf or a pashmina is always a good idea.
- Generally the tap water is not that bad. However, depending on your location, you may encounter with rusty pipes and water with bad taste and odor. We suggest you to always prefer bottled water which is a lot safer and tastes better. Also, bottled water is not expensive in Malaysia.
- Bring an umbrella or a lightweight rain jacket and a pair of comfortable shoes for hiking and sightseeing. You may want to bring water-proof backpack or a dry bag to protect your camera and other electronics from rain.
- Bring a mosquito repellent with you.