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- 9 hours ago
11 things we wish we knew before visiting Malaysia, from the cities and food to the islands, costs, weather and cultural surprises that made this trip stand out. After several weeks traveling through Kuala Lumpur, George Town, Batu Caves and beyond, the experience completely changed what they expected from a Malaysia itinerary.
George Town became the clear favorite thanks to its walkable streets, street art, multicultural atmosphere and unforgettable food, while Kuala Lumpur stood out for feeling more modern and developed than expected. The trip also covers Grab transport tips, airport pickup frustrations, how much things cost, why an eSIM made travel easier, and why Malaysia felt especially easy for English-speaking visitors. Along the way, the video also touches on religion, festivals, humidity, island travel and why Batu Caves is worth the climb.
If you are planning a Malaysia trip, looking for Malaysia travel tips, or comparing Southeast Asia destinations like Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines, this guide offers a practical first-hand overview. It is especially useful for travel planning, city breaks, island hopping, budget travel and anyone curious about Malaysian food, culture and transport.
SEO: Malaysia travel guide, Malaysia travel tips, George Town, Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves, Malaysian food, Grab tips, island travel, budget travel in Malaysia, Southeast Asia itinerary, travel planning, first-hand travel advice, English-friendly destinations, multicultural travel experiences.
George Town became the clear favorite thanks to its walkable streets, street art, multicultural atmosphere and unforgettable food, while Kuala Lumpur stood out for feeling more modern and developed than expected. The trip also covers Grab transport tips, airport pickup frustrations, how much things cost, why an eSIM made travel easier, and why Malaysia felt especially easy for English-speaking visitors. Along the way, the video also touches on religion, festivals, humidity, island travel and why Batu Caves is worth the climb.
If you are planning a Malaysia trip, looking for Malaysia travel tips, or comparing Southeast Asia destinations like Thailand, Indonesia or the Philippines, this guide offers a practical first-hand overview. It is especially useful for travel planning, city breaks, island hopping, budget travel and anyone curious about Malaysian food, culture and transport.
SEO: Malaysia travel guide, Malaysia travel tips, George Town, Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves, Malaysian food, Grab tips, island travel, budget travel in Malaysia, Southeast Asia itinerary, travel planning, first-hand travel advice, English-friendly destinations, multicultural travel experiences.
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TravelTranscript
00:00We just had an incredible trip to Malaysia. It was absolutely amazing. So in today's video we
00:05want to share with you 11 things we wish we knew before traveling to Malaysia. Okay so this was
00:11technically our second time in Malaysia but we're not really counting our first visit because it was
00:16pretty much during COVID and we're only in KL for about five days and both of us were sick. So
00:23this was kind of like our first ever real trip to Malaysia and it felt a lot different than what
00:28we
00:28had expected. We expected it to be much more similar to Thailand would you say? Yeah yeah. But uh there's
00:35a few things that stand out. It feels more developed. It feels like there's um a lot more wealth especially
00:42in Kuala Lumpur and it definitely feels more multicultural and we'll get into that a little
00:46bit later. It has its own unique identity and it's not as touristy as Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines
00:55and Vietnam. So one thing that really surprised us was Georgetown. We absolutely fell in love with
01:00this city. So unique, so much street art. The buildings were incredible. It was a very walkable
01:07place. Just very multicultural. The food was 10 out of 10. Like that's what most people go there for
01:13and we understood why. And it just had so much character and there was so much to see. Like it
01:17was the easiest place for us to film because like everywhere I looked there was something aesthetically
01:22pleasing. Literally. I loved it. Yeah it was a really really fun place to go to. We rode
01:27a pedicab around and got to see all the different famous street art. It was just incredibly affordable
01:33as well. We also headed down to the jetty. There's generations of Chinese families that have lived
01:38there for hundreds and hundreds of years.
01:41Mochi. Mochi. Mochi.
01:44Mochi.
01:45Mochi.
01:46Mochi.
01:46Very yummy.
01:47I don't know what it is but I'll try it.
01:49Very yummy.
01:50Mochi.
01:51Mochi.
01:51You sold us.
01:53Mochi.
01:54Mochi.
01:55Mochi.
01:56Mochi.
01:56Mochi.
01:57Mochi.
01:58Mochi.
01:59Very yummy.
02:01Hello.
02:02What do you eat?
02:03Yeah.
02:03Mochi.
02:04Mochi.
02:05Mochi.
02:06Mochi.
02:07Mochi.
02:07Very good.
02:08Very good.
02:09My house.
02:11Mochi.
02:12Mochi.
02:12My house.
02:17Mochi.
02:18Very yummy.
02:19Looks like.
02:20And what is this?
02:21Sikirai.
02:22This one peanut.
02:23Peanut.
02:23Peanut.
02:24Very yummy.
02:25Mochi.
02:26Peanut and sticky rice.
02:27Very good.
02:28Very good.
02:30Okay.
02:30Very good Mochi.
02:31Very good.
02:32Okay.
02:36Sticky rice.
02:37Oh.
02:37Happy nuts.
02:38Oh.
02:38Very yummy.
02:41Mmm.
02:41Very yummy.
02:42Very yummy.
02:43Yeah.
02:44And just a really unique place.
02:47And something that you have to check out before.
02:49Apparently it might be getting teared down soon unfortunately.
02:52But if you are heading to Georgetown that's definitely something you should check out.
02:56We really fell in love with that city.
02:58If you are going to be staying in Georgetown we do recommend staying at Campbell House.
03:03That's where we stayed.
03:04It was a central location and it was just a 10 out of 10 experience.
03:08You didn't even want to go to Georgetown.
03:09I didn't.
03:10It wasn't on my list.
03:11I'm not a big city person.
03:13But it just.
03:13It had.
03:14It doesn't feel like a city.
03:15No.
03:16And it was just.
03:16Like it wasn't overwhelming either.
03:19And I.
03:19Yeah.
03:20I fell in love with it.
03:21I was really skeptical that I was going to enjoy my time there.
03:24And I really really did.
03:25So if it's not on your list.
03:26Definitely add it.
03:27Okay.
03:28The food is worth visiting Malaysia on its own.
03:30And everyone probably knows this.
03:32You've probably heard about Malaysian food.
03:34But once you get there and actually realize how great it is.
03:38Like the street food culture there is incredible.
03:40And then there's like Michelin star restaurants as well.
03:44And because it's a multi multicultural country.
03:47You've got like a blend of Malay, Indian and Chinese food.
03:52All put into one.
03:54And some of our favorite dishes we tried were roti canai for breakfast.
03:58We highly recommended this.
04:00So good.
04:00I'm craving it right now.
04:02Shout out to actually the staff at Campbell House in Georgetown.
04:05We wouldn't have known about any of this food.
04:07As soon as we arrived, they basically gave us like a list.
04:09Of food to try.
04:11The Penang Laksa.
04:12We tried that.
04:13That was amazing.
04:14And then.
04:15Oh, I'm going to butcher this one.
04:18Cha Kui Tiao.
04:19Tiao.
04:20This is like almost too good.
04:22Yeah.
04:23You're just getting a map out.
04:28Cha Kui Tiao.
04:32It's yours.
04:33Okay.
04:35It's um.
04:37It's um.
04:38It's um.
04:39And um.
04:41It's um.
04:42It's um.
04:49It's um.
04:50It's not really spicy.
04:51No.
04:52It's very dark too.
04:59Yeah.
05:00Yeah.
05:00Close.
05:00Maybe.
05:01Um.
05:02Very similar to a Pad Thai, but would you say like not as sweet?
05:07I don't know.
05:08Just like slightly different, like not the same, but similar to Pad Thai for sure.
05:12And just delicious, like easy grab food and pretty much available anywhere.
05:18And.
05:19You could have it any time of day.
05:21Yeah.
05:22That's just a few dishes like Penang curry.
05:24Obviously that's one of my favorite dishes.
05:26Um.
05:26I was really stoked to try a Penang curry in Penang and it was incredible.
05:30Uh.
05:31I think that our favorite though, was the Nazi Kanda.
05:35Yeah.
05:35Yeah.
05:35Which is like, if you've been to Indonesia, you've probably heard of Nazi champur.
05:39It's basically like a buffet style.
05:41So you go up to like this buffet and they serve it for you.
05:45You get rice and then you get to pick like what sort of meat you want.
05:48What sort of veggies and sides and everything.
05:51And they just put it all on a plate together.
05:53Um.
05:54I believe it's halal food.
05:55We went to the oldest one in Georgetown called Hamadiyah.
05:58I believe it was called.
05:59And it was so affordable and really delicious.
06:02And the portions were just massive, like huge.
06:05Like you could share one portion between the two of you easily.
06:09We didn't.
06:10But we could have.
06:12That's a good point in Malaysia.
06:14Um.
06:14Don't over order.
06:15Like.
06:16I know some places you go like maybe Japan or whatever.
06:19Maybe you need to order a bunch of dishes.
06:21Like.
06:22Just order a little bit at a time in Malaysia because they kind of give you so much food.
06:26Yeah.
06:26We found grabs to be surprisingly difficult compared to other countries we visited.
06:31Especially in KL and in Penang.
06:34It was really hard first of all to get a grab.
06:37It took a long time for a grab to come.
06:39We found ourselves waiting on the side of the road in Kuala Lumpur for like over 30 minutes.
06:44Maybe even 40 minutes during not quite peak hour but around peak hour.
06:49They were quite strict about what sort of grab we were ordering especially from the airport.
06:53So we ordered grabs from the airport I think twice.
06:57Three times while we were in Malaysia.
06:59And every time we ordered a six seater.
07:01And there was two adults plus our baby.
07:03And we both had one suitcase each.
07:06And a carry on each.
07:07And every time they.
07:08The grab driver got a little bit upset with me.
07:11And I ended up asking the hotel staff where we were staying.
07:15If I'm doing the wrong thing.
07:16Because it says on grab this is what we're supposed to order.
07:19And he said yeah no you're doing the right thing.
07:20But they got annoyed with me every time.
07:23And one guy even told me like explicitly like you've ordered the wrong grab.
07:27You need to order a six seater plus or something.
07:31Even though it said on the grab that we had the right one.
07:34I just found it to be much more strict.
07:37And definitely more difficult to get.
07:39Yeah and I didn't really see any grab bikes anywhere.
07:42No.
07:42And they were a bit more picky about like where they could pick you up and things.
07:46So you had to be more selective about your pickup points.
07:48Which was tough for us like carrying a baby around.
07:51So it's just something to keep in mind.
07:53And probably plan ahead for your grabs.
07:55Yeah and if you're gonna plan ahead.
07:56Like we actually.
07:57We got stuck on the side of the road.
07:59Outside of a market.
08:00With a sleeping baby.
08:01For about 45 minutes waiting on a grab.
08:03I had to cancel and reorder like five times.
08:06Luckily though we had an eSIM.
08:09Which I can't stress this enough.
08:10If you're going to Malaysia.
08:12Get an eSIM.
08:12Because if we were just relying on like Wi-Fi.
08:16Or just figuring it out.
08:17We would have been on the side of the road all night.
08:20Literally.
08:20We didn't see any taxis driving past.
08:22So we were relying solely on grab.
08:24We got an air low eSIM.
08:26Before we arrived to Malaysia.
08:28We activated it.
08:29So as soon as we got out of KL Airport.
08:31I ordered a grab.
08:32We then got dropped off at the wrong building.
08:34In our Airbnb.
08:35Hi Lola.
08:36And we were able to contact the Airbnb manager.
08:39Using our air low eSIM.
08:41So if you want to use air low.
08:42We're going to put a QR code up on the screen.
08:45As well as a link in the description.
08:47And you can use code Lloyd and Mandy.
08:49For 15% off your first eSIM.
08:52Highly recommend air low.
08:53We topped it up as well.
08:54During the trip.
08:55Using the app.
08:56Which is something really unique.
08:57That other eSIM companies don't offer.
08:59Yeah it's so handy.
09:00Like in comparison to all the other eSIMs.
09:02We've used a lot of eSIMs.
09:03This is definitely our favorite.
09:05And the one that we recommend the most.
09:06So Malaysia offers incredible value.
09:09We were just blown away by.
09:11The affordability of the food.
09:13And the quality of it.
09:15And also the quality of the accommodation.
09:18For you know.
09:20What you could get for your money.
09:21It went really far.
09:23And we were just really pleased.
09:24Like you can spend a longer period of time there.
09:27If it's not such an expensive place.
09:29And then you can splurge your money other places.
09:32Especially right now.
09:33With flights being quite expensive.
09:34To pretty much anywhere in the world.
09:36Having a location that is a bit more affordable.
09:39On your bank account.
09:41Once you're there.
09:42Is you know.
09:44Priceless.
09:45Yeah and that goes for everything.
09:46Like accommodation.
09:47Food.
09:48Super cheap.
09:49Like we went to the markets.
09:50And spent a couple of dollars.
09:51On dinner.
09:52A few times.
09:53It was incredible.
09:54And transport.
09:55Super affordable as well.
09:57I think a grab from KL Airport.
09:59To our Airbnb.
10:00Which was almost an hour.
10:03Cost less than 20 bucks.
10:04Yeah.
10:05Pretty good.
10:05And we just.
10:06We think that it's not really somewhere that.
10:09Is talked about enough with that.
10:11Thailand and Indonesia.
10:13Obviously come up quite a bit.
10:14But.
10:15Add Malaysia to that list.
10:16Because it is.
10:17You know.
10:18On par.
10:18If not even better.
10:20I'd say it was cheaper than the Philippines.
10:23Yeah.
10:23Yeah.
10:24I looked at how much we spent.
10:25And it was cheaper than our trip to the Philippines.
10:27And the Philippines pretty cheap.
10:28So Malaysia is a Muslim country.
10:30But.
10:31They celebrate.
10:32Every religion there.
10:33Like they observe.
10:34Hindu holidays.
10:36Christian holidays.
10:37Buddhist holidays.
10:38As well as Muslim holidays.
10:40So while it's technically.
10:41A Muslim country.
10:42Um.
10:43They're very accepting.
10:44Of other religions.
10:46Which I really like.
10:46For example.
10:47They celebrate Chinese New Year there.
10:50Diwali is it called?
10:51Yeah.
10:51The big Hindu one.
10:52I think so.
10:53They celebrate that.
10:54At the Batu Caves.
10:55Which we'll actually talk about a bit later.
10:56That was amazing.
10:57They have a huge Hindu.
10:59And.
10:59Buddhist population there.
11:01As well as Muslims.
11:02All in all.
11:02For.
11:03A country.
11:04That.
11:05Is.
11:05A Muslim country.
11:07It just felt really inclusive.
11:09And accepting.
11:09So.
11:10We think the islands in Malaysia.
11:12Definitely deserve more attention.
11:13Because they absolutely are so beautiful.
11:15You know.
11:16When you think of islands.
11:17You think of Thailand.
11:18Or Indonesia.
11:19Or the Philippines.
11:19But you don't necessarily.
11:20Think of Malaysia.
11:23And.
11:23Wow.
11:23Were we blown away.
11:24By.
11:25The islands.
11:25And we didn't get to make it.
11:26To all of them.
11:27Because of the time of year.
11:28I believe it was wet season.
11:30On one half of the island.
11:31It was wet season.
11:32On the east coast.
11:34Yeah.
11:34And then on the west coast.
11:36It was dry season.
11:37Yeah.
11:37Which is weird.
11:37They got two.
11:39Different climates.
11:40On a really.
11:40Kind of a small.
11:41Piece of landmass.
11:42Yeah.
11:43Yeah.
11:43And it's less crowded.
11:45In many of the places.
11:46As well.
11:47Not as densely populated.
11:48Especially.
11:49We know.
11:49We've been to Boracay.
11:50In the past six months.
11:51And.
11:52If that was.
11:53The busiest island.
11:54In the Philippines.
11:55We've ever been to.
11:56It was nothing like that.
11:58Very mellow.
11:59And laid back.
12:00So if you're more of a.
12:01You know.
12:01Traveler.
12:02That doesn't like to be in.
12:03Heavily crowded areas.
12:05Definitely would suggest.
12:06Checking out islands.
12:07In Malaysia.
12:08It also features really beautiful beaches.
12:10And clear water.
12:11In a lot of places too.
12:12Yeah.
12:12So if you're going to Malaysia.
12:14I think a lot of people.
12:15Pass through Kuala Lumpur.
12:17And they spend a few days.
12:18Before heading off somewhere else.
12:20We highly recommend.
12:21Checking out the islands.
12:22Stay for a week.
12:22And actually experience.
12:24A different side of Malaysia.
12:26Than the big city.
12:28It was.
12:29So hot.
12:31And humid.
12:31In Malaysia.
12:32And we were coming from Cambodia.
12:34Which was in the peak.
12:35Of summer.
12:36And we were blown away.
12:37At how hot.
12:37Yeah.
12:37And we still noticed.
12:39The difference.
12:40Yeah.
12:40And maybe that was.
12:42Because we were traveling.
12:42With a baby.
12:44It was definitely.
12:45The time of year.
12:46That we were traveling there.
12:47Which was.
12:48May.
12:49But it was.
12:50Incredibly hot.
12:51And humid.
12:51So just be prepared.
12:53For that.
12:53If you're traveling.
12:54To Malaysia.
12:55Especially during.
12:56The warmer months.
12:57I think it's really close.
12:59To the equator.
13:00It gets.
13:01Ridiculously sticky.
13:02Like.
13:02If you leave the house.
13:03You're probably going to need.
13:04A spare shirt.
13:05If you're walking around.
13:06During the day.
13:07One thing we.
13:08Usually do.
13:09In places like that.
13:10Is.
13:11We'll go out.
13:11In the morning.
13:12Like.
13:12So either before.
13:13Or right after breakfast.
13:15And go do some sightseeing.
13:16Spend the middle of the day.
13:18In the hotel.
13:18Or by the pool.
13:20When it's hot.
13:21And then.
13:21Go back out.
13:22Late afternoon.
13:23As it's starting to cool down.
13:24Like.
13:25If you're trying to do.
13:26Some of the tourist attractions.
13:27In Penang.
13:28Or in KL.
13:29In the middle of the day.
13:30Like.
13:31You're really going to struggle.
13:32Yeah.
13:32Um.
13:34Lila's making faces.
13:36We weren't really sure.
13:37What to expect.
13:38With the Batuu Caves.
13:40You know.
13:41These.
13:41A lot of tourist attractions.
13:43You know.
13:44What are you doing?
13:45A lot of tourist attractions.
13:47You aren't 100% sure.
13:48If it's worth checking out.
13:49But we would 100% recommend.
13:51Checking out Batuu Caves.
13:52It was so impressive.
13:54Uh.
13:55I believe it's over 300 steps.
13:57I could be wrong about that.
13:58It is.
13:59We'll pop it on the screen.
14:00Lloyd had Lila on his back.
14:02So it was like.
14:03Quite a.
14:04Uh.
14:05Physical thing.
14:05For us to do it.
14:06And we still didn't regret.
14:08Doing it.
14:08At all.
14:09The cave is massive.
14:11We've seen so many caves.
14:12In our travels.
14:13In Thailand.
14:14And.
14:14All over the world.
14:15And it was the most spacious.
14:16Most impressive cave.
14:19It smelled amazing.
14:20There was incense inside.
14:22And they even had like.
14:23Trinket shops inside.
14:24As well as like.
14:26Full statues.
14:27And sculptures.
14:28And things.
14:28That you could.
14:29That told a full story.
14:30Of the history.
14:32Um.
14:32Of Hinduism.
14:33And.
14:34It was just.
14:35It was.
14:36Mind-blowing actually.
14:37Yeah.
14:38And.
14:38It's like a.
14:3925 minute drive.
14:41From KL city center.
14:43Which.
14:43I was expecting.
14:44When we got in the car.
14:45To be traveling.
14:46An hour.
14:47Because when you get there.
14:48It just feels like.
14:49You don't feel like.
14:50You're in Kuala Lumpur.
14:51Anymore.
14:52And.
14:52Our tour guide.
14:53Told us.
14:54That.
14:54Every year.
14:54They hold.
14:56The biggest.
14:56Hindu holiday.
14:57There.
14:57He said.
14:58There was like.
14:59Over a hundred.
14:59Thousand people.
15:00Gather.
15:01Yeah.
15:01In these caves.
15:02On the stairs.
15:03Just to.
15:04Celebrate their holiday.
15:05That'd be a really cool time.
15:06To visit as well.
15:07Yeah.
15:07If you're interested.
15:09In doing.
15:09That tour.
15:10We'll link it down.
15:11In the description.
15:12Because it was a.
15:13Really great tour.
15:14It also included.
15:15The Kenshin waterfall.
15:17Which we had no idea.
15:18Was so close.
15:19To the city as well.
15:20Like all of a sudden.
15:20We were just.
15:21In the jungle.
15:22And.
15:23We were like.
15:23What?
15:23We had no idea.
15:24This was here.
15:25And it gave us.
15:26Just a whole new.
15:26Perspective.
15:27On the city.
15:28So we really.
15:29Recommend that.
15:29We'll leave it.
15:30In the description.
15:31And you remember.
15:31The name of that.
15:32Canching waterfall.
15:33Good job.
15:33Yeah.
15:34Thanks.
15:34Thanks.
15:35The language barrier.
15:36Was.
15:37Pretty much.
15:38Non-existent.
15:39Everybody there.
15:40Speaks English.
15:41I guess because.
15:42It is.
15:43A former.
15:44English.
15:45Colony.
15:46Um.
15:47But then also.
15:47Like.
15:48The official language.
15:49Is Malay.
15:49Which is very similar.
15:50To Indonesian.
15:51So if you've been.
15:52In Indonesia.
15:53You will understand.
15:54How to say.
15:55Things like.
15:55Hello.
15:56And thank you.
15:56You.
15:57But.
15:57Every single person.
15:59We came across.
16:00Seemed to speak.
16:01Very good English.
16:01Didn't they?
16:02Yeah.
16:02I think also.
16:03It really helps.
16:03With having.
16:04The same.
16:05Like.
16:05Alphabet.
16:06We were coming.
16:07From Cambodia.
16:07That has.
16:08Their own.
16:09You know.
16:09Symbols.
16:10And letters.
16:11And that type of thing.
16:12So we found it.
16:13A lot easier.
16:19For us.
16:20English speaking.
16:21That's an easy.
16:22Way to.
16:23Get started.
16:24With.
16:26We were told.
16:27That most.
16:28Malaysians.
16:28When they're young.
16:29They learn.
16:30English in school.
16:30And you can.
16:31You can really feel that.
16:32And.
16:33It does feel like.
16:34Malaysia.
16:34Has.
16:35More Western amenities.
16:36Than somewhere.
16:37Like Thailand.
16:37And Vietnam.
16:38It just feels.
16:38A lot easier.
16:40As Westerners.
16:41To travel around.
16:42Yeah.
16:43Having to know.
16:43Like how to read.
16:44Signs.
16:45Or.
16:46Learn the language.
16:46And stuff like that.
16:47It felt a lot easier.
16:48Yeah.
16:48And I was really.
16:49Actually surprised by that.
16:50Cause.
16:50Yeah.
16:51No one had ever mentioned.
16:52And.
16:52We just weren't really sure.
16:53What to expect with that.
16:54So it was a nice surprise.
16:55We hope you guys.
16:56Found some value in this video.
16:57If you did.
16:58Don't forget to hit the like button.
17:00Hype the video as well.
17:01It really helps us out.
17:02Leave us a comment.
17:03If we've left anything out.
17:04We'd love to hear from local Malaysians.
17:06If you have suggestions.
17:07For tourists.
17:08Coming to your beautiful country.
17:10As always.
17:10Thank you so much for watching.
17:12And we will see you guys in the next video.
17:14Bye.
17:14If there's peace to I could find.
17:19Instead of always being on the ground.
17:23I need a new purpose.
17:26I'm looking for so much more.
17:29Don't leave me here searching.
17:32You're just what I'm longing for.
17:35Like.
17:42We'll see you guys in the next video.
17:44I'm gonna get back.
17:46I'm gonna get back.
17:50Let's do it.
17:50Bye.