It’s been almost a year I have not moved myself from work, from the usual life. And I was craving for another adventure. There were few choices from my travel wish list and I decided to explore a bit of Southeast Asia, and the obvious choice was Malaysia and Singapore. This article shares my travel experience of Malaysia and one of its beautiful Island Langkawi.

Why I chose Malaysia and Langkawi? 

It is a blend of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous groups, Malaysia holds a rich cultural heritage, from a huge variety of annual festivals and wonderful cuisines not to mention street foods, and to traditional architecture. There’s astonishing natural beauty to take in too, including gorgeous beaches and some of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest. which makes it one of the Asia’s’ best travel destination. And I did not regret my choice. 

Traveling to Malaysia and Langkawi-WHY I CHOSE MALAYSIA AND LANGKAWI

How to plan your trip to Malaysia and Langkawi? – Must have checklist 

There are few things you need to make sure you got them with you, you don’t want to miss your flight just because you forgot to bring your passport, don’t you? 

I planned my trip prior to a month, which made my life easier and cost effective. I had to: 

  • Get the visa 
  • Book my hotels 
  • Get flight tickets 
  • Arrange local transportation (pick up at the airport) 

And I had two choices. 

Visa, Transport and Hotel booking – do your own or hire someone to get it done for you 

You could do this on your own, and most experienced travellers do these by their own, but you need to do your research a bit more, sometimes you end up spending more time and money. In my case, I googled for “best holiday packages to Malaysia and Langkawi” and found a bunch of travel agents, sent them emails, chat with them on Facebook and gave them few calls. Finally, I decided to go with musafir.com since they had comparatively reasonable pricing and they customized the tour package to my needs. The agents were so supportive and informative. And I had to thank them for arranging my trip perfect as possible. 

Musafir Travels booked my Transportations, Hotels and arranged the entire tour. I only had to explore and enjoy.

Here is the link to Musafir travels Singapore and Malaysia holiday package

And my visa was arranged by Rayan Tours, which again convenient way to get your stuff done for you.

Money is everything – Get it exchanged from your country

Make sure you have some local currencies, the local shops and taxies may not accept USD’s, Cards or any other currencies, in most cases it is wise to get it changed in your country, in my case the beautiful Dubai, United Arab Emirates. 

And you can use any international credit or debit cards in most places, or you even can withdraw cash from an ATM, using a prepaid travel card such as GoCash is the best option for a hassle free journey. 

Why I chose GoCash – A smarter way to travel 

Rayan Tours is a pre-paid, reloadable, multi-currency travel card by UAE Exchange that offers an easy and secure way to carry your money in a foreign country.  

The Card offers a secure and convenient way to access foreign currencies. You can load the foreign currency of your choice of destination from the basket of multiple currencies. The different currency wallets in the card make it ideal for online shopping and travelling. 

And also, you can transfer currencies instantly from the GoCash app, as well as track your expenses. Travel Smart. 

Traveling to Malaysia and Langkawi-GET A LOCAL SIM CARD

Get a Local SIM Card – Stay connected and share on social media 

When you get out from the immigration, the first thing you should do is to get a tourist SIM card, you will get over 10GB of data and hand full of local, international call times.

Cost: 25 – 30 MYR 

Packing checklist – Check out this article for a detail list of things you need to pack.

Traveling to Malaysia and Langkawi-HOW TO GET AROUND IN MALAYSIA

How to get around in Malaysia? 

There are many ways of transportation, to travel around the city and Langkawi island, from Bike to Cable cars. Depends on your wishes.  

Rent a Car or Bike 

You can rent bikes or cars on daily basis, it is a convenient option if you are planning to stay for over a week or two since you might get lost in the city or the jungle. 😊 Ask assistance from your hotel to rent a car or bike. Or you can simply walk into a car rental near your hotel. You will find them everywhere. 

Uber or Taxi 

If you prefer a little convenient option, you can get a Taxi, but always watch out if they start the Taximeter. Or the best option is to get an Uber. Which is comparatively a cheaper option. 

Cost: 10 – 30 MYR 

Where to stay – Which star you want? 

You can book a hotel from any of the international hotel booking application, such as Booking.com, Trivago.com or MakeMyTrip.com, the hotel price ranges from 150AED – 2000AED depends on your desires. For me a simple 3 Star hotel room was perfect enough, a single guy does not need luxury ha…

Traveling to Malaysia and Langkawi-WHAT TO EAT

What to eat – forget your diet, from street to sea, everything is food here 

Trust me everything here is edible, you will find restaurants on every corner for the street, you can try different types of food, Malay, Chinese, Indian or even a blend of those. If ever you happen to stay in Langkawi do not forget to visit the Night Market, it’s the best place to try the local street foods. 

I lost my self in the Night Market that I had to find me back – that was my Instagram story of that day. 

For Muslims or anyone who prefer Halal food, please approach the waiter and make sure the restaurant is Halal, or you have to look for the Halal sign in the hotel or the restaurant. 

Cost: 1 – 10 MYR Traveling to Malaysia and Langkawi-WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT 

What to do and what not 

Malaysia is a Muslim country, so the majority of the population is Muslim, even though it is a popular tourist destination, there are few rules to obey. 

You are not allowed to drink in public places, like restaurants, parks, beaches and tourist attractions. Before you get drunk make sure you are allowed. In some places even, smoking is not allowed. 

Beware of Monkeys – seems they learn a lot from us 

Especially in Langkawi island, you will encounter monkeys, beware they are waiting for you to come closer to them, to grab whatever possible. 

Malaysia is a beautiful country filled with nature and culture, let’s preserve it for the future generation to explore. And keep travelling.

#PreserveMalasiya #TravelGeek

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Check out the Best 6 places you should not miss to visit in Langkawi – (You will regret)

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