This beautiful southeast Asian country should be your next tropical adventure

Times

08-05-2025

Two decades ago I arrived in Malaysia as a backpacker on a tenner-a-day budget. I stayed on the Perhentian islands in the country's northeast; the setting was idyllic — soft white sand, turquoise waters. My accommodation, less so — it featured a shower that was just a hose, and a loo that was a hole in some floor tiles, and I shared my bed with a family of over-friendly cockroaches. I vowed to return one day, with more cash and better in-room company.
Twenty years later, hearing of the new direct British Airways flights from London to Kuala Lumpur (which launched in March), I did just that. Still cost-conscious, but in a more grown-up way, I was keen to swap £3-a-night huts for cool beach hotels and stylish city stays. My plan was to recalibrate my husband's and toddler's jet lag in Kuala Lumpur before travelling on to Penang island, then to skip off for the beaches of the 100-island archipelago of Langkawi. An easy hop from KL, it lies close to the border with Thailand, a country whose own hotel prices are soaring at the top end.
Though I'm more picky about my accommodation these days, I craved the same food I ate two decades ago — the cheap local eats that give a far better sense of a place than fancy restaurants. So in Kuala Lumpur we threw ourselves straight into discovering the hole-in-the-wall spots that serve curries and claypot bowls of rice, with flavours influenced by the country's mishmash of cultures. Most residents consider themselves Malay, Indian or Chinese, which is apparent in the mosques and Buddhist, Hindu and Chinese temples that exist here, and in the huge range of eating options.
Over our heads, the final touches were being made to the Merdeka 118, which, when it opens later this year, will be the second-tallest building in the world. At the top will be the new Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, one of several luxury hotels slated to open in the city, with the Waldorf Astoria soon following. If your wallet doesn't stretch, then the Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur, a restored 1930s mansion, is a glam £100-a-night alternative — its refreshing pool was a hit with all of us after hours venturing out in the city.
A 30-minute flight or four-hour drive north is Penang island. Some stay for its beaches, though they weren't the reason for my visit. I was there to eat my way through George Town, an easily walkable, Unesco-listed city that has a potent cocktail of exciting things to see and do. Colourful Chinese shophouses, tall and skinny yet deep (some of them 100ft long), sit shoulder-to-shoulder on raised pavements.
In the evening, we strolled between the night markets and hawker stalls that dot the central streets; in the day I lurched between restaurants with a list of dishes I wanted to try. Perching on a plastic stool with fans whirring overhead at Kedai Kopai Malabar I scoffed char kway teow — flat noodles fried with prawns and egg with a side of sweet nutmeg juice to drink (55 Kampong Malabar), before heading to a tiny restaurant, Penang Road Famous Laksa, for laksa noodle soup, which comes with its own slightly fishy spin and clear, instead of creamy, broth (5-7 Lebuh Keng Kwee). Each meal cost only a couple of pounds. The following morning we spent £1 between us on breakfast at a roadside stall, consisting of tarik, a sweet, milky Malaysian tea that's served hot or cold, and roti canai — flaky, fried flatbread with a surprisingly toddler-friendly dal or a slightly more spicy chicken curry. On another we opted for a more Malay-style breakfast of nasi lemak: sticky coconut rice, boiled egg and an eye-smarting spicy shrimp paste.
• The best of family travel
As we explored we took in the city, where exteriors of shophouses were covered in so much street art that there are self-guided walking tours dedicated to seeing it, from a steel-rod sculpture of where the city's famous son Jimmy Choo made his start to stencils of cats that my two-year-old loved seeking out. A few streets away I stood on a pavement and saw a Christian church, Hindu temple and Chinese temple all at once, and worshippers harmoniously criss-crossing roads to reach their chosen spot. Elderly men, their faces crinkled by decades of working in the sun, manned trishaws — three-wheeled bikes that whizz locals and tourists from A to B.
I loved George Town, and the aggressive much-needed air con of my £90-a-night boutique hotel, the George, but it was with some relief that, after a few days wilting in the heat, we flew to the main island of Langkawi in Malaysia's northwest corner. Things move at a slower pace there, especially compared with its Thai island neighbours, such as Koh Lipe, which is a 90-minute speedboat ride north. About 25,000 acres of Langkawi have been designated Geopark status by Unesco, which means that construction is clustered around several busy towns, and that high-rises are few and far between. Hotel building is very controlled, yet the island is still dotted with some of the best in southeast Asia, from ludicrously luxurious rainforest retreats to characterful antique Malay houses.
That it has a majority Muslim population means that this isn't a place for beach bars and nightlife. Instead, when people do drink it tends to be in their hotels (where even imported wine and spirits are cheap), and there's something quite satisfying about freeing yourself from evening plans and just slipping into the rhythm of where you're staying.
I was here to check out several hotels and at our first, the Four Seasons, we relaxed among its uplit palms and on its long beach. In my outdoor shower I soaped myself with jasmine-scented bubbles as the resident family of nine dusky leaf monkeys peered down at me from the top of the wall. I was close enough to see the softness of their grey fur and the wide eyes of their Tango-orange babies, who clutched on to their parents' tummies, oblivious to the fact that their home is one of the plushest and most peaceful pads on the continent.
Across the border, Thailand is still revelling in the TV glory of series three of the hit HBO series The White Lotus, shot at another of the brand's resorts. Inevitable price rises have followed with the subsequent increase in demand: this September, a two-bedroom residence at the Four Seasons Koh Samui (where the show was filmed), costs upwards of £4,000 a night, while its Four Seasons counterpart on Langkawi is similarly tropical but a comparative steal at £2,000 a night. That's at the upper end, but if you don't book a suite with a private pool (and there are plenty of other places to dip) you can get a smaller room here for £380 a night B&B — and still brag about staying at a Four Seasons.
Despite its sprawling villas, ponds and roster of things to do, the Four Seasons isn't even the swishest hotel on Langkawi. That would be the Datai, the island's most sustainable hotel, which opened some 30 years ago with stilted villas scattered across the rainforest. It's clear that many of the guests here have been returning ever since — they know what they like (loafers and red shorts and the lush, peaceful setting) and what they don't (my toddler). They eat breakfast in stoic silence before sunbathing on a ridiculously pretty beach, then dip in and out of upcycling workshops. Some of the island's best restaurants are in the hotel's grounds, such as the Pavilion, with its fiery Thai dishes, and Gulai House, where I devoured a rich beef rendang curry. You couldn't call the rooms at the Datai cheap at £500 a night, but for food this good, in a special setting, £17 for a main is a relative bargain.
Cash goes a little further at the Ritz-Carlton, towards the west of the island, which is luxurious yet unstuffy. Golf carts whizz around the resort with toddlers and teenagers riding up front, and children splash around on the beach (there are adult-only areas too). But it's the Danna hotel which turns out to be the most surprising luxury stay of my trip, with its huge pool — the biggest on the island — and happy guests that seem to be majority expat British families holidaying from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore. Huge, bright, charmingly old-fashioned rooms start from £250 a night — worth it for the breakfast buffet alone, with its freshly made pastries, dim sum, curries and perfect eggs benedict.
• The best islands in Malaysia
It's tempting to just hole up in one of the hotels here, but you wouldn't want to miss Langkawi itself. Most people head for the famous Langkawi cable car to take it all in, but personally I'd give it a swerve, and venture out instead on a mangrove boat tour to watch monkeys scampering through trees, snakes coiled around branches and mudskippers that scuttle across the banks at low tide (£45 per boat for two hours; book through your hotel). You'll also get much more of a sense of the island by hopping in a hire car and driving the perimeter and interior, where monkeys hang out on the white lines of long roads, threatening to leap across your lane. Stalls selling everything from car tax to coconuts came out of nowhere as we made our way between beaches —Tanjung Rhu in the north for its calm atmosphere, Chenang in the south for a livelier feel and smattering of beach cafés. And a full tank of petrol in a large saloon car? Just £11.
For all the different hotels, there's one spot that feels more special than the rest. Dotted around a long, skinny pool, warmed to the perfect temperature by hours of sunshine, are seven wooden century-old Malay houses at the Bon Ton boutique resort. Here we clambered up a set of stairs, ducked our heads through our low door and emerged into a wooden pitched-roof space with a net-draped bed, colourful throws and wooden bath tub. Outside, dogs and cats roamed happily, snoozing under the shade of the antique stilted houses. Outsiders wandered into the open-air restaurant for fresh juices and to spot one of 20 or so species of birds in the wetlands beyond.
'We're not a hotel, we're a family,' Narelle McMurtrie, the effortlessly cool Australian owner told me, referring to her dogs, cats, artists in residence and friendly young team. Staying here encourages deep relaxation — some people come to write books, others spend months of maternity leave here nursing newborn babies under coconut trees. Rick Stein is a regular. 'Ahh, that's Rick's favourite curry,' Narelle said, referring to the prawn and pineapple curry my husband had chosen. My pick would be the Nyonya platter, for a taste of seven of the country's big-hitters, including mango and cashew nut salad and beef with peanuts (£11).
Swinging on a bench there after dark I couldn't help but feel a bit smug that I'd stumbled across this spot, with everything there is to love about Malaysia — it offers peacefulness, affordability and chance to surround yourself in nature. It may not be £3 a night, but £100 a night — with a proper loo and shower and no cockroach bedfellows — feels like a steal for this former backpacker.
Hannah Summers was a guest of Inside Asia, which has ten nights' B&B from £2,596pp, including flights, transport, some private guiding, food tours and some other meals (insideasiatours.com), Tourism Malaysia which has car hire from £20 a day (malaysia.travel) and Holiday Extras (holidayextras.com)
More places to see in Malaysia — and where to stay
By Siobhan Grogan
What to do
Nature lovers should head to the Cameron Highlands, a three-hour drive north of Kuala Lumpur. This lush green region is known for its tea plantations, temperate climate, waterfalls and vast range of flora and fauna. The best way to see it is on foot, thanks to well-marked forested hiking trails established by the military.
An alternative outdoorsy option for those visiting the island of Borneo is the Unesco-listed Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia's highest mountain, which towers over the city of Kota Kinabalu. Climbing it takes two days through thick rainforest and over granite slopes strung with ladders, and is permitted only with a guide. For a gentler option, the surrounding region has easier hiking trails with panoramic viewpoints, hot springs, botanical gardens and a treetop canopy walk suspended 30m above the jungle floor.
Malaysia's islands offer a more relaxing holiday. The twin Perhentian islands are just off the country's northeast coast and draw avid divers to their clear waters, extensive coral reefs and white sand beaches, as well as the jungle landscapes. There are several offshore diving sites plus a scattering of uninhabited islets nearby to explore.
• When to visit Borneo
Where to stay
Pangkor Laut Resort is the ultimate escape, set on a private 300-acre island off Malaysia's west coast. Villas are surrounded by rainforest that's two million years old, or built on stilts over the water. All have high wooden ceilings, Malay-inspired artwork, shuttered windows and balconies. There are cooking classes, sunset cruises, tai chi sessions and jungle treks with a resident naturalist, or guests can lounge on Emerald Bay, often described as one of the world's most beautiful beaches (seven nights' B&B from £1,301pp, including flights; britishairways.com).
Terengganu, a four-hour drive north of Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia's northeast coast, is another good option to combine beach, culture and rainforest. The beachfront Tanjong Jara Resort is inspired by 17th-century Malay palaces, with local timber and ornate fabrics used throughout. The spa focuses on centuries-old Malay treatments, and traditional dishes are served in the two main restaurants. Guests can tour a nearby market with the chef, visit a local village by bike or help the on-site turtle hatchery programme (seven nights' B&B from £1,015pp, including flights; kenwoodtravel.co.uk).