We have been in Malaysia for almost three weeks, with a three-day city trip to Singapore in between. We saw only the east coast and Penang as we were traveling through, due to problems with the Carnet. Our impression of Malaysia is that it isn’t a real tourist destination, though undoubtedly some cities are worth a visit as well as some islands and the Cameron Highlands. We think this is due to the high alcohol prices and the few nightspots. On our way back home, we will definitely explore the west coast with Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands and Malacca. Although Malaysia is a Muslim country, you see relatively few headscarves. Walking around with a top and shorts / skirt is not a problem as you see many Chinese women dressed like this.

Traffic
In Malaysia, the roads are good, even in the more remote areas. On major roads you can find your way easily following the signs. Malaysians drive pretty fast, but are generally disciplined drivers. It’s the first country in Asia where we had no problems with two-wheelers driving in the opposite direction. Also, everyone wears his helmet, even the passenger. Two-wheelers are allowed on the major highways and there are even special hiding places in case of rainy weather. Striking are the groups of young people racing and performing stunts on their scooters.

The food
The food in Malaysia is somewhat disappointing. Many restaurants have dishes ready, where you can scoop your own portion; unfortunately all this food is already cold by the time it ever reaches your plate. We tried it a few times but we have never finished our plates. A popular way of eating are the 'hawkers', these are different street stalls arranged around a square with chairs and tables for customers. You can make an order at each stall and they will bring it to your table. You have to pay straight away, when you get your food. The hawkers are mostly Chinese, with sometimes an Indian stall in between. Here you can always get warm food at a bargain price. We also ate a couple of times at McDonalds which is dirt cheap here. A Big Mac meal costs about the same as a meal at the hawkers. You can also refill your drink for half a euro which is very interesting because soda is not so cheap in Malaysia. On the other hand, juices and ice coffee / tea are cheaper than anywhere on our trip. Often, we enjoyed a green apple juice.

The people and the language
The people here are the friendliest we have come across in South East Asia. A big advantage is that almost everyone knows a bit of English, so they can always easily help you.

Prices
Malaysia was less expensive than we initially thought. A major money saver was the gasoline that costs only 0.60 euros here. We usually ate cheaper than in Thailand, but we also ate more simple dishes here. The national parks are much cheaper than elsewhere in Asia and also you see less dual pricing. We feel that we were cheated less here because the prices are fixed and often indicated. The carwash, laundry and taxi for example were cheaper than in Thailand. Moreover, they don’t expect a tip, which you can clearly see on their faces when you tell them to keep the change.

The hotels
Just as we expected from a more prosperous country like Malaysia, the prices for accommodations are slightly higher than elsewhere but you almost always have an air conditioner in the room. A bit less fun is that it can take a while to find a room with a private bathroom. Even expensive hotels dare to offer a shared bathroom. But if you search well as we did, you will always find a good room with private bathroom at an affordable price, often not more expensive than a nearby hotel that offers rooms with shared bathroom. Also, we had rooms in different price ranges, but we never had a refrigerator.

Malaysian Ringgit

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