jessinaround

Hello!

I’m leaving for Malaysia in a couple weeks and still haven’t finalized my itinerary. I’ll be traveling from Cebu and can fly into any city, but I need to fly out of Singapore. Excluding travel days in/out of country, I’ll have 11 full days.

I love nature, history, culture, and food. I love to hike, visit temples and museums. I’ve considered whether visiting an island (Tioman, Perhentian, etc.) is feasible, but I’m not sure given my time constraint. I don’t care for overly touristy locations or resorts, though I do enjoy some day tours (eg food tours, walking tours, etc.). I’m most concerned about the Singapore portion as I’m not someone who enjoys shopping per se (perhaps I should visit an island instead?).

So far, this is what I have:

July 21 > arrive KL
July 22 KL City Tour
July 23 KL Batu Caves
July 24 > arrive Malacca
July 25 Malacca
July 26 > arrive Ipoh Free day/Food Tour
July 27 Ipoh Cameron Highlands Tour
July 28 Ipoh Temples
July 29 Ipoh
July 30 > arrive Singapore
July 31 Singapore
Aug 1 Singapore
Aug 2 Singapore> HI

Thank you in advance!

MmePerdu

The order of your Malaysia destinations could be better. Your current plan has you going south to Malacca, then north to Ipoh & Cameron Highlands, then south again to Singapore. It would make more sense to go north to Ipoh & environs first, then south to Malacca & on to Singapore.

However, in my opinion, Penang is much more interesting than Ipoh & Cameron Highlands unless an interest in tea is driving your choice. In fact I'm planning a return to Malaysia & Singapore & plan to skip the Cameron Highlands this time & return for a week in Penang. So my recommendation would be KL to Penang, then Malacca & on to Singapore.

crellston

Given your interests an the time you have available I don’t think this itinerary meets your requirements. With 10 days to play with you need to be very focused on where to go and what to do. Maybe a couple of days in KL to see the sights, check out the amazing food. I would forget about Batu caves.

I think you have the right idea about Ipoh. Amazing food - famous for its chicken and beansprouts, salted chicken and dim sum. Singaporeans come for the weekend just for that. The graffiti trails are excellent as are the temples out of town. An easy train ride from KL.

Skip the Cameron Highlands and get the train straight to Georgetown an Penang. All the history good food and interesting sights you could want. Spend the rest of your time there before head to Singapore for your flight. Personally , I find Singapore antiseptic and uninteresting and expensive.

Malacca is too touristy for me. Loved the diving in Perhentian but it is a PITA to get there and away and you probably have better beaches where you are.

some photos and more detail of our travels in the country on our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com/category/malaysia/

MmePerdu

I enjoy Singapore for what it is & the contrast, but limit visits to a few days because of the expense. I agree that Malacca is touristy but I think it's entertaining for 1 or 2 nights. The train stop is out of town (or was) so taxi into town. But the bus station is relatively convenient for your onward trip to Singapore & unlike the train will take you all the way into the city with a stop at the border for formalities.

I think I may very well cut my KL time a day short & stop for an overnight in Ipoh on my way to George Town. I've only driven through before & it looked interesting so now I'm convinced. My suggestion above to skip it was based on how few days are available for the OP & because I consider Penang (George Town) such a great place.

crellston

I like Penang a lot too. Have probably been visiting on and off for 25 years. I read somewhere that the beaches had been completely eroded and the island had been very badly affected during you know what! Hopefully, it is fighting back now.

Ipoh is a big city but the centre is very manageable. We go for the food and the cave temples. Cameron Highlands were interesting for me because of family colonial tea planting connections but it is jammed with traffic. Worse than London!

MmePerdu

Crellston, have you been to Taiping? That could be an alternative stop to Ipoh.

I enjoyed the Cameron Highlands, spent a week or so hanging out. I have a thing for tea growing places so as I was having a nice long visit in Penang I had to see it.

crellston

MmmePerdu, no I haven’t been to Taiping but I should do as my late father was based there for a while with the British Army before independence.

I too love tea. Indeed I am literally sitting here drinking my breakfast brew brought back from Sri Lanka (where my grandparents were based for many years. The tea growing highlands of SL are stunning! I remember Kathy who used to post regularly is are at fan and raves about staying in the plantation houses. Taiwan is another spectacular area for tea.

So many places, so little time!

MmePerdu

I've thought about Taiwan, also curious about Assam.

"So many places, so little time!" Indeed.

Goodnight from California, 8 hours to breakfast builders.

crellston

😂☕️Absolutely loved Taiwan. Only had a week there and it wasn’t nearly enough. Would love to return. Assam tea yes. India no. I couldn’t in all conscience, visit a country with such an appalling record on misogyny and human rights.

Mind you, my no fly list is getting pretty extensive these days!

thursdaysd

I'm another big fan of Taiwan., but not of tea, even though I grew up in England. Still, I enjoyed visiting the tea plantations in SL and Darjeeling, although India is falling off my revisit list, for the reasons crellston gives. (And now is certainly not the time to visit SL!)

jobin

When i go to S'pore i always stay in Little India. Far from Orchard Road but filled with interesting temples, shops and good simple food, morning till night. It's a community of Asian people, not a western commercial zone.

jacketwatch

Singapore is more than shopping. There are Indian, Chinese and Arab areas to see as well as some WW II historical sites.
The M hotel is right by the main shopping area but is a short walk to Chinatown.
https://www.visitsingapore.com/editorials/must-visit-museums-for-art-memorabilia/?cmp=SEM_STB-DC22-835-SG-SEM_US_DC_ENG_NA_NONE_NONE_NA_PM-SingaporeArts-NA_GOOG_SEA_AO_Cross_XTG&gclid=CjwKCAjwi8iXBhBeEiw AKbUofT_nQpYkULA0dh_bVq9ywrhq2KjMLnUF85G0gofkU95bY 17iRjLBghoCDXEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
As for little India we found it to be ok to see but not to our liking for a location to stay. To each their own

MmePerdu

There are a number of good websites & blogs with a great deal of information about what to do in Singapore. Here's another:

https://www.timeout.com/singapore

thursdaysd

I call Singapore Disneyland Asia, and it's not really on my revisit list, but I have found things worth doing there (and not only afternoon tea at the Raffles, lol).

See: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...day-singapore/
and: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...nic-singapore/

Also the Museum of Asian Civilizations, the zoo (I did it at night), the Changi prison site and a boat ride round the harbor. There are a number of newer sites too.

MmePerdu

On what may be my last Asia trip, in January, Singapore will be the entry point (+Malaysia & Thailand), I think my 4th visit. I'm traveling with a friend new to Asia & am planning to do things I've never done before, the evening boat trip among them.