7 Days in Malaysia

Non-stop express train from KLIA Airport to KL Sentral in 28 min. Buy ticket at airport. Best value and fastest option into the city.

Bukit Bintang or Masjid India area are best bases. Drop bags and rest before the evening.

KL's Chinatown market street — stalls selling everything from counterfeit goods to great street food. Nasi lemak, char kway teow, and teh tarik are the staples to try on night one.

A series of caves and cave temples inside a limestone hill 13km north of KL. The main Temple Cave has 272 steps. Go early to beat the heat and tour groups. Free entry. Beware the macaque monkeys.

Jalan Alor is the street food hub in Bukit Bintang — open air hawker stalls from noon. Char kway teow, satay, and cendol.

The towers are at their most dramatic at dusk and at night. The Skybridge (floor 41) and observation deck (floor 86) require advance tickets — book online. The KLCC park below the towers has a fountain show at night (free).

KTM ETS Gold service from KL Sentral to Butterworth (mainland Penang). Book tickets in advance — the Gold service is faster (4h 30min) and significantly more comfortable than the standard train.

The public ferry from Butterworth jetty to Georgetown takes 15 min. Cheap, frequent, and offers a great view of Georgetown approaching from the water.

Stay in Georgetown (the UNESCO historic district) — walking distance to everything. Hawker lunch at Gurney Drive or the New Lane hawker centre.

Armenian Street has the best street art in Penang (the famous boy-on-bicycle mural). Walk to the Chinese Clan Jetties — 7 wooden jetties extending into the sea, each owned by a different clan. Still inhabited and working.

Georgetown has 50+ street murals mapped out on a walking trail (free map from hotel). Walk the Heritage Trail past the murals, then visit Khoo Kongsi — the most lavishly decorated Chinese clan temple in Malaysia.

Penang's most famous dish — flat rice noodles stir-fried in a carbon-steel wok with shrimp, egg, cockles, and bean sprouts. The best versions are at Siam Road Char Kway Teow or Lorong Selamat. Worth the queue.

A 19th-century indigo-blue Chinese mansion built by a Hakka merchant. One of the best-preserved historic buildings in Southeast Asia. Guided tours run daily at fixed times — check ahead. The blue comes from indigo plants.

The most famous hawker centre in Penang along the seafront. Try: assam laksa, Penang prawn mee, rojak, and cendol for dessert. Go hungry.

The funicular up Penang Hill (830m) takes 5 min and offers a panoramic view of Georgetown, the sea, and the Malaysian mainland. Go early to avoid clouds and queues. Air temperature at the top is 5°C cooler than the city.

One of the largest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. The 30m octagonal pagoda blends Chinese, Thai, and Burmese architectural styles. Hawker lunch in Ayer Itam village below.

Assam laksa — fish-based tamarind-sour broth, thick rice noodles, and a burst of fresh herbs — is Penang's most distinctive dish. Lorong Selamat is the top spot.

Several direct buses daily from Georgetown bus terminal to Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands). ~4h ride through jungle hill roads. Book the day before. Bring a layer — Cameron Highlands is at 1,500m and noticeably cooler.

The largest tea producer in Malaysia. The Sungai Palas BOH estate has a visitor centre and café perched over the terraced tea fields — free entry and guided walks. The tea served there is the freshest you'll find.

Cameron Highlands grows strawberries year-round (unusual in Malaysia). Pick your own or buy fresh at one of the roadside farms. The Tanah Rata night market opens in the evening.

If time before bus: the Mossy Forest at Gunung Brinchang (2,032m) is a 20-min drive from Tanah Rata — a short boardwalk trail through cloud forest. Go at dawn before the mist clears.

Direct bus from Tanah Rata to KL Sentral, TBS bus terminal, or KLIA. ~4h. Book the evening before at Tanah Rata bus station or through your hotel.

KLIA Ekspres from KL Sentral to KLIA in 28 min. Allow 2–3h before international flights.