All the essential information you need to plan your trip around Malaysia: visa, costs, security, weather, what to see and much more…
What were you just thinking about going through Kuala Lumpur?! We hope that with this article you change plans, because many leave Malaysia thinking that there is nothing to see, or saying they did not like it, but that is because they only kept the image of a couple of days in the capital.
In Malaysia you have beaches of golden sand and crystal clear water but without the party party atmosphere of Thailand; cities where colonial architecture is mixed with street art as in any other country in the Southeast; tea plantations; jungle; some of the best diving spots in the world; and the influence of Chinese and Indians that takes you to travel to these countries with their culture, food and religion, but without leaving the same city. There are mosques, Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh temples; you can live Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Diwali and Holly. It is also cheap, transportation schedules They are relatively reliable, it is easy to communicate because many people speak English -and even the Malay language is very easy to learn-, they do not scam you for the most expensive tourist you have, and the people are the most friendly and hospitable people we know.
Yes, our opinion of malaysia tourist visa is very subjective because of the experiences we had in the various trips we made, but for all this it is our favorite country in Southeast Asia , and every time we are asked about a place where we could spend a few years still , is the first one we say.
Visa:
With Malaysia you will not have to worry; when you arrive at the border or land at the airport, your passport will be stamped so you can be in the country for 30 or 90 days, depending on your nationality.
With a passport from Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Peru, Cuba and the European Union are 90 days free.
Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and the rest of the Latin American countries have 30 free days.
Security:
Tell mom to stay calm, because Malaysia, like all of Southeast Asia, is a very safe country to travel.
In big cities, especially Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bauru, you’ll have to be a bit more careful at night than walking around Singapore, but equally with Latin common sense you’ll be more than fine. We have known cases of tourist robberies, but they are rare exceptions. As you should always do, if you are staying in a shared hostel room that does not have lockers, take everything of value with you, because there are more chances of losing something here than on the street.
Something important but that many tourists do not take into account, or do not even know, is that Malaysia is a country with a Muslim majority. This means that, although it is much less strict than the Arab countries or even Indonesia, it is not a good idea to walk around in shorts and the top of the bikini or in leather as we saw several. In the beaches or cities where they are accustomed to foreigners the moral code is very relaxed, but if you are invited to a Muslim house or you have planned to enter a sacred place, it is better to avoid the neckline and take something that covers your shoulders and legs to the knees.
To understand what Muslim women think about the dress code, do not miss behind the hijab: what Muslim women say about the veil.
Remember also to take off your shoes every time you enter a house and sacred place, and if you eat with your hand as is the custom of Indian-Malays, never use the left, because it is used to cleanse in the bathroom. Well … once in the bathroom use the hand you want.
Communication:
Easier they could not do it: the Malay language is the Malaysian Bahia that uses the Roman alphabet and is read as it is written (except the j that is read as in English), without pronunciation complications or tones like other Asian languages. In addition, it takes many words of English, but as would someone who speaks Spanish and has no idea how to write them. Some very good are: museum, taxi, beys, free bot (ferry), motorbike (motorcycle), as rim, kepi (coffee), bar (beer), and you will find several more.
Of all the languages of Southeast Asia, it is by far the easiest, and you will see that after a few days reading menus and posters you end up learning a lot.
Of course, learning some words is not the same as being able to speak it like a champion, but that is not a concern either. English is a central subject in Malay education, and in fact in the universities many classes are given entirely in English. Most of the young people and everyone who has had higher education, speaks fluent English or at least what is necessary to help you, and that in the cities is a good percentage. After Singapore – where it is the official language – and the Philippines, Malaysia is the country where most people speak English.
Something you will hear very often when the Malays speak in English is that at the end of the sentences they may say “lay”. It does not have a very clear meaning that we say, but they use it to emphasize something they said, or out of habit, or to make the Malays lay.
Although Malaysian Bahia is the official language, for Chinese-Malays and Indian-Malays it is not their native language, but they learn it in school. The majority of the Indians speak Tamil among them, and the Chinese Cantonese, Hocking or Mandarin. Most can communicate in Malay, but not all.
Weather:
Do not expect to be cool in Malaysia, because that will not happen. You are in the tropics, so I came prepared mentally for solace and humidity at any time you travel. The only exception is the high places, like Cameron Highlands, where although the difference is a few degrees less than in the rest of the country, the Malaysians feel it as if they were in the north of Greenland in winter.
As for rains; October to March is when more water falls, but still does not make a big difference with the rest of the year to change your travel plans.
What you have to be more attentive is the monsoon between November and March walks on the east coast, because if you plan to go splashing on the beach of the Prevention Islands, Kappas or Tasman, may be closed to tourism.
The part of Malay Borneo, which is almost on the Equator, has rain all year round, although it is stronger between October and the end of January.