Cuti-Cuti Malaysia: 9 Places to Visit Beyond KL (and When to Go)

“Jom, cuti-cuti Malaysia!” Cuti means holiday, and Cuti-cuti Malaysia is the Tourism Malaysia slogan every Malaysian grew up with. It’s how we say: take your holiday at home.

KL is only the start. In under two hours, by plane or road, you can be in a UNESCO-listed heritage town, on a duty-free island, in cool tea country or in the Borneo rainforest. Here are nine places to go next, with how to get there from KL and when to go.

1. Penang: street art and the food capital

George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (with Melaka, since 2008): a grid of colourful shophouses, clan houses, mosques, temples and churches built by traders from China, India, the Malay world and Europe.

• Do: hunt the street art. The famous murals by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic, including Children on a Bicycle, were painted for the 2012 George Town Festival. Then visit Khoo Kongsi clan house, ride the funicular up Penang Hill, and see Kek Lok Si temple.
• Eat: char kuey teow, assam laksa, nasi kandar, cendol. See our Malaysian food guide.
• From KL: about 1 hour by plane, or the ETS train to Butterworth and the ferry to George Town. About 4 hours by road.
• Best time: December to February is the driest.

2. Melaka: history you can walk through

Malaysia’s historic port city. The Portuguese arrived in 1511, then the Dutch and the British, and you can see all of them in a single walk: the red Dutch Stadthuys, the Portuguese gate of A Famosa, and Peranakan townhouses on Jonker Street.

• Do: the Jonker Walk night market (weekend evenings), a Melaka River cruise after dark, and a Peranakan heritage house.
• Eat: chicken rice balls, Nyonya laksa, cendol with gula Melaka.
• From KL: about 2 hours by bus or car. Easy as a day trip, better with one night.
• Best time: all year. Go on a weekend for the night market, a weekday to avoid crowds.

3. Langkawi: the duty-free island

An archipelago of 99 islands off Kedah, with duty-free shopping (since 1987), beaches, mangroves and rainforest peaks.

• Do: ride the SkyCab cable car up Gunung Mat Cincang to the curved Sky Bridge, take a mangrove boat tour, island-hop by speedboat, and watch the sunset at Pantai Cenang.
• From KL: about 1 hour by plane, or a ferry from Kuala Perlis or Kuala Kedah.
• Best time: roughly December to April is driest. The SkyCab and Sky Bridge can close in bad weather, so go early on a clear day.

4. Ipoh: cave temples and white coffee

A laid-back old tin-mining town with colonial buildings, murals in the old town, and Buddhist cave temples built into the limestone hills.

• Eat: Ipoh white coffee, bean sprout chicken, and dim sum for breakfast.
• From KL: about 2 to 2.5 hours on the ETS train. Book ahead on weekends.

5. Cameron Highlands: tea country

Tea plantations, strawberry farms and the misty Mossy Forest, at around 1,500 m. Cool enough for a jacket at night, which is a novelty in Malaysia.

• From KL: about 3.5 to 4 hours by road. A guided day trip saves you the winding drive.
• Tip: avoid long weekends and school holidays, when the roads up get jammed.

6. Genting Highlands: cool air and theme parks

A hilltop resort about an hour from KL, with the Awana SkyWay cable car, the Genting SkyWorlds theme park, a casino and premium outlets. Popular with families and anyone who wants a break from the heat.

7. Sabah: Mount Kinabalu and orangutans

Malaysian Borneo’s northern state, and one of its biggest adventures.

• Climb Mount Kinabalu (4,095 m): you need a permit and a licensed guide, and most climbers stay overnight at Laban Rata. Book months ahead.
• See orangutans at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan, and pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys on the Kinabatangan River.
• Island-hop from Kota Kinabalu to the islands of Tunku Abdul Rahman Park, 15–20 minutes by boat.
• From KL: about 2.5 hours by plane to Kota Kinabalu. Foreign visitors go through immigration again on arrival.

8. Sarawak: rainforest, caves and Kuching

• Kuching is a relaxed riverside city famous for its cat statues, and for Sarawak laksa.
• Semenggoh Nature Reserve is home to semi-wild orangutans. Come at feeding time for the best chance of seeing them.
• Bako National Park has proboscis monkeys and coastal trails, and Gunung Mulu National Park (UNESCO) has some of the world’s largest caves.
• From KL: about 1 hour 45 minutes by plane to Kuching.

9. The east coast islands: Perhentian, Redang, Tioman

Clear water, coral reefs and turtles: some of the best snorkelling and diving in Malaysia.

• Best time: roughly March to October.
• November to February: many resorts, ferries and dive shops close for the northeast monsoon. Don’t plan a December island trip here.

When to go: a quick guide

Destination	Best months	Avoid
Penang, Langkawi	Dec–Apr	Heavier rain around Sep–Oct
Melaka, Ipoh, KL	All year	Expect afternoon storms
Cameron, Genting	All year	Long weekends (traffic)
Perhentian, Redang, Tioman	Mar–Oct	Nov–Feb (many resorts close)
Sabah, Sarawak	All year, drier ~Mar–Sep	Check Kinabalu permits early

Getting around Malaysia

• Fly for Penang, Langkawi, Sabah and Sarawak. Domestic flights from KLIA, KLIA2 or Subang are short and often cheap.
• ETS trains from KL Sentral run north to Ipoh and Butterworth (for Penang).
• Buses from TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) cover Melaka and most towns.
• Private transfers are easiest for groups, families and anyone with luggage or sports gear.

Travel times are approximate, and weather patterns shift year to year. Check ferry, resort and park opening dates before you book.

More for first-timers: 20 things to know before visiting Malaysia · Things to do in Kuala Lumpur