Two Weeks in Malaysia: The Best Peninsula + Borneo Itinerary

Malaysia is the most-easy-to-travel country in Southeast Asia, and a 2-week trip is enough to cover the highlights. This is the working itinerary that covers the peninsula (KL, Penang, the Cameron Highlands) and the Borneo states (Sabah for the diving and the nature), with the right timing, the right transport, and the right expectations.

The itinerary at a glance

1. Days 1-2: Kuala Lumpur (the Petronas, the Batu Caves, the food)
2. Day 3: Malacca (the day trip or overnight from KL)
3. Days 4-6: Penang / George Town (the street food, the heritage, the street art)
4. Days 7-8: Cameron Highlands (the tea, the strawberry farms, the mossy forest)
5. Day 9: Fly to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (the Borneo gateway)
6. Days 10-12: Sandakan + Sepilok + the Kinabatangan River (the orangutans, the wildlife, the river cruise)
7. Days 13-14: Semporna + Sipadan (the world-class diving)

Day 1: Arrive Kuala Lumpur

Land at KLIA (the international airport). The KLIA Ekspres is the fastest way to KL Sentral (28 minutes, 55 MYR). Drop the bags at the hotel. Walk to the Petronas Towers, take in the view, the KLCC park, the Suria KLCC mall. Evening: dinner at Jalan Alor (the night street food, the most-photographed in KL).

Day 2: Kuala Lumpur, full day

Morning: the Batu Caves (the 272-step climb, the 42.7-m Murugan statue, the cave temple). The 1-hour trip from KL by KTM Komuter. Half-day for the visit + the trip.

Afternoon: the colonial history. Merdeka Square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the National Mosque, the Islamic Arts Museum. The most-photographed colonial history in Malaysia.

Evening: the mamak stalls. The 24-hour Indian-Muslim restaurants, the roti canai + teh tarik, the most-photographed culinary institution in Malaysia.

Day 3: Malacca day trip

2 hours by bus from KL. The Dutch Square (the red building), the A Famosa fortress (1511, the oldest in Southeast Asia), the Jonker Street (the night market, the Nyonya food), the Baba-Nyonya Museum. The 1-day trip is the standard. Return to KL in the evening.

Day 4-6: Penang / George Town

5 hours by bus from KL, or 1-hour flight. Stay in the heritage zone (the boutique hotels in the old shophouses).

Day 4: George Town walking tour. The Armenian Street, the Cannon Street, the Khoo Kongsi, the Peranakan Mansion, the street art (the Ernest Zacharevic murals, the 52 steel rod sculptures). The most-photographed heritage city in Malaysia.

Day 5: The food. The char kway teow at the New Lane, the asam laksa at the Pulau Tikus Market, the hokkien mee at the Cecil Street Market, the cendol at the Penang Road. The most-photographed food in Malaysia.

Day 6: The surrounding. Penang Hill (the funicular railway, the view), Kek Lok Si Temple (the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia), the Clan Jetties (the Chinese stilt villages), Batu Ferringhi (the beach). The most-photographed surrounding in Penang.

Day 7-8: Cameron Highlands

4-5 hours by bus from Penang. The most-photographed highland in Malaysia.

Day 7: The BOH Tea Centre, the Sungai Palas Plantation, the strawberry farms (the Big Red, the Raju's Hill), the Time Tunnel. The most-photographed 2 days in the Cameron Highlands.

Day 8: The Mossy Forest (the 4-km cloud forest at 2,000 m, the most-photographed in Malaysia), the waterfalls (the Lata Iskandar, the Robinson), the Kea Farm Market, the Brinchang Saturday Night Market (if it's the weekend).

Day 9: Fly to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

From KL or Penang, fly to Kota Kinabalu (BKI) — 2.5-3.5 hours. Settle in the city. Evening: the Tanjung Aru Beach sunset, the seafood dinner at the Welcome Seafood or the Filipino Market.

Day 10-12: Sandakan + Sepilok + the Kinabatangan River

Fly from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan (SDK) — 1 hour, $30-50.

Day 10: Sandakan → Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (the most-photographed orangutan sanctuary in the world), the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (next door). Evening: the Sandakan seafood dinner (the most-photographed in Sabah).

Day 11-12: The Kinabatangan River cruise (2 days, 1 night, the most-wildlife-dense river in Sabah). The proboscis monkeys, the pygmy elephants, the orangutans, the hornbills. The most-photographed wildlife experience in Malaysia.

Day 13-14: Semporna + Sipadan

From Sandakan, drive to Semporna (4-5 hours). The gateway to Sipadan.

Day 13: Semporna → Mabul Island (the muck diving, the most-photographed in Sabah), the day-trip diving or the relaxation.

Day 14: Sipadan (the world-class diving, the Jacques Cousteau "an untouched piece of art"). The wall dives, the barracuda tornado, the green turtles. The most-photographed dive site in Malaysia.

Return to Semporna, drive back to Sandakan, fly back to Kota Kinabalu, fly home.

What to add if you have one more week

• Add Sarawak: Fly to Kuching from KK (1.5 hours), spend 3-4 days in Kuching + Bako + Semenggoh + the longhouse visit. The most-photographed cultural experience in Malaysia.
• Add Mount Kinabalu: Climb the 4,095-m peak, the most-photographed mountain in Malaysia. 2 days for the climb (1 night at Laban Rata).
• Add Langkawi: The duty-free island on the northwest coast, the beach destination. 3-4 days for the beaches, the cable car, the mangrove tours.

What to skip with only two weeks

• The Perhentian Islands: Needs 3-4 days for the diving and the beaches. Skip this trip.
• Tioman Island: The east coast island, the diving, the most-photographed. Skip this trip.
• Redang Island: The east coast, the snorkeling, the most-photographed. Skip this trip.
• The Taman Negara: The 130-million-year-old rainforest, the most-ancient in the world. Needs 3-4 days. Skip this trip.

Total cost (2 weeks, per person, 2 sharing, mid-range)

• International flights: $800-1500
• Domestic flights (5-6 internal flights): $300-600
• Accommodation (mid-range, 13 nights): $400-1300
• Food: $250-400
• Transport (buses, taxis, grab): $200-300
• Activities (Sepilok, river cruise, Sipadan): $600-1500
• Total: $2,550-5,600

What to know

• The weather: November-February for the west coast, March-October for the east coast and Borneo. The 2-week plan is best in March or April (the shoulder season for both coasts).
• The visa: 90-day visa-free for 60+ countries. Easy.
• The money: Malaysian ringgit (MYR). The ATMs are everywhere.
• The safety: the safest in Southeast Asia. The road safety is the headline risk.