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Mark Moxon's Travel Writing

Great Journeys: Malaysia: West Coast

From the oldest rainforest in the world to its colourful colonial history, Malaysia is simply a travellers' delight.

Map of the west coast of Malaysia

Click on the links below to find out more about individual destinations.

Journey Summary

Although our journey is mostly in Malaysia, we start in Singapore, one of the most intriguing destinations in Southeast Asia. Having overdosed on luxury, we cross north into Malaysia and take a bus to the ancient colonial town of Melaka, where we can begin to appreciate the cultural mishmash that is modern Malaysia. Next up is the capital Kuala Lumpur with its huge skyscrapers and wonderful cultural areas, a stark contrast to our next destination, Taman Negara, home to the oldest tropical rainforest in the world. A six-day walk to Kuala Perkai and back is only for the hardy, but it's a unique experience and worth the effort, and makes relaxing in the Cameron Highlands – our next destination – doubly pleasurable. Further relaxation awaits us in the northern island of Pulau Pangkor, and after a short bus hop it's time for the ultimate cultural experience in Penang, where the beaches round off this journey before we head back to Kuala Lumpur once more.

Suggested Itinerary

The following is only a suggested itinerary.

Day Suggested Itinerary
1 Fly to Singapore
2-3 Two days in Singapore
4 Singapore to Melaka
5-6 Two days in Melaka
7 Melaka to Kuala Lumpur
8 One day in Kuala Lumpur
10 Kuala Lumpur to Taman Negara
10-11 Two days in Taman Negara
12-17 Six days trekking to Kuala Perkai
18-19 Two days in Taman Negara
21 Taman Negara to Kuala Lumpur
22 One day in Kuala Lumpur
22 Kuala Lumpur to the Cameron Highlands
23-34 Two days in the Cameron Highlands
25 Cameron Highlands to Pulau Pangkor
26-28 Three days in Pulau Pangkor
29 Pulau Pangkor to Penang
30-31 Two days in Penang
32 Penang to Kuala Lumpur
33 One day in Kuala Lumpur
34 Fly from Kuala Lumpur