Malaysia has become the second most popular destination in Asia after Thailand for UKholidaymakers, the majority of whom have been seduced by its beach resorts which have offered incredible value for money since the Southeast Asian currency crisis.
However, a growing number of visitors are discovering that Malaysia has more to offer than just cut-price beach resorts. Operators have responded to this with more varied packages, many expanding their programmes to embrace the national parks, the hill stations in the heart of the country and its islands.
Malaysia beach resorts
Malaysia has fewer beach resorts than neighbouring Thailand but prices are often lower.
Its most popular resort is Penang on the northwest coast, which offers a range of hotels, lots of watersports and sightseeing in the historic city, Georgetown.
A five-night package with Kuoni starts at £559 with accommodation at the three-star Casuarina Beach Resort.
Less developed and more upmarket is Langkawi, just off the west coast. Quieter than Penang and offering fewer activities and sightseeing options, the island is particularly popular with honeymooners. Kuoni features five nights at the Langkawi Holiday Villa from £599.
The island of Pangkor, also off the west coast, is even quieter but there is a good range of facilities including land and water sports at the four-star Pan Pacific hotel. Cresta has 12-night packages from £645.
There are a few lesser known beach resorts on Malaysia’s east coast, including Kuantan, Tioman and Redang, all of which are popular with scuba divers.
“One of the good things about the east coast is that the rainy season is from October to December, whereas on the west coast it starts in August,” said British Airways Holidays assistant product manager Matt Brabner.
Adventure holidays
One of the best things about Malaysia is its national parks and tropical rainforests where visitors can indulge in a range of activities from white-water rafting and trekking to wildlife viewing.
The best place to go for adventure is the island of Borneo, where the national parks of Sabah and Sarawak are home to indigenous tribes and a variety of wildlife, including orang-utans and turtles.
One of the attractions of Borneo is the proximity of the national parks to the main beach resorts, and several operators offer mix and match packages that combine a week by the beach with a week in Borneo. Premier Holidays offers eight combinations, with prices from £742 for three nights in Kuala Lumpur and four nights in Borneo, including all flights and transfers.
More adventurous holidaymakers can visit the Taman Negara National Park, the oldest rainforest in the world, which is reached by a 3hr journey by road from Kuala Lumpur followed by a 3hr boat ride.
Hayes and Jarvis has a 12-night itinerary combining three nights in the national park in a three-star hotel with two nights in Kuala Lumpur and six nights in Penang, starting at £742 with flights.
Specialists such as The Imaginative Traveller, Explore and Exodus offer more adventurous itineraries.
“There are areas of Malaysia not hit by tourism at all, where people can stay in traditional villages, see the wildlife, and really explore the country,” said Rene Brenecke, The Imaginative Traveller’s marketing director.
The operator has a 15-day trip which takes in Taman Negara and includes a Malay homestay. It costs £495, excluding flights.
City breaks
Kuala Lumpur is becoming one of the region’s most popular stopover destinations both for those heading for Malaysia’s beaches and for those travelling on to Australia and Bali.
The city has grown into a very appealing shopping destination, with prices often much lower than in other cities in the Far East.
An over-supply of rooms and the strength of the pound against the Malaysian ringgit means hotel prices are also remarkably cheap, with three-star prices rates £15 a night.
Kuala Lumpur’s newest five-star property, the Mandarin Oriental, has rooms from £40 per night.
The Grand Seasons, a four-star property, is offering discounted rooms for £28 per room per night, including a one-way limousine airport transfer. The limited offer is for stays of a minimum of two nights.