Malaysia

Malaysia has a lot to offer, but we are (or I believe, should be ;P) best known for our fantastic food, the richness of our cultural diversity and history, and the beauty of our flora and fauna.

Although I was born and bred in Malaysia, I mainly identify as a third culture kid because of the number of times I've moved around/lived in between different states/countries.

Being a citizen in a country means that, for better or worse, you're more aware of the realities faced by those living in it. It can be a bit difficult at times to deal with the political drama at times, but I definitely have some emotional attachment to Malaysia... at least for our glorious food (which Malaysians are very, very proud of, haha) and our natural environment.

Anyhow, here are my posts on my travels around Malaysian cities (not exhaustive):

Ipoh: 2017
Lumut: 2016
Sg Petani: 2017
Penang: 2017
Kemensah: 2019

Here are some things I learnt while I traveled in the above cities:

Getting to places

Cycle/Motorycycle

As a mode of transport, cycling is not very common in most Malaysian cities, possibly because our weather is very hot and our roads are not cyclist-friendly. Cycling as a leisure/sports activity is increasingly becoming a common sports activity though, so maybe the roads will become more accessible for cyclists eventually, though I don't think this will be the case for the bigger Malaysian cities.

Motorcycles are very popular, especially so in more rural areas. Nowadays a lot more people seem to revert back to using motorcycles, even in major cities, because they're cheaper to manage, faster to beat traffic jams, and they won't have to pay for road tolls.

Bus

Buses are cheap (and sometimes free) and are quite reliable in major cities. These are usually run by legit service providers. There are some in the city areas that private owners that are cheaper but with more uh, questionable driving conditions.

Buses outside of the main cities are unfortunately not as reliable, or just non-existent. This explains the need for private modes of transport. Malaysia, especially in the eastern side, aren't very well-connected :(

Touch n Go is a prepaid commute card which you can use on some buses, LRT, MRT, KTM, road toll booths, some parking areas, and even some convenient stores. You can top it up at most common convenience stores, road toll booths, some pharmacies, and even the LRT reception (although usually there is a reload fee, 50sen last time I checked).

LRT/MRT/Monorail

LRT are trains that run around KL/Selangor area. It is slightly more expensive than buses, but it could be the fastest way to travel if you need to beat the traffic. You can travel on LRT by using Touch n Go card (see above), myRapid card (which also has Touch n Go feature), and pay-per-ride tokens which you can get from the ticketin machine. LRTs don't have traveller passes or discounts, but there are concession fares for students, senior citizens, and people with disabilities (ask for this at the station's reception counter. They will ask for documentation/identification.

Since there are different LRT routes, each train would show all the stations on the route, indicated with stop name, route color, route code, and its station number. MRT and Monorail are similar tyo LRTs, but their services cover different parts of KL/Selangor.

There are a few designated hubs which connect different routes (e.g. Pasar Seni, and Masjid Jamek) or service providers, e.g. KL Sentral Station (station #15 on LRT Kelana Jaya line, i.e. KJ15) which connects LRT, MRT, KTM, Monorail, inner city/inter-state buses, and rail services that take you to the airports or outside of KL/Selangor.

Uber/Grab/Taxi (privately-hired cars)

Update: As of May 2018, Uber is no longer in service; its services have been merged with its regional rival company, Grab.

Grab is currently the leading private driving service in Malaysia that you can hire using mobile apps. They are relatively popular especially in the major cities, and are increasingly favored over public taxis for various reasons. However, they are not always available in some areas, so there are pros and cons of using these private cars, which I'll elaborate on when I have the time.

Electronic Train Service (interstate rail)

Electronic Train Service (ETS) is an interstate rail service which connects north-southern states in peninsular Malaysia.

ETS tickets tend to be sold out quite quickly -- so it's best to book at least 2 weeks before your planned date, or if you intend to travel during peak/holiday seasons, months ahead!

ETS has different carriages; different fares are available depending on speed of reaching destination. As they are not roadtraffic-dependent, they are generally more reliable than interstae buses in the estimated time of arrival for your destination.

Interstate bus services

Buses are generally the cheapest way to travel between states. You can buy the tickets in-person at main bus stations, or you could book them online. Remember to inform them when you're there for your bus ('check in') at the station, and they'll issue you a physical ticket or at least inform you the bus number you'll be getting on.

As buses' eta is dependent on road traffic, weather, and 'season' (e.g. holiday), it's best to allocate extra time for the journey, just in case.

Pro-tip: 

1. There are several bus ticketing sites you can use to book inter-state bus tickets on, e.g. CatchThatBus and EasyBook.
2. I forgot the check in for the bus en route to KL, and I missed my bus because the company thought I wasn't getting on so they didn't call for me. So do inform the bus company you book your tickets from that you're there ('check in') so that they don't accidentally leave you!

Personal transport

In Malaysia, especially outside of Kuala Lumpur and Penang, public transportation may not be so reliable, so driving your own car or iding a motorcycle may be the best way to get around.

In Ipoh, it's relatively easy to get Uber/Grab/taxi, but outside of this city it may be more/most practical to drive yourself to where you want to go.

Getting connected

See: This is partly covered in another post I wrote, about financial matters

Not having internet connection makes it very difficult to navigate, even for myself as a local, because I tend to use apps like Google Maps, Waze, or Moovit.

Free public wifi

Airports, hotels, hostels, and some restaurants offer free wifi. 

Paid Option: SIM card

Getting a local SIM card means that you'll be able to stay connected 24/7, and there are various service providers to choose from. To purchase a SIM card, you'll have to register first to their service and you'll need an identification document (e.g. IC or passport).

Last Updated: 2020-01-03