Malaysia sits at the heart of Southeast Asia, split between the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of Borneo, with the Strait of Malacca carrying a large share of the world’s shipping past its west coast. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, is a city of glass towers rising over low wooden neighbourhoods, and the Langkawi archipelago lies off the northwestern coast near the Thai border. The country is equatorial: hot, green, and humid the whole year round.
History of Malaysia
Malaysia’s story is written by the Strait of Malacca. The sultanate of Malacca grew rich in the 15th century taxing the trade that squeezed through the narrow water between the peninsula and Sumatra, and the Portuguese, Dutch, and British followed for the same reason.
British Malaya became independent in 1957, and the federation of Malaysia followed in 1963. The trade routes left a population of Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities side by side, which is why a single street can hold a mosque, a Chinese temple, and a Hindu shrine, and why the food is the way it is.
Kuala Lumpur
My favourite view of the capital came from the balcony of our apartment: thanks to the small city village of Kampung Baru in the foreground, the skyline of Kuala Lumpur stood completely unobstructed behind it. Wooden houses and mango trees in front, the Petronas Towers and the KL Tower behind. The skyline looked different every time we checked: under dark clouds the skyscrapers rose like huge, gruesome creatures; in the sun, the city invited us into its concrete jungle.
Kuala Lumpur is among the most visited cities in the world, and it earns that traffic. I break the city down location by location in the full Kuala Lumpur travel guide.
Petronas Towers and KLCC Park
The 452-meter Petronas Towers were, for a time, the tallest buildings in the world, and they remain the tallest twin towers ever built. Between the 41st and 42nd floors, at 172 meters, a 58-meter skybridge connects them, mounted so it can move with the towers’ natural sway.
The best free viewpoint is at their feet: KLCC Park, about 20 hectares designed by the Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, with the man-made Lake Symphony in the middle. After an evening stroll I set up for the Petronas Towers from the park, their white lights in full contrast against the dark blue night sky. Capturing their full height from most other angles in the centre is nearly impossible.
Batu Caves
North of the city, a limestone hill holds the Batu Caves, named after the Malay word batu, meaning stone. The American naturalist William Hornaday brought them to wider attention in 1878, and the Temple Cave, with a ceiling reaching about 100 meters, has been a Hindu shrine and pilgrimage site ever since. Every year around late January, the Thaipusam festival fills the caves.
We climbed the 272 steps at dawn. Inside, the rising sun found its way through openings in the ceiling, landing on the altars deep inside the Batu Caves while Hindu ceremonies were being held around us. I spent over an hour in there with the camera. It remains one of the most special mornings I have had with a tripod.
Kuala Lumpur from Above
Kuala Lumpur is best understood from height. Our Airbnb in the Setia Sky Towers came with a lift straight to a 34th-floor infinity pool, and the view over the city from that pool matched the one from our own apartment: Petronas Towers to the left, KL Tower to the right, the television tower changing colour through the evening.
On a later stay, I set up on a balcony to shoot the classic skyline at blue hour, then turned around 180 degrees and found a sunset burning over the other half of the city. Always look both ways. It applies to crossing streets and to setting up tripods.
Langkawi
Langkawi is a group of 99 islands off Malaysia’s northwestern coast, on the Andaman Sea near the Thai border. Local legend says the islands were cursed by Mahsuri, a woman executed for adultery she did not commit, who condemned Langkawi to seven generations without prosperity. Whatever one believes, the seven generations are clearly over.
We first came for our honeymoon in April 2016 and have been coming back since; a place where water chalets stand in rows under a sky that catches fire at sunset makes that decision easy. The island by island breakdown is in the full Langkawi travel guide.
The Berjaya Langkawi Resort
The Berjaya Langkawi Resort sits on Burau Bay, built partly on the coast and partly into the rainforest, with as few trees taken down as possible. Getting to breakfast meant a 15 to 20 minute walk through the jungle, which Daria and I came to appreciate more than the free shuttle. The view over the pool area was our breakfast view for two weeks in February 2022.
When the management realised I was a photographer, they arranged the bungalow at the very end of the row, with open views over the sea and the jungle. Walking the boardwalk home after dinner, arriving “on the water” under the last purple of the sky, never stopped feeling remarkable.
Water Chalets
The chalets stand on stilts over the Malacca Strait, and the wildlife does not respect the property line: monkeys, monitor lizards, and bats worked the rooflines all day. One monkey befriended the apples in our minibar the moment we left the patio door open.
From the balcony of our chalet, the turquoise water stretched to islands on the horizon. The bedroom opened straight onto that view, and the premiere chalets take it further: a jacuzzi set against a corner of glass directly over the sea. Surprise, surprise: we did not leave our residence very often.
Beaches in Langkawi
I can get very lazy on actual holidays, the kind without a photo brief, and the private beach at the resort is where it happens: white sand, a little beach bar, turquoise water, countless hours of reading and several young coconuts.
The entertainment is included. Monkeys patrol the sand for unattended belongings while you swim, and squeaking otters occasionally sprint across the beach from the mangrove to the ocean. I photographed the beach empty in the early morning, before the loungers filled, with the water chalets and the karst hills stacked behind it.
Kilim Geoforest Park
On our 2022 return we finally did what we skipped on the honeymoon: a mangrove boat tour through the Kilim Geoforest Park, part of why Langkawi is listed as a UNESCO Global Geopark, Malaysia’s first. Limestone cliffs, mangrove channels, kingfishers, monkeys on the riverbanks, and eagles overhead. At the transition to open water I caught the second tour boat under the park’s hillside sign, and my phone quietly switched from a Malaysian network to a Thai one. That is how close Thailand is.
The eagle feeding left me conflicted. Watching the birds circle was something new for me, but seeing the next boat repeat the ritual five minutes later made it clear the wild eagles are being trained into zoo animals. The ones actually taking the food were Brahminy kites; the two White-Bellied Sea Eagles I photographed watched from the trees and did not participate. A White-Bellied Sea Eagle grows up to 85 centimeters, with a wingspan up to 2.2 meters, and the eagle is Langkawi’s emblem: the island’s name is popularly traced to helang, the Malay word for eagle.
Langkawi from the Air
My DJI Phantom 4 had its maiden flight over the coast of Langkawi, and the aerial view of the shoreline explains why: the boardwalk and water chalets tracing the jungle coast, a white beach curving in the distance, sailboats anchored in the bay, and a single speedboat drawing its wake across the green water.
That flight started a passion that has not let go since. Perspectives that used to require a helicopter suddenly came from a case in my backpack.
Food in Malaysia
Malaysian food is the country’s history served on a plate: Malay, Chinese, and Indian kitchens sharing the same streets. Nasi lemak, coconut rice with sambal, is the national standard; laksa changes character from state to state; satay comes off charcoal at night markets; and roti canai with dhal is breakfast for a few ringgit.
Kuala Lumpur’s street food scene alone justifies extra days. On Langkawi, my personal food memory is simpler: young coconuts on the beach, opened with two machete strokes.
When to Visit Malaysia
The climate is equatorial, so there is no cold season, only wetter and drier ones, and they differ by coast. For Langkawi and the west coast, the driest months run roughly from November to March. The heaviest rain on Langkawi tends to fall in September and October.
We took a calculated risk with an April honeymoon, right at the start of the rainy season, and had two straight weeks of sun. February, on our return, delivered the same. Kuala Lumpur works year-round; afternoon downpours pass quickly and the light after them is worth the wait.
Photography Notes
Malaysia rewards looking away from the obvious. The 180-degree turn that produced the sunset panorama, the village foreground that made the skyline frame, the two big eagles sitting apart from the feeding frenzy: the second-best-known view is usually the better photograph.
It is also where I tried astrophotography for the first time. Over the water chalets, a slow shutter pulled a purple, star-filled sky out of what looked to the naked eye like ordinary darkness. Between the drone’s first flight and that first star frame, one trip to Malaysia added two techniques that stayed in my toolkit permanently.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best time to visit Malaysia?
For the west coast and Langkawi, roughly November to March brings the driest weather; September and October are the wettest on Langkawi. The east coast of the peninsula has its rainy season from about November to February. Kuala Lumpur is a year-round city with short afternoon downpours.
How many days do you need in Malaysia?
A week covers the classic combination: three days in Kuala Lumpur with a Batu Caves morning, then four or more on Langkawi. Two weeks add Penang, Malacca, or the Perhentian Islands. Domestic flights are short and frequent, so combining city and island is easy.
How do you get to Langkawi?
By air, it is about an hour from Kuala Lumpur, with several flights daily. Ferries also run from the mainland. On the island itself, renting a car or using taxis is standard; distances are short and traffic is calm compared to the mainland.
Is Malaysia expensive to visit?
By European standards, no. Street food costs a few ringgit, taxis and ride-hailing are affordable, and even high-end resorts price well below comparable properties elsewhere. Langkawi is additionally duty-free. The currency is the Malaysian ringgit, and cards are widely accepted in cities.
Is Kuala Lumpur safe for tourists?
Yes, by big-city standards. Violent crime against visitors is rare; the practical concerns are pickpockets in crowded markets and bag snatching from passing scooters, so keep bags on the building side of the pavement. Tap water is best replaced with bottled or filtered water.
Do you need to speak Malay to travel in Malaysia?
No. English is widely spoken in cities, on Langkawi, and across the tourism industry, a legacy of the British colonial era. Signs are commonly bilingual. Learning a few Malay basics such as terima kasih, thank you, is appreciated but never required.
What wildlife can you see on Langkawi?
Long-tailed macaques are everywhere, including hotel grounds, and they will open unattended bags. Monitor lizards, otters, hornbills, kingfishers, Brahminy kites, and White-Bellied Sea Eagles are all regular sightings, especially on a mangrove tour through the Kilim Geoforest Park on the island’s east side.
