Malaysia in 2 Weeks: KL, Penang & the Islands

The Route

14 days · bus, ferry, 1 flight · islands by season.

Kuala Lumpur3 nights + 1 Cameron Highlands2 nights · tea hills Penang3 nights · hawker food Langkawi4 nights · Nov–Apr Swap: PerhentiansMar–Oct only Swap: Taman Negararainforest Swap: Borneoorangutans & Kinabalu

Day by Day

Day	Base	Plan
1	Kuala Lumpur	KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral (about 30 min). Petronas Towers lit up at night.
2	Kuala Lumpur	KL Forest Eco Park canopy walk, Jalan Alor food street.
3	Kuala Lumpur	Day trip to Malacca (about 2 h by bus), or KL street art and cafés.
4	Cameron Highlands	Bus 4–4.5 h. Tea plantations.
5	Cameron Highlands	Mossy Forest, strawberry farms, jungle trails.
6	Penang	Bus or van 3–4 h. George Town street art.
7	Penang	Hawker food crawl, Penang Hill.
8	Penang	Penang National Park or Batu Ferringhi beach.
9	Langkawi	Fly Penang → Langkawi (35–40 min). Pantai Cenang sunset.
10	Langkawi	Cable car and Sky Bridge.
11	Langkawi	Kilim Geoforest mangroves by boat.
12	Langkawi	Island hopping and a beach afternoon.
13	Kuala Lumpur	Fly Langkawi → KL (about 1 h).
14	Depart	KLIA.

Swaps

Swap	Instead of	How	Best
Perhentian Islands	Langkawi (days 9–12)	Fly KL → Kota Bharu (about 1 h), taxi 45 min, speedboat 30–45 min	Mar–Oct
Taman Negara	Cameron (days 4–5)	Bus KL → Jerantut 3–4 h, river boat 2.5–3 h	Mar–Sep
Sabah, Borneo	Langkawi, or add 4–5 days	Fly KL → Kota Kinabalu (about 2 h 35 min)	Year-round
Sarawak, Borneo	Langkawi	Fly KL → Kuching (about 1 h 45 min)	Year-round

Transfers

Leg	How	Time	Price
KLIA → KL Sentral	KLIA Ekspres	About 30 min	RM55 (RM65 from 1 Jan 2027)
KL → Cameron Highlands	Bus (TBS)	4–4.5 h	RM35–50
Cameron → Penang	Bus or van	3–4 h	—
Penang → Langkawi	Flight	35–40 min	—
Kuala Perlis → Langkawi (by sea)	Ferry	About 1 h 15 min	—
Langkawi → KL	Flight	About 1 h	—
KL → Penang (option)	ETS train	3 h 35 min–4 h 15 min	From RM59
Kuala Besut → Perhentians	Speedboat	30–45 min	About RM70 return

Cost per Day

	Budget	Mid-range	Comfort
Bed / room	Dorm RM40–70	Hotel room RM200–300	5★ RM400–900
Food	Hawker stalls RM30–50 a day	Hawker + restaurants	Restaurants, bars
Getting around	Rail RM2–5 a ride	Grab RM10–25 across KL	Car with driver RM400–600 a day
Per person, per day	RM120–200 ≈ $30–50	RM250–450 ≈ $60–110	RM550+ ≈ $130+

Prices checked November 2026. Alcohol carries heavy duty and is the fastest way to double a day’s spend. Perhentians: marine park fee about RM30 on top of the boat. The direct Penang–Langkawi ferry has been cancelled at times — check before you count on it. $1 ≈ RM4.15.

Best Months

Region	Best	Avoid
West coast — KL, Penang, Langkawi	Dec–Apr (Langkawi driest Nov–Mar)	Showers any month
East-coast islands — Perhentian, Redang	Mar–Oct (best May, Jun, Sep)	Nov–Feb: boats and resorts stop
Cameron Highlands	Jan–Feb, Jun–Jul (drier)	Weekend traffic
Borneo	Year-round	—

Colourful heritage shophouses on a street in George Town, Penang — George Town, Penang.

Rolling green tea terraces in the Cameron Highlands — Tea terraces, Cameron Highlands.

Good to Know

Arrival card: fill in the free Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before you fly — only on the official immigration site.
Borneo: Sabah and Sarawak run their own passport check, even on flights from KL.
KL: the GOKL city buses are free; a Touch ’n Go card covers the rail lines.
Entry: many passports get 90 days visa-free. Malaysia visa

Malaysia rewards a mix: a modern capital, cool tea hills, the best hawker food in the region and an island finale. Pick the island by month — Langkawi in the northern winter, the Perhentians in the northern summer.

Plan

KL hotelsshortlist Penang hotelsshortlist Langkawi hotelsshortlist KL rail maplive map KL airportKUL board Malaysia mapstourist maps

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Updated Nov 2026