Our favorite Malaysia experiences

These experiences are your passport to Malaysia’s rich and complex culture and history, getting you beneath the surface of one of Asia’s most dynamic modern nations.

Beneath Malaysia’s megamalls and modernity is one of the richest and most fascinating histories of any country in Southeast Asia. To get to the heart of it, you need a local’s perspective – and that’s what these experiences are all about.

Malaysia has an incredibly rich mix of cultures born from centuries at the heart of the world’s historic trade routes, but sometimes it takes a local’s perspective to really put you in touch with it. That’s why we’ve put so much effort into finding these tours, classes and hands-on activities.

These are the Peranakan chefs who’ll teach you how to cook Chinese-Malay fusion cuisine, and the adventure guides who’ll point out wildlife tracks in the rainforest. They’re the food enthusiasts who’ll take you to KL’s secret street-food spots, and the art buffs who’ll point out George Town’s most innovative street art. They’re your passport to Malaysian culture and history, and some of our absolute favorite people on the Peninsula.

Ipoh heritage walk

This half day tour is about getting a sense of Ipoh’s past while enjoying the delights of its present.

Stop in at prime historic sites such as the tin-mining museum and colonial clock tower (built to honor the first British resident of Perak State), then head down cobbled alleys to contemporary art galleries and dilapidated cafés. Stop to sample handmade biscuits and palm-oil-roasted “white coffee” as you go, but don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for the workshops of rattan weavers and tinsmiths. In-between the ultra-trendy shops and galleries, these are the people keeping traditional crafts alive.

Penang heritage trail

Begin learning about George Town’s 200-year history over a breakfast of freshly baked Bengali bread, then delve into its Chinese roots with a visit to the former HQ of one of the city’s Five Great Clans.

You’ll know you’ve reached Little India when you hear Bollywood music drifting through the streets, so fill up on roti canai, buy a marigold garland, and peruse pickled fruits and preserved nutmeg at Chowrasta Bazaar. Wherever you are, keep your eyes peeled for street art – and don’t miss the workshops making joss sticks, lanterns, batik fabric and rattan. This tour is all about getting to know the many faces of George Town.

Dim sum & street art tour

George Town’s street-art scene was born in 2010, when 52 steel artworks appeared around the city. When “Lithuanian Banksy” Ernest Zacharevic added eight murals in 2012, it cemented its reputation as one of the trendiest street-art destinations in the world.

In between mural-hunting, this tour will have you chowing down on Cantonese dim sum and browsing the produce at Chowrasta Bazaar - the market that's been keeping Georgetonians in preserved nutmeg and pickles since the early 1800s. Combining traditional food with cutting-edge street art, this is a fantastic (and delicious) introduction to George Town’s glorious cultural mish-mash.

Historical walking tour of Malacca

This walking tour will introduce you to every aspect of Malacca’s eclectic heritage, from Portuguese fortresses to Dutch clock towers and everything in between.

Starting with some of East Asia’s oldest European ruins, move on to “Harmony Street”, where mosques coexist with Chinese and Hindu temples. Next, explore Peranakan (Chinese-Malay) culture at a lavishly restored 19th century townhouse, and finally conclude at the famous Jonker Walk, known for its antiques shops and street-side cafés. Sampling Peranakan treats and Portuguese tarts as you go, this is a crash course in Malacca’s deliciously diverse cultural soup.

Cycling in rural Malacca

This tour shows there’s plenty more to Malacca than colonial architecture. Covering a 20 km loop of easy cycling, it follows flat, shady paths through paddy fields, kampung villages and rubber plantations.

Your guide will tailor the route to you, so you might find yourself cycling beneath traditional stilt houses, stopping for a swim under a waterfall, or having a go at peeling back the bark of a rubber tree to "tap” latex. Wherever you go, you’ll travel at your own pace, stopping whenever you like to spot monkeys in the trees, chat to the locals, or grab a slice of cooling watermelon. After the hustle of the town, this is a completely different side of life in rural Malacca.

Mangrove forest kayak

While you might have heard of Langkawi’s famously lovely beaches, chances are you didn’t know that this tropical paradise was also a UNESCO Geopark, with 90 protected sites scattered across 99 islands.

One of these is the Kilim Geoforest, lined with mangroves and overlooked by spectacular limestone karsts. Accompanied by an expert nature guide, you’ll kayak between the snake-like roots of the mangroves, looking out for herons and monitor lizards hiding in the tangled undergrowth as you go. On the way back, you’ll stop in at a floating river restaurant to round off the tour with a delicious lunch.