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.

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.

Kuala Lumpur architecture tour

It’s best known for its rocket-like Petronas Towers, but Kuala Lumpur is more than just plate glass and polished steel.

In palm-fringed Merdeka Square, mock-Tudor buildings stand as a reminder of cricket matches on the green, while the horseshoe arches and raised pavilions of the Railway Building pay homage to Moorish Revival. The folded-parasol roof of the National Mosque offers a glimpse of modern Islamic-Malay architecture, while Thean Hou Temple’s six tiers of lantern-strung grandeur reference KL’s Chinese roots. KL is a jumble of architectural influences, and this tour is your ticket inside.

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.

Insider Experience: Evening tour of Kuala Lumpur's street food, hidden art and bars

This isn’t just the best street-food tour in KL, it's one of the best we’ve done anywhere. And we’ve done lots.

What’s special about this experience is that every tour is tailored to you. Pauline (or one of her equally excellent colleagues) will kick off by leading you around some of KL's street art, asking about your travel experiences and food preferences as she goes. Then, she’ll devise an itinerary just for you – combining street food, speakeasies, stalls and restaurants (all of whom clearly love her as much as we do). This is a true insider’s introduction to KL, and it never disappoints.

Whitewater rafting and cave exploration

Over-indulged on Ipoh’s foodie delights? This’ll blow the cobwebs away. Seven kilometers of adrenaline-fueled rafting through the jungle, with drops that’ll have your stomach in your shoes and maneuvers that’ll have your heart in your mouth.

After you’ve returned to dry land (and reset your adrenaline levels), your guide will take you into one of the longest caves in Malaysia, where spectacular stalactites, stalagmites, chimneys and galleries have been formed by 250 million years of erosion. During the Malay emergency in the 1950s they were a hideout for Communist guerrillas – look closely, and you can still see their graffiti etched into the walls today.

Tea and trekking in the Cameron Highlands

This is a tour of contrasts: the cultivated and the truly untamed.

Start and finish at the tea plantations – the region's star attraction – where you’ll learn how the leaves are grown and processed plus get to try some of the local blends. In between, you’ll see a side of the Highlands most visitors miss completely: the misty moss forests of Gunung Brinchang. With the help of your guide, enter a world where liverworts and lichens drip from the branches of trees, and flesh-eating pitcher plants and medicinal herbs thrive beneath the thick canopy. A century ago, these forests would have covered the whole of the Highlands – so treat it like a walk back in time.