Malaysia Holiday Package

Today, we’ll start from Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, built nearly 400 years ago by Chinese immigrants who believed the gods had guided them safely across the fickle ocean to Malacca. Take a close look at the quaint structure’s seven exquisite Chinese crafts, including carving, sculpting, polychromy, pasting, masonry, calligraphy, and painting. Meanwhile, your driver guide will also tell you how the temple played a vital role in the government and legal affairs within the Chinese community, apart from serving as a place for practicing Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.

Next, let’s head for Dutch Red Square to admire Stadthuys, a strikingly red colonial complex, particularly notable for its Clock Tower and Christ Church. Moreover, marvel at those flamboyant rickshaws bedecked in cartoon patterns and loudspeakers that play boisterous songs in the same language as the passengers. If interested, you may try it on your own dime, but it’s better to bargain! 

We’ll then ascend to St. Paul’s Hill along the path behind the square for St. Paul’s Church, whose bullet-riddled red-brick walls silently recount the turbulent history of Malacca. Standing at the highest point, you can savor a stunning panorama of the entire Malacca. On our way down the hill, pay a short visit to A Famosa (Porta de Santiago), the 500-year-old Portuguese fortress with only a weathered gatehouse and several old cannons left. Later, turn onto Jonker Street, a Chinese cultural hub lined with countless mouthwatering food stalls and handicraft stores beneath Chinese-style arcades. 
► FYI: You may have lunch at Jonker Street at your own expense. If you’d like to taste authentic chicken rice balls and white cut chicken, the time-honored restaurant Hoe Kee Chicken Rice is your better bet.

★ Featured Inclusion: Admire Iconic Landmarks by Boat

In the end, from the Taman Rempah Jetty, let’s enjoy a roughly 40-minute Malacca River cruise with ever-changing old and new scenes. Sailing along the river flanked by potted plants, tropical trees, and centuries-old bridges, you can’t help but admire the traditional local architecture accented with spellbinding giant murals. After that, your driver guide will keep you company on a long yet comfortable drive to your hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur (5 stars)

After breakfast, we’ll drive for around 40 minutes towards the suburbs, where the yellowish-domed King’s Palace (Istana Negara) sits peacefully amid rolling green lawns - solemn yet tranquil. Although the political seat of the Head of State is closed to the public, you can still capture the grandeur of the palace with a wide-angle lens at the gate. The awe-inspiring royal cavalry or infantry soldiers in crisp uniform are also worth grabbing a photo with. 

Afterward, let’s drive back downtown to Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka), where modern high-rises and colonial architecture including classic Dutch structures and the Gothic St. Mary’s Catholic Church are the perfect testament to multicultural coexistence in Malaysia. Want fabulous photo ops? Feel free to ask your driver guide, who will help you snap the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad Building across the road against the majestic backdrop of the world’s second-tallest skyscraper Merdeka 118 and the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers. 

At midday, let’s wander around Petaling Street, Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. From afar, you’ll first be drawn by the Chinese-style archway with lifelike golden dragon sculptures on the gilded hip-and-gable roof. Strolling through the dynamic street, discover a dazzling array of antique items including vintage phonographs and rust-stained bronze ware, as well as local souvenirs like handwoven baskets and colorful batik handicrafts. If you get thirsty, consider sampling a portion of iced soy milk for around RM 2.5 (USD 0.6) from the 80-year-old food stall Kim Soya Bean, which is always thronged with visitors. 

Next up is National Mosque of Malaysia, one of the largest mosques across Southeast Asia, which can accommodate 8,000 worshippers at once. Admiring its white-dominated complex highlighted by the tiered, umbrella-shaped roof, towering minaret, and beautiful Islamic scriptures on the walls will let you naturally unwind into the serene, distraction-free atmosphere.

★ Ascend to Petronas Twin Towers - Bucket List in Kuala Lumpur 

Our last stop is Petronas Twin Towers, the planet’s highest twin building with 88 floors, frequently featured in lots of popular movies, TV series, and games. Let’s rise to the 41st-floor Sky Bridge by express elevator for the unique suspended perspective between the two towers. Continue up to the 86th-floor observation deck and overlook dense clusters of modern sleek buildings from a height of 370 meters (1214 feet). Also, expect to catch a beautiful sunset here. 
► Notes: 
1. Due to strict time limits on visits to Sky Bridge and the observation deck, please plan your photo time well. Your driver guide will share with you the optimal shooting angles before you enter.
2. It’s advised to travel light, because large luggage and photographic equipment such as tripods and monopods are not allowed inside.
3. Eating, chewing gum, and smoking are all prohibited during the visit. 

Ultimately, your driver guide will escort you back to your hotel. 

► FYI: For dinner, you can make your own 5-minute walk from your hotel to the authentic Middle Eastern restaurant Damascus Bukit Bintang to enjoy a yummy meal, which costs RM 20-40 (USD 5-10) per person.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: PARKROYAL COLLECTION Kuala Lumpur (5 stars)

This morning, your driver guide will accompany you to explore Batu Caves, a Hindu temple with natural, imposing limestone cave formations. Upon entering, its colossal golden statue, 272 colorful stairs, naughty wild monkeys, and unique karst landscapes will invite you to linger. If your visit coincides with the spectacular Thaipusam Festival in January or February, you’ll be fortunate enough to behold 300,000+ believers with the statues of the deities on their backs, singing hymns loudly while climbing the steps - one of the grandest religious scenes in Malaysia.
► Notes:
1. When entering the main cave of the temple, all visitors need to remove their shoes. Since you’ll also be doing lots of walking elsewhere, it’s wise to wear easy-to-remove anti-slippery sandals, water shoes, or slippers. You can also bring a spare pair of socks to ease your concerns about hygiene and barefoot discomfort on the uneven ground. 
2. Women should wear long skirts or pants to keep their shoulders and knees covered.
3. It’s advisable for odor-sensitive people to wear a facial mask.

Later, we’ll drive for 2.5 hours to Kuala Tembeling Jetty, where your driver guide will help you board a 3-hour boat ride to Kuala Tahan Jetty within the Taman Negara National Park, Malaysia’s oldest tropical forest home to 14,000 types of plants and 300+ bird species. After arrival, check into the hotel we’ve booked for you by yourself and enjoy your dinner here.

As the night falls, let’s kick off an exciting jungle hiking with a local nature guide. Since the land was spared from geological upheavals and glacial period impacts, its ecosystem has remained in a strikingly primitive natural state. Along the way, wonder at arm’s-length millipedes, giant ants three times bigger than ordinary ones, palm-sized butterflies, luminous fauna such as scorpions, leaf mantises, and lizards, as well as large mushrooms that emit clouds of spores like smoke. If lucky, you may witness a fierce battle between colugos, who fly up with tearing cries. 
► Note: It’s highly possible to get a leech bite when you hike through the muddy trails, so leech socks or high-top shoes and some salt used for removing leeches are necessary. 

Eventually, return to your hotel and have a sweet dream!

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner
Accommodation: Mutiara Taman Negara (3 stars)

Today, follow your nature guide through the beginner-friendly, well-maintained boardwalk up to the 344-meter-high (1,129-foot-high) Teresek Hill. In addition to admiring giant trees piercing through the sky, you may encounter spotted lanternflies featuring “large long noses” and pale pink speckled wings, green tree vipers silently perched on a twig, and hornbills with loud mating calls. Atop the hill, savor a broad view of the lush rainforest with a long history of at least 130 million years; and if the weather permits, the distant Gunung Tahan, the highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia, can be seen. 

Later, let’s return to your hotel for lunch, and in the afternoon, sail along the Sungai Tahan River by long-tail boat. As we glide along, listen to the gentle murmur of flowing waters and the crisp chirping of birds on the boat, while feasting your eyes on the refreshing riverbank landscapes dotted with nearly 23-story-tall Tualang trees, the highest “green giant” on this land, and Kelah Fish Sanctuary. After alighting, continue a 20-minute hike to Lata Berkoh Waterfall, distinguished from common ones for its low layers of rapids. If you’d like to play in the river, watch out for torrents and slippery rocks.

► More Recommended Activities (at your own cost)
Apart from the activities we’ve included, other rewarding experiences in the park such as challenging Seberang Ara Canopy Walkway, exploring the local aboriginal village, and shooting river rapids are also worth a try.

At the end of the journey, your guide will accompany you back to your hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Accommodation: Mutiara Taman Negara (3 stars)

Following checkout in the morning, please board a boat we’ve booked for you back to Kuala Tembeling Jetty in about 3 hours. When you get there, your driver guide will pick you up and accompany you on a 4-hour drive to Cameron Highlands, a popular summer resort boasting endless high-altitude mountains, intricate rural trails, and vast tea gardens. 

On the way, we’ll pause at Lata Iskandar Waterfall to stretch our stiff limbs. Small as it is, the crystal-clear water, like strands of white silk, cascades down the palisades. You can just take some pictures or play in the pool under the waterfall, but be careful not to slip. Then, let’s proceed directly to your hotel in Cameron Highlands.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Strawberry Park Resort, Cameron Highlands (4 stars)

Early in the morning, we’ll drive up to Gunung Brinchang Mountain, one of the best viewing spots to take in the entire verdant plateau. Another hidden gem is the Moss Forest, like a dreamy wonderland, where you can readily appreciate leaf mosses, gnarled tree trunks, various pitcher plants, and wild orchids in the mist-shrouded tropical evergreen forest, while breathing in the fresh, moist air.

Subsequently, let’s head to the BOH Tea Plantation, one of Malaysia’s most popular tea companies, for a better understanding of tea from its making process to brewing techniques. Wrapped by the smoothing scent of tea trees, consider sipping the BOH signature tea out of your own pocket. Let’s then shuttle around Cactus Valley to snap funny photos with numerous cacti in varied sizes and shapes, succulents, and flowers. The next destination is Strawberry Farm, where you may experience strawberry picking and savor delicious desserts made from fresh strawberries on your own dime. Your driver guide will teach you a picking hack that strawberries with flat butts tend to be sweeter with a richer flavor. After hitting a nearby local market, immerse yourself in Lavender Garden. Besides enchanting lavenders, delight in other 20+ kinds of flowers like African daisies, hydrangeas, and morning glories. Foodies shouldn’t miss the lavender-flavored ice cream at the entrance. 

As the tour draws to a close, return to your hotel by private car with your driver guide. Sleep well!

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Strawberry Park Resort, Cameron Highlands (4 stars)

Today, let’s first drive 2 hours to the Kek Look Tong Temple, a scenic karst cave enshrining Chinese Buddhist and Taoist deities. After sauntering through the cave enhanced by fantastic stalactites and growing stalagmites, revel in a secret realm of idyllic beauty, where exuberant trees and blooming flowers embrace the clear pond, making it ideal for leisure and fun. 

At noon, take a short break at Ipoh Town, Malaysia’s fourth largest city well-known for its Malaysian-Chinese cuisine. Surrounded by rolling karst mountains, the city is often seen as the “Mountain City”. You may have lunch here at your own cost. The century-old restaurant Restoran Weng Seng is a nice option to taste famous charcoal-fired clay pots for just RM 20-40 (USD 5-10) per head. Consider trying its signature dishes include the sweet Golden Soup La La Clam Pot, Pumpkin Cheese Prawn, and Malaysian specialties of Salted Egg Fish Skin and Salted Egg Bean. 

Later, take on another 2-hour car ride to Penang, a laid-back small town steeped in nostalgic Southeast Asian flavor, and enjoy an escort to your hotel at the UNESCO-listed George Town, the capital of Penang.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La (4 stars)

This morning, we’ll embark on a car tour of George Town to catch a quick glimpse of colorful and multicultural Penang Island. Aside from British colonial structures and mosques, lots of old Chinese shophouses with traditional goods, Chinese temples, and bustling markets will beckon you to appreciate. During the tour, we’ll drive past the densely distributed iconic landmarks, such as the octangle Fort Cornwallis erected by British colonials in the late 1700s, the white Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower built to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Victoria’s reign, Clan Jetty, the waterside stilt-house settlement of Chinese immigrants nearly 250 years ago, and Street of Harmony, arguably Penang’s most culturally diverse region housing four religions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity. Feel free to ask for photo stops you like at any time.

Then, let’s head for the Wat Chayamangkalaram Temple, a Thai Buddhist temple built in the 19th century. Here, as you see the gleaming statues of Chinese crouching dragons and Thai-style gilded pagodas, you’ll be instantly overwhelmed by the multi-ethnic charm of China, Thailand, and Myanmar. Also, step inside with your shoes off to take a close look at the 33-meter-long (108-foot-long) reclining Buddha statue, the world’s third-largest one of its kind. Unlike other temples, photography is allowed here. Besides snapping Buddha’s placid countenance, you can also capture 12 standing Buddha sculptures inspired by Chinese zodiac signs.

★ Savor a Retro Funicular Train Ride up to Penang Hill

To save your time and energy, we’ve specially included a ride on one of the steepest funicular cableways worldwide, which will effortlessly whisk you up to the summit of Penang Hill, the highest point of the whole city. As the train moves through the lush and green forest, you’ll feel as if you’ve transported to an idyllic fairyland. Besides, a full view of fabulous urban landscapes will greet your eyes in the coolish breezes. 

After disembarking, roam through the 360-degree circular skywalk to overlook the tree-cloaked mountains and long coastlines of Peninsula Malaysia. Learn from your guide about how British officials back then held afternoon tea parties here, how important messages were conveyed through flags of different styles, colors and waving methods, as well as how local residents turned the hill into their own back gardens. With any luck, you may spot a dusky leaf monkey who will carry a golden baby in her arms. 

Finally, we’ll drive back to your hotel. If you feel up for a self-guided exploration of eye-catching murals around George Town, some of which offer a peek into the bygone life of citizens, your driver guide will part company with you at Armenian Street. After the visit, walk around 10 minutes back to your hotel by yourself.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: JEN Penang Georgetown by Shangri-La (4 stars)

Today, your driver guide will see you off to the Penang Airport for your homeward flight. Thank you for travelling with us!

Meals: Breakfast