The 5 best places to visit in Malaysia

Hidden waterfalls, tropical jungles, wild animals and, yes, LEGOLAND. Paul Chai finds plenty to love about Malaysia with kids.

We are driving through Johor Bahru to LEGOLAND in Malaysia’s south when our youngest needs a bathroom break. As we hop out at a small town of just a few buildings, the driver gives us a warning: “Keep a lookout; there has been an elephant that likes to come into town.” You may as well tell my kids that people are handing out free ice-cream. Their eyes are suddenly peeled for the rogue beast – sadly it is a no-show. But there is still something wonderfully wild about a family trip to Malaysia.

Wherever you travel in Malaysia, it’s more untamed than neighbouring Singapore, as well as more relaxed and more adventurous. Here, there be elephants.

Street food bliss in Penang

Once a key trading port in the north west of the country, a trip to Penang is really all about the food. This is the home of Peranakan cuisine, a comforting mix of Malay and Chinese with a splash of European thrown in. In Penang’s capital, George Town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – just follow your nose for the best street food finds. My youngest is all about Penang’s crispy roti canai, a fried Indian flatbread dipped into fish curry, while the eldest loves a good bowl of laksa (which Singapore also lays claim to), and my wife is a big fan of char kway teow (plump rice noodles in a dark soy sauce with Chinese sausage); the best can be found on Siam Road.

Art and nature

Another must for visitors in George Town is to take a stroll along the colourful heritage shopfronts and follow the trail of incredible, interactive street art for fun selfies with the kids. Be sure to visit the Pinang Peranakan Mansion, a museum dedicated to Penang’s Peranakan heritage, a riot of colour and historic bric-a-brac, to introduce the history of Penang to the kids.

If you’re after a hit of nature, take one of the world’s steepest funicular trams to the top of Penang Hill for awesome views and a bird park with giant walk-in aviaries filled with exotic birds, plus an owl museum and vibrant temples.

Kuala Lumpur is also the Capital of fun

Like any big city there’s a wealth of things to do in KL, starting with the soaring Petronas Twin Towers . They may no longer be the tallest in the world, but they are still worth a visit, not least for Petrosains, where kids can indulge a love of science with workshops such as learning to code a Mars Rover.

There is more science on offer at KidZania in Petaling, a huge indoor theme park that aims to teach kids about professions while making it fun. If you are in the mood for wilder adventures, kids can check out all the local flora and fauna at the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo and Aquarium. Taking a leaf out of Singapore’s Zoo conservation rule book, Zoo Negara Malaysia, as it also known, is a beautifully designed space for 476 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish from Asia and Africa, that sprawls across 44.5 hectares around a peaceful central lake.

Chasing waterfalls in Langkawi

A favourite Malaysian getaway is Langkawi, an archipelago of islands boasting stunning natural landscapes, pristine beaches, a feast of family resorts and great attractions that are not to be missed.

Even as the father of two kids the idea of a ‘family’ resort can strike fear into my heart, but Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort & Spa Resort gets it right. With 14 hectares of traditional Malay kampung-inspired housing situated on Pantai Cenang (Cenang Beach) there’s plenty to see and do. You can mini-golf with the kids in the morning, then hire a bike to explore or splash away the day under water cascades in the swimming pools. As the sun goes down, head to Cenang Beach, where you can sip cocktails by candlelight with your toes in the sand while the kids play in the gentle waves.

Must-visit spots in Langkawi are the Langkawi SkyBridge, a 125-metre curved pedestrian cable-stayed bridge that offers breathtaking views, and Temurun Waterfall, where groups of local kids jump from the rock face into the pool of water with squeals of joy. Join them for a dip then head back to the car. Be warned: you may discover your car has become home to a gang of macaques leaning nonchalantly on it like they are waiting for a tip.

Attractions made for kids in Johor Bahru

You can’t visit Malaysia with kids without a stay at the LEGOLAND Hotel at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort. This resort has roaming life-size LEGO figurines, a dragon-themed rollercoaster, a huge castle, a pirate ship to explore and 100,000 LEGO bricks to play with. Rooms at the hotel follow four themes – Pirate, Adventure, Kingdom and Ninjago – and we are very happy to end up as pirates in a room decked out in skull-and-crossbones bedding, pirate wallpaper and LEGO models. We’re even happier when we plunder the buffet breakfast the next morning, which includes a chocolate fountain.

The theme park has so much more to offer and is also the location of the new SEA LIFE Malaysia – built with a touch of LEGO DNA – where an underwater world of wonder awaits us. What more could a kid want? How about some water fun? Yes, there’s even a LEGOLAND Water Park with a lazy river, tube and body slides and a water playground. We especially love the build-a-raft lazy river, where you can configure rafts out of giant LEGO pieces. My tip, if you plan to visit both LEGOLAND and the LEGOLAND Water Park in one day, is go to the water park first as it gets more crowded as the day warms up.

If you’re after more watery action, Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark is just an hour away. Located in the resort area of Desaru, famous for its pristine beaches, the park caters to all ages with gentle rides and splash areas for littlies and thrill slides and rides like Riptide and Kraken’s Revenge to keep older kids happy.

The jungle of Sabah

Kota Kinabalu (or KK as it is known by locals) is the pretty capital of Sabah, in the north part of Borneo, where Buddhist temples sit alongside majestic mosques, along with picture-perfect beaches, brilliant resorts and street markets. There’s a world of incredible scuba and snorkelling available (which can be experienced on both sides of the island) including at Sipadan, not far from where my father grew up on a farm in Miri in Sarawak. He often shares stories with the kids about his life in the jungle.

Then there’s Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest peak, whose tangles of greenery are best seen on a hike after the morning mist settles. You can also get up close and personal with nature at the Rainforest Discovery Centre near Sandakan Town, where you might catch sight of the country’s most famous resident, the endangered orangutan. But the most famous place to spot orangutan is at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in east Sabah, where platforms among the trees allow visitors to observe the primates doing their thing without intruding.

Like our rogue elephant, we are not lucky enough to catch sight of the old man of the forest on our visit, but our family trip to Malaysia still proves a wild ride.

Getting there Malaysia Airlines flies daily to KL, Penang and Langkawi from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.

This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.

Keep reading:

• Top 10 Best Family Resorts in Malaysia
• Malaysia family-friendly travel guide
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