Hidden gems of Malaysia that you didn’t know about

Jo Rushton

There is more to Malaysia than meets the eye. Tourist trails are well-trodden yet there are still plenty of hidden gems in Malaysia awaiting discovery. Travelling where the locals go will give you a very different perspective on Malaysia and will open your eyes to some stunning scenery that the adverts don’t show you.

Hidden Gems in Kuala Lumpur

The city of Kuala Lumpur is normally the starting point for a trip to Malaysia. To really get a feel for how the locals relax and dine, engage a Kuala Lumpur tour guide to help you to explore. Want to shop like a Malaysian? Hit the wet market in Pudu, you will be treated to some amazing sights, smells and delicious local food like laksa and nasi lemak available to eat.

After all the stimulation of the market, along with and lazy late afternoon around Bangsar must be on the cards. Just a few stops out of the city on the Light Rail Transit (LRT) train, Bangsar is the trendy hidden gem of Kuala Lumpur that tourists never visit. For probably the best banana leaf curry in the city, have your guide help you book a table at Fierce Curry House.

Up the East Coast

True freedom to explore Malaysia needs a private car. You can ask your Malaysian tour guide to help organise a rental or a car with driver for your trip. When you plan your east coast itinerary with them, they are sure to recommend some of these fantastic experiences.

Kuala Selangor is around a 90-minute drive out of the city and towards the coast. The absolute highlight of this quaint town has to be the Sasaran Sky Mirror. During low tide at the full moon and new moon, you can take a boat out to a sandbank and get some perfectly Instagram-worthy shots. The water sits just a few centimetres over the sand, so it looks like you’re walking on water!

This optical illusion is only available a few days a month, and booking boat tickets in advance is definitely advisable. Your Kuala Selangor tour guide can make sure you secure your spot on the trip and help you claim your refund if the weather calls off the boats. Fingers crossed, you will get to visit it and will be lucky enough to spot some of the local pink dolphins!

For the landlubbers, Bukit Melawati is the ideal destination. Here, a sixteenth-century fort overlooks the town of Kuala Selangor and you can see over the Straits of Melaka on a clear day. The views are a photographer’s dream, although watch out for the Silvered Leaf Monkeys – they are tame enough to eat from your hand but cheeky enough to grab your belongings.

Northward Bound

Further up the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, you will come across Sekinchan village. Vistas of rice paddies are waiting to be photographed and the rice processing factory will explain the whole process to you.

To ensure luck on your travels, make a wish at the wishing tree by Pantai Redang. You must take some red ribbon to hang over the branches of the tree to make your dreams come true. Whilst at the beach, seafood is a must. Since this is a fishing town, you will be able to watch the local fishermen haul in their catch, dinner doesn’t get fresher than that.

A highlight of Sekinchan that your Malaysian tour guide will definitely recommend is a firefly cruise. They can help you book ahead to secure your seat where you will drift down the mangroves and be stunned at the spectacle of thousands of fireflies dancing around you.

Before you leave town, check out the Chinese Nan Tian Temple. It’s around the area of the rice paddies, is beautifully built, and a perfect spot for photographers or those who find peace in temples in general.

Going Up

Missed off the itinerary by most, Taiping is a hidden gem of Malaysia that any tour guide in the know will recommend. It is an old colonial town from the days of the British, the charming bungalows and buildings are worth visiting on an afternoon stroll around the town.

Adventurers will be well catered for with a trip to Batu Kurau Bat Cave. A two-hour hike, of reasonable difficulty, will get you to the caves. Be sure to have your guide organise this trip early in the day to give you plenty of time. As well as being home to bats, there is also a waterfall in the cave if you go in far enough!

A 13km hike or a 30-minute ride in a Jeep from Taiping is Bukit Larut, formerly called Maxwell Hill, and known to the locals as the quieter version of Cameron Highlands. Up the hill, the climate is a balmy 20°C and the change in weather means a change in the trees and plants you will see. Your Taiping tour guide will tell you that the best time to get here is in the late afternoon – a light fog will normally settle around 3-5 pm giving your holiday photos a wonderfully eerie feel.

Over to the Island

For a different take on Malaysian nature, consider a trip over to Kundasang in Malaysian Borneo. Fly into Kinabalu and have your Kinabalu tour guide organise a car to take you the two hours out to this local village.

You would be forgiven for thinking you have landed in an Alpine scene when you visit Desa Cattle Farm. A dairy farm like no other, Mount Kinabalu provides the backdrop to your holiday snaps as the cows graze in the meadows.

Along with the chilled daytime vibes, the night-time scenery is something to behold. The sky is usually clear, and light pollution non-existent, meaning the Milky Way can be spotted with the naked eye.

Rounding off a rejuvenating trip is a visit to the Poring Hot Springs in Kinabalu National Park. The healing powers of hot springs are well-known, and the mental healing you can find in such an awe-inspiring setting makes them extra special.

Once suitably relaxed, a drive around the local villages, or kampungs, can give you a glimpse of local life. If you want to check out some traditional houses and eat some village food, you can seek advice from your tour guide to plan the best route in the area.

"Jo has been through many incarnations since first arriving in Asia ten years ago. From backpacker to English teacher, then tour guide and travel writer, she loves the adventure and diversity of Asia."

Image details and licenses: Pudu Market: https://flic.kr/p/3Zy1YT (Yun Huang Yong, CC BY 2.0), Bangsar: https://flic.kr/p/84iRSQ (Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi, CC BY 2.0), Kuala Selangor: https://flic.kr/p/5QiN8e (Brandon Lim, CC BY 2.0), Bukit Melawati: https://flic.kr/p/82g5Sn (stratman², CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), Temple in Sekinchan village: https://flic.kr/p/7DJpc4 (Shutternuts, CC BY-SA 2.0), P. Redang: https://flic.kr/p/FzSxGs (Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy Ooi, CC BY 2.0), Kundasang: https://flic.kr/p/cenVbS (Nazri Mohamad Nasir, CC BY-NC 2.0), Mount Kinabalu: https://flic.kr/p/pCEX9f (a.canvas.of.light, CC BY 2.0), Poring Hot Springs: https://flic.kr/p/4B2msi (Percita, CC BY-SA 2.0)