With a long and interesting history, Malaysia is home to a mix of different cultures and community; and this is what makes every city in the country worth to explore.
From modern skyscrapers to heritage architectures, bustling old markets to shopping malls, award-winning restaurants to delicious local street foods, the cooling hills and beautiful beaches; the cities have every reason to attract travellers and even the locals.
In this article, you’ll explore some of the interesting cities in Malaysia that you might want to put in your itinerary during your next holiday break.
Kuala Lumpur
As the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is the most popular city in the country. Also known as KL, the city is home to the iconic skyscraper, the Petronas Twin Towers which is the world’s tallest twin structures, and now with an upcoming latest skyscraper, the Merdeka 118.
Kuala Lumpur is famous for its shopping malls, Michelin listed as well as street foods, aesthetic cafes and many attractions that is worth visiting. Take yourself to downtown KL and you might find some heritage treasures.
George Town
Located in Penang island itself, George Town is a colourful Malaysian city that has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the heritage site, you will discover British colonial architectures, street arts, old artisan trades that are still in operations and most of all delicious street foods.
As Penang is famous for its food, it’s not considered as you have visited Penang if you don’t try their food. While George Town has many worthy sites to visit, the Penang Hill and Batu Feringghi beaches are not that far away for you to visit either.
Alor Setar
Known as ‘the rice bowl of Malaysia,’ Alor Setar is the capital of Kedah State, which is full of paddy fields and delightful curving hills. The city itself is a bastion of Malay culture and has some interesting galleries to visit, as well as some lovely architecture on show.
From the Alor Setar Tower, you’ll enjoy panoramic views of the city that are especially stunning at sunset and at night when the city lights up.
Mount Keriang (Gunung Keriang) is a limestone hill with beautiful crystal stones that you can hike up and enjoy the view of surrounding rice fields along the way.
Ipoh
In Ipoh’s old town, you will see charming colonial-era buildings, some of which have been transformed into trendy cafes and boutiques.
Start your day early at this quaint town and drink coffee in one of Ipoh’s local ‘kopitiam’, traditional coffee shops that make the sweet white coffee that is a must-try.
Take an adventure to the cave temples, like Sam Poh Tong and Kek Lok Tong, where you will find beautiful temples built within limestone caves, offering a serene and spiritual experience.
Ipoh is also known for the hot springs, which you can experience at a resort, and nature lovers will appreciate exploring the Kinta Valley and its limestone hills.
Kota Bharu
Photo / IG @hanz.ismail
Photo / IG @j_n_j_ashadhodhomei
Towards the east coast, Kota Bharu is a cultural town with vibrant markets, beautiful mosques and strong customs and traditions around crafts.
Visit the Handicraft Village and Craft Museum for a showcase of this traditional artistry, shop local goods at the huge Siti Khadijah Market and visit the Istana Jahar museum to check out the royal history.
Despite being in a state with strong Malay cultural and Muslim religious influences, you might be surprised that the it is also the place where you can find the Wat Photivihan Buddhist Temple where it houses the huge sleeping Buddha.
Not that far away from the city, you can also visit the popular beach site, Pantai Cahaya Bulan.
Kuala Terengganu
Also from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Terengganu is a city with beautiful beaches facing the South China Sea.
It’s another city in Malaysia with a rich history rooted in maritime trade and Malay Islamic culture.
Interesting places that you may want to visit are the Crystal Mosque, which is adorned with crystal-like decorations made from glass, crystal and steel, and the Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque, also known as the floating mosque.
Pasar Payang is the place to go for local crafts, textiles, traditional goods and to immerse yourself in the local culture and find unique souvenirs.
Kuantan
Kuantan, the capital city of Pahang has beautiful beaches, tranquil landscapes and a vibrant local scene for you to visit.
From relaxing on Teluk Cempedak Beach to appreciating the Sultan Ahmad Shah State Mosque’s architecture to taking a historical excursion to the Sungai Lembing Mines, there’s plenty to do in Kuantan.
Petaling Jaya
Originally a satellite town developed to curb urban congestion of Kuala Lumpur city, Petaling Jaya has evolved to stand on its own as a lively city.
This city located in Selangor is popular for its mega shopping malls and entertainment parks like the Sunway Lagoon theme park.
It is also famous for its local delights at the SS2 street food lane, where you’ll get the chance to try durian buffet and other affordable mouth-watering dishes.
Putrajaya
Although Putrajaya is built as an administrative city, it’s a popular destination for anyone who wants to get away from the frantic pace of Kuala Lumpur and to participate in recreational hobbies such as rollerblading and watersports.
A relaxing thing to do is to have a picnic at the Putrajaya Botanical Garden and go kayaking at the Putrajaya Lake.
As you paddle at the lake, you can snap a selfie with the Putra Mosque also known as the pink mosque in the background.
Malacca
Malacca or more commonly known as Melaka is the oldest city in Malaysia, which was established as a port during the 14th century. Due to its early history with the influence of Portuguese, Dutch and subsequently British, it has many impressive colonial era-architectures. Hence, Malacca was listed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site inn 2008.
Some of the main destinations to visit in this historical city are the Christ Church, the A Famosa fortress and Saint Paul’s church.
Or you can take on a river cruise along the Malacca river which offers another view of the town’s captivating architecture.
Explore the Jonker Street, and you’ll find good Malaysian street food and shop for local souvenirs.
Johor Bahru
One of the top attractions of this southern Malaysian city is Legoland, which some say is one of the best theme parks in the world.
Malaysia’s Legoland has a LEGO-themed water park and a stunning Sea Life aquarium.
Another attraction in Johor Bahru is the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque, a 19th-century mosque influenced by the Victorian architectural style.
For some time at the beach, Desaru Beach is the place to go for a relaxing day and is equipped with barbeque pits, perfect for families.
Kuching
The state capital of Sarawak and the largest city on the island of Borneo, Kuching is a bustling, diverse city which has old colonial buildings and modern towers and houses.
With the Sarawak River on one side, the city has street food vendors and locals selling handicrafts and paintings. It has 19th century landmarks like The Astana and Fort Margherita along with wildlife sanctuaries with rich flora and fauna.
Miri
Miri is a town known for its oil and gas industry, limestone caves, wildlife and cultural diversity.
Climb Canada hill for panoramic views of the city and the surrounding landscapes.
At the top of the hill, the Grand Old Lady and Petroleum Science Museum is the place to learn about Miri’s oil history.
One of Miri’s main attractions are the ancient caves at the Niah National Park, where you can admire cave paintings and learn about the region’s prehistoric history.
Head to Miri Handicraft Centre to buy some souvenirs or simply learn about traditional and aboriginal Sarawakian handicrafts and textiles.
Kota Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, a state of Malaysia in Borneo. The city lies on the fringes of the South China Sea and it is also the place where the highest mountain in Malaysia, Mount Kinabalu is.
Being a coastal city, visitors can always enjoy the beaches and waters which is just nearby. Some of the places that you might want to visit are the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, Gaya Street and many more.
Sandakan
Sandakan is a captivating city in Sabah that attracts wildlife lovers.
One of the most popular things to do is to see orangutans in their natural habitat and learn about the conversation efforts at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.
You can also see the world’s smallest bears at the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, which is dedicated to protecting and rehabilitating sun bears. While the Sandakan Crocodile Farm is the largest crocodile farm in Malaysia with more than 3000 reptiles in the farm.
A must-do is to go on a Kinabatangan wildlife river cruise where you get to spot proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and a variety of bird species.
