WinterTravel

Help! We are planning a last-minute trip to Asia and will be in Malaysia around Christmas/New Year. Hoping for some help with our planning. Advice on any/all of these fronts would be great!

1) KL
We've read the hotel-related postings re: KL, but would still appreciate feedback on the Ritz versus Shangri-La. We tend to enjoy intimate, quiet hotels with a club floor for unwinding after the day. Any comments from those who've been would be great.

2) Daytrips from KL
Is Melaka a realistic day-trip from KL if we'd rather not overnight there (sounds like hotels in KL are more cushy)? Are there other day-trips worth considering?

3) Cameron Highlands vs. Penang
We probably don't have time to do both and would love input on which to choose. We are not beach people at all, so Penang would be for Georgetown (cultural sights and the E&O hotel). Are hotels in Cameron Highlands very cushy?

4) Langkawi
Is there any compelling reason for non-beach people to visit Langkawi?

5) Transport within Malaysia
If we have limited time, is getting internal flights on Malaysian the best way to go? Does anyone know if it is possible to buy through the Malaysian Air website from the US?

Thanks in advance for the help!!

WinterTravel

PS We are also wondering whether arranging a hotel car is the most comfortable way to get from the airport into KL and how long to expect the ride to/from the aiport to take (is traffic as heavy as in Bangkok)?

chung_hiung

Hi, there
I am a Malaysian & love to offer some good advices on your trip to my country.
Firstly, you must go to this website to find some information on domestic flights within Malaysia (www.airasia.com which is a budget airline offer good deal) for Malaysia Airline (www.malaysiaairlines.com)
This is a good travel agent which I use frequently (www.reliancetravel.com)
Q1. Choose Ritz hotel offers good 5 stars services that you ever want OR JW Marroitt Hotel.
Q2. Yes, you can make day trip to Melaka but you can stay 1 night in Malacca to enjoy the seafront & night markets & its food.
Q3. Choose Cameron Highland if you love the moutain view and fresh air and you have 5 stars hotel Equatorial there.
Penang is good place for relax at the beaches and a lot of water activities plus Bukit Bendara (Penang Hill).
Q4. There is nothing to see in Langkawi besides beaches and duty free shopping.
Why not come over to Sabah, East Malaysia to enjoy some interesting places like the Hotspring & National Park? (check out on the website sabah tourism promotions board) & you are always welcome to contact me as I stay in Kota Kinabalu.
(my e-mail: [email protected])
Q5. Yes, you can travel using AirAsia flights within the whole Malaysia very cheaply. (about RM 300 from KL to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah or Kuching, Sarawak)
Let me know how many days do you want to visit Malaysia & how many of you.
Regards & cheer
Lawrence Chong

susumiki

Hi WinterTravel

1) KL
The Shangri-La is a much larger place than the Ritz so if you want intimate and quiet, the Ritz may be what you want. The Shangri-La has recently been refurbished though.

2)Melaka
Melaka is only a 2-hour drive from KL so a day-trip is definitely do-able. Hotels in KL are definitely more cushy than those in Melaka.

3)Cameron Highlands vs Penang
It depends on what you want. Camerons is a nice cool respite from the heat of the lowlands - you get quaint colonial bungalows, flower farms, vegetable farms and tea plantations. Can't comment on the hotels in Camerons as it's been years since I've been there but I would think that Penang has nicer hotels.

Penang is fascinating even if you're not going for the beach (there are nicer beaches in Malaysia than Penang but I think Penangites would beg to differ on this). Georgetown is a fascinating mix of cultures and there is no better place to taste Malaysian hawker food than Penang.

4) Langkawi
Only worthwhile going if you like hiding away from the world in a beach resort

5)Transport within Malaysia
It depends where you want to go to. The airport is approximately a 45 minute to 1-hour drive from the KL and flights to Penang and Melaka would approximately 45 minutes and 20 minutes respectively while it takes about 2 hours to drive to Melaka and about 3 1/2 to 4 hours to Penang. Malaysia Airlines has recently opened its internet reservations site.

As mentioned earlier, it's about a 45 minute to 1-hour ride by car from KLIA airport to the city centre and yes a hotel limo would definitely be the most cushy way to travel. Traffic is not as bad as Bangkok.

oscardog

My wife and I spent the last 3 Christmas/New year in Langkawi because it is the most relaxing place on earth. Its cheap as chips - the sea food is fantastic but then we love just chilling at the beach