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Malaysia — hero

Asia

Malaysia

Truly Asia in one country. Malaysia blends high-tech Kuala Lumpur, ancient Borneo rainforests and one of the world's great food scenes.

Currency
Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)
Language
English, Malay
Best time
April – August
Visa
Visa-free (up to 90 days)

Still current at: 13 November 2026 Updated: 19 March 2026

See which areas are affected
Official FCDO travel advice map for Malaysia
FCDO (TA) 025 Edition 3 © Crown Copyright

FCDO's detailed advisory map (PDF) FCDO (TA) 025 Edition 3 © Crown Copyright

Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — the definitive source. Check it close to your travel dates.

Flight cancelled or delayed because of this? Your rights under UK261 / EU261 →

Why visit

Why Malaysia

Truly Asia in one country. Malaysia blends high-tech Kuala Lumpur, ancient Borneo rainforests and one of the world's great food scenes.

  • Petronas Twin Towers
  • Borneo orangutans
  • Batu Caves
  • Langkawi beaches
Read more

Malaysia is Southeast Asia in miniature — gleaming skyscrapers and street-food alleys, colonial heritage towns and some of the oldest rainforests on Earth, all wrapped in famous multicultural hospitality.

It's a natural bleisure pick, with Kuala Lumpur and Penang emerging as smart, well-connected hubs for remote work, then family-friendly jungle and island escapes just a short hop away.

Expect soft adventure and epic food: meet orangutans in Borneo, snorkel world-class reefs, wander UNESCO George Town, and eat Malay, Chinese and Indian flavours across a single, unforgettable day.

A pillar, not a footnote

Eat your way through Malaysia

The single reason many travellers come back — the food culture worth reshaping a trip around, and the dishes to seek out region by region.

Malaysia

The crossroads of Malay, Chinese and Indian kitchens, arguing happily over which town does each dish best.

Pull up a plastic stool at a mamak stall near midnight and watch teh tarik — 'pulled tea' — thrown in long ribbons between two jugs until it froths, served with a plate of flaky roti canai to tear and drag through dhal. Malaysia is the great crossroads where Malay, Chinese and Indian cooking met, mingled and, in the Nyonya kitchen, married outright — and where almost every dish is claimed, fiercely, by a particular town.

The morning belongs to nasi lemak: coconut rice with a slick of fierce sambal, crisp anchovies, peanuts and a boiled egg, the plate the whole country wakes up to. From there the map opens out — Penang's smoky char kway teow and sour assam laksa, the grilled skewers of Kajang, and rendang, beef simmered in coconut and spice paste for hours until it turns dark and glossy. Regional pride runs deep: a Sarawak laksa and a Penang one are barely on speaking terms. Finish, if there's room, under a cool avalanche of shaved-ice cendol.

Dishes to seek out
  • nasi lemak (coconut rice & sambal)
  • roti canai (flaky flatbread & dhal)
  • char kway teow (fried flat noodles)
  • rendang (dry coconut beef curry)
  • satay (grilled skewers)
  • assam laksa (sour fish noodle soup)
  • cendol (shaved-ice dessert)
Plan your own trip to Malaysia
Guides

All our Malaysia guides

When to go

Weather & timing in Malaysia Right now RIGHT NOW 31°C drizzle

Best Apr–Aug · Shoulder Mar, Sep (west coast also dry Jan–Feb)

Units

Monthly figures are for Peninsula (Kuala Lumpur); other regions of Malaysia vary. See every region, month by month →

Next 7 days · Peninsula

Forecast · Met Office · Powered by Met Office data

Typical · climate data

Best time to visit

April – August

Best for
  • Rainforest
  • Islands
  • Cuisine
  • Colonial Cities
At a glance
Sunshine 8.7 hr/day
Rainfall 251 mm/mo
Wettest December · 364.5mm
Driest February · 145.6mm
Part of Southeast Asia →
By season

Units

Spring (Mar–May)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 32°C with overnight lows near 24°C, with plenty of rain.

What's best — Warm & humid. Mar is among the best months here (warm & humid, some showers).

Summer (Jun–Aug)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 31°C with overnight lows near 24°C, with plenty of rain.

What's best — Warm & humid. Jun and Jul are among the best months here (warm & humid, some showers).

Autumn (Sep–Nov)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 30°C with overnight lows near 24°C — the wettest stretch of the year.

What's best — Warm & humid. Oct is among the best months here (warm & humid, some showers).

Winter (Dec–Feb)

What to expect — Daytime highs average about 31°C with overnight lows near 24°C, with plenty of rain.

What's best — Warm & humid. Jan and Feb are among the best months here (warm & humid, some showers).

Live forecast map · Windy.com · temperature with wind, °C and km/h

When to go, region by region

Malaysia has 2 climate regions

Each month our cards and map show the region with the best weather that month: Jan–Jun Peninsula · Jul Borneo · Aug–Oct Peninsula · Nov–Dec Borneo.

Region JFMAMJJASOND
PeninsulaKuala Lumpur · best Jan–Mar, Jun–Jul, Oct January: great, shown on the cards February: great, shown on the cards March: great, shown on the cards April: good, shown on the cards May: good, shown on the cards June: great, shown on the cards July: great August: good, shown on the cards September: good, shown on the cards October: great, shown on the cards November: good December: good
BorneoKuching · best Jul January: good February: good March: good April: good May: good June: good July: great, shown on the cards August: good September: good October: good November: good, shown on the cards December: good, shown on the cards

Great Good Not ideal Shown on our cards that month

A little context

A little history

To read what you're looking at — the empires and eras that shaped Malaysia's food, art and streets.

The Melaka Sultanate made the peninsula a great 15th-century spice-trade port, drawing Chinese, Indian and Arab merchants
Portuguese, Dutch and then British colonisers layered on top, the British planting the rubber and tin that built the economy
Chinese and Indian labourers arriving under British rule created today's multi-ethnic society and its fusion food
independence in 1957 united the peninsula, and Borneo's Sabah and Sarawak joined to form Malaysia in 1963
Local events

What's on in Malaysia

See all Malaysia events →
Before you book

Know before you go

The practical back-matter — safety, earthquakes & tsunamis, drones and the essentials, in one place.

Safety

FCDO advisory in force — see above FCDO advice →

Official UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office guidance is the definitive source — check it close to your travel dates.

Earthquakes & tsunamis

Earthquakes in Malaysia are rare, but tremors from large Sumatra and Andaman Sea earthquakes are felt on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and local earthquakes occur in Sabah and Sarawak.

When the shaking starts

  • Drop, cover and hold on: get down low, protect your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.
  • Expect aftershocks, and drop, cover and hold on again each time.
  • Then follow instructions from local authorities and your hotel staff.

Near the coast

  • If you are near the coast and feel shaking that makes it hard to stand, or a rolling quake that lasts a minute or more, move to high ground or as far inland as you can as soon as the shaking stops.
  • Do the same if the sea suddenly pulls back or rises, or you hear a loud, unusual roar from the water.
  • Don't wait for an official warning. Walk or cycle if you can, and stay away until the authorities give the all-clear.

On arrival When you check in, look at your hotel's evacuation map and note the nearest high ground or evacuation route.

Official sources to follow
General guidance, not a live alert · Sources checked Nov 2026 FCDO advice for Malaysia →

Drone rules (sub-250g)

  • Malaysia
    Effectively closed to casual visitors: there is no sub-250g exemption, and every flight needs a CAAM Authorisation to Fly applied for at least 14 working days ahead, with foreign pilots also needing an approval letter from the communications regulator. ⚠ The 'no permit, no fly' rule leaves no room for spontaneous flying in Kuala Lumpur, national parks or over cities; Sabah and Sarawak may require separate state approval; flying without the permit carries penalties. Rules checked: Jul 2026

National parks, protected sites and religious/heritage venues often have their own rules and permits — always check the specific site before you fly.

The essentials

Plug & voltage Type G · 240V
Daily budget Budget-friendly
Region South-Eastern Asia