In this post you’ll see seven photos of my favourite views in Malaysia along with an explanation why they’re my favourites. There’s a map with the locations pinned at the bottom of the post.
Malaysia is great for travellers. Want to get a beach? There’ll be an awesome beach at most a few hours away (usually a lot less). Want to hike? There are hundreds of trails to explore across the country. Both of these will offer some epic views.
Remember it’s not always the highest mountain or the whitest beach that creates the most beautiful views in Malaysia, or anywhere.
When I was thinking back to my favourite views, the ones that sprung to mind either:
- form part of a story and/or
- were totally unexpected.
Alright, here they are.
1. The Kuala Lumpur Skyline From Titiwangsa Park
Titiwangsa Park was the last of the parks in Kuala Lumpur (city) I had to visit. Boarding the monorail at KL Sentral I went all the way to the terminal station, Titiwangsa. It felt like a long way to go for a park, but as soon as I started walking along the lake Casey Neistat came to mind. I’ve spent too much time watching his videos, but he always has these epic NYC skyline shots. This is totally the Kuala Lumpur version with the Petronas Towers and KL Tower prominent.
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2. The Street Art Street In Kota Bharu
Kota Bharu isn’t a popular tourist city and I knew nothing about the attractions of going there. But it’s these cities that can surprise, and Kota Bharu did. Twice.
I didn’t know about the epic street art street until my third day in the city having picked up a map (an actual map). That’s when I saw a blurb about it. Less than 10 minutes away, I can’t believe it was possible I could have left Kota Bharu without seeing this.
It was going great but it wasn’t until I turned the far corner my life changed. If shit hits the fan and I own a house one day, I now know I don’t have to buy a carpet! I’ll have a carpet painted on the floor.
Seriously though, how cool is this?
3. From The Top Of The Old Pier On Perhentian Kecil (Small)
I’ve been reluctant to go to the Perhentians. They attract those who want to scuba dive which I am not (one time diver here) but I decided to bite the bullet and see what the fuss is about.
Turns out it’s an epic destination whether you dive or not. I’m always up for a hike and on this occasion, the rewards hapened fast with this view from the top of the islands Old Pier (it’s legit old).
It was one of those unexpected surprises and won’t ever leave my memory.
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4. Sunset From Tanjung Rhu Public Beach in Langkawi
I spent the majority of my time scootering around Langkawi visiting as many beaches as possible. Chasing beaches can get tiring though. I was reluctant to drive out to the Tanjung Rhu Beach knowing I’d be driving back in the dark. It was such a 50/50 decision to go, but you don’t get lucky without taking some action right?
So stoked I went! The sunset was incredible and is still be the most purple sunset I’ve seen.
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5. Kapas Island Beaches
I was on Pulau Weh (stunning) in northern Sumatra when Kapas Island entered my vocab. A cool Canadian couple were saying Kapas Island was another stunning island off the beaten track they’d visited. That sounded good and went into the memory bank, unlikely to be used. Two days later, still on Pulau Weh, an Aussie lad also mentioned Kapas Island as a dream spot. That sealed the deal and six weeks later I was on Kapas Island.
I’m usually one who struggles on the beach. I get impatient an need to explore. Couple that with the island being small and with minimal internet it’s a recipe for disaster. Not Pulau Kapas though. I spent a week there and could have stayed longer. All the beaches along Kapas made me happy, but walking over this stairway connecting two of the beaches each day was my favourite view. Thanks for the recommedations friends.
6. From A Pagoda At Perak Tong Cave Temple, Ipoh
I wouldn’t say I love love Ipoh but this view will never leave my memory. It’s not glorious, but wholly, it was a relief to be there. Ipoh’s heat is unbearable, next level compared to Kuala Lumpur and on this day it was not ideal to be walking about. This was taken under a pagoda, a break from the relentless heat. In the background, those limestone hills are part of the reason it gets so hot. God damn you heat..
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7. Looking Down At The Kota Bharu Market
Visiting a market is always fun (fresh fruit ftw) but I left the market in Kota Bharu city centre much later than planned. That wasn’t just because it was bigger than I expected either. In the middle of the market there’s a theater-like setup with the floor filled with vendors selling their produce with an colourful concrete octagonal closing them in (super hard to describe). After a quick browse at ground level I headed up to the third level for a different angle and spent a long time watching the action below. It was a different experience looking down on the ladies in the middle of there stall. With their hands going in all directions while serving customers in their contrasting clothing. It was a simple but epic view.
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Now that I look back on the views I chose for this post there’s a bias towards recent experiences. Four of the views were from the last two months (have spent around eight months in Malaysia) but that’s okay. Right now, these are my favourite Malaysian views.
A Map Of The Beautiful Views In Malaysia
