Malaysia
Getting there
Besides the major national carriers, most of which fly to Kuala
Lumpur ('KL'), there are the following:
FROM UK
Malaysia Airlines from
London Heathrow.
Air Asia from London
Stanstead.
FROM NORTH AMERICA
Malaysia Airlines from
New York and LA.
FROM EUROPE AND REST OF THE WORLD
Malaysia Airlines from
KL to major airports worldwide (see below); also local connections
from KL and from Singapore to Langkawi, Penang and Medan.
Malaysia Airlines from KL direct to: Amsterdam, Paris, Zurich,
Rome, Stockholm, Jo'burg, Cape Town, Buenos Aires, Perth, Adeliade,
Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland and all major south / east
Asian airports.
Air Asia from KL to all major
Malaysian and Indonesian airports, including Langkawi and Penang,
plus major southeast Asian airports, including Phuket, Bangkok,
Chiang Mai and Hong Kong (this is a budget carrier).
Silk Air from Singapore to other
major Asian airports; also connections from Singapore to Trivandrum
(Kerala) and Chiang Mai (Thailand).
Berjaya Air – from KL
to Koh Samui (Thailand), as well as to Tioman and Pangkor
islands
Asiana from Seoul to Bangkok,
with connections to KL.
Eva Air from KL to Taipei
(Taiwan), with connections to North America (LA, New York, Seattle,
Vancouver, San Fran), London, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna.
Flights from UK to KL take around 12 hours.
back to topGetting Around
BY AIR
MAS Wings is a domestic air
carrier connecting various airports on peninsular Malaysia, Sabah
and Sarawak.
BY ROAD
Cars drive on the left. Roads are generally well maintained and
petrol is cheap.
When To Go
The rainy season on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia
typically comes between April and October or November –
though the levels of rainfall are only marginally higher during
these months, and often the rains don't really arrive until June or
July. Even during the monsoon, the rains tend to come in sharp
bursts, usually during the afternoon, with sunshine for the rest of
the day. Penang, however, does get heavy rains in September and
October.
The east coast monsoon, which falls between mid-November and
February, is more marked, churning up the seas and making some of
the island destinations inaccessible. These rains also affect the
interior of Peninsula Malaysia, and the whole of Malaysian Borneo.
back to topOther Essentials
Malaysia is surprisingly free of health concerns, with
drinkable tap water in most places and low rates of tropical
disease. Officially, no inoculations are required, though it is
wise to update your tetanus, hepatitis A, polio and typhoid
inoculations before travelling. Malaria is a moderate problem in
some remote areas, and in the interior of Malaysian Borneo. In
developed parts of the country (including virtually the whole of
Peninsula Malaysia) malaria has been wiped out. Doctors are likely
to advise those travelling to Malaysian Borneo to take malaria
tablets.
At certain times of year, jellyfish can be a problem off the
beaches. Sea urchins, too, are prevalent, so watch where you stand.