Malaysia is an amazing destination for travellers; it occupies parts of the Malay Peninsula and the beautiful island of Borneo.
It offers not only beaches, rainforests, jungle trekking and mountain climbing but also city life and amazing wildlife. Malaysia has the cultural influences of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European and the capital Kuala Lumpar offers fabulous shopping districts and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, what more could you want.
However Malaysia has an equatorial climate and is hot and humid with temperatures reaching 30 degrees.
This type of climate has challenges that if you are not used to you will need to be well prepared for, so the good trip team have come up with a list of essential items to help you have a comfortable and safer trip.
Malaysia Travel Essentials
Water bottles
A filtration water bottle or water purifying tablets are advisable as tap water is not safe to drink.
Be very careful when taking a shower, try not to swallow water when washing your face or your hair.
Lots of travel sickness issues involve ingesting local water by accident.
Sun Cream
As Malaysia has an equatorial climate the sun will be strong all year round so sun cream is an absolute must if you’re going to be spending time outside or on the beaches and we’d advise a factor of at least 30, this way you can enjoy the hot weather and the sun without worrying about burning yourself.
If you don’t like sun cream and don’t want to burn make sure you stay covered up with light clothing that cover all your extremities, this will also help prevent being bitten by mosquitoes.
Toiletries
You may want to pack some biodegradable soap if you intend to backpack or engage in any of the trekking opportunities available to you in Malaysia. Most biodegradable soaps can also be used to wash clothes and avoid contamination of the environment containing only natural degradable products.
It may also be worth packing some hand sanitiser for when there is no soap in sight
Good trip marketplace has plenty of different eco-friendly toiletry options to choose from so you can stock up before you go!
Toothbrush
Take a toothbrush in a container with some toothpaste. The container will keep the toothbrush from becoming contaminated from unclean surfaces or from being dropped on the floor. Also avoid using tap water when brushing your teeth as you could end up with some stomach problems, use a bit of water from your filtration bottle or water that has been sterilised from your purifying tablets
Sunglasses
Sunglasses will help you to see without squinting and a good pair with adequate UV protection will help protect your eyes.
Bag
There is crime in Malaysia as in many other countries so it is wise to be mindful of your valuables. A small waist bag is a great idea to keep cash and your passport safe.
A small or medium rucksack is better than a bag with shoulder straps and preferably worn on your front rather than your back in busy cities.
Mosquitoes and insect repellant
Malaysia is a tropical country and has lots of mosquitoes, some carry dengue fever and malaria.
To avoid being bitten it is worth taking a mosquito repellent with or without Deet depending on what you prefer.
The alternative way to avoid bites is to cover up especially in the evenings when they come out to feed. Malaria carrying mosquitoes come out in the evening however dengue fever is carried by day biting mossies so be careful!!
A mosquito net is a worthwhile investment as not all hotels or guest houses have them covering the beds. As well as a mosquito net, you could also take some super comfortable anti-insect sleepwear with you which would give you another layer of protection! Many areas of Malaysia still have a high risk of malaria but even where the risk is low avoiding bites will make your trip more pleasant.
Other Travel Essentials
A travel adaptor plug is a must so you can use your electrical gadgets
You may want to take some earplugs, you never know whose sleeping next door or how much noise there will be outside the window
A simple First Aid kit containing essential items like plasters, bandages, alcohol wipes, dehydration powders and tablets is always handy to carry in your bag...just in case.
Check out our Travel Accessories