Malaysia family holidays are the best – affordable, fun and there is so much to enjoy together. Here are the best places to visit in Malaysia, from theme parks to crazy trishaw rides, night markets, shimmering cities with fabulous shopping and dining, jungles and white sand beaches, ancient tribes and diverse culture – Malaysia with kids is like nowhere else in Asia.

Read on for the best things to do in Malaysia with kids at our favourite places in Malaysia that my daughter and I have visited. There is so much to explore, and it’s not only fun, Malaysia is safe and friendly too. Enjoy!

Before you go

Here’s a great packing list if you’re keen to travel carry on only or travel light – this is what I packed for 10 days in Malaysia.

You absolutely need travel insurance – we use CoverMore

You should always use a VPN to protect your data when you’re using wifi overseas on your phone, iPad and tablet. We use Express VPN which is awesome and only around $12 for multiple devices. We also use July luggage – it’s strong, gorgeous and super reliable.

Five family friendly spots in Malaysia

Batu Ferringhi, Penang – read our bog post here

The Malaysian island of Penang is a fabulous destination for families and I reckon you need at least five days to explore George Town, Batu Ferringi and the beaches, theme parks and nature of this heritage island. And the food is incredible!

Highlights in George Town include:

wandering the UNESCO heritage old town
learning about its Chinese and colonial history
visiting the clan villages on jetties out over the water,
discovering beautiful temples and making offerings
taking the funicular up to the top of Penang Hill and exploring the Habitat walkways through the rainforest

Where to stay

In George Town you just can’t go past the stunning colonial Eastern & Oriental George Town – built by the Sarkies Brothers, who also built Raffles in Singapore and other famous Asian hotels. It’s absolutely stunning.

Highlights in Batu Ferringhi – read our blog post here for all the detail

Slide, swim and zipline (pic below) at Escape Penang theme park
Visit the beautiful Entopia butterfly farm
Tour the amazing Spice Garden
Eat at Long Beach Hawker Market
Have sunset drinks on the beach
Have an afternoon at Frandy’s Beach Bar on the beach

In Batu Ferringhi we love staying in the Shangri-La Rasa Sayang and the Shangri La Golden Sands with its child friendly slides and pool and fabulous kids club. There’s also a Hard Rock Hotel here, we haven’t stayed there but have heard great things about it.

Read all about the best things to do in Batu Ferringhi, Penang here.

Kota Kinabalu, Sabah – read our blog post about what to do here

The capital of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo, visiting Kota Kinabalu with kids is fabulous for a mini-break and you can easily spend five days here before heading home or setting off to explore other parts of Sabah like the incredible Kinabatangan River, spotting orangutans and pygmy elephants, lazing on the pristine beaches at the Tip of Borneo, and heading into the mountains around Kota Kinabalu at Kundasang.

We recommend staying at the Shangri La Tanjung Aru and visiting the Mari Mari Culture Centre – it honestly has the best culture centre we’ve ever visited and is so interactive it’s just an incredible experience. Read all about it here.

Make sure to visit the stunning islands of Abdul Rahman National Park, visit the Sunday markets and take a walking tour of the town. Kota Kinabalu sunsets are incredible.

Read all about what to do in Kota Kinabalu here.

Melaka – also Malacca – in Melaka state – read our blog post here

With a city motto of ‘Don’t mess with Melaka” you just know that this city and state is going to be fun. Once a significant trading port in the Melaka Strait, and now a UNESCO World Heritage site, Melaka was founded by an escaped Sumatran prince and has been occupied by the Dutch, the British and the Japanese military. There is so much to do in Melaka and it’s so easy to get around – you can basically walk from place to place – there are theme parks, so much incredible food and coconut shakes, churches, night markets, amazingly fun trishaw rides, beautiful Mosques and so much more.

Read everything to do in Melaka here and where to stay in Melaka here.

The limestone mountains and cave temples of Ipoh, Perak – read our blog post here

A visit to Ipoh with kids is such a fun adventure, and it’s an active one as if you drive you can stop at Gopeng on your way for caving and white water rafting. In Ipoh visit The Lost World of Tambun for old fashioned theme park rides, water slides and a huge lazy river, visit Buddhist cave temples and the culture centre, secret Mirror lake and paddle around the moat in the gardens of Kek Lok Tong Temple.

Make sure to eat Ipoh’s speciality while you’re there – bean sprout chicken!

Read about everything to do in Ipoh here.

Kuching, Sarawak, Borneo – read our blog post here

We just love Kuching for families for its beautiful streets along the riverfront, its stunning sunsets, amazing food – like laksa and famous key lapis (colourful cake). Eat at Top Spot – a hawker market on a rooftop carpark – stroll the riverfront, visit the Culture Centre, the Semenggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre and the Cat Museum. Explore Bako National Park and spot proboscis monkeys and so much more.

Five family friendly places you must visit in Malaysia