Welcome to Malaysia, an Asian melting pot where you can simultaneously embrace Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures and cuisines. Upon your arrival, your driver guide will pick you up from the airport and then drive you to Malacca for about 2 hours. Living in such a small but charming city tonight, you can roam in the neighborhood after recovering from jet lag.

Today, we will explore the UNESCO-listed heritage site of Malacca. When you come to Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Malaysia’s oldest Chinese temple, the first attraction is the exquisite mythical figures and mysterious animals made of Trencadís - a folk art to create three-dimensional architectural decorations with cemented-together glazed broken chinaware - on the roof. Walk in, and you will gravitate toward the entire lacquered Nanmu building, as well as the richly ornamented hall with shiny, dark-red-hued carved beams and painted rafters.

Cross the Malacca River to Dutch Red Square, where the Stadthuys, the oldest Dutch building in Southeast Asia, still stands. Legend has it that the red bricks used to build Stadthuys were specially shipped from the Netherlands by the Dutch colonial government at the time, and such eyeful red color gained the reputation of “Malacca Red”. Bright red buildings have not only witnessed Malacca’s history but will also become an indispensable imprint of Malacca in your mind.

Go up the St. Paul Hill behind Stadthuys to the St. Paul’s Church on the top. In the courtyard, the light makes the statue of the famous missionary Francis Xavier look sacred, backgrounded by the historical walls riddled with bullets. Going further in, you will see the tombstones of past nobles written with Latin and Portuguese inscriptions. From this commanding point in Malacca, you can have a panoramic view of the city. Then, passing by A Famosa (Porta De Santiago), a gateway remnant of a Portuguese fortress, we will leave the colonial history behind and uncover the lively Malacca now.

Jonker Street during the day is ideal for taking photos of colorful arcades and seeking delicacies in various cafés and restaurants. Why not buy a cup of popular mango smoothie and try the Hoe Kee Chicken Rice as your lunch? Beyond tasty and tender chicken rice balls, the appetizing Asam Fish is also well-reviewed for its sour and spicy flavor, whose sauce is often used to dip the chicken rice grains. It only costs RM20-40 ($5-10) per person.

In the afternoon, follow your driver guide for an around 40-minute cruise along the Malacca River from Taman Rempah Jetty. As the cruise goes on, a picture-perfect scene gradually unfolds in your eyes, consisting of Chinese-style pavilions and corridors, European-style villas and gardens, a century-old waterwheel and modern Ferris wheel, and mural-daubed walls.

After disembarking, you will be escorted to Kuala Lumpur by private car for two hours.

Our tour today begins with Batu Caves, a temple complex located on a hill in the suburbs of Kuala Lumpur. We will climb up 272 rainbow-colored stairs to the largest of three main caves, with a ceiling over 100 meters (330 feet) high and a gorgeously decorated Hindu shrine. Standing under beams of sunlight pouring down into the dark cave, you can’t help but be infatuated with the holy site’s sacredness, added by the natural masterpiece of karst landscape.

After visiting, drive back downtown to Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka), one of the world’s largest squares, whose construction lasted 15 years from 1961. As a witness to Malaysia’s independence, the square is home to the Independence Monument and a towering 100-meter-high flagpole hoisting the national flag. Looking around, you will find many featured architectures, including KL City Gallery, St Mary’s Church, and Royal Selangor Club, among which the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is the most spectacular one built by the British.

Around noon, we will head to Petaling Street, the most Chinese-inspired old street in Kuala Lumpur. Lined with Chinese-style buildings on both sides, the street is crowded with vendors and small shops hanging eye-catching Chinese signs and advertisements inside and outside. Now that you are in the place famed for its cuisine, don’t miss Kim Soya Bean, which has a long queue from early morning. Smooth soy milk and soybean pudding with a rich bean flavor are their signature snacks; they can be sweetened with ginger sugar, white sugar, or brown sugar, a portion costing only RM2.5 (about $0.5).

In the afternoon, continue to the National Mosque, Malaysia’s largest mosque and one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia. Through the towering minaret, you will see Malaysia’s will for national independence. Meander through the mosque, and you will find a distinctive hall consisting of multiple staggered columns, through whose gaps natural light shines in on the smooth marble floor, becoming more gorgeous supplemented by transparent patterned glass windows.

As the saying goes, if you haven’t been to the Petronas Twin Towers, you haven’t been to Kuala Lumpur; thus, we will visit it as the last destination today. Elevating to the Sky Bridge on the 41st floor and the observation deck on the 86th floor in succession, you can overlook the grand and marvelous city landscape of Kuala Lumpur. Accompanied by trees and ponds, Petronas Twin Towers look more picturesque during the day if photographed in the KLCC Park behind. Since we are here in the afternoon, you can also shoot the sunset scenery. If you want to catch the night view, you can return after dinner between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. when less crowded.

This morning, you will fly to Langkawi. On the way to the airport, the driver guide will take you to visit the King’s Palace (Istana Negara). Although we can only watch it from the outside, the lofty palace with a golden roof and the commanding guards at the gate all impress visitors with their majesty.

After a 1-hour flight to Langkawi, the local driver guide will pick you up and escort you to the hotel. Our well-selected hotel, Casa del Mar Langkawi, which means “Home by the sea” in Spanish, is located on the most popular 2km-long Pantai Cenang Beach, embracing soft sand, charming sunset and exciting music in the bar, the best place to relax in your free time. When enjoying the sea view in the Mediterranean-style building, tasting Mediterranean or Asian cuisine, enjoying seafood BBQ, and swimming in the beach pool, don’t miss the fireworks show at night!

Today, your driver guide will take you to the Oriental Village and help you take the Langkawi Cable Car. As you ascend slowly to the 687-meter-high (2,254 feet) peak, you will marvel at the pristine landscape of Malaysia’s west coast, unspooling from the mountains towards Malacca Strait. Walking on the 125-meter-long (140 yards) Langkawi Sky Bridge that connects two peaks, you can enjoy a bird-eye view of the island, perfect for photography.

Get back to the Oriental Village and have lunch on your own, and then take a 2-hour Mangrove River Cruise in Kilim Geoforest Park. Sitting on the boat, the first thing that comes into view is the park’s big-name limestone cliffs, formed hundreds of millions of years ago, with a Hollywood Sign-like Kilim Geoforest Park Sign on the mountainside. You will observe up close how to feed white-headed eagles hovering over the river, come across countless curious monkeys, quietly use a flashlight to illuminate the groups of bats quietly hanging in bat caves, and interact with various small fish in a floating fish farm. After the cruise, the driver guide will send you back to the hotel.

At the tail end of our Malaysia itinerary 7 days, you will have a free day to enjoy the beaches and islands of Langkawi.

Now it’s time to say goodbye. Your driver guide will escort you to Langkawi Airport. Wish you a smooth flight home! If you want to explore more destinations in Malaysia, such as Cameron Highlands, Penang, or Sabah, or extend your trip to Singapore, Thailand, etc., feel free to contact our travel consultants to customize your itinerary!