Our new adventure started on the 16th of January. Normally we plan things at least a couple months in advance, but this time we didn’t. We knew for a while that we wanted to go away, we planned it so that it would be the last two weeks of my maternity leave, but we never actually booked anything or found anywhere we wanted to go to. I didn’t want to do a week (or two) all-inclusive, and my partner didn’t want to drive this time. We also wanted it to be warm – which excluded most of Europe – and fun for the kids. We looked at options for Kenya, the Seychelles, Japan, Oman, Taiwan, Sri Lanka (the other part), Cape Verde, Aruba, Barbados etc… and eventually we settled on Malaysia.
The temperature was right, the inland flights were affordable (unlike Kenya!) and the prospect of eating Malaysian food really helped too. We decided this about 1.5 week before we were leaving so we had a little planning to do, but this honestly didn’t make it stressful.
14 day Malaysia itinerary in detail:
Day 1: London – Kuala Lumpur (KL) – Arrival and Transfer to Hotel
We booked a flight with a stopover in Doha (on the way to Malaysia and on the way back to London). I think this was a great idea as it gave our toddler a chance to run around after sitting still for 6.5h and our baby the chance to have a change of scenery. The flights were perfectly timed (I’d say to and from Malaysia) so the jetlag both ways was minimal. There is an 8h time difference with the UK, so we did have some change of sleep but nothing too bad.
A 14h flight – How to keep a toddler and baby entertained
Our flight departed from London Heathrow on Friday 16 January at 15:30 and arrived in KL on Saturday 17 January at 14:40 local time. The Saturday will count as day 1 of our 14 day itinerary through Malaysia
Upon arrival we completed our Digital Arrival Card – you can do this at the airport or no longer than three days in advance online -, collected our luggage and ordered our taxi. We used Grab throughout our holiday. It was super affordable and reliable.
The drive from KL International Airport to our hotel Perdana was about 1h. Perdana is in KLCC walking distance from KLCC park and play area.
First night dinner – Thai food in Malaysia
We booked a standard room here, double bed for us and our toddler and a cot for the baby. The room had a small kitchen unit and a separate bathroom, but no separate seating room. Upon arrival we decided to head out for food as all of us were hungry. We asked the people at the hotel if they had a good recommendation for Malaysian food and we asked the Grab driver to bring us there, but upon arrival this turned out to be closed. We were in an area where we had no Wifi so unable to book another Grab or look up other restaurants so we decided to go to Tonphai. A thai restaurant across the road. We ordered two mango shakes, chicken and rice for our sons and two times spicy chicken with onion and rice for myself and my partner.
The food was tasty, wouldn’t say the best we’ve eaten but for the price we paid (I think the total of it all was around £9!) we definitely enjoyed our food.
After dinner we headed back to our hotel and we were hoping to have a good night sleep so we could start the day fresh the next day…
Unfortunately when returning back to our hotel we found multiple cockroaches in our bathroom. We called reception and they agreed to move us to another room, confirming that it was checked and no cockroaches were present. They moved us to a large suite with separate kitchen and living room (honestly bigger than our first flat in London!) but as soon as we got in we again found multiple cockroaches. They agreed once more to move us to a better room and would ensure no cockroaches were present. Well, third time’s the charm as our new room didn’t have any. Another large suite where we stayed the next three nights of our stay.
Day 2: Food Shopping & KLCC Park
Due to all the room moves we went to bed around 0:00 and with the jetlag it resulted into everyone sleeping in until about 15:00!! A good idea to sleep that long as for us it ensured that we slept of the jetlag in one night.
Intermark Mall Essentials – Supplies, snacks & baby-friendly finds
When we did eventually get up we decided to head to Intermark Mall, a 10m walk from our hotel, to find a supermarket to buy some food for the baby, fruit, drinks and anything else we might need as well as have something to eat. We visited Jaya Grocer supermarket. Both my partner and I love a foreign supermarket, and making it an Asian supermarket is even better. We got snacks, fruit and drinks.
Grandmama’s Malaysian Meal – Local flavours that work for kids too
After visiting the supermarket we headed to Grandmama’s for food. We were all starving and kind of looking forward to our first Malaysian food experience. We found that wherever we went for food – even at the market stalls – there were always highchairs available. Grandmama’s also had specific baby cutlery which was super helpful. At the start of the holiday I was really cautious about what to feed our youngest and he was mainly having baby food and plain rice and avocado. In the end we found that most places will actually prepare food specifically for him. There was no restaurant on our trip where this wasn’t possible. But I will tell you more about each when we get there.
At Grandmama’s we ordered a chicken starter with ginger floss, 2x Nasi Ayam Istimewa for my partner and I and a fried chicken leg with rice for our oldest son. We also got two fresh juices, one apple and one apple with sour plum (I am a big fan of these!!)
KLCC Park Playground & Lake Symphony – Playtime with views
After food we walked back to the hotel, had a little nap before heading out for the evening. We figured since we were up so late we might as well use this evening to stay up a little later and head out. KLCC park is walking distance from our hotel, so this is where we headed to visit the playground and Lake Symphony. There is an amazing small swimming pool next to the play area, but as it was getting dark we weren’t able to get into it. Instead our son and my partner went into the play area and climbed all the equipment and tried out the slides.
The play area is next to Lake Symphony, a nearly 10,000sqt man made lake. The lake contains two musical fountains that showcase over 150 unique programmed animations, creating a beautiful performance with lights, water and music. The show is held at several times a day and we were lucky enough to catch the 30m one from 9:30PM till 10:00PM.
KLCC Lake Symphony Light and Sound Show is held daily at the following times:
8:00PM – 8:10PM
8:30PM – 8:40PM
9:00PM – 9:10PM
9:30PM – 10:00PM
10:00PM – 10:10PM
We also very quickly went into the shopping centre to get our son his first ice cream of the holiday (many more to follow!). Right on Lake Symphony we noticed Mandarin Oriental hotel, which gave us both happy memories back to our trip to Doha when we stayed here. Impeccable service, one of the most stunning hotels either of us have ever stayed at.
After the ice cream we headed back to our hotel for a good night sleep. We have another fun day planned tomorrow.
Day 3: KL Bird Park & Soft Play
After a good night sleep we are going to KL Bird Park. I feel like this might’ve mainly been for me as I love birds, but I figured it would be a fun outing for us all as we’ll be seeing birds none of us have ever seen before.
We got there by Grab and the drive took about 20m. The tickets cost (converted) £15pp for myself and my partner and £12 for our 3 year old. Children below the age of 3 are free.
KL Bird Park Adventure – Feathered fun with little ones
As soon as we entered there were many free roaming birds like peacocks, pelicans and the little egret. Our oldest son is always a bit wary, of all animals (except cats we found out later this holiday). We took him to a bird park in Jamaica before, when he wasn’t loving the birds either but I hoped he had improved with time. Our youngest son is an animal lover but he used most of our time in the park to catch up on his first nap of the day.
In one part of the park you can buy white milk to feed to the parrots. Unfortunately we did not bring any cash so were unable to do this as it required a very small separate cash payment. We watched other people do it and the birds would fly on your shoulder or head to come and drink the milk. Whilst in the park our son enjoyed his second ice cream, a rainbow one this time so he was very happy!
Softplay at The Parenthood Express – Active indoor play for your toddler
After the birdpark we wanted to do something that our oldest son would enjoy, which means something active. We looked up various softplays and settled for The Parenthood Express at Sunway Putra Mall. The pictures online definitely made it look much bigger! But as it was only him, our baby and two other kids playing he quickly ditched his dad and made friends and enjoyed the slides and ball pit with them.
We only had to pay for our oldest son. Babies and parents are free.
Whilst the boys were enjoying themselves in the softplay, I took a quick stroll in the mall and treated myself to a pair of new trousers.
Take-Away Dinner & Rest – Easy food after a big day
After all our activities we took a Grab back to the hotel. Tomorrow we are travelling to Melaka by bus. We have to leave quite early so we decide to order a take away via the Grab app. The restaurant we chose was called Claypot Chicken and I think it was the worst food I’ve ever eaten and smelled. Needless to say we threw it all away and just had some light snacks before going to bed. The separate living room we had due to our upgrade did prove useful as our baby wanted to sleep much earlier than our toddler, so we at least could keep them separate.
Day 4: Kuala Lumpur to Melaka by bus
Bus to Malacca – Smooth family transport
Today we are heading to Melaka. Our bus leaves at 11:45 from TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) to Melaka Sentral. The drive to the bus station from our hotel is about 20m. I booked the bus when we were still in England as I was told they can get full quickly. I booked it via Redbus and our bus was operated by Melor Interline Express. It is recommended to arrive at the terminal about an hour before the bus leaves. We were there on time and therefore able to catch one bus earlier, so we left at 11:30 instead of 11:45.
The busses inside give a real 80’s vibe, I loved it. The whole drive took about 1h45m and we paid £7.86 for all four of us to get there and £8.23 for all four of us on the way back. So fair to say it’s not expensive to travel to Melaka from KL.
Arrival in Melaka – A charming historic welcome
1h45m later we arrived at Melaka Sentral and booked our Grab to bring us to our hotel. The drive took 10m from the bus station to our hotel Rest Collection RedHouse Melaka. We booked a room with a slide to surprise our toddler. The hotel is amazing. The interior is so beautiful, the welcome drinks were on point and the location is literally right in the middle of all the things you want to visit in Melaka. I can’t recommend staying here enough, especially if you have a toddler! They do also offer rooms without slides so really cater to everyone.
Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we left our suitcases at reception and decided to head out for a stroll and see what Melaka has to offer. Our hotel is a 2m walk from Stadthuys, the most iconic building, as well as the canal with all its restaurants and Jonker Street. We grabbed a quick lunch at – I hate to admit this – McDonalds.. There was a small play area in the restaurant where our son made friends with two Malaysian girls and had the best time playing with them. At McDonalds in Malaysia you can get rice and chicken, so this is what we ordered for our son, as well as a chicken burger for myself and a beef burger (this was not really a burger but more of a steak) for my partner, with chips.
Hotel with Slide Surprise – Kid delight at check-in
After food we went back to the hotel to put the suitcases in our room and show our son the slide. We booked the Deluxe Family Slide room.
The hotel does not offer any breakfast, they do have a separate coffee shop on the ground floor.
In the evening we went for another stroll around the area to look for food. We walked to the Canal to see all the colourful buildings and bought our toddler a coconut shake. We noticed that a lot of restaurants were already closed and when we asked people for food recommendation they told us that, unless it’s the weekend, most restaurants are closed in the evening. Lack of planning from our side I think!
Nyonya Food – Kid friendly dinner in Melaka
We did manage to find a place to eat and learned about the meaning of Nyonya. We ate at Claypot Chicken (NOT the same as the one in KL) and had a lovely chat with the owner who explained to us that Nyonya food (Peranakan cuisine) is food created by Chinese settlers who intermarried with local Malays. So it’s kind of a mix between Malaysian and Chinese food.
We ordered a soy chicken, chicken fried rice and spicy chicken fried rice. But, very unexpectedly, just after the food arrived our 3 year old fell asleep with his head on the table. We moved him to the buggy and let him sleep (in the end he slept until the next morning after being moved to the bed when we got back to the hotel).
The food was tasty and the owner was very friendly. We walked back to the hotel after our food and had a good sleep to get us going the next morning. The people at the hotel recommended us to go for breakfast at Baba Kaya the next morning and we were very much looking forward to this.
Day 5: Amazing Food and Melaka Zoo
Breakfast at Baba Kaya – An easy, delicious start to the day
After waking up we headed to Baba Kaya for breakfast. Amazing place inside and outside and perfect food! We ordered a soursop (incredible), strawberry and banana lassie, toast with butter and dips for the boys, string roti with curry sauce and fish for myself and nasi lemak twin tower with rendang for my partner. The food was as tasty as it was pretty!
Zoo Melaka Experience – A learning curve for a hot day
After breakfast we ordered a Grab to drive us to Zoo Melaka. I thought this would be fun for our son, but realised afterwards it wasn’t actually the thing we should have done with him that day. Firstly it was just too hot when we went, as we chose to go during the hottest time of the day, resulting in some animals being less visible due to sheltering. None of us really loved it and I think we should’ve done water play instead. Not mad about it, but it’s a good learning curve when planning our next trip.
Having said all the above, this isn’t a bad place at all and I think if you love zoos and visit earlier/ later in the day I am sure it can be a great outing. The animals all look super healthy in this zoo.
Dinner at Sua.sana – A meal that completely delivered
In the evening we decided to go for dinner at Sua.sana and this really did not disappoint. The food was delicious!
We ordered three juices, our son had fish and chips (probably the best and freshest one I’ve ever tried), my partner had the pad kra pao (beef) and I had the Nyonya Laksa Mama Noodles. They also were so kind to prepare an unseasoned grilled butterfly chicken with white rice for our youngest son.
The service was amazing and the restaurant itself has a great atmosphere. I’d really recommend trying it if you are in the area.
After food we went on the hunt for yet another ice cream to end the day and we managed to find our son a unicorn/ rainbow cornetto which he was really pleased with. Tomorrow we are heading to Penang, but to do this we first need to take the bus back to KL to then head to the airport for a short inland flight to Penang. I was dreading this day but it was all so smooth and easy.
Day 6: Melaka – Kuala Lumpur – Penang
Back to Kuala Lumpur – Short transit before next stop
Our bus leaves at 9:45 from Melaka Sentral to get us back to KL for 11:30. The drive from TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan) to KL International Airport was about 40m and our flight to Penang leaves at 14:55.
KL to Penang by Plane – Fast travel with minimal fuss
We are flying inland with AirAsia and the flight costs us £86 for all four. All our inland flights are single flights as from Penang we will be flying to Langkawi and then from Langkawi back to KL.
You can fly cheaper if you do not require 20kg luggage included. We did as we had two large suitcases travel with us. The flight is only an hour but because we opted for the 20kg luggage we also got a meal included. Totally unnecessary but a kind gesture.
The whole day was perfectly timed to get to all places on time without rushing or sitting around for hours.
We got to Penang at 15:55 and ordered a Grab to bring us to our stay at 22 Macalisterz Premium Suites Penang by Byon, which is in Georgetown. The drive was around 30 minutes. We checked in downstairs and got the key to our suite. We have a two bedroom apartment with a small living room.
An evening in Penang – Trying all the food at New Lane Street Food Stalls
After checking in and a quick change of clothes we headed out to find a supermarket and from there we headed to New Lane Street Food Stalls. Our Grab driver told us that we must tried the fried oyster when at the market, so trusting him we did. I personally was not a big fan of it, not sure what it was but it just wasn’t for me. My partner did really like it! We also tried noodles (we went for this stand as the queue was very long so we figured it must be really good). It was very nice! We also had satay twice. Once just 10x chicken and the second time we did 10x chicken and 10x beef. It costs £3 for 10 skewers (and you can’t order less)!
New Lane Street Food Stalls is about a 10/15m walk to our hotel, so after we had enough food we decided to walk back to our hotel. Tomorrow we are going to visit Youth Park to see a free kids (what we thought) swimming pool.
Day 7: Youth Park & George Town Street Art
This morning my partner and our son are quickly going to do laundry. We found a laundry place across the road from our hotel and they also provide the washing liquid etc, which is easy. After laundry we are going to Youth Park.
Youth Park Swimming Pool – Fun water play for kids
I read about this and it having an amazing kids swimming pool, which is free to use. I obviously didn’t properly read about it (blame the short notice for this trip) as it wasn’t actually just a small kids pool. It was big and beautiful!! But because we thought it was just for kids my partner and I did not wear swimming clothes, an instant regret! Luckily our son did and he honestly had the best time playing in the water. It wasn’t too busy when we were there. I am not sure if it’s just not well known but I would 100% recommend going here. The pictures below will give a little impression of what to expect.
After spending a couple hours at and in the water, letting our baby have a good nap, and eating another ice cream, we decided to go see the street art in Georgetown. We first walked into Chew Jetty, of which I unfortunately have no pictures left, other than this cute one of our son with his newly chosen Tayo busses <3
Jetty Food Court Lunch – Varied food with baby-friendly options
After visiting Chew Jetty we crossed the road to go to the Jetty Food Court. There are a lot of different food vendors together in one court, with food from various different countries and cuisines. We got white rice with egg and chicken for our baby. I asked the lady if they were able to do this, without seasoning the chicken and they were very kind about it. Furthermore we ordered chicken dumplings, noodles for our son, Korean fried chicken, more noodles and fried rice as well as two juices
Trishaw Street Art Ride – A playful way to see Georgetown streetart
After food we went to search for a trishaw ride. Walking the whole area would have been too much for our son so we wanted to explore the option of going on a trishaw. We were a bit worried we had too much stuff with us, but we were told it would all fit on one trishaw. We had a buggy, two bags and the four of us sitting on it. I felt so bad for our trishaw guide, but he kept insisting that it was fine. He was also kind enough to take some lovely family pics of us during the tour.
We drove through the area, where he showed us the most well-known parts of the street art. Chew Jetty does normally also form part of the tour, but as we had already been here before we skipped it on this tour. The street art is amazing and the pictures you can take with it are so great. I think they came out so well. We loved this experience, both the trishaw ride as well as seeing all the art works.
Evening Ice Cream to End the Day – Sweet finish before heading back
After finishing the trishaw ride, we went to look for another ice cream to end our day. We found it at Scoops where our son was really happy with another rainbow ice cream <3. My partner and I had oreo and chocolate.
This was the end of our day, we ordered a Grab to get us back to the hotel and to go to sleep. Tomorrow we have another fun day planned where we will be going on the funicular railway.
Day 8: Penang Hill & Soft Play Time
Penang Hill Funicular Ride – Views and adventure with minimal wait
Today we are starting our day going to Penang Hill with the funicular railway. The railway takes about 5-10 minutes to bring you 1,996m up Penang Hill where you can view the island from 833m high. The funicular railway was established in 1923 and it’s the main way for tourists to get up to Penang Hill. It is therefore often very busy. Children below the age of 4 travel free, so we only had to buy tickets for my partner and me. As we did not want to wait up to 1.5h to get on the train, and do the same thing again to go down, we opted for the express tickets. We paid £15pp in total for the return tickets. If you don’t mind waiting, the tickets are £5,50pp. It is a bit of a difference, but with two small children I know that our day would have been more miserable waiting for that long (x2) than just pay the extra money.
Soft Play at Kidster – A toddler-approved indoor play session
We spent about an hour at the top, looking round, enjoying the view and having some snacks before we decided to head down again. This afternoon we are taking our son to a really nice soft play. We just knew he was going to love it, and it’s important to make sure he enjoys this holiday as much as we do. My partner did some research and we selected Kidster in Gurney Plaza Mall. You pay for a day ticket, and only children have to pay. Kids below 1 go free, and for our son it was £12 (we went on a Saturday, if you go on a weekday it is £10).
The soft play is incredible and our son honestly had the best time. Even our baby enjoyed it, playing with balls and people watching. So many of the kids came to play with him or sit with him. Our 3 year old made a friend he played with the whole day.
We spend at least 2.5h here and it was difficult to convince our son to come with us when we did want to leave. I am honestly not sure what we did to convince him but I can image it was probably the promise of an ice cream.
Gurney Drive Hawker Centre Food – Street food sharing for all ages
When leaving the soft play we headed outside to grab some food at Gurney Drive Hawker Center. We ordered some random bits that we all shared and a sausage for our son and we ate at one of the many red tables in the middle of all the food stalls.
After finishing our food we took a Grab back to our hotel and had a relatively early night. Tomorrow we are flying to Langkawi, our flight is leaving at 11:10 and the drive to the airport will take us around 30 minutes. This means we need to leave quite early so a good night’s rest is welcomed.
Day 9: Penang – Langkawi
Flight to Langkawi – Smooth transition to island vibes
This morning we are flying to Langkawi. We are very much looking forward to it as it’s supposed to be the most relaxed part of our trip, island vibes. We are flying to Langkawi with Firefly and the tickets costs us £91.65 in total for all four of us on a single flight, which took 40m.
We arrived in Langkawi at 11:50 and after collecting our luggage we ordered a Grab to our hotel Temple Tree Resort. The drive took us 8m, so it’s super quick to get there.
Arrival at Temple Tree Resort – A beautiful heritage stay with character
Temple Tree Resort offers stays in restored heritage houses, all originating from different states across Malaysia surrounded by lots of greenery (and cats!). We have booked Plantation 3 a 2-bedroom suite on the first floor, where we have two bedrooms and a bathroom to ourselves and a living room that is shared with one other suite on the same floor. We have a king and twin room and all beds have mosquito nets around them. In the late afternoon someone from Temple Tree comes to your room and turns on a device to prevent mosquito’s as well as draw all curtains.
There aren’t glass windows everywhere, some parts are only closed by wooded shutters. The house is made out of wood and in parts you can see outside through the cracks, but that’s the charm. The suite was wonderful and the grounds are stunning. Temple Tree Resort was definitely one of my favourite stays we booked in Malaysia.
Upon arrival we were welcomed with a welcome drink and a cookie, whilst we waited a couple minutes for someone to walk us to our suite. We arrived around 12:00 and were very lucky to find out that our room was ready.
Snacks & Ice cream – Eating with pool view and meeting the hotel cats
We dropped our stuff in the room and headed down to the restaurant to grab something to eat, before we enjoyed the pool. We ordered some bits to share and an ice cream for our son. This is also the point we found out that he loves cats. He is pretty scared of a lot of animals and has never really been a daredevil going up to them alone, but with cats he is different. He loved them instantly, petting all of them.
Pool Time at Temple Tree – Relaxed swimming for the whole family
The pool at Temple Tree Resort is so stunning. The colour, the surroundings, all the greenery makes it feel so peaceful. It’s good for doing laps too, as it’s long enough for a good swim. We spent quite a long time in the water all four as when we left the water we all looked like prunes.
After the pool we went back to our suite to get showered and dressed for an evening meal and supermarket visit. This was only planned as we found out there was a large supermarket right next to the restaurant we visited.
Dinner at Cili Kampung – A highly recommended local dinner spot
We’ve decided to go and have dinner at Cili Kampung, which is a 6m drive from our hotel. It was recommended to us and honestly the food was a definite highlight of our trip.
The restaurant has a very lovely setting and the staff are super friendly. We ordered three juices, apple with sour plum, apple and watermelon. For food we had Masak Kicap (soy bean sauce) with chicken and Sambal Petai (homemade chilli sauce) with prawns. It came with a large bowl of rice to share. We also ordered an omelette on the side for our baby to have with rice and avocado.
When we were eating the lady who runs the restaurant brought us another complementary dish she made that morning which was the Masak Lomak (their signature dish, yellow coconut gravy) with butternut squash. This was honestly incredible. We didn’t order it at first as my partner isn’t too big on heavy coconut flavour but I am so grateful she shared it with us. It was probably my favourite out of the three dishes.
Supermarket Visit & Shopping – Stocking up on nappies, fruit and ice cream
The restaurant is right next to a large supermarket – Billions – where we went to after dinner. We brought loads of nappies and wet wipes from home, but were running low, so had to pick some up for the last part of the holiday. Whilst in there we also got some fresh fruit and a few other essentials, and of course the evening ended with ice cream. In the shop, we went for a standard one, but noticed a small motorbike outside selling something that looked like ice cream. It turned out to be a typical Malaysian treat — one we’re definitely coming back to try!
After dinner and the supermarket visit it’s time to go back to our hotel and have a good night sleep. Tomorrow we are going to the beach.
Day 10: Beach time & Dinner at Dangau
Hotel Breakfast in Langkawi – Peaceful start surrounded by greenery
We have breakfast included with our stay, so first things first we had a nice and peaceful breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. We sat outside, in the midst of greenery underneath a fan, surrounded by cats. What’s a better way to start the day.
The breakfast includes chicken sausages, potatoes, noodles and nasi lemak as well as pastries, cakes, fresh fruits, cheese, bread and spreads. There is also an egg station where you can order eggs the way you like them.
Beach Time at Pantai Cenang – Sand, sun and shade with kids
After breakfast we get ready to go to the beach, again not very well thought through with two small kids going at the hottest part of the day. Also I must admit I am really not a beach person, especially with two young kids. Putting sunscreen on, the sand everywhere, trying to keep in the shade, the hot sand.. It’s just not me. The drive to the beach is 4m from our house. We used two chairs with an umbrella to keep us in the shade whilst at the beach.
My partner and our son went in the water for a short period and our baby and I just chilled on the loungers enjoying the beautiful and calm view. After spending, probably, under an hour there we were all too warm and went to a nearby bar with a pool. Here we ordered drinks and our son could play in the pool with slides for a little bit. Today we want to eat at Dangau Langkawi, but as it closes at 18:00 we need to head there in the afternoon. After the beach we first went home to wash of the sand and get changed before we booked a Grab to take us to Dangau Langkawi. The drive is 21m. We weren’t sure if we needed cash here, but the cash machine didn’t work so our Grab driver was kind enough to give the restaurant a call and ask. You can pay by card here.
Dinner at Dangau Langkawi – Local flavours with family-friendly vibes
Dangau Langkawi is a little bit of the beaten track and is surrounded by tea fields. It’s super peaceful and serene setting and the staff are so very kind. We ordered a whole can of apple and sour plum juice, fried chicken, curry with okra and prawn, a fish and squid. It came with a large bowl of rice to share. We also had a chicken without seasoning prepared for our baby, who loved it!
After dinner we went on a mission to find another ice cream to end the day and then get back to the hotel for an early night. Tomorrow we are going to Langkawi Skybridge by Skycab and visit the Dream Forest in the evening.
Day 11: Cable Car, SkyBridge & Dream Forest
Skycab & Skybridge Adventure – Cable car ride, hilltop views, and the Skybridge experience
We start our day with the breakfast in the hotel after which we head for the Skycab and Skybridge. We order a Grab and it takes us about 25m to get there. The walk up to the Skycab ticket counter is lovely, passing through Oriental village built on top of the hill with loads of little restaurants and shops, with a little lake in the middle.
We didn’t buy our tickets up front so we had to queue for a short time to purchase them. You can’t take a buggy on the Skycab, so this needs to be stored in the lockers right next to the ticket station. There is no need to buy express tickets here as the queue goes very quick so it wouldn’t make any difference. We bought a ticket that gets us to the middle and top station by Skycab and then also allows us to walk to the Skybridge. You can pay additional for the Skyglide to take you to the Skybridge from the top station, we did not do this. We also found out when being at the top that the queue for the glide was about 1.5h!!
It is 300 steps down and back up to get to and from the Skybridge. A bit of a climb, but our 3 year old was able to walk it all himself, so it’s definitely manageable. When walking on the bridge you can feel it move a little in the wind. There are also some glass panels that you can look through to see how high up the bridge is!
3D Art Langkawi & Lunch at Smiling Buffalo – Interactive museum fun followed by a family-friendly meal
Other than Skybridge and Skywalk, our ticket also included entry to 3D Art Langkawi, SkyRex, and SkyDome at the base station. We decide to also visit 3D Art Langkawi. You can’t wear shoes in here and I thought it was very clever they do offer shoes to wear when using the bathrooms.
The museum is a 21,000sqft gallery offering over 100 3D interactive artworks. For each artwork there is a dedicated spot on the floor to take the picture from so it looks like you form part of the 3D image. Below are some impressions from the museum.
Upon finishing here we were hungry and wanted to eat somewhere. We have had multiple people tell us that we needed to visit the Smiling Buffalo because it’s walking distance from our hotel (5-10m) and because the food and setting are supposed to be good. The food is a mix or Malaysian and other cuisines and because we didn’t want to look for anything else and have a busy evening ahead we decided to give it a try! We ordered three drinks, pasta Bolognese for our son, a chicken burger for my partner and beef rendang quesadilla for myself
Last Dinner in Langkawi – arab rice and excavators
After we finish we head back to the hotel for a late afternoon nap for the baby. Tonight we will be going to the Dream Forest and this is only open from 20:00 onwards so it will be a bit of a later night for us. There is one more place we wanted to try for dinner (there are many more but given the time restraints this is it) and it’s conveniently close to the Dream Forest so we are trying it before we head there. It’s called Nasi Arab Kaki Gunung Cafe and it’s a 23m drive from our hotel. They specialise in arab rice and the rice was so tasty!! We ordered apple and sour plum juices, a coconut shake, chicken, lamb and rice. Our son also managed to find a toy he wanted as the restaurant sold some small bits. He found an excavator he liked which we got him.
Dream Forest at Night – A magical forest trail with lights and storytelling
From here the drive to the Dream Forest is only another 5m drive. We did buy our tickets for the Dream Forest ahead of arriving, as our hotel provided us with a 20% discount code. The total for us three (the baby goes free) came to £28 with the discount.
The website says that the trail is best to be done without a buggy (using it is at your own risk), but you can really easily take a buggy. None of the paths are difficult or dangerous at all, so I am super glad we decided to go for it and just bring it anyway. We all wore long sleeves and trousers as the trail is in the woods and lots of mosquito’s can be present. The trail is about 1.2km long and goes through the forest. It’s honestly best to be told with pictures, or – even better – a visit as it’s really stunning. A story is told throughout the trail by lights and images. Some highlights from the walk for us can be found in the below pictures and videos.
I would recommend going here, not just with kids, it’s a stunning experience. Even our baby stayed awake to see it all. In the middle of the trail there is a stop where you can buy drinks and marshmallows to heat above the fire. After finsihing the trail we headed back to our hotel to go to sleep. Tomorrow we are flying back to KL. Our flight is at 15:20 so we do not need to rush in the morning.
Day 12: Langkawi – Kuala Lumpur
After packing our suitcases we left them in reception and headed out to get ourselves an ice cream. We will pick our suitcases up on the way back as the airport is only an 8m drive from our hotel, so we have plenty of time.
Morning in Langkawi & Ice Cream Stop – Breakfast, packing, and a final taste of local treats
Today is our last morning enjoying the breakfast at Temple Tree Resort. We are going to miss this setting and the island. Our flight is at 15:20 so we have enough time to go and try the Malaysian ice cream we saw outside the supermarket before we head to the airport.
The ice cream is sold by Pal Litt aiskrim from a small motorbike and other than that it’s ‘traditional’ Malaysian we don’t really know what we are getting. I opted for ‘everything included’ which I think is rice, corn, condensed milk and ice cream. It’s an unusual – for me in a very good way – taste which combines sweet and salty. I would really recommend trying it if you get the chance! Our son wasn’t a fan so we got him his standard rainbow ice cream from inside the supermarket.
Flight to Kuala Lumpur & Hotel Check-In – A smooth transfer and settling into Arté by Thomas Chan
After the ice cream we went back to pick up our suitcases and head to the airport. We are flying with Malaysia Airways, operated by Firefly, to KL and the flight takes 1h15m. The airplane is our smallest yet with just 4 seats in a row. We paid £115 for all four of us for a single flight. I am sure you might be able to get all our flights cheaper than we did, if you actually plan your travel ahead. As we only planned the whole trip 1.5 week before leaving the UK it was likely more expensive.
Upon arriving in KL (we flew to KL Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah) and collecting our luggage we are heading to our hotel. We are staying at Arté by Thomas Chan for the last 2 nights and the Grab drive from the airport is about 35m. We booked the Louis V suite which includes two bedrooms and a living room. We are able to check in as soon as we arrive. The reception for the hotel is on floor 66 and the hotel is stunning. Very instagrammable.
Evening at Publika Shopping Gallery – Food stalls, supermarket finds, and a relaxed stroll back
After we spent some time in our hotel room and let our baby have a nap, we headed for Publika Shopping Gallery for food, which is just a 9m walk from our hotel. On the ground floor of the shopping gallery we found EAT food village and Big Ben’s Independent Grocer. We first head to EAT food village where various food stalls offer all kinds of Asian food and where we all select something to eat and sit together in the middle at one of the tables. I ordered something that was called ‘burned’ noodles because I thought they looked good. I also ordered the fried squid from the same stall. Unfortunately both my dishes weren’t actually nice. My partner and son did love their food and I was able to share some with them so all good in the end!
After food we headed for the supermarket where we got some bits and ended another night with an ice cream. I have loved all our supermarket visits here in Malaysia. In the UK the Asian supermarkets are my favourite to go too, and here all supermarkets are just like that but better. If only we could take it all home..
We head back to the hotel for our first night in the new hotel. Tomorrow is our last day out in Malaysia, so we better make it a good one. We will be visiting the Batu Caves, Kasturi Walk and China Town.
Day 13: Batu Caves & China Town
We have breakfast included with our stay in the hotel, so our first stop is on level 66 for breakfast. As with everything so far in the hotel the bar, breakfast and all areas surrounding it are stunning. Breakfast offers noodles, English Breakfast, bread, dips, fruit and granola’s. You can also chose to have your egg prepared how you like it. Below is an impression of the breakfast and communal areas in the hotel.
Exploring Batu Caves – Steps, monkeys, festival crowds, and temple sights
After breakfast, we made our way to the Batu Caves, a 16-minute drive from our hotel. The area was exceptionally busy, and our Grab driver explained that the crowds were due to Thaipusam, a festival that brings the Tamil community together in celebration. More than 3.5 million pilgrims are expected to ascend the 272 steps in honor of Lord Murugan. The festival reaches its peak on 1 February 2026, with the largest gatherings taking place between 30 January and 2 February. Although we visited on 29 January, road closures around the Batu Caves—from 27 January to 4 February for festival preparations and dismantling—meant traffic in the area was already extremely congested.
There are a lot of monkeys around the caves and temple and we had to really make an effort for them not to jump the buggy or steal our stuff. Whilst walking up the stairs one money approached my partner from the back when all of a sudden he felt something trying to snatch the drink he was holding from his hand.
KTM Train Ride, Kasturi Walk & China Town – City transit, street markets, and the durian tasting adventure
Because it was so busy on the road and there was no Wifi anywhere in the area we decided to take the KTM Komuter train into KL to visit China Town. We bought our tickets at the Batu Caves station and waited about 20m for the train to come. We asked someone at the station where to get off and he told us to go to KL Station. The train ride took about 30 minutes and our son loved it. He loves trains and any vehicles really. It was the main thing he told at his nursery when we got back, that he went on the train. Different favourite parts for everyone this trip!
The walk to China Town is about 5/ 10 minutes from the station. Before heading into China Town we first walk into Kasturi Walk. From the start of this holiday I have been saying I really want to try Durian. They say you either hate it or you love it and I wanted to know which of the two I was. So when we saw a little stall selling them I decided to go for it.
To me it smells like rotten onion and vomit, but I kept telling myself it must taste better than that if there are people who love it! So I gave it a go, and unfortunately I must admit it’s one of the nastiest things I have ever tried. I am definitely not one of those people that love it. Neither are my partner and our son, who also hated it. safe to say we won’t be getting that again.
After walking round Kasturi Walk we head into China Town for some food. We settle for Joy food and drink on Petaling Street, who serve generously filled roti. We ordered three different ones, chicken mala, beef mala and another beef one. They were delicious!! We also got two drinks with popping balls in it. Highly recommend this place, for the interior that is a little arty but also for the delicious food and drinks.
It started to rain so after walking round in the rain for a bit longer, through the market, we decide to head back to the hotel and have a look at the pool. We ordered a Grab to bring us back, which took us 30m due to traffic.
The Pools at Arté – Stunning mosaic pool in sunset lighting
As the hotel is so stunning we were sure the two pools must match this view and we weren’t disappointed. Especially the mosaic pool is stunning, especially in the light we visited it.
We loved this hotel. The rooms as well as all the amenities. I am not sure if the location is the best to do everything you want, but by using Grab and the train we didn’t find it difficult. But that might also be because we already stayed in a different area the first three days and managed to do things around there already.
Last evening in Malaysia – take away and packing up
I don’t feel like going out for dinner. We fly back to London tomorrow at 10:15 in the morning and it’s about an hours drive to the airport from our hotel. To be sure we want to try and leave around 6:45 which means we have to get up early! Therefore my partner offered to go and buy food with our oldest son at Publika Shopping Mall and I put our baby to bed and pack my suitcase. They each got rice with chicken and they brought me back some sushi which I really craved.
It was kind of a nice ending of the holiday where we just stayed in and enjoyed each others company, reflecting back on a really lovely holiday.
Day 14: Kuala Lumpur – London
Early Morning & Flight to Doha – Snacks, naps, and managing little ones on the plane
Today we are flying back to London. Our first flight leaves at 10:15 from KL International Airport and will get us to Doha for 12:55. This flight went really well. Our oldest son watched some tv shows and played with his cars and the baby napped. All this in between snacks and food. We got to Doha on time and are supposed to have a 2h20m stopover, but our flight is delayed. Instead of leaving at 15:15 we are now leaving at 16:50. Gives us a little more time at the airport and our son a little more time to loose some energy by running around.
By the time we finally get into the airplane our baby is exhausted and moody, but because he is now so tired he can’t really get comfortable so he cried for periods when he woke himself up trying to change position. Overall, and looking back at it, it wasn’t too bad but when in the moment I felt so bad for him. Eventually he did fall asleep and slept for most of the flight.
Reflections on the Trip – Looking back on two weeks of family adventure in Malaysia
We parked our car at Heathrow so by the time we collected our suitcases it was nice and easy to get home. We landed at Heathrow around 20:30 so it’s time to go to bed when we get home. Surprisingly all four of us slept through the night and we never really had a jetlag on the way back.
Malaysia was beautiful and even though it wasn’t something we’d planned far ahead or had on our list for a long time, we had the best time! It’s an excellent country to visit with (or without) kids. Thanks for having us x.
Malaysia Family Travel FAQ
Is Malaysia suitable for traveling with a baby or toddler?
Absolutely! With a bit of planning, Malaysia is surprisingly easy with little ones. Hotels are usually welcoming to families, locals are friendly and helpful, and there’s plenty of space for kids to run around. We found pacing the day around naps made everything much more enjoyable — from strolling night markets in Penang to lazy mornings on Langkawi beaches.
How long do you need in Malaysia?
That really depends. We went 14-days and planned our route accordingly. But Malaysia has much more to offer, so you can easily spend a month in the country and still not have seen it all. If you are doing the route we did, we had enough time to see the highlights without rushing, especially with a toddler and baby downtime between sightseeing is beneficial! Sometimes just hanging at a park or enjoying a hotel pool became the highlight of our day.
Is Malaysia expensive for families?
Not at all! Malaysia is very budget-friendly for families. Street food and local restaurants are delicious and cheap, and supermarkets make grabbing baby essentials easy. We didn’t hire a driver or rent a car, which if you do might make your trip a little more expensive. The taxi’s we took are very affordable and also the inland flights were relatively cheap.
What’s the best time to visit Malaysia?
We traveled in January, which was warm but manageable. Malaysia has different monsoon seasons depending on the region, so check the coast you plan to visit. The west coast (Penang, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur) is generally drier at different times than the east coast (Perhentian Islands, Tioman). With kids, avoiding heavy rain is a game-changer!
Any tips for traveling with a baby or toddler in Malaysia?
Pack light clothes, sun protection, and a baby carrier for markets, temples, or jungle walks. Plan travel around naps, and don’t over-schedule — sometimes a simple evening ice cream at a local shop or a walk along a quiet beach became our favorite moments. And don’t forget snacks — fresh fruit is everywhere, making on-the-go meals easy.
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