Airs Asia from Japan to Aus via KL, can I spend time in Malaysia?

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  kimmylala on 21/10/2013 - 16:58

  You will need to buy two seperate flights on the way back. I've only been to Kuala Lumpur and to honest there wasnt really much to do, but i heard the other parts of malaysia is nice. Thailand is beautiful if you wanted a tropical/ relaxing trip =) and its pretty easy to get around as most people speak a little english. where as in Vietnam its abit more difficult to communicate with the locals , but the country is beautiful. FYI my family from vietnam

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  illumination on 21/10/2013 - 17:13

  I would agree there isn't much to do in KL for more than about 5 days unless you go with a local and someone who knows the area. As a tourist I'd only recommend that you stay in touristy areas just in the interest of safety (and also because public transport is not great - only good enough for touristy areas), and that only doesn't leave you with much to see/do. Having a 5 year old would further restrict your freedom. English isn't a problem as most places you'll travel to will have people speaking English.

  I would recommend you travel to Melaka (about 100km from KL) and try out the food there though. I would assume there should be tour groups taking groups down.

  Can't comment on Thailand/Vietnam as I've never been.

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    hangdog on 21/10/2013 - 21:07

    I'll second this. Melaka is a beautiful destination; we were there, with our small children, in July. It's only 2 hours from KL and has heaps of great food and historical sites. You can get there by bus very cheaply, or if you want to splurge, get a taxi, which is still cheap by Oz standards and has the convenience of being door-to-door. Check out TripAdvisor for the top places to stay – there are excellent guest houses in Melaka with incredible levels of service, for Australian motel-equivalent prices (PM me for a recommendation if you decide to go!).

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  kolorijo on 21/10/2013 - 20:36

  If you have 2 weeks to spare then you probably want to spread it around a little bit (Thailand or Vietnam) would be a good place, I would personally pick Thailand, but that would come down to personal preferences.

  I have been to Bangkok 3 times, Phuket and Hanoi & Halong Bay once. For shopping and food, go to Bangkok. If you go to Hanoi, a cruise trip at Halong Bay is a must (2 nights would be sufficient).

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  airzone on 22/10/2013 - 06:43

  The travel is the thing with these places.

  Malacca is fine, the history, food and Portuguese architecture are the main drawcards… Well, food is great all over the country.

  Another place to look out for is the west coast islands - Pangkor or Penang.. Penang is more touristy and you're more likely to find easy transport there (including a safe flight). Pangkor is closer by road (to Lumut - near Ipoh, then catch a boat).

  Cameron highlands (up north near Ipoh again) has large strawberry and tea farms.. You can spend a day there quite easily. Getting there is the challenge ;)

  Genting highlands is where the local casino sits.

  You'd better stay away from Johor Baru or the border with Thailand, they can be trouble spots…

  If you only eat western food, it's basically a crime and it's not very good anyway. Always eat local.

  Alternatively if you want something with the taste of SE "exotic" but without giving up too much creature comfort, see if you can push down into Singapore. It's a short, cheap flight. The public transport is excellent, there is a lot of stuff to see in and around the city, it's a lot safer (i.e. you can walk around the street at night without attracting trouble). It's not cheap though.

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  subywagon on 23/10/2013 - 00:24

  Thanks for all the awesome responses guys. We are thinking now to fly from Osaka to Singapore. Spend a day in Singapore then head to Phuket for a week, then over to Bangkok for a week, then down to Kuala Lumpur for a day then back to Australia. We decided that we may get better value for money hanging in Thailand. We are going to do a but of research on Phuket and Bangkok regarding what to do, where to go and where to stay etc..

  What do you guys think?

  It's our first trip to SE Asia, but it definitely won't be our last. We go back to Japan at least once a year so we are planning to go via SE Asia each time.

  Oh and airzone, one of the things I'm most excited about is the local food! I think most "Australian" food is a crime :P

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    airzone on 23/10/2013 - 07:49

    That's fine. There are free tourist buses from Changi Airport that will give you a day tour (depending on your layover time), or if you have some more time then a train / taxi into the city. A day in Singapore is easy. The low cost terminal might inconvenience you, but I thought they have knocked that down already for a T4 expansion (don't quote me on that).

    In KL, there is not much to do for a day.. You'll probably be over at LCCT which is a total balls-up for easy transportation. However if you can wing it (and the full service terminal has an express train into the City), you might be able to go into KLCC (the twin towers) and around that area.

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    retiredfeline on 23/10/2013 - 08:23

    I'm not sure you need a whole week in Bangkok, I'd say a few days suffice. Maybe if you research nearby places to go using it as a base. In Phuket you can relax as long as you like until you get bored.

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      subywagon on 23/10/2013 - 11:54

      Yeah we might balance it out a bit, maybe spend a few days in KL so we are not rushing hard, maybe 2 days in Sin. I don't want to be rushing around like a mad chook.

      I was thinking to use BK as a base to explore the area. We will be researching a lot more. We are travelling in mid Jan, so we are going to book the main flights first from Melb to Osaka, and Osaka to Sin then worry about the SE Asian flights after we have planned that leg of the trip more.

      Thanks guys