It’s been three hours since we got home, I am 100 % jetlagged, and totally not thinking straight, but I wanted to share my thoughts when they’re still warm.
I want to tell you about our family trip to Malaysia and Thailand in 2024. It was me, my wife Dora, and our 7-year-old, Ina. We dove deep into backpacking this time, and boy, was it fun.
I will break down this trip by route, highlights, costs.
Our route looked like this:
- flight: Ljubljana – Istanbul – Kuala Lumpur (2 hour flight to Istanbul, 9.5 hours flight to Kuala Lumpur)
- 2 nights in KL – a flight to Langkawi (1 hour flight)
- 3 nights in Langkawi – fast boat to Koh Lipe (1.5h ferry ride)
- 3 nights Koh Lipe – fast boat to Koh Lanta (3h – take Tiger tours or boats, not Bundhayaha)
- 5 ights in Koh Lanta – fast boat back to Koh Lipe (1.5h ferry ride)
- 1 night Koh Lipe – fast boat back to Koh Lanta
- 1 night KL
- flight back KL – IB – LJ
And it went something like this:
You probably noticed that we skipped Bangkok. That’s because flights from Ljubljana to Kuala Lumpur were much cheaper, and we decided we wanted to see KL and leave the Thailand capital for some other time.
When we came to Kuala Lumpur it immediately blew our minds! With a population of 6.8 million and skyscrapers on every turn you take, it does leave a special first impression.
It’s huge, buzzing, and so alive. We stayed near the main train station, which was perfect for exploring. Plus, using Grab to get around was simple, fast and cheap.
Our hotel’s location near the main train station (KL Sentral) proved to be a great idea, making our first Malaysia explorations pretty easy.
So, Malaysia’s got this unique setup where they mix things up with a Parliamentary Democracy and a Constitutional Monarchy. The King, or as they call him, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, is the head boss, but gets picked for a five-year run by the rulers of the Malay states, and there are nine of these guys. Yes, the king is not just born into it but gets the royal nod every five years from the big bosses of the Malay states.
Kuala Lumpur Highlights
The Two Petronas Towers and KLCC Park
The Petronas Twin Towers and neck-bradking 451.9 meters high, and used to be the world’s tallest buildings untill 2004, but now they’re the tallest Twint towers in the world.
And just next to Petronas Towers is KLCC Park. It’s small, but really beaiful, surrounded with tall scysrapers and has a public pool in the middle. Perfect for a break from the busy streets or to snap some awesome photos.
Monorail
To see Kuala Lumpur from a different perspective, go on the monorail. This ride offers a unique vantage point of the city’s busy streets, historic buildings, and modern skyscrapers. It’s a simple little glimpse into the daily life of the city’s residents and the architectural diversity that defines Kuala Lumpur.
The KL Tower
The KL Tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur) is another iconic landmark that offers a panoramic view of the city. Standing tall at 421 meters, it’s the seventh-tallest telecommunications tower in the world. You can head to the observation deck or the revolving restaurant for a 360-degree view of Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, making it a breathtaking experience.
Langkawi
Our next destination was Langkawi, a Malaysian island west north of Kuala Lumpur, and just at the southeast Thai islands.
Our resort, Myrus, was like stepping into another world. It was themed. We got a Cupcake room. Was fun.
The beaches? Well, they’re ok, but once you see Thailands beaches, almost everything seems unimpressive.The food was great, maybe the best on the trip. And the sky ride? We rode skyline gondola to the highest mountain and i was not at peace on that ride.
Thailand – Koh Lipe
We only visited the south of Thailand this time. The most northern part we went to was the island Koh Lanta. Close to Phuket, but still quite lower.
The first stop was Koh Lipe. Stunning beaches, colourful coral reefs, and pretty sexy sunsets. It was quite busy with tourists and had that fun chaos you find in Asia.
We did some snorkelling, relaxing, eating and exploring the island. Its really small and you can walk entire in a day.
This island was packed with travellers and tourists from all around the world. It was lively, vibrant, and just pulsating with energy. From hidden coves to bustling beach bars, Koh Lipe packed a punch, proving that great things really do come in small packages.
You can find weed and magic mushrooms on every corner, a couple of bars for karaoke and tons of street BBQ and small local sweets, fruits and gifts.
Koh Lanta
This was the part where we stayed the longest in one part. Five nights.
Koh Lanta was the place where we chilled the most. The food was delicious and cheap (but not cheaper than in Malaysia). We relaxed, got massages, explored the island on a scooter, and went on a couple of awesome trips.
Wrapping up, we headed back to Koh Lipe for a night, then zoomed back to Langkawi and flew to Kuala Lumpur. Spent a night at the airport before flying home.
Stuff we’d recommend
- Hanging out at the park in front of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
- KL Monorail ride. It’s fun and gives you a great view of the city.
- The gondola ride in Langkawi.
- Snorkelling over the coral reefs is like entering a whole new world.
- Thai spa and massages
Not So Cool Stuff
- Skip the aquarium in KL. There are better things to see.
- Avoid the loud Bundhaya speedboat to Koh Lipe and boo Tiger, since the ride was really nicer.
- Tobacco in Thailand is pricey. Very pricey! Better to leave it.
Costs
The whole trip, 16 days with flights, accommodation, food, trips, rides, tips, gifts and other unexpected costs came to around 4.700 eur.
- Flights: 1700 Ljubljana to KL and back + 250 Flight to Langkawi and back
- Fastboats & Ferries: 450
- Accommodation: 900 (350 Malaysia, 550 Thailand)
- Food: 650 with all food on the shoe (including airport snacks and 7eleven munchies)
- Tickets, Rides & Gifts: 700 (mostly tickets and adventures 600, tuktuks, grab and taxi rides
- 100-150, gifts 50-100)
and now back to reality … have you seen these two tech bombs explosions while we were on holidays?
Open AI Sora … just cant comprehend yet, and
also from OpenAI … ChatGPT memory feature could be rolling out soon.