Malaysia is a fantastic place to visit with kids! This tropical country located in Southeast Asia offers some amazing beaches, rich history and culture, and offers plenty of kid-friendly things to do. On top of this there is a unique mashup of three different distinct cultures blended together to make up this nation, which creates a truly unique food culture. If you are looking to travel to Malaysia with kids then you have come to the right place! We have lived in many different countries around Southeast Asia, and Malaysia is the one we currently call home!
Is Malaysia Safe to Travel with Kids?
The short answer is YES. Yes, Malaysia is a safe nation to travel to with kids. The majority of people are friendly and very welcoming. Like all places in the world, you can always find someone who is a bad apple or having a bad day.
We always recommend being vigilant and careful when traveling. Things like never leaving your valuables behind or unwatched are common travel safety tips.
We have never felt unsafe while being out and about in Malaysia with our children. Our kids under 10 are confident and can safely walk across the malls to go use the restroom unsupervised. In high touristy locations we always stay together, but this is again a common travel safety tip we use everywhere we go.
Walking around downtown Kuala Lumpur is easy with kids as Malaysia has a good sidewalk system in place compared to other Southeast Asian nations. Outside the cities walking gets a bit more difficult without the sidewalks.
The road systems in Malaysia are amazing for Southeast Asia. The highways are comparable to most western nations, and therefore cars drive equally fast. However, Malaysia does not have car seat regulations. This means that driving in Malaysia can be rather dangerous. If your children are of car seat age, we recommend bringing your own travel car seats if you want that safety.
What Do I Need to Do Before Traveling to Malaysia?
Immunizations
Getting immunizations is a hot topic and we will not be choosing a side whether your family should be for or against getting immunizations. We should suggest consulting your medical care practitioner before coming to Malaysia and take their recommended medical advice.
We do know that if you are traveling from or through certain East African nations, Malaysia requires proof of a Yellow Fever vaccine before you are allowed to board a plane to Malaysia. We spent a few weeks in Kenya and they double checked all our documents to make sure we were immunized before they let us check into our flight to Kuala Lumpur.
Beyond that, there are no other required ones to enter the county.
Visas
Most nationals do not need to apply for a Visa online ahead of coming to Malaysia. Travel into Malaysia with kids is becoming easier and more hassle free now with the many e-gates being installed at all ports of entry. This is true on their airports and also their land crossings. However, smaller kids who cannot go through the gates independently will still have to go through the traditional line.
Malaysia does ask that you fill out a digital arrival card before arriving in Malaysia. There are many online companies that are more than willing to charge you for a visa. Please use the link and do not pay for a visa that is free!
If you are traveling to Malaysia with kids, please keep in mind that you will need to fill out the arrival card with a section for each family member. This will take some time, so it is helpful to do it ahead of time. They do offer QR codes to scan upon arrival for you to fill it out when you land (with wi-fi instructions close by).
We may have forgotten on a few occasions to fill out the arrival card before arrival and been ‘that family’ that stands there for 20 minutes filling out the forms online before getting into the immigration line. So, if you forget…we won’t judge!
How to Get Around Malaysia with Kids
Once you make it to Malaysia you will need to consider the different methods of transportation that are available.
Flying
Malaysia has cheap domestic flights available. Air Asia is the largest budget airline, and its hub is in Kuala Lumpur. You can find excellent deals within Malaysia using budget airlines. We recommend looking ahead and booking flights ahead of time in order to get the best deals on flying.
Please note that Malaysia is divided between the Peninsular Malaysia (west Malaysia) and the island of Borneo (East Malaysia). If you want to go between the two then a flight is your only option.
Rental Car
With a large family, we often find that renting a vehicle is a great option. Renting a vehicle in Malaysia is not difficult. You can rent a vehicle in Malaysia using your nation’s driver’s license. Having an international driver’s license is always recommended. It will be beneficial to have an international license if you get into an accident, but it is fine to use your national license as long as there is either English or Malay on it. We have an international license we obtained online, but we have only ever had to show our USA license.
Grab Apps
Using the Grab App is one of the best things about traveling around Southeast Asia. It is similar to Uber. You can use it to book rides, food, and even groceries. You can download the Grab App. You can choose a large vehicle or can even book a ride for a later date and time so you can plan ahead!
The Grab App allows many different types of credit cards to be added to the app as a method of payment, so that you do not need to worry about carrying cash for this purpose. Some people have experienced issues adding credit cards while others have no problem at all. We recommend getting this done ahead of time.
Buses
The buses in Malaysia are quite nice and are usually on time. The main highway from the north part of Peninsula Malaysia to the southern part has a good highway system, and this allows for a good bus culture.
You can buy bus tickets online or at bus stations. The cost of a ticket depends on the origin and destinations. Kids and adults pay the same amount. You can have a lap child for free if they are under 2, but they will not get a seat unless the seat next to you is not filled.
Example Prices of Bus
Bus from Kuala Lumpur - Johor Bahru (RM35)
Bus from Kuala Lumpur - Melaka (RM14)
Trains
We have not taken the trains in Malaysia yet. However, there is a train line that runs from the northwest of Peninsular Malaysia all the way into the south. There is another train line that connects the northeast and joins up with the other line. Check their website to see a nice detailed map of the routes. You can book the tickets online or at a train station.
Using trains works the best when you are going from a larger city center to another larger city center or to get to the border to go into Singapore.
Example Prices of Trains
Train from Kuala Lumpur - Johor Bahru (RM74)
Train from Kuala Lumpur - Melaka (RM29)
Tips for Traveling to Malaysia with Kids
- When we travel around Malaysia with our kids we like to book apartments on Booking. These apartments allow many people, so when we have visitors, we can cram up to 10 people in one booking, and it makes for a wonderful time. Apartments are good for families because it gives you the option to cook food, or eat supermarket meals.
- Try and have data available when you are in Malaysia. You can buy a cheap sim card when you arrive at the airport. You can also pick one of them up in just about any mall or store.
- Malaysia is hot and humid. With that being said, you should bring along a light jacket of some sort for yourself and your kids. The malls like to pretend it is winter all the time by turning down the air conditioners all the time. We always regret not having a jacket along.
- Also, it is wise to have an umbrella or rain jacket along. It rains often and suddenly. Midafternoon, around 3 to 4 pm are especially prone to rain showers.
- Malaysia is a Muslim country and because of this it celebrates Ramadan. Ramadan is a fasting holiday where Muslims fast during the day and then eat after the sun sets. During this time, eating out at a restaurant can be especially difficult. During the day almost all restaurants are closed, and in the evening they are all booked in advance and seating is extremely difficult to find. You can check online for an up to date Ramadan schedule as it varies year to year based on the moon cycles. 2026 Ramadan is: February 19, 2026 – March 21, 2026
- Note that you can still find some other ethnic restaurants that remain open during the day if their clientele is not Muslim, but many of them close down also as most people do not go out to eat.
- At most tourist attractions you should expect to pay using a dual price system. Unfortunately there is one price for foreigners, and one price for locals. If you have a visa to live in Malaysia you can sometimes get the local price and sometimes not. It depends on the place and person operating the ticket counter. Often the local price is written in Malay and not English so you don’t know. If you see two prices for something; that is what is going on.
8 Things to Do in Malaysia Kids
- Play in the splashpad and playgrounds overlooking the famous Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur has a multitude of great things to do with kids.
- Climb up the Batu Caves colorful steps and explore the Hindu temples inside.
- Go to the kid friendly beaches of Kapas Island on the east coast. No need for an organized snorkeling tour; do it right from your accommodation beach.
- Run free and go crazy at Legoland Malaysia. This is the best place for any family with kids (or adults) who love Lego.
- Go on a colorful boat ride down the river and learn about the amazing history of pirates and trading that took place in Melaka.
- Pick strawberries and enjoy the cooler weather in the Cameron Highlands or Fraser’s Hill.
- The city of Gopeng is great for more hardcore outdoorsy families. Here you can whitewater raft, atv, and go caving.
- Go camping (or stay in a fancy hotel) to go hiking and explore Malaysia’s first and oldest national park: Taman Negara National Park.
Eating Out in Malaysia with Kids
Malaysia has a unique food culture as there are three cultures at play. You have the Malay people, the Chinese, and the Southern Indian. All three contribute to the food culture in Malaysia.
You have traditional dishes such as Nasi Lemak and Laksa coming from the Malay. Nasi Lemak is the Malaysian national dish. It is rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan. It comes with fried anchovies, peanuts, and chili sauce.
The Southern Indian food is most common in the form of ‘Nasi Kandar’ restaurants. These can be found at most shopping centers, usually outside on the corners. They are open 24 hours a day and have become our family favorite places to go. You can get cheap rotis and delicious curries. Our kids love the roti’s and we get them a lot!
The Chinese have restaurants in the form of hawker stalls and kopitiams. These tend to be the place to go to get non-halal (not Muslim friendly) food. Our family likes that you can get pork dishes here. Dishes our kids like are char kway teow (fried noodles) and dumplings.
No matter how picky your kids are, you will be able to find something for them to eat!
