Flavours of Malaysia, Private Tour
- 9 Days
- From : Kuala Lumpur
- To : Penang
- Private
- Guide : English
- Minimum age : 10 Years Old
* This product requests separate payment. Promotion code or coupon from Ticket Here is not applicable.
Savour the very best Malaysia has to offer with this 9-days gastronomic pilgrimage from Kuala Lumpur to Penang, the country’s culinary capital. Reflecting Malaysia’s multicultural mix, its cuisine is a tantalising blend of Malay, Indian and Chinese dishes with a healthy dose of European influences. Every day is a feast for the senses as you wander through fragrant markets and spice gardens, make your very own delicacies at cookery workshops, munch on tasty street food and dine in the most renowned restaurants.
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
Chinatown: Stroll through the bustling Petaling Street for an insight into Kuala Lumpur’s thriving Chinese community
Cooking classes: Pick your own fresh ingredients from the morning market and then make your own Malay lunch
Kuala Lumpur: Visit the top sites and attractions in the capital with a lifestyle and culture tour
Victorian values: Eat at colonial-era mansions in George Town and see how the elite lived in the halcyon days of empire
Trishaw treats: Feast your way through George Town on a trishaw, stopping at hawker’s stalls, bakeries and eateries
What’s included?
TOUR GUIDE:
- Operated with English-speaking driver-guide
ACCOMMODATION:
- 8 nights’ accommodation
MEALS:
- 8 Breakfasts, 6 lunches
TRANSPORT:
- Inbound airport transfers from Kuala Lumpur Airport
- Air-conditioned transportation, transfers as stated in the programme
- Outbound airport transfers to Penang Airport
ENTRANCE FEES AND ACTIVITIES:
- All entrance fees as indicated: Kuala Lumpur Street Food, LaZat Cooking School, Kuala Lumpur lifestyle and culture trail with T-shirt, George Town Heritage and traditional food trail, Suffolk House, Tropical Spice Garden with one glass of herbal tea or spice drinks per person, KL Light Railway, Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and Pinang Peranakan Mansion
OTHER:
- Meet & Greet on arrival at Kuala Lumpur Airport
Exclusions
Expenditures of a personal nature, drinks and meals if not stated explicitly in the programme
Gratuity for driver and guide
Optional tours and activities during free time
International or domestic flight tickets and airport taxes or visa fees
Tourism tax is payable directly to the hotels
Please note
In the case that clients can’t find their driver-guide on arrival at Kuala Lampur, please proceed to the following meeting point:
KLIA 1 – Meeting Point near Door 6, arrival hall, Level 3.
KLIA 2 (this is the Low Cost Carrier Terminal) – Near Old Town White Coffee, arrival hall, Level 2.
Day 9: Drop-off at Penang Airport
Please note that local conditions prevalent at the time of travel may result in modifications to the tour contents.
What do I need to bring?
Comfortable and light clothing is the most suitable for travelling in Malaysia. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting places of worship, religious or official buildings. Shoes should be removed before entering a temple or private house. Sun protection, sun glasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay. A light sweater is recommended for the cooler evenings in Cameron Highlands.
Accommodation options
ACCOMMODATION OPTIONS
Day 1-4 Kuala Lumpur
- Superior Hotel category = Furama Bukit Bintang or similar 4*
Day 5-8 Penang
- Superior Hotel category = Flamingo Hotel By-The-Beach or similar 4*
Cancellation policy
- Once ordered, this tour cannot be cancelled or refund or amended at any circumstances.
Day 1 : ARRIVAL KUALA LUMPUR
Upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, meet your tour representative at the arrivals hall and catch your transfer to your accommodation for the next four nights in the capital of Malaysia. The rest of the time is for you to spend at leisure. Depending on your arrival time, take to the streets to explore the vibrant city that is Kuala Lumpur. Be amazed by its colonial architecture and numerous landmarks, such as the world tallest twin skyscrapers, the Petronas Twin Towers; or simply indulge in the gastronomic delights that the city has to offer.
Overnight in Kuala Lumpur
Day 2 : KUALA LUMPUR STREET FOOD TOUR
After breakfast, dive into KL’s vibrant Chinese scene with the Kuala Lumpur Street Food tour. Lasting three-and-a-half hours, this tour is a great way for any first-time visitor to explore the food and culture of Malaysia. During your walk you will taste, smell and hear a great variety of cultural influences that make Malaysia’s culture and food so diverse and delicious. Visit local tradesmen, street food vendors and shops hidden from the eyes of tourists. Witness the daily life of local Malaysians as you sample some of the most authentic and delicious food and drinks available. This experience is a great way to get a helicopter view of Malaysian food and culture. After lunch, return to the hotel for a free afternoon.
Overnight in Kuala Lumpur. Breakfast and lunch included
Day 3 : KUALA LUMPUR COOKING EXPERIENCE
Today begins with a hands-on cooking experience that will have you licking your fingers in no time as you partake in a five-hour wok course in the jungle outside Kuala Lumpur. Depart early in the morning for the LaZat Cooking School in the lush Penchala Hills, where the sounds of roosters crowing and monkeys scampering in the rainforest are part of everyday life. Begin with a market tour to buy the fresh ingredients for the class and then continue to the school for a jaunt through the exotic herb garden, where vital ingredients in Malay cooking abound. Catch a scent of bird’s-eye chilli, turmeric plants, lemongrass, curry leaves and kaffir lime, and imagine how they would spice up a dish. Then it’s time to try your hand in the kitchen, using traditional stone and wooden utensils in the kitchen under the guidance of your expert instructor. After sweating it out in the kitchen, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Then spend the afternoon at your leisure.
Overnight in Kuala Lumpur. Breakfast and lunch included
Day 4 : KUALA LUMPUR’S LIFESTYLE AND CULTURE TRAIL
Spend a full day on Kuala Lumpur’s lifestyle and culture trail. After a leisurely breakfast, depart from the hotel for an interactive experience that will acquaint you with the capital, from its hidden gems to its most dazzling attractions. To enhance your enjoyment, you will have maps and clues to help you along the way. Hop on the KL Light Railway Transit system and discover Kampung Baru, where you’ll sample traditional Malay cakes, and take a selfie with the iconic Kuala Lumpur City Centre in the background. Hop off at Brickfields and find yourself immersed in the sights, sounds and scents of Little India, and head to Chow Kit to visit the largest wet market in Kuala Lumpur. Have fun tossing and flipping roti canai (Indian flatbread) until they become transparently thin, making them light and crispy when fried. Challenge yourself to ‘pull’ teh tarik, Malaysia’s national beverage, without dripping a single drop on the floor. Take a break for lunch at an Indian Restaurant, which has earned itself a reputation as the ‘culinary ambassador of India.’ After filling up, spend the afternoon at leisure.
Overnight in Kuala Lumpur. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 5 : KUALA LUMPUR – PENANG (330km – 4 hrs)
Meet at the lobby after breakfast and depart to the charming island of Penang, in the Andaman Sea. Enjoy a pleasant drive towards Malaysia’s north-western coast, crossing three states along the way. Pass through beautiful, pastoral countryside with palm oil and rubber plantations and the dramatic Cameron Highlands on the horizon to the right. Cross the Selatan Strait to Penang via the 13.5km-long Penang Bridge, an awe-inspiring feat of engineering, and continue to the north of the island, arriving at about lunch time for check-in at your resort.
Overnight in Penang. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 6 : HERITAGE AND TRADITIONAL FOOD TRAIL IN PENANG
Depart the resort early in the morning for a four-hour heritage and traditional food trail, stopping en route to try popular breakfasts such as apom manis (Indian crepes made with coconut milk) and apam balik (Malaysian peanut pancakes) which are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Visit a biscuit shop to check out the fare such as mee ko (pink-coloured tortoise-shaped buns) which were traditionally eaten on birthdays or festivals. By this stage, you’ll have munched your way right into central George Town, where you’ll discover a bakery operated since 1928. Hop then onto a trishaw and go meet Uncle Lim, a local legend who for half a century has been making hand-made poh piah spring rolls. Next on the menu, if you can find the space in your tummy, are the long and crispy dough fritters known as Chinese cruller. There’s time for one more foodie fixture before lunch: stop at Leong Chee Kee Biscuits, a family-run bakery in the backstreets of Chinatown, renowned for its coconut tarts, egg cakes and pepper biscuits. Head then to the leafy suburbs to enjoy lunch at Suffolk House, a restaurant located in the immaculately restored Georgian mansion built by the founder of the British colony of Penang. Savour a Western set lunch in the charming old world decorated with period furniture redolent of the sophistication and elegance of colonial Malaya. After lunch, return to the hotel for a free afternoon.
Overnight in Penang. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 7 : PENANG: TROPICAL SPICE GARDEN
Head to the award-winning Tropical Spice Garden: 8 acres of jungle valley with some 500 species of flora and fauna. Depart the hotel in the morning after breakfast, for this beautiful complex overlooking the Strait of Malacca. The tour will take you through tropical rainforests, lavish foliage and exotic species of flowers, spices and herbs from around the world. The trail will take you past stream crossings, waterfalls and structures made of recycled organic materials. The award-winning farm was set up utilizing predominantly natural and recycled building materials salvaged from pre-war shop houses or sourced from local antique stores. After the tour, relax over a steaming cup of herbal or spice tea at the breezy outdoors cafe overlooking the Straits of Malacca and the beautiful shoreline of Teluk Bahang before returning to the hotel for a free afternoon and evening.
Overnight in Penang
Day 8 : PENANG: GUIDED TOUR
Enjoy breakfast at the resort and relax for the rest of the morning as the day’s activities don’t begin until midday. Meet at the lobby to depart for a fascinating tour that focuses on George Town’s Peranakan heritage. Visit the magnificent Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, which stands defiantly as a symbol of Penang’s past while modern buildings go up around it. This impressive indigo-coloured villa was built by a Chinese merchant in the late 19th century and boasts awe-inspiring decoration built by master craftsmen brought in from China, who used porcelain, cast iron, teak and clay tiles. Lunch (drinks not included) will be at the mansion’s restaurant, which serves refined modern Cantonese cuisine. After lunch, visit the Pinang Peranakan Mansion. This historic house museum preserves the Victorian ornamentation of the home of a prominent ethnic Chinese merchant from the late 19th century. This lavishly decorated mansion boasts more than 1,000 pieces of antiques and collectables, and features an eclectic design, incorporating Chinese carved-wood panels, English ceramic floor tiles and Scottish cast iron balustrades, balconies and railings. Refreshments of Chinese tea and local Chinese cakes will be served at the mansion. Back on the street, expect to happen upon evocative and eye-catching – and often three-dimensional – murals painted on walls and street furniture such as phone booths. It’s not graffiti but rather a ground-breaking and thought-provoking project, known as Mirrors of George Town. After the rawness of the street art, head back to the resort for a free evening.
Overnight in Penang. Breakfast and lunch included.
Day 9 : DEPARTURE PENANG
Savour one final breakfast at the hotel and enjoy its facilities until it’s time to leave for the airport for your onward flight.
Breakfast included.