Malaysia with Singapore, Indonesia or Thailand?

[Asvan]

Hi

We are a family of 5. 2 adults 3 kids aged 6 11 and 13. We are planning to go on our first long holiday to Malasia next year and would like to add another country/countries into the itinerary if possible.

We have about 3 weeks holiday so we are are thinking of doing about 7/8 days in Malaysia but we would also like to maybe go to Indonesia Thailand or Singapore. Which other country would be best to go to? We do have a budget so it has to me somewhere where hotels and food are not too expensive.

Thanks in advance.

I could lose three weeks in Malaysia no problem and I’ve been a dozen times!
But my advice would depend almost entirely on what time of year you’re planning to travel. The west coast of the Malay peninsula right up into Thailand has a monsoon during our summer holidays. It’s at it’s hottest at Easter and most balmy at Christmas.
Also, what makes a good holiday for you? Beaches? History? Geographical gorgeousness? Shopping? Nightlife?

We did Malaysia, Singapore and Bali over 2 weeks and it was fab! Would definitely recommend.

Sorry yes Singapore was very expensive, and Bali was not as inexpensive as Thailand is.

We previously did Thailand for 3 weeks, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Phi Phi and Krabi. Would probably avoid Phuket and Bangkok if I went again, but I guess bangkok is one of the "must do" for first timers.

We are planning to go in the summer holidays as that's the only time we all get holidays.

I love seeing history, culture and natural beauty on holiday and I also enjoy a bit of shopping. Kids will want to maybe try some water activities or safaris etc.

Summer holidays is rainy season across a big swathe of that part of the world.
The driest parts of Thailand are in the Gulf (Ko Samui and it’s neighbours) and on the Eastern coast (Hua Hin). The weather in Bali is good in the summer holidays, could that be a win?
Where were you looking at in Malaysia?

In Malaysia we were looking at a few days in KL and then penang and langkawi.

There’s loads to do in wet season in Penang - it’s a foodie paradise and there’s so much to see around Georgetown. I wouldn’t personally go to Langkawi in the rainy season, I’d be tempted to fly on from Penang and head south instead. KL I could happily visit any time of the year, it’s my favourite city - it’s so compact and easy to get around.

Weather wise, it's perfect for Indonesia, I believe it's the rainy season in Thailand and Malaysia. I absolutely love Singapore but it is much more expensive than the other places.

I'm of Malaysian origin (family from KL and Penang), also have lived in Singapore.

East coast of Peninsular Malaysia is dry(er) in UK summer months, this would be the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, east coast of Johor. Lovely beaches. Very fascinating traditional Malay culture there too. This would also be the time to visit the South China Sea islands which are off the east coast e.g. Redang, Tioman, Perhentian and many others (these are not recommended during the monsoons which are roughly during our winter months).

It tends to be wet(ter) on the west coast in UK summer time. The west side is where Penang, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur are. Doesn't stop us from having a great time, but worth bearing in mind especially as equatorial rain is epic and can really interrupt your plans e.g. flash floods, appalling traffic jams, you will get drenched to the skin no matter what you do.

Singapore is utterly brilliant especially for newbies to Asia and for families. We love going there. The big But is that it is expensive.

Malaysian Borneo will be dry then: long houses, Kota Kinabalu national park, 🦧 , Kuching was pretty good for good and had some interesting museums, kayaking, beaches. I like Penang too and Malacca but not keen on KL.

Kuala Lumpur if you are going to Malaysia - and definitely Singapore as it is just so beautiful and the food is out of this world.

I think it would be better to start off with Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand. Since Singapore is way more expensive compared to the other countries, you can spend 2 or 3 days including USS for your kids, it shouldn't be missed. Then you can book ahead the city attractions like Gardens by the Bay, and Art Science Museum though the Jewel Changi Airport alone is already an attraction and there are also free attractions you can visit there. Then you can jump to Malaysia which is only a 5-hour travel time from SG-KL. I think you can spend 2 days in KL then go to Penang or other cities where you can spend more days. Food is the best in Malaysia. Then you can allot a week as well in Thailand since there are so many things to do like visiting the temples, sightseeing the city with the traditional boat on Chao Phraya. You can also enjoy the beaches in Chonburi, Pattaya, and Phuket. Chiang Mai should be on your list as well. If you still don't know what to do or planning an itinerary is a hassle, you can check this guide for your guidance or reference online https://gowithguide.com/thailand.

Singapore has loads of family friendly attractions e.g. Sentosa Island and the Marina Bay area. Culturally (and with food) it's going to feel a lot like Malaysia so I would pick one of the other two if you want some variety. You could tick off most or all of the things on your list in Bali while enjoying more reliable weather than the others.

Wouldn't go to Singapore personally more then a few days. Its lovely but incredibly expensive especially foe food unless your eating from local market/food stall places.