Editor’s note: This post was written by Angela, so the first-person refers to her (unlike most content on this site).

I recently returned from a girls’ trip to Malaysia with my good friend Xiaoling. While there, we spent time in Penang, the Cameron Highlands, and Kuala Lumpur. This was a new destination for me, and it was great to share it with a fellow traveler who is always up for an adventure. I’d like to return to Malaysia in the future with Nick to further explore Kuala Lumpur and perhaps visit the eastern part of the country.

Bookings

Flights

• Angela
  • 175.48USD
    • LAS-LAX on UA J
  • 151,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + 1130.00HKD
    • LAX-HKG on CX F
    • HKG-KUL on CX J
  • 15,000 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan miles + 15.20USD
    • KUL-PEN on KL J
  • 110,000 Cathay Pacific Asia Miles + 1130.00HKG
    • KUL-HKG on CX J
    • HKG-SFO on CX J
  • 22,500 American Airlines AAdvantage miles + 5.60USD
    • SFO-LAS on AS J

Hotels

• One room for four nights at The Prestige Hotel for 2069.28MYR
• One room for five nights at the Cameron Highlands Resort for 30,000 Hilton Honors points per night with fifth night free
• One room for three nights at the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur for 252.01USD inclusive of taxes and fees after credits

Activities

• One ticket for the Full Day Mossy Forest Experience for 28.92USD per person
• One booking for a hiking tour from the Cameron Highlands resort for 354.00MYR

Transportation

• Private driver transportation from The Prestige Hotel to the Cameron Highlands Resort and from the Cameron Highlands Resort to the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, with a stop for sightseeing around Ipoh during the first leg, for 1650.00MYR

March 13, 2025

I arrived at the airport ninety minutes before my short flight to Los Angeles and, after heading through security, made my way to the Capital One lounge. With no waiting list and no line (for now), it is certainly a nicer experience than the Centurion Lounge at this point. The food was good, although not as tasty as when we visited prior to our trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands. I left the lounge as my flight started to board and embarked on the first flight of my very long journey to Southeast Asia.

The hop to Los Angeles was more turbulent than usual, but there were no delays or other mishaps. When I landed at LAX, I headed to the Qantas First Class Lounge to enjoy a nice dinner. I ordered the Reuben sandwich and a salad. The dining experience at this lounge is always quite nice.

While my flight boarded at 2340, the lounge closed at 2300. To pass the time in between, I walked around the terminal to stretch my legs prior to lining up at my gate.

March 14

We departed shortly after midnight. I was so tired that I decided to go to sleep immediately after takeoff. The pajamas and bedding provided in Cathay Pacific’s first-class cabin are both exceptional, and I had the best sleep I’ve ever had on a plane.

When I woke up, the flight attendants were quick to serve me an amazing meal. The caviar was particularly delicious, but everything was quite good.

The flight experience was so good that, even after sixteen hours in the sky, I didn’t want it to end. If you ever get the chance to fly Cathay Pacific First Class, I highly recommend it.

March 15

We landed in Hong Kong early in the morning. With a long layover, I decided to head to The Pier first-class lounge where I was able to secure a private cabana. The cabanas at the lounge are first-come, first-serve, and offer a private sitting room and shower.

After freshening up and relaxing for a bit, I headed to the lounge’s restaurant to grab some food before my flight. After my meal, I decided to walk around the terminal to stretch my legs before I continued my journey to Kuala Lumpur.

The flight to Kuala Lumpur was a standard intra-Asia business class experience. When we landed, I quickly and easily cleared immigration thanks to having completed the Malaysian digital entry form prior to my trip. I walked to the domestic terminal and waited in a small lounge prior to boarding my flight to Penang.

Before long, I disembarked at our starting point in Malaysia. Xiaoling landed five minutes after me, so we met up and ordered a Grab Taxi (which we used throughout our travels) to take us to our hotel. The car that picked us up didn’t have functioning seatbelts, which was unfortunately not out of the norm for our time in Malaysia.

Our arrival at the hotel was smooth and, when I checked in, I was informed that breakfast was included. I enjoyed the comfortable bed and shower at The Prestige Hotel.

March 16

Just as a note for those concerned, we happened to be traveling during Ramadan and, while Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, we did not have any issues with closures or anything of that sort during our time there.

Breakfast at The Prestige was decent, with a small selection of items available a la carte.

We started our sightseeing by visiting the clan jetties of Penang. Specifically, we visited the Chew Jetty, Lim Jetty, and Lee Jetty. We also stopped at a Buddhist temple located at the entry to the Chew Jetty.

We learned about the nine sons of the dragon featured in Taoist mythology. My favorite is Ya Zi:

Ya Zi, the second son of the dragon, always holds a sword in his mouth and glares, with a strong character and a straight man of steel. He has a clear distinction between love and hate, and the chivalry of “a favor must be repaid, and a grudge against Ya Zi must be avenged”, which interprets a saying in southern Fujian: dragons are brothers. Ya Zi is the embodiment of warding off evil and defeating enemies, and the black and gold color symbolizes majesty and nobility.

With the Chinese New Year recently passed, many of the decorations were still up, lending a festive spirit to our travels.

Before we left the waterfront, I took a photo of the Hean Boo Thean Kuan Yin Temple from the end of one of the jetties.

Whilst walking past the jetties, we came across a Taoist temple to the monkey god.

Our next stop was The Heritage Cat souvenir shop that had lots of cat murals, cat trinkets, and live cats. It is always fun to stumble upon little places like this as we explore the world.

We made our way to the Acheen Street Malay Mosque. The mosque was built in 1791 and, before the advent of air travel, was an important stop for people making the Hajj.

We briefly stopped at the Hock Teik Cheng Sin Temple.

Afterwards, we headed to the Leon San Tong Khoo Kongsi (the Khoo Clan House). The clan houses are an important part of the history of Penang in Malaysia, and were once the center of community for important families in the area. This clan house is the largest Hokkien clan house in Malaysia. It is a large complex that includes homes for members and those family members that would have just arrived from China; a temple; and a traditional theatre that is still used for shows.

Before lunch, we stopped to take a couple of exterior pictures of the Kapitan Keling Mosque.

Our first local meal in Malaysia was at Goh Thew Chik Hainan Chicken Rice. Xiaoling is quite the foodie, and as such, I let her take the lead for most of our meal options while in Malaysia.

The rest of our day was filled with plenty of walking. First, we passed the Hin Bus Depot. The exterior facade of the bus depot has been maintained while the interior area was completely renovated and turned into a community space for art. The Sunday we were visiting, there was a local market that included various artworks, trinkets, food options, and even a live band performing.

From there, we went on a self-guided tour of the street art around the city. Georgetown has many large murals that integrate objects from the surrounding environment. While a relatively recent phenomenon, they add a lot to the city.

Afterwards, we walked past the Central Fire Station. Constructed in 1908, it is the oldest surviving fire station in Penang. Later in the evening we’d walk by again and stop inside to find they had some historic photos and artifacts on display along with some newer items highlighting the evolution of firefighting in Malaysia.

We headed to Little India and were greeted by colorful temples and shops.

While we didn’t enter, we walked past the Seh Tek Tong Cheah Kongsi, the oldest of the clan houses in Penang.

Before dinner, we rounded off our exploration by seeing a few more murals.

For dinner, we stopped at Hwa Ting Restaurant – probably my least favorite stop of the trip.

On the way back to the hotel, we again walked past the old firehouse and stopped in for a look around. Interestingly, the fire company has equipped themselves with a few firefighting motorcycles. I appreciated how beautifully lit the building is at night time.

March 17

We started our journey for the day by heading to Love Lane. On the way, we passed the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the oldest Hindu temple in George Town.

Love Lane now features budget hostels, but in the past, as you can likely guess from its name, it was the location of the city’s brothels and home to many important business men’s mistresses.

Our first dedicated stop for the day was the Carpenter’s Guild (or Woodworker’s Temple). I was reminded of Nick at home as he has recently immersed himself in woodworking after a long hiatus. The exhibits at the guild were interesting and there were even interactive puzzles to solve.

The next stop was 23 Love Lane, a historic boutique hotel located on the aforementioned street. The hotel was built in stages over the course of many years and is very interesting visually.

We made our way to Constant Gardener Coffee where I ordered coffee and Xiaoling enjoyed a matcha latte, although it was a little sweet for her taste.

Before long, we headed to lunch at 113 Duck Meat Koey Teow Theng which was pretty tasty.

With our bellies full, we visited a Peranakan mansion where we enjoyed a guided tour of the building. Nick and I had previously visited a Peranakan mansion in Singapore, but this one was quite nice and I enjoyed the information shared by our tour guide. Peranakans are essentially the second generation of the Chinese immigrants who settled throughout Southeast Asia and intermarried with the people there. Clearly, as is evidenced by their extravagant homes, they were financially successful, usually as merchants.

I was especially fascinated by the above jewelry pieces. The blue items aren’t any type of stone or gem – they are actually kingfisher feathers! Many of the specific species of birds hunted for this type of jewelry are now endangered or extinct.

With the tour complete, we stopped for a quick bite at Fuku Eatery & Dessert. I enjoyed a tasty Yuzu Chrysanthemum Lemonade.

After a very full day of walking, we headed for a massage at Areoma Boutique Spa. The massage was inexpensive and enjoyable.

With our tensions relieved, we chose to eat dinner from a couple different hawker stalls – 888 Hokkien Mee, a Michelin recognized restaurant and Presgrave Street Ah Shen Duck Egg Char Koay Teow (三條路亞勝鴨蛋炒粿條). I really enjoyed the wok hay flavor from this char koay teow.

For dessert, we took a stroll through the Macallum Street Night Market where I had a pandan cake and Xiaoling had a soy drink to finish off our day. On the way back to the hotel, we took an evening stroll on the beautifully lit Lee Jetty. Back on the final few miles of our trek back to the hotel, Xiaoling mentioned how she was surprised to not see any rodents scurrying around such a large bustling city and essentially summoned a pair of rats who ran right in front of her!

March 18

After breakfast, we ordered a Grab Taxi and headed to the Penang Hill Railway, a funicular which climbs the titular hill. The journey to the top was beautiful.

At the top of the hill, we visited a cannon (which I took a picture of for Nick), a Hindu temple, and a mosque. We also did some light hiking and were lucky enough to see a black giant squirrel which was quick to hop away through the trees before we could snap a photo.

For lunch, we stopped at Loong Fong Cafe where I had nasi lemak, which is Malaysia’s national dish, and wintermelon soup.

To reward ourselves for all our hiking, we stopped for some coconut refreshments. I had my first taste of cendol, which was fine, but I loved the rest of my refreshing coconut shake at Juz Co².

Afterwards, we visited Cheong Fatt Tze (The Blue Mansion) where we enjoyed a guided tour. The mansion is, supposedly, the ultimate expression of the Chinese art of Feng Shui and, regardless of that, is undeniably beautiful. Cheong Fatt Tze was the richest man in Malaysia and in addition to being a successful businessman, was also a politician and philanthropist with titles throughout southeast Asia. Due to his good relationships in his business dealings with the British and Dutch, flags were flown at half mast in each of those countries upon word of his death. He is often referred to as “the Rockefeller of the East.” The Blue Mansion was also one of the filming locations for the movie Crazy Rich Asians.

Post-tour, we stopped at Bibik’s Kitchen Nyonya Cuisine for dinner. We ordered otak otak, cincalok pork, kang kung belacan, and pandan rice.

March 19

Our last morning in George Town, we decided to skip the hotel breakfast and visited Fu Er Dai for dim sum. As soon as we walked in, we knew it was going to be delicious because it was absolutely packed with “uncles.” In my opinion, this was the best meal of the entire trip. I specifically enjoyed the barbeque pork bun, the best I’ve ever had.

Our driver picked us up at 0900 and we headed towards Ipoh. The drive took about an hour longer than expected due to road work and accidents, but we eventually stopped at a rest area near our final destination and talked about where we wanted to go. While the driver tried to tell us the temple we wanted to visit was closed, I had done my research and knew it was open so instructed him to head that way. I think there was just some confusion as some of the other popular temples had been closed due to some recent flooding from storms.

We visited the Perak Cave Temple and the Gua Tempurung (Tempurung Cave). Both places were wondrous, and we made a point to explore them as completely as we could in spite of the heat and humidity. By the end of our tour, we were both quite sweaty.

Afterwards, we continued our journey to our next hotel. The Cameron Highlands Resort was highly recommended by one of our friends, but I was a bit disappointed in the stay. The hotel is adjacent to an extremely busy road and all rooms seem to be exterior facing. This meant a lot of road noise. The interior of the hotel was nice, though, and the staff was accommodating.

For dinner, we visited Wan Wan Aroy Thai Food. We visited this restaurant several times during our time in the Cameron Highlands. Xiaoling convinced me to try the stinky bean (parkia speciosa) during this meal. It was the vilest thing I’ve ever had the displeasure of eating.

March 20

Breakfast at The Cameron Highlands Resort was decent, though not exceptional.

Our first excursion in the region was a full-day tour of the Mossy Forest. Unfortunately, this is not a tour I would recommend to most unless you go in with the mindset that you’re paying for transport and nothing else.

Our first stop on the tour was the Boh Tea Estate where we enjoyed a short tour and sampled some tea. Unfortunately, no photos are allowed in the tea processing facility.

Then, we stopped at the Mossy Forest itself which had a sort of boardwalk trail that was easy to navigate and not very long. As you can tell from the photos, the day we visited was quite foggy/misty so we didn’t get to enjoy any of the famously incredible views. However, I did think it created a sort of fantastical ambiance to our forest walk.

The tour guide next brought us to a rose and orchid garden that also featured a miniature zoo.

For lunch, we stopped at Must Try Food & Beverage, which is a very on-the-nose name for a restaurant.

Our group met back up and headed to the Sam Poh Temple. Unfortunately, I feel like we got temple catfished because this was not the temple I expected to visit. I thought we would be visiting a different one of the same name.

The remainder of the tour was very disappointing. We stopped at a lame market, a strawberry farm that was desperately trying to sell overpriced products, and a butterfly farm and “zoo” that had terrible reviews (including one from three days prior that said there was a dead animal at the zoo). At the last stop, we eschewed ticket purchase and hung out at the shop outside.

When we returned to the hotel, we headed to the gym for a workout. The gym was decently appointed.

For dinner, we returned to the same Thai place as the previous day as we were hungry and didn’t want to wait in line at some of the other restaurants in town.

March 21

After breakfast, we met with our guide and driver for a guided hike of the nearby mountains that I had booked in advance through the hotel. The trails in Cameron Highlands are numbered and, on this particular journey, we took Trail 10 to Trail 12 over the course of 4km. Our guide, Atan, was knowledgeable and we learned a lot about the local flora and fauna. Once again, we had a bit of an overcast and hazy day, but at the vista points, Atan had some saved photos from clear days so we could see exactly what we were missing.

After our hike concluded, we decided to walk into town and try their chicken rice shop. It ended up being tastier than the Michelin recommended place we tried in Penang!

When we returned to the hotel, the manager was kind enough to offer Xiaoling a complimentary afternoon tea. It was a standard tea experience with a selection of scones, sandwiches, and desserts.

With our mid-afternoon treat complete, I did some yoga and went to bed early as I’d been having some difficulty getting to sleep at night due to the road noise in front of the hotel.

March 22

Our last full day in the Cameron Highlands was purposefully uneventful. After breakfast, we stopped in the hotel’s lounge area and played a hybrid version of snooker and pool (since neither of us has any idea how to play snooker).

Afterwards, I headed to the gym for a workout prior to lunch at OK Tuck Restaurant Brinchang Cameron Highlands. 

We spent the afternoon relaxing before having drinks in the lounge. While there, we were invited by the general manager to enjoy free drinks during the hour-long “lights out” period for “Earth hour.” We gladly took him up on the offer.

March 23

The drive to Kuala Lumpur was rough. The first ninety minutes of our journey was on an extremely curvy mountain road where I was fighting for my life not to be sick. Luckily, I was able to hold it together until we stopped at a rest area. The remaining ninety minutes consisted of straight highway driving, a welcome relief for everyone.

As expected, the St. Regis Kuala Lumpur was amazing. The service was incredible and included 24-hour butler beverage service of coffee or tea free of charge. My room was excellent, with a comfortable bed and delightful shower. I did find that the water didn’t quite get as hot as some might prefer, though.

We stopped for lunch at an Oriental Kopi location in a mall near the Petronus Towers. We ordered Malay fried rice with chicken, delicious teh drinks, and an exceptional egg tart. By the time we were finished eating, I was absolutely stuffed.

After filling up, we took an extremely sweaty one-hour walk to a building with some graffiti art. I can only describe the walk as some “real Nick Ohrn shit” – if you know, you know.

We stopped in a holistic healing store for a bit before visiting an old Hindu temple. We were lucky enough to see a service in progress.

Afterwards, we walked to the Petaling Street Market. We stopped for drinks at Kafe Kleptokrat, which is known for having a pool in the middle of the cafe.

With a full day behind us, we headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

March 24

St. Regis breakfasts rarely disappoint, and the one we enjoyed in Kuala Lumpur was no different.

After a delicious breakfast, we headed to the National Mosque of Malaysia. I had brought a scarf from home and wore long pants and sleeves, but Xiaoling had to be outfitted in the appropriate dress when we arrived. She thought they would have fashionable options to choose from, but it turns out they only had one option, and it made her look like a new student at Hogwarts. The mosque was beautiful and I learned some things about Islam that I didn’t know prior to my visit.

After our mosque visit concluded and Xiaoling returned her wizarding clothes, we made the short walk to the Islamic Art Museum nearby. There were beautiful artifacts from multiple countries and even an old Kiswa from Mecca.

Expanding our knowledge worked up our appetites, so we made our way to lunch. We stopped at Sun Ming Kee Restaurant where we had some delicious char siu and duck. One of my favorite meals of the trip. Interestingly, there was a sign outside about not bringing outside drinks into the restaurant. Thinking back, I realized this was pretty common everywhere we’d been in Malaysia so be ready to purchase a drink as part of your meal. Oftentimes, the drink vendor is a separate entity from the food vendor – even in restaurant settings.

Xiaoling arranged for us to get haircuts during our trip. I was pleasantly surprised by the attention to detail and services provided as part of my haircut (including a neck massage, scalp massage, and long wash and condition). I was extremely happy with the result and would definitely visit Vivienne again.

We briefly stopped at the Rexkl Art Space which is located in an old cinema and hosts a huge bookstore in one of the theater areas. It seemed like most people visited just to get pictures for social media, but it was fun to walk around and see so many books I’ve read and even more I want to read.

When we left, it was absolutely pouring rain. We ordered a Grab Taxi, and, due to the rain, it cost four times any other single trip we’d taken.

For dinner, we visited Delay No More Crab Restaurant. We split a crab and displayed our amazing crab cracking abilities.

When we returned to the hotel, we decided to walk around and explore the property. We unknowingly came upon a cigar bar (it was behind huge solid doors), and Adam, one of the employees, was kind enough to give us a bit of an art tour of the bar. Our inadvertent Crazy Rich Asians tour continued because one of the rooms in the bar was a filming location. There was also a rat pack themed room that featured photos by Terry O’Neal and a complete Macallan collection which is the only one of its kind in Asia.

March 25

After another tasty breakfast, we got a workout in at the well-equipped gym before enjoying a hotel art tour led by my butler Hilman. There’s nothing like staying at a property that has enough art to warrant an entire tour.

For lunch, we visited Madam Kwan’s which was another restaurant featuring Nonya cuisine. We both preferred the Nonya restaurant we tried in Penang.

For dessert, we stopped at a durian specialty spot so I could try it for the first time. While I didn’t love it, it was a million times better than the bitter bean I had the misfortune of eating earlier in the trip.

We returned to the hotel for a massage. The massage was nice but, unfortunately, the jacuzzi and sauna are only located in some of the treatment rooms. The spa facilities are usually one of my favorite parts of getting a massage at a luxury hotel, so I was a little disappointed.

We hilariously decided our last meal together in Malaysia should be Thai and visited Hello Thai Food Restaurant, which was quite delicious.

Back at the hotel, I did some quick cardio to make myself nice and tired because I needed to wake up early the next day and wanted to get a good night’s rest.

March 26

I had an early departure for the airport, leaving the hotel at 0500. The overnight staff at the St. Regis isn’t as attentive as the other shifts, because they did not have my boxed breakfast ready and I later found out Xiaoling had left a note for them to deliver to me upon checkout, but I never received it. Check-in at the airport was smooth and I cleared immigration and security in no time at all. Luckily, the international departures lounge was better equipped than the domestic lounge and I was able to enjoy a coffee and light snack before heading to my flight. I regret not being able to experience another breakfast at the St. Regis, though.

My flight to Hong Kong was uneventful. Once I landed, I quickly made my way through transit security and walked right up to my gate as boarding was beginning. I’m certainly glad that I’m familiar with the airport and walk quickly as the transfer experience would have been much more stressful otherwise.

Unfortunately, I found it difficult to get much rest on the way to San Francisco. The seats in business class on Cathay Pacific’s A350 aircraft are quite firm and do not have a lot of padding. However, the service was good, and the meals served on board were tasty.

After landing in San Francisco, I breezed through customs and immigration, thanks to Global Entry, before heading to my departure terminal. Clearing security was trivial, and then I had to wait almost three-and-a-half hours before my flight was scheduled to depart. Unfortunately, as the departure time neared, the flight suffered from a series of rolling delays. I boarded almost two hours later than expected. Fortunately, the flight was smooth after takeoff, and I was reunited with Nick shortly after landing.

While I was happy to be home, I’ll always value the time I got to spend with Xiaoling on this trip. We made many happy memories, and I look forward to traveling with her in the future.