How to Get Around Malaysia

Flights between the halves. Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu or Kuching is around 2.5 hours, cheap and frequent. Remember the separate immigration check on arrival in Sabah or Sarawak.

On the peninsula, intercity buses are excellent — comfortable, cheap and frequent. The ETS train from Kuala Lumpur north to Ipoh and Penang is fast and comfortable.

Grab works throughout the cities for cars and bikes and removes fare negotiation entirely.

Kuala Lumpur has LRT, MRT and monorail lines that cover most of what a visitor needs, though the interchanges sometimes require a walk between stations.

In Borneo, distances are long and roads slow; internal flights and boats are often the only practical option, and many lodges include transfers because nothing else reaches them.