Malaysia travel guide
For a traveller, Malaysia divides into Peninsular Malaysia, the states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo, and the island federal territory of Labuan. The split decides more than the map: Sabah and Sarawak keep their own immigration control, so a domestic flight from the Peninsula to a Sabah or Sarawak airport ends at an immigration counter. This guide covers that rule, the monsoon seasons, the public holidays for 2026 and 2027, how to get between regions, and the destinations this site has guides for.
The regions of Malaysia a traveller meets
Peninsular Malaysia holds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya and the states of Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Pulau Pinang (Penang), Selangor and Terengganu. Its east coast takes the heaviest rain of the Northeast Monsoon, while its west coast gets its wettest months between the monsoons.
East Malaysia is Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo. The Immigration Department names "the State of East Malaysia (Sabah / Sarawak)" as the area under separate entry control, and the Prime Minister's Department lists each of the two states separately in its public-holiday schedules.
Labuan is its own federal territory, an island off the coast of Sabah but not part of the state of Sabah. It has its own immigration office and its own column in the national holiday tables.
Entry to Malaysia
The Immigration Department's visa page says that nationals of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) do not need a visa for a stay of less than one month, except nationals of Myanmar. A stay of more than one month needs a visa, except for nationals of Brunei and Singapore.
The same page lists nationalities that require a visa to enter Malaysia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. India appears on that list with a note exempting Indian citizens until 31 December 2026. Holders of a Laissez Passer, a Certificate of Identity or a Hong Kong travel document need a visa whatever their nationality.
Visa rules change, so check your own nationality on the Immigration Department's visa requirement page before you book.
Sabah and Sarawak arrival rules for Malaysians from the Peninsula
Section 66 of the Immigration Act 1959/63 restricts the right of Malaysian citizens to enter East Malaysia: a citizen needs a pass or permit to enter and stay in Sabah or Sarawak. That pass is issued at the immigration counters in the arrival halls, so a domestic arrival from the Peninsula queues there too.
- Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document: for Malaysians from West Malaysia travelling to Sabah and Sarawak. It is free, single-journey, gives a Social or Business Visit Pass of up to three months, and is issued at the immigration counters in the arrival halls of Sabah and Sarawak airports.
- Restricted Travel Document: for Malaysian citizens from Peninsular Malaysia staying in Sabah and Sarawak for more than three months. It is valid for five years.
- Leaving Sabah or Sarawak on a domestic flight: you show an identity document (a passport, Restricted Travel Document, MyKad, birth certificate or MyKid, or another listed document), a valid pass, and your boarding pass.
The Sabah rule and the Sarawak rule are not identical. The Section 66 exemption endorsement is issued only by the Sabah State Immigration Department, and the Immigration Department's site shows no Sarawak equivalent.
Labuan is a separate case. The Immigration Department's pages on these documents name Sabah and Sarawak only, so check the arrival arrangements for Labuan with the Immigration Department before you fly there.
Seasons: the two monsoons and the coasts they hit
The Malaysian Meteorological Department describes two monsoons. The Northeast Monsoon, November to March, is the main rainy season and brings heavy rain to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and East Johor) and to Sabah and Sarawak.
The Southwest Monsoon, late May to September, is relatively drier across most of the country. Sabah is the exception and stays wetter through these months, from the tail effects of typhoons.
The catch is on the Peninsula's west coast. Its states see their highest average monthly rainfall in the transition periods between the two monsoons, when light winds give clear mornings and afternoon thunderstorms, rather than during either monsoon.
Public holidays in 2026 and 2027
These dates come from the Prime Minister's Department's gazetted schedules for 2027 and 2026. Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Qurban and Deepavali depend on moon sighting, and the schedule itself marks them as subject to change.
| Holiday | 2026 | 2027 | Where observed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese New Year (two days) | 17-18 February | 6-7 February | Nationwide |
| Hari Raya Puasa (Aidilfitri, two days) | 21-22 March | 10-11 March | Nationwide |
| Sabah Governor's Birthday | 30 March | 30 March | Sabah |
| Good Friday | 3 April | 26 March | Sabah and Sarawak |
| Labour Day | 1 May | 1 May | Nationwide |
| Hari Raya Qurban (Aidiladha) | 27 May | 17 May | Nationwide |
| Pesta Kaamatan (harvest festival, two days) | 30-31 May | 30-31 May | Sabah and Labuan |
| Hari Wesak | 31 May | 20 May | Nationwide |
| King's Official Birthday | 1 June | 7 June | Nationwide |
| Gawai Dayak (two days) | 1-2 June | 1-2 June | Sarawak |
| Awal Muharam (Maal Hijrah) | 17 June | 6 June | Nationwide |
| World Heritage Site anniversary | 7 July | 7 July | Pulau Pinang |
| Sarawak Independence Day | 22 July | 22 July | Sarawak |
| Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Maulidur Rasul) | 25 August | 15 August | Nationwide |
| National Day | 31 August | 31 August | Nationwide |
| Malaysia Day | 16 September | 16 September | Nationwide |
| Sarawak Governor's Birthday | 10 October | 9 October | Sarawak |
| Deepavali | 8 November | 28 October | Nationwide |
| Christmas Eve | 24 December | 24 December | Sabah |
| Christmas (Hari Krismas) | 25 December | 25 December | Nationwide |
Each Peninsular state also gazettes its own state holidays, mostly the Sultan's or Governor's birthday and some Islamic observances. They are listed state by state on the same schedules.
Getting between the regions
By air
Flights link Peninsular Malaysia with Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, and the federal government treats these routes as their own category: in May 2026 the Transport Minister announced a flight-ticket rebate for Malaysians travelling on them. Within Sabah and Sarawak, the federal Rural Air Service covers remote, sparsely populated areas where air transport is the primary mode of transport.
AirBorneo, owned by the Sarawak government, took over all former MASwings services, including the Rural Air Service, from 1 January 2026. The domestic airlines with pages on this site are AirAsia, Firefly, AirBorneo, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air Malaysia.
By rail on the Peninsula
Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) runs two intercity services. ETS, its electric train, runs on the electrified double-track West Coast Line between Gemas and Padang Besar, calling at KL Sentral, Ipoh, Butterworth and Padang Besar among other stations, at up to 140 km/h. It comes in three tiers: Platinum with the fewest stops, Gold, and Silver with the most.
KTM Intercity is diesel-hauled and covers the Southern Region and the East Coast Line between Tumpat and Gemas, with routes from JB Sentral to Tampin, to Tumpat and across to Woodlands in Singapore. A Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train has run between Tumpat and Kuala Lipis since April 2021.
Both services run within Peninsular Malaysia, apart from the short crossing from JB Sentral to Woodlands.
Destinations
Peninsular Malaysia: the west coast and the north
- Kuala Lumpur: Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) is in the Sepang district of Selangor, roughly 45 km south of the city centre. Its domestic flights leave from two separate terminals about 2 km apart, KLIA Terminal 1 for Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia and Firefly's jets and KLIA Terminal 2 for AirAsia, so check the carrier before you travel to the airport.
- Kuala Lumpur's older airport at Subang, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB), is where the site's schedule data records Firefly and Batik Air Malaysia. AirAsia moved its domestic flights from Subang to KLIA Terminal 2 on 7 April 2025, and Firefly's turboprops stayed at Subang when its jets moved to KLIA Terminal 1 on 19 August 2025.
- Penang: Penang International Airport (PEN) is at Bayan Lepas, at the southeastern tip of Penang Island, with one terminal for domestic and international flights. A new terminal building is planned, with procurement opened on 25 June 2026 and an overall target of 2028.
- Langkawi: Langkawi International Airport (LGK) is at Padang Matsirat on the west side of the island, in Kedah. Langkawi is a duty-free island, and goods taken to the rest of Malaysia get the customs exemption only after a stay of at least 48 hours.
- Alor Setar: Sultan Abdul Halim Airport (AOR) at Kepala Batas serves Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah, and Perlis. It shares its runway with the air force, and the runway was closed by a flood from 29 November 2024 and by separate incidents in May and December 2025.
- Ipoh: Sultan Azlan Shah Airport (IPH) serves Ipoh, the capital of Perak, from one terminal that Malaysia Airports finished enlarging in April 2025. Ipoh is also a stop on the ETS line.
- Johor Bahru: Senai International Airport (JHB), at Senai in Johor, is run by Senai Airport Terminal Services rather than by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB). It is reached by road; the nearest railway station, Kulai, is a taxi ride away.
Peninsular Malaysia: the east coast
- Kota Bharu: Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) is at Pengkalan Chepa, 8 km from central Kota Bharu in Kelantan. Its rebuilt terminal reached full operation on 16 March 2026.
- Kuala Terengganu: Sultan Mahmud Airport (TGG) has a stop on bus route T10 of the BAS.MY Kuala Terengganu network, which runs to the city and to Merang Jetty for boats to Redang, Lang Tengah and the Perhentian islands. In the 2025/2026 Northeast Monsoon the Terengganu state government denied ordering any island closure, and resort and chalet closures were the operators' own choice.
- Kuantan: Kuantan Airport (KUA) in Pahang also appears as Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Airport and Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport, all the same place. Rapid Kuantan buses stopped running on 14 December 2025, and the BAS.MY Kuantan network that took over names no route for the airport.
Sabah and Labuan
- Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) is the busiest airport in Malaysian Borneo. Malaysia Airports runs it as one passenger terminal, and domestic arrivals from the Peninsula pass the Sabah immigration check.
- Sandakan: Sandakan Airport (SDK) is a single-terminal airport on Sabah's east coast, 9 km from the Sandakan Municipal Council building.
- Tawau: Tawau Airport (TWU) serves Tawau and is the airport for Semporna and the dive islands of Sipadan, Mabul and Kapalai, with road transfers arranged by dive resorts and dive operators. A terminal upgrade broke ground on 26 September 2025, with completion given as 2028.
- Labuan: Labuan Airport (LBU) serves the federal territory, with air traffic control provided by the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Its runway closed on 26 June 2026 after World War II bombs were found near it and reopened the next day.
Sarawak
- Kuching: Kuching International Airport (KCH), about 11 km south of the city, is run by Malaysia Airports and is AirBorneo's largest base. In May 2026 Sarawak's transport minister said the feasibility study for a new Kuching airport was complete, with Tanjung Embang the recommended site; it still needs federal development approval.
- Sibu: Sibu Airport (SBW) is 23 km east-south-east of Sibu in central Sarawak, with one terminal.
- Bintulu: Bintulu Airport (BTU), on Sarawak's central coast, is 20 km from town by road. A dual carriageway from Jepak to the airport is due by October 2027.
- Miri: Miri Airport (MYY) in northern Sarawak is the main hub for AirBorneo's Rural Air Service flights into the interior. AirBorneo's Twin Otter services check in at the airport counter only, because passengers and their hand luggage are weighed.
- Gunung Mulu National Park: Mulu Airport (MZV) serves the park, which Forest Department Sarawak records as established on 1 August 1974 and extended in 2011.