Gap Adventures is a budget adventure tour company operating on every continent. Its Malaysian adventures include an eight-day trip to Sarawak, and four trips that include stops in Malaysia on broader tours. The Borneo - Discover Sarawak tour is $1,299, and includes an overnight stay in a traditional long house, jungle hikes, and a visit to Mulu National Park. The tour begins and ends in Kota Kinabalu -- passengers must provide their own transport to the city. Other Gap Adventure tours taking in Malaysia are Roam Bangkok to Bali, which is 28 days for $2,419; Roam Bangkok to Singapore --- 14 days for $1,149; Roam Southeast Asia, a 21-day tour for $1,599; and Colours of Asia - Bangkok to Singapore, which is 14 days for $1,120. Tours include local guides, basic accommodations, some meals, and transportation. All prices are valid as of March, 2011.
Owned and operated by local Malaysians, MM Adventure Services provides a variety of tours -- day trips and overland excursions -- to Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak. Popular tours offered are whitewater rafting on the Padas, Kiulu, and Liwagu rivers in Sarawak. The company provides day tours to the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary located in Taman Negara National Park. Multi-day adventure tours head to Mount Kinabalui in Sarawak and the Cameroon Highlands in peninsular Malaysia. All tours include local guides, non-alcholoic refreshments, some meals, transport, and accommodations on overnight trips. Day tours range from approximately $40 to $100, depending on the number of passengers, whereas multi-day tour prices depend on length and number of passengers. All rates are valid as of March, 2011 and are quoted based on current exchange rates.
Turning ordianry tourists into "adventure-filmmakers," Rock Out Tours has two tours traveling through Malaysia: Bangkok to Sinapore and KL to Bali. Rock Out Tours gives passengers video cameras to film each of the eight tours they offer throughout 2012. Each tour visits a non-profit organization for one day to provide help and raise awareness. The Bangkok to Singapore tour heads to Kota Baru, the Perhentian Islands, Taman Negara National Park, Kuala Lumpur, and Melaka, as well as Bangkok and Singapore. The KL to Bali trip visits Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Penang in Malaysia, as well as Suamtra and Bali. The tours include video camera, accommodations, meals, activities, transportation and guidebook. Tours range from $1,950 to $2,150 as of March, 2011.
Tucan Travel is a worldwide budget tour operator providing stops in Malaysia as part of broader travels in Southeast Asia. Seven Tucan tours ranging from 15 to 48 days take in the Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang. The tours are for budget adventurers, as accommodations are basic, but local tour guides and a group of fellow travelers will be there along the way. Tucan Travel provides some excursions like trekking, waterfall visits, and cruises, while optional exursions are available throughout each trip. All tours include local guide, meals mentioned in the itinerary, transportation and some activities.
Be your own tour guide on your trip to Malaysia. The backpacking route in Malaysia, even in less-developed Sarawak, is well traveled and considered safe. The country, especially the peninsula, has a comprehensive rail, bus, and low-cost airfare network, which makes accessing the country's attractions easy and affordable. Start you adventure in Kuala Lumpur, a major gateway to the region. Low-cost air fare from Kuala Lumpur on either Tiger Airways or AirAsia gives you access to Sarawak, Penang and Langkawi, as well as to dozens of international destinations. Buses are cheap and cover nearly every road in the country. Trains are more expensive than buses, but provide a higher level of comfort. Most Malaysians, especially those working in the tourist industry, speak intermediate to fluent English. Almost every guesthouse or low-cost hotel offers day trips. A good guidebook from Lonely Planet, Moon, or Rough Guides will help you along the way, but the best advice is from other travelers heading in the opposite direction.
