One of the easiest ways to get around Malaysia on long distances is by road transfer with Daytrip. This global transport company offers long-distance sightseeing transfers ensuring that getting around Malaysia is easy for the customer ensuring they have an enjoyable travel experience.
Travelling in Malaysia using Daytrip includes optional sightseeing stops, allowing you to choose the cultural landmarks you want to see during your road transfer.
This means that instead of passing by places and simply getting a glimpse of them through a car window, you can actually stop and spend quality time exploring each one. How great is that?
During my recent four weeks in Malaysia, while on the west coast, I used Daytrip four times and found their service exemplary.
In this post, I feature the routes I took with Daytrip and the fabulous Malaysian sightseeing attractions I chose to include during each long-distance road transfer.
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How to Get Around Malaysia with Daytrip
Daytrip is a long-distance private door-to-door transfer company with local English-speaking drivers offering a reliable worldwide service.
The option to sightsee along the route turns a regular road transfer into a complete travel experience and sets Daytrip apart from other transfer companies that simply transport guests from A to B.
All vehicles used by Daytrip drivers are of a high standard, and customers can choose to book a regular sedan or upgrade to an MPV and travel in style.
Some drivers are also registered tour guides; therefore, you may get a professional guide to show you around your chosen sightseeing stop. Being local drivers also means they can provide insider travel advice on Malaysia to help make your trip run smoothly.
Sightseeing Road Transfers in Malaysia
My four road transfers with Daytrip were as follows:
George Town Penang – Lumut (Pangkor Laut)
Lumut (Pangkor Laut) – Ipoh
Ipoh – Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands)
Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) – Kuala Lumpur
How does Daytrip work?
Head to MyDaytrip.com and select your starting point and where you want to get to. The service is available in 90+ countries.
Don’t worry if your exact route isn’t shown in the drop-down menu, as a custom-made transfer can easily be arranged for you at no extra cost.
I had to use the custom-made facility for my transfer from Lumut to Ipoh, and within a couple of hours of requesting the route, the Daytrip team confirmed it.
Once you are in the booking portal and have inserted your travel requirements, you can pick from a list of attractions you want to see along the route. You can also choose how long you want to spend at each place. There is an additional fee for this service but well worth it.
The next step is to pick a vehicle for your transfer: a sedan or an MPV.
I upgraded to an MPV because several transfers were long, and I wanted to travel in style! Also, both of us are tall, and I wanted plenty of room to stretch our legs in the vehicle.
Each passenger is allowed one piece of checked luggage and one piece of hand luggage. Customers with more luggage than allowed can always contact customer support to find the best solution.
You can pay for your transfer online up to 24 hours before pick-up or pay in cash to your driver.
Finally, a few days before your sightseeing transfer in Malaysia, you will be sent details of your driver with a photograph and details of the vehicle. The driver will not contact you again before your transfer, but if necessary, you can use the details given to communicate with them.
Check out the five-star reviews for Daytrip on TripAdvisor.
How I Travelled Around Malaysia
Transfer from George Town Penang to Lumut (gateway to Pangkor Laut Island)
The driving time from Penang to Lumut is 4 1/2 hours, including one 75-minute sightseeing stop at Kek Lok Si Temple
After spending four days in Penang, my next stop was a stay on the island of Pangkor Laut.
My driver from George Town in Penang to Pangkor Laut was Teoh Shan Tatt, or ‘Tiger’, as he liked to be known.
He was punctual, and his vehicle was of a high standard. He was smart and very friendly, giving us plenty of information about Penang and its history on the way to our first sightseeing stop at Kek Lok Si, the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia.
Tiger had water waiting for us in the car, checked the car’s temperature was good for us and played soothing music during the journey. He was extremely professional, even supplying an umbrella during our temple stop in the rain!
I had booked a 75-minute visit to Kek Lok Si, and he went into the temple with us, explaining everything as we looked around. Without his expertise, we would never have gained such an insight into the temple’s history and culture.
Communication with Tiger before the trip was great, and his English was perfect.
Transfer from Lumut (Pangkor Laut) to Ipoh
The driving time from Lumut to Ipoh is 90 minutes, with no sightseeing stops.
After a 3-night stay at Pangkor Laut Island Resort, I needed to transfer to Ipoh. Daytrip came to my help by creating a custom-made trip with a lady driver called Lim Lee. I chose not to make any sightseeing stops during this transfer.
Pre-trip communication was good, and Lim Lee was smart and punctual.
Lim was quiet and didn’t offer much information; however, when we asked her questions, she understood English very well.
She was a cautious driver (which is a good thing on some of the windy roads we had to take). Water was provided during the trip.
By using Daytrip, we were able to travel through several Malaysian towns and see different kinds of landscapes, which was interesting. The scenery changed regularly from miles of palm trees to busy urban hubs.
Transfer from Ipoh to Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands)
The driving time from Ipoh to Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) 5 hours, including two 60-minute sightseeing stops at Gua Tempurung Cave and Kellie’s Castle.
Lim Lee was our driver again from Ipoh to Tanah Rata, and she arrived promptly to pick us up from our hotel in Ipoh.
Our first stop was at the Gua Tempurung, Malaysia’s biggest cave system, and we chose to spend one hour there to do the easy walk in and out of the cave. Lim waited outside.
Our second sightseeing stop was at Kellie’s Castle, a ruined building started by a Scotsman who lived here. I spent one hour at this landmark, and Lim waited outside.
We had a lot of traffic heading into Tanah Rata due to a religious festival, but Lim navigated the wet and windy roads with skill (and didn’t once complain!). Luckily Malaysian roads are in pretty good condition.
Transfer from Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) to Kuala Lumpur
The driving time from Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) to Kuala Lumpur is 5 Hours, with one sightseeing stop at the Batu Caves for 90 minutes.
Our final long-distance road transfer in Malaysia was with Yuhjiin.
He arrived in a vehicle that looked straight out of the A-Team! It was huge and luxurious.
We took the long windy hillside route out of the Cameron Highlands, and Yuhjiin gave us lots of interesting information about the local Malay people that sell their products on the roadside, like honey, durian fruit and flowers. He also told us about Chinese culture in Malaysia.
The drive was comfortable, and Yuhjiin was careful around the country roads and when driving in the city.
We stopped to see the Batu Caves before reaching our hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I booked the Batu Caves stop for 90 minutes, and Yuhjiin was happy to rest in the vehicle while we enjoyed visiting one of Malaysia’s most popular attractions.
Final thoughts on Malaysia Travel with Daytrip
If you are planning a trip to Malaysia, getting around towns and cities can be done by using a taxi or buses however, if you are travelling far, then your options are limited to coaches, which are often late and uncomfortable or trains, of which there isn’t always a route to accommodate your requirements.
I researched for a long time when I was planning my trip to Malaysia and found it hard to find an easy way to travel in Malaysia between long distances until I discovered Daytrip, which offered the exact service I was looking for.
All three drivers drove in a way to make us both feel relaxed and refreshed during the trip and on arrival at our destination.
Some of these transfers were complimentary in return for an authentic review of the service I received with Daytrip. I would happily recommend Daytrip to my readers and will use their transfer service again.
Please Pin for Future Travel to Malaysia
