Navigating through your day-to-day while traveling in a foreign country can be daunting, but it can be made easier if you know the right apps to download to help you! Here are the top apps I’d recommend downloading before you visit Malaysia.
General
Klook (Recommended for activities)
Klook is a great app for you to book tickets, tours and activities in Malaysia. I recommend it because many official stores in charge of the activity or service are registered on the app itself. As a local, that makes the app trustworthy. It’s also easy to use where the discovery, booking, payment, and ticket confirmation are all in the app itself.
From my experience, official stores also tend to have discounts exclusively on Klook, not even when you purchase from their website directly!
Here are some of the top things you can get from Klook:
KL International Airport to KL Sentral (Train from airport to central KL in 30 minutes)
KL Hop On Hop Off Bus (Sightseeing tour bus at your own pace)
KL City of Lights Tour with Hop On Hop Off Bus (Night sightseeing tour bus at your own pace)
eSIM (Get your SIM and data sorted even before you touch down in Malaysia)
Aquaria KLCC (Top 5 aquariums in Asia)
KL Tower Observation Deck (Get panoramic view of Malaysia’s capital city)
Petronas Twin Towers Ticket (Get to the top of the world’s tallest twin towers)
21 Attractions in KL and Batu Caves Tour (Discover KL’s past, present, and a Hindu temple in a cave)
Cameron Highlands Day Tour (Travel 3 hours away from KL to the chilly mountains of Malaysia. Learn about local tea production, pick fresh strawberries, and visit local produce markets)
Breakout Room Immersive Experience (Immersive mystery solving experience with localized storylines)
Download Klook: Apple | Android
Booking.com (Recommended for hotels)
Like Klook, Booking.com has most official hotel listings in Malaysia and it’s always easier to do comparisons of different hotels in the same platform. It’s easy to navigate and tend to have discounts rather than booking with the hotel directly.
I’ve never tried booking other items than hotels though, so I can’t vouch for other bookings.
Download Booking.com: Apple | Android
Wise
While Malaysians may still use cash daily, card payments are already widely accepted in bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur and Penang. I personally only carry a small amount of cash out everyday (Less than RM100 for emergencies), and use card payments exclusively.
While you can still pay or withdraw cash from the ATM using your home country’s card, there’s often a transaction fee and exchange rate markup that comes with it. I would highly recommend applying for a Wise’s Currency Card which serves the same function, but with no transaction fee (Compared to the usual of 1-3%) and lower exchange rates markup fee (Starting at 0.43%).
I like it for the peace of mind: Knowing there are no hidden fees!
Download Wise: Apple | Android
Communication
Choice of messaging apps in Asia can be a mixed bag, but Malaysia is most certainly a WhatsApp country. Most people use WhatsApp for daily communication, and most businesses run communications on WhatsApp too.
Download WhatsApp: Apple | Android
Google Translate
While most of urban Malaysia can understand and converse in English, there are still times when proper translation is needed in more complex situations. A handful of signboards in Malaysia are also Malay only, hence I recommend having a translation tool on standby such as Google Translate.
Download Google Translate: Apple | Android
Transport
Grab
Grab is the Uber of Southeast Asia. While Malaysia has its fair share of public transport, its cities are still not quite pedestrian friendly. In most cases, taking a Grab is more convenient and will cost just a bit more than public transport. It’s always good to check the price on Grab when you’re trying to get somewhere.
The interface is also convenient to use and has the necessary safety features to make me feel safe on the ride, including sharing my live location, AudioProtect for audio recordings on the ride, and an SOS button to alert the police.
Download Grab: Apple | Android
AirAsia Move
If Grab is Uber, then AirAsia Move is Lyft. A newcomer in the market, it offers similar services to Grab and I always like to keep it for price comparisons as random discounts do pop up every now and then.
Download AirAsia Move: Apple | Android
Google Maps
The best app to navigate the public transport system in Malaysia is Google Maps. It is easy to use, digest, and reliable. Here I have a full guide on how to navigate Malaysia’s train map, including using Google Maps to help you.
Download Google Maps: Apple | Android
MyRapid PULSE
The official public transport app in Malaysia: While the data is probably the most up to date, the interface may not be the most user-friendly. I’d suggest using this as a backup to compare information with Google Maps if you’re skeptical of Google Maps (But don’t be!). There’s also a fare calculator feature in the app.
Download MyRapid PULSE: Apple | Android
Food and Shopping
Grab
The same Grab as above, GrabFood is also the biggest food delivery partner in Malaysia. They have plenty of restaurant and food options, and even has exclusive deals with Michelin recommended restaurants. Prices can be slightly higher but still reasonable. You can often get savings by pre-ordering or using their free online vouchers
Download Grab: Apple | Android
Shopee and Food Panda
Shopee is the Amazon of Southeast Asia, where you can get anything that you can name. But they also have a Shopee Food option available in their app, with Food Panda being the other food delivery option. These 2 apps have more selections for smaller restaurants that may not be registered in Grab.
Download Shopee: Apple | Android
Download Food Panda: Apple | Android
Driving
SOCAR: Rent a car
Want to do a spontaneous road trip or a one-way trip to the airport? SOCAR is my recommended car rental platform. It has plenty of car pick-up/drop-off spots all over the big Malaysian cities, or you can even get it delivered to you. There are plenty of car models to pick from, and you can just use the app to unlock the car.
I’ve always found it convenient, since I’m able to rent it for a short period of time, even on an hourly basis!
Download SOCAR: Apple | Android
Flexi Parking: Pay for street parking
If you’re driving and decide to park on street parking, you’ll need to pay for a street parking fee. The fee and operational hours (Monday to Saturday in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor) are specific to areas, but you’ll be able to tell using the Flexipark app. It’s a cashless app that allows you to top-up and pay for street parking anytime, anywhere based on your GPS location. You can use the app in nine different states in Malaysia.
Download Flexi Parking: Apple | Android
Waze
Waze is my best friend when driving in Malaysia. It warns me of speed limits, safety hazards, and information on toll fees so I can estimate how much I’ll be spending especially on long distance trips.
I never drive without it unless it’s somewhere I visit often!
