The Ultimate Packing Guide: Here’s What You Need to Bring On Your Trip to Malaysia

Planning to visit Malaysia soon? That’s good! It’s an amazing country that boasts amazing food, gorgeous landscapes, and friendly locals. Not to mention, it’s so easy to book a Kuala Lumpur accommodation, get the best hotel deals, and enjoy a stay that’s so near the vibrant districts.

However, before we talk about reservations and destinations, let’s talk about what every traveller is afraid of: packing. There’s just so many things we want to bring to make sure we get the best trip possible. But we all know that between the limit set by the airlines and the luggage we have available, bringing everything we want is just not possible.

For a place like Malaysia, your packing must be light and smart. Don’t worry, here’s a helpful guide to make sure all you’ve packed will make your travel experience unforgettable.

General Climate

The key is packing according to the climate of your destination.


Most countries in Asia only experience wet and dry seasons, and Malaysia is one of them. In terms of when you can visit the country, it’s pretty much an awesome destination to go to all year round. Having said that, do take note of the wet months. This is the country’s rainy season, and the intensity differs depending on if it’s just rain or a typhoon. Wet months include March to April and September to November.


The peak months in Malaysia is during the summer season, from May to August and December to Friday; which these are the hotter months too. Storms do not usually last for more than two days. However, since we cannot really predict weather behaviour these days, make sure to stay updated. Websites like Accuweather is not too accurate with their forecast, but it is good enough to give you a general idea of what the weather is going to be like on your visit.

What You Need and Want to Bring For Your Trip

Even if you’re a seasoned traveller, there are still times when you either pack so little or so much. So to curb that problem, it’s always helpful to list down what you need to bring first:

Clothing that will help you stay cool

Expect a hot and humid weather when you’re in Malaysia, so it is important to pack light, cool clothes to help you feel comfortable. If you can, bring sweat-wicking clothes since you will probably be walking around most of the time. Of course, do remember that Malaysia is a Muslim country so be mindful of the types of clothes you are wearing. I recommend packing shorts (not too short), shirts, flowing cotton skirts and dresses, denim, and joggers.

Footwear good for walking

Bring sensible shoes for your trip. The last thing you want is an injury caused by bringing the wrong footwear; that will definitely limit the activities you can do. Consider sticking to just sneakers/rubber shoes, sandals, and flats.

Hair essentials

You probably already know to bring your hair products with you on your trip, but there are accessories that you might want to bring. For instance, hair ties and bobby pins are perfect when the weather is being intensely humid. There’s nothing like putting your hair up and feeling a bit of wind on your skin.

Swim and sun gear

On your trip, you’ll find that Malaysia is filled with beaches, resorts, and hotel with gorgeous swimming pools. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the chance to bask under the sun and get that perfect tan look. So don’t forget to bring your swimming gear plus essentials like sunscreen, goggles, and beach towels. You should also bring a hat to protect you from the bright heat of the sun, not just in the beaches and resorts, but also while you’re walking around the city. When picking sunscreen, choose one with a broad-spectrum protection, and ones that have a label against both UVA and UVB.

Rain gear

In the event that you schedule a trip during Malaysia’s wet months, bring the appropriate rain gear with you, plus a scarf for strong, cold winds. In any case, you can just buy an umbrella in Malaysia at any of the local convenience stores.

First aid kit for emergencies

If you have prescription medicine, make sure to bring them with you because you might have a hard time finding them in a pharmacy near your hotel. For all the other medications like pain relievers or anything generic, you will most likely not have a problem finding those locally. Also include in your kit medication for motion sickness, flu medicine, sanitisers, wet wipes and tissues, alcohol, and band-aids.

Gadgets and related gear

A smartphone is usually enough to bring on a trip, but there are travellers that want to capture the whole experience in as many ways as possible. You may choose to bring a camera like a DSLR or any of the vintage-like models that are coming out. A GoPro and drone camera are also good to bring. However, once you bring your gadgets make sure you’ve brought what you need for proper clean and care like adaptors for charging, wipes for the lenses, and a case if the gadgets have one. Oh, and don’t forget to bring a portable charger for your phone.

Day bag

Your day bag is a smaller backpack or messenger bag where your gadgets, wallet, and other important items should be in. This is the bag you will bring on your day trips and must be secure at all times. There are bags that already come with locks so you might want to consider bringing those. Otherwise, you can always use a padlock to secure sections of your bag where your airport and other documents are contained. You can leave one zipper, that is the main section of the bag, unlocked since this is where you will pack your water bottle and umbrella, and should be accessible at any time.

Packing Tips and Tricks

Now that you know what you can bring, the next problem is how you can actually pack them in your bag. While you are doing this, do keep the baggage limit in mind. Remember that you want to be able to move easily during your trip, and part of this is packing sensibly. Once you stick to this list, there’s less chance to bring overpack and bring unnecessary items.

The Pareto Principle

The Pareto Principle is an economics term that says that 80% of effects, for any event, come from 20% of the causes. It may seem ridiculous to associate that with traveling, much less packing, but let’s try to apply at least the concept here. The idea is to bring the clothes that you normally wear when you’re not on a trip, but taking note that you cannot bring clothes for every situation. This means that 80% of the clothes you will wear should just be 20% of what you will pack.

Limit to a week’s worth of clothes

An effective way to avoid packing your whole wardrobe is to set a limit for yourself. Whether you’re staying in the city centre or are planning to backpack through Malaysia, make sure to bring only a week’s worth of clothes. You may just choose to do laundry every night so you can wear your clothes again. It’s more cost effective, too, since excess baggage is much more expensive than paying for laundry. Besides, you can always just wash your clothes again.

Wear your bulkiest and heaviest clothes

As much as possible, do not pack your heaviest and bulkiest clothes in your luggage. Instead, hand carry them or wear them so that you have more room in your bags. A lot of people are having a hard time following this, but these tips might help:

• Limit yourself to just on heavy coat.
• Bring only two pairs of shoes, which already includes what you will be wearing for the trip.
• Choose shoes that can go with any of the clothes you you’ve brought with you.

Pack for layers

To avoid bringing heavy clothes with you, just layer what you have. For instance, your cotton shirt can serve as primary layer. If it gets cold or windy in Malaysia, you can put on a cardigan and a scarf to shield you from it. When it gets intense, that’s when you can wear your heavy coat.

Bring versatile clothes

Consider bringing clothes that have multiple functions to lessen what you need to pack even further. An example would be a sarong which you can use as a beach cover-up, blanket, or a bag. You may also bring clothes which you can wear multiple times for various kinds of clothes like loose slacks or a sweater.

Dryer sheets to layer around the bag

If you want to keep your clothes looking fresh and clean, you can layer dryer sheets in your bag before putting your clothes in. You can also use a few drops of your favourite essential oil on a tissue can also work, if you don’t have dryer sheets.

Laundry bag

To avoid mixing dirty clothes with your clean ones, make sure you have a bag exclusively for your laundry. You’ll be washing your clothes every night for the duration of your trip, so will most likely use this during the last days of your trip when you do not need some of your clothes anymore.

Practical trips shouldn’t stop at packing

All these packing tips and hacks should make your trip easy and light. But more than that, traveling to Malaysia will be more enjoyable if your accommodation allows you to go to and from its wonderful destinations without a problem. Which is why city centre hotels like the Ramada Suites KLCC is the ideal place to stay. Right now, they are offering a hot deal for guests who will book directly on their page. The promo is the Hot Deal! Stay 3 Nights and Pay 2 Nights.

When you book a 3-night stay at Ramada Suites KLCC, you will only need to pay for 2 nights. Plus, it comes with a buffet breakfast spread, featuring local and international cuisine prepared to satisfy your cravings. Now that you know what and how to pack, and the promo deal that can make an amazing Malaysia trip unforgettable, you’re ready to start your research into what destinations are waiting for you. Check out this space again for our next Malaysia article: The Ultimate Guide to Malaysia’s Best Destinations!