Is Malaysia safe for tourists?

Very safe, including at night in the old town. Across 4 guides Malaysia averages 4.3 out of 5; George Town, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu are rated safe or very safe. Every guide names the comfortable areas and the ones that want care, with the reason.

Which parts of Malaysia need the most care?

None of the 4 guides in Malaysia is rated below 3: the usual big-city attention — bags in front on transit, phones away at the kerb — is the whole of it.

Malaysia travel tips

Is Malaysia safe?

4 guides, each rated 1 to 5 with the reason — and two lists per place, where you are comfortable and where to pay attention. Nowhere is called dangerous; the specific thing is what helps.

4.3 average across 4 guides · Safe

George Town Safe

Very safe, including at night in the old town. The traffic is the hazard — pavements vanish without warning and scooters use them. Watch for open monsoon drains, which are deep and unlit.

Comfortable: George Town, Penang · Gurney Drive · Pulau Tikus · Batu Ferringhi

Bag snatching from motorcycles on the narrow heritage streets
Batu Ferringhi — jet-ski and parasail operators, and the damage claims

Langkawi Safe

Very safe. The risks are the road and the water: the island roads are fast and quiet enough to invite mistakes on a scooter, and there are no lifeguards on most beaches. Jellyfish appear in the warmer months.

Comfortable: Pantai Cenang · Kuah · Tanjung Rhu

Jellyfish from October to April, which close the beaches for days at a time
Renting a scooter or a jet ski without insurance, which is most of them

Kuala Lumpur Safe

Safe by regional standards, with ordinary big-city caution. Bag snatching from passing motorcycles is the one local speciality — walk on the inside of the pavement and keep your bag on the far shoulder. Flash floods hit the city centre hard in the wet months.

Comfortable: KLCC · Bukit Bintang · Bangsar · Mont Kiara

Bag snatching from motorcycles — walk on the inside of the pavement
Chow Kit — and Jalan Alor, late at night
Taxi drivers who refuse the meter; use Grab

Kota Kinabalu Safe

Safe in the city and on the islands. Two real considerations: climbing Mount Kinabalu requires a permit, a guide and booking months ahead, and it is a genuine altitude climb rather than a walk. Governments have long advised against travel to the far east coast of Sabah near the Philippine border — check the current advice before booking anything around Semporna or Lahad Datu.

Comfortable: KK Waterfront · Tanjung Aru · Kota Kinabalu city centre

Filipino Market — after dark
The east coast of Sabah near Semporna, which has a standing travel advisory — check it before booking a dive trip

The ratings are this site's own, from the guides' authors and the corrections readers send in; they are not an index. Read the general advice in travel safety tips.

The guides in Malaysia

Kuala LumpurMalaysiaTowers, mosques and temples in the same square mile, and the best eating in Southeast Asia

cars parked in front of white concrete building during daytime

George TownMalaysiaShophouses, street art and the food capital of Malaysia

LangkawiMalaysiaA duty-free island of rainforest, mangroves and quiet sand

a sunset view of a beach with palm trees

Kota KinabaluMalaysiaBorneo’s coast, with a mountain behind it and orangutans inland