Singapore, Malaysia and Borneo

Fifteen nights from Singapore up the west side of Peninsular Malaysia, by car through old trading towns, the capital and the tea hills. It ends with three nights by the sea in Langkawi and two on the Kinabatangan River in Borneo.

Length: 15 nights
Pace: Seven stays
Style: Cities, heritage, tea hills, island beach
Route: Singapore to Malacca to Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands to Penang to Langkawi to The Kinabatangan River, Borneo

SingaporeThree nights
MalaccaOne night
Kuala LumpurTwo nights
Cameron HighlandsOne night
PenangThree nights
LangkawiThree nights
The Kinabatangan River, BorneoTwo nights

An outdoor pool with blue mosaic tiles, lined with sun loungers and parasols, facing a white colonnaded pavilion. — Photo: Raffles Hotel Singapore

Days 1 to 4 · three nights

Singapore

Met at the airport and driven to the hotel, then out to Little India, Arab Street and Chinatown, with a meal at a hawker stall and an evening bumboat ride on the river. The second day is a guided look at the city's architecture, followed by the evening light show at Gardens by the Bay or Marina Bay Sands and a drink at the Sands SkyPark. On the third, a morning Singaporean cooking class, the Asian Civilisations Museum, and Singapore Zoo with its rainforest ride.

Where you stay

Raffles Singapore

Raffles Singapore opened on Beach Road in 1887. It has 115 suites, eight places to eat and drink, among them the Long Bar, and a spa with an outdoor pool; butlers look after every guest.

A river running through Melaka between tall buildings. — Photo: Vale G / Unsplash

Days 4 to 5 · one night

Malacca

A driver takes the road north across the border to Malacca, a port town on Peninsular Malaysia's west coast and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for a single night by the river.

Where you stay

The Majestic Malacca

The Majestic Malacca is a restored 1920s Straits Settlement mansion on the banks of the Malacca River, in the heart of the World Heritage town. It keeps its original porcelain tiles and teak, and has been extended with guest rooms, suites and the Spa Village Malacca.

Days 5 to 7 · two nights

Kuala Lumpur

About two hours by car to Kuala Lumpur, for Merdeka Square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Central Market, Sze Ya Temple and the Petaling Street market. The next day takes in the National Visual Arts Gallery, the National Museum and its Malay collections, and Aquaria KLCC, with the evening free.

Where you stay

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur stands between KLCC Park and the Petronas Twin Towers, with direct links to the towers and the Suria KLCC shops. It has several restaurants, among them Lai Po Heen, and a spa.

Days 7 to 8 · one night

Cameron Highlands

About three and a half hours by car up into the hills, to walk through the Boh tea plantation and taste a fresh brew. In the afternoon there is the option of a walk in the rainforest.

Where you stay

Cameron Highlands Resort

Cameron Highlands Resort is a hill retreat beside the Cameron Highlands golf course, among tea plantations and woodland trails, in use as a retreat since the days of British Malaya. It has rooms and suites, several restaurants and the Spa Village Cameron Highlands.

Days 8 to 11 · three nights

Penang

About four hours by car, or a short flight, to Penang, with lunch in Little India before an afternoon with the street art of Lover's Lane and the clan jetties at Weld Quay. The following days take in a gallery such as the State Art Gallery or Galeri Seni Mutiara, the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the Snake Temple, then Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion and the ride up Penang Hill for the view.

Where you stay

Eastern & Oriental Hotel

The Eastern & Oriental Hotel stands on Lebuh Farquhar in George Town and has received guests for more than 130 years. Its suites are in the Heritage Wing and the Victory Annexe, and it has a pool and restaurants such as Sarkies and the Palm Court, where afternoon tea is served.

Days 11 to 14 · three nights

Langkawi

A morning flight to Langkawi and three days on the beach. They are left free, with the choice of a car or a bicycle to see the island, the Telaga Tujuh waterfall or a walk in the jungle, and dinner on the beach at the hotel. On day 14 a flight on to Borneo.

Where you stay

Four Seasons Resort Langkawi

Four Seasons Resort Langkawi lies between a long sandy beach and limestone cliffs at Tanjung Rhu, within the Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark. It has beach pavilions and villas with their own pools, the Geo Spa and a cooking school.

An elephant near the trees on the Kinabatangan River. — Photo: Rob Hampson / Unsplash

Days 14 to 16 · two nights

The Kinabatangan River, Borneo

A flight east to Sabah, on Borneo, and on to the Kinabatangan River for the last two nights. The days are spent on the water and in the forest along its banks, looking for the wildlife of the rainforest, before the journey home.

Where you stay

Sukau Rainforest Lodge

Sukau Rainforest Lodge stands on the banks of the Kinabatangan, one of Borneo's most important rivers, and is run as an eco-lodge with sustainability at its centre.

Ways to make it yours

Lake Gardens Butterfly Park in Kuala Lumpur
A rainforest walk in the Cameron Highlands
A car or bicycle on Langkawi, the Telaga Tujuh waterfall or a jungle walk

This is a sample. The hotels, the pace and the order are where we start, not where we finish: every journey is designed around the people taking it.

Made around you

Most travel is bought. This is designed.

Before anything is booked, we talk: who is travelling, how you like to spend a morning, and the hotel preferences below the obvious, from the kind of bath you like to the time you wake and how much daylight you need in a room. You see options where options matter and clean recommendations where they don't.

The same person remains your point of contact from the first reply to the trip after next. No handovers. No team.