To “travel like a local” was our idea when we started making plans for Malaysia. And in 2013, a great many Malaysians were already driving their own cars. That is why it was only natural for us to do the same and rent a car. We did this both on the Malaysian peninsula and in Sarawak (Borneo). And it is so comfortable traveling from one hotel to another in an air-conditioned car. The only thing most visitors will have to get used to is the trafic driving on the left, which can sometimes be very busy. But I was used to that from previous trips, and my wife is always an excellent navigator! We always enjoy this teamwork. In the photo below, we are squeezing our way through Georgetown.
By 2013, Malaysia was already a fully developed country. Of course, there was already a network of highways. That’s handy for covering long distances. The photo below was taken near Kuala Lumpur. At the time, we were on our way from Melaka to Ipoh, a distance of about 350 km. If you replace the text on the signs with Spanish or Italian place names, the photo could just as easily have been taken in Southern Europe.
But as soon as you head inland, the roads immediately become much narrower, though they’re still easily passable. This is especially true in Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo. Moreover, the road network there isn’t equally developed everywhere, partly due to rivers and the coastal swamplands. That’s why the trusty ferry is still in use in these regions, as seen here in the Kuching area..
Finally, here’s a tip. In Malaysia, too, you can pick up a car at one location and drop it off at another. We picked up our car at Kuala Lumpur International Airport—just be careful about jet lag if you’re prone to it—and dropped it off in Georgetown. That gives you so much more flexibility.