Peninsular Malaysia Road Trip Exploration: Chapter 1

Peninsular Malaysia also known as West Malaysia, is the part of Malaysia that lies on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands.

I’ve ridden the Malay Peninsula twice at this point. In this article, I will share the first chapter of my peninsular Malaysia motorcycle ride. You can also read my peninsular Malaysia Chapter 2 later on.

The Map

Below is the map of the states/routes that I’ve ridden.

Roads Less Travelled

I’ve been avoiding as many highways as possible and explored Peninsular Malaysia via the old / country roads. I always believe in the roads less travelled are the roads one should explore 🙂

As the Malay proverb says Hujan emas di negeri orang, hujan batu di negeri sendiri, lebih baik di negeri sendiri which means It may rain gold in someone else’s country, and be hailing stones back in your own country, and yet it is still best to be back in your own country.  Yes! it is best to ride in your own country!

Travel Log

Day 1 Routes (494 KM) | KL – Port Dickson – Melaka – Sungai Rambai – Parit Jawa- Muar – Batu Pahat – Pontian Kecil – Kukup – Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia (Johor) – Johor Bharu.

Accommodation in Johor Bharu: Haistar Homestay NL1 | RM 75.00/Night

Day 2 Routes (490 KM) | – JB – Desaru – Penggerang – Renggit – Kota Tinggi – Mersing – Endau – Kuala Rompin – Pekan – Teluk Cempedak – Kuantan

Accommodation in Kuantan: EZ GuestHouse | RM 80.00/Night (walk in)

Day 3 Routes (419 KM) | Kuantan – Chukai – Kijal – Kemasik – Kerteh – Paka – Dungun – Marang – Kuala Terengganu – Setiu – Jerteh – Besut – Tok Bali – Bachok – Kota Bharu.

Accommodation in Kota Bharu: Flora Place Hotel | RM 76.00/Night

Day 4 Routes (426 KM) | Kota Bahru – Wakaf Bahru – Rantau Panjang – Ayer Lanas – Jeli – Banjaran Titiwangsa – Grik – Pengkalan Hulu – Baling – Sik – Gurun – Bukit Kayu Hitam – Changlun.

Accommodation in Changlun: T Hotel Changlun | RM 85.00/Night

Day 5 Routes (198 KM) | Changlun – Padang Besar – Wang Kelian – Kaki Bukit – Kuala Perlis – Langkawi – Gunung Raya – Pantai Cenang.

Accommodation in Langkawi: Shell Out Chalet | RM 90.00/Night

Day 6 Routes (209 KM) | Langkawi – Kuala Perlis – Ayer Hitam – Penaga – Alor Setar – Kuala Muda – Bukit Mertajam – Georgetown.

Accommodation in GeorgeTown: Hutton Lodge | RM 75.00/Night

Day 7 Routes (483 KM) | Georgetown – Kuala Kangsar – Batu Gajah – Tanjung Tualang – Teluk Intan – Sabak Bernam – Sekinchan – Kuala Selangor – Rawang – Kuala Lumpur.

• Total Mileage: 2823 KMs (Inclusive of sightseeing, going to restaurants, Off roads etc)
• Total Fuel Cost: RM 285.00
• Total Accommodation Cost: RM 481.00
• Total Food Cost: RM 175.00 (RM25 X 7 Days)
• Grand Total Cost: RM 941.00

Video Highlights

Some of the videos that I took along this ride are as per below:

Teluk Ramunia, Johor (Video)

Teluk Cempedak, Kuantan (Video)

Bukit Keluang, Terengganu (Video)

Gunung Raya, Langkawi (Video)

Questions & Answers

Any problems with your motorcycle?

I had a flat Tyre (front) at Padang Besar which I fixed it at the roadside and my front brake oil reservoir tank was empty but I managed to fill it up by purchasing DOT 4 brake fluid at Petronas.

Performance of the Benelli TRK 502?

Excellent! It has been good all the way. If you would like to read my review, click here.

Any other route you would recommend for a ride?

If you love corners, try Thousand corners of Malaysia.

How did you ship your motorcycle to Langkawi Island?

Detailed steps can be found here.

What are your luggage and tools like?

I’ve compiled a Motorcycle Travel Checklist and for most of my rides, I just follow my travel checklist and modify it accordingly to suit the trip.

How was the condition of Peninsular Malaysia roads?

Whilst most of the roads are Tarmac, some of the areas have quite a number of potholes but it is passable.

How do you manage to ride for long hours?

I sleep for at least 6 hours a day, I don’t eat heavily (less or no rice before and during the ride as I tend to be sleepy on a long hours ride), I take chocolates, bananas, bread, drink a lot of water and sometimes, energy drink helps.

Do you do any reservations in advance for your accommodation?

I usually reserve accommodation in advance but for this trip, I only reserve it (using the booking dot com app) when I arrived at the destination or decided to stop riding for the day. One of the factors that I consider to stay in a place is to have secured parking for my motorcycle. All the places that I’ve stayed have secured parking or at least someone keeping an eye on it.

Photo Gallery

Below are some pictures that I took along the route and if you wish to view the complete Photo Album, please click on this link.

Conclusion

It has been a great 7 days for me and I’ve really enjoyed riding around Peninsular Malaysia and I must say, most of the places that I’ve been to have fewer or no tourist and if you’re just like me and enjoys beautiful natural scenery, beaches, hiking, riding this loop would be one good adventure that one can look forward to.

That’s a wrap of my ride and I am looking forward to riding in Borneo (East Malaysia) in the future. If you had something on your mind, go for it, don’t let anything stop you but do proper planning, and research, have some basic troubleshooting/repair skills and most importantly, enjoy every second of your ride. The road is an open highway, go and explore them. It will be your story which will last forever.

Update: I’ve completed my Borneo Ride to complete riding in Malaysia. You might be also interested in reading about the best motorcycle routes in Malaysia.