Overland Journal Day 204-231: Road Trip Malaysia

After a mess of paperwork at the border, we finally roll into Malaysia. In Kuala Lumpur we pick up a friend and set off on a 2-week road trip through the country’s highlights: jungle cruises in Taman Negara, misty hikes in tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, street food and colonial old-town vibes in Georgetown, and scooter rides along Langkawi’s tropical coastline. When our friend flies home, we dive deeper into the country’s lush, humid interior. We cross from west to east, the road swallowed by rainforest and palm plantations. Somewhere along the way, we stop off on dreamy Tioman Island. And in the middle of it all, we get bumped by a truck. The first car collision of the expedition. Classic timing, just as we’re nearly there. Singapore is next. The end point of our entire overland expedition. The finish line we’ve been crawling towards for months. It still doesn’t feel real.

Crossing the border from Thailand to Malaysia with your own car

Leaving Thailand is a breeze. A few stamps, a quick look at the car, and we’re off. But as we roll into Malaysia, things get tangled fast. Passport control? Easy. Customs? Not so much. They frown at our Carnet de Passage: the document required to temporarily import our car into the country. Quite surprising, considering Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world where this document is actually required.

After a couple of phone calls and confused stares, they tell us we first need an International Circulation Permit from the Ministry of Transport. Only then will they stamp the carnet. Without that stamp, we’re not officially allowed in. Luckily, there’s a ministry office right at the border.

But then the next catch: they won’t issue the permit unless we have Malaysian car insurance. And that insurance? Only available if you’re already in the country. Which we’re not. Because we’re not allowed in. Back to Thailand then? No chance. Thailand won’t let us re-enter either. We’re stuck in limbo. Bureaucracy at its finest.

Getting car insurance for our Malaysia road trip

After hours of circling through rules and refusals, someone at the ministry finally mentions a contact who might be able to help us get Malaysian car insurance. We call him together, but he’s not in the mood to come to the border.

That’s when the ministry bends the rules for us. We’re given temporary permission to enter Malaysia, just long enough to visit a nearby shopping mall and sort out the insurance. Then we have to return immediately to wrap things up. It feels like we’re sneaking in through the back door, but of course we nod enthusiastically.

At the mall, the shop of our phone contact is closed. Instead, 3 kids are waiting for us. “Do you maybe need car insurance?” they ask. Um… yes? They guide us to someone who arranges a 1-month insurance for us. We don’t ask too many questions. After all this time, we’re just grateful anything is happening at all.

With insurance in hand, everything suddenly clicks into place. Back at the border, we’re given the International Circulation Permit, and our Carnet de Passage gets its much-needed stamp. After 5 long hours, we finally drive officially into Malaysia.

7 months on the road. Country number 21. The odometer reads 30,960 kilometers. And Singapore is just around the corner. We keep glancing at each other, half-laughing, half in disbelief. It hasn’t sunk in. Not even close.

Trip down memory lane in Kuala Lumpur

11 years ago, we wandered through Malaysia as fresh-faced backpackers. What stuck with us most? The food. Still does. So, on our first morning back, we waste no time and hunt down a roti canai with iced lemon tea for a few cents. Probably the national breakfast. Still ridiculously good. Still capable of turning us into grinning fools at 8 a.m.

We head straight to Kuala Lumpur and easily find a place to stay. For 30 euros a night, we end up in a four-person apartment on the edge of the city center, with a view of the Petronas Twin Towers and more facilities than we know what to do with. Two pools, a jacuzzi, mini golf, a sauna and a gym. We don’t need most of it, but it feels rude not to at least dip a toe.

We take a quick stroll down memory lane, revisiting old spots. Chinatown stands out, mostly because we barely recognize it. The gritty charm has been replaced with sleek cafés, LED signage, and corners clearly designed for selfies. The soul feels different now. But then again, having decent iced coffee on every street corner isn’t the worst trade-off.

Charelle goes on a mission to find a batik shirt she bought 11 years ago and wore until it fell apart. She shows the photo around, hopeful, but is mostly met with laughter. “Totally out of fashion,” they tell her again and again. Loud and clear. Some things are better left in the past.

Monsoon mayhem and a leaky sunroof

Since arriving in Southeast Asia, the 4Runner has taken a bit of a beating. It’s rainy season now, and the sky doesn’t mess around. We’re talking full-on tropical downpours, the kind that turn roads into rivers. We watch cars around us getting swallowed in the flood.

At first, we think we’re staying dry. Then, during a right turn, a cold trickle hits the brake pedal. Not good. Soon we spot water pooling near the driver’s seat. Definitely not good.

We make our way back to Ironman, the off-road shop that saved us back in Bangkok. As we plough through yet more flooded streets, the leak gets worse.

Thankfully, the Ironman crew finds the culprit right away: the sunroof. Or what’s left of it anyway, it hasn’t opened in ages. They send us to a specialist nearby who doesn’t hesitate. He seals it shut from the outside, no fuss, no appointment. Fixed in one afternoon.

It’s that kind of MacGyver magic we’ll probably miss most when we’re back in The Netherlands. No forms, no waiting, no drama. Just: problem, solution, done.

Road trip Malaysia with our friend

For 2 weeks, we’ve got a travel buddy in the back seat. Nina, a good friend from home, flies into Kuala Lumpur to join us. After 7 months on the road, it feels incredibly good to see a familiar face again. She steps right into our expedition like it’s no big deal. We love that.

When we arrive at the apartment, Nina is stunned. She didn’t expect that 12 euros per night per person would get her a skyline view, two swimming pools, a sauna, a gym, and more space than we know what to do with. We’ve slowly adjusted to this low-cost life, but for her, coming straight from The Netherlands, it’s a bit of a shock. The good kind.

Taman Negara

The 3 of us hit the road. First stop is Taman Negara, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It’s rainy season, and the leeches are throwing a party. Mid-hike, we find ourselves flicking them off one by one. Gross, but also kind of hilarious. The jungle hums with life. Monkeys swing above us, we visit a local tribe, and drift off each night to the sound of frogs, crickets, and rain.

Exploring the streets of George Town, Penang

From there, we head to the misty tea fields of the Cameron Highlands, sip one too many cocktails in Georgetown’s colonial streets, and cruise around Langkawi on scooters. That’s where Charelle turns 32. Her first birthday on a beach in October. We get balloons, cake, and a fancy dinner at the best place on the island. Definitely one to remember.

Cameron Highlands

It’s funny. Charelle used to struggle with getting older. 30 felt like a deadline. The whole house-job-baby checklist loomed large. But what if you want something else? Since we started this road trip, that feeling has shifted. People we meet often say, “You’re doing all this already? At your age?” And the answer is yes. Our biggest dream has already come true. We’re on a trip around the world. No more fear of missing out. Just the joy of living it.

Langkawi Island

Our first car collision of the overland expedition

After 2 weeks of jungle hikes, scooter rides, and birthday cake, we say goodbye to Nina. We drop her off at Langkawi Airport, where she flies back to The Netherlands. Just like that, it’s the two of us again, still heading towards Singapore.

On the ferry back to the mainland, we’re parked neatly on the car deck, engine off, minding our own business. Then the ramp opens. In typical ferry fashion, everyone wants to leave at once. The truck in front of us starts backing up slowly. Marcel honks. Nothing. The truck keeps coming. And then… bam. Our very first collision of the expedition.

Before we even get out, the truck speeds off. But we’re not having it. Marcel hits the gas, catches up at the first traffic light, and blocks the truck with the 4Runner. We hop out, point at the bumper, and try to explain what just happened. The damage is minor, a few scratches, but the driver looks confused. Turns out he doesn’t speak a word of English. Great.

Then we remember a business card from a kind Malaysian man we met on the ferry. He had said, “If I can ever do anything for you, let me know.” Well, that didn’t take long.

We call him, and since he just got off the ferry as well, he’s driving right behind us. 5 minutes later, he’s at our side, translating like a pro. The truck driver turns out to be genuinely shaken and incredibly apologetic. If we want to file a claim through insurance, we’ll all have to go to the police station. For him, that could get expensive. Really expensive. He’d have to pay everything himself, and it’s clear that’s just not an option.

We take another look at the bumper. Just a few scratches. So, we let it go. No forms, no police. Just a nod, a handshake, and a very grateful driver. We turn the engine back on and roll away. First collision of the expedition: check. Let’s keep it at one.

Driving through Malaysia’s dense interior

We touch ground on the mainland again in northern Malaysia, close to the border with Thailand we crossed earlier. Our car papers were valid for just 1 month, so after a quick pit stop at the border post for new stamps, we’re good to continue.

Our goal is simple this time: travel straight through Malaysia’s thickly forested interior, from west coast to east. On our last visit, we skipped this entire region. Now, we’re ready to make up for it.

This isn’t the kind of place you find highlighted in travel guides, but maybe that’s why we like it. The roads curve gently through endless green palm plantations and dense rainforest. It’s quiet, peaceful, and wild at heart.

In the distance, a waterfall catches our eye. Looks like a great spot for lunch, so we go down a small road to check it out. It turns out we’ve accidentally discovered Stong Waterfall, at 270 meters apparently the tallest in Southeast Asia. No tourist crowds, no souvenir stands, just us and the roar of falling water. We jump in to cool off and enjoy our sandwiches with a front-row view. Lucky find.

After 2 days of jungle scenery and winding roads, we finally reach the east coast. We make a brief stop in Kota Bharu, famous for its shimmering mosque made entirely of glass, steel, and crystal. Beautiful, but we don’t linger long. It’s time to drive south. For the very last time on this expedition.

Only 700 kilometers to go. If we push it, we could arrive in Singapore tomorrow. But we’re not in that much of a hurry. There’s still one place left on our list: Tioman.

Paradise Found in Malaysia: Tioman

Tioman. A small island off Malaysia’s east coast, just shy of Singapore. For reasons we can’t even remember, it’s been on our bucket list for years, always just out of reach. Now, finally here, reality somehow exceeds our dreams.

Bright blue water, sand that feels like powdered sugar, palm trees leaning lazily toward the sea. But beneath the waves, it gets even better. Put on goggles, and the world explodes with color. Coral reefs bursting with life, schools of neon-bright fish, curious baby sharks, graceful turtles drifting by. Tioman is considered Malaysia’s best diving spot, and it’s easy to see why.

But what sets Tioman apart is what it doesn’t have: no big hotel chains, no noisy crowds, no overdevelopment, no garbage. Just quiet beaches, simple huts, and the ocean stretching out forever.

We stay at Swiss Cottage Tioman (really recommend!), a cozy wooden hut literally on the beach. When we step out the door, our feet sink softly into warm sand. Snorkeling is right on our doorstep, and in the evenings, we sit around the campfire chatting with the resort manager about life, travel, and everything that matters. If this isn’t paradise, then it simply doesn’t exist.

On our final night, sitting under a glittering canopy of stars, we talk quietly about the expedition. About home. About tomorrow. After all these months, it feels surreal to even whisper the words out loud: tomorrow we’ll reach Singapore.

We raise our glasses, clinking them gently in the glow of the campfire. To life. To travel. To the journey, and to every choice that brought us here. We still can’t fully grasp that this moment is real, but it is. Tomorrow, the final drive. Tomorrow we’ll cross into Singapore.

Tomorrow, we’ll make it.

The adventure isn’t over yet! Read our LAST journal here.

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