Best Time to Visit Malaysia

Dry Season in Malaysia – April to October (East Coast and Borneo), December to March (West Coast)

The best time of year to visit Malaysia is the dry season for its pleasant weather and minimal rainfall. While it never gets cold (except in a select few high-altitude places), you can expect a comfortable climate and bearable humidity.

Average temperatures range from 25°C (77°F) to 32°C (89°F), and the average relative humidity is 42%. As for rain, you’ll only see around 126 millimeters (5 inches) of rainfall in any given month during the dry season. Of course, these figures vary depending on precisely where you go. Borneo, for example, tends to get more rain than the Peninsula during the dry and wet seasons.

Average temperatures	25°C (77°F) to 32°C (89°F)
Average rainfall	126 mm (5 inches)
Is the dry season a good time to go to Malaysia?	Yes. The near-perfect weather is ideal for outdoor exploration.

Highlights:

• Go scuba diving or snorkeling in marine life-rich reefs near paradise islands on the East Coast and Borneo.
• Hike jaw-dropping trails between tea plantations and strawberry farms on the Cameron Highlands.
• Scale the formidable 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) summit of Mount Kinabalu in Borneo—the dry season is the climbing season.
• Rub shoulders with curious native mammals in Taman Negara, one of the world’s oldest rainforests.
• Cruise around the historic streets of Malacca in a decked-out, neon-lit trishaw.

Travel tips:

• Follow the sun, hopping over the peninsula to enjoy better weather on the dry-season side.
• Remember to slather on plenty of sunscreen because you’re bound to darken your tan this time of year.
• Get outside. Malaysia boasts some of the wildest landscapes on earth, and the dry season is ideal for exploring the great outdoors.

Wet season in Malaysia – November to March (East Coast and Borneo), April to November (West Coast)

The wet season sees similar temperatures to the dry season in Malaysia. Expect average daily temperatures of around 25°C (77°F) to 32°C (89°F), though the weather will vary around the country.

However, as you’d expect, the wet season is significantly stickier—the average relative humidity is 70% at this time. That means you can expect to get hot and sweaty even on a clear sunny day.

Rain, of course, falls much more frequently during the monsoon. The average monthly rainfall varies between destinations, but expect to get around 350 millimeters (14 inches) during a typical wet season month. For perspective, that’s about three times the precipitation of a standard dry season month.

Average temperatures	25°C (77°F) to 32°C (89°F)
Average rainfall	350 millimeters (14 inches)
Is the wet season a good time to go to Malaysia?	Yes. But only if you’re happy to stick to indoors or urban places rather than muddy, lich-infested jungles.

Highlights:

• Devour delicious street food and admire charming historic sites in George Town, the colorful heart of Penang.
• Hop in an elevator and head to the top floor of the Petronas Towers for an unbeatable view of the Kuala Lumpur cityscape.
• Take a break from the rain to step inside the Mulu Caves, an epic subterranean cavern in Borneo home to around three million bats.
• Enjoy sweeping vistas of Langkawi from the fully closed (i.e. weatherproof) SkyCab cable car.
• Learn to prepare lip-smacking Malay-style delicacies at a cooking class in Kuala Lumpur or Penang.

Travel tips:

• Create a flexible itinerary because flooding can throw a spanner in the works of even the most foolproof plans.
• Along with your raincoat, pack plenty of mosquito repellent as the insects are out in force this time of year.
• Give the islands a miss if you’re prone to seasickness because the ocean is notoriously tumultuous during the monsoon.

Wondering how long to spend in Malaysia? Learn everything you need to know in our Malaysia Travel Guide. We also offer customized trips to Malaysia covering all sorts of interests.