Affordable places to go if you’re a foreign student in Malaysia

By Vanessa Vivienne Lusiyan

The average amount spent for foreign students studying in Malaysia is about RM100,000,00 for four years and added to that, living in an unfamiliar place can be quite challenging. For the first few months, the feeling of homesickness will kick in real hard making your life more miserable as it can be. You will start asking for recipes from your mom because you miss your hometown food, Skyping with your parents every day, Googling your country for photos and at the most desperate moments, you will probably be continuously checking for a ticket flying to home. Then, you come back to your senses and realizing that you are a student and you cannot afford a ticket going home every time you are feeling a little homesick and start to feel sorry for yourself even more. That’s why I am going to tell you that from today onward you do not have to feel sorry for yourself anymore because there are many great places to go to in Malaysia that you can visit with your friends and what is more exciting is that it is more affordable that going back home.

As a student you probably have less money to spend, so, we never neglected to decide on the less expensive choices while comprehensive research has been conducted to ensure the arrangement is justified regardless of each penny of your entire well-deserved low maintenance wage. The immense thing about Malaysia is that whatever travel means to you, you can discover an ordeal here that will satisfy all your wildest, travel related, dreams. Add to that the colossal climate, and the way that it's super modest and you'll see that Malaysia has, truly, got it all.

Malaysia is known for its beautiful beaches, delicious delicacy and its nice welcoming people. Salang Beach, Mataking Island and Juara Beach are some of the affordable places if you are a person who likes to feel the sand between your toes and feel the sunlight tanning your skin. For those who enjoy hiking, there are hills that can satisfy you and release your stress from studying such as Bukit Nuang, Bukit Broga, and Bukit Botak. Malaysia also has Metropolitan cities that wakes up at night if you enjoy the bustling city life and love some retail therapy to release yourself; Kuala Lumpur City is just the place for you. There are many big shopping malls that sell branded products from overseas but also sell affordable local products. Frankly speaking, there are many places that you can visit on a student budget it’s just that you have drifted away with your emotional distress and you cannot see all these opportunities to experience Malaysia in a smart and affordable way.

When you need some fresh air and a break from all the pollution in the city a rainforest getaway should be the perfect answer! Malaysia is prominent for its tropical rainforest that is rich in flora and fauna. There are various national parks crosswise over Malaysia that have different sights to offer. One of the must-sees is Taman Negara located at Kuala Tahan, Pahang which is far away from the town, Jerantut. It is an immaculate getaway from city aggravation to grasp the compelling force of nature appropriate for family, couples, companions and solo explorers.

What to do there? Stay next to the jungle where at times tapirs and other animals can be spotted. Explore the beauty of the forest with guided tours and various activities or take a river cruise at night. Do not miss the trip to visit the Kampung Orang Asli (indigenous village) to know more about the local culture. You can get first class experience in Taman Negara because you can have the opportunities to come in contact with tapirs one of the endangered species in Malaysia. In Taman Negara, you also have the chance to experience walking 45-meter height Suspensions Bridge called Taman Negara Canopy Walk with tall trees around you. Plus it is only a 3 hours and 30 minutes travel time from Kuala Lumpur to the place and it will probably cost you around RM200.00 for a 2-day 1-night trip.

        

                        Picture 1: Taman Negara Sign           Picture 2: Taman Negara Canopy Walk

Sekinchan is also one of the places that are budget-friendly to students in Malaysia that you can visit. It is a small fishing village, which was set up in the 1920s, located in Sabak Bernam, Selangor. The main fishing area is Bagan where most Teow Chew fisherman earns their living. Today, Sekinchan has expanded into an agriculture area that produces major rice supply throughout Malaysia and a major eco-tourism destination. You need to check the harvest calendar before going to Sekinchan in order to capture the best moments at paddy fields. March to May and September to November are the best time periods to visit – as you can witness the green field turning yellow. The paddy plantation activities are at rest in January and February.

Picture 3: Sekinchan Paddy Field

Next, if you are more of a water person Tadom Hill Resort is the perfect place for you. Tadom Hill Resorts boasts almost 40 acres of limestone hills, lakes and trees, surrounding the two brands of resorts under its wings, Tadom Bamboo Camp which is a campsite and also have dorms for you to stay and Tadom Bamboo Suites which is the premium chalets that can be quite expensive. However, if you are not planning to stay you only need to pay for entrance fee RM30 on peak hour season and you can stay there until the sun sets. You can walk-in for Day Pass and it is available on a first come, first-served basis with a maximum of 400 persons allowed on site at one time. No booking required. Built to be an environmentally sustainable resort; most structures are made from bamboo. The resort also strives to be financially and socially sustainable. There are many exciting features such as the bamboo diving platforms, floating lounge chairs handcrafted by bamboo (Lexies), Tarzan swings, and water swings. It will only take about 45 minutes if you are from Kuala Lumpur.

                          Picture 4: Bamboo diving platform        Picture 5: Bamboo chalets

Malaysia also has its own salt flat lake in a small town called Sasaran, Selangor situated approximately 1 hour away if you are from Kuala Lumpur or only 40 minutes away from Sekinchan. Once you reach Sasaran you will have to take a 45 minute boat ride out to the Straits of Malacca to reach this heavenly piece of land. Sadly, this phenomenon does not occur every day, it only happens 4 to 5 days per month depending on the tide so that you need to make sure that you visit it when it happens to see the natural glass mirror.  The budget for this place is only RM65 per pax which include free flow iced water, a nasi lemak lunch, and even some snacks too. The minimum people per pax are 15 people and the maximum are 25 people and it is open from 9 AM until 2 PM.

Picture 6: Salt flat lake in Sansaran.

  

If you are already satisfied with the beautiful scenery of Sekinchan paddy fields you can visit Pantai Redang which is near that area.  Pantai Redang beach is the best place for a family picnic and it is near to the fresh seafood restaurants at Bagan area. Do not forget to make a wish at The Wishing Tree with a ribbon! If you are staying overnight, you can watch the sunset view at 7.00 PM and a firefly tour is highly recommended near Kuala Selangor. Many have come from afar to look for these fireflies making the night tour is very romantic memories for you and your loved ones! The budget for the trip to Sekinchan would probably cost you about RM50.00 if you are travelling by carpooling with your friend and it is only 90 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur

Picture 7: The wishing tree

Now, let us go further outside from the big city to the state of Malacca which is also famous for being the unofficial historic capital of Malaysia. In Malacca, there are many activities to do that a student can afford, such as visiting the classic spots, like A Famosa, Dutch Square and visit the night market at Jonker Street. The building's architecture in Malacca is the remaining of the Portugal colonisation. Food is a huge lure when visiting Malacca – the “must try” list stretches from shops in Jonker Street, the well-known Klebang Coconut Shake, satay celup, Nyonya cuisines, chicken ball rice and much more. Located only two hours’ drive from Kuala Lumpur, it is a great place for a 1day getaway from Kuala Lumpur and this trip will only cost you RM50-RM80  if you go in a group.

  

                      Picture 8: Jonker walk’s night market            Picture 9: A’ Famosa

Now, let’s go even farther to the gorgeous state of Sabah, which also known as the Land below Wind state. There are many beautiful places worth visiting in Sabah but I will only focus on one of ifs tourist main attraction, the Tip of Borneo or known as the Tanjung Simpang Mengayau in Bahasa Malaysia.  It is located in the Kudat Peninsula, about three and a half hours (or 215kilometres) drive from Kota Kinabalu. The sunsets and full moons are just breathtakingly beautiful. The Pulau Kalampunian Lighthouse is a reminder of treacherous coastline and past shipwrecks. On the left is the beautiful beach of Pantai Kalampunian. You would probably like this one’s budget because there is none.

    

Picture 10: Simpang mengayau monument              Picture 11: Bird eye view of Simpang

                                                                                Mengayau

Last but not least, in the Sarawak State, there is Bako National Park, where you can probably catch of a glimpse of the rare long-nosed proboscis monkey. The only costs you’ll incur on a day trip like this is getting there and paying your entrance to the park which probably cost you about RM 30, so there’s absolutely no reason not to add a day of nature to your itinerary. Simply take a bus to Bako Bazaar in Kampung Bazaar and then charter a boat to the park where they usually wait at the dock for customers. If you’re willing to share the boat ride with other passengers, you can cut your cost down from 40 ringgit per person to as low as 8 ringgit. Entrance to the national park for foreign visitors is just 20 ringgit.

                   Picture 12: Dock to Bako National Park     Picture 13: Proboscis monkey

There you are a list of all the places in Malaysia that is quite affordable for the student. Actually, there are many more affordable places to visit as a student in Malaysia, you just need to find it. All the students out there don't just stay at your dorm studying, go out and make good memories in these beautiful places.