Hostels in MalaysiaHostels in Malaysia

You are looking for hostels in Malaysia? Good news, you have come to the right place.

On this page we list every single city with hostels and other budget accommodations. Hostelz.com helps you to find your Malaysia hostel and compare its prices on the major booking sites such as Hostelworld, Hostelsclub and Booking.com. So you can sleep on a budget and save money while backpacking Malaysia.

All Cities in Malaysia

We list every single hostel in Malaysia and the world. In total, we have 54 cities in Malaysia for you. Please note that not all cities actually have a hostel to stay in. Below you can filter for cities with hostels and with no hostels-type accommodation, but guesthouses and budget hotels. This will help your planning.

Alor Star
3
Arau
1
Bangi
1
Belaga
1
Butterworth
1
Cherating
1
Cyberjaya
2
Georgetown
1
Georgetown, Penang
1
Ipoh
17
Jerantut
4
Johor Bahru
14
Kampung Padang Masirat
1
Kampung Raja
1
Kinabalu Park
1
Kota Bharu
6
Kota Kinabalu
43
Kuala Dungun
1
Kuala Lumpur
142
Kuala Rompin
1
Kuala Selangor
4
Kuala Terengganu
2
Kuantan
2
Kuching
35
Lahad Datu
1
Langkawi
35
Mabul Island
2
Malacca
55
Mersing
5
Miri
3
Muar
1
Pangkor Island
1
Pantai Cenang
2
Penang Island
64
Perhentian Island
3
Petaling Jaya
10
Poring
1
Puchong
3
Putrajaya
1
Ranau
1
Sandakan
14
Selangor
2
Semporna
6
Sepang
4
Sepilok
2
Seri Kembangan
5
Sitiawan
1
Subang Jaya
1
Taiping
2
Taman Negara
1
Tanah Rata
22
Telok Panglima Garang
1
Tempurung
1
Tioman Island
1

All Malaysia hostels on a map

Alright, you are more the visual type? Planning your trip with a map is always handy.

Therefore, this map shows you all cities with hostels in Malaysia. It will help you to plan your trip. Just zoom in the map and click your destination for more details. Just so you know: If we do not have a hostel in a city, it is likely that there is no hostel in that city.

Our handwritten guide on Backpacking Malaysia

There are two major parts of Malaysia that you can travel to. Most people are doing one or the other, a few travelers actually find time to get to both. There is the Malaysian Peninsula just south of Thailand, and then there is Malaysian Borneo (composed of the states of Sabah and Sarawak).

The Malaysian Peninsula is attached to Thailand and there is an abundance of things to see and do here from beaches to jungle to temples. The capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is in this part of the country and it is one of the major flight hubs around the world for cheap flights. If you get a chance, spend some time in Kuala Lumpur some of the surrounding towns and cities if you get a chance before moving onward. Make sure you go and check out the Petronas Towers, catch some of the amazing live original music in the music scene here and catch a cultural show. Shopping is also very popular to do in Kuala Lumpur. If you get a chance, head out to the Batu Caves. You will find an abundance of hostels here in the capital city so do your research as to where your hostel is and make sure that it is accessible to transport to get around the city. For a more local experience, head out to Petaling Jaya, known to the locals as "PJ" and have a midnight snack at some of the mamaks. Try some cendol or a Ribena Special.

South of Kuala Lumpur you will find the stunning Penang Island. With a rich Chinese history, you will find a huge number of beautiful temples here. It is worth taking a hike up Penang hill if you are fit, and if not, take the bus. The climb is brutal in the heat. Malacca, or Melaka, is also a beautiful beach town worth exploring here in the south.

North of Kuala Lumpur on the peninsula you will find the amazing Cameron Highlands area with the stunning town of Tanah Rata. From here you can explore the tea plantations in the hills, go on a hike with a local guide. If you are lucky and it is the right time of year you may even encounter the largest flower in the world, the rafflesia. Langkawi is a very popular island off of the west coast in the north and you will find an abundance of snorkeling and beach activities to do here and a pretty good party scene. You will find multiple hostels per destination in all of these places.

Malaysian Borneo is the more relaxed of the two different parts of Malaysia. You can fly into Kuching, which is one of the larger cities on the island. You will find quite a large number of hostels here. Take your time to explore the amazing scenery of the surrounding area. You can book a trip to climb Kota Kinabalu if it is in the dry season. It's the largest mountain in Malaysia and is a stunning climb. There are lots of hostels here and in the surrounding area for you to rest before and after your climb. The island of Borneo is also well known for being home to orangutans. Ask at your hostel as you land the best way to experience these amazing creatures in the wild and they should be able to help you out.

expert for Malaysia hostels

Handwritten by local expert for Malaysia hostels Globetrotter

Regions
hostels in Kedah Kedah
hostels in Langkawi Langkawi
hostels in Sabah Sabah
hostels in Sarawak Sarawak
Destination Areas

Travel Tips for Malaysia - from the Community

Oh man, so far no one from the community has left a comment or travel tips for Malaysia. How about you kick start the discussion here? Gather your best backpacking recommendations for Malaysia and jot them down below. The community thanks you.

Batu Caves Batu Caves is a an iconic and popular tourist attraction in Selangor. Site of a Hindu temple and shrine, Batu Caves attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists, especially during the annual Hindu festival, Thaipusam. A limestone outcrop located just north of Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves has …

Kuala Lumpur is my favourite city in Southeast Asia so far. I love that there are so many trees around, and I really enjoyed the freedom of the subway and buses. It beats haggling with taxis and tuk tuks any day!

Staying for a night in Kota Kinabalu made me feel like I'm in a place surrounded by odd people. They seem friendly at first, but after a while they become scary -- the way they stare, the way they move. It's like they want you drawn into their world and then cast spells on you that would make you stay there for the …

We loves Penang Island. Especially George Town with all the colorful paintings in the streets. If you stay there you should visit "the mugshot" and "The Alley". Here you get the best Churros and Bagels - promise!

FAQ on Hostels in Malaysia

There is a lot of travel planning to do. So let us help you once again by putting together the frequently asked questions:

Finding Hostels and Prices

What hostel booking sites are best to use?

There is several hostel booking sites, such as Hostelworld.com, Hostelsclub.com and Booking.com. While every platform has its pros and cons, there is a universal truth you as a traveler should be aware of: Not a single booking site can always offer the best prices.

This is where Hostelz.com comes in. You can compare all major booking portals with one click.

For you as a traveler, Hostelz.com is the best booking site to actually save money.

How much are hostels in Malaysia?

Prices always vary, depending on various factors. Weekends tend to be more expensive, same goes for special holidays. Please also take into account local vaction time.

You can search for exacty hostel prices in Malaysia here on Hostelz.com. Pick your destination and pick a date. The system will track down the prices to give an idea of what budget and prices you can expect.

When to book hostels?

If you want to stay at the best hostels, it is a good idea to have your hostel booked around 1 month before you travel. For the regular hostels, booking one week before should be okay. Yet again, this always depends.

We dedicated a full article to the topic of when to book hostels.

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Safety and Packing

Are hostels in Malaysia safe?

Generally speaking, hostels are as safe as you make them. We highly recommend always to bring your own padlock, using the lockers and taking care of your belongings. Make sure you pick a safe hostel, offering lockers and a safe location. Please always pay attention to the reviews; they can give you a great insight on what to expect and safety tips.

What to pack when staying in hostels?

There is a few basics you should always pack when staying in hostels.

  1. Padlock
  2. Earplugs
  3. Sleeping Mask
  4. Quick Dry Travel Towel
  5. Head Lamp

There is more actually. We wrote a complete guide with more details. Read our full hostel packing list.

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