A few years back, I hitchhiked around Malaysia. I had no problems at all even though we were two girls. In fact, we had an amazing time and it was a great way to connect with locals along the way.
In this article, I’m sharing my tips for hitchhiking in Malaysia as well as stories to show you that we had a safe experience.
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– Would you be willing to hitch-hike in Malaysia?
– Why not?
It has been a while since the last time I had a chance to hitch-hike. I was craving it! Plus, it’s always a great way to meet locals and enjoy the ride.
I had already done a few searches about hitch-hiking in Malaysia. I knew it was supposedly easy. In fact; they were saying that it should take around 5 minutes to get a ride.
Here we were, getting out of the train to reach our first hitch-hiking spot outside of Kuala Lumpur on our way to Cameron Highlands.
She was excited; it was her first time. I was a bit nervous as I was hoping for a great experience so she could enjoy it.
Hitch-Hiking from Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands
Starting point: We took the train to Rawang so we can get to the highway. We knew there was a gas station and a Starbucks next to the highway and this could be a great starting point.
But, we got confused on our way and we ended up heading in the wrong direction. It was too hot.
We decided to hitch-hike knowing that our current location wasn’t good enough to get a ride. We met our first driver; a great Samaritan who came back for us.
– Girls, hitch-hiking is not normal in Malaysia! Where are you going? You will never find a ride! You should take the bus!
I was prepared. He drove us to the gas station, had a coffee with us and gave us his number in case we waited until the next day so he could drive us. He wished us luck and left. This was a great start.
Then, we met a very nice guy who works in the Air Force and a cute couple that were about to spend a few days in Cameron Highlands for their holidays.
They drove us all the way to our hotel even though it was quite far. They even decided to book the same hotel. We stopped along the way to enjoy the tea plantations. We were still alive, happily safe and grateful!
Hitch-Hiking from Langkawi Island
Our hostel was quite far from the harbor. We thought we could give it a try. Worst case scenario, we will end up paying for a taxi, but a girl has to try, right?
We were slowly walking in the direction of our hostel showing off our dear thumb.
Yes, we had found a ride! I was skeptic though. There are many taxi drivers around and even though, their car doesn’t look like a proper taxi, it still can be one of them… they have to try, right?
We reached our destination. The driver looked very happy and as we headed to the reception, he asked:
– Taxi ride?
– Oh! We are actually hitch-hiking, we were not looking for a taxi; just simple kindness.
He smiled and left without arguing. Thanks!
Hitch-Hiking from Kuala Perlis to Penang
Is it still easy to hitch-hike with three people?Yes.
We had a new member on our hitch-hiking team; it was his first time too.
As we were leaving the harbor, we were heading to the highway. It would be a tricky one as there were many roads.
Perhaps, it would be easy to find a ride, but it would be harder to find a longer ride.
It didn’t take too long though; we reached our destination in roughly 3 hours and a half, which isn’t bad. At all.
And we made it to the ferry so we could finally go to Penang.
Tips And Facts about hitch-hiking in Malaysia
In Malaysia, we had a SIM card which was good as we could connect to the Internet to head in the right direction and also follow the road to make sure we’re still heading to our destination.
We didn’t use any signs during these three days. People were able to speak English or at least, looked at our map to know where we were going.
All our experiences were good and they were right; we didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes to get a ride.
READ MORE:
- One month in Vietnam
- The best hostels in Malaysia
- Best cities to visit in Cambodia
- What to see in Kuala Lumpur
Disclaimer: I won’t be responsible if you decide to hitch-hike in Malaysia (or anywhere else in the world). Hitch-hiking should be a personal decision as long as you feel good and confident about it.
If you do decide to hitch-hike, put your best smile on and enjoy the trip. I can’t guarantee you have a great experience. Hopefully, you will. This post may include affiliate links at no cost to you. Cheers and happy travels!
