eSIM for Singapore & Malaysia

This plan covers Singapore and Malaysia on one eSIM, using Singtel and M1 in Singapore and Maxis, CelcomDigi and U Mobile in Malaysia. It is built for the common Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Penang route, and for anyone crossing the Johor Causeway. Coverage is excellent in Singapore and good in Malaysian cities, thinning in the Borneo rainforest and highlands.

An overland route up the west of the Malay peninsula, starting in Singapore, crossing the Causeway by coach to Malacca, then on to Kuala Lumpur, the tea estates of the Cameron Highlands and George Town on Penang.

Length

11 days

Bases

5

When to go The west coast is warm all year; December to February is usually the driest stretch, while April to May and October to November bring heavier afternoon storms, and school holidays fill the Cameron Highlands at weekends.

1. 01

   Day 1 Singapore

   Singapore: Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay

   Walk the Marina Bay waterfront from the Merlion past the Esplanade to the Helix Bridge. In the late afternoon, visit the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest at Gardens by the Bay, then stay for the evening light show among the Supertrees. Use a contactless card or phone wallet on the MRT and buses.

   Signal Excellent 5G on Singtel or M1 across central Singapore, and coverage continues on the MRT, including in stations and tunnels.

2. 02

   Day 2 Singapore

   Singapore: Chinatown, Little India and Kampong Glam

   Start at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown. Take the MRT to Little India for the Sri Veeramakaliamman Temple and Tekka Centre, then walk to Kampong Glam for the Sultan Mosque and Haji Lane. End at the riverside quays at Clarke Quay.

   Signal Full coverage, including inside the hawker centres and temples.

3. 03

   Day 3 Singapore

   Singapore: Sentosa or the Botanic Gardens

   Spend the morning at the Singapore Botanic Gardens and its National Orchid Garden, a UNESCO site. In the afternoon, either head to Sentosa via the boardwalk from VivoCity for the beaches, or walk the Southern Ridges from Mount Faber to HortPark. Book your coach to Malacca for tomorrow and fill in Malaysia's digital arrival card.

   Signal Strong across the gardens and Sentosa; the canopy walk on the Southern Ridges stays covered.

4. 04

   Day 4 Malacca

   Over the Causeway to Malacca

   → Coach from Singapore to Malacca, about 4 to 5 hours depending on queues at the Woodlands checkpoint.

   Take a morning coach across the Causeway, clearing immigration at both ends, to Malacca. In the afternoon, walk Dutch Square with the red Christ Church and Stadthuys, climb St Paul's Hill to the ruined church, and see the A Famosa gate. In the evening, join the Jonker Street night market if it is a weekend.

   Signal Your phone switches from a Singapore network to Maxis, CelcomDigi or U Mobile around the Causeway; give it a few minutes. Good 4G on the North–South Expressway and in Malacca.

5. 05

   Day 5 Malacca

   Malacca: Peranakan heritage and the river

   Visit the Baba and Nyonya Heritage Museum on Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock to see a Peranakan townhouse, then walk Harmony Street past the Cheng Hoon Teng temple, Kampung Kling mosque and Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar temple. In the late afternoon, take the Malacca River cruise or walk the riverside murals to Kampung Morten.

   Signal Good 4G throughout the UNESCO old town and along the river walk.

6. 06

   Day 6 Kuala Lumpur

   Kuala Lumpur: Merdeka Square and Chinatown

   → Coach from Malacca to Kuala Lumpur, about 2 to 2.5 hours.

   Take a coach to Kuala Lumpur. Visit Merdeka Square and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the National Mosque and the Islamic Arts Museum, then walk through Central Market and Petaling Street in Chinatown. In the evening, see the Petronas Twin Towers lit up from KLCC Park.

   Signal Strong 4G and 5G across central KL and on the LRT and MRT lines.

7. 07

   Day 7 Kuala Lumpur

   Batu Caves and the KL skyline

   Take the KTM Komuter train to Batu Caves early, before the heat, and climb the 272 coloured steps to the Temple Cave. Back in the city, go up the Petronas Towers skybridge or KL Tower, then spend the evening on Jalan Alor's food street in Bukit Bintang.

   Signal Good at Batu Caves, though signal weakens inside the deeper cave chambers.

8. 08

   Day 8 Tanah Rata

   Cameron Highlands: tea estates

   → Coach from Kuala Lumpur to Tanah Rata, about 4 hours, with winding roads on the last stretch.

   Take a coach up into the hills to Tanah Rata. In the afternoon, visit the BOH Sungei Palas tea estate for the views over the terraced plantations, and the Mossy Forest boardwalk on Gunung Brinchang if it is open. Bring a fleece: evenings are cool at around 1,500 metres.

   Signal Patchy on the climb from Tapah and in the deeper valleys; good in Tanah Rata and Brinchang. The Mossy Forest has weak or no signal.

9. 09

   Day 9 George Town

   Cameron Highlands to Penang

   → Coach from Tanah Rata to George Town, about 4.5 to 5 hours.

   Walk one of the numbered jungle trails near Tanah Rata in the morning, checking locally which trails are open, sticking to well-used routes and telling someone where you are going. After lunch, take a coach down to Penang, crossing the Penang Bridge to George Town. Spend the evening at the Gurney Drive hawker centre.

   Signal The forest trails have little coverage, so download the trail map beforehand. Good 4G on the expressway and across Penang.

10. 10

    Day 10 George Town

    George Town: street art and clan houses

    Walk the UNESCO heritage core early: Armenian Street's murals, the Khoo Kongsi clan house, the Chew Jetty on stilts and the Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion. In the afternoon, visit Fort Cornwallis and the Esplanade, then try char kway teow and laksa at one of the evening hawker centres.

    Signal Good 4G and 5G coverage in George Town.

11. 11

    Day 11 George Town

    Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si

    Ride the funicular up Penang Hill for the view back over George Town and the strait, then visit Kek Lok Si temple and its seven-storey pagoda in Air Itam. If you have time before flying out of Penang International, the Tropical Spice Garden or the beaches at Batu Ferringhi are a bus ride away.

    Signal Good on the summit of Penang Hill and at Kek Lok Si; the funicular can lose signal briefly in the tunnel section.