Free and low-cost leisure activities in Malaysia

The best free thing to do is also the most interesting--walk!

My favorite free activity is walking up Bukit Tokun, a mountain in Penang hosting large communication towers on the top. Its 3 hours up and 3 hours down, you get quite a workout, walk in a jungle environment and meet all sorts of interesting Malaysians doing the same thing. I went to the top on my first try, and by then I was alone because after halfway, hikers begin to fade out from the hard climb. At the top you see amazing views of the region. Its the hardest physical thing I ever did in Malaysia.

Another free walk that is more than fun is to basically walk the route you most often drive in KL or anywhere. Its amazing what you notice by walking that you never saw before, whether its shops, restaurants or other potential activities.

Another good walk is to just plant yourself in an unknown place and walk it, whether its in a city or kampung.

Another free activity I like is looking for waterfalls. Malaysia has more than 400 active waterfalls and some are roaring and beautiful and some are bleek and almost dry depending on the rains. But given the overall tropical nature of the country the atmosphere is always a joy.

The free and low cost places to visit in Kuala Lumpur:
1. Visit Dataran Merdeka and KL City Gallery
2. Visit Bukit Nanas Eco Forest Reserve
3. Visit KLCC Petronas Towers and see the musical fountains in the night
4. Visit National Science Center
5. Visit Pasar Seni for souveneir shopping
7. Visit Lake Gardens and take in the scenery and quietness of the place (Highly recommended)
8. Visit the parks such as Taman Jaya, Tittwangsa among others
9. Visit Kite Park at Kepong Metropolitan Park
10. Visit Mines Mall through the boat service that enters right into the mall
11. Visit Putrajaya and see the lights in the weekends
12. Visit Thean Hou Temple during weekends and Chinese New Year festivities
13. Take a ride on LRT, MRT and Monorail for a great train ride
14. Trekking on Gasing Hills
15. Visit National Mosque
16. Visit the National Museum
17. Visit Bukit Bintang in the night and see the food street
18. Visit food stalls and enjoy the various delicacies
19. Visit to Batu Caves and the Ramayana Cave near to Batu Caves
20. Visit Pasar Malams to get an idea of local food varieties

In ipoh have many hills and caves many of which are free, one of the best is kek look tong, massive cave, lake, monkeys, geese, and fish, very photogenic. There are also a number of eco parks that are a great easy walk and very restful, great for the whole family.