It’s better to get cash from those inside the banks than from those on the street. But honestly, neither should you do it while walking to your granny’s house in your hometown. Especially not when you’re travelling in a country you don’t know well. Don’t keep your card and your PIN in the same place.Petty theft isn’t unheard of in Malaysia, and local criminals know that sometimes tourists aren’t especially vigilant with their possessions. You should be more cautious with local shops, although many of them won’t accept cards anyway.įollowing some basic common sense rules should be enough to grant you a worry-free vacation: Using your credit card at main hotels and restaurants in Malaysia is generally safe. It’s generally a good idea to refuse any currency conversion offered by the ATM as your bank at home will offer a better rate, especially if you’re using a card that comes with fee-free spending abroad. For example, Taman Negara, a vast national park in the middle of Malaysia, is a major tourist attraction but has no ATMs – perhaps unsurprisingly, considering that it’s basically a huge tropical rainforest.Īll in all, to avoid any nasty surprises it’s best not to wait until you’ve spent all your cash before exchanging or withdrawing some more, and not to go anywhere without notes.ĪTMs will give you the choice of who you want it to handle the currency conversion, whether the ATM’s bank or yours.
However, ATMs aren’t everywhere and don’t always work. Maybank is the largest bank in the country, but If you bank with HSBC, you’ll be happy to hear that it has some ATMs and branches in Malaysia too – you can find a list here.
Plus, unlike those in other South Asian countries, they normally don’t charge any fees for withdrawing money with a foreign card. The good news is, Malaysia has a decent network of ATMs across its territory, especially in the cities and in most tourist destinations.
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It’s a non-internationalised currency – which means it cannot be traded outside Malaysia. The local currency is the Malaysian ringgit (it was the Malaysian dollar until 1975 and occasionally you can still hear it referred to as that). While main hotels and restaurants, especially in the cities, accept card payments, be prepared to use cash when paying for a taxi, getting street food or shopping for souvenirs. However, when it comes to credit cards and cash, much depends on the area you find yourself in and the kind of holiday you’re planning. With more than 20 million people visiting it every year, the country is well-equipped to deal with tourists and their needs. From the dizzying heights of skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur to the idyllic beaches on the Perhentian Islands, Malaysia has a wide variety of landscapes and adventures to offer.
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