I'm going to Malaysia in April. We've got a packed itinerary of Melaka, KL, Penang, Langkawi and Redang. All the places except Redang are on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, and generally make "first time" itinerary suggestions. But we decided to add Redang because:
- April is the dry season on the east coast, and the islands are otherwise mostly shut down during monsoon season.
- My husband really wants to go diving and according the most, the visibility near Langkawi is poor, and we didn't have time to go all the way to Borneo.
- My parents went to the Perhentian Islands a few years back and said it was one of their favorite spots in Malaysia. Thus, I wanted to check out one of the east coast islands, but one with less "backpacker" vibes.
- We booked the Taaras Resort and, while not expecting the Langkawi level luxury, they have a package that includes direct flights from KL (Subang Airport). We wouldn't have been able to fit Redang in our itinerary if we had to travel overland/flight + ferry.

In Penang, we're going to check out Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery since it just earned one star in Malaysia's debut Michelin Guide. We staying mostly at the historic/boutique Cheong Fatt Tze Blue Mansion (to soak up Crazy Rich Asian vibes) along with one night at E&O because a flight change is forcing us to stay an extra night w/o giving up our Auntie Gaik Lean reservations.