Travelling to Malaysia after the pandemic (from 1st April 2022)
Malaysia is finally open to visitors for tourism again...
... after nearly 2 years of strict border control as a way to combat Covid-19. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced on Tuesday (8th March 2022) that Malaysia will fully reopen its border again for international travel on the 1st of April 2022. Fully vaccinated visitors are allowed to enter the country without the need for quarantine. International visitors would no longer need to apply for MyTravelPass but only download the MySejahtera app for contract tracing.
On top of that, all fully vaccinated international travellers would need to complete a pre-departure form, take the COVID-19 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test two days before departure and a professional COVID-19 rapid test kit-antigen (RTK-Ag) test within 24 hours after arrival in Malaysia. In addition to that, partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers will be required to undergo quarantine for 5-days upon arrival in Malaysia. To make it simple, here is a summary of what you will need to do before, upon and after arriving in Malaysia.
Be sure to bring face masks with you when travelling around Malaysia (and many other Asian countries) as mask-wearing is still mandatory. This rule applies in both indoor and outdoor settings - except for when you are eating or drinking of course. As Malaysia is a humid country, be sure to carry with you extra disposable or reusable masks so that you can change them whenever needed. Trust me, this will make your travel a lot more comfortable especially when you are going to spend most of your time outside of the hotel.
For those of you who have not been to Malaysia, welcome to my beautiful country. Here, you will find some of the world's most exquisite landscapes, rich culture and mouth-watering food. Many might say Thailand or Singapore is great for food but I honestly believe that this is because they have not truly experienced Malaysian cuisine to the fullest. To help you navigate your way through Malaysia, I will share my insider knowledge on the country I grew up in the next few blog posts. From hidden gems for food to must-visit places in Malaysia, I want to help you experience Malaysia as much as possible so be sure to follow us on social media to be notified when the next guide will be out.
As for those of you who have been to Malaysia or are proud to call Malaysia your home (or second home), "selamat pulang ke destinasimu" - welcome back to your destination. Go savour the wonders of Malaysia again and reconnect with this part of the world that you know will satisfy your foodie needs. From nasi lemak to satay, from roti canai to mi goreng, from char koay teow to kari me - they are all waiting for you. If you can't wait that long, Mak Tok is here to help you with some easy recipes using our deliciously authentic sambal (chilli pastes).
What is the first thing you want to do when you are in Malaysia?