Best time to visit Malaysia

Timing is simple in Malaysia: almost every destination here peaks in February or July, so one set of dates works for the whole country.

Averaged across every destination listed, Malaysia is at its best in February, scoring 58 out of 100, with January close behind at 50. May is the weakest month nationally at 45. The window is narrow: only one month come within eight points of the best, so an itinerary covering several of these places should be built around that rather than around any one city's own peak.

Malaysia is climatically consistent — only 2 °C separates its warmest destination from its coolest across the year. Rainfall is broadly similar throughout, from 257 wet days a year in Kota Kinabalu to 300 in Sandakan.