Hi everyone,
I have been travelling around Malaysia for the past three weeks while working on my Internet business. I though that it was about time that I posted a review of the country as a destination for working remotely on the web.
Malaysia has turned out to be an incredible destination for working remotely, boasting extremely reliable and fast Internet connections pretty much everywhere that I have been. I began my trip in Kuala Lumpur, a very interesting and vibrant city. I stayed in the Reggae 2 hostel in Chinatown which was excellent, and also had free wifi. I then moved on to Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo. Since arriving in Sabah, I have spent my time watching wildlife, including orangutans, trekking through the incredible jungle, and scuba diving some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world.
With the exception of a small rustic jungle lodge on the Kinabatangan river, everywhere that I have stayed in Sabah has had a great wifi Internet connection. This includes a small budget resort on the tiny island of Mabul, the best base for diving the famous Sipadan island. This really was a pleasant surprise as the island is very small, and it meant that I could stay longer on Mabul snorkeling and diving the incredible coral reefs while still being able to work on my Internet business.
In addition to the superb internet connection available in most places, Malaysia also boasts a wonderful array of activities for travellers. Malaysia has everything anyone could want from a destination, including idyllic tropical islands, world class scuba diving and snorkeling, incredible jungles to explore, as well as lively and cosmopolitan cities. I have also found Malaysia to be an incredibly safe place to travel, and the locals to be wonderfully hospitable. Another real advantage is that, as a British passport holder, I am entitled to a stay of 3 months upon arrival. In addition, there are several borders that can easily be reached by bus should I need to renew my visa.
The only slight downside to Malaysia that I can think of is that it is slightly more expensive than its closest neighbors. Using public buses, staying in hostels, and eating in inexpensive restaurants you can get by on about US$15-20 per day. That said, many of the amazing activities on offer can be fairly expensive, and working vagabonds will need to plan accordingly.
Overall I have found Malaysia to be a first class destination for working remotely, and have thoroughly enjoyed my adventures here.
Informative and valuable information. If you have a time feel free to drop by in my story too. Have a great day!