You’ll spend today in the air as you begin your adventure to Malaysia.

Today you’ll take a daytrip to Melaka – a 14th-century city. You’ll tick off its must-see sights, from church ruins to a fortress. There’s also a river cruise on the agenda.

• Start with a visit to St John’s Fort. This Dutch-era building boasts panoramic views of the city, and on a clear day you can see Indonesia.
• Tick off Bandar Hilir – the oldest area in Melaka – and Porta de Santiago, a tiny gatehouse which is all that remains of the Portuguese A Famosa fortress.
• Hop on a boat for a 45-minute Melaka River cruise. Then visit the curious folklore shops and stalls down colourful Jonker Street.
• Stop by the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, as well as the haunting Bukit Cina hillside where Chinese burial sites are scattered on barren land.

There’s a big focus on the great outdoors today – you’ll visit a tea plantation and go on a forest walk. Later, you’ll explore the town of Tanah Rata.

• After breakfast, take a hike through the Mossy Forest. This tropical woodland is home to creatures including snakes, frogs and multi-coloured birds.
• A tea plantation’s next on the itinerary. Drink in miles of rolling green tea fields, then watch how the leaves are processed in a factory.
• Spend the afternoon touring Tanah Rata, the largest town in the Cameron Highlands. This will be at your leisure, so there’s time for shopping and a spot of lunch.

Free time in the evening in the Cameron Highlands.

Today’s packed with tour highlights – you’ll visit a turtle sanctuary and an island that’s home to orangutans. There’s also a stop at a war cemetery.

• First up’s the Segari Turtle Sanctuary in Lumut. It breeds and rehabilitates lots of different turtle species. Watch as young ones are released into the sea.
• Stop for lunch in Taiping, then visit the Taiping War Cemetery. It’s the final resting place for Allied fighters who were killed during World War Two.
• Continue north to Bukit Merah. Upon arrival, take a boat to Orangutan Island. Here, you can see orangutans playing in their natural leafy habitats.

Free time in the evening in Penang.

Today you’ll get under the skin of Penang – AKA the Pearl of the Orient – by touring the nooks and crannies of George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• First stop’s the Thai Buddhist temple, Wat Chaiya Mangalaram. It has a 33-metre-long reclining Buddha. You’ll also see the only Burmese Buddhist temple outside Myanmar.
• Make a beeline for the waterfront. It’s home to iconic wooden homes on stilts which form a water village. They date back to the arrival of early Chinese immigrants.
• Get the camera out along the Street of Harmony – it’s edged with religious landmarks such as the Kapitan Keling Mosque and the white Neoclassical St George’s Church.
• Splash the cash in Little India. This colourful area in the heart of the old town is home to lots of specialised Indian stores selling spices, trinkets and gold jewellery.

Free time in the evening in Penang.

You’ve got most of today to revisit your favourite sights in Penang, before jumping on a return flight in early evening to Kuala Lumpur.

Free time in the morning and afternoon in Penang.