Malaysia with toddler

So Malaysia is next on our two year old's list of countries to tick off. We fly in and out of KL in October/November. Me and "mom" spent some time in Malaysia in 2011 on a 10-month trip across the continent, though most of that time was spent in Sabah and on The Perhentians. We initially planned on going back to the latter, but realised the season ends about the time we get there (one hotel closes on October 15th), so change of plans - what we wanna do is basically visit some of those places we missed on our last trip, while still being a suitable trip for the young one. We have pretty much three weeks not counting the days we'll be in K.L.

So game plan:
Cameron Highlands
"Jungle line"
Sarawak (basically Kuching with day trips)
Langkawi
Taman Negara (probably outta the question with the lil' one, right?)

So what are your thoughts on doing this with a two year old? How would you divide your three weeks? What part of the "Jungle line" is the most interesting? I sort of had the idea of taking it from wherever is closest to KL and up to near Kota Bharu, from where we could fly to Kuching, so any suggested stops on the way?

Also, any tips on activities in or near Kuching and KL (keeping the little princess in mind) as well as on Langkawi. What would be a good, wholesome family friendly area for the budget conscious on Langkawi (this is our replacement for The Perhentians after all). Would like to stay away from whatever the Langkawi equivalent of Kuta Beach is, while a nice, quite beach is of course mandatory. A little bonus would be if there's some trekking, canyoneering or rock climbing nearby for "daddy"...

Cheers and thanks in advance.
-Joe

You will probably need to do some rearranging of your itinerary. There is no flight between Kota Bharu to Kuching and Kuching to Langkawi that I am aware of without transiting in Kuala Lumpur. I'm not sure what you mean by jungle line unless you mean taking the train to Kelantan which I think isn't anything special.
I honestly think Taman Negara is out of the question with the little one what with leeches, mosquitos, snakes and other hazards. As for Langkawi, there isn't anything close to Kuta Beach. The busiest beach is Pantai Cenang but you won't have to deal with hustlers and scam artists like in Kuta.

Actually Airasia has direct flights between Kuching and Kota Bharu and Kuching and Pinang as well.

Not sure if I would bring a two year old to Taman Negara. You can do the rainforest near/around Kuching.

But the weather in Kuching might not be good in October/November (beginning of the rainy season). If the weather is good, plan to spend a lot of time in the area, because it is quite nice. There is for instance a good beach in Sematan, where you can relax for a few days:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Malaysia/Sarawak/Sematan/

By taxi about 1 1 /2 hours from Kuching and there is a decent hotel.

Then there are plenty of activities and tours you can do from Kuching (many national parks, the Semenggoh orang utan centre etc.).

Since you are going to Langkawi, you could spend a few days in Pinang (it's on the way).

Singapore is also a good place where to go with a small kid.

Thanks for the responses. Yes, there is definitely a Kota Bharu-Kuching flight, 3-4/wk with AA. Kuching-Langkawi would be via KL or Penang, KL being cheaper and having more frequent flights.

Regarding Taman Negara, I'm mostly concerned about transport and accommodation and to a lesser extent the prevalence of Malaria/Dengue as I'm not a fan of covering a tiny person in DEET 24/7. Hazards such as snakes (I wouldn't consider leeches a hazard), I can live with. Hell, where I live there are disease bearing ticks, poisonous berries, flowers, mushrooms, as well as aggressive dogs and people, broken bottles and other trash on the sidewalks, not to mention electrical sockets and sharp objects in our home. No, I don't worry much about venomous snakes and spiders. Sorry for the rant.

About the rainy season, what is it like in Kuching? We lived through part of it in Costa Rica, where it meant heavy showers every day, but most of the day was clear 'till late afternoon/evening.

We did like Penang when we went there, but I'm not sure there will be time to go back and it IS a three hour boat trip after all.

I don't think transportation and accomodation in TN would be a problem.

Regarding the weather, in recent years it has become a bit unpredictable. If you are unlucky it can rain the whole day. You should check the weather forecast and plan on short notice.

I would still like to go somewhere on the peninsula (more than CH), preferably along the Jungle line, say between Kuala Lipis and Kota Bharu. Something outdoorsy...?

The train stops in Dabong, where there are caves (Gua Ikan for instance) and the Gunung Stong state park with its nice waterfall:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Malaysia/Kelantan/

But with the two year old you can't do the cave. You could go to the waterfall, but that will take you a few hours at most. Trekking in the Gunung Stong state park is possible, but perhaps not with the two year old.

How about the Buddhist temples in Tumpat, north of Kota Bharu?
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Malaysia/Kelantan/Tumpat/

To get there, either rent a car for one day or charter a taxi in KB for one day (perhaps the better option).

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