The updated and expanded 2nd Edition of the Utopia Guide to Malaysia surveys the gay and lesbian scene in 17 cities. Listings include gay scene maps, organizations, bars, discos, spas, accommodations, restaurants, and more. A special section highlights venues that are especially welcoming for women. Click here to order

Genting Highlands

• Genting Apartments
  10km Genting Highlands, 012-229-3632, email. Gay and lesbian-friendly accommodations. Special discounts for long stay. Utopia Member Discount

IPOH (Perak State) -- area code (60-5)

• Chris Home Stay
  7 Persiaran Jelapang 5, Taman Silibin, 012-507-7740, email. A gay-friendly homestay fully furnished and includes breakfast, Net access, city tour, and discount on pick-up services. Cooking facilitities available.

KOTA KINABALU (Sabah State) -- (60-88)

Kota Kinabalu is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

• Marina Court Apartment - Sabah
  Utopia Map, email. Waterfront apartment, in the center of Kota Kinabalu, available for holiday rentals. Located next door to the Promenade Hotel (see map). This sea and pool view apartment offers more privacy, space and amenities than a hotel room and can sleep up to six at a cost of less than two hotel rooms. Privately owned and gay friendly. Utopia Member Discount
• Promenade Hotel
  Right in the middle of the city, close to major shopping and eating outlets. Do check out the hotel gym and sauna which are frequented by GLBTs, both locals and guests. The leisure center is free for hotel guests and for non-hotel guests, a walk-in rate is levied, or a monthly membership fee inclusive of gym, pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Facilities are clean and in working order.

KUALA LUMPUR -- area code (60-3)

BUKIT BINTANG / KL CITY CENTER

Bukit Bintang is jammed with bustling shopping centers, restaurants and many of KL's popular hotels which are right in the center of the action. The neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia maps:

• 41 Berangan
  41 Jln Berangan, Bukit Bintang, Utopia Map, 2144-8691, email. Hip, gay-friendly guesthouse located in central Kuala Lumpur, walking distance from the gay scene. Eleven rooms. Affordable, cosy and warm. Private. Utopia Member Discount
• Eight Guesthouse
  8-10 Tengkat TongShin, Utopia Map, 2144-2050, FAX 2144-4250. Comfortable, casual and contemporary, this gay-friendly, low frills guesthouse has retrofitted three heritage colonial shophouses with modern plumbing, spacious lounges, and Net access. Just a short walk to the nearby gay scene and lots of cafés in the vicinity. It attracts a younger, international and mixed clientele. Inexpensive rates with continental breakfast included.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I stayed a few times at Eight Guesthouse during my stay in KL. The facilities are basic, but clean. There is air-con in all rooms, but toilet/shower facilities are shared on the G/F rooms. Wi-fi is in the recpetion/lounge area only. All the staff are friendly apart from the older Indian guy at reception who can be quite rude. Given the proximity to the gay scene in KL and the reasonable tariff, I would definately stay here again." -- david1972a, Aug 23, 2010

• Hotel Capitol
  Jln Bulan (off Jln Bukit Bintang), Utopia Map, 2143-7000, FAX 2143-0000. Right in the heart of the gay scene, this well-run hotel features inexpensive and contemporary 4-star hotel rooms with full amenities and Net access (at additional surcharge). Excellent staff, incredible views of the twin towers from the higher floors. Their superb luxury suites are OTT and come with free Net access. Top marks.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Stayed at Hotel Capitol. Great rooms, staff are friendly. A great place. G/F coffee shop is good...certain days...cruziiii. Made a few new friends there." -- Trave, Jul 10, 2010

• Matahari Lodge
  58-1 Jln Hang Kasturi, Utopia Map, 2070-5570, FAX 2070-5570, email. Gay-friendly guesthouse and hostel for backpackers, students, budget travelers, etc. Good location, very clean, friendly staff. Utopia Member Discount
• Pujangga Homestay
  21 Jln Berangan, Utopia Map, 2141-4243, email. Three minutes away from Istana Hotel. Second turn to the right from rear Jln Nagasari entrance of Istana Hotel. The nearest monorail station is Jln Raja Chulan & Jln Sultan Ismail. A small, gay-friendly guesthouse with personal attention for each guest. Five minutes walk distance from Jln Bukit Bintang, the most happening street in downtown of Kuala Lumpur. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I would recommend Pujangga Homestay as a budget accommodation option for the backpacker." -- Fip, Apr 23, 2010

• Sahabat Guesthouse
  41 Jln Sahabat, Utopia Map, 2142-0689, FAX 2143-0689, email. Gay-friendly Sahabat Guesthouse is nestled in an quiet corner of Kuala Lumpur's city center and yet just a short walk from shopping and the gay scene. An abundance of mearby restaurants and coffee shops which cater to all tastes and pockets. Utopia Member Discount
• Travellers Palm Homestay
  10 Jln Rembia, Utopia Map, 2145-4745, email. A G&L-friendly hostel with homestay concept, located in the heart of the gay scene. Utopia Member Discount
• Westover Lodge
  2/F 4 Medan Pasar, Utopia Map, 2070-1286, email. A new and friendly gay-owned budget guesthouse located in the heart of Chinatown. Westover Lodge offers single, double and triple rooms which are a clean, comfortable and extremely affordable base for backpackers and budget travelers. Transportation facilities are within reach (2 minutes from Masjid Jamek and Pasar Seni LRT stations). Nearby are Central Market, Merdeka Square, Jln Tunku Abdul Rahman market, China Town, Puduraya Bus station, 24 hours convenience stores, money changers, cafés, restaurants, bars and shopping malls. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I stayed at the Radius International this week. It's great value for money, fab location, walking distance to so many places. Yes, it's a bit tired, but I found the staff friendly (a smile usually gets a smile)! The shower was hot, the bed was clean, aircon worked, safe was...well, safe...and free in-room Wi-Fi. What more can you want for the price?s" -- tobydean, Mar 22, 2010

  "I recently stayed at the Radius International. The location is great, but the place is a complete dump. It's dirty, the sheets and towels are ancient, the bedspreads should have been changed years ago, and the breakfast is mediocre at best. The staff are slow and inefficient as well." -- remolquedor, Jan 19, 2010

  "Pearl International Hotel is a good hotel to stay. Big bedroom." -- sperm80, Oct 24, 2009

LANGKAWI (Kedah) -- area code (60-4)

• Pondok Keladi
  Kg Padang Putih, Jalan Pantai Tengah, 955-1648, FAX 955-1548, email. Gay-friendly chalet with six bedrooms with cooking facilities. Cheap, clean, quite and private. Only 3 min bike ride to the nearest beach. Free bicycles. Utopia Member Discount
• Rumah Cantik
  Pantai Tengah, 016-972-3608, email. Gay-owned two-bedroom house for rent. Can sleep four people. Hot shower, TV, aircon in the master bedroom. Please email for pictures and booking details. Gay and lesbian-friendly. Utopia Member Discount
• The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
  Jln Pantai Dato' Syed Omar, Utopia Map, 960-8888, 960-8871, FAX 966-3097, email. 202 rooms and 20 villas with serene, modern decor, exhilarating views and ample amenities (like cooling rain showers). Gay and lesbian-friendly.

MELAKA / MALACCA -- area code (60-6)

Melaka's Old Town heritage neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

• Hotel Puri
  118 Jln Tun Tau Cheng Lock, 282-5588, FAX 281-5588. Not gay, but a favorite of gay travelers, especially those coming up from Singapore for the weekend. A gorgeous heritage building with inexpensive rates that include breakfast. Great location in Old Town and just a short walk from the bars, shops, and sights. Rooms include air-con, Wi-fi, satellite TV, phone, in-room safe.
• Heeren House
  1 Jln Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 281-4241, FAX 281-4239. Heritage lodging right in the old section of town and a short walk to the shops, the museum, and Melaka's wonderful street life. Room are simple and cozy, with non-pretentious antique furnishings. The owners, a British/Singapore straight couple, are both extremely helpful, full of useful suggestions and local insider info, and completely at ease with gay guests. Net access is free in the lobby café, adjacent to their souvenir shop in the front of the shophouse.
• Little Dragon Hostel
  22 Jln PM 6 Plaza Mahkota Bandar Hilir, 016-647-5866, FAX 06-284-9321, email. Gay-owned Little Dragon Hostel is located in the heart of Malacca Citya. Mixed crowd, homestay style, with a friendly, safe and clean enviroment. Inexpensive rates for budget accommodation suitable for backpackers, budget travelers and young-hearted guests! Utopia Member Discount

PENANG -- area code (60-4)

BUTTERWORTH / MAINLAND
• Unique Motel
  2/F 6914 Jln Ong Yi How (corner shophouse), Raja Uda, Butterworth, 016-415-3050, FAX 333-7584, email. Center of Raja Uda Town (Butterworth's Chinatown) on the mainland. Same row as MAYBANK Jln Ong Yi How Branch. Convenient to a lot of hawker foods and restaurants nearby. Inexpensive single, double and triple rooms with air-con, TV, and some with en suite bathrooms.

  HISTORIC GEORGE TOWN / PENANG ISLAND

  Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion 14 Leith St, 262-0006. Gay and lesbian-friendly heritage accommodation just a couple blocks from the classuc seaside Eastern and Oriental Hotel. Why not stay a night or two in the most beautifully restored traditional 19th century Straits Chinese mansion in Penang, nicknamed Le Maison Bleu for its exterior of period indigo wash, setting of the feature film Indochine? Billed as a "flamboyant masterpiece of 38 rooms, 5 courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 'yin-yang' windows", this home belonged to one of China's last Mandarins and one of Asia's first celebrity capitalists. Of special note, the home is designed according to fung shui to take full advantage of elemental wind and water forces, and is a masterwork of inventive ways to harness chi, including hidden rainwater channels throughout the structure. Rooms are furnished with antiques, art, photographs and objet from daily life in Penang of old. Rates are very reasonable and includes breakfast. Unlike visitors on the twice daily guided tours (11am and 3pm M-F), guests have run of the mansion and may take photographs. Walking distance from nearby heritage streets and major architectural landmarks. Winner of a UNESCO Conservation Award and a National Architecture Award for Conservation.

• City Bayview Hotel
  25-A Farquhar St, 263-3161. Situated between the seaside Eastern and Oriental Hotel and the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion. This ideally located hotel is excellent quality for price with gorgeous rooms, sea views, room safe, strong in-room wireless Net access, and full amenities, and easy walks to the heritage streets.
• Hutton Lodge
  17 Jln Hutton, George Town, 263-6003, 263-6002, email. Experience living in one of George Town's few remaining colonial-style bungalows. The breezy and shady interior has been restored and decorated with mid-century modern touches but left mostly white/minimal. Clean, comfortable aircon rooms with large beds. Gay and lesbian-friendly and located in the heart of the city, just off a block off Penang Rd and the start of heritage walking tours of George Town's many attractions. Garden terrace, Wi-fi, public telephone, laundry, luggage storage. Some rooms have attached shower/WC. Parking and bicycles for hire. Comfortable, low-frill rooms at extremely low rates. Utopia Member Discount

  Comments from Utopians:

  "I stayed one night at Hutton Lodge. As the listing states, it is basic but clean. I had a room with aircon and shared toilet/shower facilities a short distance from my room. Snacks and drinks are available from vending machines and the room rates are very reasonable. If you are a white, western male below 40, you will be very popular with Nathan, the night receptionist!" -- david1972a, Aug 23, 2010