Ferry travel to Malaysia
Ferry travel to Malaysia is certainly not your everyday choice of transport but I'm certain there are travellers who simply prefer to be as 'un-ordinary' as much as possible in the course of getting from one place to another.
However, this mode of travel is restricted to South Thailand and Indonesia. Singapore is just a stone's throw across the straits so it doesn’t count.
Even though ferry won't be the main choice of travel for many, I've included all the relevant ports of exit that you could possibly be departing from.
By the way, you'd do well to remember that although ferry travel to Malaysia on most of these vessels are fast and comfortable enough, they won't be giving Cunard Line or the QE2 a run for their money anytime soon.
In some instances, passengers on longer journeys (usually Indonesians) may even cook their food onboard to save a few bucks. Depending on how you look at it, this might actually add more 'flavour' to your travels.
From South Thailand
Thailand is well-known for its beautiful beaches and Satun is no different. So, if you happened to be making your way down from the north, and island-hopping is your thing, ferry travel to Malaysia makes sense.
Satun ... postcard-perfect
From Satun, the ferry docks at Malaysia's Langkawi island. From there you can opt to explore the place for a couple of days and then continue your naval adventure to Penang island where it's worth more than a couple of days of sun, food, food and food.
Did I mention that Penang is regarded as the Food Paradise of Malaysia?
| Thailand port of exit | Malaysian port of arrival | Ferry operator |
| Satun | Langkawi/Penang | Langkawi Ferry |
(see map below for ferry route)
From Penang, you can travel to just about anywhere in the country - by bus, train or plane.
From Indonesia
An archipelago of some 17,500 islands (with 6,000 inhabited), Indonesia is a huge country. Obviously, it makes sense for them to get around by boat. As you can see from the map, you have quite a few choices of disembarkation points.
Ferry routes from Thailand and Indonesia
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| Indonesian port of exit | Malaysian port of arrival | Ferry operator |
| Dumai, Riau | Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur) | Indomal Express +066-281 6107, |
| Port Dickson | Acob Express | |
| Malacca | Astora - tel +606-282 9888, |
|
| Stulang Laut (Johor Baru) | ||
| Pekanbaru, Riau | Malacca | Indomal Express +066-281 6107, |
| Bagan Siapiapi, Riau | Port Dickson | Acob Express |
| Medan, Sumatra | Penang | Langkawi Ferry |
| Batam | Johor Baru | The ZON |
| Bintan | Singapore/Johor Baru | The ZON |
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