KL is ranked as one of the top holiday destinations in Asia. — Photos: Pexels
Malaysia appears to be on the radar for travellers this year. Several of its offerings have been ranked among the top 10 choices by Smart Travel Asia readers, as evidenced by the online travel magazine’s recent poll.
The 2025 Best in Travel Poll, which ran from June to August, saw Malaysia securing three spots on the Top 10 Holiday Destinations list. Penang was ranked seventh, Kuala Lumpur eighth and Sabah 10th.
With the country being noticeably absent from the list last year, this year’s rankings prove Malaysia’s growing appeal as a holiday destination in Asia.
Still a popular choice for holidaymakers is neighbouring Thailand, whose capital Bangkok once again placed first on the list. Chiang Mai and Phuket placed third and fifth (the latter sharing the spot with Hong Kong, and Rajasthan, India), respectively.
Also popular is Japan, as its capital city Tokyo secured second spot yet again. This time, Kyoto also made the list, placing sixth (with Taiwan’s Taipei and Vietnam’s Da Nang and Hoi An).
Making a breakthrough on the Top 10 Airports list is our very own Kuala Lumpur International Airport, landing in the 10th spot (shared with Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru, India).
Of course, Singapore’s Changi Airport is still tops for most passengers, while Tokyo’s Haneda Airport moved up a spot to second place. Hong Kong International Airport placed third, up two spots from last year.
When it comes to airlines, Malaysia leads with AirAsia, which placed first on the Top 10 Budget Airline list. This is not the first time the airline was placed first in the category.
India’s IndiGo and Singapore’s Scoot also stayed put at their respective second and third spots.
Singapore Airlines is once again voted the best (for cabin service) in the Top 10 Airlines list. Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific is in second place, while Japan’s All-Nippon Airways is third.
Malaysia Airlines also made the list this year, coming in sixth (together with Japan Airlines).
The highly anticipated Park Hyatt KL – marking the luxury property’s entry into Malaysia when it opened last month at Merdeka 118, the world’s second tallest skyscraper – placed sixth on the Top 10 New Hotels list. It shares the spot with Como Metropolitan Singapore and Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing, China.
The Boathouse Tioman in Pahang, meanwhile, placed 10th on the same list.
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort & Spa in Penang bears the distinction as the only Malaysian hotel to be placed on two separate lists. It sits on the sixth spot on the Top 10 Spa Hotels list, while also securing the fourth spot on the Top 10 Family Hotels list.
The travel poll, which gauges travellers’ interest in Asian hotels, airlines, airports and destinations, breaks down the Top 10 choices into a total of 16 lists. The full lists are available on the Smart Travel Asia website.
