Langkawi was everything we wanted. But by Penang we were worn out, and the day there was crammed so tight, hill, murals and a museum all before lunch, that nothing got the time it deserved.

The funicular up Penang Hill rewarded us with Georgetown laid out like a map below. My husband, who usually grumbles about heights, forgot to complain the moment we were up there.

Covering Langkawi, KL and Penang in eight nights gave us a nice mix of beach, city and heritage without feeling like we were always packing bags. Langkawi mangroves and the beach at Tanjung Rhu were calm and unhurried, exactly what a honeymoon should feel like. KL was a shock to the system after the islands, Petronas Towers at dusk is genuinely breathtaking. Penang's Georgetown streets with all the murals and old shophouses gave us our culture fix before flying back.

Petronas Towers lit up at night, my wife cried a little, worth the whole Malaysia trip alone.

A lovely holiday, though the humidity on the KL leg and a lukewarm hotel breakfast took the shine off a couple of our mornings.

Tanjung Rhu and the mangroves were flawless. The one sour note was our KL room facing a construction site, so the lie-ins we had earned on the island never quite happened in the city.