A five-day drive through Malaysia — taking in Muar, Malacca, Seremban, Kuala Lumpur and the east-coast state of Terengganu — makes a strong case that the country deserves more than a quick weekend crossing from Singapore. The trip, hosted by YTL Hotels, strings together four very different properties, each anchoring a different side of the country.

The first stop, The Majestic Malacca, is a restored 1929 mansion built for businessman Leong Long Man, all polished timber floors, Peranakan tiles and green shutters. Its real draw is Kristang cuisine, the hybrid food of Malacca's Portuguese-descended community, served at The Mansion: think kari debal (a vinegar-hot devil curry), baked stuffed crab shells, and fritters made with fermented krill. There's also a Kristang afternoon tea with Portuguese egg tarts, and a Gin O'Clock session featuring Tanqueray's limited-run Malacca Gin, first released in 1997 and revived in 2013. The Spa Village adds a Peranakan wedding-inspired ritual — hair washing, combing and scalp massage — before a 50-minute Malay massage.

In Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Stripes offers the modern counterpoint. A Marriott Autograph Collection property on Jalan Kamunting, it sits beside The Row, 22 restored 1940s shophouses now filled with restaurants and cafés. Nearby eats include JOLOKO's Afro-Caribbean menu and the old-school Hainanese coffee shop Yut Kee, with the Medan Tuanku monorail and Dang Wangi LRT stations linking you to the rest of the city.

For old-world glamour, The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur opened in 1932 and has hosted everyone from Tunku Abdul Rahman to King Charles III, who attended a gala there in 2017 as Prince of Wales. The Orchid Conservatory, a glasshouse full of orchids, is the spot for afternoon tea, while the Colonial Café's five-course Colonial Sampler traces Hainanese influence on colonial-era dining — chicken rice balls, prawn cocktail, crispy chicken chop with onion gravy, and an English trifle to finish.

Beyond the hotels, the drive itself is the point: roadside stops like Sai Kee Kopi 434 in Muar, cendol at Haji Shariff's in Seremban, and a meal at KL's long-running Capitol Café show how good Malaysia is as a food-crawl country. Terengganu adds cooking classes and even a floral bathing procession with kompang drumming.

For Singaporeans and other short-break travellers, this is a workable template: heritage stays and Peranakan culture in Malacca, neighbourhood KL for repeat visitors who've done the malls and towers, and enough good roadside food to justify the long way round.