Kuala Lumpur in $8300s-$9600s RT

Street food and colorful murals aside, most of the coolest stuff in Kuala Lumpur is, well, outside Kuala Lumpur.

And that's not a diss! KL is a pretty great city! It's just hard to beat nearby options like the awe-inspiring (and monkey-filled) Batu Caves. That 140-foot gold statue would blow just about any city out of the water.

If you don't mind a 3-hour drive, definitely add the Cameron Highlands to your list too. You'll come for the rolling green tea plantations, but you'll stay because you got lost in the wildly atmospheric Mossy Forest.