Malaysia is one of the up-and-coming stars of the tourism world. This hospitable nation, which celebrated 50 years of independence in 2007, somehow manages to mix modern tourism and a vibrant culture with a history that makes the diverse country intriguing to visit. The many centuries of trade, plus the cultural mix that encompasses Malay, Chinese, Indian and various other tribes has made Malaysia as fascinating culturally as it is geographically diverse.


The Crystal Mosque on the island of Wan Man in Kuala Terengganu

Malaysia is divided into two parts – a total of 13 states – 11 of which are in the peninsula of Malaysia and 2 that are situated in the northern part of Borneo, separated by the South China Sea. The peninsula tends to be the busier multicultural hotchpotch while Borneo is the quieter sibling of the two with the natural charms of wild orang-utans, granite peaks and remote tribes. The country is seemingly one of great contrasts. You’ll see little stilt houses in close proximity to majestic tower blocks and beautiful reefs neighbouring luxurious and decadent hotels. The natural attractions of Malaysia are stunning – the country is becoming a world-class diving centre and some of the deliciously warm seas conceal amazing diving opportunities that just can’t be missed.

Add to the mix some of the oldest rainforests in the world, majestic mosques and ornate temples, not to mention a sandy, beautiful coastline and the famous culinary reputation, and you can see why Malaysia is fast becoming a tourist hot spot.

History
The earliest evidence of human life in Malaysia is in the shape of a 40,000-year-old skull found in Sarawak’s Niah Caves, but much later than that, around 10,000 years ago, the aboriginal Malays, called the Orang Asli, started to move down the peninsula. By the second century AD, the country that was then called Malaya had started to become interesting to the Europeans along withIndian traders who had also been attracted to the area for its gold, tin and jungle woods. Within the next century Malaya was ruled by the Funan Empire, which was centred in modern day Cambodia, and following that, between the 7th and 13th centuries it was dominated by the Sumatra-based Srivijayan Empire.

During the 15th century, the Chinese admiral Cheng Ho arrived in what was now called Melaka, full of promises to protect the natives from the encroaching Siamese. With the support of China, the country’s powers were extended to include most of the Malay Peninsula. The resulting prosperity attracted more Europeans and as a result the country was taken over by the Portuguese during the 16th century, followed by the Dutch in the 17th century and the British in the 18th century.

The British played a key role in Malaysian history following the European wars of the 1790s. Bizarrely, in 1838, a British explorer called James Brooke helped the Brunei sultanate defeat a tribal rebellion, and was rewarded with power over part of Sarawak. The self-appointed Raja Brooke went on to create a dynasty lasting over 100 years. The Federated Malay States were created in 1895, and stayed under British colonial control until the Japanese invasion in 1942.

In the early 20th century the British brought Chinese and Indian settlers to the country, thus altering the ethnic mix. When the Japanese were defeated in 1945, the 11 states became a British crown colony and later became the Federation of Malaya in 1948. In 1963, the Federation of Malaya merged with Singapore and the former British colonies of Sarawak and Sabah, on North Borneo, to form modern Malaysia.

Singapore became an independent state in 1965, and Malaya gained its own independence in 1957. In 1963 the North Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, along with Singapore, joined with Malaya to create Malaysia. Today, the Malays, Malaysia's largest ethnic group, make up more than 50 per cent of the population.

Getting There
Kuala Lumpur International Airport is 55 kilometres south of Kuala Lumpur. You can book a taxi from to the city but all taxis must be pre-paid in the arrivals area at the airport. There’s also an express bus service that runs to hotels in Kuala Lumpur from the Hentian Duta bus terminal.

The cheapest way to travel into Kuala Lumpur is usually by bus and train. The Stage Bus Service goes from the airport to Nilai KTM Station and from there you can travel to Kuala Lumpur railway station.

Kota Kinabalu Airport is 6.5 kilometres from the city and is the international gateway to Sabah (the north eastern part of Borneo Island).

Kuching Airport (KCH) is 11 kilometres from the city and is the main airport for Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

It is illegal to import goods from Haiti into Malaysia. Non-prescription drugs, weapons and pornographic material are prohibited. Drug smuggling carries the death penalty.

Food
Malaysia has a fabulous reputation for food. Anything from Chinese–Malay dishes to the delicious Indian banana leaf curries, Chinese buffets, and even Western cuisines are catered for.


The typical dish of 'Slaksa'

Traditional Malay food makes much use of subtle spices, ginger, coconut milk and peanuts – so be careful if you have a nut allergy. Other South Asian cuisines are also well represented there – you’ll be able to find many regional variations on Chinese food, including Cantonese, Peking, and Taiwanese. Indian and Indonesian food is also popular, and you’ll find restaurants selling Thai and western dishes too. Even though the country is mostly Islamic, alcohol is freely available.

When you’re eating out it’s common to be served at the table. You’ll be given chopsticks to eat with in most Chinese restaurants, while Indian and Malay food is traditionally eaten with your fingers, but you can ask for western style cutlery if you’re not chopstick confident.

Malaysian national specialities include Char Kway Teow – fried rice noodles with meat or fish and satay based meat dishes served with cucumber, onion and rice cakes.

Money
The currency in Malaysia is the Ringgit (sometimes referred to as the ‘dollar’ or ‘Malaysian Dollar’). For the latest exchange rates visit www.xe.com

Pound Sterling is the best currency for exchange, although US Dollars are also widely accepted. You can buy foreign currency from the country’s banks and some major hotels are licensed to accept foreign currency too – but only as notes and traveller's cheques. It can be harder to exchange currency outside of the big cities and tourist areas.

Most major credit and debit cards are accepted in Malaysia, and traveller’s cheques are accepted at banks, hotels and the bigger department stores. Take traveller's cheques in pounds Sterling, US Dollars or Australian Dollars if you want to avoid paying extra fees.

Banking Hours are generally Monday to Friday 9:15am to 4:30pm although some branches are also open on Saturday. Banks in Kelantan and Terengganu open Sunday to Thursday from 9:15am to 4:00pm.

Shopping
Malaysians love shopping, which explains the vast number of luxury outlets in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. If you are a shopaholic, you need to be in Malaysia during Mega Sale Carnival, which usually takes place between August and September. The entire country goes sale crazy and you can pick up some amazing bargains.

For the best retail therapy head to the streets of Kuala Lumpur where you can find air-conditioned mega malls in which you will be able to shop to your heart’s content. There are some amazing street markets to be found here too. Prices are pretty good everywhere in Malaysia and you’ll be expected to haggle in the markets and occasionally even in the malls. If you buy in bulk you could also walk away with some really excellent bargains.

Most of the bigger shopping malls are on Jalan Bukit Bintang, sometimes known as Bintang Walk, part of Star Hill. You can find some really good deals here on most items, and the specialities include electrical goods, clothes and shoes, as well as some exclusive designer purchases among the boutiques of Kuala Lumpur Plaza. One of the world’s tallest buildings – the Suria KLCC Shopping Centre – houses a designer fashion emporium tucked away in the basement of the Petronas Twin Towers where you can pick up Hugo Boss and Laura Ashley and more.


Petronas Twin Towers

If you’re looking for good quality souvenirs, Kuala Lumpur is the place to find examples of Malaysian traditional batik. You can find a wide range of really good batik at the Central Market or in Kompleks Budaya Kraf, Jalan Conlay.
Most shops are open daily until 5:00pm although the big malls tend to stay open later. Some individual shops close on Sundays but the malls usually stay open. There’s a sales tax of around 10 per cent on most goods, although some products are taxed at 5 per cent or 15 per cent. Some items are exempt.

Shops in Malaysia, especially the big malls in Kuala Lumpur, should all have the information labelled.

Nightlife
The nightlife in Malaysia is centred around the capital, and despite the strict Islamic religious influence in the country, you’ll still find that alcohol is freely available and the nightlife is said to be one of the liveliest in Asia. There are government rules that force many bars to close by 1:00am, although some clubs have a late licence. The legal drinking age in Kuala Lumpur is 21.

The locals also enjoy a visit to one of the pasar malam (night markets) as part of their regular nightlife, and these markets are a haven for anyone who enjoys people watching. A trip to the night market is usually more of a social gathering than an excuse to buy anything and there’s always plenty of local food on offer to try, or a beer to be enjoyed. The Saturday market on Jalan Raja Muda is said to be one of the best, but it’s worth exploring as there are usually plenty to investigate. The main area for drinking and dancing is in the Golden Triangle, where you’ll be able to find bars and night clubs in most of the big five-star hotels.

Bangsar, an up-and-coming region on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, has become a serious contender in recent years and is threatening to outdo the city centre, offering a choice of streets lined with bars and eating places. It’s definitely the place to head for a younger, cosmopolitan crowd.

Where to Go

Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur is a perplexing place to spend time, and much like the rest of the country it’s full of contrasting sights. Parts of the city are brisk, efficient and business-like, and others have a much more laid back and relaxed vibe. It’s amazing to stare up at the splendour of the Petronas Towers then look across the road to see the chaotic traffic and manic street hawkers.
Kuala Lumpur has expanded and developed with almost bewildering speed over the past few decades, especially during the boom years of the 1980s and early 1990s. This means that in some parts of the city you can see the more traditional old-style Chinese houses and faded colonial mansions alongside massive glass and steel towers, all muddled together in a slightly mismatched jumble of buildings. Over the last few years, the city has been somewhat swamped with construction and infrastructure projects and the skyline is littered with cranes and the mechanical evidence of neighbourhood redevelopment. The locals are proud of their capital, and rightly so. Kuala Lumpur is also well known for being a supremely tolerant city, where ethnic Malays rub along quite happily with Chinese, Indians and Europeans with very few racial problems.

The one thing that’s always consistent in Kuala Lumpur is the climate, and on a visit there you’ll be rewarded with some lovely warm daytime temperatures, as well as delicious balmy evenings and even the occasional afternoon thunderstorm which comes and goes, leaving the evenings feeling slightly cooler.

Places to visit in the city itself include the Taman Tasik Perdana – or The Lake Gardens – that date back to the 19th century. The gardens originate from a time when British colonials built smart houses around their beautifully landscaped gardens. The boating lake is the highlight of the lake gardens, but don’t miss out on the gorgeous orchid garden with its 800 different varieties of orchid to savour the sight and smell of. Deer, birds and butterfly parks along with an amazing hibiscus garden can also be found here.

Head out towards the Little India District of Kuala Lumpur and you’ll get to experience an area of the city that’s choc-full of colourful streets and character, then seek out Millionaires Row (or Ambassadors Row) at Jalan Ampang where you’ll see the amazingly luxurious mansions that once belonged to the colonialists – who amassed great wealth on the back of the tin trade. Many of the grand houses are now embassies or consulates, which is where the area gets its other name. It’s a shame to miss out on this part of the city as it does give you a fascinating insight into the background of the bustling metropolis that we now know as ‘KL’.


The stairway to the Batu Caves

Just 13 kilometres north of 'KL' are the Batu Caves. They are the sacred place for the Hindu's in Malaysia. There are three main caves as well as some smaller ones. These limestone caves are 400 meters long and 100 meter high and discovered in 1892. On arrival you will be greeted by a giant gold statue and lots of monkeys. To reach the caves means climbing 272 steps.


Sarawak
Sarawak, part of Borneo, is one of the two states of Malaysia separated from the Peninsula. If you have an opportunity to fly across, it’s worth visiting as this state has some of the most amazing national parks in the whole of Malaysia, supplemented with some stunning beaches and a tribal culture all of its own. Situated on the north-western coast of Borneo, Sarawak has rainforests, rivers, pepper plantations, and some fascinating people. Sarawak shares borders with Indonesia's Kalimantan province in the south and Brunei and Sabah in the north-east, and is the largest state in Malaysia. The city of Kuching is the capital.

Kuching is a delightful blend of modern and olde-worlde, divided by the Sarawak River. The south of the city is mainly commercial and residential, while the north shore features kampong houses that sit all along the river. The two parts of the city even have separate mayors and town halls. The Waterfront is a landscaped area complete with food stalls, restaurants and an open-air theatre, as well as a beautifully restored Chinese pavilion, and musical fountains.

Within easy reach of Kuching is the Semenggoh Orang-Utan Sanctuary and the national parks of Gunung Gading, Kubah and Tanjung Datu National Park.

Terengganu
The state of Terengganu is best known for some stunning natural landscapes and has the most fantastic geography of all the Malaysian states. If you travel across to Terengganu you’ll find absolutely everything from picture perfect beaches, islands, tropical jungles, adorable little fishing villages, waterfalls and pretty much anything else that you can conjure up scenery-wise. There is mile upon mile of sandy coastline and idyllic crystal clear waters.

The islands are romantic and also interesting to visit, not just for the scenery but for some of the traditional handicrafts that are still a big part of their culture, like the intricate batik-printing or songket-weaving.

The population of Terengganu is mainly Malay and they speak in a dialect that sounds almost totally different to anyone else in the country. The capital is Kuala Terengganu.

Pahang
Pahang is the largest of the states in Peninsular Malaysia, and almost two-thirds of it is covered in rainforest, making it a haven for some really exotic wildlife.

Wildlife lovers should definitely visit the state of Pahang, if only to pay a visit to the best national park in Malaysia, Taman Negara, and the Endau Rompin State Park. Both parks are blessed with an astounding selection of flora and fauna. To add to the diversity, this is where you’ll also find the Orang Asli, Malaysia’s indigenous people.

For beach lovers, the best places to seek out are Cherating Beach and Tioman Island – both popular with tourists and blessed with plenty of the usual beach facilities as well as some extra special underwater attractions and diving opportunities that all add a little extra something to the laid back beach vibes.
The Main Range of mountains divides Pahang and experienced climbers can try and tackle Gunung Tahan, the highest peak in the peninsula.

Other attractions in the region include the Genting Highlands, or ‘City of Entertainment’, and Bukit Tinggi, a resort with a decidedly French flavour, both around an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. Kuantan, the capital, is the largest city on the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia, with plenty to see and do nearby, including Pulau Ular island, which comes complete with a legend that tells a tale of snakes that somehow helped the villagers to keep pirates away during the 11th century. In honour of this long-told legend, there is a village called Sungai Ular (Snake River) on the mainland.

Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary
This elephant sanctuary in Pahang gives proper animal lovers a rare opportunity to get up close to Malaysian elephants. It’s been estimated that that there are only around 1200 wild Asian Elephants left in Malaysia so this sanctuary has been set up to try and relocate and home lost elephants and baby elephant orphans. If you fancy a go at riding an elephant, you can take one on a trip through the jungle with the help of an elephant guide, or you could even have some fun attempting to bathe an elephant down at the river.


Kuala Gandah Elephant Orphanage

Tree Top Walk
Not for anyone who suffers with vertigo, this is an awesome experience! You can see some absolutely stunning parts of the jungle if you take a Tree Top walk in the Sedim River Recreation Park, that will take you along the longest canopy walk in the world. The spectacular view you get as you’re walking through the jungle canopy is absolutely second to none, and you get to take in the fabulous sights of pretty rushing streams and the wildlife and plant life of the jungle – from 50 metres above the ground.

A good tip if you’re thinking of doing the Tree Top Walk is to wear comfortable shoes, and take water and a snack as it’s a very long walk. Once you’re actually on the walkway, there’s nowhere to stop or get refreshments.

The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery
The Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery in Selangor was first commissioned in 2002, and was dedicated to the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah. It houses some splendid royal art collections, some of which depict the reigning period of the late king, from early childhood.

Among the collections there are some real gems of exhibits, including replicas of Selangor's crown jewels, the royal seal of Sultan Sir Abdul Samad (fourth Selangor Sultan) and a fantastic state sword that is decorated with silver and Burmese rubies – used by the 5th Selangor Sultan.


Pular Payar, Langkawi

Diving in Malaysia
Malaysia is one of the most popular diving destinations in the world because it has the richest marine environments of the Indo-Pacific Basin. The incredible marine life and the stunningly beautiful islands attract experienced divers, novices who just want to try their hand and non-divers alike. Some of the top diving sites around Malaysia are home to some really diverse underwater geography – gently (and not so gently) sloping reefs, coral reefs, and many different levels of dive, including deep dives and shipwreck dives.