At a glance

Emirates gateway: Kuala Lumpur International Airport

Time zone: GMT +8 hours

Currency: Malaysian Ringgit (MYR). ATMs are plentiful, with credit cards widely accepted in major establishments

Languages: Bahasa Malaysia is the official language but English is widely spoken

Dialing code: +60

Religion: Predominantly Islam (more than 60%), with Buddhism also prevalent, along with by Christianity, Hinduism and traditional Chinese religions

Plug sockets: 230V/50hz and usually British-style three-pin sockets

Airport to city centre: 58 kilometres

Highlights

With its extensive coastline, beautiful islands, prehistoric jungle, ancient tribes, colonial architecture, Malay, Chinese and Indian heritage and sophisticated cities, Malaysia has a multitude of sightseeing options and activities.

• From Chinatown to Little India, the mind-bogglingly tall Petronas Towers and everything in between, Kuala Lumpur is one of southeast Asia’s most compelling cities
• Known for their tea plantations and strawberry farms, the hill country of the Cameron Highlands provides cooling respite from Malaysia’s relentless heat
• At 4,094m Mount Kinabalu is the highest peak in southeast Asia
• Be pulled around Penang’s George Town in a trishaw as you marvel at preserved multi-coloured colonial architecture

Areas of Malaysia

This large southeast Asian country occupies a peninsula with Thailand to its north and Singapore to the south, along with part of the island of Borneo across the South China Sea. On the peninsula, there are busy cities, jungle-clad interior, mountains and beaches, while Malaysian Borneo is home to orangutans, granite peaks and ancient tribes.

East Malaysia

Sarawak and Sabah are the two East Malaysia states that sit on the island of Borneo, the third-largest island in the world and one also shared by Indonesia’s Kalimantan region and the sultanate of Brunei. Kuching, is the capital of Sarawak and last stop before venturing into the jungle and the Batang Rejang river is the gateway to the tribal heartland, namely the Iban tribe. In Sabah, the main town is Kota Kinabalu, or KK, the jumping off point for Mount Kinabulu, southeast Asia's highest peak. It’s seen as an “appealing” climb because getting there and back to its 4,094m summit can be done with only one night spent on the mountain. After a rocky night’s sleep, hundreds of climbers start the trek before dawn to catch a life-affirming summit sunrise.

Cameron Highlands

Misty hillside plantations, afternoon tea and jungle trails in cool mountain air define the highlands, Malaysia’s largest hill-station area. A unique ecosystem around 200km from Kuala Lumpur, this enormous area is about the size of Singapore. During the day, the temperature seldom rises higher than 25C, hence the reason British colonials used to escape here, settling in the region in the 1920s; the area is named after Sir William Cameron, the British surveyor who mapped the area in 1885.

Culture

Strait of Malacca, the narrow, 805km shipping channel between the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea, has long brought with it influences from China, India, the Middle East and Europe, with the British legacy of hill stations, polo fields and high tea remaining today. The dominant cultural influence in Malaysia today is Islam, but there is much diversity too, such as Christian and Hindu. The indigenous tribes of Borneo add even more layers, with more than 30 ethnic races among Sabah’s population alone. In Sarawak, the largest tribe is Iban, known for their “longhouses”.

History

Evidence of human habitation as far back as 40,000 years exists in northern Sarawak, one of the two states of East Malaysia, which along with Peninsular Malaysia, forms the country today. Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms spread across the peninsula from 3rd century BC, while Islam was adopted in the 14th century following its arrival with Indian traders. In 1857, Chinese tin miners founded what was to become Kuala Lumpur and it became the capital when the Federated Malay States were incorporated in 1896. The later Federation of Malaya was created in 1948 with 11 states and became independent from Britain in 1957. It became simply “Malaysia” in 1963, when Sarawak and Sabah joined the federation, as did Singapore, before breaking off again in 1965.

Attractions

Malacca

Just a couple of hours south of Kuala Lumpur, this is Malaysia’s oldest city and one-time capital. Malacca under its sultans was a wealthy and cosmopolitan market town where Portuguese, Dutch and British colonials came to trade in one of the most important ports of southeast Asia at the time. They all left their mark on its architecture, much of which has been well preserved and is UNESCO-protected. Also mixed among the buildings are Peranakan ancestral homes and traditional shophouses; come here to marvel at the preserved streets, try the delicious food, shop at the night market and jostle through Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur

Formerly a languid colonial outpost, KL’s skyscrapers today signal its importance in the region. A visit to the Petronas Towers is a must – you can visit the two-decker skybridge connecting the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, but tickets are limited to about 1,000 people per day; you can also visit level 86, or shop in the mall at the base, one of the city’s finest. But among all the modern glitz are the vibrant areas of Chinatown and Little India. And for some relief from the traffic and towers, Templar Park is 22km north, offering fresh air and well-preserved primary rainforest.

Batu Caves

Just 13km north of Kuala Lumpur, this incredible complex is one of Malaysia’s greatest - and perhaps most unusual - treasures, as within the network of limestone caves lies the country’s holiest Hindu site, a vivid maze of multi-headed statues and creatures with long swishing tails. It’s anchored by the relatively new addition of the world’s tallest statue of the Hindu god Lord Murugan, who stands at the foot of the 272 steps leading up to the main cave. Every year during the Thaipusam festival, many Hindu devotees from around the world come to parade through the chambers and perform ritual acts.

Island hopping

Malaysia’s territory includes as many as 878 islands and there are two lying 21km off the northeast coast of the peninsula that are the stuff of postcards. The Perhentian Islands boast clear, teal waters and white beaches, and access to the two main islands of Perhentian Besar and Perhentian Kecil is by boat from Kuala Besut in the state of Terengganu. Another favourite is Tioman Island - further down off the southeast coast and reachable by boat from Tanjung Gemok or flying, with waterfall-filled jungles, translucent seas and villages dotted around. Located in the Celebes Sea off the east coast of Sabah, Pulau Sipadan has been heralded by Jacques Cousteau as “an untouched piece of art” and considered one of the best dive spots.

Taman Negara

With large patches of the country still covered in deep jungle, hiking through this kind of environment is a rewarding and popular option, especially in Taman Negara, the country’s first national park and also home to Gunung Tahan, the highest point on the Malay Peninsula. The park is carpeted in one of the world’s most ancient rainforests, at 130 million years old, and by far the largest tract in Peninsular Malaysia. Deep into the wider jungle, elephants, tigers, leopards and rhinos are all said to roam, but you’re more likely to see snakes, lizards, monkeys and deer.