Swagatam Tours Private Limited

Holidays of Asia

Malaysia Tourism

• Introduction
Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in southeast Asia. It's buoyant and wealthy, and has moved towards a pluralist culture based on a vibrant and interesting fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous cultures and customs.

Most visitors to Malaysia stick to the insane headlong rush of Kuala Lumpur, the colonially soothing Cameron Highlands Hill Station or the hedonistic torpor of Langkawi. However, the island of East Malaysia offers spectacular wildlife, longhouses and the awe-inspiring Mt Kinabalu.

Malaysia's love of Western-style industrialisation is abundantly clear in its big cities. Aside from the gleaming glass of the 21st Century, though, Malaysia boasts some of the most superb beaches, mountains and national parks in Asia.

• When to Visit Malaysia
Malaysia is hot and humid all year so you're going to have sunshine and sweat pretty much whenever you visit. It is, however, best to avoid the November to January rainy season on Peninsula Malaysia's east coast if you want to enjoy the beaches. The time to see turtles on the east coast is between May and September.

• Attraction in Malaysia
» Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is an Asian tiger that roars: in 130 years, it has grown from nothing to a modern, bustling city of almost two million people. Take in its high-flying triumphs from the viewing deck of the world's tallest building, then dive down to explore its more traditional culture in the back lanes of Chinatown.

KL's boom periods have produced an intriguing mix of architecture throughout the city; elegant colonial buildings contrast with soaring modern edifices such as the twin Petronas Towers. Add the ground level bustle of the numerous street markets, and you have a city that rewards exploration.

» Cameron Highlands
The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, comprise a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500-1800m (4920-5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of Malaysia's tea industry and it's the place where locals and visitors come to escape the heat of the plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls, tours of tea plantations, beautiful gardens and plenty of wild flowers. The cool weather tempts visitors to exertions like golf, tennis, and long walks, normally forgotten at sea level - but this is really Malaysia's R 'n' R capital par excellence for those who don't like the beach and enjoy a bout of colonial nostalgia.

» Georgetown - Penang Island
The 285 sq km (177 sq mi) island of Penang, off Peninsula Malaysia's northwestern coast, is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia and one of the country's premier resort areas. The island's beaches are touted as the major drawcard but they're somewhat overrated.

What makes Penang Island really tick is the vibrant city of Georgetown on the island's northeastern coast. This city has more Chinese flavour than either Singapore or Hong Kong, and in its older neighbourhoods you could be forgiven for thinking that the clock stopped at least 50 years ago.

» Melaka
Melaka is an interesting blend of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences and is considered Malaysia's most historic city. It was once the most important trading port in the region, but is now little more than a sleepy backwater.

Ancient-looking junks still sail up the river, imbuing the waterfront with a timeless charm, and the city remains full of intriguing Chinese streets, antique shops, temples and nostalgic reminders of the now-departed European colonial powers.

» Tioman Island
This picture-postcard island lies off the eastern coast of Peninsula Malaysia in the South China Sea. It boasts beautiful beaches, clear, coral-filled water, technicolour marine life, virtually unpopulated jungle highlands and the dramatic peaks of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut.

Tioman has been blessed with exotic place names like 'Palm-Frond Hill' and 'Village of Doubt' and is generally quoted as the setting for the mythical Bali Hai in the film South Pacific. The permanent population on Tioman is low, and locals are usually outnumbered by tourists. June and August are the peak tourist months, but during the heavy November to January monsoon the island is almost deserted.

The island's west coast is dotted with villages and is home to a classy resort. Pulau Tioman is the most popular travellers' destination, while Kampung Nipah is the place to go if you really want to get away from it all.

• Off the Beaten Track
» Peninsular Malaysia
Just off the coast of Perlis are the 104 islands of the Langkawi group. The islands are little visited, despite their good beaches and Langkawi's direct boat connections with Thailand. Low-key Taiping has beautiful lake gardens, well-preserved Anglo-Malay buildings and hardly any tourists.

In Perak, you will find the historic royal town of Kuala Kangsar, which has an abundance of fine mosques and palaces, and was the birthplace of Malaysia's rubber industry. Ipoh, Perak's capital, has some swellegant mansions and impressive cave temples.

» Sabah
Scenic grandeur and fascinating wildlife are the main attractions in (expensive) Sabah. Just offshore from the capital, Kota Kinabalu, the huge Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park is made up of the islands of Gaya, Mamutik, Manukan, Sapi and Sulug.

The islands have some of the best beaches in Borneo and wildlife varies from monkeys and bearded pigs to corals and tropical marine life.

Not far from the Kalimantan border, Batu Punggul has an adventure-camp resort, jungle walks, canoeing and cave visits.

» Sarawak
Sarawak offers ever-shrinking areas of untouched jungle, the chance to visit longhouse-dwelling Dayak tribes and a good system of national parks. The area around the capital city, Kuching, has remote coastal villages and unspoilt tropical rainforest, beaches and walking trails in Bako National Park.

Longhouses are found along the Rejang River and its tributaries - central and southern Sarawak's 'highway'. The areas downriver from Kanowit and Song are generally less frequented. In the northeast, the Niah Caves, accessible only by longboat and a 3km (1.86mi) hike, are unforgettable for their rock paintings, forest wildlife, jungle trails and night walks to see the luminous mushrooms. Visitors to Sarawak cannot fail to notice the extent to which logging is affecting the environment and the habitat of the Dayak tribes. Acquainting yourself with the issues surrounding Malaysia's logging practices is recommended before visiting the province.

• Reaching Malaysia
Malysia's main international airport is at Sepang, 50km (31mi) south of KL. Most tourists either fly into Sepang or arrive overland from Thailand or Singapore. However, Penang also has international flights, and Kuching in Sarawak and Tawau in Sabah have flights to/from Kalimantan. There is a departure tax of 40.00 on international flights, but if you buy your ticket in Malaysia the tax is already included in the ticket price. Departure tax for flights to Singapore and Brunei is only 5.00.

There are five road border crossings between Malaysia and Thailand (two on the west coast, one in the centre and two on the east coast). There is also a west-coast rail link. To get to/from Singapore, you can cross the causeway at Johor Bahru, catch a ferry or take the train. There are three ferry services between Malaysia and Indonesia (Penang-Medan, Melaka-Dumai and, in East Malaysia, Tawau-Tarakan). There's also a difficult road link between Sarawak and Kalimantan.

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