Malaysia

Understand

Malaysia is a mix of the modern world and a developing nation. With its investment in high technology industries and moderate oil wealth, it has become a rich nation in Southeast Asia. Malaysia, for most visitors, presents a happy mix: there is high-tech infrastructure and things generally work well and more or less on schedule, but prices remain more reasonable than in, say, Singapore. The demographics between the rich and poor can also be quite apparent: for example, a high rise luxury condominium building built right across the street from old, rundown shop lots or flats. However, you will not find extreme rural poverty or gigantic urban slums as in most other countries of Southeast Asia.

In terms of attractions, peninsular (West) Malaysia contains islands with gorgeous beaches and a fraction of visitors found in Thailand's most popular beaches, mountain retreats surrounded by tea plantations, interesting historical cities, world-famous food, and the highly modern, multi-cultural capital of Kuala Lumpur. East Malaysia contains lush jungles with diverse native population and wildlife, as well as stunning natural attractions such as giant caves, beautiful mountains and fantastic diving sites. Notably, however, Malaysia is not as popular among backpackers as other Southeast Asian destinations such as Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam, partly due to the relatively higher costs, and partly due to the more religious and conservative, albeit generally tolerant, culture. It also lac…

Get around

Immigration controls are in place for travel between Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia, as well as between the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysian citizens need to present their ID cards, while foreign citizens are required to present their passports in order to travel.

See

thumb|Wat Chaiyamangkalaram in [[George Town (Malaysia)|George Town, Penang]] thumb|Tea plantations in the [[Cameron Highlands, Pahang]]

Malaysia is a fascinating country with many faces. It's multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, and its attractions vary from the iconic Petronas Towers in bustling Kuala Lumpur to perfect sandy beaches lined with palm trees and dense jungles with orangutangs and tigers.

There are various impressive national parks. Expeditions range from those where you hardly lose sight of the hotel to those where you are fully immersed in the jungle for weeks, with only the guide and yourself. To spot a tiger or wild elephant in its natural habitat you might have to spend more than a few days in the wild, but you'll have no trouble seeing smaller wildlife. Bako National Park is the oldest national park in Malaysia and one of the best places to see proboscis monkeys. The vast jungles of Taman Negara have become a popular destination for nature travellers, just like the remote but gorgeous Gunung Mulu National Park, a World Heritage Site famous for its limestone karst formations, stone pinnacles and huge caves. To escape from the muggy tropics, do as the English did and head up to the cool tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, the quaint Tudor-style village on Fraser's Hill or climb Mount Kinabalu in Sabah.

For many people, Malaysia brings pictures of pristine beaches with great diving opportunities to mind - and for good reason. Sipadan off the coast of Sab…

Do

thumb|A beach on [[Perhentian Islands, Terengganu.]] thumb|A first glance at Sipadan's colourful underwater life

Malaysia has excellent scuba diving. Some of the more popular spots are the islands off the East Coast of peninsular Malaysia (Perhentian, Redang, Tioman and many more), although the dive season is limited to April to September. However, the most famous dive site — often ranked among the best in the world — is Sipadan, off the easternmost tip of Malaysian Borneo. There are many other less well known sites, like Layang Layang.

Eat

thumb|Nasi lemak coconut rice with sotong pedas (spicy squid), sambal chili paste, boiled egg, slices of cucumber, ikan bilis fried anchovies and peanuts served at a restaurant in Penang

The crossroads of Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine, Malaysia is an excellent place to eat (makan in Malay). Look out for regional specialities and Nyonya (Peranakan) cuisine, the fusion between Malay and Chinese cooking. There is even unique Eurasian cooking to be found in the Portuguese Settlement in Malacca, the heartland of the Portuguese Eurasian community.

Malaysians are very proud of their cooking and most towns or even villages have their own delicious specialities such as Penang char kway teow, Kajang satay, Ipoh bean sprout chicken, Sarawak laksa, Kelantanese nasi dagang and Sabahan hinava. Most eateries rely on word of mouth for advertising and are frequently located in the most inconvenient, out-of-the-way places, so you might want to try asking the locals for their personal recommendations.

If you intend to travel around Malaysia trying out the local food, don't be fooled by the names. Sometimes two entirely different dishes from different parts of the country can be known by the same name. For example, laksa refers to completely different noodle dishes in Penang and Sarawak.

Generally, you can eat pretty much anywhere in Malaysia. Food outlets are comparatively clean – the only thing you might avoid when you frequent the street or hawker stalls is ice for your drinks, since …

Drink

thumb|A tea house in [[Melaka.]]

Malaysians like both coffee (kopi) and tea (teh), especially the national drink teh tarik ("pulled tea"), made by the Mamak (Indian Muslim) community, and named after the theatrical 'pulling' motion used to pour it. By default, both will be served hot, sweet and with a dose of condensed milk; request teh o to skip the milk, teh ais for iced milky tea, or teh o ais for iced milkless tea. Drinking with no sugar at all is considered odd, but asking for kurang manis (less sugar) will ease the pain. However, if you really want no sugar at all, you can try asking for "teh kosong."

Malaysia produces its own tea, but little of it is exported except to neighbouring Singapore due to high domestic demand, so be sure to try some locally-grown tea when you are here. BOH, with its plantations in Cameron Highlands, is Malaysia's largest tea brand.

Another peculiar local favourite is the kopi tongkat ali ginseng, a mixture of coffee, a local aphrodisiacal root, and ginseng served with condensed milk that's touted as an alternative to viagra and red bull combined and is usually advertised with a picture of a bed broken in half.

Other popular nonalcoholic options include the chocolate drink Milo and lime juice (limau). Freshly made fruit juices are also widely available, as well as a wide range of canned drinks (some familiar to many foreigners, some less so).

There is also a local drink comprised of white soya milk and black grass jelly (cincau) called so…

Sleep

Malaysia has ample affordable accommodations in all of its cities and towns, with full range from budget until luxury ones. Service charges and taxes are not yet part of the advertised price so be sure to add 16% to the listed price. Hotels and hostels are required to charge a tourism tax on international visitors: RM10 per room per night, which may not be included in the advertised rates.

In other information, Durians are strictly banned in almost all hotels due to the smell. Bringing one into your room will result in a hefty cleaning fee.

Stay safe

Though the crime rate is higher than in neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia is generally a safe country for visitors. Crimes towards tourists are usually restricted to bag-snatching, pickpocketing and petty theft. It is important to keep a close eye on valuable items. Theft is more common in crowded places, such as markets and on public transport. Generally, if you avoid deserted areas, get back to your hotel before midnight and use your common sense, you're unlikely to be assaulted.

Homosexuality is a crime and gay bars may be raided by police; gay and lesbian tourists should be discreet and avoid any public displays of affection.

Stay healthy

There are differences of opinion about whether and to what degree tap water is safe to drink. It is treated and monitored, but the condition of the pipes is not always reliable. Therefore, you may want to boil or filter it first just to be on the safe side, as most locals do. You can also buy bottled water, which is very inexpensive.

Ice in drinks might be made from tap water, but nowadays, most restaurants and even roadside stalls use the cylindrical variety with a hollow tube down the middle that are mass-produced at ice factories and are safer to consume.

Heat exhaustion is rare, but do consume lots of fluids, use a hat and sunscreen and shower often!

Peninsular Malaysia is largely malaria-free, but there is a significant risk in Borneo especially in inland and rural areas. Dengue fever occurs throughout Malaysia in both urban and rural areas, and can be avoided only by preventing mosquito bites. The mosquito that transmits dengue feeds throughout the daytime, and is most active at dawn and dusk. If you experience a sudden fever with aches and lethargy, seek medical attention immediately. Aspirin and ibuprofen should not be used until dengue fever has been ruled out. Mosquito repellents (ubat nyamuk) are widely available. Be careful with mosquito coils, which can easily start fires: set them on a plate or other non-flammable surface and extinguish them before going to sleep.

Haze from burning vegetation in neighbouring Indonesia may come and go without warning from the…

Respect

When entering a home or a place of worship, always take off your shoes (this is often required at hostels too). Also, never eat with your left hand or give a gift with your left hand, and never point with your forefinger (you may use a closed fist with the thumb instead). Do not point with your feet or touch a person's head either.

Swastikas are commonly seen in Hindu and Buddhist temples, and are regarded as a religious symbol by these communities. They emphatically do not represent Nazism or anti-Semitism.