Welcome to Beautiful Malaysia

Welcome to Beautiful Malaysia

Malaysia is a country in South-East Asia, located partly on a peninsula of the Asian mainland and partly on the northern third of the island of Borneo. West (peninsular) Malaysia shares a border with Thailand, is connected by a causeway and a bridge (the 'second link') to the island state of Singapore, and has coastlines on the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca. East Malaysia (Borneo) shares borders with Brunei and Indonesia.

Regions

Peninsular Malaysia (Malay: Semenanjung Malaysia) occupies most of the Malayan Peninsula between Thailand and Singapore, and is also known as West Malaysia (Malaysia Barat) or the slightly archaic Malaya (Tanah Melayu). It is home to the bulk of Malaysia's population, its capital and largest city Kuala Lumpur, and is generally more economically developed.

* West Coast - the more developed side of Peninsular Malaysia, with the states of Kedah, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Perak, Perlis and Selangor, and Malaysia's capital city Kuala Lumpur and the new administrative centre of Putrajaya, all located within this region.

* East Coast - more traditional and Muslim, the islands here are glittering tropical jewels. Made up of the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu.

* South - comprising just one state, Johor, two coastlines, and endless palm oil plantations.

Some 800 kilometres to the east is East Malaysia (Malaysia Timur), which occupies the northern third of the island of Borneo, shared with Indonesia and tiny Brunei. Partly covered in impenetrable jungle where headhunters roam (on GSM networks if nothing else), East Malaysia is rich in natural resources but very much Malaysia's hinterland for industry and tourism.

* Sabah - superb scuba diving in Sipadan , nature reserves and the mighty Mount Kinabalu

* Sarawak - jungles, national parks, and traditional longhouses

Cities

* Kuala Lumpur - the capital
* George Town - the cultural and cuisine capital of Penang
* Johor Bahru - capital of Johor, and gateway to Singapore
* Kuantan - capital of Pahang, and commercial centre of the east coast
* Kota Kinabalu - capital of Sabah, and the largest city in East Malaysia
* Kuching - capital of Sarawak
* Malacca (Melaka) - the historical city of Malaysia
* Miri - the resort city of Sarawak and gateway to UNESCO World Heritage Site Gunung Mulu National Park
* Putrajaya - the administrative centre of Malaysia, known for its lavish buildings, bridges and man-made lakes

The Islands of Malaysia

The Islands of Malaysia

Some of the most stunningly beautiful things about Malaysia are its tropical islands. And there's more to them than sun, sand and surf: particularly on the East Coast and Borneo's Sipadan there are coral reefs and hence excellent diving .

* Labuan - offshore finance centre off the coast of East Malaysia, Borneo

* Langkawi - An archipelago of 99 islands this is a destination known for its beaches, rainforest, mountains, mangrove estuaries and unique nature. It is home to some of Malaysia's most opulent resorts all the way through to very reasonable budget accommodation. It is a duty free port which makes for a great value destination.

* Pangkor - fishing community and less well-known tourist destination off the west coast

* Penang (Pulau Pinang) - former British colony known as the "Pearl of the Orient", and bustling island city with excellent cuisine

* Perhentian Islands - glittering jewels off the East Coast still undiscovered by mass tourism

* Redang Island - popular destination for scuba divers

* Sipadan Island - remote scuba diving paradise at the easternmost tip of Malaysia

* Tioman Island - once nominated one of the most beautiful islands in the world

National Parks of Malaysia

National parks

There are various beautiful national parks in Malaysia. There are many different types of expeditions available, ranging from those where you hardly lose sight of the hotel to those were you are fully immersed in the jungle with only the guide and yourself if you are willing to pay the money! Tours vary from about 4 days to 2 weeks or more. It is very unlikely in most of the national parks for you to see a tiger or an elephant, this is only really likely if you are going to be staying for longer than a few days, i.e., for a couple of weeks at least. One of the most common forms of wildlife that you will encounter in the jungle however are definitely leeches! In the rainforest it is very very humid but actually it is not incredibly hot. This is because of the large amount of shade afforded by the canopy created by the interlocking trees. Shop around for deals of getting into the jungle and make your decision based on what type of person you are. If you are going to enjoy a lot of hiking without seeing any other people for days or even weeks then you can have that choice, alternatively you can have a much more 'packaged' tour in which you will probably stay in a very built up tourist town which has probably just grown out of the demand for people wanting to stay in the jungle.

* Bako National Park, Sarawak - famed for its wildlife, especially bearded pigs and proboscis monkeys

* Batang Ai National Park, Sarawak - the Iban heartland

* Endau Rompin National Park, Johor

* Gunung Gading National Park, Sarawak - home of the parasitic flower Rafflesia

* Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak - fantastic limestones caves and karst formations

* Kinabalu National Park, Sabah - home of 4095 metre peak Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Borneo.

* Kubah National Park, Sarawak - home of the orang-utan and many other species of wildlife

* Taman Negara National Park - the self-proclaimed World's Oldest Rainforest, spanning Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu

Other

To escape from the muggy tropics, do as the English did and head up to the cooler highlands of West Malaysia.

* Cameron Highlands — famous for its tea plantations

* Fraser's Hill — a time warp to the colonial era

* Genting Highlands — Malaysia's attempt at Las Vegas, the only place in the country where gambling is allowed

* Kuala Kubu Bharu - a small town north of Kuala Lumpur, on way to Frasers Hill