Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia’s top travel destinations, possessing an endless range of attractions and activities that cater for the cosmopolitan shopper, cultural enthusiast, historical buff and nature-lover. Divided into Peninsular Malaysia in the West and East Malaysia, part of the Borneo archipelago, the country will allure you with the shopping experience of its modern cities, the splendour of its cultural arts and natural heritage of rich flora and fauna.
In the heart of Asia lie some of the world's most beautiful beaches, with sparkling sand and crystal waters. It would be an impossible task to describe every one of Malaysia's thousands of beautiful beaches. Ranging from the powdery stretches of sand that characterize the eastern coastline of Peninsular Malaysia to the black sand beach of Pantai Pasir Hitam and the smooth pebble beach of Pantai Batu Kerikil, Malaysia's shores offer more idyllic locales than one could explore in many lifetimes.
Malaysia has fervently embraced modern technology - it boasts two of the world's tallest skyscrapers and a huge "cyber" center for computer businesses. But it still has some of the world's most remote jungle (in Sabah and Sarawak), one of Southeast Asia's most vibrant old ports (Georgetown) and an atmospheric colonial hill station (the Cameron Highlands). Even in Kuala Lumpur, the capital, which bristles with ambitious new building projects, you can still find exotic markets and plenty of local color. As a result, travelers to Malaysia can easily ratchet up or down the levels of adventure and comfort they want to experience.
Geography
The South China Sea divides Malaysia roughly in half. Peninsular Malaysian, the western half, is home to two-thirds of the country's 18 million inhabitants. The less developed states of Sabah and Sarawak make up the eastern half, which occupies the northern third of Borneo. In both areas, coastal lowlands give way to mountainous interiors. Tropical vegetation abounds. The rain forests are believed to be the oldest in the world. The nation includes dozens of small islands.
Fact Box
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| Full country name | Malaysia | |||||||||
| Area | 329,847 sq km | |||||||||
| Population | 26,888,000 Million (2006 est.) | |||||||||
| Capital City | Kuala Lumpur note: Putrajaya is referred to as the administrative capital | |||||||||
| Climate | Tropical; annual southwest (April to October) and northeast (October to February) monsoons | |||||||||
| People | Malay and other indigenous 58%, Chinese 24%, Indian 8%, others 10% | |||||||||
| Religion | Muslim, Buddhist, Daoist, Hindu, Christian, Sikh; note - in addition, Shamanism is practiced in East Malaysia | |||||||||
| Language | Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese dialects, English, Tamil, indigenous dialects | |||||||||
| Government | Constitutional Monarchy | |||||||||
| Head of State | Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Al-Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Almarhum Al-Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah Al-Haj | |||||||||
| Head of Government: | Yang Amat Berhormat Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak | |||||||||
| Currency | Ringgit Malaysia (RM) | |||||||||
| GDP | RM451 billion (2006 est.) | |||||||||
| GDP per capita | RM14,200 (2006 est.) | |||||||||
| Industries; Peninsular Malaysia - rubber and oil palm processing and manufacturing, light manufacturing industry, electronics, tin mining and smelting, logging and processing timber; Sabah - logging, petroleum production; Sarawak - agriculture processing, petroleum production and refining, logging Agriculture product; Peninsular Malaysia - rubber, palm oil, cocoa, rice; Sabah - subsistence crops, rubber, timber, coconuts, rice; Sarawak - rubber, pepper; timber. | ||||||||||
Malaysia has an international reputation as one of the most desirable destinations in Asia. This will come as little surprise to those who know the country well, afterall, Malaysia truly is an enticing place to visit. Immersed in warm tropical sun; blessed with various fascinating historical cities; beautiful hill resorts; an eclectic cultural mix; and stunning, sprawling rainforest (Malaysia's rainforests are amongst the oldest in the world at around 130 million years!). Malaysia provides a delightful blend of attractions to suit all visitors, and it continues to pull in a broad range of different (but equally curious!) travellers. It could well be the perfect place for your next vacation. MalaysiaExplorer is an independent and impartial travel guide written by a small team of local Malaysian writers based in different areas of the country. This means our guides provide a truly unique insight only possible through the eyes of a native. Our goal is to introduce you to the manifold cultural and natural dimensions of Malaysia in the most comfortable and affordable way! Our map of Malaysia is your portal to the ultimate traveller's handbook - click anywhere on the map below to find out more about Malaysia's states, federal territories and islands!
As far as accommodation is concerned you can choose from a wide range of suitable resorts and hotels, as per your specific requirements and budget. Our guides accommodate for travelers of all ages and experience, but if you're older than the age of 70 and traveling to Malaysia, it's wise to get yourself over 70 travel insurance from Saga. The MalaysiaExplorer blog is regularly updated with tourism bulletins containing the latest goings on and events! Be sure to subscribe and check in regularly to ensure you get the most out of your visit! Our candid FAQs and regular articles are also must reads for visitors. And finally, if you're incorporating a trip to Malaysia into a wider world tour then be sure to check out our friends over at travel world tips for locally written guides to every nation on the globe!
For those interested in undertaking a spiritual quest - you simply must visit Malaysia at least once in your lifetime! It's capital Kuala Lumpur has several museums and art galleries, which offer a vivid picture of the country's strong art and cultural history. Malaysia isn't all about adventures, history and culture, however, in fact it also boasts some of the most beautiful beaches in the world with golden sands, blue sky and a backdrop of amazing flora and fauna. If that sounds like your ideal getaway we recommend cheap beach holidays to all our readers looking to enjoy some sunshine! Our team of Malaysian writers share a completely unrivalled knowledge of the hidden beauties on offer, and so you can be sure our recommendations, write ups, reviews and tips are 100% trustworthy.
Malaysia Agro-Tourism | ||
Recognizing that agro-tourism holds a fascination for both Malaysians and visitors alike, organizers of excursions these days include tours to rubber and oil palm estates, as well as pepper farms, fish farms, flower nurseries and fruit orchards. Fruit orchards have proven especially popular with visitors, not least because they get to enjoy the delicious exotic fruits they are there to learn about!
Visits are structured around a tour offering insight into the cultivation, care, processing and manufacturing of these commodities for sale or export. The industry includes crops such as maize, cocoa, rubber, rice, fruits, oil palm and a variety of other products from which many Malaysians still earn a living.Many locals and some adventurous visitors invariably seek out orchards dedicated to the famous and sometimes detested king of all fruits, the durian. Sometimes described as 'hell on the outside and heaven on the inside', the durian has few ambivalent fans, as you either tend to thoroughly enjoy it or not!
Visitors to durian farms can sample a range of these spiky, custard-like fruits with pulpy flesh that runs an entire gamut of textures and tastes from sweet to tart and more!
But durians are obviously not the only choice. In tropical Malaysia, an amazing array of exotic fruits awaits the fruit aficionado all year around. Among the many choices are the rambutan, langsat, mangosteen, jackfruit, pineapple and mango. Visits to these fruit farms often involve tucking into ready-to-eat freshly picked fruits.
Visitors to the highlands must pay a visit to the tea estates which grace their slopes. A number of these have been established since the early part of the last century, and harvesting and processing methods have changed little since.
Cameron Highlands, with its gentle slopes surrounded by loftier hills, is especially noted for its long-established estates. Most have excellent visitor facilities and provide guided tours of the tea factories.
On rubber estates, visitors have the opportunity to experience first-hand how to tap a rubber tree and witness how latex is processed - from coagulation to pressing and smoking. Malaysia is among the world's largest producers of this extremely valuable and versatile product.
Another of the country's largest export commodities is palm oil. Today, Malaysia is a world leader in the research and development of this multi-purpose fruit. The clusters of orange-red fruits produce refined cooking oil and other palm-olein products for use in the cosmetic and chemical industries.
In the northern regions of Peninsular Malaysia, a number of spice and herb farms dot the countryside. Nutmeg is especially abundant. While over in East Malaysia, visitors to pepper farms in Sarawak will be fascinated to know that black and white pepper come from the same tree! The difference is achieved in the processing of the corns. White pepper is more mature, having been soaked and had its outer skin removed before drying, while black pepper is dried in its original state.
A number of these destinations have stay-over facilities with a wide range of non-agricultural activities to enjoy as well, including fishing, kayaking and nature walks. In many cases, full room and board packages are available, meaning that guests get to indulge in local home-cooking as well.
Agro-tourism has a number of attractions, both to the visitor and the host. While it provides for interesting visits and discovery, many of these centers also serve as research and development hubs for the perpetuation and improvement of the agricultural industry in the country.
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