Overview of Malaysia

Malaysia is home to 25 million people, and that number does not begin to convey the diversity within the country. The modern-day Malaysian melting pot has pulled influences from around the world into the country and has melded together to create its own unique personality and history. Yet, in spite of all the diversity and differences, the true beauty of the country comes from the specific fusion and combination of it all which has created a country that is one of the most stable, safest and manageable spots in Southeast Asia. Use youGo’s guide to Malaysia to determine what adventures you want to try, what sights you want to see, and when you want to travel.

Things to Do and See

Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is full of fascinating colonial history and a seriously diverse cultural landscape that creates a vibrant and active life in this capital city. Try visiting the Islamic Arts Museum, the streets of Little India or Chinatown, or check out Independence Square. Modern influences can be spotted among the historical landmarks, and if you choose to indulge in shopping, you’ll walk through the malls that look incredibly futuristic.

Gunung Mulu National Park

This World Heritage site is the former home of headhunting tribes and has the most extensive cave system in the entire world. There are five caves within the Park open to the general public to spelunk through, and if you sign up for caving explorations you can get access to the non-public caves. If you’re interested in the headhunting tribe’s history, you can trek along a former trail of theirs and head to the Pinnacles, a razor-sharp outcrop within Gunung Mulu National Park.

Batu Caves

Located just north of Kuala Lumpur, the Batu Caves are hard to grasp if you don’t see them yourself. These dramatic limestone caverns are simply dripping with stalactites. It is widely regarded as a Hindu shrine, and every year, millions of devotees head to the caves in January and February to perform ritual acts and parade through the caves chambers in honour of the

Kota Bharu

This town, located on the east coast of Malaysia, borders Thailand but still manages to retain the original Malay culture and customs. Here you can see customary kites soaring through the sky and participate in events like feasting at the Kota Bharu night market. Festivals take over the Kota Bharu social calendars and visitors are always welcome to participate.

Pulau Perhentian

Visions of paradise, the two mirror islands are a perfect antithesis of the overdevelopment found in many other South East Asian resort islands. Here, life moves along at a tropical pace and there aren’t many diversions from the simple pleasures of enjoying the beach, laying in a hammock, or diving beneath the waves.

Seasonality

Travelling to Malaysia is possible all year long. The rainy season (October-April) isn’t a marked difference over the rest of the year and generally if you want to travel in Malaysia, you’ll be able to with favourable weather. One exception is the east coast of the country. Here, you’ll experience heavy rains from November through mid-February. As a result, many of the local resorts and boat services are limited or closed completely for the season. If you are visiting the states of Sabah or Sarawak, be aware that there’s high rainfall throughout the year but October through March is the worst.

Travel Tips

• Generally, Malaysia is pretty safe; violent attacks are uncommon. Usual safety precautions are always a good idea though, and if you can avoid walking alone through seedy neighbourhoods by yourself, clearly you should.
• Be aware of credit card fraud. It’s on the rise in the country. Make sure to only use your card at established and reputable businesses to protect your financial information.
• Visitors to Malaysia must have a passport that is valid for at least six months beyond your date of entry. For further restrictions and regulations, visit the Malaysian Foreign Affairs website.
• Tap water in larger cities is usually safe, though most people prefer the taste of bottled water. Outside large cities, regard tap water as potentially contaminated and use sterilised or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes.

There is only so much you can do to prepare for international travel, but past a certain point you’ve got to relax and stop worrying about what could or couldn’t happen during your time away from home. An easy way to take the pressure off yourself and to keep worrying to a minimum is to purchase travel insurance so you always have outside support and help if needed.