Malaysia Travel Guide

Last updated on December 27th, 2022

Malaysia is a country nearly perfect to visit with culture, a range of local food from different ethics,
nightlife, shopping, and most importantly affordability. If you’re visiting Malaysia for the first time, then I
hope this Malaysia Travel Guide can help you plan your trip.

Malaysia is an ethnic diversity country and is best to visit for all kinds of travelers. The country is full of
excitement and you’ll never run out of things to do and see, and food to eat. This Malaysia Travel Guide
includes the best things to do and see as well as recommendations for the popular travel destination in
Malaysia such as Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highland, Malacca, Penang, and islands to visit.

Besides, we will also introduce some of the best restaurants to try Malaysia’s best food and our
accommodation guide when looking to stay in Malaysia. Hope this handy guide can help you to make
the most out of your trip when visiting Malaysia!

Kuala Lumpur (KL)

You’ll be surprised by Malaysia’s capital city – Kuala Lumpur with such a wide variety of things to see
and do. Most importantly, there is so much good food to eat in Malaysia. You’ll never leave Malaysia
with an empty tummy.

For those of you planning your own itinerary, we wanted to share our Kuala Lumpur travel guide
including the best things to do and what to see in KL.

Where To Stay
Looking for accommodation when visiting KL? If it’s your first time in Kuala Lumpur, then I think the
Bukit Bintang or KLCC areas are ideal. Both locations offer the best combination of shopping, food, and
ease of transportation.

Our Editor’s pick for the best KL hotel is the Dorsett Kuala Lumpur at Bukit Bintang and W Kuala Lumpur
Hotel at KLCC. Highly recommended if you want to stay within the city center for the best action.

I’ve created the accommodation guide to list down the best areas and hotels to help you find out your
perfect stay in KL. Read more about where to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Where To Eat
Are you going to Kuala Lumpur and wondering where and what to eat in KL? There are many
mouthwatering foods and you can find food from every corner of the city. Here we give you some of the
best food to indulge in when visiting KL.
  Kuala Lumpur Food Guide: Where and What To Eat
 ICC Pudu Food Guide: The Best Local Food To Eat in KL
 Yut Kee Restaurant: Best Place For Traditional Hainanese Cuisine
 Ho Kow Hainan Kopitiam: A Taste of Local KL Breakfast

Reference: https://www.mytravelbuzzg.com/portfolio/malaysia-travel-guide/

Malaysia
Written by Thomas R. Leinbach, Ooi Jin Bee, Craig A. Lockard

Fact-checked by: The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Aug 31, 2023 • Article History.

Malaysia, country of Southeast Asia, lying just north of the Equator, that is composed of two
noncontiguous regions: Peninsular Malaysia (Semenanjung Malaysia), also called West Malaysia
(Malaysia Barat), which is on the Malay Peninsula, and East Malaysia (Malaysia Timur), which is on the
island of Borneo. The Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, lies in the western part of the peninsula, about
25 miles (40 km) from the coast; the administrative centre, Putrajaya, is located about 16 miles (25 km)
south of the capital.

Malaysia, a member of the Commonwealth, represents the political marriage of territories that were
formerly under British rule. When it was established on September 16, 1963, Malaysia comprised the
territories of Malaya (now Peninsular Malaysia), the island of Singapore, and the colonies of Sarawak
and Sabah in northern Borneo. In August 1965 Singapore seceded from the federation and became an
independent republic.

Land
Peninsular Malaysia occupies most of the southern segment of the Malay Peninsula. To the north it is
bordered by Thailand, with which it shares a land boundary of some 300 miles (480 km). To the south, at
the tip of the peninsula, is the island republic of Singapore, with which Malaysia is connected by a
causeway and also by a separate bridge. To the southwest, across the Strait of Malacca, is the island of
Sumatra in Indonesia. East Malaysia consists of the country’s two largest states, Sarawak and Sabah, and
is separated from Peninsular Malaysia by some 400 miles (640 km) of the South China Sea. These two
states occupy roughly the northern fourth of the large island of Borneo and share a land boundary with
the Indonesian portion (Kalimantan) of the island to the south. Surrounded by Sarawak is a small coastal
enclave containing the sultanate of Brunei. Of the country’s total area, which includes about 265 square
miles (690 square km) of inland water, Peninsular Malaysia constitutes about 40 percent and East
Malaysia about 60 percent.
Relief
The long, narrow, and rugged Malay Peninsula extends to the south and southwest from Myanmar and
Thailand. The Malaysian portion of it is about 500 miles (800 km) long and—at its broadest east-west
axis—about 200 miles (320 km) wide. About half of Peninsular Malaysia is covered by granite and other
igneous rocks, one-third is covered by stratified rocks older than the granite, and the remainder is
covered by alluvium. At least half the land area lies more than 500 feet (150 metres) above sea level.

Peninsular Malaysia is dominated by its mountainous core, which consists of a number of roughly
parallel mountain ranges aligned north-south. The most prominent of these is the Main Range, which is
about 300 miles (480 km) long and has peaks exceeding 7,000 feet (2,100 metres). Karst landscapes—
limestone hills with characteristically steep whitish gray sides, stunted vegetation, caves created by the
dissolving action of water, and subterranean passages—are distinctive landmarks in central and
northern Peninsular Malaysia. Bordering the mountainous core are the coastal lowlands, 10 to 50 miles
(15 to 80 km) wide along the west coast of the peninsula but narrower and discontinuous along the east
coast.

East Malaysia is an elongated strip of land approximately 700 miles (1,125 km) long with a maximum
width of about 170 miles (275 km). The coastline of 1,400 miles (2,250 km) is paralleled inland by a 900-
mile (l,450-km) boundary with Kalimantan. For most of its length, the relief consists of three topographic
features. The first is the flat coastal plain. In Sarawak, where the coastline is regular, the plain averages
20 to 40 miles (30 to 60 km) in width, while in Sabah, where the coastline is rugged and deeply indented,
it is only 10 to 20 miles (15 to 30 km) wide. Inland from the coastal plain is the second topographic
feature, the hill-and-valley region. Elevations there generally are less than 1,000 feet (300 metres), but
isolated groups of hills reach heights of 2,500 feet (750 metres) or more. The terrain in this region is
usually irregular, with steep-sided hills and narrow valleys. The third topographic feature is the
mountainous backbone that forms the divide between East Malaysia and Kalimantan. This region, which
is higher and nearer to the coast in Sabah than in Sarawak, is composed of an eroded and ill-defined
complex of plateaus, ravines, gorges, and mountain ranges. Most of the summits of the ranges are
between 4,000 and 7,000 feet (1,200 and 2,100 metres). Mount Kinabalu towers above this mountain
complex; at 13,435 feet (4,095 metres), it is the highest peak in Malaysia and in the Southeast Asian
archipelago as a whole.

Drainage
Peninsular Malaysia is drained by an intricate system of rivers and streams. The longest river—the
Pahang—is only 270 miles (434 km) long. Streams flow year-round because of the constant rains, but
the volume of water transported fluctuates with the localized and torrential nature of the rainfall.
Prolonged rains often cause floods, especially in areas where the natural regimes of the rivers have been
disrupted by uncontrolled mining or agricultural activities.

As in Peninsular Malaysia, the drainage pattern of East Malaysia is set by the interior highlands, which
also form the watershed between Malaysia and Indonesia. The rivers, also perennial because of the
year-round rainfall, form a dense network covering the entire region. The longest river in Sarawak, the
Rajang, is about 350 miles (563 km) long and is navigable by shallow-draft boats for about 150 miles
(240 km) from its mouth; its counterpart in Sabah, the Kinabatangan, is of comparable length but is
navigable only for about 120 miles (190 km) from its mouth. The rivers provide a means of
communication between the coast and the interior, and historically, most settlement has taken place
along the rivers.
Soils
The soils of both portions of Malaysia have been exposed for a long period of time to intense tropical
weathering, with the result that most of their plant nutrients have been leached out. Soils typically are
strongly acidic and coarse-textured and have low amounts of organic matter. Any organic matter is
rapidly oxidized when exposed to weathering, and the soils consequently become even poorer. Soil
erosion is always a danger on sloping ground, where such preventive measures as building contour
embankments or planting protective cover crops are required.

Only a small proportion of the soils of Peninsular Malaysia is fertile, necessitating regular application of
fertilizer to sustain crop yields. Generally, soil conditions in Sarawak and Sabah do not differ greatly from
those on the peninsula. Of these three regions, only Sabah has appreciable areas of fertile soils. These
are found in the southeastern coastal areas, where the parent substance from which the soil is formed is
composed of chemically basic volcanic materials.

Climate of Malaysia
Both peninsular and insular Malaysia lie in the same tropical latitudes and are affected by similar
airstreams. They have high temperatures and humidities, heavy rainfall, and a climatic year patterned
around the northeast and southwest monsoons.

Although Malaysia has an equatorial climate, the narrowness and topographic configuration of each
portion—central mountainous cores with flat, flanking coastal plains—facilitate the inland penetration
of maritime climatic influences. The monsoons further modify the climate. The northeast monsoon
brings heavy rain and rough seas to the exposed coasts of southwestern Sarawak and northern and
northeastern Sabah, and it sometimes causes flooding in the eastern part of the peninsula. The
southwest monsoon affects mainly the southwestern coastal belt of Sabah, where flooding is common.
Neither peninsular nor insular Malaysia is in the tropical cyclone (typhoon) belt, but their coasts
occasionally are subject to the heavy rainstorms associated with squalls.

Temperatures are uniformly high throughout the year. On the peninsula, they average about 80 °F (27
°C) in most lowland areas. In coastal areas in East Malaysia, minimum temperatures range from the low
to mid-70s F (about 23 °C), and maximum temperatures hover around 90 °F (32 °C); temperatures are
lower in the interior highland regions. The mean annual rainfall on the peninsula is approximately 100
inches (2,540 mm); the driest location, Kuala Kelawang (in the district of Jelebu), near Kuala Lumpur,
receives about 65 inches (1,650 mm) of rain per year, while the wettest, Maxwell’s Hill, northwest of
Ipoh, receives some 200 inches (5,000 mm) annually. Mean annual precipitation in Sabah varies from
about 80 to 140 inches (2,030 to 3,560 mm), while most parts of Sarawak receive 120 inches (3,050 mm)
or more per year.

People of Malaysia
The people of Malaysia are unevenly distributed between Peninsular and East Malaysia, with the vast
majority living in Peninsular Malaysia. The population shows great ethnic, linguistic, cultural, and
religious diversity. Within this diversity, a significant distinction is made for administrative purposes
between indigenous peoples (including Malays), collectively called bumiputra, and immigrant
populations (primarily Chinese and South Asians), called non-bumiputra.
Ethnic groups and languages
The Malay Peninsula and the northern coast of Borneo, both situated at the nexus of one of the major
maritime trade routes of the world, have long been the meeting place of peoples from other parts of
Asia. As a result, the population of Malaysia, like that of Southeast Asia as a whole, shows great
ethnographic complexity. Helping to unite this diversity of peoples is the national language, a
standardized form of Malay, officially called Bahasa Malaysia (formerly Bahasa Melayu). It is spoken to
some degree by most communities, and it is the main medium of instruction in public primary and
secondary schools.

Peninsular Malaysia
In general, peninsular Malaysians can be divided into four groups. In the order of their appearance in
the region, these include the various Orang Asli (“Original People”) aboriginal peoples, the Malays, the
Chinese, and the South Asians. In addition, there are small numbers of Europeans, Americans, Eurasians,
Arabs, and Thai. The Orang Asli constitute the smallest group and can be classified ethnically into the
Jakun, who speak a dialect of Malay, and the Semang and Senoi, who speak languages of the Mon-
Khmer language family.

The Malays originated in different parts of the peninsula and archipelagic Southeast Asia. They
constitute about half of the country’s total population, they are politically the most powerful group, and,
on the peninsula, they are numerically dominant. They generally share with each other a common
culture, but with some regional variation, and they speak dialects of a common Austronesian language—
Malay. The most obvious cultural differences occur between the Malays living near the southern tip of
the peninsula and those inhabiting the eastern and western coastal areas. Unlike the other ethnic
groups of Malaysia, Malays are officially defined in part by their adherence to a specific religion, Islam.

The Chinese, who make up about one-fourth of Malaysia’s population, originally migrated from
southeastern China. They are linguistically more diverse than the Malays, speaking several different
Chinese languages; in Peninsular Malaysia, Hokkien and Hainanese (Southern Min languages),
Cantonese, and Hakka are the most prominent. Because these languages are not mutually intelligible, it
is not uncommon for two Chinese to converse in a lingua franca such as Mandarin Chinese, English, or
Malay. The community that is colloquially called Baba Chinese includes those Malaysians of mixed
Chinese and Malay ancestry who speak a Malay patois but otherwise remain Chinese in customs,
manners, and habit.

The peoples from South Asia—Indians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans—constitute a small but significant
portion of the Malaysian population. Linguistically, they can be subdivided into speakers of Dravidian
languages (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and others) and speakers of Indo-European languages (Punjabi,
Bengali, Pashto, and Sinhalese). The Tamil speakers are the largest group.

Religion of Malaysia
Islam, Malaysia’s official religion, is followed by about three-fifths of the population. Islam is one of the
most important factors distinguishing a Malay from a non-Malay, and, by law, all Malays are Muslim.
The Chinese do not have a dominant religion; many, while subscribing to the moral precepts of
Confucianism, follow Buddhism or Daoism; a small minority adheres to various denominations of
Christianity. Most of the Indians and Sri Lankans practice Hinduism, while the Pakistanis are
predominantly Muslim. Some Indians are Christian. The Sikhs, originally from the Indian state of Punjab,
largely adhere to their own religion, Sikhism.

Among the non-Malay indigenous peoples, many of the peninsula’s Orang Asli have adopted Islam, but
some communities maintain local religions. In Sarawak, the Iban, the Bidayuh, and most others tend to
follow Anglicanism, various other Protestant Christian denominations, or Roman Catholicism. The
Melanau, however, are primarily Muslim, with a Christian minority. Local religions have been
maintained by only small segments of Sarawak’s population. Local religions also are practiced by a
minority of the non-Malay indigenous populations of Sabah. The Kadazan and Murut are primarily
Christian, although there is also a significant Muslim community. Most Bajau follow Islam.

Economy of Malaysia
Malaysia’s economy has been transformed since 1970 from one based primarily on the export of raw
materials (rubber and tin) to one that is among the strongest, most diversified, and fastest-growing in
Southeast Asia. Primary production remains important: the country is a major producer of rubber and
palm oil, exports considerable quantities of petroleum and natural gas, and is one of the world’s largest
sources of commercial hardwoods. Increasingly, however, Malaysia has emphasized export-oriented
manufacturing to fuel its economic growth. Using the comparative advantages of a relatively
inexpensive but educated labour force, well-developed infrastructure, political stability, and an
undervalued currency, Malaysia has attracted considerable foreign investment, especially from Japan
and Taiwan.

Cultural life Cultural milieu

Malaysia is a point of convergence of several major cultural traditions that stem from archipelagic
Southeast Asia as well as from China, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West. Malay culture, the
Orang Asli cultures of Peninsular Malaysia, and many of the cultures of East Malaysia are indigenous to
the area. In the first one and a half millennia CE, indigenous Malay culture in the Malay Peninsula and in
other parts of Southeast Asia was strongly marked by pre-Islamic Indian and early Islamic influences.
Indian contact with the Malay Peninsula, which extended from about the 2nd or 3rd century to the late
14th century, exerted a profound influence on religion (through Hinduism and Buddhism), art, and
literature. Islam, introduced to Malacca (now Melaka) in the 15th century, soon became the dominant
religion of the Malays. Western cultural influences, especially since the 19th century, also have affected
many aspects of Malay life, particularly in the realms of technology, law, social organization, and
economics. Contemporary Malay culture is thus multifaceted, consisting of many strands—indigenous,
early Hindu, early and modern Islamic, and, especially in the cities, Western—interwoven to yield a
pattern that is distinct from other cultures yet recognizably Malay.

Reference: https://www.britannica.com/place/Malaysia