One of the most popular islands in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is a place of diversity with vibrant cities, relaxing beaches and a mix of cultures and natural settings suited for everyone. Located near Thailand and occupying part of Borneo, you can find a range of experiences here.
Best Time to Visit
Malaysia is hot and humid all year round and temperatures don’t vary that much throughout the year, mostly staying around 30 degrees with rainfall all year round as well. The West coast is where you will find all the luxurious tropical beaches, whereas the East coast has more urban locations. Overall, the best time to visit is between March and early October as here you will avoid most of the rainfall and worst of the humidity.
Cuisine
A lot of Malaysian food has been influenced by foods from Thai, Chinese, Indonesian and Indian cuisine making many of their dishes full of fragrant flavours and spices. Rice is a staple in their cuisine just like many other Asian countries and some of their most popular dishes include Banana leaf, Nasi Dagang, Sang Har Noodles, Sentul Satay and Charsiew (BBQ pork) rice.
History and Culture
The country started out with settlers from Southern China which led to the influence of Hinduism and Buddhism in the modern country, today. Malaysia first became an independent country in 1957, and it wasn’t until the 1970s and 1980s that it started to come out of poverty and become an agriculturally rich country, leading to better living standards. Their culture involves a wide range of other Asian ethnic groups, and they still take part in martial arts such as Silat. The people are extremely friendly and greet visitors enthusiastically.
Things to Do
- Visit the world’s tallest twin towers, Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur
- Visit Kinabalu Park, Sabah– UNESCO World Heritage site
- See the Orangutans in Borneo
- Visit the temples
- Experience the Tropical Spice Garden
