By: Thomas Teo
Malaysia is famous of tourism, especially famous on the food and culture celebration. There are many places to visit if you plan to spend your holiday in Malaysia. Below are the top 10 places to visit in Malaysia.
Pulau Langkawi
One of the beautiful islands in Malaysia is Langkawi, which located in the north western part of Peninsular Malaysia. Many people do also describe the island as one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The island is well cared which makes it a perfect destination for holiday. There are many great attractions in the island. You can also shop at the shopping malls, and have dinners at hawkers. To travel around in the island, you can rent a motorcycle. The island is accessible from Kuala Lumpur or Penang Island.
Perhentian Island
If you love scuba diving and snorkelling, Perhentian Island is totally somewhere you shouldn’t missed. The accommodations here are affordable with great price. There are simple chalets and moderate luxurious resorts along the beaches with restaurants, dive centre and boat operators. Most of the areas are not developed. If you wish to travel around, you will need to walk through the jungle or take sea taxi. You can take part in wildlife, such as monitor lizards, fruit bats, squirrels, and mouse deer. In Perhentian Island, you can enjoy relaxing time on the beach.
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia, which have more tourists in the city. If you are a shopaholic, you would love visiting Kuala Lumpur. Malaysians are used to visit shopping malls during weekend. It is not common to bargain lower price in shopping mall, but you may try it on regular clothing and low priced products. There are also parks, museum and heritage scenery available to visit in Kuala Lumpur.
Penang Island
Penang Island is located at north western part of Peninsular Malaysia. Unlike Langkawi Island which is well known for jungles and beaches, Penang is more known for the Chinese authentic atmosphere and great hawkers’ food. People usually visit Penang for the delicious foods such as Asam Laksa, Char Kuey Teow, and Cendol.
East Coast Cities
There are three cities at the east coast in Peninsular Malaysia, which is Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu, and Kota Bahru. In Kelantan, the atmosphere is good and famous of the beaches, such as Cherating. Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu are both known for their great authentic markets. These two cities also reflect the traditional Malaysia.If you plan to visit east coast, avoid monsoon season (October through March), because the weather is usually very bad. These cities lose their attractiveness when it rains 24 hours a day. Most beautiful tropical islands of Malaysia such as Pulau Perhentian, Pulau Redang and, Pulau Lang Tengah are located at east coast too.
Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia. The mountain is 4092 meters high and no snow at the summit. The mountain located at the northern part of the State of Sabah, in Borneo Malaysia. If you are planning to climb the mountain, you may consider head over to Kota Kinabalu, which is the closest city near the mountain. The trip to the summit is really great. You might get back very exhausted, but with many awesome memories especially with friends.
Kinabatangan River
The river Kinabatangan runs through the state of Sabah in Borneo. Alongside the river, there are many different species of exotic animal can be found from out of a small boat. A Kinabatangan river cruise is a great way to explore the inlands and beautiful scenery of Sabah. Sabah is probably one of the best places to spot animals, birds, insects and many plant species in all of Southeast Asia.
Sipadan Island
Sipadan Island is one of the best diving spots in the world. Every diving enthusiast knows that the underwater world ‘beneath’ the island is stunning and attractive. Sipadan Island used to be open to public, but after the government concluded that the island and its surroundings were quickly deteriorating the island became a protected marine park. Fortunately, diving is still possible, but visitors are recommended stay overnight at the neighboring islands of Mabul or Kapalai. Sipadan is a very exclusive diving spot, so you’ll pay pretty high prices for a diving trip to the island.
Cameron Highlands
If you love to stay away from city, you can consider visit Cameron Highlands, which located in close to the city of Ipoh, in the western part of Peninsular Malaysia. Cameron Highlands are higher than many other places in Malaysia. It is usually a noticeable cooler there. For this reason many local Malaysians often go to the Cameron Highlands to escape the warm and humid weather of the big cities of Malaysia.
Taman Negara
If you are planning visit Malaysia, you can either stay on the Peninsular Malaysia, or head off to Borneo. Borneo has many wildlife parks which more worth a visit. However, it might be difficult due to time restrictions. If you only have three weeks to explore Malaysia, it is better to stay on the Peninsula. Taman Negara is the oldest primary rainforest in the world, and an absolute must-visit when you’re staying on Peninsular Malaysia.