5 Best places to visit in Malaysia
Malaysia is one of the Asian Dragons. There are many places to be visited but the best places to visit in Malaysia are Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, Melaka, and Penang.
Malaysia is located in South-East Asia, it basically consists of two parts; the Peninsula bordering Thailand in the North and Singapore in the South and the island of East-Malaysia, where you find the provinces of Sarawak and Sabah.
Most visitors to Malaysia stick to the Peninsula, with Kuala Lumpur as the most important place to explore the country from. When you need a little rest after KL’s fast-paced life, head for the Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, historic Melaka, or the interesting Pearl of the Orient Penang.
If you are the adventurous type your destination should travel to Sarawak or Sabah, on the island of East Malaysia, with their spectacular wildlife, longhouses, and Mount Kinabalu.
Kuala Lumpur | Best Places to Visit in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, located on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Covering an area 243 sq km, it lies approximately 40 km from the coast. Kuala Lumpur is commonly known to lie in a valley surrounded by jagged hills. Kuala Lumpur was discovered at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.
Today, Kuala Lumpur is the home of 1.5 million people and the political and cultural center of the nation. Kuala Lumpur leads Malaysia's fast-paced development in trade and commerce, banking and finance, manufacturing, transportation, information technology, and tourism.
The two Kuala Lumpur, sights: sights not to be missed are the twin Petronas Towers, the tallest buildings in the world. Other interesting sights in KL are the Parliament House, the Jame Mosque, the National Museum, Lake Gardens, the National Monument, and the Sultan Abdul Samad government building.
One of Malaysia’s largest Hindu temples can also be found in KL. The Central Market is a huge center with restaurants and a good place to shop for quality brand-names and handicraft items.
Close to downtown is the Bukit Nanas Complex, a natural jungle with footpaths for visitors. The most popular day trip from KL is to the Batu Caves. They are in a short distance north of town and have can be accessed by climbing up 272 stairs.
Cameron Highlands
Cameron Highlands is a wonderful place to escape the heat and the interior or the jagged life of KL. Now wonder as the Cameron Highlands are located 1,829 meters above sea level. The climate is great, and it was one of the most popular hill stations of Southeast Asia in Colonial Times. Cameron Highlands is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia. First Cameron Highlands was discovered in 1885 by British surveyor William Cameron. The fame of Cameron Highlands grown up during the colonial era when British Planters realized the potential of its fertile mountain slopes for growing tea, then a prized commodity among the colonies. The area is very suitable for hiking. You can spend several days there seeing butterflies orchids waterfalls great scenery and tea plantations. Tea cultivated on Cameron Highlands is one of the best tea found in the country. The walks range from short paved trails to small expeditions. The hill station of Cameron Highlands also offers a fine golf course and excellent accommodations, worth the long winding drive and one of the best places to visit in Malaysia.
Langkawi
The island of Langkawi - ninety-nine of them, is tucked into the northwest corner of the peninsula and nestled on the Thai-Malaysian sea border, and also one of the best places to visit in Malaysia.
Unspoilt and rustic, it is a tropical paradise spectacularly provided by nature, one where crystal clear bright green waters, azure skies, lush green vegetation, and fantastic limestone formations can be found.
But Langkawi is the best places to visit in Malaysia and more than captivating beauty. It is a land steep in legends and shrouded in mystery.
The best-known legend is of Mashuri, a pretty maiden who lived some 200 years ago. Executed for a crime she did not commit, she laid a curse on the land, that "...Langkawi shall not prosper for seven generations to come."
Seven generations of barren underdevelopment have passed. As the cloud of both social and economic gloom passes, Langkawi is poised to take its place as a premier holiday venue.
Populated by approximately 40,000 inhabitants, mostly Malays, it offers myriad possibilities for both the weary and the adventurous and is nothing short of a “must” for the avid and fun-loving traveller.
Melaka
History is everywhere in Malacca; prevalent in every nook and corner, both hinting at and sometimes even outrageously flaunting, a glorious past of international trade, power, and conquests.
Once an unknown settlement of sea gypsies the land's fate took a turn when a prince, fleeing from his own invaded domain of Tumasek, arrived in the 1400s. The prince's name was Paramewara and he proclaimed himself ruler of Malacca.
Thus began of the transformation of Melake from an obsure fishing enclave into a powerful kingdom. Malacca rose to become a prosperous and powerful nerve center of trade between the East and the West, and eventually became an empire.
In Melaka, tobacco, silk, opium, gold, perfumes, tea, and many other items from nearby countries and from as far away as South America and Europe changed hands. Malacca is one of the best places to visit in Malaysia.
The fame of this city spread far and wide, attracted conquerors who coveted the monopoly of the important spice trade. From 1511, the Portuguese, the Dutch, and latterly the English, took control of the empire until Malaysia obtained her independence in 1957, and Malacca was handed over to its first local Governor.
Malacca is located on the West Coast of Peninsular, Malaysia, about 147 KM from Kuala Lumpur between the states of Negeri Sembilan and Johor. It covers an area of 658 square kilometers and is divided into three islands/regions - Alor Gajah, Central Malacca, and Jasin. A visit to Malacca is like traveling through history. As the visitor walks the narrow streets, visits old temples, mosques, and medieval fortresses, or lingers among ancient ruins and epitaphs, Malacca's history will attract and hold more interest in its tours.
Penang
Penang is made up of a turtle-shaped island, a total of 280 square kilometers, and a strip of land called Seberang Prai on Peninsular Malaysia about 48 kilometers wide. Penang is also called the Pearl of the rise. Penang is also the best places to visit in Malaysia.
It used to be the British settlement in Malaysia predating Melaka. In 1786 Captain Francis Light took possession of the island. Today it is probably the most famous island in the country. It is not only known for its beach resorts but for its colonial heritage, you can especially witness in Georgetown, the biggest city on the island.
Many visitors coming down from Thailand head for Penang first before they continue their trip to places like Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur, or Melaka. Many people living in Thailand come to get a new visa at the local Thai consulate.
Penang is much more influenced by the Chinese part of the Malaysian population than any other place. You will notice a large number of Chinese people. What is rather more impressive to the foreign visitor is the mix of churches, Chinese temples, and Indian temples sometimes only a few hundred meters away from each other.
Also, there are a number of interesting other Penang, sights: sights to be found in Georgetown and beyond. The famous author Somerset Maugham is also to stay on the island and spun tales about the romance of the white planter in South-East Asia.
Most visitors will either stay in Georgetown or in one of the beach resorts outside the city. The most popular are Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi (Foreigner's rock). If you are looking for a really clean and unspoiled beach Penang might not be the right place, but it is still very nice and the whole atmosphere is really relaxed.
