Why You Ought To Tour Malaysia

Posted on | January 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Malaysia, situated in South-East Asia just above the Equator, isÂ is divided into West and East Malaysia which are separated by the South China Sea.

It’sÂ very tourist-friendly with delicious food and exciting places to visit all over the country. Malaysians are among the warmest people you will find anywhere. In Malaysia, you can experience diverse cultures of the various people groups. The main ethnic groups are Malays, Chinese and Indians in West Malaysia and Kadazans and Ibans in East Malaysia.

For example, it is a custom for Malays to point at someone with the thumb instead of the index finger. Pointing with the index finger is deemed impolite.

As far as food is concerned, Malaysia is a haven. All sorts of dishes are easily found. Rice is the staple diet for Malaysians but each people group has its own styles of cooking. The Malays and Indians love spicy food so much of their cooking has curry and chilli. Some examples of fine Malay dishes are Nasi Kandar and Satay. The Indians are famous for their Tosai and Roti Canai. On the other hand, the Chinese like their soup and noodles besides rice so their cooking is more bland compared to the Malays and Indians. Some of the favorite Chinese dishes include Koay Teow soup and Bak Kut Teh.

Malaysia has many interesting places to visit. If you love the city attractions, big Malaysian cities like Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching offer shopping and dining comparative to any other city in the world. Kuala Lumpur is famous for the Petronas Towers, the tallest building in the world up to 2002. Attached to the Petronas Towers is the elegant Suria KLCC shopping mall, one of the many top-class shopping centers in Kuala Lumpur. Petaling Jaya, another city just 7 miles away from Kuala Lumpur, has many shopping destinations, too. One of them is Sunway Pyramid that houses Malaysia’s only ice skating ring and the popular Sunway Lagoon Theme Park.

For recreation, you can head up to the cool atmosphere of Genting Highlands.

This is the site of Malaysia’s only casino and another huge theme park. The Genting City of Entertainment hosts many international artistes. Among those that have performed there recently include Celine Dion, Tony Orlando and The Osmonds. Kuala Lumpur is home to the world’s largest free-flight walk-in aviary at the KL Bird Park. The Park has over 3,000 of the most interesting birds. You will also find the Aquaria and Petrosains Center in Suria KLCC.

As the names suggest, these are KL’s aquarium and science center respectively.

For those who like to rough it out under more rugged conditions, try Sarawak’s homestay program where you can spend 2 or 3 days living in a tribal longhouse.

Alternatively, try climbing Mount Kinabalu in Sabah which is the highest mountain in South-East Asia. Wildlife enthusiasts can head up to Sabah’s Sepilok Orang Utan Sanctuary to see the endangered Oran Utans in their natural environment. If you wish to stay in 5-star conditions in the middle of the tropical rainforest, then go to Sabah’s Sukau Lodge and take a river cruise down the Kinabatangan River. You get to see live monkeys and other small mammals living in their natural environment. The experience is like no other.