Discover
Malaysia
Tropical rainforests, diverse cultures, and iconic skyscrapers define this vibrant nation.
Top Destinations
Explore our curated selection of landmarks and cities you must visit.
Petronas Twin Towers
The iconic twin supertall skyscrapers that dominated the world's tallest building title from 1998 to 2004, rising 452 metres above Kuala Lumpur. Designed by César Pelli with Islamic geometric motifs integrated into the structural form, the towers are connected by a sky bridge at floors 41–42. The surrounding KLCC Park, Suria shopping mall, and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre form one of Southeast Asia's most impressive urban precincts.
Best Time
Weekday mornings for the sky bridge (tickets sell out fast). Evenings for the KLCC Park fountain show. November–February for cooler weather.
Insider Tip
Buy sky bridge tickets online...
Batu Caves
A series of limestone caves set in a 400-million-year-old limestone outcrop on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, serving as one of the most important Hindu shrines outside India. The 272 rainbow-coloured steps lead past the world's tallest Lord Murugan statue (42.7 metres of gold-painted concrete) to the Cathedral Cave — a cathedral-sized cavern housing shrines decorated with colourful devotional art.
Best Time
Early morning (7–9am) to avoid crowds and heat. Thaipusam festival (January/February) for the most dramatic experience.
Insider Tip
Visit the smaller and less-visited...
Penang George Town
A UNESCO World Heritage city — the best-preserved example of a multicultural trading port in Southeast Asia, where Chinese shophouses, colonial British buildings, Malay kampungs, Indian temples, and European mansions exist side by side in a remarkably intact historic urban fabric. Founded by Francis Light in 1786, George Town grew as a free port attracting waves of Chinese, Indian, and Malay migrants.
Best Time
November–February (northeast monsoon misses Penang). Chinese New Year and Hungry Ghost Festival create extraordinary street celebrations.
Insider Tip
Explore the clan jetties of...
Langkawi Island
An archipelago of 99 islands on the northwest coast of Malaysia, largely covered in ancient tropical rainforest, with mangrove estuaries, dramatic geological formations, and some of Malaysia's finest beaches. A UNESCO Global Geopark, Langkawi's geological formations span 550 million years. The island is duty-free, making it a popular resort and shopping destination as well.
Best Time
November–April (dry season). The southwest monsoon (June–August) brings heavy rain.
Insider Tip
Take a sunrise mangrove kayak...
Cameron Highlands
A lush hill station at 1,500 metres altitude in the Main Range of peninsular Malaysia, settled by the British in the 1920s as a tea-growing and administrative retreat. Rolling hills covered in emerald tea plantations, Tudor-style bungalows, strawberry farms, and cool misty mornings create an atmosphere strikingly different from tropical lowland Malaysia.
Best Time
March–September (drier season). Mornings are always coolest and most atmospheric with mist.
Insider Tip
Visit the Boh Tea Centre...
Mount Kinabalu
The highest mountain in Southeast Asia at 4,095 metres, rising dramatically from the Borneo rainforest in Kinabalu Park — a UNESCO World Heritage Site containing one of the world's most important biological hotspots with extraordinary plant diversity including the world's largest rafflesia flower and over 1,000 orchid species.
Best Time
February–April (driest months). Avoid the northeast monsoon season (November–January). Book permits 6 months in advance.
Insider Tip
The via ferrata route from...
Taman Negara National Park
One of the world's oldest rainforests at 130 million years, covering 4,343 km² of virgin primary jungle in the heart of peninsular Malaysia. Home to Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, clouded leopards, tapirs, and over 350 bird species. The world's longest canopy walkway (530 metres at 45 metres height) runs through the forest canopy.
Best Time
February–October (dry season). Avoid November–January (flood risk on rivers).
Insider Tip
Night jungle walks with a...
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
A 43 km² forest reserve on the northeast coast of Borneo that serves as a rehabilitation centre for orphaned and injured Bornean orangutans. Founded in 1964, Sepilok allows rehabilitated orangutans to gradually reintegrate into the wild, with twice-daily feeding platforms providing reliable viewing of semi-wild orangutans at close range.
Best Time
Year-round (Borneo has no dry season). Feeding times: 10am and 3pm daily. Arrive 30 minutes early.
Insider Tip
Visit the adjacent Bornean Sun...
Mulu Caves (Gunung Mulu National Park)
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sarawak containing the world's largest cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber — 600m long, 415m wide, 80m high), the world's longest cave passage (Clearwater Cave — 227km), and one of the world's most spectacular show caves (Deer Cave). Over 3 million bats exit Deer Cave at dusk in a continuous undulating stream.
Best Time
Year-round (Sarawak has year-round humidity). Bat exodus is best viewed February–October (clearer skies).
Insider Tip
The Adventure Caves (Clearwater and...
Malacca (Melaka) Historic City
A UNESCO World Heritage city — the former capital of the Malacca Sultanate (1400–1511) and subsequently the most important port in Southeast Asian history under Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial rule. The city centre retains Dutch colonial Stadthuys (1650), Christ Church (1753), Portuguese A Famosa fort ruins, Baba-Nyonya shophouses, and Chinese temples.
Best Time
November–February (cooler weather). The Jonker Walk night market runs every weekend year-round.
Insider Tip
Take a river cruise along...
Danum Valley Conservation Area
One of the most pristine areas of lowland dipterocarp rainforest remaining in Borneo — 438 km² of old-growth jungle classified as a Class I Protection Forest. Home to Bornean pygmy elephants, Sumatran rhinoceros, clouded leopards, Bornean orangutans, and over 340 bird species in virtually undisturbed primary forest.
Best Time
Year-round. The best wildlife activity is in the early morning (5–7am) and at night. Book well in advance — accommodation is limited.
Insider Tip
Night drives in an open...
Kuala Lumpur Central Market & Chinatown
The historic Art Deco Central Market (Pasar Seni) — built in 1888 as KL's wet market and now a showcase for Malaysian handicrafts, batik, silverware, and cultural goods — anchors the Chinatown precinct of Petaling Street. The surrounding area encompasses the Sri Mahamariamman Temple, the Chan See Shu Yuen Clan Association, and the most dense concentration of colonial shophouses in KL.
Best Time
Evenings for the hawker stalls along Jalan Petaling. Weekends for the busiest market atmosphere.
Insider Tip
Venture off Jalan Petaling into...
Kinabatangan River
Sabah's longest river — the Kinabatangan's floodplain supports the highest wildlife density in Borneo, with proboscis monkeys, Bornean pygmy elephants, false gharial crocodiles, and ten primate species visible from river boats. The riparian forest is a narrow wildlife corridor compressed between oil palm plantations, concentrating wildlife at the river edge.
Best Time
February–October (lower water levels concentrate animals at the river edge). October–January (elephant herds are most frequently seen).
Insider Tip
Stay multiple nights — wildlife...
Perhentian Islands
A pair of tropical islands — Perhentian Besar (Big) and Perhentian Kecil (Small) — off the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise water with excellent coral reefs and abundant marine life including sea turtles, blacktip reef sharks, and rays directly accessible from the beach.
Best Time
March–October (islands close November–February due to monsoon). April–August for best diving visibility.
Insider Tip
Sea turtles nest on the...
Ipoh Heritage City
A former tin-mining boomtown that grew faster than Kuala Lumpur in the early 20th century, leaving Ipoh with the finest collection of Edwardian colonial architecture in Malaysia — the magnificent railway station (Little Taj Mahal), the Town Hall, the FMS Bar, and dozens of heritage shophouses. Now experiencing a creative revival with excellent cafes, street art, and restaurants.
Best Time
Year-round. Mornings for dim sum culture; afternoons for heritage walking.
Insider Tip
Breakfast at one of Ipoh's...
KLCC Aquarium & Menara KL Tower
The Menara KL (KL Tower) is a 421-metre telecommunications tower offering the best 360° panoramic views of Kuala Lumpur from its observation deck at 276 metres — higher than the Twin Towers' sky bridge. The surrounding Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve is the oldest permanent forest reserve in Malaysia, an urban jungle in the city centre.
Best Time
Late afternoon for the best lighting on the cityscape. Clear evenings for the most dramatic views.
Insider Tip
The glass floor observation deck...
Kota Kinabalu Waterfront
The waterfront promenade of Sabah's capital city, running along the South China Sea coast with views of offshore islands and the distinctive Al-Amanah Sabah State Mosque. The city's evening seafood market — the largest in Sabah — transforms the waterfront nightly into a feast of fresh-from-the-sea grilled fish, prawns, and local dishes at waterside tables.
Best Time
Year-round for sunsets. The Central Market seafood dining is best from 6–9pm.
Insider Tip
Take a snorkelling day trip...
Kuching Sarawak
The capital of Sarawak — one of Southeast Asia's most charming small cities, with a well-preserved colonial waterfront, excellent museums, and proximity to exceptional Borneo natural attractions including Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (orangutans), Bako National Park (proboscis monkeys), and the Sarawak Cultural Village.
Best Time
June–September (drier months in Sarawak). The Rainforest World Music Festival (July) is one of Asia's finest music events.
Insider Tip
Visit Semenggoh Wildlife Centre (22km...
Tioman Island
A large island in the South China Sea, 56km offshore — covered in pristine jungle-clad mountains dropping straight to the sea, with excellent coral reefs surrounding the island and one of Malaysia's finest diving destinations. Tioman was named one of the world's most beautiful islands by TIME Magazine in 1970 and formed the setting for the musical film South Pacific.
Best Time
March–October (monsoon closes the island November–February). April–August for best diving.
Insider Tip
Dive the wreck of the...
Penang Hill & Botanical Gardens
Penang Hill — a 830-metre elevated plateau with views over George Town, the Strait of Malacca, and the mainland — was developed by the British as a hill station from 1788. The funicular railway (Asia's first) opened in 1923 and remains in operation. The summit has walking trails, colonial bungalows, Hindu and Muslim shrines, and some of Penang's finest biodiversity.
Best Time
Mornings for clear views (clouds form by afternoon). Golden hour (6pm) for sunset views.
Insider Tip
Walk the heritage trail from...
Travel Tips for Malaysia
- 1.
Bring mosquito repellent for jungle trips
- 2.
Remove shoes when entering temples/homes
- 3.
Ringgit is the currency