8 Fantastic reasons to visit Malaysia

I’ll admit Malaysia is not a place that has been top of mind for me when it comes to travel because of how little I know about it. But last week I got to visit Malaysia virtually with #MalaysiaAwaitsYou and the idea of this trip immediately moved to the top of my travel wish list (here’s an inspiring video). After the virtual presentation, a clear list of 8 fantastic reasons to visit Malaysia became clear in my mind.

Malaysia is a fairly small country located in the heart of Southeast Asia. Split in two by a body of water (Riay Archipelago to be precise), hugged by Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. The geographical location of the country creates a spectacular natural environment and fosters a wide variety of biodiversity. Its proximity, or rather centrality in Southeast Asia, makes Malaysia a very culturally diverse country. But that’s just a quick summary, so let’s dive in!

Note: If you already know you’d like to visit scroll to the bottom for some official “Book now, travel later” tours. 

All images are courtesy of the Malaysia Tourism Board. 
This post is not sponsored, I just got very excited 🙂 This blog post however does use affiliate links denoted by ( * ).

8 reasons to visit Malaysia, in no particular order:

Crystal blue beaches

Imagine 2858 miles of clear blue beach divided between two coastlines and smaller islands. One of the big water destinations is Sky Mirror Malaysia. It is an uncharted beach only accessible in low tide, you will feel (and look) like you’re walking on water. A place I’m particularly excited about visiting is Blue Tears Tusan Beach in Miri Sarawak. This is a surreal glowing ocean beach with luminous, glow-in-the-dark waters.

Food, food & more food

Kuala Lumpur (Penang) is also home to one of the world’s best street food markets. But Malaysia in general is a food paradise. Where you can eat a different dish every day for a year and not eat the same thing twice. I’m talking 365 days of different meals inspired by the breadth of Southeast Asia. Some of the most famous dishes are:

• nasi lemak : coconut rice with a range of sides, a breakfast dish
• roti canai: Indian-inspired flatbread
• char kuey teow: fried rice noodles)
• satay
• asam laksa: spicy noodle soup, which rated as 7th best dish in the world (out of 50) by CNN in 2019

Nature & wildlife

Malaysia is located on top of the world’s Coral Triangle. According to WWF this is home to “nearly 600 different species of reef-building corals”. This location makes Malaysian waters one of the most bio-diverse marine ecosystems in the world. Malaysian rainforests, on the other hand, are over 113 million years old! You can hike, jungle track, explore waterfalls, see some of the largest flowers in the world (rafflesia), and spot rare wildlife, like the orangoutangs, and proboscis monkeys, the smallest of the Asian elephants (Pigmy). The country also has four UNESCO heritage sites:

• Georgetown and Melaka
• Kinabalu National Park
• Mulu National Park
• Lenggong Valley in Perak. 

Adventures, on land & water

Remember the Coral Triangle? You can scuba dive over it (more info on Padi), snorkel with the schools of fish, or stroll the seafloor in a big glass helmet. There is a wide range of adventure activities suitable to any fitness and adrenalin level from white water rafting, to coral flying from Gaya Island to Sapi Island (250m zipline). You can climb the highest peak in South Asia, Mount Kinabalu (between the Himalayas and New Guinea), or conquer the Pinnacles of Mulu Sarawak. You can even go strolling over the rainforest in Habitat Penang Hill!

Health & wellness, but in paradise

Malasia subscribes to the Asian philosophy of wellness, from the traditions of Malay, Chinese, and Indian practices, focusing on complete rejuvenation. Some of the top health resorts are Pangkor Laut Resort*, Ritz Carlton Langkawi*, and spiritual forest retreat, Kechara Forest Retreat (KFR), located in the deep forest of Pahang (founded on Buddhist teachings).

Luxury, leisurely rest

The geographic location is very well suited for luxury tourism so naturally, there are plenty of water bungalow-style resorts. These properties are located right on the water, with each suite being a separate bungalow, overlooking stunning views with direct access to the turquoise waters, and quite a few of them are eco-resorts. Some of the recommended properties are:

• Sipadan-Kapalai Beach resort
• Sipadan Water Village Resort
• Mabul Water Bungalows
• Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson* (over 600 individual pools!)

Cultural diversity 

Malaysia is mostly composed of three major ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, and Indians, but the influxes from all Southeast Asian neighbors are also visible in the country through food, architecture, cultural celebrations, and religious beliefs. Because of this cultural diversity, there are a lot of festivals and nearly all of them are public holidays. Here’s a good list of the festivals. 

Sustainability & conservation

Malaysia is one of the world’s leaders in sustainability and conservation. The country followed the globally accepted 17 sustainable development goals, each of which is outlined and reported on frequently. From the tourism perspective, you can participate as a volunteer, visit wildlife rehabilitation centers, or support local communities through homestays.  

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Planning to travel

Malaysia is hoping to welcome tourists back in late 3rd and 4th quarter of 2021 and have worked with various tourism agencies on creating official tours that allow people to book now and travel later, here is the complete list: 

Ker and Downey: Malaysia Luxury Travel | Contact:  1.800.423.4236

Yampu Tours: Buy One Get One 50% off on BRIEF MALAYSIA TOUR (KUALA LUMPUR, KUCHING, BATANG AI for 9 days from $3,020 and the second one from $1,050) | Contact: 1.888.926.7801

Sayang Holidays: Buy One Get One 50% off on SIMPLY MALAYSIA (PENANG & KUALA LUMPUR: 8 days 6 nights from $859 and the second one from $430) | Contact: 1.888.472.9264

Globotours: Buy One Get One 50% off on CITY, HERITAGE & WILDLIFE (Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands & Penang) | Contact: 1.626.839.8608

Access Asia Tours: MALAYSIA CULINARY TOUR (Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh, and Penang) | Office: 1-303-593-2361 | Direct line: 1-303-960-5935

The country basics:

Getting here: by plane (no direct flights from Canada) or by a scenic train from a neighboring country. You can also drive from Singapore, which sounds like a lovely road trip.

Weather: There are two seasons, wet and dry, with an average temperature of 77° – 95° F 

Language: Official language is Bahasa Melayu but English is spoken widely 

Documents: Canadian and American passport holders do not need a visa to visit but your passport does need to be valid for 6 months minimum.

Currency: Ringgit, which currently costs roughly 0.30 Canadian Dollar