MALAYSIA

Malaysia is really two places in one: Peninsular Malaysia, home to the capital Kuala Lumpur and colonial states, such as Penang and Malacca; and, just a couple of hundred miles across the South China Sea, Malaysian Borneo, the northern region of the island of the same name.

Kuala Lumpur is the ideal hub for adventures across the peninsula. You’ll want to take your time here though, eating incredible Malay, Chinese and Indian food and scaling the Petronas Towers for epic views. Beyond the city, you’ll find a fascinating colonial history, as well as places to visit on the tropical island of Langkawi and, in Taman Negara, one of the oldest rainforests in the world.

Borneo, meanwhile, will leave you wowed with its remarkable landscapes and heart-stopping adventures. Head deep into the forest in Batang Ai National Park for encounters in the wild with the critically endangered Bornean orangutans, to climb Mount Kinabalu, and then take time to relax on palm-fringed beaches.