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Top things to do in Malaysia
Savour local Malaysian food, look out for orangutans and see colonial influences in Georgetown. The rainforest in Malaysia is a sight to behold, home to a range of exotic wildlife, with plenty of ways to respectfully visit this unique ecosystem.
Here are the top things to do on a Malaysia holiday, as chosen by our Indian Subcontinent specialists.
Look out for orangutans
Visit the Sepilok Rehabilitation Centre, a sanctuary in Borneo established to rehabilitate orangutans to be released into the wild. Watch them interact while learning about their plight and the work of the centre. To spot wild orangutans, head further into the Sepilok Forest Reserve, take a boat ride along the Kinabatangan river, or spend time in the Danum Valley – a patch of primary rainforest with the highest concentration of wild orang utans in the world.
Savour Malaysian food
Malaysia is a culinary melting pot, with influences from Indian, Chinese, Portuguese and Indonesian cuisines. Wander the markets, some stuffed with fresh produce and others with street hawkers, selling spicy satay and fluffy roti from their stalls. Taste traditional Peranakan (also known as Baba Nonya) cuisine in Mallaca – a mixture of Malaysian and Chinese style flavours. Enjoy ‘stretched’ teh tarik, and the fragrant, national dish of nasi lemak.
See colonial influences
There are plenty of colonial sights to explore on peninsular Malaysia. Malacca once was a powerful empire, and was ruled by the Portuguese, Dutch and British for its spice trade. Georgetown, the capital of Penang, showcases colonial architecture with mixed influences from Chinese, Indian and English culture. In Ipoh there are still impressive British and Chinese buildings in the old town – and the nearby tea country of the Cameron Highlands were a favourite of the English during the colonial era.
Respect the rainforest
Malaysia features some amazing rainforests. In peninsular Malaysia, Taman Negara – thought to be the oldest rainforest in the world – features canopy walks, waterfalls and cave systems. In Borneo, the Sepilok Forest Reserve and Danum valley offer the chance to spot wild orang utans and other wildlife, while Mulu National Park contains remarkable karst scenery as well as the spectacular Deer Cave, from where thousands of bats flit into the rainforest in the evening.
