Picture a place where South East Asian, Chinese and Indian peoples live together, beneath mosques, temples and high-rise towers, and just moments away from pristine jungle coasts – now you’re in Malaysia.
The thrumming metropolis of Kuala Lumpur is one of a kind. In no other place will you find the likes of the glorious national mosque side by side with glimmering skyscrapers like the Petronas towers. Just kilometres north of here, the sacred Hindu shrines of Batu caves, paint an even more eclectic picture of this multi-faceted country. The strangely colonial island of Penang and the luxurious beaches of Langkawi will erase everything you thought you knew about Malaysia. And if you think this diversity is impressive, just wait til you try Malaysia’s world-famous food.
The jungle island of Borneo is a cradle for the world’s strangest and most vulnerable wildlife.
The East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak contain some of Borneo’s greatest wonders. Covered in thick jungle, the region is known as a sanctuary for endangered wildlife. Float up the Kinabatangan River on the look out for crocodiles, macaques and hornbills, and watch as families of rather comic-looking probiscus monkeys feed at a local sanctuary. Borneo also offers the rare opportunity to get close to the much loved – yet sadly disappearing – orangutan, an experience that stays with many travellers for the rest of their lives.