Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It's known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences. By keeping in view these cultural influences, Malaysian government launched a campaign in 1990 “Malaysia, The True Asia” which become popular among travelers and after that the tourism industry boomed up in the country.
•
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
• Population: 32.6M in 2021
• Currency: Malaysian Ringgit, 1 US$= 4.05 MYR
• Official Language: Malay
• Visa Requirements: Most of the countries are eligible to VOA and visa free. Malaysia have also started E-VISA for selective countries. You can get the updated information from HERE.
• Best Time to Visit: All seasons, However, February to October is considered as the best months.
Malaysia is relatively a safe country to visit. Violent crime rates are very low. Aside from the odd petty theft, crime against tourists is actually pretty low. Most visitors have a trouble-free time soaking up all the sights and scenery of Malaysia. Regarding scams, again Malaysia is considered low risk and tourist can enjoy their tours by activating their basic common sense mood.
Transportation - Malaysia's transport system is developed and covers up to 63,445 kms of roads. The main modes of transport in Malaysia include buses, trains, cars or even motorbikes. You can get public taxies and also the Uber like service Grab via app. Penang to Langkawi is also connected via Ferry route.
Accommodation – All types of accommodation start from budgeting to high end are available easily.
During my one week tour in Malaysia I stayed at Langkawi and Kuala lumpur. I booked my stay with a combinations of Booking.com, Air BnB, Agoda, and Hostelworld. However, when you’re looking for a hostel, do your research, read reviews to get a feel for the place. and book somewhere that suits you
Food
and local Dishes - In some ways it's similar to Indonesian food, with the two nations sharing many of the same dishes.
Nasi Kandar is a staple food in Malaysia and actually means “mixed rice’” with a topping of your choice.
Nasi lemak. rice cooked in coconut milk with a lot add ons.
Mee goreng mamak. A spicy Yellow noodles with Beef or chicken. Also includes, soy sauce, veggies and eggs.
Apam balik. A pancake-style snack wedded with the compact package of an omelet
Ayam percik (chicken with percik sauce). it's barbecued chicken slathered in spicy chili, garlic and ginger sauce and dipped in cocuonut milk.
Kuih. Sugar coated malay-style pastries.
Suggested daily budget – 40-60 USD For Budget travelers, the average cost per day might be in between 40~60$. It includes the 10~20$ for a hostel dorm bed; 10~20$ for food and 10~20$ for transportation and sight-seeing.
•
Hop on hop off is a best option to see the top attractions in Kuala Lumpur. You can buy your card for 1, 2 or 3 days as per your stay.
• Travelling on boats between islands? – check the company’s credentials. Boats have been known to be dangerously overcrowded or just SINK entirely.
• Jungles can be dangerous with a lot of monkeys and they were ready to snatch you anything they smell from your bags.
• don’t feed monkeys – they might be cute but, honestly, it just encourages them to be little shits.
• If you rent a car, then take photos of it from all sides to avoid any insurance issue/scam at the end.
If you are run short in time and want to taste different blends of Malaysia, the True Asia in a week only. Then, come with me and I will show you how I traveled for a week in Malaysia to see different aspects of life and culture there. Although it...
Read more
