Places to See in Malaysia
Malaysia is a beautiful country with plenty to see and experience. In fact, sightseeing in Malaysia promises to be a wonderful experience. With a land area of 330,400 sq km, Malaysia has been blessed with a rich cultural heritage, plenty of greenery, mountains, animal life and a large community of different races of people who live here.
CITIES AND ISLANDS OF MALAYSIA
Malaysia can be broadly divided into Eastern, Western and Peninsular Malaysia.
KUALA LUMPUR – THE GARDEN CITY OF LIGHTS
This is Malaysia’s west coast capital city and is said to be one of the most livable places in the world. The city will attract your attention with its vibrant colors, friendly people and a mix of culture and tradition with technology and development. Malaysia boasts of fine beaches, rainforests, temples, churches and wonderful cuisines. This energetic city will win you over.
PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS
While in Kuala Lumpur, you must visit the Petronas Twin Towers. These are 452 metres high and features 88 stories. The very famous Discovery Centre can also be found here.
KUALA LUMPUR TOWER
The Kuala Lumpur Tower is the third highest communications tower in the world!
CITY OF ENTERTAINMENT
Just 51 km away from Kuala Lumpur, you can visit Genting – known as the City of Entertainment. This is a very famous family resort and besides recreation, there are also a number of sporting facilities available here.
ISTANA BUDAYA
Istana Budaya is a great place for wholesome entertainment. The National Cultural Group is most active here with frequent performances by local as well as foreign musicians. You can visit the National Theatre close to Jalan Kuantan and Jalan Tun Razak. Its architecture reflects elements from Malay culture.
SARAH AND SARAWAK
These are the East Malaysian states and are separated from each other by the South China Sea. Both Sarah and Sarawak have a large network of forests and rivers.
SELANGOR
The state capital of Selangor is Shah Alam and is about 48 km away from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). This is known as the “Orchid City” and is the venue for the annual orchid shows.
There is a lot you can see while you are in Selangor.
Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah State Mosque in Shah Alam is famous for its blue and white dome, which has Koranic Inscriptions on it.
The Shah Alam Lake Gardens are an excellent getaway if you’re looking for some rest and relaxation. You will find plenty of Shopping Malls in Selangor. Shoppers can have a great time here!
Themes Parks are a great attraction too.
Two of the largest theme parks can be found here namely Sunway Lagoon and The Mines Wonderland. Besides joy rides, there are also some very pretty landscaped gardens.
MELAKA
The west-coast city of Melaka is said to be the most historic city of Malaysia and is just a little distance away from Kuala Lumpur. Here you can see a beautiful blend of heritage influenced by different cultures such as Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British. You can enjoy a boat ride from Lelaka to Sumatra or visit the antique shops and temples.
JOHOR
Referred to as the Southern Gateway to Malaysia, Johor is the second largest state in west Malaysia and consists of a number of districts such as Johor Bahru, Kluang, etc.
Johor Bahru is the capital of Johor and offers plenty of options for visitors and tourists. If you like shopping, you will have plenty of options to choose from. Besides a plethora of large and exclusive shopping malls, you can also shop at the largest duty-free shopping complex of Malaysia, which is right here in Johor Bahru.
DESARU BEACH
The beautiful Beharu Beach lies just 80kms from Johor Bahru. Make sure you take full advantage of the luxurious accommodation and other recreation and sports facilities.
PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
Peninsular Malaysia occupies almost 40 percent of the country’s land area. Beautiful mountain ranges run along the peninsula. You can find a number of beautiful islands just off the coast of Perlis belonging to the Langkawi group. These islands are not visited very frequently, though!
CAMERON HIGHLANDS
The Cameron Islands are situated in the center of Peninsular Malaysia and are made up of a number of hill stations. While in the Cameron Highlands you have the options of either going for long walks along the jungle or visit the beautiful waterfalls and tea plantations.
MALAYSIA’S EAST COAST
The East coast of Malaysia is primarily known for the sparkling and beautiful beaches of Pahang, Kelantan and Terenggan. The favourite beaches of Pahang are Cherating and Teluk Chempedak. These are the perfect getaways for a time of fun and relaxation.
Terengganu’s famous beach is Dungun. There are plenty of opportunities for those who enjoy diving and snorkeling.
MALAYSIA – GREENERY GALORE
Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) This is just 16km from Kuala Lumpur. There’s a lot you can do here. The reserve boasts of a Museum, marked trails, and a canopy walk. You can indulge in plenty of bird watching as well.
LAKE GARDENS
These gardens are at Jalan Kuantan and have many exciting attractions such as the Kuala Lumpur Orchid Garden, Deer Park and a Butterfly Farm.
KUALA SELANGOR NATURE PARK
This Nature Park is spread over 330 hectares of Mangrove forests and is the ideal place for bird watching.
ENDAU ROMPIN NATIONAL PARK
This park is located on the Johor Pahang border and is a tropical rainforest, home to many different species of flora and fauna.
SHOP TILL YOU DROP IN MALAYSIA
Malaysia is a hot favourite among shoppers from most neighbouring countries. Three Mega Sales a year – in March, August and December is a great opportunity for shoppers to shop till they drop.
Some of the Major Shopping Centers include: Kuala Lumpur
- Suria KLCC – Situated in the Petronas Twin Towers, this center has over 250 specialty stores.
- The Golden Triangle – This has an excellent collection of many shopping Centers such as Lot 10, Imbi Plaza, BB Plaza.
- SungeiWang – This has more than 500 stores selling all sorts of items at reasonable prices.
- At Jalan Masjid India, you can find a variety of Indian items such as saris, gold jewelry, utensils, etc.
- Some other malls include – The Mall, City Square, Ampang Plaza, etc.
- If you love to shop for Souvenirs, you should definitely visit the Central Market at Jalan Hang Lekir.
- campbell Complex, Pertama Complex etc – are ideal for those who are conscious about how much they can spend and want to stick to a budget.
Selangor has over 20 Shopping Centres
1. Sunway Pyramid and the Mines Shopping Fair are among the biggest.
2. Some others include Subang Parade and Summit USJ.
You can find many nice shopping complexes at Johor Bahru as well.
PEEK IN TO THE PAST – Museums and Galleries, Malaysia
National Art Gallery: The National Art Gallery is situated at Jalan Tun Razak. This gallery is the center for preservation, restoration and development of art in the country. The National Theatre and the National Library are found here. This gallery has about 5 galleries that host temporary as well as permanent exhibits.
The Museum of Asian Arts: The Museum of Asian Arts is situated in the grounds of University Malaya. You can find a number of interesting exhibits such as sculptures, textiles, ceramics, etc.
Sultan Alam Shah Museum: This Museum is located in Selangor, at Persiaran Banda Raya and is divided into 8 galleries. Here you will find a wide variety of exhibits such as ceramics, handicrafts, ancient artifacts, etc.
Bukit Melawati: Situated in Selangor, here you can see relics from the 18th century.
Maritime Museum: This museum can be found in the Tekek village, situated on the east coast of Malaysia.
As you can probably tell from the list above, sightseeing in Malaysia promises to be a wonderful experience.
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