Travel Notes: Asia: Malaysia Travel Notes

Short URL: http://tnot.es/MY - National Anthem of Malaysia.

Malaysia was formed on September 16th, 1963 as a federation of the 11 states of Peninsular Malaysia - what was then the Federation of Malaya; an independent nation since 1957, along with the self-governing state of Singapore and the former British colonies of North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak.

Malaysia Travel Brochures.

Quick Links

Getting Around Malaysia, Kota Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Malaysian Language and Culture, Malaysia Tours, Malaysia Travel Guides, Map of Malaysia, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu, The Federated States of Malaysia.

The Federated States of Malaysia

Countries neighbouring Malaysia are: Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

Map of Malaysia

Singapore departed from the new federation in 1965.

Weather in Malaysia

View a graphical weather forecast for the week ahead in places around Malaysia.

Bintulu Weather, George Town Weather, Johor Bahru Weather, Kota Bharu Weather, Kota Kinabalu Weather, Kuala Lumpur Weather, Kuala Terengganu Weather, Kuching Weather, Melaka Weather, Miri Weather, Penang Weather, Sandakan Weather, Seremban Weather, Sibu Weather.

Getting Around Malaysia

Malaysia by Road

As in England and Australia, cars drive on the left. On the peninsula the roads are excellent, although a little crowded.

In Sabah and Sarawak road travel is made harder by the numerous rivers and mountainous interior.

Malaysia by Rail

An international train runs from Singapore to Thailand, through Kuala Lumpur.

The central railway line goes through the jungle to Kota Bahru on the east coast.

There are no railways in Sarawak, but an interesting journey can be had in Sabah; from Kota Kinabalu (Tanjung Aru) to Beaufort and Tenom.

Malaysia by Air

Malaysia has four international airports at Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, and Kuching in Sarawak. Singapore can also be used, as its only a short journey across the causeway to Johor Bahru.

Airports and Airlines:
Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier.

Flying to Sabah and Sarawak

You can save money by flying to Sabah, or Sarawak, from Johor Bahru rather than Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur

The capital of Malaysia has an interesting blend of old and new.

The cultural mix is evident by a thriving Chinatown, an Indian quarter, Malay women in headscarves doing their shopping in them both, and young boys practising cricket on the downtown playing field.

Kuala Lumpur was founded by Chinese tin-miners in 1857, and expanded under the British between 1873 and 1957.

It became the capital of the British-protected Federation of Malay States in 1895.

Accommodation in Kuala Lumpur

Hotels in Kuala Lumpur:
Find hotels in Kuala Lumpur with special online rates.

Sort Kuala Lumpur Hotels by: Hotel Price, Hotel Rating, Hotel Name.

Compare Malaysian Hotel Prices

Some of the most popular destinations in Malaysia

Alor Setar, Batu Ferringhi, Cherating, Genting Highlands, Georgetown, Ipoh, Jerantut, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Terengganu, Kuantan, Kuching, Langkawi, Malacca, Mersing, Miri, Pangkor Island, Penang, Petaling Jaya, Port Dickson, Sandakan, Sepang, Shah Alam, Tanah Rata.

Browse all cities.

Kuala Lumpur Sightseeing

Visit the National Mosque at Friday prayers; Parliament House; and the railway station built by the colonial British with its Moorish influences of spires and minarets.

� Travel Notes

Sultan Samad Building:
Designed and built by the British at the end of the 19th century, as the Secretariat Building, the tall clock tower is one of Kuala Lumpur's principal landmarks.

Malaysia Museums

The National Museum is at the entrance to the Lake Gardens, in Kuala Lumpur.

The Sabah Museum, in Kota Kinabalu, and the Sarawak Museum, in Kuching, exhibit collections of regional ethnographic and archaeological materials.

Penang (Pinang in Malay)

The oldest British settlement in Malaysia is popular with tourists for its beaches.

The island, off the north-west coast of the peninsula, was considered a strategic location by the British East India Company in 1786.

Penang island is connected to the mainland by an 8.4 km bridge; the longest in South-East Asia. Ferries between Georgetown and Butterworth run 24 hours a day and are more convenient.

Fort Cornwallis is one of Penang's oldest sights.

'There is an air of careless abundance about Penang that no amount of construction can dampen. And that’s saying something'
by Lucretia Stewart.

Pulau Pangkor:
Not well known to foreigners but greatly appreciated by the local Malaysians, Pangkor island is located between Penang and Kuala Lumpur; an excellent stopover for a few days on the beach in paradi.