malaysia

Populated by a blend of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous groups, Malaysia boasts a rich cultural heritage, from a huge variety of annual festivals and wonderful cuisines, to traditional architecture and rural crafts. There’s astonishing natural beauty to take in too, including gorgeous beaches and some of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest, much of which is surprisingly accessible. Malaysia’s national parks are superb for trekking and wildlife-watching, and sometimes for cave exploration and river rafting.

Best places	Explanation
MELAKA	* Malacca is a Malaysian state on the Malay Peninsula's southwest coast. * The capital Malacca City, has a colonial past seen in its preserved town centre, the site of 16th-century, Portuguese St. Paul's Church. * It's also home to Christ Church, built by the Dutch in the 18th century. 8Next to Christ Churchin Red Square is the Stadthuys, the Dutch-era town hall now housing a museum of Malaccan history and ethnography.
SABAH	Sabah is a Malaysian state occupying the northern part of the island of Borneo. It's famed for its 4, 095m-tall Mount Kinabalu, the country's highest peak, crowned with distinctive granite spires. * Sabah is also known for its beaches, rainforest, coral reefs and abundent wildlife, much of it within parks and reserves. * Offshore, the Sipadan and Mabul islands are noted diving destinations.
KUALA LUMPUR	* Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. * Its modern skyline is dominated by the 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs. * The towers also offer a public skybridge and observation deck. * The city is also home to British colonial-era landmarks such as the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
JOHOR BAHRU	* Johor Bahru, capital of the Malaysian state of Johor, sits at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula. * With a causeway across the Straits of Johor connecting it to Singapore, it's a gateway for exploration of that island nation. * On the Johor Bahru's waterfront is Iistana Besar, a royal palace built by Sulatan Abu Bakar in 1866 that now houses the Royal Abu Bakar Museum.