Malaysia: a multicultural country with golden beaches

A piece of paradise, where there are few tourists, with a rich culture, a developed economy, delicious food and beautiful nature, exists. And we are talking about Malaysia. Let us reveal some of the features of this country.

Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. It is located north of the equator and consists of two non-contiguous regions. They are separated by the South China Sea. One of the regions, peninsular - West Malaysia - is located on the Malay Peninsula. The second is East Malaysia, on the island of Borneo. The country's capital, Kuala Lumpur, is located in the western part of the peninsula, approximately 40 km from the coast.

Peninsular Malaysia borders Thailand to the north and the Republic of Singapore to the south. The latter is connected by a dam and a separate bridge. East Malaysia consists of the country's two largest states - Sarawak and Sabah. It borders Indonesia to the south and Brunei to the north and is separated from the peninsular part of the country by approximately 640 km of sea.

Previously, Malaysia was under British rule. And then on September 16, 1963, the country became a member of the political union of territories of the Commonwealth of Nations. Currently, Malaysia occupies approximately 330 thousand km², of which 690 km² is inland waters.

The country's population in 2023 is about 33 million people. Most of them are Malays, the rest are Chinese and Indians. This diversity of population implies a diversity of religions.

The Malays profess Islam, which is considered the official religion here. About 60% of the population believes in Allah. In the pre-Islamic period, the main religion of Malaysia was Hinduism. Its rituals are still included in weddings and celebrations.

Part of the population with Chinese roots professes Buddhism - and this is approximately 19% of the country's population. In addition, just under 10% of citizens are Christians. Despite this proximity, people here live quite peacefully and are tolerant of the religions and beliefs of others.

Life hack : despite the fact that the country is developing rapidly and the locals are quite tolerant of strangers, do not forget that the bulk of the population are Muslims. When entering the premises, it is recommended to take off your shoes, especially if the owners do so.

Men can come to any temple only in long trousers that cover their knees and legs. Women should go for walks in a dress that reaches to their toes. It is recommended to come to tourist temples, which are open to everyone, only if accompanied by a man and with your head covered.

A variety of cultures have influenced traditional Malay cuisine, incorporating elements of Chinese, Indian, Thai and European national recipes into it. However, the basis of most dishes is rice.

If you find yourself in this Asian country, you should try dim sum (something like dumplings or dumplings), laksa (spicy noodle soup), nasi kandar (vegetables and legumes seasoned with curry), and for sweets chochur pisang (banana pulp and milk ).

Life hack : if you don’t want to be considered an ignoramus, you should take all food with your right hand in the absence of utensils. It is not customary to refuse food when visiting. You need to try a little of everything. Street food is quite spicy. So, if you don’t want to get heartburn, ask for less sauce and seasonings.

Most people in the country speak Malay. Many people speak English. It is used here as a business language. However, under the influence of local dialects, it turned into Manglish. In addition, due to the multinational population, the country is full of different dialects.

The country's national currency is the ringgit. It is best for tourists to take dollars with them. In Malaysia you can exchange both euros and Chinese yuan, but the best rate for American money is at exchange offices. Cash can be withdrawn from ATMs.

Malaysia is located in tropical latitudes. The climate here is equatorial, but it is influenced by the sea and monsoons.

The northeast monsoon lasts from late autumn to early spring. It brings heavy rains and rough seas to the exposed coasts of southwestern Sarawak and northern and northeastern Sabah.

Southwestern monsoon period - late spring - early autumn. It affects mainly the southwestern coastal strip of Sabah. The rest of the time is the inter-monsoon period.

Neither peninsular nor island Malaysia are in the tropical cyclone or typhoon belt, but their coasts are sometimes subject to heavy rainfall.

The temperature in the country is high all year round - approximately +25 - +30°C.

Life hack : it would seem that with this weather you should always have an umbrella or raincoat on hand. But no, the heavy rains here are short-lived - and it’s better to wait it out under the roof of a local store. And if it starts to rain heavily, then no umbrella will help.

It is hot in Kuala Lumpur and during the day the thermometer can show +35°C. It’s also very rainy in the main city of the country. The most comfortable time to visit the capital is summer. You can get to know the city better in the TravelHub guide .

The island of Penang is noisy and cheerful, and the island of Langkawi is a quiet paradise; it is better to go during winter and until mid-spring. But this time is considered the high season, and accordingly prices skyrocket.

Pangkor Island is suitable only for those who can tolerate high temperatures and humidity. The rainy season here occurs in winter, so it is better to plan a trip to the island during other periods.

On Redang Island, with its clean and beautiful beaches, the season begins in April and lasts until September. But no one can guarantee that rainfall will not begin in the last months of this period.

The Perhentian Islands are closed to tourists in winter - it is unsafe to be here. The season on the islands begins in summer.

It is better to plan a trip to Tioman Island in summer or early autumn.

The Malaysian part of the island of Borneo is the Kingdom of Sarawak and Sabah. In Sarawak, the most attractive cities for tourists are Kuching and Miri. Kuching is very rainy and the “dry” time here is in the summer. There is not much rain in Miri, so the season starts from late spring and lasts until early autumn.

In the Sabah region, tourists may be interested in Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan. But it is worth considering that it is always rainy and hot here. It is better to go to Sandakan in the spring. We recommend going to Kota Kinabalu from February to March (but it will be windy) or in the summer.

Labuan Island has rainy weather all year round, but the sea in this area is good for diving.

Malaysia is characterized by dense evergreen tropical forests, as well as wetlands.

The flora of Malaysia's rainforests is one of the richest in the world. Carnivorous pitcher plants can be found in local forests. And here also grows the stinking flower Rafflesia with a bud whose diameter is 1 meter. This is the largest flower known in the world.

Life hack: the bud emits an unpleasant odor, which should attract flies for pollination. So it’s better not to touch the inside of the flower - your hands will stink.

The forest area is so dense that little sunlight penetrates through it. As a result, the undergrowth is usually poorly developed and, contrary to popular belief, is not impenetrable.

Forests and bushes are inhabited by a wide variety of animals. Mammals on the peninsula include elephants, tigers, Malayan gaurs (large wild bulls), Sumatran rhinoceroses, tapirs, wild pigs and several species of deer, including the pelandok or chevrotain. Crocodiles, monitor lizards and cobras are also indigenous to Malaysia. And green sea turtles and giant leatherback turtles nest on the beaches of the east coast.

Life hack : monkeys are the real Malaysian mafiosi. They sneak up quietly, skillfully unfasten bags, unfasten backpacks and take from there everything they can drag away. So, despite all the apparent safety and crowdedness, a tourist needs to be on guard all the time.

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