 Kuala
Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is an Asian tiger that roars: in almost
150 years, it has grown from nothing to a modern, bustling city
of almost two million people. Take in its high-flying triumphs from
the viewing deck of the world's tallest building, then dive down
to explore its more traditional culture in the back lanes of Chinatown.
It's a modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but
it retains much of the local color that has been wiped out in other
Asian boom-cities such as Singapore. It has plenty of colonial buildings
in its centre, a vibrant Chinatown with street vendors and night
markets, and a bustling Little India.
Cameron Highlands
The Cameron Highlands, in the center of Peninsular Malaysia
comprise a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500-1800m
(4920-5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of Malaysia’s tea
industry and it’s the place where locals and visitors come to escape
the heart of the plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls,
tours of tea plantations and beautiful gardens. The cool weather
tempts visitors to exertions like golf, tennis and long walks, normally
forgotten at sea-level. But this is really Malaysia’s R n R capital
par excellence for those who don’t like the beach and enjoy a bout
of colonial nostalgia.
 Penang
Island
The 285 sq km (177 sq mi) island of Penang, off Peninsula
Malaysia's northwestern coast, is the oldest British settlement
in Malaysia and one of the country's premier resort areas.
Alongside Georgetown, the island's beaches are touted
as the major draw card but they're somewhat overrated.
Taman
Negara National Park
Taman Negara is billed, perhaps wrongly, as a wildlife
park. Certainly this magnificent wilderness area is a haven for
endangered species such as elephants, tigers, leopards and rhinos,
but numbers are low and sightings of anything more exotic than snakes,
lizards, monkeys, small deer, and perhaps tapir, are rare.
The birdlife is prolific, however, and chances are you'll
see more insects than you've ever seen in your life. Traditionally,
the park was only accessible by river. These days there's a road,
but the boat trip is still recommended for the full Taman Negara
experience.
 Sepilok
Orang-Utan Rehabilitation Centre
One of only four orang-utan sanctuaries in the world,
Sepilok is among Sabah's top tourist attractions - so much so that
the atmosphere can be a bit like a circus or a zoo. Nonetheless,
a visit to Sepilok can be a memorable experience. The orang-utans
are impressive, young orang-utans particularly so, all ginger fur
and intelligent eyes.
Tel: 089 531180 / Hours: Sat-Thu 9:00am-12:30pm &
2:00pm-4:30pm; Fri 9:00am-11:30am.
Kinabalu
Park
The Kinabalu Park, covering an area of 754 sq. kilometres
including Mt. Kinabalu, Mt Tambayukon and the foothills was gazetted
to preserve the valuable natural environment. The mountains have
a fascinating geological history, taking a million years to form.
This granite massif was later thrust upwards through the crust of
the surface.
The climb can normally be accomplished in two days but
it is not easy. A more comfortable option is to take it slow and
stretch the climb to three days, spending two nights in mountain
huts along the trail.
Malaysia Hotels
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Malaysia's
main international airport is at Sepang, 50km (31mi) south of KL.
Most tourists either fly into Sepang or arrive overland from Thailand
or Singapore. However, Penang also has international flights, and
Kuching in Sarawak and Tawau in Sabah have flights to/from Kalimantan.
There is a departure tax of 40.00 on international flights, but
if you buy your ticket in Malaysia the tax is already included in
the ticket price. Departure tax for flights to Singapore and Brunei
is only 5.00.