10 Reasons to Visit Malaysia
Imagine rich cultural traditions, amazing food, and picturesque beaches. Thinking of Spain, France or Thailand? Think Malaysia! It’s a rich melting pot of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures in a modern country with that special something that only South-East Asia can provide.
If you’ve never thought of visiting Malaysia, here are 10 hot reasons why you absolutely should!
Beaches
Maybe you never associated Malaysia with tropical beaches, but then again maybe you have never visited Langkawi or the Perhentian Islands before! Whether you are after beaches for water sports, black sand beaches, white sand beaches or your very own piece of paradise, Malaysia has you covered.
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Food
We are all friends here, so I’m going to be honest. Malaysia has the best food that we have had in all of South-East Asia. There, I said it. Seriously, it’s that good! From the delicious Malay roti, murtabak and teh tarik, to the delights of Chinese Hokkienese cooking (curry mee, laksa, har mee, and ais kechang for dessert) and the spice and flavour of Indian cuisine, you just can’t go wrong. If you need more convincing, check out the Penang food tour we did!
How to get there: various airlines will fly to Kuala Lumpur or other regional capitals. Having flown with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) before, I can recommend them and of course, it is Malaysia’s national carrier so you will get maximum reach to visit cool places such as Penang, Sarawak or the beautiful Sabah. What’s more, you can easily get favorable MAS online booking deals!
Street Art
If you love street art and street food, Penang is the destination for you. This little island off the coast of Malaysia has a plethora of amazing street art and delicious food for the foodie and art lover alike. In fact, I spent a whole weekend navigating my way around Penang’s capital, George Town from artwork to artwork (and street stall to street stall). As a massive fan of street art, it was the best way to explore the city.
Want to see more Street Art? Check out our post on the amazing street art in Penang!
Most of my favourite murals in George Town were done by Lithuanian artist, Ernest “Zach” Zacharevic, called Malaysia’s answer to Banksy, who is a master of all artistic disciplines; be it installations, oil paintings, stencilling and sculptures.
Shopping
Kuala Lumpur is a shopaholic’s dream. For the high-end lovers, you’ve got plenty of opportunities to burn a hole in your pocket at the likes of Starhill Gallery, The Garden or Suria KLCC, located at the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. If you prefer to buy more and spend less, then you’ve got shopping centres like Berjaya Times Square that offer pop-up style stores that sell clothes at wholesale prices. Just be warned, these cheaper stores don’t offer many sizes, but if that’s not an issue, shop until your heart’s content. For the electronic lovers, Low Yat Plaza is where it’s at, and if shopping isn’t your thing, some of these mega malls even have ice-skating rinks, karaoke lounges, theatres and games arcades to fill your time.
Cultural attractions
Malaysia has a rich cultural tradition and it can seem like there is a Malay, Chinese or Indian festival or celebration occurring every weekend throughout the year. The best ones to catch are the Hari Raya Aidilfitri which follows Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Christmas and Thaipusam, a Hindu festival held at the Batu caves.
Nature
It’s hard to imagine that you can find serene rainforests and inviting waterfalls only 30 minutes from bustling Kuala Lumpur, but it’s true. One of the great things about Malaysia, as a whole, is that nature is within a short drive from major cities. If you like seeing monkeys, then a visit to Batu Caves won’t disappoint. Just make sure you hang onto all of your belongings, as these critters are the best (and cheekiest) thieves around!
Breathtaking views
Get to top of Kuala Lumpur’s high rises to get the most amazing views of the city at night. I mean, where else can you find a converted helicopter pad turned rooftop bar! At the Heli Lounge Bar, set on the 34th floor of the Menara KH building, of course. A few options: Marini’s on 57 sits right next to the Petronas Towers and consequently has dazzling views to offer. If a western style hotel bar on the 33rd floor is more your style, then SkyBar at the Trader’s Hotel may be more to your liking.
And if you are more of a nature lover, the views from the Langkawi SkyCab will definitely take your breath away. If you aren’t afraid of heights, take a walk along the SkyBridge – the longest free span and curved bridge in the world and enjoy the views from 100m off the ground.
Architecture
The variety of architecture in Malaysia is bound to keep you interested. The dazzling, modernist glory of the Petronas Towers are merely the tip of the iceberg for what you can find in Malaysia. The stunning architecture of the Federal Territory mosque (Selamat Datang Ke Masjid Wilayah) is a stand out, as are the archways of the Masjid Jamek. The Kuala Lumpur town hall, with its unique colonialist/Islamic architecture and Georgetown’s historic British buildings are taken right from the 19th century and give the town a laid back feel.
Friendly locals
You will find so many fun and generous people in Malaysia. Like the tuk-tuk driver that showed us around Penang and imitated the art for us above – a regular Bruce Lee! The people are friendly, kind and generous and we got by in English just fine as well.
Multiculturalism
Malaysia’s cultural diversity is its strength and Indian, Chinese and Malay cultures mix into one of the most interesting societies in South-East Asia. This multiculturalism bleeds into everything – food, traditions, architecture, etc and makes it that much better. Essentially you will get the best of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures all in one society!
We hope that we have convinced you on why you should visit Malaysia. From the food, to the architecture, to the culture – how could you say no? Where would you go? What are you waiting for, use Traveloka and start planning your trip to Malaysia with ease now!
Have you been to Malaysia? Have we left anything off the list? Let us know below!
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I did not expect to see street art in this post and you have some fantastic examples here. The one with the children on the swings is so innovative!
Thanks Punita! The street art is some of the best I’ve seen in the world, and I loved how a lot of them were interactive (like the children on the swings).
My mouth is watering for the food. I have also heard so much about Malaysia’s wildlife. Your post just convinced me to move it up on my travel bucket list.
Great to hear, Linda! The food is pretty delicious… just be prepared to come back with excess baggage… around the midsection 😉
Great inspiring post, especially for someone like me who hasn’t yet been there…on the cards though 🙂
Btw the first is reason enough for me to plan a vacation to go there 🙂
Haha touche 🙂 I hope you can visit sometime soon and love it as much as I did!
Malaysia surely needs no introduction. It is already on my list and I would have visited it already if I could. But thanks for articulating the attractions for everyone. The street art looks awesome.
I don’t know if it’s as popular for Australian travellers (as so many people I know often go to Thailand or Bali instead), but I loved Malaysia and would return in a heartbeat!
I haven’t been to Malaysia in years, probably because it rained non stop when I was there. These are some great reasons to visit though and I definitely need to tick langkawi off my bucket list
Oh no! What time of year did you go? There were often showers or storms in the evening, but the days were so hot (which was great in Langkawi!)
This is serious wanderlust! I am thinking to go to Malaysia for so long, I am just not sure about how I will cope with the Asian food.
What is your hesitation with the asian food, Gabriela? If it helps, I can’t handle spicy food, but I still thoroughly enjoyed the food there!
I haven’t been to Malaysia yet, but I am eyeing on visiting Penang and Langkawi and the Cameron Highlands for the tea plantation. Malaysia definitely is on the list, and now since you mentioned about the Food- ARG! I want them now! hahaha.. Thanks for sharing
That sounds like a great trip, Ferna! I really enjoyed Penang and Langkawi, so I hope you will too!
The street art looks so amazing! I’ve only been to Malaysia once but once I plan another trip, I would put that on the top of my list. Are the artworks closed to each other?
Thanks so much! Yes, the streetart in Georgetown, Penang can all be found within short strolls… I did spend a whole day wandering through the streets admiring the different artwork – a day well spent! 🙂
My visit to Malaysia was very brief. I was only really in KL, but I still had a marvelous time there. I did get to enjoy the temples, the culture and the food, but there’s still so much to see and a great reason to go back to be sure!
That’s great to hear you also enjoyed KL! I agree, I think a return visit to explore and enjoy more of Malaysia is a must! 🙂
Would love to visit Malaysia! The food and food tour sound like a great time–I always enjoy getting an overview of a regions food through a tour! Love that street art too–the bike and swing set made those pieces so fun and interactive!
Thanks Jenna! We highly recommend Malaysia! The I did both a food tour and a cooking class and they both were fun (and delicious!). The street art in Penang is the best I’ve seen.