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.
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.
Batu Caves
Just north of Kuala Lumpur a towering limestone outcrop is home to the impressive
Batu Caves . The caves were 'officially' discovered around 120 years ago by American
naturalist William Hornaday. A short time later a small Hindu shrine was built in
the vast open space, later known as Temple Cave .
Attractions
Penang
Penang's sprawling main centre, Georgetown , boasts impressive colonial architecture,
temples, lively Chinese culture, great shopping and even better food. Steeped in
history, with an appealing old-fashioned character that's fast disappearing, it
attracts most of the island's tourists.
But there are many other attractions to enjoy. Making a circuit of Penang Island
will take you through a varied landscape of jungle and coast, farmland, plantations
and fishing villages. The beaches along the north coast are the most visited and
easily accessible, while Malaysia 's newest - and smallest - national park is on
the northwest headland. Don't miss charming Penang Hill with its funicular and colonial
hill station, or the amazing Kek Lok Si Temple - the largest Buddhist shrine in
the country.
Sights further afield include the eerie Penang War Museum , the slithery Snake Temple
and the inland town of Balik Pulau . Georgetown also has air and bus links to other
towns in Malaysia and beyond.
Highlands
The Cameron Highlands, in the centre 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 heat 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.
Getting there
Overview
Malysia's main international airport is at Sepang, 75km (47mi) 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. There are five road border crossings between Malaysia and Thailand
(two on the west coast, one in the centre and two on the east coast). There is also
a west-coast rail link. To get to/from Singapore , you can cross the causeway at
Johor Bahru, catch a ferry or take the train. There are three ferry services between
Malaysia and Indonesia (Penang-Medan, Melaka-Dumai and, in East Malaysia , Tawau-Tarakan).
There's also a difficult road link between Sarawak and Kalimantan .
Getting around
Overview
Malaysian Airline System (MAS) and Air Asia are the main domestic airlines, servicing
both the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak . Fares are reasonable but it's unlikely
that you'll need to fly in Peninsular Malaysia unless you're in a real hurry. It's
cheaper to fly to East Malaysia from Johor Bahru than from KL. In East Malaysia
, flying is often the only quick way to get around. Note that flights in East Malaysia
are frequently fully booked during school holidays and are prone to delays due to
the vagaries of the weather. Peninsular Malaysia has a fast, economical and widespread
bus system, and this is generally the best way to get around. Sabah has excellent
roads, and minibuses ply the main routes. Buses ply Sarawak 's major trunk road,
but hardly anywhere else. Peninsular Malaysia has a comfortable and sensibly priced
railway system, but there are basically only two lines: one linking Singapore to
Thailand via KL and Butterworth, and the other branching off this at Gemas and heading
northeast to Kota Bharu. In Sabah, there's a narrow-gauge line through the Pegas
River gorge from Tenom to Kota Kinabalu that is well worth catching. In Peninsular
Malaysia, long-distance taxis are twice the price of buses but they're a comparatively
luxurious and efficient way to travel. If you want to get around by car, all major
car-rental firms have KL offices. There are no boat services between Peninsular
and East Malaysia, but fast boats ply the rivers of both Sabah and Sarawak . Local
taxis in Malaysia are metered. Rickshaws have all but disappeared in KL, but they
are still a viable form of local transport in provincial areas. KL has a notoriously
bad public transport system, and peak-hour travel in the city should be avoided
at all costs.
Langkawi
Langkawi Island is an archipelago of 104 islands lying in the north western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The exact location of these tropical islands is at the site where the Straits of Malacca meets the waters of the Andaman Seas.
The largest of these islands is called Langkawi Island and is bigger than the Penang Island.The other islands in this group are Island of Pregnant Maiden (Pulau Dayang Bunting), Lion Island (Pulau Singa Besar) and Beras Basah Island.The smallest of these islands are atolls roughly the size of an ordinary house!
Langkawi is coined from the Malay words Lang and Kawi. Lang is a brown eagle and Kawi is a local manganese stone.The ancient fishermen must have seen eagles flying clutching the manganese stones! A giant monument of a brown eagle clutching the manganese stone greets all visitors to Langkawi near the Kuah Jetty.
The main tourist attractions of Langkawi Island is its virgin white sandy beaches. The beaches have very gentle continental slope and the water is crystal clear.