Multilayered Malaysia: why this Southeast Asian gem has it all

Words: Agatha Zarzycki

One day, you could be sunbathing on ivory-sand beaches and hiking through sea-embraced jungle. The next, you might be feasting on nasi lemak (the national dish of rice, coconut milk and chilli sauce) from a hawker stall. Or you could be sipping creative cocktails at a rooftop bar with a pool overlooking Kuala Lumpur’s shimmering skyscrapers, traditional temples and magnificent mosques. That’s the magic of Malaysia: it’s like visiting multiple places at once. Spanning two peninsulas and an archipelago of islands, this captivating country won’t be lesser travelled for long (did we mention its capital is a direct flight away from London Heathrow?). Here’s why.

Vibrant city life

Like silver rockets soaring 60 storeys into Kuala Lumpur’s skyline, the Petronas Towers – the world’s tallest twin towers – are as Instagrammable as it gets, especially from The Wet Deck, one of Kuala Lumpur’s many buzzing rooftop bars, which also has a pool and DJ on the menu. The towers aren’t the capital’s only architectural feats, either. Just last year, the Merdeka 118 tower (the world’s tallest building after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa) opened, and its triangular glass folds leading to a 160m spire also can’t be missed.

Then come the traditional masterpieces – the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, its Neo-Moorish design making it among the most beautiful ever built and the onion-domed Masjid Jamek, one of Malaysia’s oldest mosques. Just as impressive is the new Exchange TRX district and its 400-store shopping complex, which includes luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster’s first Malaysian outlet.

Foodie paradise 

Malaysia is also a world of enticing eats, and the best place to start is Unesco-listed George Town, the country’s food capital in the state of Penang. Grab a coffee alongside butter and kaya (coconut jam) toast at a kopitiam, an old-school coffee shop, before moving on to big hitters such as oyster omelette, lamb rendang and laksa noodle soup. The award for Malaysia’s most famous street food goes to char kway teow, a fried rice noodle dish with Chinese sausage, shrimp, cockles, eggs, soy sauce and beansprouts. Seek it out from Uncle Tan – on Siam Road in central George Town – who cooks from a wok-cart hitched to his bike.

If you’re in the mood for something fancier, Kuala Lumpur is the place for fine dining glamour, from refined Potager, combining local ingredients with French techniques, based in lush dining enclave Bamboo Hills, to innovative Malaysian fare at two-Michelin-starred Dewakan, which won the country’s top restaurant from Asia’s 50 Best.

Idyllic islands and beaches

With nearly 900 isles, Malaysia has no shortage of secluded and serene shorelines. On Borneo (divided between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei), chalk-sand beaches backing on to million-year-old rainforest are like something out of a sybaritic storybook. Meanwhile, Langkawi on Malaysia’s west coast is one of Asia’s top ten islands (it ranked seventh in DestinAsian's 17th annual Readers' Choice Awards) and a Unesco Global Geopark featuring limestone landscapes, magical mangroves and the aquamarine Andaman Sea.

Even more private are the Perhentian Islands, a snorkeller’s dream near the border of Thailand, whose clear-as-gin waters are brimming with marine life, from black tip reef sharks to Hawksbill turtles and giant pufferfish. Just when you think you can’t get more awestruck, Tioman Island on the east coast lets you in on its stunning secret – Juara Beach, where the only sounds are the rustle of palms and gentle waves splashing against sun-warmed sands.

Cultural, community-centred experiences

Keen to get a glimpse of authentic local life? Malaysia’s homestays in picturesque rural villages will make you wish they were your real home. In Sekinchan, Selangor (just two hours from Kuala Lumpur), Padi Box is designed from colourful freight containers and set in serene paddy fields. SukaSuka, near the Thai border on Chenderoh Lake, lays on eight traditional stilted wooden houses, and has kayaking and village walks.

Many festivals also beautifully represent Malaysia’s diverse cultural tapestry. In June, Sarawak hosts Gawai Dayak, which celebrates the end of the rice harvest season, as well as the globally popular Rainforest World Music Festival. September sees the month-long Hungry Ghost Festival, which worships ancestors in the form of vibrant street performances such as dance, opera and puppetry. For local experiences at any time of year, explore cities such as historic Malacca on a trishaw (a three-wheeled bicycle with a driver), take a street art tour in George Town, or do as local families do and hit up Kuala Lumpur’s electrifying Sunway Lagoon theme park.

Nature-backed adventure 

Malaysia isn’t just known for its beach bliss. There are also thrilling treks through Southeast Asia’s oldest tropical rainforest. In northern Borneo, Malaysia’s highest peak, Unesco-hailed Mount Kinabalu, attracts hikers for a two-day adventure through the Sabah jungle, alpine meadows and dramatic crags. Don’t forget to look up – you might even spot an orangutan swaying in the trees, or a mountain blackbird flutter by at the summit. Make sure to book a permit through the Sabah Parks website and accommodation, ranging from affordable private chalets and luxury suites to down-to-earth dorms, well ahead of time.

Nature lovers can also trade misty mountains for rolling tea plantations in Pahang’s Cameron Highlands, where verdant views meet Buddhist temples, high tea and strawberry sampling. Don’t miss the enchanting Mossy Forest here, which dates back around 200 million years. Leave time to visit Unesco-listed Gunung Mulu National Park in Sarawak, whose limestone pinnacles and caves look as if they belong in a fantasy novel.

Take off to Kuala Lumpur