Malaysia is the often over-looked neighbor of Singapore. Occupying the Malaysian peninsula between Singapore and Thailand, as well as the Northern part of the island of Borneo, Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy of 13 states, plus three federal territories.
Nine of the peninsular states have heriditary sultans as heads of state. Malaysia is an odd sort of constitutional monarchy, with the king elected to a five-year term by the sultans from among their ranks.
The Christ Church of colonial Melaka
For the tourist, Malaysia offers everything from colonial buildings to ultra modern skyscrapers to some spectacular natural scenery.
Orientation
Malaysia is made up of two rather distinct parts: Peninsular Malaysia extends from the Thai border down to Singapore. A spine of mountains runs down the peninsula slightly off-center. On the west side is a rather wide and flat fertile plain while on the east the mountains descend steeply to the ocean.
Map of Malaysia
The second, somewhat larger, part occupies the northern part of the island of Borneo. The southern portion of Borneo is part of Indonesia. Malaysian Borneo is divided into the two states of Sarawak and Sabah, with the small country of Brunei nestled in between. Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, at 4,101 meters (13,350 feet) in height, is Southeast Asia's tallest mountain.
Malaysia Highlights
Malaysia is a much more spread out and diverse country than, say, Thailand to the north. From the country's ultra-modern capital, Kuala Lumpur, to the colonial island of Penang, to tropical islands like Langkawi, there is a lot to see and tell you about.
Visas Nationals of most western countries do not require a visa to visit Malaysia. You will be granted entry for up to three months upon arrival. You can check at the official Tourism Malaysia web site.
Money The Malaysian currency is called the Ringgit. The Ringgit is relatively stable. You will easily find currency exchangers in most cities and around just about any tourist and shopping area. Exchange rates will vary slightly from place to place, so shop around.
Although its been trying to, Malaysia is not quite the transportation hub that Singapore or even Bangkok is, but it is easy to get to, especially from neighboring countries. Naturally, you can fly directly to many cities, at least from neighboring countries, but there are a couple of other interesting options worth considering.
Planes Air travel is the natural choice to get to Malaysia. The national carrier, Malaysia Air System, flies between the Kuala Lumpur and most major cities around the world.
Map of Sarawak Sarawak is Malaysia's largest state, and one of only four states that does not have a hereditary ruler. The capital and largest city of the state is Kuching, which is the natural place to start any visit to this vast region.
Peninsular, or Western, Malaysia stretches from Singapore up to the Thai border. This is Malaya proper. The east and west coasts of the peninsula are quite distinct geographically and even to some degree culturally.
Peninsular Malaysia The mountain range which runs west of center down the peninsula makes the western half of the peninsula rather hilly right down to its white sandy beaches. While in the east the mountains give way to a wide plain which slopes gently down to the sea.
