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.
Culturally, the west coast is the site of greatest colonial influence, with the trading ports of Melaka and Penang. Most of the western Malay states came under direct British rule by the end of the nineteenth century, while the east remained semi-autonomous right up to independence.
The city of Johor Bahru is Malaysia's southern gateway. It is linked to the city-state of Singapore by a kilometer-long road and rail causeway. On weekends, the causeway can be jammed and the city packed with Singaporeans shopping for groceries, which are cheaper here than at home, but there are few other bargains to be had, so Johor Bahru holds little interest for the tourist.
Still, the city does boast a very good museum, as well as some very competitively priced five star hotels.
The old colonial town square of Melaka Melaka, sometimes spelled Malacca, is a small former city-state a few hours south of Kuala Lumpur. The sultanate became an important trading center in the early 15th century, lying halfway between China and India, and with easy access to Siam and the spice islands of Indonesia. The Portuguese arrived almost exactly 100 years later. After less than 150 years, the Dutch in their turn conquered and took over the port, only to be replaced by the British after another 150 years.
From a tin mining boom town in the mid-nineteenth century, Kuala Lumpur has grown into a modern metropolis, the capital of a very dynamic country. It's easy to dismiss the city as a travel destination, and many do. The sights of the city, which can be quite impressive, are very spread out and it was difficult to get around Kuala Lumpur. In recent years, with the completion of several train systems, the city has gotten much easier to get around, and there is even a special tourist bus service that can get you to some of the more remote attractions.
It's not exactly a big secret, but Penang is perhaps the most overlooked destination in Malaysia, if not all of Asia. Business people probably know Penang as a significant manufacturing base for high technology companies such as Dell Computer and Hewlett Packard. Maybe it's actually because of this that many leisure travelers don't even consider Penang as a destination.
Inside the Pernakan Mansion In reality, Penang has more to offer than just about any other single destination in Southeast Asia.
It's a little surprising that Pulau Tioman isn't better known and more popular. The island, which stood in for Bali in the original Bali Hai film, features lush jungles fringing sandy beaches lined with simple bungalows. Granted, it can be a little difficult to get there, but who says the best destinations have to be easy?
Tioman will be especially attractive to people looking for a tropical island that isn't too developed, but still has a few choices for places to stay and eat.
