Choosing your place in vast Malaysia
Mystical, majestic Malaysia straddles 2 huge landmasses in Southeast Asia. There's West Malaysia, clutching the Malay Peninsula, from soy-sizzling, Chinese-infused Penang, through misty Taman Negara – the oldest rainforest in the world, some say – to enchanting Malacca and its colonial treasures. And then there's East Malaysia, a place of primeval jungles and orangutans, ancient volcanos and deep caves. Malaysia vacation rentals pepper the whole lot, offering city breaks in buzzing Kuala Lumpur, along with tropical expeditions to beaches and rainforests alike.
Malaysia's a living, breathing culture museum
Culturally, Malaysia is a fabric woven from many threads. Up in Penang, you can delve into UNESCO-tagged George Town and find yourself lost between Chinese temples and Indian cookhouses. Malacca is another living museum – it's laden with gorgeous Dutch and British colonial buildings, and has an amazing Maritime Museum that helps unravel the importance of the Malacca Strait. Those with Malaysia vacation rentals in Kuala Lumpur can look forward to cocktails in soaring sky bars and spiritual journeys to Hindu shrines at the Batu Caves.
Malaysia's hodgepodge of seasons
There are no hard and fast rules about the best time to visit Malaysia. That's because there are various wet and dry seasons that affect different parts of the country at different times of the year. Generally speaking, you'll want to avoid the rains. They hit East Malaysia between November and March and pass across the west coast between April and October. Hot, humid temperatures dominate all seasons – and it's always possible to have a blast in the city, if you've booked Malaysia vacation rentals in Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia is tropical to the T
Malaysia runs down towards the equator from the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. It's half peninsula, half island, home to great lengths of sandy beaches where coconut palms sway and coral reefs hide under the swells. Inland, world-famous national parks, like Gunung Mulu and Taman Negara, host some of the world's oldest rainforest. You can delve into those old-growth pockets to discover an amazing biodiversity. Orangutans and tapirs, snakes and stalking Malay tigers, pangolins and lemurs – there's loads to see on a Malaysia safari.
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