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What to See and Do
Tempting Beaches
Stretching from Thailand to Singapore, the west coast of Malaysia hides numerous small islands all with their own endearing charm, the most popular of which are Penang, Langkawi and Pangkor (pages 55-60). Penang is the largest and most developed island connected to the main land by bridge. Its most visited areas are Batu Ferringhi a wellestablished beach resort popular with families and the island's capital Georgetown with its intriguing history and fascinating culture. Langkawi is located at the northern tip of Peninsular Malaysia and offers empty beaches and beautiful scenery, including vast expanses of untouched rainforest. Pangkor and Pangkor Laut are small idyllic islands famed for their beaches and relaxed pace of life. The beaches that lie on the east coast offer superb snorkelling and endless white sand. Kuantan is one of the largest of the east coast beaches (page 61) whilst further north, retreats can be found on Tioman Island and the Perhentian Islands.
Spas & Boutiques
The perfect treat after a hard day's sightseeing in KL would be to head to your hotel's Spa and let their professionals soothe your aches and tension away. The Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur (page 54) has a wide range of treatments and aromatherapy at Clarins. Nothing nurtures like nature as they say, The Datai Langkawi (page 57) is a favourite to all purveyors of pampering where the Mandara Spa can treat individuals or couples with a host of exotic treatments in a Balinese setting within a Malay ancient rainforest, all created as a haven of serenity and natural beauty for those seeking to restore the body, mind and soul. Shangri-La Rasa Sayang (page 59) has launched Chi Spa Village that is the most spacious in the world with private villas with individual treatment rooms as well as personal bathing, treatment and relaxation areas. Chi draws inspiration from the origin of the Shangri-La legend, high on the mystical Himalayan landscape.
Cultural Highlights
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's rapidly developing capital offers a strong cultural contrast of old and new, with ancient shop houses and temples standing aside glittering skyscrapers and colonial buildings. With so many cultures in Malaysia there is always a reason to celebrate, the most important and colourful are the days during Hari Raya Puasa, ending the month long fast of Ramadan. Visitors have a wide choice of activities to choose from including visiting the huge Batu Caves, the shopping malls under the towering Petronas Twin Towers as well as colonial tours to nearby Malacca City.
Nature Lovers
Central Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia are a nature and water lovers paradise with some of the most diverse and natural habitats in the world. Choose from the cool hill stations of the Cameron Highlands or explore the lush rainforest of Taman Negara National Park. The more active traveller can climb the mighty Mount Kinabalu in Sabah or visit the native Orang-Utans in Sandakan (pages 63-65). For those who enjoy diving the east coast Peninsula offers relatively uncrowded and pristine sites.
Culinary Delights
Generally the food in Malaysia is simply terrific, a diner's delight of differing cuisine inspired by Malaysia's three main communities, Malay, Chinese and Indian. Often regarded as the national dish, satay consists of tasty skewers of meats dipped in spicy peanut sauce. Nonya cooking is a local variation on Chinese and Malay food and generally a home skill to prepare. The most popular Nonya dish to try is Laksa, a spicy coconut soup.
Shopper's Delight
For traditional handicrafts, try Kuala Lumpur's Central Market complex in Chinatown. Jalan Petaling in the heart of Chinatown is a colourful shopping street and has some craftwork, amazingly priced clothes and of course copy watches. Chow Kit market is also very good for local craftwork. Kuala Lumpur also houses two international shopping malls, KLCC located by the Petronas Towers and Berjaya Times Square in the city centre.
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