Must-see attractions in Malaysia

  • Mother orang-utan carrying baby and bamboo

    Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre

    Sepilok

    Around 25km north of Sandakan, and covering 40 sq km of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, this inspiring, world-famous centre welcomes orphaned and…

  • Door and blue wall, Penang, Malaysia

    Blue Mansion

    George Town

    The most photographed building in George Town, this magnificent 38-room, 220-window mansion was built in the 1880s and rescued from ruin in the 1990s…

  • Rainforest canopy walkway

    Penang National Park

    Penang

    At 23 sq km, this is Malaysia's smallest national park, but it's beach-fringed forests are home to silvered leaf monkeys, flying lemurs, leopard cats and…

  • View of waterfall at Tawau Hills Park, Sabah, Malaysia

    Tawau Hills Park

    Sabah

    This small reserve has forested hills rising dramatically from the surrounding plain. If getting into the Maliau Basin or Danum Valley feels like too much…

  • Kinabatangan Sabah Malaysia May 9, 2016 : Carved coffin made from belian tree believed to be about 500-690 years old at ancient burial cave Agop Batu Tulug in Kinabatangan Sabah.; Shutterstock ID 419637439; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Vastine; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: BiA Imagery

    Agop Batu Tulug

    Sabah

    This hill, 2km north of the Batuh Putih bridge, features three caves housing the ancestors of local Orang Sungai (People of the River). Because the…

  • Medan Tuanku Station, Menara KL Tower.

    Menara KL

    Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas

    Although the Petronas Towers are taller, the 421m Menara KL, rising from the crest of Bukit Nanas, offers the best city views. The bulb at the top…

  • The Stadthuys and clocktower in Town Square.

    Stadthuys

    Melaka City

    This former town hall and governor's residence dates to the 1650s and is believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East. It functioned as State…

  • [UNVERIFIED CONTENT] Masjid Jamek is the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak river. It was built in 1907 and officially open by the then Sultan Selangor in 1909.

    Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

    Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas

    This graceful, onion-domed mosque, designed by British architect AB Hubback, borrows Mogul and Moorish styles with its brick-and-plaster banded minarets…

  • Thean Hou Temple

    Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar

    Sitting atop leafy Robson Heights, this vividly decorated multistorey Chinese temple, dedicated to Thean Hou, the heavenly queen, affords wonderful views…

  • Aerial view of Seven Wells waterfall.

    Telaga Tujuh

    Pulau Langkawi

    The series of freshwater rock pools at Telaga Tujuh, located at the top of a waterfall inland from Pantai Kok, makes a refreshing alternative to splashing…

  • Offerings before the Datuk Kong tree at the Tropical Spice Garden, Penang, Malaysia

    Tropical Spice Garden

    Penang

    Facing a beautiful white-sand beach on the 101 bus route, this beautifully landscaped oasis preserves 500 species of tropical flora, spread across 200…

  • Detail of ceiling in Islamic Arts Museum.

    Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

    Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar

    Inhabiting a building that's nearly as impressive as its collection, this museum showcases Islamic decorative arts from around the globe. Scale models of…

  • Chinese History Museum

    Chinese History Museum

    Kuching

    Housed in the century-old Chinese Court building, this museum provides an excellent introduction to the nine major Chinese communities – each with its own…

  • Kellie’s Castle

    Perak

    Steeped in tragic legend, this monument to British eccentricity stands marooned by the highway, 5km east of Batu Gajah. Known as Kellie’s Folly, the…

  • Batu Caves

    Malaysia

    Just 13km north of Kuala Lumpur rise the iconic Batu Caves, a Malaysian national treasure, Hindu pilgrimage site and wildlife-conservation zone. Behind a…

  • Boh Sungei Palas Tea Estate

    Cameron Highlands

    If there's time for only one tea-themed experience in the highlands, make it this spectacularly situated plantation, with its own tea interpretation…

  • Lake Gardens – Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park

    Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar

    This 70-hectare lush, beautifully landscaped park is most commonly known by its colonial-era moniker: the Lake Gardens (Tasik Perdana in Malay). This is…

  • Pinang Peranakan Mansion

    George Town

    Lovingly restored, this ostentatious, mint-green structure was one of the most stunning private residences in George Town. Every door, wall and archway is…

  • Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery

    Perak

    This former royal palace, also known as Istana Kota and Istana Hulu, is a showy mash-up of Renaissance, neoclassical and Moorish styles. Completed in 1903…

  • Kek Lok Si Temple

    Penang

    Malaysia's largest Buddhist temple is a colourful explosion of statues, pagodas and pavilions, cascading down a hillside in Air Itam, around 8km from the…

  • Kilim Karst Geoforest Park

    Pulau Langkawi

    The jetty near Tanjung Rhu is the main departure point for boat trips into the extensive mangrove forests with stunning limestone formations that edge…

  • Fort Margherita

    Kuching

    Built by Charles Brooke in 1879 and named after his wife, Ranee Margaret, this hilltop fortress long protected Kuching against surprise attack by pirates…

  • Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve

    Perak

    Wooden boardwalks weave among the protruding, twisted tree roots of the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve. The reserve is best known for its fireflies, which…

  • Sarawak Museum

    Kuching

    Closed at the time of writing and scheduled to reopen in mid-2020 after extensive conservation work, the Sarawak Museum was established in 1891 by Charles…

  • Khoo Kongsi

    George Town

    The most spectacular clanhouse in George Town, Khoo Kongsi is an explosion of colour. Intricate ceramic mosaics of immortals, carp and dragons dance…

  • Sansheng Gong

    Malaysia

    One of Malaysia's most intriguing temples, ornate Sansheng Gong was the first in the country dedicated to Guan Gong, sometimes referred to as the god of…

  • Ramayana Cave

    Batu Caves

    No cave at Batu is more spectacularly embellished than Ramayana Cave, which boasts psychedelic dioramas of the Indian epic 'Ramayana'. Pass the green, 15m…

  • Old Court House Complex

    Kuching

    The Old Court House was built in the late 19th century to serve as the city’s administrative centre. It now houses a cafe and bar, the excellent Ranee…

  • Sam Poh Tong

    Ipoh

    First discovered by a monk in 1890, this cavern, 5km south of Ipoh, is now a riot of religious statuary and pagoda tiles. The entrance pavilion is grand…

  • Panorama Langkawi

    Pulau Langkawi

    The highlight of this family-friendly amusement park is SkyCab, a cable car that whisks visitors to the top of Gunung Machinchang (713m). For an extra RM6…

  • Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

    Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas

    Kuala Lumpur's oldest Chinese temple (1864) was built on the instructions of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy and is dedicated to Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, two Chinese…

  • Chin Swee Caves Temple

    Malaysia

    Between the golf course and Resorts World, on a forested cliff, stands a temple that's both awe-inspiring and blood-curdling. Chin Swee was completed in…

  • Darul Hana Bridge

    Kuching

    Linking the northern and southern parts of Kuching, the city's spectacular pedestrian bridge (335m) is constructed to resemble the letter 'S' (for Sarawak…

  • Putra Mosque

    Malaysia

    An apparition in rosy-pink granite, Masjid Putra has a captivating delicacy of design. Capped by an ornate pink-and-white dome and starring a 116m minaret…

  • Sibu Heritage Centre

    Sarawak

    Housed in an airy, circular municipal complex built in 1960, this excellent museum explores the captivating history of Sarawak and Sibu. Panels, rich in…

  • Kuan Yin Teng

    George Town

    Dedicated to Kuan Yin, goddess of mercy, this temple is the liveliest place of worship in George Town. The current temple was built in the early 19th…

  • Art Museum

    Kuching

    Closed at the time of writing and scheduled to reopen in mid-2020. This museum featured an exhibit called Urang Sarawak, which deftly and succinctly…

  • Dutch Square

    Melaka City

    The focal point of the Unesco Heritage zone, this attractive and elegant square is surrounded by Dutch-era buildings that have been painted crimson, shady…

  • National Visual Arts Gallery

    Kuala Lumpur

    The artworks on display at the NVAG are worth a trip out of central KL for their inventiveness and sheer scale. In rotating exhibitions by regional…

  • Pantai Tempurung

    Sabah

    Borneo's loveliest beach is a long, almost-pristine stretch of white sand, lapped at by clear waters. The waves are gentle and great for swimming. You…

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