Fog rolling through the Cameron Highlands | © KK Tan/Shutterstock

Malaysia / SEE & DO

The Most Beautiful Places To Visit In Malaysia

Graziano Scaldaferri

A beautiful country with a rich cultural heritage that blends Asian and European influence, Malaysia offers many attractions. We list some of the best cultural and natural sights, venues and locations in Malaysia, from Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market to Malacca’s A Famosa fortress.

Central Market

Central Market in Kuala Lumpur | © f11photo/Shutterstock

Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market is a bustling, colorful market packed with stalls. The stalls are grouped in lorongs (lanes) based on the main ethnic races in Malaysia (most notably, Malay, Chinese and Indian), and sell a myriad handmade crafts, from clothes to wooden carvings and jewelry to batik fabrics; all alongside plenty of street food options. The market also contains the Annexe, a space reserved for art galleries showcasing the work of local artists.
Central Market, Jalan Hang Kasturi 50050 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan +60 1300 22 8688

George Town

The streets of Georgetown, Penang | © Nitsawan Katerattanakul/Shutterstock

George Town is the capital city of Penang, an island state with the biggest Chinese population in Malaysia. But Penang was an important trade center for the British, and the city of George Town in particular, named after Britain’s King George III, is a fascinating testament to the mix of Asian and European influences that the island experienced over the course of its history. George Town’s multicultural past is especially enshrined in the city’s rich and eclectic architecture, filled with enchanting, historical buildings, mostly situated in the oldest part of the town. Elsewhere skyscrapers rise high above the city.

Langkawi

Hidden waterfalls of Langkawi | © Pavel Tvrdy/Shutterstock

Langkawi is the main island of a group of 99, which form the archipelago with the same name. Often overlooked, especially by Western tourists, in favor of the better-known Thai islands and Singapore, Langkawi offers breathtaking scenery with its beautiful beaches, fine sand, crystal-clear water and coastal mangrove swamps. The inland areas are no less striking; the tropical jungles are thick with luxuriant vegetation and rich in fauna (the island’s name itself indicates an eagle with characteristic reddish feathers), and will impress nature lovers looking for a pristine, largely untouched rainforest.

A Famosa

Historic Portuguese fortress in Malacca | © MajestiX B/Shutterstock

A Famosa (Portuguese for ‘The Famous’) is a historical fortress in Malacca, the capital city of the Malaysian Malacca state. Built in the early 1500s and continually expanded over the course of that century, the four-towered fortress is now a ruin, with only the entrance gatehouse to see. Still, A Famosa will spark the interest of the curious and history savvy as an emblematic symbol of the city’s past. The fortress, built by the Portuguese, later fell into the hands of the Dutch and the British, thus becoming a possession of all the Europeans who colonized the city. Malacca City also offers other interesting sights, such as the Stadthuys, the 17th-century residence of the Dutch governor, and Jonker Street, popular for its many shops and restaurants.
A Famosa, Jalan Kota, Bandar Hilir, Malacca

Cameron Highlands

Trekking through the Cameron Highlands in Pahang | © Azri Ramli/Shutterstock

Sitting 1500 meters above sea level, the Cameron Highlands is an extensive hill station named after William Cameron, the British surveyor who stumbled upon the soft, curvy sides of these picturesque green hills in 1885. The area hosts the largest tea plantations in Malaysia, which give it the characteristic, fuzzy appearance that attracts so many tourists here. Many also visit the hills and trek down the trails. But the Cameron Highlands’ beauty and popularity are also due to its climate. With temperatures rarely dropping below 10°C or rising above 21°C, this is the coolest region of Malaysia, and a wonderful break from the tropical Malaysian climate.

Petronas Twin Towers

Skyline of Kuala Lumpur at sunset | © Zhu Difeng/Shutterstock

In a country with a rich and beautiful natural landscape, Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Twin Towers stand out as an unusual example of Malaysia’s urban design excellence. Designed by American architecture star César Pelli and officially inaugurated in 1999, the towers were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Each rises to a little over 450 meters from ground level, and with 88 floors of offices, the towers’ most impressive feature is the double-decker bridge that connects them on the 41st and 42nd floors. From the bridge, at 170 meters above ground, visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of the city below their feet.
Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Perhentian Islands

Rock clusters in the crystal clear waters of the Perhentian islands | © szefei/Shutterstock

Sea lovers planning to visit Malaysia should put the Perhentian Islands on the top of their list of places to see. This is a small archipelago with two main islands; Besar, the bigger, and Kecil, the smaller. Both boast splendid beaches, white sand, an amazingly blue, shallow sea and the shadows of tall palm trees. Apart from tourists, the islands are mostly uninhabited, making them a perfect place to disconnect and take a break from modern life. The Perhentian Islands are especially recommended to those who enjoy the sea not just for a swim, but also for water activities such as canoeing (both islands can be circumnavigated in a day), scuba diving and snorkeling. The islands are fringed by a coral reef, and the underwater life is rich with sea turtles and many species of tropical fish.

Taman Negara

Canopy walkway through Taman Negara | © ahau1969/Shutterstock

With an extension of over 4,000 square kilometers, the national park of Taman Negara straddles three Malaysian states, and is home to many species of endangered animals, such as the Malayan tiger, the crab-eating macaque and the Asian elephant. The area is so vast, however, that it’s rare to catch the sight of any of the big animals. But this should not discourage anyone from visiting the park, as many other surprises await. Bird watching, excursions through the dense jungles of the park, and the night walks, where the lack of light brings out buzzing insects, are particularly thrilling. The rainforest can also be viewed from above the treetops while trekking down the 530-meter-long suspended Canopy Walkway.