Touted as one of the country’s best state museums, the Penang State Museum and Art Gallery covers Penang’s history, including the settlement of the islands and the Penang Riots. The museum’s collection also showcases the cultural heritage that developed along the way, from the Peranakan people to British colonial influence to today.
Initially built as a prison in 1879, the Square Tower sits in colonial splendor on the eastern end of the Kuching Waterfront. With its crenelated top, hexagonal turret, and emblazoned Brooke family coat of arms, the striking structure still resembles the fortress it once was. Today, it’s home to Magenta Restaurant, which only opens for dinner.
With more than 236,806 square feet (22,000 square meters) of function space, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre hosts events and conferences, as well as the aquarium Aquaria KLCC. Located at the heart of Kuala Lumpur City Centre, the convention center offers close proximity to accommodation, food, beverage, and entertainment options.
Outside Kuala Lumpur, i-City is an urban, business, and tourism development that contains malls, offices, hotels, tourist attractions, and much more. Of most interest to travelers is the theme park, which consists of a water park, museums, fairground attractions, a Ferris wheel, and the largest snow park in Malaysia.
The Wonderfood Museum in Penang is a fun and informative museum all about food. As Malaysia’s culinary capital, Penang draws travelers for its delicious food. At this quirky museum, visitors can learn about the cuisine of Penang and wider Malaysia through dozens of realistic models of food, in addition to taking some amusing photos.
Just a short boat ride from the bustling city of Kota Kinabalu, Gaya Island (Pulau Gaya) is home to diverse people, landscapes, and history. It’s one of five islands that comprise Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, a protected marine reserve, and is renowned for its crystal blue waters, inland rain forests, and luxe hotels—all within easy reach of Sabah’s capital.
Annah Rais is a Bidayuh longhouse settlement in the foothills of the Borneo Highlands, located 62 miles (100 kilometers) south of Kuching. While the 500 residents of Annah Rais make a living from visiting tourists, the well-maintained traditional longhouse architecture gives you a sense of what life in such communal settlements is like.
As the northernmost point of Borneo—the third-largest island in the world—the Tip of Borneo (Tanjung Simpang Mengayau) is the meeting point of the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea. The significant location of the dramatic headland is marked by a bronze globe and surrounded by rugged coastal scenery.
A long-running Melaka attraction, Malacca Crocodile Park (Taman Buaya & Rekreasi Melaka) offers more than just reptile encounters. Besides having more than 100 crocodiles spread across several enclosures, there are mammals, reptiles, an aviary, herb garden, water playground, miniature Malaysia, and shows and rides on weekends.
Tucked away in the Bornean state of Sarawak, Niah National Park catapulted to fame in 1958 when archeologists discovered the oldest human remains in Southeast Asia. It’s home to eight main caves, which feature a fascinating mix of cave paintings and a large entrance. It’s also home to half a million swiftlet birds, who make their nests entirely from saliva.
Laser Battle Johor Bahru (near Malaysia’s border with Singapore) is one of the largest laser tag venues in Asia and offers a wide range of arenas and game modes. The popular venue’s laser guns are technologically advanced, offering tournament features that make the game even more fun for large groups and special occasions.
Built by the British as a fortress in the 1930s, and later used by the Japanese as a prisoner of war camp, the Penang War Museum now serves as a memorial to its darker days. Sprawled across some 20 acres (8 hectares) of land, it boasts the title of Southeast Asia’s largest war museum.
Even though it's one of the world’s smallest forest reserves, Penang National Park packs plenty of action into a compact space—including hardwood trees, mangrove forests, and carnivorous pitcher plants. Kerachut Beach (Turtle Beach) is home to a turtle conservation center and a seasonal meromictic lake, while Monkey Beach (Pantai Monkey) has a population of macaques.
Port Klang (Kuala Lumpur Cruise Port) serves as a gateway to the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur, situated some 40 miles (64 kilometers) away. Unless you're a golfer looking to improve your handicap at Port Klang Golf Resort, the port is mostly used as a transport hub and activity-packed shore excursions are popular ways to cover more ground in Kuala Lumpur.
Though Borneo is best known for its orangutans, at Gunung Gading National Park it’s a plant that’s the star of the show. Boasting the title of the largest (and smelliest) flower in the world, the rare rafflesia flower blooms regularly here throughout the year. Besides flower spotting, the national park features jungle trails leading to streams, waterfalls, and the peak of Gunung Gading Mountain.
One of the most recognizable buildings in all of Sabah, Sabah State Mosque (Masjid Negeri Sabah) combines contemporary architecture with traditional Islamic design. A gold, honeycombed main dome is reigned over by a 215-foot (65-meter) minaret, which was inspired by those found in the Saudi Arabian cities of Mecca and Medina.
Escape Penang is an immersive activity park in jungle-clad grounds that's best known for its signature 3,645-foot (1,111-meter) waterslide, which won a Guinness World Record in 2019. You'll find three main elements. There’s Adventureplay, a ropes course; Waterplay, a water park with high-adrenaline slides and rides; and Gravityplay, a hilltop attraction.
Meandering down to the golden sands of east coast Malaysia’s Cherating Beach, the Cherating River draws travelers with its rich coastal mangrove ecosystems, home to wildlife including crabs, lizards, snakes, and monkeys. The star attraction happens at night when the mangroves come alive with jewel-like streams of sparkling fireflies.
Just 30 minutes from Miri, Lambir Hills National Park offers tumbling waterfalls, rushing streams, rainforest walks, and birdwatching in 27 square miles (69 square kilometers) of wilderness. It’s home to species such as pangolins, tarsiers, gibbons, sun bears, and clouded leopards, plus a wealth of birds and butterflies.
Reached by the Langkawi Cable Car (Langkawi SkyCab, 2,323-foot (708-meter Mt. Machinchang (Gunung Mat Cincang stands second only to Mt. Raya (Gunung Raya. The Langkawi Sky Bridge winds its way between two of its peaks, while hiking trails ramble through its forested slopes, home to the Machinchang Cambrian Geoforest Park.
A family-friendly destination that’s popular with locals when the mercury rises, Melaka’s A’ Famosa Water Theme Park is among the largest water parks in Malaysia. Highlights include the family raft adventure, wave pool, sandy beach, and several long, fast, and high waterslides for thrill seekers.
If you were to visit Kota Belud during the week, you’d be forgiven for thinking the small village in north Sabah was pretty unremarkable. However, come here on a Sunday for the weekly tamu (market) and you’ll be greeted with a kaleidoscopic mix of stalls and—occasionally—local horsemen wearing brightly-colored costumes. Locals come to socialize, sell their goods, and buy everything from regional produce to hot street snacks to household items.
Create (and document) the illusion that you’re walking on the ceiling, levitating in the bathroom, or doing a handstand on the refrigerator at Upside Down House Melaka. Everything in this everyday home is turned upside down and stuck to the ceiling, enabling you to create hilarious selfies and memorable wefies with the help of staff.
The neighborhood known as Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC is quite literally the heart of the Malaysian capital and home to some of the country’s most recognizable landmarks, including the Petronas Twin Towers. A commercial development project that began in 1993 envisioned KLCC as “a city within a city,” one that would leave visitors feeling like they could quite comfortably never leave the area.
Nestled among the rolling green hills of the Cameron Highlands is BOH Tea Garden (BOH Tea Plantation), which encompasses a whopping 8,000 acres (3,250 hectares) of tea plantations and makes it the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Onsite, you’ll find a tea factory and processing plant, and a tea shop that boasts some of the region’s best vistas.
Enjoy fun games and thrilling rides at Berjaya Times Square Theme Park, the largest indoor amusement park in Malaysia. Located in central Kuala Lumpur, the 133,000-square-foot (12,357-square-meter) park features 14 rides and a variety of games and activities, ideal for everyone from adrenaline junkies to families with young kids.
A tribute to a famed Kadazan-Dusun warrior and headhunter named Monsopiad, the Monsopiad Cultural Village showcases heritage local lifestyles—including skulls allegedly belonging to Monsopiad’s enemies. Locals in authentic costumes go about traditional activities, from pounding rice to making rice wine, while visitors explore: Don’t miss one of the two daily dance performances.
Home to over 150 different species, Zoo Melaka and Night Safari is the city’s longest-established wildlife attraction and one of Malaysia’s largest zoos. It offers animal shows, food outlets, educational talks by keepers, and the chance to feed animals, as well as a night safari on weekend evenings.
Catch a wave, pose with an elephant, or walk on the ceiling at Kuala Lumpur’s Illusion 3D Art Museum, a fun destination for families or friends traveling together. Snap some amazing photos of yourself and your friends in front of realistic 3D paintings for some funny, surprising, scary, and even confusing effects.
Larger than you’d expect for an island Langkawi’s size, Underwater World Langkawi is a Pantai Cenang landmark thanks to its striking frontage. With freshwater and ocean aquariums, it’s home to everything from penguins and sea lions to lionfish, catfish, sharks, and turtles—and even a tropical rain forest aviary packed with birds.
