Toward sunset, Kimberley Street in George Town’s Chinatown comes alive with street stalls. Vendors flip oyster omelets and stir-fry sizzling woks of char kway teow; dessert specialists serve up Chinese sweet soups; and visiting foodies enjoy specialties such as Penang laksa and Hokkien prawn noodles.
Arguably Kuala Lumpur’s top street food destination, Jalan Alor comes into its own after dark, when cars are banned and eateries spring into life. Amid the glow of neon and paper lanterns, woks sizzle, grills flare and scents from satay to durian fill the air. Feast on Malay and Chinese favorites at alfresco tables or inside the eateries—or even snack as you stroll.
In 1910, the Chinese revolutionary and future president Sun Yat-sen spent six months in Penang. The Sun Yat-Sen Museum Penang occupies the restored historic shophouse where he and his family lived and his political party met. Besides perusing displays about Sun’s activities in George Town, you can learn about historic George Town architecture here.
A giant MIRI sign and a vintage oil rig known as The Grand Old Lady dominate Canada Hill, a low limestone ridge overlooking Miri. Alongside them stands the Petroleum Museum, which pays tribute to Malaysia’s oil and gas industries: The Grand Old Lady, Malaysia’s first oil well, struck in 1910, led to the foundation of MIRI.
Perched on the edge of Kubah National Park, Matang Wildlife Centre rehabilitates native Bornean species such as orangutans and sun bears. In addition to viewing the rock pools and three waterfalls of Kubah, come to Matang to walk nature trails and viewing platforms to observe rescued animals in habitats that emulate their natural homes.
Housed in an art deco building in Taiping, the Perak Museum (Muzium Perak) is Peninsular Malaysia’s oldest museum, established in 1883. The retro collection includes history displays, taxidermied critters, and handicrafts. Kids will also be pleased by a selection of cars once owned by the royal family, a 3D trick art section, trains, canoes, and fighter planes.
The tallest building in Melaka, the Shore Sky Tower has a 43rd-floor observation deck that offers sweeping views that span up to 30 miles (50 kilometers) on a clear day. Whether you visit during the day or night, use the provided telescopes to take in the 360-degree vista of Melaka, the Straits of Melaka, and the Malay Peninsula.
The state mosque of Malaysia’s Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque sits atop a hill in the state’s capital city, Johor Bahru. Sultan Abu Bakar began constructing it in 1892—though he died before it was finished in 1900— and the architecture shows influences from Mughal India and Victorian Britain, with minarets that look like 19th-century clock towers.
Home to over 1,200 different animals, including tigers, elephants, orangutans, and hornbills, Taiping Zoo spreads over 36 acres (15 hectares of well-kept grounds in Perak’s second city, Taiping. After dark, it hosts a night safari, the first of its kind in Malaysia, where guests observe animals’ nocturnal behavior on foot or from a tram.
This deer park and small zoo in Lanchang is home to deer from several different species, plus a wide range of birds and small animals. Travelers to this spot in central peninsular Malaysia can feed the deer potato slices, while there’s also a small petting zoo with guinea pigs and rabbits.
Dedicated to conserving sea turtles, particularly green and hawksbill turtles, Talang Satang National Park occupies four white-sand islands and the surrounding marine territory. Pulau Satang Besar is the only island that’s open to regular day-trippers; the other three are for researchers, conservation organizations, and volunteers only.
Stores, homes, temples, and fishing boats crowd Chew Jetty on George Town’s waterfront, the largest clan jetty that once made up an old Chinese settlement on Penang. Walk around the elevated wooden boardwalks that connect stilt houses, pick up souvenirs, and sample local snacks as you go.
The jewel of Langkawi’s Dayang Bunting Island, Dayang Bunting Lake (Tasik Dayang Bunting is a pretty freshwater lake, nestled just inland from the salt waters of the Andaman Sea. The name means “Pregnant Maiden Lake” and some locals still believe the ancient legend that bathing here can help improve female fertility.
Backed by the soaring pinnacles of Petronas Twin Towers (Petronas Towers), Kuala Lumpur’s signature sight, Lake Symphony creates an arresting display at night, as lights illuminate the dancing fountains and jets of water swirl and spray like steam from a dragon. You can catch one of five evening performances: Two offer sound and light, while three have light effects only.
A cluster of amusement activities set in Komtar—Penang’s highest building—the TOP Penang encompasses everything from an aquarium to an exhibit devoted to the notoriously stinky durian fruit. Most travelers come for the Rainbow Skywalk, a glass skywalk perched 68 floors above George Town; tickets include the air-conditioned observation deck on the 65th floor.
A visual feast of red and gold with a towering Buddha, the 19th-century Dhammikarama Burmese Temple is one of few Burmese Buddhist temples outside Myanmar. Besides a gilded stupa, a spire-clad pavilion, a candy-colored bell tower, and a fish pond, a wealth of multi-colored temple guardians protect the incense-wreathed prayer hall.
A trick-art gallery in Port Dickson, PD Dream World Upside Down & 3D is a fun destination for the whole family. Pose in the jaws of a T. rex, balancing on a rope high above Manhattan, and more. One of the highlights is the upside-down room, where visitors can pose for photos that look as though they are walking on the ceiling.
Located in Tanah Rata, part of the Cameron Highlands, Rose Valley lives up to its name with more than 450 types of roses. This hillside flower garden also boasts other plants in a terraced garden, along with sculptures, a pond, a café, a plant nursery, and a viewpoint overlooking the highlands.
Penang’s TeddyVille Museum is dedicated to all things teddy bear. Check out teddies from around the world, from tiny to human-sized, including antiques from the early 1900s. You’ll also see the Mini Penang exhibit, where miniature bears are dressed up and posed in reenactments of key moments in Penang’s history.
Completed in 1879, the whitewashed and turreted Fort Margherita was commissioned by Charles Brooke, the second Rajah of Sarawak, to protect Kuching from attacks by river pirates, a common 19th-century scourge. Today, Fort Margherita is an important part of Kuching history and houses the Brooke Gallery, which illustrates the impact of the White Rajas in Sarawak.
To truly immerse yourself in the bustle of Malaysia’s capital, a visit to the neighborhood of Bukit Bintang (Bintang Walk) is essential. Home to the highest concentration of trendy bars, shopping outlets, and international restaurants in Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang embodies the city’s cosmopolitan culture.
A focal point of Melaka’s modern development called the Shore, the Shore Oceanarium is located on the second floor of a mall. Educational exhibits span the gamut from an interactive touch pool to a shell museum and a 3D movie theater, with an emphasis on fun topics such as sharks, sea turtles, and living fossils. You can buy food to feed the turtles.
The Melaka (Malacca) outpost of the Kuala Lumpur original, Illusion 3D Art Museum Melaka features around 40 hand-painted 3D artworks, tailor-made for hilarious optical illusion selfies. You can also insert yourself into your choice of six “augmented reality” 3D movies by filming against a green screen.
Stretching along the waterfront in Kuah, Lagenda Park (Taman Lagenda) offers green gardens, tranquil pools, shady pathways, and mangroves, but sculptures are the highlight. Seventeen colorful structures immortalize different Langkawi legends, from friendly giants to Mahsuri, who cursed the island for generations.
Opened in 2008, the Islamic Civilization Park (Taman Tamadun Islam) treats visitors to the perfect mix of education and entertainment. Five interactive monuments and 21 replicas of the world’s most iconic Islamic structures pay homage to the influence of this culture and its people all across the globe. From the Al-Hambra Citadel in Spain to the Taj Mahal in India, visitors can take an international tour without leaving Terengganu. The 23-hectares park also includes a beautiful Crystal Mosque, constructed with crystal shine glass and reflective steel panels. Though many of the international replicas are still under construction, visitors say this impressive mosque still makes the park worth a trip.
Set in the lush jungles of Malaysia, the award-winning Bukit Gambang Water Park is the largest and most spectacular water park in the country. Spanning 45.8 acres (18.5 hectares), the park offers plenty of opportunities for water play in the form of slides, wave pools, play pools, leisure pools, lazy rivers, and beaches.
Beautiful Redang Island, in the South China Sea off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, is considered to have some of the country’s best beaches. With white sands, warm turquoise waters, and a surrounding marine park, the island is a wonderful place to take a relaxing vacation, and it’s not overly developed. Visitors can swim, snorkel, dive, hike, and more.
As the name would suggest, Melaka Bird Park is a gigantic aviary, home to a wealth of free-flying tropical birds representing more than 20 species, including peacocks and parrots. It’s possible to buy tubs of seed to feed the birds and to observe them from a canopy skywalk, and the park also has dining options and a souvenir shop.
A fun, family-friendly attraction, the Alive 3D Art Gallery in Port Dickson features dozens of colorful, interesting, and downright quirky trick-art paintings divided into different zones: Adventure, Aquarium, Animation, Exotic, and Dark Art. Visitors can pose for photos—the results can be both surprising and hilarious.
Part archive and part exhibition space, the Penang House of Music focuses on the diverse musical heritage of this historically and culturally rich city. Visitors to the museum, opened in 2017, can play radio announcer, view vintage films, and learn about puppet theater, Chinese opera, local dances, musical instruments, and Malaysian pop bands.
