Malaysia
From Track2Asia
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History
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country's history were marred by Indonesian efforts to control Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore's secession from the Federation in 1965.
Culture
Malaysia is a multi-cultural society. 65% are Malays, 25% Chinese, and 7% Indians. The Malays are all Muslims, and the Chinese are mainly Buddhist, while most of the Indians population is Hindu.
Places to See
Tropical Islands
Malaysia can offer some of the most beautiful tropical islands. The highlight is the Perhentian Islands, which is undiscovered by mass tourism. Some of the more developed islands are also worth a visit: Langkawi, Pangkor, Penang, and Tioman Island.
National Parks
Another exciting thing about Malaysia is their National Parks. Here you can go jungle trekking. Here are some of the national parks you can visit:
Mainland
- Taman Negara National Park
- Endau Rompin National Park
- Gunung Stong State Park
- Royal Belum State Park
- Krau Wildlife Reserve
Penang
- Penang National Park
Night Life
Getting There
Air
Most international flights use at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) expect Cebu Pacific and AirAsia which now uses the new Low Cost Carrier Terminal. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is located about 50km to the southwest of Kuala Lumpur.
The new Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) was opened in March 2006. Though the LCC Terminal is across the runway from the Main Terminal Building, it is nearly 20km away by road. Frequent shuttle buses (RM1.50) connect the two terminals. At the Main Terminal Building, catch the shuttles at the Bus Terminal on the Ground Floor of the Car Park C building. At the LCC Terminal, wait for the buses at the bus stops right in front of the terminal.
Road
Border crossings can be done from Thailand and Singapore into Peninsular Malaysia. An International Drivers Permit is required.
From Malaysia to Singapore, there are two crossings. The Causeway which connects Johor Bahru with Woodlands in Singapore, and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link which connects Tanjung Kupang in Johor with Tuas in Singapore.
Between Thailand and Malaysia there multiple crossings:
- Wang Kelian (Malaysia) to Satun (Thailand)
- Padang Besar in Perlis (Malaysia) to Padang Besar (Thailand)
- Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah (Malaysia) to Sadao (Thailand)
- Pengkalan Hulu in Perak (Malaysia) to Betong (Thailand)
- Rantau Panjang in Kelantan (Malaysia) to Sungai Kolok (Thailand)
Train
- From/to Thailand: Direct sleeper train services operated by the State Railway of Thailand connect Bangkok and Butterworth near Penang, while Keretapi Tanah Melayu runs trains between Hat Yai and Kuala Lumpur. Both trains cross the border at Padang Besar where Thai and Malaysia immigration formalities are all conveniently done in the station. There is also a less used eastern route from Hat Yai to Thai border town Sungai Kolok, but there are no through trains to the nearby Malaysian station at Wakaf Bahru (near Kota Bharu).
- From/to Singapore: Singapore is the southern terminus of the Malayan Railway network. Comfortable overnight sleeper and somewhat misnamed daytime "express" trains also connect Singapore with Kuala Lumpur and Tumpat, near Kota Bharu. Bizarrely, tickets from Singapore are twice as expensive as those to Singapore; you can save quite a bit by taking the train from Johor Bahru instead.
