The country of Malaysia is filled with unique and rich cultures, heritage and food. If you’re visiting for the first time (or if you’re back for more) and want the true to heart local experience, be sure to experience all these simple yet beautiful things that make Malaysia a place you’ll never forget.

1. We can speak up to 4 languages - and you can hear them being used in one single sentence

Cultures speaking their own mother tongue whether being Malay, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tamil or English is very common, most people living in Malaysia are able to speak a minimum of 3 languages. This is because it is compulsory for students to learn Malay and English – as Malay is our national language and English being a universal language. Students that attend specialized Chinese or Tamil schools will be required to learn the respective languages as well. With all the various languages floating around Malaysia, it’s not surprising to have them integrate with each other and is not an unusual thing to happen.

An example would be: Ahneh (Tamil), dapao (Mandarin) teh tarik satu (Malay), thank you (English)

Roughly translates to: Brother, I’ll have a teh tarik to-go, thank you

2. We eat non-stop - that’s why there’s endless food options at every corner and some are even open 24/7

Malaysians LOVE eating! We love eating so much that we usually plan our next meal whilst eating our current one. The choices of what to eat are endless at any time of the day. From the 24-hour eateries, restaurants, hawker stalls, roadside stalls and pasar malam (night market) of all sorts of local food available. Malaysia has a buzzing cuisine nightlife serving food items such as Ramly (local burgers) to Chinese hotpot and Malay satay (meat skewers). Also, late night catch up with friends at a Mamak (roadside restaurant) over food and Teh Tarik (pulled tea) is something all Malaysians love doing regardless of race and religion.

3. We love fusion as we live in one of the most diverse countries in Asia - you’ll experience this in the food and lifestyle

As mentioned, Malaysians love their food and we don’t limit ourselves to our culture’s cuisine. Much like mixing our dialects together, we love mixing our foods as well (not all at once, of course). We could be having Nasi Lemak (coconut milk and pandan rice) for breakfast, fish noodles for lunch and Sup Tulang (Malay bone soup) for dinner. Also, if you’re heading to a hawker centre or pasar malam, you’ll most likely be able to get all the various types of cuisine in one place! We’ve also got plenty of halal food options, as well as traditional Chinese, Indian, Western and Middle-East cuisines.

If you’re looking at stuff to try from all the different cultures, be sure to check out our local food scene dishes to try! Part 1 and Part 2 of the top dishes to try in Malaysia.

5 Truly Local Malaysian Traditions You Should Experience