Travelling to Malaysia should definitely be on your bucket list when visiting Southeast Asia. Us as locals are extremely proud to be from Malaysia offering diverse attractions on both old and new. Although not having historical sites such as Angkor Wat and Pyramids, we offer tourists an experience with our multiracial population, languages, culture and cuisine. With well-known landmarks of both historic and modern, our way of life will make you fall in love come back for more. Here are the top 6 reasons to visit Malaysia and why we love Malaysia as well.

1.     Cultural Diversity

Malaysia is home to a diverse cultural ethnicities such as Malay, Chinese and Indians. On top of this, Asian ethnicities have integrated into a special blend such as Peranakan (Chinese descendants mixed with Malay), Mamak (Malay mixed with Indian blood) not to be confused with the open-air food establishments by the roadside that are open for 24 hours that are also called Mamaks and many others. We pride ourselves as a country, we are privileged and blessed to experience numerous cultural festivals, have friends who speak different languages and traditions from our own that other countries do not possess. Even with differences in culture, religion and race, we live harmoniously through it all - making this one of the many reasons why we love Malaysia.

2.     Cheap and Good Food

Continuing on the topic of cultural diversity, with the vast amount of ethnicities, comes traditional cuisine as well. One of the many reasons to visit Malaysia is, every cuisine is packed full with flavour and spices such as Nasi Lemak (Fragrant rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf) known as the national dish of Malaysia, Banana leaf rice (White rice served on top of a banana leaf with various types of vegetables and sides of seafood and meat), Char Kuey Teow (Stir-fried rice cake strips) and Satay (Meat Skewers) just to name a few as the amount of Malaysian local dishes are endless! There are 5 main local cuisines in Malaysia being Malay, Chinese, Indian, Mamak and Peranakan, although each state in Malaysia has their own speciality. There are 13 states in Malaysia, so you can imagine how many dishes there are! Not to mention endless amounts of hawker centers, day and night markets frequented by people of all races, cultures and class and filled with endless amounts of street food for you to choose from! This should definitely be one of the top reasons to why you should visit Malaysia. Be sure to check our Yummylicious & Cultural tours available on Buddyz for an authentic ‘do it like the locals’ trip!

3.     Stunning Islands and Beaches

Of course if you research ‘Attractions in Malaysia’, islands such as Langkawi and Penang will be a top contender, but did you know there are spectacular islands located off the East Coast of the Peninsular as well as Sabah in East Malaysia? Exploring off the beaten track and avoiding the typical tourist spots will earn you the most breathtaking views you’ll never forget. Islands such as Langkawi, Pangkor, Sipadan, Redang and Manukan are filled with clear blue waters with beautiful white sandy beaches are worth a visit and a must of things to do in Malaysia. Being able to just swim off the beach and amazed by the beautiful corals and unique fishes swimming around you makes the tag ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ worth the visit. Did you know that Malaysia’s islands are ranked amongst the top 10 diving destinations in the world? Sipadan island is known for its underwater biodiversity and pristine reefs all round. Worried about accommodation when visiting these islands? Fret not! Hotels are widely available on any island you decide to visit whether you’re looking for an international hotel chain or a local homestay.

4.     History and Culture

Not only known for our food and beautiful sceneries, we are also home to a few UNESCO recognized historic cities in Malaysia. United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is an international collaboration promoting education, culture and sciences globally. To be recognised by any of the categories means the site or landmark is legally protected by international treaties and deemed important to the interest of humanity. For Malaysia to be recognized by UNESCO in several categories, is an honour that brings both international and local tourism to the country, providing funds for the preservation of the site/landmark and promotes our local pride in the natural and man-made wonders of the country and why we love Malaysia. Melaka, also spelt Malacca and George Town were both recognized by UNESCO under the cultural category in 2008, are phenomenal colonial towns along the straits of Malacca that showcase not only historic influences but cultural as well of trading between the ports that link the East and West. Malacca town is famous for stepping back into history with its rich heritage for instance their A’Famosa fort, Christ Church, Cheng Hoon Teng temple, St.Paul’s church and the Baba Nyonya heritage museum. Whereas, George Town is known for its British colonial buildings, temples and Chinese shop lots such as Kek Lok Si temple, Cheong Fatt Tze mansion, St. George’s church (South East Asia’s oldest Anglican church) and many more. These towns are perfect examples of various cultures from the Malays, Chinese and even the Europeans coming together to create a harmonious and unique architecture, culture and town that exhibit why you should visit Malaysia.

5.     Festivals and Celebrations For Every Occasion

At almost any point of visiting the country, we are either preparing for a festival or in the midst of celebrating one. With so many cultures and religions, from family reunions, receiving Ang Pao (Red Packets) that symbolize prosperity and luck and watching the lion dance as the lion brings good fortune, chases away evil spirits and brings happiness, wisdom and good fortune during Chinese New Year. Hari Raya for the Muslims marks an end of Ramadan and the importance of gathering as a family is important during this season. Malaysia’s independence day, also known more commonly as Merdeka, is a big celebration parade held on the 31st August to celebrate Malaysia’s independence from the British and a spectacle not to be missed being a multi-racial procession. This parade is definitely where you will be able to see all races and religions come together as one. It is definitely recommended to plan your visits around these seasons so you get the chance to immerse yourselves in the lively festivities. Everyone is also extra friendly and warm during the holidays - just another reason why we adore Malaysia.

6.     Tropical Climate

Malaysia sits right on the equator making the country the perfect paradise travellers that love the tropical humidity. To top that, exploring the country’s charm of going from lounging beach weather to strawberry-growing climates of below 20°C in Cameron Highlands makes you wonder how one country can have such diverse temperatures and why you should visit Malaysia. Gunung Mulu National Park and Kinabalu Park, both recognized by UNESCO in 2000, are truly dazzling examples of nature landscapes in Malaysia as well. Having a diverse option of the hustle and bustle of the city life to the leisurely breathtaking views of the clear blue oceans and the lush greenery rainforest trees.

Leaving You Wanting More

You will never come across anybody that has visited the country saying they have covered all the attractions in Malaysia and would never come back. Having endless amounts of things to do in Malaysia from cultural, nature and not to mention, food culture is actually a thing in Malaysia! You’ll never run out of things to do, see and even eat, as the possibilities are endless. Also, did you know that you would never come across a single person in Malaysia that is only able to speak one language? In Malaysia, the locals are required to learn Malay being our ‘official’ language. But most of us also speak English and a native language whether being Mandarin, Cantonese or Tamil, making many of us bilingual and some even trilingual.

Now, we can go on and on about the things that we adore about Malaysia, but we’ll leave you to discover more reasons for yourself.

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