The Ultimate Travel Guide to Malaysia: History & Attractions

From Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers to Borneo's orangutans, Penang's street food and the Perhentian Islands — Malaysia is Southeast Asia's hidden gem.

A Glimpse into History

Malaysia's history is one of the most complex in Southeast Asia — an interweaving of Malay sultanate culture, Indian Hindu-Buddhist heritage, Chinese migration, Islamic conversion, Portuguese and Dutch colonial power, and finally British colonisation, all compressed into one of the world's most biodiverse territories. The Malay Peninsula's strategic position astride Indian Ocean trade routes made it a crossroads of civilisations. The great trading empire of Srivijaya (7th–13th centuries) controlled the Strait of Malacca from Sumatra, followed by the Majapahit Hindu empire. The founding of Malacca (Melaka) around 1400 by the Malay prince Paramesvara marked the rise of the most important trading port in Asia — at its peak, more than 80 languages were spoken in the port city. Malacca's ruler converted to Islam in the early 15th century, and Islam spread rapidly throughout the Malay Archipelago from this base. Portuguese forces under Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca in 1511, followed by the Dutch in 1641, and finally the British, who established Penang (1786), Singapore (1819), and control of the peninsula. The Japanese occupation (1942–45) destroyed British prestige and accelerated independence movements. Malaya achieved independence in 1957 under Tunku Abdul Rahman, and Malaysia was formed in 1963 by the merger of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak — Singapore was expelled in 1965. The 1969 racial riots between Malays and Chinese led to the New Economic Policy, which used affirmative action to boost Malay economic participation. Modern Malaysia is a middle-income federal constitutional monarchy with remarkable cultural diversity and natural heritage.

Top Attractions in Malaysia

Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

The twin 88-storey towers — world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 at 452 metres — were designed with Islamic geometric motifs and connected by a sky bridge at the 41st floor. The observation deck on the 86th floor of Tower 2 offers panoramic views over KL's skyline, while KLCC Park below and the Suria KLCC shopping mall frame the towers in water features and gardens.

Penang George Town

The UNESCO-listed historic city of George Town is the best-preserved example of Southeast Asian colonial-era trading city architecture — 7,000 pre-war shophouses in Hokkien Chinese, Malay, Indian, and British colonial styles. The street art installations, clan jetties (water villages of Chinese clans dating from the 19th century), Penang Hill cable car, and the most celebrated street food scene in Southeast Asia make Penang unique.

Borneo Rainforest & Orangutans

Malaysian Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak) contains the world's oldest rainforest (130 million years old) and the last wild populations of Bornean orangutans — fewer than 100,000 remain. The Danum Valley, Kinabatangan River (best wildlife-watching river in Malaysia), and Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre offer close encounters with orangutans, proboscis monkeys, pygmy elephants, and hornbills in their natural habitat.

Langkawi Island

The duty-free island in the Andaman Sea — an archipelago of 99 islands with mangrove forests, jungle waterfalls, and the Sky Bridge cable car suspended 700 metres above the rainforest canopy — is Malaysia's most prestigious beach destination. The Kilim Karst Geoforest Park mangrove boat tour (passing through sea caves, eagle feeding areas, and bat caves) is Langkawi's most unique experience.