Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur
Compact and easy to get around, space age capital of skyscrapers and giant shopping malls spliced with old colonial and Moorish architecture, pleasant parks and gardens, outdoor markets and fashionable bars and restaurants. A selection of stylish hotel and spas make this an ideal place to start or end your holiday. A two-hour drive south of the city is Melaka, recently designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO and where you can visit forts, churches and buildings dating to the Portuguese, British and Dutch days.

Dont miss:
Shopping for designer bargains - try Bukit Bintang or Suria KLCC; a trip up the Petronas Towers of 451 metre high - the skybridge at 140m is the best place for views over the city; alternative if you dine atop the KL Tower you get a sweeping view of the city plus the Petronas Towers! The ASEAN Sculpture Gardens; the bustle of Chinatown; a tour on the monorail. Try one of the spicy, flavourful or creamy coconut dishes - Malaysian specialities include satay and nasi lemak

Borneo
Fringed by the South China, Sulu and Celebes Seas this far northern peninsula is home to Borneo's most prestigious hotels and spas, golf and dive sites. The two East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak make up just part of the island of Borneo. Both states have large tracts of rainforest, rivers, caves and tropical islands. As well as the many eco-activities there are plenty of beaches to relax on. SABAH, often called the "Land below the wind" because it lies below the typhoon belt, has beach resorts located within easy reach of the modern coastal capital, Kota Kinabalu. Inland there are rushing rivers, mountain lodges and Mt. Kinabalu, the region's tallest peak. Sandakan on the east coast is base for the Sepilok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre and egg-laying Turtle Islands National Park or venture down the Kinabatangan River to the river lodges of Sukau to see proboscis monkeys. Further south visit the Danum Valley for the chance to see pygmy elephants and orang utans in their wild habitat whilst staying in the comfortable Borneo Rainforest Lodge. You can access Sabah by taking a two hour flight from Kuala Lumpur or Singapore or a three hour flight from Hong Kong. SARAWAK, the "Land of the hornbills" is rich in wildlife with over 500 species of birds. There are nine national parks including the Mulu National Park where a number of the caves can be explored. Just outside Kuching, the state capital, is the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for orang-utans All the Indiana Jones-style originals are here - dense forests, hidden temples, rushing rivers, bottomless caves and remote, head-hunters tribes. Sarawak is the largest state in Malaysia and with the huge choice of national parks and rare flora and fauna help to make Malaysia's largest and most diverse state an eco and soft adventure traveller's dream.

Dont miss:
orang utans; proboscis monkeys; white-water rafting; Danum Valley; diving; river safari along the Skrang, Lemanak and Batang Ai Rivers; Kuching, home of the last White Rajahs; staying at a tribal longhouse; forest trails, the caves of Mulu.

Beaches of Malaysia
PENANG is the former British trading post and the original Far Eastern holiday island. It is commercialised but still relaxed and easy-going with a good choice of hotels and spas along the main Batu Ferringhi beach strip and in Georgetown, the island's capital, and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The island provides traditional, uncomplicated holiday ingredients with all mod cons, varied dining and plentiful international fast food outlets which makes it very popular with families. Neighbouring Penang and the largest island of an archipelago of over 100 islands to the far north west of Peninsular Malaysia the island of LANGKAWI steeped in romantic legend, with dense vegetation and sleepy resorts contributing to a generally laid-back, soporific mood. Many of the local legends have been integrated into some of the sights on the tourist trail, in particular the curse of the wronged Princess Mahsuri. On beaches or coves fringing jungle-clad hills, hotels and spas are dotted around the island. Activities include golf, tennis, water sports and duty-free shopping in the main town of Kuah. Or for views of thick jungle and nearby islands board the cable car from Pantai Kok to the peak of Mount Mat Cincang. The beach road that runs from Pantai Cenang to Pantai Tengah has many cheap and cheerful bars and cafes and is now being joined by hip restaurants and bars with their minimalist designs and fusion cooking. The twin islands off the west coast are easily reached by short flight or overland and ferry from Kuala Lumpur. PANGKOR has a first class resort with every amenity on a secluded white sand beach. PANGKOR LAUT is home to an elite hotel and spa covering the entire island with different styles of luxurious suites. Recommended for honeymooners! On the east coast is TERENGGANU, with miles of sandy beach and a quiet pace of life. For a luxury Spa resort ask for details of the Tanjong Jara Resort, recently voted Best Hotel Spa in Asia, and sister hotel to the Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa. Offshore idylls - The volcanic TIOMAN ISLAND, off the south east coast and just an hour’s flight from Kuala Lumpur, offers a first class resort with all amenities. REDANG ISLAND, off the north east coast, is just one island in Malaysia’s premier marine park where you can swim in crystal clear water and, if you are lucky, swim with the turtles or hire a self drive boat to explore the tiny nearby desert islands. A place of beautiful beaches with some excellent diving from April to September, with more than 30 dive sites.

Dont miss:
In Langkawi an opportunity to relax in luxury, doing absolutely nothing! In Penang the shopping and eating in old colonial Georgetown; a rickshaw ride, a round island tour visiting the Snake Temple, batik and spice factories. On the East coast Giant leatherback turtles between April to September.