10 Beautiful Places in Malaysia

Malaysia is quickly emerging as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia. Set in a unique geographical location, Malaysia offers diverse landscapes including rainforests, rivers, waterfalls, caves, islands, mountains, and coastal plains. The cultural diversity reflected within the country adds to the exotic beauty of the country through architectural representations and festivals. These are ten of the most beautiful places to visit in Malaysia.

10. Sungai Palas Tea Plantation

Located in the Cameron Highlands, the Sungai Palas tea plantation is one of the most beautiful places in Malaysia. It offers a natural view of the highlands. While enjoying the natural environment of the plantation, tourists can engage in tea factory tours.

9. Kanching Falls

The Kanching Falls is a seven-tier waterfall within the kanching recreational forest reserve in the state of Selangor. A variety of recreation activities are offered to tourists such as jungle trekking, power showers under the falls, camping, picnicking, swimming and photography.

8. Malacca Straits Mosque

The mosque built on the human-made island of Malacca is a beautiful sight with unique Islamic and Malay architecture and interior decorations. The mosque appears to float when water levels are high. The mosque has a prayer hall, library, and learning area.

7. Borneo

Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, the Celebes Sea, Makassar straight, Karimata straight, and the Java Sea. The Malay Peninsula and Sumatra are located on the western side of Borneo. It covers an area of 287,000 square miles making it the largest island in Asia and the third largest in the world. The Malayan side of Borneo is endowed with unique natural habitats which are home to diverse flora and fauna. Some endangered species within Borneo include the Asian pygmy elephant, the Bornean orang-utan, and the Sunda clouded leopard. The highest point at Mount Kinabalu is Sabah with an elevation of 13,435 feet. The largest river system in Borneo is Kapuas River which stretches for 710 miles. Other rivers include the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan covering a distance of 610 miles and the Barito River in the southern part of Kalimantan which stretches for 550 miles.

6. Bohey Dulang Island

The mountainous island of volcanic origin is famous for the spectacular view tourists enjoy at the peak of the island. The island is home to species such as coral reefs, turtles, barracudas and eagle rays. A shallow channel separates the island from Bodgaya which is the biggest island in the Tun Sakaran Marine Park. The crater that forms the Bohey Dulang is presently covered with sea water which creates a large lagoon that reaches 25 meters deep. The southern part of the lagoon is open and shallow.

5. Batu Caves

The Batu Caves of Selangor are a series of limestone caves home to Hindu shrines which attract pilgrims and tourists, especially during the Thaipusam festival. A large statue can be found at the entrance of the caves that dedicates the temple to Lord Murugan. There are three main caves within the complex which all carry religious paraphernalia related to Hinduism.

4. Terengganu Mosque

Terengganu is home to the crystal mosque, which is built of glass and steel making it one of the most beautiful mosques in the world. The mosque also incorporates IT and internet infrastructure for adherents to access the digital Quran. The mosque is a spectacular sight at night with yellow, blue, pink and green lights.

3. Kek Lok Si Temple

The Chinese Buddhist temple, built in 1891, is one of the unique cultural and religious features attracting both Malaysian and Southeast Asian pilgrims. The temple has numerous Buddhism related icons and carvings, and is a blend of Burmese, Thai, and Chinese architectural styles. The location of the temple provides a splendid view of the Air Itam Mountain. The temple complex has a large bell that is operated by hydraulics and tolls with a high pitch at certain intervals.

2. Kuala Lumpur

Tourism plays a vital role in Kuala Lumpur’s service driven economy. There are many different worldwide hotel chains in the city, one of the oldest being the Hotel Majestic. The city of Kuala Lumpur is the world’s sixth most visited city, receiving an average of 8.9 million visitors annually. Kuala Lumpur is an ethnically diverse region. Some of the tourist destinations in the city include the Petronas Twin Towers, the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Bukit Bintang shopping district, the Houses of Parliament, Petaling Street, the National Palace, and the Merdeka Square. Other attractions include Batu Caves, Islamic Arts Museum, the National Museum, KL Bird Park, Central Market, and the National Monument. The city hosts many cultural festivals like the Thaipusam procession at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple.

1. Langkawi Island

Langkawi is a group of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea offering tourists a unique feel of the natural and undisturbed environment with long white beaches, parks, lakes, coconut trees and warm sunshine. Tourists on the island can enjoy yachting, walks along the beaches, and watching wildlife such as monitor lizards, swimming macaque monkeys, and the hairy nosed sea otter. In 2007, the island of Langkawi was given the status of World Geopark by UNESCO. The three most important conservation regions in the Island include Kilim Karst Geoforest Park, Machincang Cambrian Geoforest Park, and Dayang Bunting Marble Geoforest park. Tourists can access the island through a ferry from Kuala Perlis, Penang, and Kuala Kedah. Alternatively, there is a domestic flight through Kuala Lumpur International Airport that is served by Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, AirAsia, and Rayani Air.