Malaysia

Spread across two landmasses and encompassing a thoroughly multicultural population, Malaysia delivers variety to the utmost. The country includes Peninsular Malaysia, which stretches from Thailand to Singapore on the Asian mainland, and East Malaysia, which occupies the northern third or so of the island of Borneo (aside from the little sliver of Brunei). And there’s much to see in both portions, which sweep from idyllic beaches to lofty jungle ridges.

Here you’ll discover a breathtakingly diverse spread of Southeast Asian ethnicities and cultures, from the majority Malay and significant Chinese and Indian populations to indigenous groups such as the Jakun and Semang of Peninsular Malaysia and the Iban and Bajau of East Malaysia. Forays into the highland rainforests reveal rural lifeways little changed across the centuries, while cities like Kuala Lumpur, Johor, and Kajang strut with 21st-century style.

Gourmands speak with rapture about Malaysian food, which pulls together many different strands of Asian cuisines—Chinese, Indian, Thai, Indonesian, etc.—with plenty of indigenous stylings. Major dishes include nasi lemak (featuring rice prepared with coconut milk and pandanus leaves) and the pork-garnished noodle meal called Hokkien mee. Tropical fruits such as jackfruit, mango, and the durian also figure prominently in many dishes.

Malaysia’s a global biodiversity hotspot, from the reef communities of the Coral Triangle to the cloud forests of the mountains. Standout destinations among the country’s nature sanctuaries include Taman Negara in Peninsular Malaysia, where Malayan tigers, Asian elephants, Sumatran rhinos, sun bears, and a host of other rainforest creatures find refuge; and Kinabalu Park, where a trekker ascending to the summit of 13,345-foot Mount Kinabalu passes through several distinct life zones—from foothill evergreen forest to alpine scrub. Those willing to don a snorkel or scuba tank, meanwhile, have some world-class marine treasures to explore off the coastlines and islands of the Celebes and South China seas, or in the Malacca Strait.

Whether you’re talking landscape-, culture-, or food-wise, Malaysia is a superbly diverse travel destination. Any visit here feels a bit whirlwind, though not necessarily in a bad way: From rural villages to global cities, from reef fish to forest elephants, from Chinese noodles to Indian-style flatbread, you can pack a dozen vacations into a single Malaysian getaway.