Malaysia is one of the most fascinating and varied travel destinations in the entire world. The incredible mix of holidays on offer here mean that you will never run out of places to marvel at. The only trouble is fitting them all in. Especially as once you’ve discovered one of the country’s treasures you’ll want to go back there, again and again.

As an integral part of the trade route between India and China, Malaysian culture is a diverse mix of multi-racial influences. The traveller can witness this in the intricate architecture, unique crafts, amazing towns and courteous, charismatic people that form the basis of any trip here.

Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage infuses any travel experience and there are no shortage of festivals and celebrations for Muslims, Buddhists, Christians or other religions that fill the cities and kampungs alike with colour, song, dance and most importantly, food. In addition to these cultural delights, Malaysia is blessed with perhaps the most diverse abundance of natural wonders. There are beaches that compare favourably even with Thailand and Indonesia, virgin jungle and rainforests that outstrip any other country in the region, and some of the world’s tallest waterfalls.

Then, there are enormous, sprawling National Parks that contain wild rivers and caves, South-East Asia’s highest mountain (Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, East Malaysia) and a breath-taking array of wildlife, flora and fauna (featuring Rafflesia, the world’s biggest flower). The biggest of these is Taman Negara, which takes up 4,000 sq km in the centre/Southern part of the country. In total, Malaysia hosts thousands of plants, 600 species of birds, and over 200 mammals, including elephants, tigers, sun bears, proboscis monkeys and clouded leopards. There are pythons, cobras and monitor lizards that are literally metres long and of course, the animals that are always associated with Malaysian Borneo: orangutans.

Divers are also particularly well catered for, with sites that are regularly voted the best in the world, both due to some incredible submarine wrecks from World War Two and the unique marine-life. Off the East Coast of Sabah, you can swim with white-tip sharks and clown fish barracuda, while just up the coast of Borneo you can have the experience of a lifetime watching hawksbill turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs on the beach.

The starting point for any Malaysian travel adventure is the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Most expatriates are based here, and will soon become used to many of the great tourist attractions in KL, firstly as they discover their new home and later as they show visiting friends and relatives around. The most obvious (and reliable) tourist hot-spot, the Petronas Twin Towers has plenty going for it, not least that it is free to go up to the Sky-bridge observation level. However, the towers so dominate and encapsulate the skyline that the real delight of them is viewing them from other landmarks and hideaways in the city, rather than staring out from them.

This explains the popularity of Menara KL (KL Tower), which from many views actually looks taller than the Petronas Towers—the secret is that Menara KL is on a hill, but it’s still tall in its own right. One of the tallest communications towers in the world, in fact. Menara KL is the other dominant structure of the KL skyline that is also made up of high-rise hotels, malls, and more traditional buildings.

On the streets, Malaysia’s capital is buzzing with people and activity. The incongruence of food stalls and markets on the streets outside multi-national banks and brand new shopping malls is always striking, but says a lot about the country’s aim to drive forward without sacrificing its heritage and traditions. It also shows the wide range of incomes and wealth of the population.

This divide is found throughout the country, and a drive through the kampungs (traditional Malay villages, with old wooden family houses on stilts) is a real must if you want to get a taste for traditional, authentic Malaysian lifestyle outside of the cities. For the best examples of kampung living, take a drive over on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, near Cherating, Merang and Marang. This is also the direction to head in for the islands of Perhentian and Tioman, which must be amongst the most incredible on Earth. And if you want to really sample the traditional Malay (especially Islamic) lifestyle, the state of Terengganu is for you. Watch and participate in the incredible performing arts and crafts, although as the state is “dry” you won’t be able to toast your creations with a beer at the end of the day.

Apart from Kuala Lumpur, the towns that you will soon become familiar with, either as a home or through weekend breaks, include Melaka (Malacca), a two to three hour drive South of KL where the amazing buildings, wonderful arts and crafts and chilled-out atmosphere makes for an ideal day (or longer) trip.

Penang is one of Asia’s true expatriate havens. Almost a microcosm for Malaysia itself, there are beaches, forests, wildlife, and the bars, restaurants and nightlife of Georgetown is well-renowned. There are also impressive colonial buildings befitting a place that was the first British settlement in the country.

Either side of Penang are two more islands that you’ll hear lots about. Langkawi, in the country’s far North-West, has a reputation for offering some of the world’s very finest beach resorts. There is much more to the place though, including a mysterious, mythical history and various adventure activities such as sea-kayaking, rock-climbing and the brilliant canopy walkway. Langkawi is also a duty-free haven, making even more of a hit with tourists.

An hour or two south of Penang is a more exclusive island is Pangkor Laut, arguably the country’s best island resort, with chalets on stilts over the stunning waters of the Andaman Sea.

If the heat of tropical living gets too much, then head for the Highlands! Hill Resorts are totally unique to Malaysia, and thanks to the tea plantations and strawberry fields of The Cameron Highlands, the smokehouses, the small intricate towns of Bukit Tinggi and Fraser’s Hill, and even the ‘see-it-once-but-only-once’ attraction of the casinos and theme park of Genting, there is something for everyone.

As well as an array of amazing wildlife, the east Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (plus the island of Labuan) are also great places for expatriates to visit.

The oil and gas industries often post people here (along with Terengganu or the East Coast), and residents soon become immersed in some of nature’s most amazing wonders, including the Gunung Mulu National Park’s extraordinary razor-sharp limestone needles and enormous mountains.

The Malaysian government is determined to bring as many visitors to the country as possible, a determination that is demonstrated in the fact that Kuala Lumpur has the cheapest taxi prices for any city in the world. Worth remembering when you’re haggling over a few ringgit or upset at the driver’s underhand tactics to get you to part with more money for your journey. The government also regulates the price of five-star hotel rooms, making them amongst the lowest in the world. Given the outstanding service and facilities at five-star hotels in the country, this makes for superb value, wherever you stay.

The following travel section covers each area of Malaysia, broken into regions. Much of the information is taken from the Travel Malaysia articles in Expatriate Lifestyle, written by international, award-winning travel writers, all re-worked for a newly arrived audience.