Malaysia

Bako National Park

Bako National Park is located on the coast of the Muara Tebas peninsula on the island of Borneo, and although it is quite small – only about 16 square miles – it is an incredibly beautiful and diverse piece of land. In Bako National Park, there are swamps, forests, cliffs, and coastal lands like beaches and coves. Visitors can find a variety of hiking trails that range from short walks to long hikes that will take an entire day. Macaque monkeys and silver leaf monkeys are very common in this park, and most visitors will be able to spot these members of the ecosystem as well as the occasional wild boar, monitor lizard, or even a rare proboscis monkey, which dwells in the mangrove trees and is most often spotted early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Aquaria KLCC

Aquaria KLCC is located in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and offers over 5,000 exhibits for guests to enjoy and learn about ocean life from all over the world. Exhibits are organized by habitat and animal type, so visitors can see otters in the stream exhibit, sharks, eels, and stingrays in the Living Ocean exhibit, and catfish and alligator garfish in the freshwater exhibit. There is also a piranha tank, a walk through glass tunnel, and a touch tank where visitors can meet sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and more. The aquarium is open daily from 10:00am until 8:00pm.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Kuala Lumpur City, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Phone: +6-03-23-33-18-88

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu Temple

The Glass Temple of Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman is the only one of its kind in Malaysia. The temple is constructed mostly from a glass mosaic, which comprises over 300,000 pieces of glass tile and beads. The murals and mosaics depict scenes of kindness between followers of different religions. Inside the temple, there are statues of Mother Teresa, Gautama Buddha, and a number of deities. The temple was constructed in 1922, but it wasn’t until the creator’s son inherited the space in the 1990s that it became the wondrous and unique temple of glass that it is today.

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu Temple, Malaysia, Wadi Hana, 80300 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia, Phone: +60-72-24-51-52

Batu Caves

These Hindu shrines, located in a series of caves near Kuala Lumpur, are the location of the annual Hindu celebration of Thaipusam. Each year, hundreds of thousands of people climb the stairs to the temple carrying heavy tributes, which they offer to the god Murugam. But at any time of year, the Batu Caves are certainly worth a visit. The main cave of the complex is about 300 feet high and 1,200 feet long, and is home to a troublemaking tribe of macaque monkeys, who have been known to pester and steal from tourists.

Batu Caves, Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia, Phone: +60-13-00-88-50-50

Boh Tea Plantation and Factory

The Boh Tea Plantation and Factory contains over 8,000 acres of growing land, making it the largest tea growing operation in Southeast Asia. It provides tea to countries all over the world, and even processes the tea harvest in a factory on the property to ensure freshness and the best possible quality of tea. Tourists can visit the Boh Tea Plantation and Factory to learn more about the production of tea and check out the cafe and gift shop, where they can sample and purchase some of the products made on site.

Cameron Highlands, 39000, Malaysia

Bukit Cina

Bukit Cina translates to “Chinese Hill”, and refers to a massive (820,000 square feet) mound of land in the Malaysian city of Malacca. This hill is actually the largest Chinese cemetery outside of China itself, with more than 12,000 graves, some of which date all the way back to the Middle Ages. The hill’s history began when the daughter of a Chinese emperor married a Malaysian sultan and lived on the hill, and continued in the 16th century when a monastery was built on the property. It was officially declared to be a cemetery for the Chinese in the 17th century, and today it is a lovely park with paths for walking, and plenty of memorials and gravestones for history buffs to peruse.

Crystal Mosque

The Crystal Mosque , located in Kuala Terengganu on Malaysia’s Wan Man Island, is simply one of a kind. This steel and glass construction is built right on the edge of the water, and at night it is illuminated from the inside, lighting up the elaborate glass domes and reflecting them onto the water and surrounding areas in a spectacular display of light. The Crystal Mosque is part of the Islamic Heritage Park, which besides the Crystal Mosque also contains many replicas of famous mosques from all over the world, but without the massive crowds usually found at the real ones.

Pulau Wan Man, 21000 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia, Phone: +60-96-27-11-11

Gunung Mulu National Park

This beautiful park in Borneo is a protected rainforest, well known for its massive mountains, rock formations, and caves. Most famous of these is the Deer Cave, a giant cave filled with bats that leads to the Garden of Eden, a lovely enclosed oasis that is hidden from the rest of the park by tall cliffs and a beautiful waterfall. Guided tours are available to take visitors through any number of Mulu’s treasures, including the caves, waterfalls, summits of the peaks, and even a canopy walk, where it is possible to hike up in the trees via a system of bridges and platforms.

Gunung Mulu National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, and the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is the home of the largest display of Islamic art in Southeast Asia. There are over 10,000 pieces in the museum’s collection as well as an expansive library. Visitors to the museum will find a wide array of art on display, from giant murals down to miniscule pieces of jewelry. Many of these pieces are from all over the world, however the Islamic Arts Museum of Malaysia places a special emphasis on Islamic Art from China, India, and Southeast Asia.

Jalan Lembah Perdana, Tasik Perdana, Wilayah Persekutuan, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Phone: +6-03-20-92-70-70

Kek Lok Si

The Buddhist temple of Kek Lok Si is located on the Malaysian island of Penang and is said to be the largest of its kind in Malaysia. It was built in 1891, and inside and outside the temple there are millions of images of Buddha, everything from sculptures and carvings to paintings and murals. Kek Lok Si is situated on top of a large hill, and from the temple visitors can see the surrounding hills and countryside, a sight that emphasizes the peaceful atmosphere created by the ornate rooftops, colorful buildings, and tranquil ambience.

1000-L, Tingkat Lembah Ria 1, 11500 Ayer Itam, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia, Phone: +60-48-28-33-17