Food, Infrastructure & Shopping

Rub shoulders with the locals sampling some delicious local cuisine at the street stalls where open air cooking is a special Malay experience. As the people are Islamic, no pork is used and strict Muslims dine at restaurants that offer halal food prepared in religiously approved conditions.

The rich, spicy ingredients are different from state to state but all use seafood, meat, coconut and other indigenous fruits, with rice. The most famous Malay dishes are satay - spicy skewered pieces of chicken or beef, marinated and barbequed over a charcoal fire and eaten with peanut sauce; and laksa, a spicy vegetarian soup with noodles and fish stock. Thirst quenchers are 'the tarik' a tea made with a special milk, 'sirap bandung' a pink drink made of rock sugar and red colouring with condensed milk added, and 'air batu campur' made of either brown sugar or red syrup with colourful jelly cubes, red beans, sweet corn and Chinese black jelly.

Night-life is colourful, but not raunchy like Bangkok. Kuala Lumpur offers a wide choice of places with entertainment ranging from cultural shows to Western-style bars and discos. Karaoke lounges have become popular and for those who enjoy traditional entertainment, there are several cultural show venues.

"Authentic" Malay food is not as widely available in Malaysian restaurants as Chinese style or American fast food. Restaurants in large hotels offer international cuisine from such countries as Japan, Korea, France and Italy. Street food is widely available throughout Malaysia.

Alcohol is fairly expensive in Malaysia. Muslims are forbidden to drink alcohol, so it may be necessary to head to the hotels or Chinese liquor stores for beverages. Wine, although expensive, even by the glass, may not have a good flavor, due to the tropical heat. Beer is fairly common, yet is often served unchilled. Prices and varieties range from state to state, but Anchor Draught is most likely the cheapest, at M$3.90 for a small bottle (M$5.50 for a large bottle). Tiger and Guinness Stout are also among the most popular and least expensive beers. Carlsberg, Heineken and Tsing Tao (Chinese lager) are also available at a higher cost.

Tourism Infrastructure

Hotel accommodation is excellent, especially in Penang, Kuala Lumpur and the resort islands. There are international standard hotels, as well as a wide choice of moderate hotels to suit every budget. Condominiums/apartments with time-sharing are becoming popular, and there are government rest houses, which are mostly old colonial buildings converted into visitors' accommodation, chalets found mainly on islands and near beaches and shoe-string budget accommodation such as A-frame huts and youth hostels.

A new concept is Home Stay which gives visitors a chance to stay with a Malaysian family. Upcountry there are luxury resorts on the east and west coasts and in the central highlands. For budget travellers there are also old-fashioned guest-houses.

Taxis are hailed at the roadside and have meters. If the meter is not operating, agree on a price beforehand. Share taxis run between towns and leave from established depots. For trips to airports and railway stations, purchase coupons at the taxi counter stationed at both places. Several car rental agencies offer self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars.

Two main rail lines operate for passengers. One runs along the west coast from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Butterworth and meets Thai rail at the border. The other travels up to the north-eastern part of the peninsular near Kota Bahru and meets up with Thai rail.

The main bus terminals are Klang bus terminal at Jalan Sultan Mohammed for buses to Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Pudu Raya bus terminal at Jalan Pudu is the place for long distance buses heading north and south including Singapore.

For adventurers there is jungle trekking, angling for black marlin off the coast of Sabah, cave exploring at the Mulu Caves in Sarawak, white-water rafting in the rivers of Sabah and Sarawak and diving or snorkelling off Tioman Island and Redang Island, both of which boast coral reefs of breathtaking majesty and underwater caves. At Sipadan Island, off the coast of Sabah, you can dive in deep waters to view lush coral reefs and deep ocean marine species.

Taman Negara Park is a favourite for fishing and animal observation and visitors can go trekking over jungle trails or take a boat trip on the many rivers, enjoying the thrills of a white-water rapid boat ride. You need nine days to scale up Gunung Tahan, the Malay Peninsular's highest mountain, or you can explore Niah Caves and view prehistoric paintings, as well as the preserved remains of the artists themselves.

There are 200 golf courses in diverse settings such as hill resorts, islands, beaches, cities, towns and off the beaten track. Game hunting is still permitted under certain conditions and for spectators there's soccer, rugby, hockey, cricket, badminton and horse racing with meetings on weekends and public holidays.

Traditional Malay sports include sepak raga which uses a badminton court with a high net and a light rattan ball and Silat (Malay martial art), a fighting technique with or without weapons which is as graceful as ballet and very popular in rural areas.

Shopping there is a pleasurable activity as they offer air-conditioned comfort and are open daily from 10.00am to 10.00pm. Most shopping complexes include food courts and entertainment centres, as well as outlets offering duty-free shopping.

Pasar Malam or night market (bazaar style) gives visitors a different shopping experience. Here the traders set up their tables and display their wares (everything from food to herbal medicine) preparing to negotiate and bargain the price on all their merchandise.