Things to do in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, the capital, is crowned by the twin Petronas Towers, with Chinatown's markets, Little India's spice shops and, just north of the city, the Hindu shrines of the Batu Caves. Its hawker stalls serve the country's cooking at its liveliest.

On the west coast, Malacca and George Town on Penang are historic trading ports of shophouses, temples and street art, both UNESCO-listed. The Cameron Highlands are cool hills of tea plantations, Langkawi and the Perhentian Islands offer beaches and clear water, and Malaysian Borneo is home to orangutans, the rainforests of Sabah and Sarawak, and Mount Kinabalu.

Nasi lemak, laksa, satay, char kway teow and roti canai draw on Malay, Chinese and Indian kitchens, with tropical fruit such as rambutan and durian piled high at roadside stalls. The climate is hot and humid all year, with the monsoon reaching the east coast late in the year and the west coast at other times, so there is usually somewhere sunny to go.