Malaysia

Malaysia

Contents

CURRENCY

The Malaysian unit of currency is the Ringgit (M$), which is divided into 100 sen. Currency comes in notes of M$2, M$5, M$10, M$20, M$50, M$100. Coins are issued in 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, 50 sen and M$1 denominations. 1US$ = M$3.80

ATT: Currency notes M$500 and M$1000 have been pulled out in the Malaysian currency market. That means it was no longer as a legal currency exchange anymore.

THINGS TO KNOW

Population: 23,410,920 (1999 estimated)

Capital: Kuala Lumpur

Flag: Fourteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top) alternating with white (bottom); there is a blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a yellow crescent and a yellow fourteen-pointed star; the crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam; the design was based on the U.S. flag.

Shop Hours: Department stores and supermarkets are usually open from 10am to 10pm and shops from 9:30am to 7pm. In Kuala Lumpur, as well as in most major towns, there are several 24-hour stores.

Bank Hours: Monday through Friday from 10am to 3pm, and Saturday 9:30am to 11:30am.

Holidays: Weekly holidays vary from region to region. In Selangor, Melaka, Penang, Perak, Pahang and Negri Sembilan, there is a half-day holiday on Saturday and a full-day holiday on Sunday. In the states of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan a traditional half-day holiday is observed on Thursday and full-day holiday on Friday; Saturday and Sunday are treated as weekdays.

@ January 1 - New Year's Day (except Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis)

@ April 13 - Good Friday

@ May 1 - Labor Day

@ May 9 - Vesak Day (except for Federal Territory of Labuan)

@ June 6 - Birthday of Yang di-Pertuan Agong (King)

@ July 23 - Maal Hijrah

@ August 31 - National Day

@ December 25 - Christmas Day

In addition, many moveable feasts are observed, depending on the Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or Hindu calendar.

@ Chinese New Year (2 days; except Kelantan and Terengganu - 1 day)

@ Hari Raya Puasa (2 days)

@ Hari Raya Haji (1 day; 2 days in Kedah, Kelantan, Pahang, Perlis)

@ Prophet Mohammed's Birthday

@ Awal Ramadan

Note: If a holiday falls on a weekend or Friday, the following day becomes a holiday.

Time: 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, 7 hours of GMT;

Tipping:
Tipping is usually not necessary, unless service is excellent. Most hotels and large restaurants automatically add a 10% service charge in addition to the 5% government tax to the bill (indicated by a ++ sign on menus and rate cards).

Restaurants: 10% service charge added automatically. Additional tipping is unnecessary, unless service is excellent.

Porters: Tip porters about M$1 per bag. Any tip less than 50 sen would be considered insulting.

Hotel maids: Service charge added automatically. Additional tipping is unnecessary, unless to acknowledge excellent service.

Taxis: Most taxis are fitted with meters, but these are used only in major towns such as Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru and Ipoh. Taxi rates are currently M$1 for the first kilometer (.62mi) and 30 sen for each subsequent half kilometer (.31mi). A 20-30% air-conditioning charge is added to the fare and is not optional. Malaysians usually tip drivers with their coin change. To acknowledge excellent service, 10% is greatly appreciated but not expected. When traveling early in the morning or late at night, drivers prefer to fix a price for the destination. Negotiating is advisable.

VISAS AND PASSPORT

Visitors must be in possession of a current passport or other internationally recognized travel document. They must be endorsed for traveling to Malaysia and have a period of validity of at least six months beyond the time of stay allowed in Malaysia. No visas are required for citizens of British Commonwealth countries (except India), British Protected persons, and citizens of the Republic of Ireland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, San Marino, Switzerland and the United States (for social, business or academic purposes only). No visas are required for stays not exceeding three months for citizens of: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Tunesia, U.S.A. , France and Germany (except for local employment).

Upon departure, an airport tax is collected. For domestic flights, the tax is M$3, for flights to Brunei and Singapore, M$5, for international flights, M$15.

Transportation

Getting There

Airport Arrival
Malaysia Airlines, also known as Malaysia Airline System (MAS), provides service to and from the United States, Europe, Southwest Asia, Southeast Asia, India, Australia, Korea, Japan, and Mexico City.

The new Kuala Lumpur International Airport is conveniently located in Putra Jaya, Malaysia's new administrative capital. Kuala Lumpur lies just 30 miles to the north and is easily accessible via a variety of transportation.

From Australia
By Air: Ansett and Malaysia Airlines are the major carriers to Kuala Lumpur. A Sydney to Kuala Lumpur flight lasts about 7½ hours.

From Canada
By Air: Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, and Air Canada all provide service to Kuala Lumpur. Vancouver to Kuala Lumpur flight time is 15 hours. Toronto to Kuala Lumpur is 18 hours.

From France
By Air: Malaysia Airlines and British Airways are the major carriers from France to Kuala Lumpur. Flight time from Paris to Kuala Lumpur is 12½ hours.

From Germany
By Air: KLM-Royal Dutch Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and British Airways all fly to Kuala Lumpur. Frankfurt to Kuala Lumpur flight time is 12 hours.

From Japan
By Air: Cathay Pacific Airways and Malaysia Airlines fly from Japan to Kuala Lumpur. Flight time from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur is 6½ hours.

From the United Kingdom
By Air: British Airways and Malaysia Airlines fly from various cities in the UK to Kuala Lumpur. Flight time from London to Kuala Lumpur is 12 hours.

From the U.S.
By Air: American Airlines, China Airlines, and Malaysia Airlines fly from most of the United States to Kuala Lumpur. Cathay Pacific flies from the West Coast to Kuala Lumpur. Flight time from New York or Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur is at least 20½ hours.

By Sea
Most of Malaysia's seaports are intended for cargo ships. Penang is the main harbor for cruise liners operated by Seabourn Cruise, Crystal Cruises, and Windstar Cruises. Port Klang (for Kuala Lumpur) also handles cruise ships. Travelers can take the high-speed ferry to Penang from Sumatra in Indonesia.

By Train
There are two main train lines. One is the regular service linking Bangkok, Malaysia, and Singapore. Trains leave daily from Bangkok for Butterworth (in Penang), which is an overnight trip. The train then travels to Singapore. Another service leaves the west coast at Gemas and travels northeast to Kota Bharu. This links to the Thailand rail line at the border.

The Eastern & Oriental Express train began operating in 1993 and features luxurious vintage trains that carry passengers from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok.

By Bus
Thailand and Singapore offer bus services to and from Peninsular Malaysia. From Thailand, board at either Bangkok or Hat Yai. From Singapore, buses travel to all parts of Peninsular Malaysia.

Getting Around

By Air
Malaysia Airlines offers a number of domestic flights that are frequent and affordable. Check to see if they are offering any special fares. Malaysia Airlines and Pelangi Air fly to the offshore islands of Tioman and Langkawi.

By Car
Driving: The road signs in Malaysia are written mostly in Bahasa Malay, so carefully read the rules given to you by the car rental company. Speed limits are strictly enforced and speeding results in a large fine. An international driving permit is required for foreign drivers. Those with a valid state or national driver's license can obtain an international license for a small fee. Malaysians drive on the left side of the road.

Rental Cars: The most flexible way to travel around Malaysia is with a rental car. Major rental car companies are represented in Malaysia, including Avis, the largest. Most companies offer an unlimited mileage package. The roads are quite good and uncrowded away from the cities, but in Kuala Lumpur, be prepared for a glut of traffic.

By Bus
There are two main types of buses within Malaysia: air-conditioned and not air-conditioned. The latter are cheaper and ideal for short trips. For longer journeys, choose air-conditioned buses. Buses from Singapore travel to all parts of Peninsular Malaysia.

By Taxi
Taxis are convenient and relatively cheap. Sharing a taxi is a good way to travel long distances—more expensive than the bus but more comfortable. Each passenger is charged a flat rate. Always agree on a price beforehand.

By Trishaw
Travelers might want to try a trishaw for short distances. They cost about M$1 per kilometer, but always agree on the price with the driver beforehand.

Attractions

Kuala Lumpur

Superficially, KL may appear to be a modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but it retains much of the character and local colour which has been so effectively wiped out in cities such as Singapore. It has plenty of colonial buildings in its centre, a vibrant Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, and a bustling Little India.

The real heart of KL is Merdeka Square, the site of the city's parades and celebrations and home to a 95m (312ft) high flagpole. In colonial days, Malaysia's administrators used the square for cricket matches, but it was also here that Malaysia's independence was declared in 1957. On the eastern side of the square is the moorish Sultan Abdul Samed Building, topped by a 43m (141ft) high clocktower. KL's magnificent railway station is built in a similar moorish style, with its full quota of minarets, cupolas, towers and arches, and may be construed as a delightful example of British colonial humour. The Petronas Towers building is less decorative but impossible to miss. It's almost half a km (1640ft) high and is one of the tallest structures in the world.

The picturesque, striped onion-domed Masjid Jamek (Friday mosque) is set in a grove of palm trees overlooking Merdeka Square and is neatly reflected in the new mirror-glass office building nearby. Just south of Jamek Masjid are the teeming streets of KL's Chinatown - a crowded, colourful area with the usual melange of signs, shops activity and noise. At night the central section is closed to traffic and becomes a brightly lit, frantic night market.

Budget hotels and hostels can be found in Chinatown and Jalan Pudu Lama. Mid-range hotels are concentrated in Chinatown and on Jalan Bukit Bintang. The night market in Chinatown is the most interesting place to eat in the evening.

Melaka

Melaka is an interesting blend of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and British influences and is considered Malaysia's most historic city. It was once the most important trading port in the region but is now little more than a sleepy backwater. Ancient-looking junks still sail up the river, imbuing the waterfront with a timeless charm, and the city remains full of intriguing Chinese streets, antique shops, temples and nostalgic reminders of the now-departed European colonial powers.

The most imposing relic of the Dutch period in Melaka is the massive pink town hall, Stadthuys, built between 1641 and 1660. It's believed to be the oldest Dutch building in Asia and displays all the characteristic features of Dutch colonial architecture (read incredibly weighty doors and pleasant louvred windows). The building houses government offices and an excellent Ethnographic Museum which highlights aspects of local history and culture. The imposing ruins of St Paul's Church, built by the Portuguese over 400 years ago, stand in a beautiful setting atop St Paul's Hill. It was regularly visited by St Francis Xavier, who was buried here for a short period before being transferred to Goa in India. The church fell into disuse when the Dutch arrived but is still surrounded by old Dutch tombstones. The Brits, with great sensitivity, used the church as a gunpowder store.

For those who prefer their religious architecture to be a little more colourful, the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple in the old part of the city is the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia. It was founded in 1646 and all of the materials and all of the artisans who built it were imported from China. The old part of Melaka is a fascinating area to wander around, and this is where you'll find many of Melaka's famous antique shops; a stroll along Jalan Hang Jebat will pass the best of them.

Georgetown - Penang Island

The 285 sq km (177 sq mi) island of Penang, off Peninsula Malaysia's north-western coast, is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia and one of the country's premier resort areas. The island's beaches are touted as the major drawcard but they're somewhat overrated. What makes Penang Island really tick is the vibrant and intriguing city of Georgetown (pop 400,000) on the island's north-eastern coast. This city has more Chinese flavour than either Singapore or Hong Kong, and in its older neighbourhoods you could be forgiven for thinking that the clock stopped at least 50 years ago. Georgetown is a compact city and it's a delight to wander around. Set off in any direction and you're certain to see beautiful old Chinese houses, vegetable markets, temple ceremonies, trishaws, mahjong games and all the other to-ings and fro-ings of Asian street life.

You can still see the time-worn walls of Fort Cornwallis in the centre of Georgetown where the first Briton, Captain Light, set foot in 1786 on what was then a virtually uninhabited island. He established a free port here and the stone fort was finished a few decades later. The area within the fort is now a park liberally sprinkled with cannons, many of them retrieved from local pirates. Seri Rambai, the largest and most important cannon has a chequered history dating back to 1600. It's famed for its procreative powers, and childless women are recommended to place flowers in the barrel of `the big one' and offer special prayers.

Penang has many kongsis (clan houses that operate partly as temples and partly as meeting halls for Chinese of the same clan or surname) but Khoo Kongsi is easily the finest. The original building was so magnificent and elaborate that no-one was surprised when the roof caught fire on the very night it was completed. This misfortune was taken merely as a sign that the building had been too grandiose, so a marginally less magnificent structure was built. One wonders at the opulence of the original since the present structure is a dazzling mix of dragons, statues, paintings, lamps, coloured tiles and carvings.

Kuan Yin Teng Temple right in the centre of the old part of Georgetown is nowhere near as impressive, but it's one of the most popular temples in the city and there are often worshippers burning paper money at the furnaces, night-time puppet shows or Chinese theatre performances. For the best view of the city and the island, catch the funicular railway up Penang Hill which rises 830m (2722ft) above Georgetown and provides cool relief from the sticky heat below. There are pleasant gardens, a hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque at the top. The view is particularly good at dusk when Georgetown, far below, begins to light up.

Most of the popular budget hotels in Georgetown are along Lebuh Chulia. More expensive options line Jalan Penang. There are plenty of Chinese and Indian restaurants, but be adventurous and try the succulent local dishes on offer from the street stalls that appear at night along the Esplanade behind the Penang Library.

Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, comprise a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500 and 1800m 4920 and 5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of Malaysia's tea industry and it's the place where locals and visitors come to escape the heat of the plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls, tours of tea plantations, beautiful gardens and plenty of wild flowers. The cool weather tempts visitors to exertions normally forgotten at sea level, like golf, tennis, and long walks, but this is really Malaysia's R `n' R capital par excellence for those who don't like the beach and enjoy a bout of colonial nostalgia. Most of the budget hotels are in the village of Tanah Rata. The more expensive options are scattered between Tanah Rata and Brinchang.

Tioman Island

This picture-postcard island lies off the eastern coast of Peninsula Malaysia in the South China Sea. It boasts beautiful beaches, clear, coral-filled water, technicolour marine life, virtually unpopulated jungle highlands, crystal-clear streams, and the dramatic peaks of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut. Tioman has been blessed with exotic place names like `Palm-Frond Hill' and `Village of Doubt' and is generally quoted as the setting for the mythical Bali Hai in the film South Pacific. The permanent population on Tioman is low, and locals are usually outnumbered by tourists. June and August are the peak tourist months, but during the heavy November to January monsoon the island is almost deserted.

The island's west coast is dotted with villages and is home to a classy resort. Pulau Tioman is the most popular travellers' destination; Kampung Nipah is the place to go if you really want to get away from it all. You can get to Tioman by boat from Mersing and Singapore. The island's largest village, Kampung Tekek, has an airstrip.

Getting Around

Malaysian Airline System (MAS) is the main domestic airline, servicing both the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak. Fares are reasonable but it's unlikely that you'll need to fly in Peninsula Malaysia unless you're in a real hurry. It's cheaper to fly to East Malaysia from Johor Bahru than from KL. In East Malaysia, flying is often the only quick way to get around. Note that flights in East Malaysia are frequently fully booked during school holidays and are prone to delays due to the vagaries of the weather.

Peninsula Malaysia has a fast, economical and widespread bus system, and this is generally the best way to get around. Sabah has excellent roads, and minibuses ply the main routes. Buses ply Sarawak's major trunk road, but hardly anywhere else. Peninsula Malaysia has a comfortable and sensibly priced railway system, but there are basically only two lines: one linking Singapore to Thailand via KL and Butterworth, and the other branching off this at Gemas and heading north-east to Kota Bharu. In Sabah, there's a narrow-gauge line through the Pegas River gorge from Tenom to Kota Kinabalu which is well worth catching.

In Peninsula Malaysia, long-distance taxis are twice the price of buses but they're a comparatively luxurious and efficient way to travel. If you want to get around by car, all major car-rental firms have KL offices. There are no boat services between Peninsula and East Malaysia, but fast boats ply the rivers of both Sabah and Sarawak.

Local taxis in Malaysia are metered. Rickshaws have all but disappeared in KL, but they are still a viable form of local transport in provincial areas. KL has a notoriously bad public transport system, and peak-hour travel in the city should be avoided at all cost.

Currency

Things to Know

Visa & Passport

Transportation

Attractions

Getting Around