TRAVEL GUIDE 2017

MOUNT KINABALU

MALAYSIA

LANGKAWI

PENANG

KUALA LUMPUR

SIPADAN

MALAYSIA INSIDER FROM HEALTH HINTS TO CULTURAL NO-NOS

KUCHING

The basics Population: 30 million Capital: Kuala Lumpur Religion: 60% Muslim, 19% Buddhist, 9% Christian and 6% Hindu Emergency numbers: 999, or the standard GSM 112 number for smartphones The key dates 1 May: Labour Day. 1st Saturday in June: King’s birthday. As in Singapore, Hari Raya Puasa, Hari Raya Haji, Hungry Ghost, Mid-Autumn and Dumpling Festivals, Thaipusam, Deepavali and Vesak are all celebrated. The hot spots Popular destinations include Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi, Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and the Cameron Highlands. There are four World Heritage Sites, including historic Melaka and George Town. Some itinerary ideas • Peninsula Malaysia: Melaka – Kuala Lumpur – Cameron Highlands – Ipoh - Georgetown • Sarawak: Kuching – Bako National Park – Mulu National Park • Sabah: Kota Kinabalu – Sandakan – Sepilok – Pulau Sipadan (check travel advice before visiting parts of Eastern Sabah) How to stay healthy • Malaria and dengue fever are prevalent, so see your health practitioner before travelling • Planning on conquering Mount Kinabalu? Watch out for acute mountain sickness (nausea, headaches, fatigue), and take precautionary measures, such as taking time to acclimatise, resting and drinking plenty of fluids

While you’re there, please don’t… • be embarrassed if you burp – in Malay etiquette burping or belching after a meal is considered acceptable. • ever get involved in illegal drugs – there is a mandatory death penalty for trafficking. Before you go, read … The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka – the story of Lakshmi, a Ceylonese girl brought to Malaya in 1930, as the young bride of an older man. A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute – a tale of love and war, which follows an English heroine’s journey from Malaya during World War II to the Australian outback. Before you go, watch … The Sleeping Dictionary – a story of forbidden love set in Sarawak during British colonial rule during the 1930s. Entrapment – the Petronus Towers in Kuala Lumpur get a star turn in this movie, featuring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. They said it “Do not be tricked into thinking that there are no crocodiles just because the water is still.” – Malay proverb “We are all Malaysians. This is the bond that unites us. Let us always remember that unity is our fundamental strength as a people and as a nation.” – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister “If it is heavy, we carry it together on our shoulders; if it is light, we carry it together in our hands.” – Malay proverb

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TRAVELGUIDE2017