A country beautiful in terms of nature; exotic in terms of art, craft, and wildlife; and positive & insightful in terms of experiences, Malaysia offers legendary tourism destinations. Delightful caves & huge caverns; gorgeous craft & artefacts; magnificent & gratifying island escapes; immensely insightful museums full of captivating objects; charming scenic vistas; and highly decorated temples & mosques; Malaysia has everything that may interest a tourist.
By His Excellency Mr. Zainal Azlan Nadzir, Consul General for Malaysia, Mumbai
“A thriving, multi-cultural & dynamic country, Malaysia offers a slew of interesting activities for tourists”
According to the World Bank, “In the past 30 years, Malaysia has successfully curtailed high poverty rates and has reduced income inequalities. Its goal is to attain high income status while ensuring that growth is sustainable.” After attaining independence in 1957, Malaysia has transformed itself entirely from being agriculture- and commodity-based to a powerful player in the manufacturing and services sectors. Today, it is a leading exporter of electrical appliances, electronic parts, and components. One of the most open economies in the world for trade and investment, it has consistently grown and has created employment, with about 40 percent of jobs in Malaysia linked to export activities. Improving in all sectors simultaneously, it has been growing at 5.4 percent since 2010 and is expected to achieve its transition from an upper middle-income economy to a high-income economy by 2024. The government has taken targeted measures to support the poor and vulnerable while concentrating on export-led growth and is working on key structural constraints to maximize Malaysia’s development path.
Tourism Opportunities
A thriving, multi-cultural and dynamic country, Malaysia invariably focuses on a slew of activities for tourists, and through an event-packed year of special tourism activities titled ‘Visit Malaysia 2020’ has offered to the world the best. Some of its main tourism destinations include the following:
Gunung Gading National Park:It is loved by wannabe botanists as they come to watch the world’s largest flower – Rafflesia – blooming up to three feet in diameter. Though it has a nasty smell, they bloom all times of the year, though the best time is November through January. The other attractions of this Park include the Sarawak Park with nice beaches, rugged mountains, and hiking-fit jungles.
Manukan Island: Malaysia’s first marine national park is located here, and it is also famous for great beaches! Tourists also like to scuba dive and snorkel for its coral reefs. Having developed modern tourist facilities at the island, it is also accessible by ferry from Kota Kinabalu.
Kek Lok Si Temple: Dating back to 1891, it is a relatively new temple but its youthfulness makes it very impressive. Having been carved with countless images of Buddha, it is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and is visited by tourists from all parts of the world. The Temple of Rama IV with its 10,000 Buddha carvings is a splendid architecture that leaves all tourists fascinated.
Batu Caves: These are situated near Kuala Lumpur and are full of pretty awesome Hindu art. Its three main caves are the most popular Hindu shrine outside of India, and are thronged by thousands of worshippers at Thaipusam, which is an annual Hindu festival. There is a giant statue of a Hindu god, in the Cathedral Cave, which has 272 steps.
Sipadan: Located in the Celebes Sea, it is loved by divers because of its abundant marine life. It is Malaysia’s only oceanic island, and was formed by living coral atop an extinct volcano cone. It is considered a paradise for nature lovers because of its 3,000+ species of fish and several hundred different corals, including hawksbill, green turtles, manta rays, schools of barracudas and whale sharks. I must also mention that it has gorgeous sandy beaches.
Redang: Tourists love this island for its white sand beaches and crystal clear ocean water in addition to snorkeling. Scuba divers also find this place attractive. In spite of its large area, visitors may explore it on foot, travelling on roads or trekking through the jungle. One of nine islands in a marine nature reserve, Redang Island offers resort-style accommodation for tourists.
Kinabatangan River: It is the second-longest river of Malaysia at a length of about 550 km from the mountains to the Sulu Sea. It is famous for its diverse wildlife and vegetation, where Asian elephants, crocodiles, proboscis monkeys, and Bornean orangutans may be seen. Actually, it is one of only two places in the world where 10 species of primates, as well as 200 bird species, can be found. Other attractions here include rainforests, limestone forests, and salt & freshwater swamps.
Semenggoh Nature Reserve: Famous for its orangutan orientation program, it makes for an attractive and interesting destination for tourists. In addition, it has a thriving population of colorful exotic Malaysian birds: Bornean black magpie, yellow rumpled flowerpecker, Malaysian honeyguide, and brown hawk owl.
