Malaysia

From a swaying hammock on Coral Beach, Pulau Pangkor’s turbulent past feels a world away. ‘Beautiful Island’ is a former pirate hideout and bit player in the battle to control the Selat Melaka (Strait of Melaka). In the 17th century the Dutch built a fort here in their bid to monopolise the Perak tin trade, and were swiftly driven out. In 1874 a contender for the Perak throne sought British backing and the Pangkor Treaty was signed, ushering in the colonial period.

Malaysia’s northeasternmost state is often considered to be a waypoint between Thailand and the white-sand beaches of Pulau Perhentian, Redang or Kapas. Those who don’t linger miss out experiencing a stronghold of traditional Malay culture and one of Southeast Asia’s great buffer zones, combining a distinctive blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Thai cultures.

In busy Kota Kinabalu (KK) you’ll soon notice the breathtaking fiery sunsets, blossoming arts-and-music scene and a rich culinary spectrum spanning street food to high-end dining. Alongside swanky new malls and expensive condos, old KK happily endures, through markets brimming with sea creatures and fresh produce, and busy fishers shuttling about the waterfront. This may be a city on the move with the 21st century, but its old-world charm and history are very much alive.

Perak's second-largest town is defined by water and greenery. Locals laud it as the 'City of Peace' for trailblazing Malaysia’s first museum, first railway and first newspapers in English, Malay and Tamil. But it’s Taiping’s ‘Rain City’ title that has stuck. Taiping has the biggest volume of rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia: all the better for its verdant lake gardens (and the pastime of 'rain betting', where locals take a punt on what time downpours will start and stop).

Located besides the Celebes Sea, near to the Semporna Archipelago, Sabah's third city Tawau features some of the state's best seafood and is a more pleasant overnight alternative than Semporna. Bombed by the British colonialists in 1944 to force out the invading Japanese army, much of its historical architecture is gone, but beauty is not far away. Tawau is the gateway to the awesome Tawau Hills Park, the launch pad for spotting pygmy elephants on a private plantation. It's also the starting point for one of the most scenic long-distance drives in Sabah.

It's easy to see why the colonialist ruler Raja Brooke chose this spot for his capital. Hugging the curves of the languid Sungai Sarawak, Kuching was an ideal trading post between other Asian sea ports and Borneo's interior. It's still a gateway to both jungle and sea, and Kuching’s proximity to national parks makes it the ideal base for day trips to wild coastal and rainforest destinations.

A skyline punctuated by minarets, Mogul-style domes and skyscrapers; colorful, food-stall-lined streets shaded by a leafy canopy of banyan trees – this is Kuala Lumpur.

The peacock of Malaysian cities, Melaka City preens with its wealth of colorful trishaws, home-grown galleries and crimson colonial buildings. The city’s historic center achieved Unesco World Heritage status in 2008 and since then Melaka City’s tourism industry has developed at breakneck pace. Old shophouses and mansions have enjoyed makeovers as galleries and hotels and Melaka City’s kaleidoscope of architectural styles – spanning Peranakan, Portuguese, Dutch and British elements – is well preserved. Tourism has boomed, particularly on weekends when the vibrant Jonker Walk Night Market provides music, shopping and street-food galore, but you’ll share the experience elbow-to-elbow with other travelers.

The main reason to come to Semporna is to get yourself over to the Semporna Archipelago, a short boat journey away. The dive companies are all conveniently located in the same area, and many have a dive center at the resorts on Mabul Island. If you've booked your dive and stay from KK already, you'll be picked up from the airport by your respective tour company and spirited straight to Semporna's port and onto your end destination, so there's no need to stay a night here.

Looking out to distant isles across the Bay of Sandakan, where fishing trawlers dot the teal-blue waters, the former colonialist capital of British Borneo is a buzzing little city used by travelers as a  gateway to the Sungai Kinabatangan and Sepilok. German merchants, Dutch and Chinese planters, Arab and Indian traders, and pearl divers all had their heads turned by Sabah's second city at some point, until it was razed to the ground by the British during WWII in an attempt to shake off the invading Japanese. Today the compact centre is buoyed by the success of the palm-oil industry and those who linger here will find religious relics, colonial mansions and haunting mementoes of WWII dotted across the city.