Malaysia

Most travelers pause briefly in Pahang's capital and Malaysia's second-biggest port to break up longish bus trips. This is a shame; while the city isn’t especially geared towards tourism, it is definitely interesting enough to warrant a day or two’s exploration. There's an excellent museum, plenty of great places to eat, decent accommodation choices and the nearby sands of Teluk Chempedak with upmarket resort accommodation and beach views. The vast mosque is also a fantastic spectacle when illuminated at night, the padang is huge and refreshingly cool in the morning and at late afternoon, while food markets set up nearby towards evening.

For many visitors, a journey to Peninsular Malaysia's largest state begins and ends on the enchanted isle of Tioman. Between its exhilarating diving, brilliant beaches, vegetation-choked jungle treks and spirited villages, its tropical-island allure is impossible to resist.

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.

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 northernmost major city in Malaysia is also one of its most devoutly Muslim and it is deeply grounded in traditional Malay heritage. Kota Bharu has all the energy of a midsized city with the compact feel and friendly vibe of a small town. There are excellent markets and ample opportunities to taste superb local cuisine. There is also a good spread of accommodation options from backpacker hostels to business hotels. This is a logical overnight stop between Thailand and the resort islands of neighbouring Terengganu: Perhentian and Redang.

Kuala Terengganu is the capital of Terengganu. It occupies a promontory jutting into the South China Sea and is flanked by the estuary of Sungai Terengganu. The city is a microcosm of Malaysia’s economic history: fishing village strikes oil and rapid modernity ensues. In just a few years this once sleepy town has been inextricably altered. Land reclamation and development of the waterfront has seen the creation of attractive parks and parades plus a modern harbour that has one of Asia's biggest drawbridges. Despite the rapid modernisation Kuala Terengganu retains plenty of charm. Here you'll find one of eastern Peninsular Malaysia’s prettiest and most interesting Chinatowns, and old kampong-style stilt-houses can still be found just across the river. With seafood-heavy local cuisine and good transport links, it's definitely worth spending a day or two in Kuala Terengganu in between the islands and jungles.

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.

With a sweeping white beach bordered by coconut palms, this small village of guesthouses and shops is a very popular spot for surfing, windsurfing and general beachfront slacking. Outside of the surf season, Cherating can be dead quiet, which only adds to the appeal, with the occasional sound of a guitar strumming between the rustling palms or the heavy thud of a falling coconut.

For travellers’ purposes, there are essentially two facets to Kedah: the tropical island of Langkawi and its surrounding islets, and the rural, little-visited mainland, known as Malaysia’s ‘rice bowl’.

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.