Welcome to your bi-weekly travel blog from Surbiton high street's independent travel agent, 7 Seas Holidays.

This week, 7 Seas is providing travel trips for Malaysia.

The one place where all the colours, flavours, sounds and sights of Asia come together – Malaysia. Travel around Malaysia to discover the remarkable treasures and hidden gems. Every state offers a unique Malaysian experience.

Malaysia is a country of dynamic cities, fabulous food, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands, and rainforests teeming with wildlife.

Indulge in an awe-inspiring adventure of a lifetime. Discover Malaysia's wilderness, taste its mouth-watering cuisine, and have fun with your family. This country really is a crossroads for so many Asian cultures.

In addition to Muslim Malays, religiously diverse Chinese, Hindu and Muslim Indians, and indigenous people from Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo, there are many festivals in Malaysia and a variety of delicious cuisines, so you can get to know the different cultures. Each culture has its own language and practices.

You will find orangutans and remote tribes in the wild jungles of Malaysian Borneo, as well as granite peaks, massive trees, and waterfalls. There are also beautiful islands, excellent diving, colonial towns to explore, and luxury resorts to enjoy. Those who are looking for pristine white beaches can choose from 99 islands in Langkawi. As an archipelago in the Andaman Sea, it is Malaysia's top tourist destination.

You will find orangutans and remote tribes in the wild jungles of Malaysian Borneo (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur (KL) is a city of gleaming 21st-century towers, colonial shophouses, and pockets of lush greenery stand cheek-by-jowl, while shoppers shuttle from traditional markets to air-conditioned mega malls. In Kuala Lumpur, visitors can see the Petronas Twin Towers, which are the world's tallest twin buildings. Near the city are the Batu Caves, which have magnificent Hindu art, as well as many beautiful Buddhist and Hindu temples.

There is lots to explore in Malaysia (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

Malaysia is largely known for its equatorial rainforests. National parks and conservation projects protect substantial portions of primary jungle, one of the oldest ecosystems on earth. So why not experience wildlife in its natural habitat? The most common sightings will be insects or colourful birdlife, but you might get lucky and see a foraging tapir, a silvered leaf monkey, or an orangutan swinging through the canopy. Divers can snorkel or dive among shoals of tropical fish, paint-box corals, turtles, sharks, and dolphins in the ocean. Even if you don't venture outside the urban centres, there are excellent opportunities for wildlife watching at places such as the KL Bird Park, or Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

Some of the must-see attractions in Malaysia are:

Menara Kuala Lumpur

Menara in Kuala Lumpur is a popular spot (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

Menara KL, rising from the crest of Bukit Nanas, offers the best city views, although the Petronas Towers are taller. A revolving restaurant, an interior observation deck at 276 meters, and the most thrilling part, an open-air sky deck at 300 meters, are all housed in the bulb at the top. It is vertigo-inducing to take a photo in the sky box, which has nothing but glass between you and the ground. As the world's fourth-highest telecommunications tower, this lofty spire is surrounded by primary rainforest. There is a free shuttle bus running from the gate on Jln Punchak, or you can walk up through KL Forest Eco Park.

Penang National Park

7 Seas advises that you visit Penang National Park while in Malaysia (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

Penang National Park is Malaysia's smallest, but it is home to silvered leaf monkeys, flying lemurs, leopard cats, and an abundance of birds and reptiles. There are many activities to choose from, such as jungle walks and boat trips to serene golden-sand beaches. 

Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

7 Seas advises that you visit Masji Jamek Sultan Abdul Samed while in Malaysia (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

The graceful, onion-domed mosque was designed by British architect AB Hubback with brick-and-plaster banded minarets and three shapely domes. The first brick mosque in Malaysia was Masjid Jamek, built in 1909 at the confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. The mosque was renamed Sultan Abdul Samad Mosque in honour of the fourth Sultan of Selangor, who reigned from 1857 to 1898.

Popular Malaysian food  

Malaysia has a variety of popular dishes you must try (Credit: 7 Seas Holidays)

Located in the centre of Southeast Asia, West Malaysia has long been a key part of the maritime spice trade. Merchants from China, India, and southern Arabia once exchanged their wares for precious commodities like clove, nutmeg, and pepper at the famed port of Malacca. Malaysian food today generally draws from the culinary traditions of its three main ethnic groups: the Malays, the Chinese (who mostly migrated from the eastern coastal provinces of Guangdong and Fujian) and the Indians (who mostly migrated from Tamil Nadu). Don't miss your trip without trying Malaysian Cuisine: Nasi Lemak (coconut milk rice), Hainanese Chicken Rice, Nasi Goreng Kampung (traditional Malay fried rice), Satay, Char Kway Teow, Curry Laksa, Rendang (beef, chicken or lamb), Apam Balik etc.

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