Malaysia is a beautiful country steeped in history, and is well worth a visit. If you plan to travel to this location, you might find yourself experiencing one of the most fun and intriguing holiday destinations out there. There are many things you should know about Malaysia before beginning the voyage, but we have collected seven of the best and most interesting for your perusal.
We hope that this article is the beginning of a wonderful adventure for you.
Islam Is The Official Religion
While Malaysia is a multicultural and accepting country, the majority of citizens consider themselves Malay Muslims. Over 60% of the country is Muslim according to statistical analysis carried out in 2015. Relationships between different religions, however, are very tolerant. There is almost no religious division to speak of, meaning that no matter what faith (or lack of) you choose to engage in, Malaysia is accepting of you. Still, even if you are unaware of the intricacies of the Muslim faith, Mosques here are certainly worth a look.
Some of the most beautiful architecture can be found here, such as in the Penang State Mosque found in George Town. There are also many gorgeous temples to find, on account of the Malaysian Chinese Buddhism imported from across the se and from the north.
English Is Widely Spoken
While learning basic Malaysian is courteous for your travels, it is not a TOTAL recommendation. Most of the country speaks English, and fluently. Still, it is polite to try to replicate the common parlance, and can open you up to more social opportunities. Learning a language will always help you become more in tune with a people from a mental perspective, so we’d recommend you do so for the best approach.
Another little nuance is that if you’re travelling from the UK, Malaysia has the same power socket configuration as you. This can save you plenty of money on travelling power adapters, but we’ll have assumed in your wisdom you have picked one up already. Still, if you haven’t, this could save you a small investment. Speaking of savings:
Cost Of Living
Cost of living is is low in Malaysia, meaning that your travels could be sustained for longer than you might expect here. There is plenty to explore in this wonderful environment, which is great because you’ll spend more time here than you initially might have thought. Another great thing is that the Malaysia property market is cheap to buy into, without sacrificing quality. If you feel interested in making your stay more of a long-term thing, we’d recommend looking around and contacting some real estate developers there. As the economy grows, Malaysia is set to become a country well coveted in the eyes of the Western expatriates looking for a beautiful getaway abroad.
Food
Food is considered to be one of the best reasons to visit Malaysia. Street food is a wonderful attraction here, as almost every road in a town environment will offer easy to go delicacies. Due to the high density of Muslim citizens, pork is rarely served. However, with such a wealth of delicious options, we’d suggest that it doesn’t matter in the least.
The delicacies in question include Banana Leaf, Nasi Dagang (rice with coconut milk and fish curry,) as well as Hokkien Mee. This final dish is very interesting, combining fishcakes and squid with beautiful boiled and salted noodles. This is considered one of the staples of Malaysian cuisine, and we’d suggest you are missing out heavily without a couple of stops to celebrated restaurants that serve it.
Of course, you’d be remiss to neglect the beautiful river-fed and plucked prawn options here. Some of the juiciest seafood you can imagine is brought to these shores completely fresh, and trying them all could take up several weeks of your time. Well, we have nothing better to do - do you?
Safety
Malaysia has a staggeringly low crime rate, and ranks 78th on the international crime index. That is very low, especially when considering countries that surround it. For this reason, it’s unlikely a newcomer will feel worried, hesitant or out of touch with the populace, as for the most part they are a great, reserved and friendly people. Of course, wise travelling behaviour will always apply, but you can almost be certain that so long you don’t go looking for trouble, you will not find any in Malaysia.
Uber
Malaysia has Uber. This means you are able to travel the country using GPS co-ordinates, allowing for great accuracy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of travel. The best part? You can continue to use the Uber account you are currently using abroad, keeping hold of your rating systems and payment information. This also means you needn’t worry about converting currency when using the service, as it automatically takes care of that for you. This is a truly wonderful convenience, and can lessen your worry when trying to learn the layout.
While finding your way and learning the layout will always be aided by using public transport, this consideration will help you when you’re too full to walk after sampling all of the amazing food.
Currency
The currency in Malaysia is named the Malaysian Ringgit, otherwise abbreviated to RM. At the time of this writing the 5.5 Ringgits are the same value as £1, or $4. This should further punctuate the cost-effective nature of living in this wonderful country. Of course, it always pays to keep an eye out for changes in the conversion rate, as this is not a static number.
Be sure to check before, during and after your stay for the fullest education and understanding of moving money matters.
Locals Are Approachable
For the most part, the people in Malaysia are willing to help. Asking for advice about where to stay, where to eat and where to conduct your administrative tasks will be met with a cheery smile and a point in the right direction. If you exercise the right attitude and social skills, you can be sure to make good friends during your stay here.
With these tips, you are sure to experience Malaysia in all of it’s glory.
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