Things to Do in Malaysia

Built in 1870 by Charles Brooke, Second White Rajah of Sarawak, the Astana is now the official residence of the Governor of Sarawak. Built as a bridal gift from Charles Brooke to his wife, Ranee Margaret of Sarawak, the Astana is now often viewed as an architectural monument of love. It is a regal complex comprised of three separate bungalows and a narrow system of passageways that unifies all parts of the Astana into a single palatial dwelling.

Set on the northern bank of the Sarawak River no visitors are allowed to enter the interior of the Astana, the one exception being the annual Hari Raya festival at the end of the month of Ramadan. During all other times of the year, however, visitors to Kuching are encouraged to wander the well-manicured palace grounds and peruse the various ethnic artifacts which lay scattered amongst the property. It’s a popular hangout for locals and a serene spot to enjoy a sunset while gazing back at the Kuching waterfront.

During the time of Rajah Charles Brooke, it was understood that he planted a grove of betel nut trees behind the Astana in order to offer them to visiting Dayak chiefs, and although not entirely open to the public, the Astana is nonetheless one of the more important architectural and historical monuments pertaining to the curious history of Kuching.

To truly feel the pulse of Kuala Lumpur, plan to spend a few hours walking one of its busiest streets, Bintang Walk. Located in the heart of Bukit Bintang, a neighborhood with the highest concentration of shopping outlets in the city, Bintang Walk runs along the area’s main artery, Jalan Bukit Bintang, but has come to encompass the surrounding area as well.

Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market was established in 1888 as an open wet market for the local communities and ended up being so popular and conveniently located that it underwent several expansions and eventually moved into the Art-Deco structure it lives in today. The wet market moved out in the 1980s, but the Malaysian Heritage Society managed to save the original structure from demolition, instead renovating it into an arts center and heritage site.

Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands, a hill station approximately the size of Singapore, is one of the country’s largest resort areas and a popular escape from the heat and humidity of Kuala Lumpur. Located in the west of the country, about 124 miles (200 kilometers) from Kuala Lumpur, the Cameron Highlands enjoy a mean annual temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius),  and temperatures rarely rise above 77 Fahrenheit (25 Celsius).

The vast area is largely agricultural, making it possible to tour tea plantations, visit bee and butterfly farms, stroll through flower-filled gardens or stay in one of the charming inns that looks straight out of Tudor-era England. Like in much of Malaysia, adventure travelers come to trek in the Cameron Highlands, where you might get lucky and spot the Rafflesia flower, the largest flower in the world.

Bako National Park is Sarawak’s oldest national park and, at 2,728 hectares (6,738 acres), is also one of its smallest. It packs a lot in for its size, however, containing almost every type of vegetation found in Borneo.

Sitting on a promontory at the mouths of the Sarawak and Bako rivers, Bako National Park contains no less than seven eco-systems – from cliff and coastal vegetation to mangrove, peat swamp and dipterocarp forest and grasslands.

But it is the wildlife most people come for  - the rare proboscis monkey, macaques, monitor lizards and bearded pigs – that, and the amazing number of pitcher and canivorous plants that call the National Park home.