Malaysia Travel

Though not a particularly appealing town, Semporna does have a lively waterfront market and a mosque attractively framed against the waters of the Celebes Sea.

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Sandakan is a busy commercial centre at the entrance to a beautiful, island-studded bay. Most activity centres on the docks and wharves that sprawl along the waterfront. Barges, ferries and motorboats of every description buzz around, unloading fish and o

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Ranau is a collection of concrete shop blocks on the road between KK and Sandakan, or Kinabalu National Park and Poring Hot Springs. There’s a busy Saturday tamu (night market). Otherwise, it’s of interest mainly as a transport junction.

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Its beaches washed by the blue-green waters of the South China Sea, turtle-shaped Pulau Tioman is the largest and most impressive of the east coast islands. Its sheer size (20km long and 11km wide) makes it more developed than the other east coast islands

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The name Pulau Tiga means ‘Three Islands’, but only two of the original three remain in this 15-sq-km park north of Kuala Penyu. Pulau Tiga is the largest island; about 1km to the northeast lies tiny Pulau Kalampunian Damit; and in between are the remains

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A short boat trip from Kuala Besut will take you to the beautiful islands of Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil, just 20km off the coast. With their crystal-clear aquamarine water and white-sand beaches they are among Malaysia’s biggest tou

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Back when the distinction between governments, armies and companies was less precise, the British-based East India Company sailed into Penang harbour and took over the 28-sq-km island as its first settlement on the Malay peninsula, a move intended to brea

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The island of Pangkor is just a 40-minute ferry ride from Lumut, which is easily accessible via Ipoh. It’s a low-key resort island noted for its fine beaches. These can be visited via the road running around the island. The jungle-clad hills of the interi

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Malaysia’s best-known holiday destination, Langkawi is one of those places whose name alone summons up images of tropical romance and carefree days under swaying coconut palms. In the Andaman Sea 30km off the coast from Kuala Perlis, it is made up of a gr

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Eight kilometres off the coast of Sabah, at the mouth of Brunei Bay, lies the small, quiet island of Labuan. It’s had its historical moments, especially during WWII, but is now probably best known as a duty-free stopover on the north–south sea routes. Mos

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