Malaysia has been described as the perfect balance between the organised chaos of Thailand and the uber-orderly Singapore. More than half of the population is Muslim, but the place officially serves the second-best Guinness in the world! Malaysia is full of charming contradictions, and we’ve compiled some snippets of advice to make your time there that little bit easier.
Meter your metres
Taxis in Malaysia are notoriously bad, with those in Kuala Lumpur frequently topping world rankings for all the wrong reasons. Taxi drivers in Malaysia can be rude and even though they say their cars are metered, you might have to get assertive to get the driver to use it. Insist on the meter being turned on, or haggle hard. There are some new and useful taxi apps, like TaxiMonger and My Teksi if you want to remove the sting from your journey. Otherwise, brave the public transport.
They’re mad for Milo
In Malaysia, the chocolate and malt drink Milo isn’t just a drink. It’s a way of life. It’s a state of mind! The country is home to the world’s largest Milo factory and you’ll find this drink everywhere, from McDonalds to cafes and street stalls. You’ll even find the powder mixed with coffee and sprinkled dry on your toast.
Bringing home the….turkey?
Get used to living without bacon. Malaysia is a predominantly Muslim country and caters for Muslim tourists very well. You’ll rarely find bacon and sausages in your hotel breakfast. You might find yourself waking up to beef, chicken or even turkey instead, but you’ll get used to it. Chinese restaurants usually have pork, which may be some consolation.
Walk with the animals
Malaysia is one of a few “megadiverse” countries – and its amazing ecosystem is thought to be home to a fifth of the world’s animal species. No-one who tours Malaysia should miss its rainforest, which is believed to be 130 million years old; almost three times the age of the Brazilian rainforest. The parks and nature reserves in Malaysia are home to elephants, orang utans and tigers, and if you’re very brave, you can see (and smell) the corpse flower (Rafflesia arnoldii) in Malaysian Borneo.
Don’t worry about Ramadan
Many travellers worry about visiting Muslim countries during Ramadan, as the more conservative examples, like Dubai, ask non-Muslim tourists not to eat or drink in public during this month of fasting. Malaysia, on the other hand, doesn’t.
Obviously you won’t want to wander the streets swinging a beer bottle or chowing a burger, as that’s just rude, but you can go into restaurants and cafes for food and non-alcoholic drinks. If you go into a non-Muslim restaurant or bar you can buy alcohol, but do be considerate of the feelings of the locals.
Once the sun has gone down, though, you can relax and fill your boots! You’ll find lots of Ramadan bazaars, known as Param to the locals, where you can feast your eyes and your belly at the many food stalls there. They’re set up to feed the hungry Muslims who are breaking their fasts, and they’ll be quite happy to see you join in.
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