44 Cool and Unusual Things to Do in Malaysia - Atlas Obscura

Unusual Attractions in Malaysia

Batu Caves, Malaysia

Batu Caves

Holy Hindu shrine in an enormous, monkey-filled limestone cavern.

Bestari Jaya, Malaysia

Kampung Kuantan Fireflies Park

Malaysian fireflies create a dazzling display as thousands light up in unison.

Marudi, Malaysia

The Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu

These jagged limestone blades cut out through the canopy of the jungles of Borneo.

Niah Caves

One of the largest caverns in the world has a maw large enough to stack cathedrals in.

Langkawi, Malaysia

Langkawi Sky Bridge

This dangerous-looking suspension bridge may have been too unstable to remain open.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

BOH Tea Garden and Factory

The largest tea plantation in Southeast Asia supplies gorgeous vistas alongside tea for the surrounding countries.

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Crystal Mosque

Extravagant mosque honors modern Islam.

Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu Temple

Malaysia's first and only glass temple.

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Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Malaysia

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

BOH Tea Garden and Factory

The largest tea plantation in Southeast Asia supplies gorgeous vistas alongside tea for the surrounding countries.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery Canteen

Come for the chanting, stay for the monastical vegan buffet.

Temerloh, Malaysia

Amani Vanilla

This vanilla farm serves its crops at an on-site café.

Taiping, Malaysia

Antong Coffee Mill

Malaysia's oldest coffee roaster is also a historical landmark.

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Stories About Malaysia

A detail of a plant with blue berries, from Marianne North's 1876 painting <em>Curious Plants from the Forest of Matang, Sarawak, Borneo.</em>

A Botanical Mystery Solved, After 146 Years

How a young illustrator’s attention to detail—and a determined Victorian woman's legacy—led to the discovery of a new species in an old painting.

by Gemma Tarlach

The endangered langurs need a hand—and, in Teluk Bahang, a bridge made from fire hoses.

In Malaysia, Recycled Fire Hoses Help Make Way for Endangered Langurs

These crossings keep them—and many other species—safe from roadway dangers.

by Kristen Pope

A lion dance performer during Lunar New Year in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia Has Turned Lion Dancing Into a Gravity-Defying Extreme Sport

Meet some of the troupes taking an ancient tradition to new heights.

February 9, 2021

The penanggalan detaches from her body to approach mothers, pregnant women, and infants.

The Malaysian Penanggalan Haunts Pregnant Women and Newborns

These provincial specters are as gruesome as they are hungry.

October 29, 2020

Slicing into these cakes reveals their geometric interiors.

The Mesmerizing Geometry of Malaysia's Most Complex Cakes

Bold colors and designs set kek lapis Sarawak apart.

by Samantha Chong

August 10, 2020

From his paraglider, Steinmetz appears to have captured a colorful, abstract mosaic made up of round tiles. In fact, these are shallow basins lined with mud, about three to five feet wide and made by hand, holding salt water that slowly evaporates to yield mineral solids, which are sold to be consumed by livestock. The colors depend on the mix of mud, algae, and salt. Teguidda-n-Tessoumt, Niger.

How a 'Flying Photographer' Sees the World From Above

The perspective made George Steinmetz an “accidental environmentalist.”

A Malay <em>bomoh</em>, or medium with the paraphernalia he uses to treat illnesses. The occult is popular in Malaysia, despite Islamic prohibitions against it.

Malaysia Has Good Ghosts, Bad Ghosts, and Gremlin-Babies That Will Steal Your Stuff

Its spirit culture is unlike any in the world.

by Dan Nosowitz

October 24, 2019

The HNLMS K XVII submarine in its prime, opposite a Dutch minelayer.

Two Dutch Shipwrecks From WWII Just Vanished Near Malaysia

They were probably plundered by looters hunting for scrap metal.

by Sabrina Imbler

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