40 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

Flashing Fireflies of Kampung Kuantan

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.

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia

Crystal Mosque

Extravagant mosque honors modern Islam.

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

BOH Tea Garden and Factory

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

Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Arulmigu Sri Rajakaliamman Hindu Temple

Malaysia's first and only glass temple.

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Unique Food & Drink in Malaysia

Fujisan Bread

Worlds collide in this braided bread that tastes like brioche and is meant to look like Mount Fuji.

Butterfly Pea Flower

With a squeeze of lemon, this plant can turn any drink into a color-changing mood ring.

Sea Grapes

This "green caviar" is vegetarian friendly.

3-D Jelly Cakes

These clear cakes house intricate scenes of fish, flowers, and more.

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Top Discussions in the Malaysia Travel Forum

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What are your top 3 MUST do/see in Kuala Lumpur?	11 April 16, 2020	1494	April 16, 2020
Batu Caves entrance stairway	1 July 26, 2019	412	July 26, 2019
Chap Goh Mei	7 June 7, 2019	1272	June 7, 2019
Kacang Pool	1 June 7, 2019	2037	June 7, 2019

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Stories About Malaysia

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

In Malaysian rain forests, termites such as these <em>Macrotermes carbonarius</em> serve key ecological functions.

Termites Are a Rain Forest's Ecological Insurance Policy

During a drought, wood-eating insects can be a jungle's best friends.

by Noor Al-Samarrai

January 14, 2019

Pui Wan's model of an old kopitiam.

Making Miniatures to Preserve Local Memories

Painstaking recreations of a rapidly changing city.

by Lizzie Philip

Part of the Malay Peninsula where Aslian languages are spoken.

Found: An Unknown Language Spoken in a Single Malaysian Village

It has no words for ownership and lots of ways to talk about sharing.

by Vittoria Traverso

February 6, 2018

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