Malaysia flights and travel guide

Travellers considering taking cheap flights to Malaysia have a number of destinations to choose between. One of the 11 states on the Malay Peninsula or Sabah or Sarawak (the two states on the island of Borneo)? 

Malaysia's influences include Portuguese, Dutch and British, and the country is a melting pot of religions and cultures. Malays, Chinese, Indians and many other groups call it home. Nowhere is this more evident than in its cuisine, a spicy smorgasbord that features satay, nasi lemak, rendang and roti canai (a pancake eaten with meat or chicken curry, a roadside stall staple) among many others. 

Malaysia's west coast is the most developed, the east is more Malay. The west-coast cities include Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Malacca, Putrajaya (the seat of government) and, of course, Kuala Lumpur, the capital. 

On the eastern side of Malaysia, the more traditional part of the country, are the states of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu. 

On Borneo, Sabah has six national parks, superb scuba diving and Southeast Asia's second-highest mountain, Mount Kinabalu, while Sarawak is a jungly place with mountains and 11 national parks. It's the least touristy state and a wonderful destination for adventure travellers.

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Malaysia climate

The climate is tropical - warm weather year-round, temperatures between 21 and 32 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels are high. There are two seasons, wet and dry. The wet season extends from November to March, the dry season May to September.

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When to fly to Malaysia

Peak season: 

There's not really a bad time to visit Malaysia. There are two peak seasons. December to January takes in Christmas, New Year's Day and Chinese New Year. Mid-May to the end of June is school holidays in Singapore and families come to the beach resorts. Travellers looking for quiet holidays should also think twice about taking cheap flights to Malaysia during March, June and August. This is when Malaysian schools are on holiday. June-August is the second peak season. 

Low season: 

September to December is low season.

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Getting around Malaysia

Apart from Malaysia Airlines, domestic airlines serving the peninsula and Sabah and Sarawak include Sabah Air, Berjaya Air and Air Asia.

Malaysia has a good public transport system with buses and trains offering a fast and comfortable service. Trishaws – a three-wheel vehicle – are to be found in the cities. Tourists can hop around the major islands by ferry. 

Kuala Lumpur has a light rail system as well as buses, taxis and rental-car companies.

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Malaysia insider information

• Many Australians who have taken cheap flights to Malaysia stop at Sandakan to reflect on the Sandakan Death Marches, the single worst atrocity suffered by Australian servicemen during the Second World War. The Sandakan War Memorial Park on Mile 8, Jalan Labuk Utara. Local travel agents offer regular tours there. 
• Independence Square (Padang Merdeka) in KL bears traces of Malaysia's colonial past, including the Tudor-style Royal Selangor Club and Sultan Abdul Samad Building. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building has Moorish influences and a clock tower, called, predictably maybe, Big Ben. Merdeka Square is where the Malayan flag was raised for the first time after Malaysia won its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The flagpole has the honour of being the tallest flagpole in the world, at 100 metres high. 
• The Lake Gardens are another colonial relic. The gardens were laid out in the late 19th century. 
• Batu Caves are just 15km north of Kuala Lumpur. The caves have a sacred Hindu shrine. 
• Langkawi (a collection of 99 islands) and the island of Penang are world famous for their beautiful beaches, but there are a couple of different ways to see them. There is air trekking in Langkwai’s rainforest in the national parks such as Taman Negara, Mulu National Park and Mt Kinabalu Park or the cable-car ride up Mount Machincang, one of the steepest inclines in the world. On Penang, take the funicular train up Penang Hill, a journey that takes about 90 minutes. 
• The Terengganu coast, on the eastern side of Malaysia, is one of only six spots in the world where giant Leatherback Turtles clamber ashore to lay eggs. 
• In Sarawark, on Borneo, is Mulu National Park. The caves of Mulu have the largest cave passage in the world; the largest natural rock chamber and the longest cave system in South-East Asia.

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Malaysia airports

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) (Sepang) (website: www.klia.com.my) is 55km south of Kuala Lumpur.

Kota Kinabalu (BKI) (website: www.malaysiaairports.com.my) is 6km from the city and is the international gateway to Sabah (the northeastern part of Borneo Island).

Kuching (KCH) (website: www.malaysiaairports.com.my) is 11km from the city and is the main gateway to Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

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Passport/Visa

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