Malaysia
With a rich cultural heritage made up of Malays, Chinese, Indian and indigenous groups, Malaysia’s society is a melting pot of cultures. Each ethnic group has its own language and practices – which can be best enjoyed through the country’s colourful festivals and delicious variety of cuisines. Then there is its spectacular natural beauty, including gorgeous beaches and some of the world’s oldest tropical rainforest. It’s national parks and conservation projects are ideal for wildlife watching, trekking, river rafting and canyoning – a destination for adrenaline junkies and outdoors lovers. So rich in biodiversity it is simply mind-boggling! The surrounding oceans are just as beautiful and bountiful, and a popular destination for travellers wishing to snorkel or dive amongst the corals, in search of tropical fish, turtles, sharks and dolphins.
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The currency found in Malaysia is known as a ringgit. Often given the abbreviation RM, the ringgit is divided into 100 cents, and the different notes available are RM1, RM5, RM10, RM20, RM50, and RM100. For reference, one English pound is equal to 5.61 ringgits, as well as one American dollar is equal to 4.24 ringgits. Wages in Malaysia tend to average at around 1,200 RM per month. The cost of living, however, is measured to be approximately 42.89% lower than that of the United Kingdom, as well as rent being approximately 66.27%. Because Malaysia is located right next to the equator, its climate is known to be quite humid and hot throughout the entire year. Temperatures average to be around 27 °C (80.6 °F) and the average rainfall is approximately 98 inches per year. It does not categorise its year with different seasons, but with sunny and rainy days. And although rainfall is experienced all year round, the western coast of Sarawak and the eastern coast of the main peninsula experience the most rain during November-February months. The time that is recommended the most to visit Malaysia is any time in between March and October, since it is after the rainy season has passed and not quite as humid. All of the Malaysian airports are run by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, which has approximately 6 international airports. The busiest and most popular airport that is used is Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL), while Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) and Penang International Airport (PEN) are also used often. When arriving from KUL airport, it is important to note of the different ways to get to the city centre that might be the cheapest option. If one person, Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) or KLIA Ekspres (KLIA Express) are the best ways to get the centre of Kuala for RM35. However, if you are 2-3 people with 1-2 pieces of large luggage, a budget taxi would be the best option. If more than 2-3 passengers with luggage, you may have to take the more expensive option, the premier taxi, or the family taxi which can fit six people. Vouchers for these taxis can be purchased at any of the available counters at the airport. The public transportation, known as the ‘Hop On Hop Off Bus,’ is actually commonly used by tourists. You are also able to purchase ALL DAY tickets for the other bus services available. Tickets for the train, monorail, or Light Rail Transport (LRT) are all quite cheap and can be purchased at any of the stops. The pricing of the tickets vary on the distance that you travel. As far as the taxi service goes, you should always use a cab that goes by the meter, and should even verify before beginning your journey that they price it by it. Getting dropped off at mainstream locations is usually the best price wise, and if coming from a hotel and you do not want to get a premier taxi service called for you by the concierge, you can go outside and haul one from the street yourself. The traditional attire for women used to be a kemban, which was a sarong that was wrapped around the body. However, as Malaysia has adopted Islam as its national religion, women now wear baju kurungs which are blouses paired with long skirts. The material can either be made from songket or batik fabric, or any regular fabric like cotton. Along with the attire is a selendang, or shawl, or they can opt for a headscarf such as a tudung or a hijab. For Malaysian men, the traditional attire is known as baju melayu, which consists of a long sleeved top worn over trousers called sampin, or having a short sarong wrapped around their waist. The Malay men also wear a hat, known as songkok. Malaysia is currently known as the 41st most populated country in the world, and includes a variety of citizens, non-citizens and multiple different ethnic groups. Its population is approximately 28,334,000, with 79% of the population living in Penninsular Malaysia. Among the different demographics of Malaysia, the Malays and Bumiputeras comprise a total of 68.8%, Chinese 23.2%, and the Indians 7.0% of the total population. The official religion of Malaysia is Islam, with about 60% of the population being Muslims. However, religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Asian traditions such as Taoism are also practiced. Freedom of religion is accepted in Malaysia; however, if you are Muslim, you are not allowed to convert. Malaysia has been praised for its peaceful developments towards coexisting with other faiths within the country. The political climate of Malaysia works in that the monarch is the head of state, and the prime minister is the head of government. It also still includes an execute branch (run by the federal government and the 13 state governments), the legislative branch (run by the federal parliament and the 13 state assemblies), and also a judiciary branch (independent of both executive and legislative). Being in Southeast Asia, Malaysia is known to have a very diverse and rich culture. This most definitely is seen in the diversity in Malaysian cuisine, with not only Malay influences, but also strong Indian and Chinese influences as well. Some popular Malay dishes consist of nasi lemak (coconut milk steamed rice), sambal belacan (shrmp paste with pounded chillies), and beef rending and beef serunding. Some notable Mamak dishes (Indian influenced Malaysian food) are teh tarik (tea with milk) and murtabak and rojak (mixed fruits and peanut sauce). Finally, some Cantonese and Chinese dishes that have become prominent in Malaysia are various stir frys, char siew (sweet barbecued pork), bak kut teh (herbal soup), dim sum, and many sweet and sour dishes. No matter what route you are going for in the variety that Malaysian food offers, you can’t go wrong with any of these dishes. Malaysia is, however, prone to several precautions. There have been traces of Zika virus and mosquito borne diseases such as dengue fever in Malaysia, so travellers are warned to take the necessary precautions before and during their visit. The states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang have also been declared to have rabies existing within them. Malaysia can also pick up the air pollution that is experienced from fires in Indonesia during the June-October months. As with most countries, it is important to make sure you wash your hands thoroughly when in public places as other countries may contain bacteria not particular to your native country. The more coastal regions of Malaysia are advised for travellers to stay away from, as there are growing threats of kidnapping in these areas. It is also important to note that there is an underlying threat of civil unrest and terrorism currently in Malaysia. When getting off public transportation, be sure to be aware of your belongings as pick pockets are a known presence.Currency
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