Putrajaya Cruise, Putrajaya

Putrajaya lake is in the heart of the administration city, and visitors can take a leisure cruise on the lake. 

One can view stunning vistas of the surrounding area from the cruise, including the Putrajaya Mosque, Putrajaya Bridge as well as several government administrative buildings. 

Visitors can opt to sail the lake on a passenger cruise boat, which is a great option in the day or spectacularly at night! 

The air-conditioned cruise boat also seats 76 persons comfortably, and one can see the landmarks of Putrajaya via its wrap-around glass windows. 

There are also open air boats (perahu) that can be used for small groups of people.

Legoland, Johor

Legoland Malaysia theme park, the first in Asia, is situated in Nusajaya, Johor. Situated on 76 acres of land, the park is the sixth such park to open in the world. 

Previous parks are located in Billund, Denmark (1968), Windsor, England (1996), California, USA (1999), Germany (2002), Florida, USA (2005). 

Legoland is built with over 40 interactive rides, shows and attractions. One of the main attractions is here the Miniland. More than 30 million lego bricks are used in the building of these monuments including the Petronas Twin Towers, The Merlion Statue, Taj Mahal and others. 

These well-known buildings are built using lego bricks, an interactive world on a scale of 1:20 where people, trains and aeroplanes come to life at the touch of a button. Other attractions at the park include Lego City, Land of Adventure, Imagination, Lego Kingdom and Lego Technic.

In the theme park, there is also an Observation tower which is the highest tower in Legoland Malaysia, some 60 meters from the ground. This is also the third Legoland observation tower in the world after Denmark and Germany. 

Legoland is a fascinating place to visit for children and adults alike!

Heritage Trails

What better way to soak in local culture than by taking a walk on one of Malaysia’s heritage trails? Depending on which area you want to explore, there are prearranged tours, or you could amble about with a map at your own leisurely pace. 

The Ipoh Heritage Walk takes you through the historic portion of the city. The fourth largest city in the country, the former tin mining city drew many Chinese immigrants into its fold in the early 20th century due to the ore. Highlights of the trail include the Railway Station (1917), the Town Hall and Post Office Building, built after the World War I, and the Birch Memorial (1909). 

A UNESCO World Heritage site, historic Melaka is a great place to explore on foot. The Dutch Heritage Trail covers attractions from the Dutch Colonial period. Meanwhile, the 7km Melaka Heritage Trail covers most of the historic sights, including the Christ Church (1753), the Stadthuys (1650), the Statue of St. Francis Xavier, Hang Li Poh’s Well and the Melaka Sultanate Palace. 

In Kuala Lumpur, there are many trails to choose from, covering areas like Merdeka Square, Chinatown, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Brickfields. Guidance can be obtained online or through the Malaysian Tourist Information Centre (MaTiC).

Little India Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur

Brickfields is many things to many people: a concentrated wedge of Indian culture; a bewildering smorgasbord of different worship houses; a haven of blind massage centres; the crossroads for commuters coming in from all parts of the country; a perfect study in contrasts. However you define it, one thing is in agreement: Brickfields is a vibrant community with a soul of its own. 

Brickfields began as the centre of brick-making in the late 19th century, after a huge fire and flood swept through Kuala Lumpur in 1881. The double disasters took turns destroying the town’s wooden and thatched structures. Sir Frank Swettenham, British resident at that time, responded by ordering the use of brick and tile in the construction of buildings, thus summoning the town’s purpose into being. 

The area soon developed as the nation’s main locomotive depot for the Malayan Railway during the colonial administration. The sights, sounds and colours of South Asia came to Brickfields along with the human capital brought in to work the railway and depot, which have since been transformed into KL Sentral, the nation’s transportation hub. 

These days, old government quarters (The Hundred Quarters, built in 1905) can still be found around Jalan Rozario. As you walk along the roads and alleys, the smell of curries drift to entice passers-by, while popular Indian songs blast from family-run businesses that also seem to run round the clock. 

In 2009, Little India was moved from the area surrounding Jalan Masjid India to Brickfields, in recognition of the township’s status as one of the pioneer Indian settlements in Kuala Lumpur, and its potential to further develop as a centre for Indian culture. 

Visit the Vivekananda Ashram (1904), which is still used for spiritual education classes, prayer meetings and yoga. The Temple of Fine Arts (TFA) can be found closer to the river along Jalan Berhala. Famous Southern Indian restaurant, Annalakshmi, is housed in the TFA building. 

Other notable attractions are the Sri Lankan Hindu Temple, Sri Kandaswamy Temple on Jalan Scott and the Buddhist Temple Maha Vihara. The Zion Lutheran Church (1924), St Mary’s Syrian Orthodox Church and Holy Rosary Church (1903), as well as the Madrasathul Gouthiyyah Surau, a mosque built in the 1980s catering mostly to Indian Muslims can also be found in the area. 

These attractions can be visited through the Brickfields Guided Walking Tour, held every first and third Saturday, starting at 9.30am from the YMCA. Run by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall, Brickfields’ fascinating history is explained in detail through the walk.

Cat Museum, Sarawak

The Cat Museum is located on the Ground Floor of the Kuching North City Hall Headquarters Building at the Bukit Siol, Jalan Semariang, Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak.It is owned by the Kuching North City Hall (DBKU). There are 2000 exhibits, artifacts, statues about cats from all over the world. According to Malaysian and Chinese beliefs, the cat is a lucky animal. 

The museum covers an area of 1,035.9 square meters on top of the hill called 'Bukit Siol' which stands 60 meters above the sea level with beautiful sceneries overlooking the beautiful city of Kuching. 

The responsibilities of the Cat Museum are to carry out research, collection, presentation, documentation, promotion, publication, education and awareness of historical heritage, cultures and the natural environment.

Melaka River Cruise, Melaka

The river was the main artery of trade for Melaka in its heyday when it was bustling with traders from all around the world. 

Some buildings from that era still stand majestically by the river, which is also lined by old villages, or kampungs, and modern day buildings. 

The 45-minute cruise is accompanied by an entertaining and informative commentary. And, for just RM8, it's a good bargain. See parts of historical Melaka, get a history lesson for next to nothing, and never break a sweat!

Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian pewter is acclaimed internationally for its exquisite craftsmanship. Royal Selangor is the world's largest pewter company, renowned for its innovative design and craftsmanship to create objects of desire in precious pewter. In the days of Royal Selangor's founder, pewter was polished with a stone leaf (tetracera scandens), a wild tropical leaf of a fine, abrasive nature. 

In recognition of its quality, Royal Selangor received a royal warrant from His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor, who conferred the manufacturer the title of "Royal Pewter". 

Visitors to the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre can try their hand at shaping (or knocking) the pewter set aside at the School of Hard Knocks. This is a hands-on attempt at making your very own treasured pewter, so make every knock count!  

A popular attraction at the site is the giant tankard, the world's largest and listed in the Malaysian book of records and the Guinness World Book of Records. The giant tankard stands at 1.987 metres tall, weighs 1, 557 kg and has a capacity of 2,796 litres. It has travelled round the world to places such as Canada, Australia, Singapore and China. 

To further excite your senses, there are interactive exhibits at the Chamber of Chimes, Hall of Finishes and Giant Weighing Scale. Computer buffs may want to check out the Game Port that has specially designed games.

Rainforest Discovery Centre, Sabah

The Rainforest Discovery Centre (RDC) in Sepilok, Sandakan is part of the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve – home to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Located in Sabah, it is one of the state's most popular environmental education (EE) centres today. 

Take a stroll through the forest or walk along the 147- metre long canopy walkway and enjoy a spectacular view of the beautiful rainforest - 28 metres above ground. 

Night walks along the trail also offer visitors a chance to catch a glimpse of the wildlife that have made the rainforest their home, such as the cunning mousedeer, wily civet cats, cute tarsiers and various insects and birds.

For flora lovers, there are many magnificent sights to behold at the Plant Discovery Garden, with about 250 species of native orchids in bloom. The orchid family is known to be the largest flowering plant throughout the world with about 25,000 wild species in total. 

Enthusiasts, naturalists and budding scientists from all walks of life will discover more about the wonders of the rainforest through this unique RDC that helps to raise public awareness and appreciation of the importance of conservation as well as the sustainable use of forest resources.

MALAYSIA- The Minister of Tourism, YB Dato’ Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen has launched the 1Malaysia Year-End Sale (1MYES). The 1MYES, which will be held until 01 January 2013, aims to encourage shoppers from all over the world to come to Malaysia to celebrate the last two months of the year with a fabulous shopping experience.

One of three major shopping seasons in the country, 1MYES is the end-of-year shopping event that ends the year in style. The 1Malaysia GP Sale coincides with the Formula One Grand Prix in KL in March and the 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival is held during the summer holidays.

Shopping is a lucrative sector of Malaysia’s tourism industry. It holds the second biggest share of tourist expenditure after accommodation. Last year, tourists spent RM17.5 billion on shopping which constituted 30% of the total receipts of RM58.3 billion. It recorded a growth of 8 percent against the figure in 2010 (RM16.2 billion). In 2000, when the first Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival was organised, shopping only constituted 23.1% of total tourist expenditures.

Foreign tourists and locals alike have 55 days to take advantage of the discounts and special offers put together by various shopping malls nationwide. The shopping malls will host numerous events to make Malaysia the place to go for shopping, fashion and food throughout November and December.

In Kuala Lumpur, the Sungei Wang Plaza shopping mall will offer its visitors a chance to win a pair of Yoga Lin Concert tickets while the Kenanga Wholesale City will organise a treasure hunt to challenge its shoppers. The Mines shopping mall in Seri Kembangan, Selangor will run a competition to win a 2 day, 1 night stay for four at the Golden Palm Villa in Sepang, a gold set from Poh Kong and other prizes. In Penang, a Garfield and Friends Meet & Greet will take place at the Queensbay Mall while the 1st Avenue mall invites shoppers to participate in a kolam design competition to get into the spirit of Deepavali. The East Coast Mall in Kuantan, Pahang has workshops for Christmas clay doll painting, Christmas card decoration, Christmas origami and New Year card design for its visitors. The Boulevard shopping mall and the Imperial mall in Sarawak will entice its visitors with the “Buy & Fly!” Lucky Draw Contest which offers return tickets to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.

MasterCard cardholders will get the opportunity to walk away with instant redemptions and exciting competition prizes at participating malls in Malaysia.

The KL Fashion Weekend will be held on 21 and 22 November 2012 at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur. The two-day fashion showcase will present fashion shows featuring new trends for hair, make-up and fashion from the Autumn-Winter 2012/2013 collection. The participating departmental stores include Debenhams and Metrojaya. 

Kuala Lumpur has been ranked the second best shopping destination in Asia Pacific – as reported by the latest Global Shopper Index, cementing its position as a shopping paradise. The report stated that Kuala Lumpur’s specific strength is its ability to combine low prices with a good range of products in a large number of stores. It also took note of the Government's mammoth investments in developing KLCC and Bukit Bintang as a “premier shopping precinct in Malaysia”. Twenty five cities in the region were assessed under five categories in the Globe Shopper Index which was created by the Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by Switzerland-based shopping tourism company Global Blue.

Positioning Malaysia as a duty-free shopping destination for tourist goods is one of the three Entry Point Projects undertaken to increase shopping receipts to 35 percent by 2020, under the Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan.

Imported goods that are not subject to custom duty at all are readily available all over the country and not limited to duty-free zones. Aside from 5 categories of products – cars, glasswares, cigarettes, alcohol and chocolates - all other products are tax exempted in Malaysia. Shoppers can look forward to more varieties of imported goods at better prices. This move is part of the Malaysian Government’s efforts to enhance the country’s position as a destination for duty-free shopping. Through this effort, Malaysia hopes to attract a wider range of principal brands to invest in the country. It also facilitates lower and more competitive pricing of imported merchandise, giving Malaysian retailers a competitive edge over retailers in other countries.

Launching of Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Promotion Campaign

Malaysia’s tourism calendar for 2013 is packed with another fascinating year of exciting events and colourful celebrations as a run up to the Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) planned in 2014. Regardless of the month of visit, Malaysia promises visitors something special and unique to make their time here truly memorable and enjoyable! Kick off the year in January by joining in the grand celebration of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 promotion campaign from 18 to 20 January at Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur – it will be the biggest tourism carnival ever! 

Venue
Bukit Jalil Stadium, Kuala Lumpur

About Malaysia

BRIEF HISTORY

Malaysia's history starts generally around the establishment of the Melaka sultanate. During the 13th century, it was renowned as a major port for traders from both east and west.

Following this time, events developing in China and the Roman Empire motivated Indian traders to seek a new port for their rich trade. Melaka was chosen, based mainly on its advantageous location -- it was sheltered from strong monsoon winds, thus the port was able to operate year-round.

Melaka 's profitable position was envied by many and resulted in the Portuguese invasion in 1511. Later, in 1641, the Dutch defeated the Portuguese and reigned until 1815 when the British Empire took over. After World War II, there was a resurgence of Malayan nationalism leading to the Declaration of Independence for the Federation of Malaya from the British Empire on August 31, 1957.

Malaysia at the time was comprised 13 states, including Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. In 1963 two federal territories were formed. Singapore later withdrew from the Federation in 1965.

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Malaysia has 13 states: 11 in Peninsular Malaysia and two, Sabah and Sarawak, on the island of Borneo (East Malaysia).

Tourism Industry in Malaysia