Places to Visit in Malaysia: 20 Top Tourist Places for Indian Travellers

Malaysia packs an extraordinary variety into one country: futuristic skyscrapers and colonial streets, Hindu cave temples and grand mosques, cool tea-covered hills, duty-free islands and some of the oldest rainforest on Earth. For Indian travellers it is also one of the easiest countries in Asia to explore, with short flights, visa-free entry for now and Indian food almost everywhere.

Here are the 20 best places to visit in Malaysia, grouped by region, with tips on how much time each needs and how they fit into a trip. Most first visits focus on Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands; with a week or more, add Langkawi, Penang or Malacca.

1. Petronas Twin Towers. Malaysia's icon, 452 metres tall, with a Skybridge on the 41st floor and an observation deck on level 86. Come back at night for the lights and the fountain show in KLCC Park.

2. KL Tower. The open-air Sky Deck and glass-floored Sky Box, 300 metres up, give the best views of the Petronas Towers themselves.

3. Batu Caves. 272 rainbow steps, a 43-metre golden statue of Lord Murugan and a cathedral-like limestone cave temple, 13 km north of the city. Go early to beat the heat.

4. Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor. The shopping and entertainment heart of the city, with Pavilion and Lot 10 by day and the Jalan Alor food street by night.

5. Merdeka Square, Central Market and Petaling Street. Independence Square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the art-deco Central Market for handicrafts and Chinatown's busy market street.

Read our detailed places to visit in Kuala Lumpur guide for tickets, timings and dress codes.

6. Genting Highlands. A hilltop resort at about 1,800 metres, reached by the Awana SkyWay cable car, with Genting SkyWorlds Theme Park, Chin Swee Temple, outlets and cool weather. See our Genting Highlands guide.

7. Putrajaya. Malaysia's planned administrative capital, 30 to 40 minutes south of KL, with the pink-domed Putra Mosque, grand government buildings, bridges and a lakeside cruise.

8. Sunway Lagoon. A theme park with water slides, amusement rides, a wildlife park and Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon, about 30 minutes from the city centre.

9. Kuala Selangor fireflies and Sky Mirror. An evening boat ride to see fireflies light up the mangroves, and a tide-dependent sandbar trip famous for mirror-like photos.

More ideas in our guide to day trips from Kuala Lumpur.

10. Malacca (Melaka). A UNESCO World Heritage city about 2 hours from KL, with the red Dutch Square, the ruins of St Paul's Church and A Famosa, Jonker Street's weekend night market and a river cruise.

11. George Town, Penang. Another UNESCO-listed city, famous for its street art, clan houses, temples and some of the best street food in Asia, including Indian Muslim nasi kandar.

12. Penang Hill and Kek Lok Si. A funicular ride to cool views over George Town, and one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Southeast Asia nearby. Read our Penang guide.

13. Cameron Highlands. Rolling tea plantations, strawberry farms, flower nurseries and the Mossy Forest, about 3.5 hours from KL. Best with an overnight stay.

14. Taman Negara. One of the world's oldest tropical rainforests, with a canopy walkway, river trips and jungle treks for nature lovers with extra time.

15. Langkawi SkyCab and SkyBridge. A steep cable car ride to the top of Gunung Mat Cincang and a curved suspended bridge high above the rainforest.

16. Langkawi beaches and island hopping. Pantai Cenang for sunsets and water sports, Tanjung Rhu for quiet sands, and island-hopping boats to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden and eagle-feeding spots.

17. Kilim Karst Geoforest Park. Mangrove boat tours past limestone cliffs, caves and fish farms in Langkawi's UNESCO Global Geopark. See our Langkawi guide.

18. Perhentian and Redang islands. Clear water and coral reefs on the east coast, best from about March to October; many resorts close during the northeast monsoon.

19. Legoland Malaysia. In Johor, near the Singapore border, with a Lego theme park, water park and aquarium; ideal for younger children on a Singapore and Malaysia trip. See our guide to Malaysia with kids.

20. Sabah and Sarawak (Borneo). Mount Kinabalu, orangutan sanctuaries and island parks near Kota Kinabalu, for travellers who want wildlife and adventure on a longer trip.

• Ride two cable cars: the Awana SkyWay at Genting and the SkyCab in Langkawi.
• Eat your way through the country: nasi lemak, satay, roti canai, banana-leaf meals, teh tarik and tropical fruits.
• See a festival: Thaipusam at Batu Caves, Deepavali in Brickfields, Chinese New Year lanterns or Hari Raya open houses.
• Go island hopping in Langkawi or take a sunset cruise.
• Shop in Bukit Bintang, at the Genting outlets or in duty-free Langkawi.

For Malaysia shopping, Kuala Lumpur leads with Pavilion, Suria KLCC, Mid Valley Megamall and Sunway Pyramid, while Petaling Street and Central Market are best for souvenirs. Look for Malaysian chocolates, white coffee, batik, Royal Selangor pewter and handicrafts. Langkawi is duty-free, so chocolates, perfumes and kitchenware are good buys, and Genting has a large premium outlet mall near the cable car base.

With 3 or 4 nights, focus on Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves and Genting Highlands, which is exactly what our Kuala Lumpur tour package, Malaysia family tour package and Genting Highlands package cover. With 6 or 7 nights, add Langkawi or Penang by a one-hour flight, or Malacca by road. With more time, combine Malaysia with Singapore on one of our Singapore Malaysia tour packages. Our Malaysia itinerary guide has day-by-day plans, and our best time to visit Malaysia guide explains the weather in each region.