The cool highlands of peninsula Malaysia are adored for sprawling tea plantations, strawberry farms and misty forest. You can go plugging your own strawberries or sipping tea from a terrace overlooking the rolling hills checked by vibrant green tea bushes. The jungle covered slopes are traversed by walking trails, which pass waterfalls and brings you to the peaks of the surrounding mountains. Keep in mind though, that Cameron Highlands has been on the local tourist map for a long time and is now even in Starbucks territory, so things can get crowded in high season and weekends. The many concrete hotels build in imitated colonial-chalet style only add to the tacky factor that locals seem so found of. If you come at the right time (normally between October and January), there is even a change to see a flowering Rafflesia (Rafflesia kerrii), the world's biggest flower.

Sarawak's tourist profile could easily have been designed based on this tranquil and lush national park. Jungle cruise in canoes on bending rivers, spotting orangutan (or maybe just their nests) while trekking, swimming under cool waterfalls, and longhouse stay with the friendly Iban people are the attractions here. Bookings need to be made from Kuching and longer expeditions deep into the jungle are possible, which will only increase the chances to see orangutans, gibbons, hornbills, and other wildlife.

Neither as flashy as Singapore nor as crazy as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur (or just KL as locals call it) is often considered a bit tame, but that just makes it easier to approach for first timers. Dull or not, it does have its own distinct flavor worth exploring. The major attractions are a few major sights along with the ethnic colorful "hoods", Little India and Chinatown. If shopping is your thing, KL can match in both price and range what you find in the neighboring capitals. So if you need to replace some of your travel stuff or just get some western gear, this is good place to stock up. Else just splurge in the exorbitant selection of street foods and restaurants.

Deep in the jungle close to the Indonesian border lays the friendly Kelabit Highlands. Located on a plateau 1000m above sea level surrounded by rugged terrain, it is only reachable by plane or a seven-day trek trough dense forest. The main settlement Bario is still famous for their longhouses that can house up till thirty families under the same roof. Some of the elders still carry the heavy brass or hornbill-ivory ear rings and have their arms and legs covered in tribal tattoos. Homestays and multi-day treks are what the few travellers come here for in this nature rich corner of Sarawak.

One thing that makes Mt. Kinabalu stand out from other mountains is the fact that it is possible to take in its full scale. On a clear day you can splash around in the South Chinese Sea along Borneo's shore and see Mt. Kinabalu's grey dome rises dramatically above the green and lush jungle less than 50 km inland. Today no skills are required to trek it and the tracks are well marked. It can be done in a very long day, but two days are strongly recommended. This way you can get some rest in one of the huts below the bald granite, before heading for Low's peak, which is the highest point, in total darkness to watch the sunrise light up Borneo.

Big holes, tunnels and cave systems with the biggest known cave chamber (Sarawak Chamber) exist here in Mulu National Park. Some of the caves are show caves with boardwalks and artificial lights on the stalagmites and stalactites, but real caving trips is also possible with one of the national park's experienced guides. Seeing the Sarawak Chamber (600m x 415m x 80m) is a very difficult and demanding expedition, so don't count on seeing it on your first trip underground. Overground the jungle and its wildlife can be explored from canopy walks spanning between the tree tops. Don't forget to see the bat exodus at dusk, where millions of bats set out from the caves on their hunt for food. They just keep coming out and draw thick waves in the evening sky. An incredible sight not to be missed.

Not just some impressive caves with human record going some 40.000 years back and rock painting dating 1200 years back, but also a major site for bird nest harvesting. These swiftlet's nests are some of the most expensive food item on the globe and goes for about US$500 pr kg in Hong Kong where they are made into bird nest soup. At Niah the nests are still harvest in the old fashion way where the collector climbs 60 meters up the air on thin poles to reach the nests under the cave roof. No serious safety equipment is used and fatal accidents usually happen every year. The harvest season runs from January to March and then again from August to December.

Two gorgeous tropical islands with white sand, jungle cover center and crystal clear water (and we mean crystal clear) with outstanding snorkeling. The small one, Perhentian Kecil, is Malaysia's answer to a backerpacker beach scene with Long Beach being the popular hang out. Here you will find a long beautiful stretch of sand and palms dotted with restaurants, diving shops and cheap huts in less-than-adorable style. Keep in mind that things are changing very fast on the islands and there is a bit of gold-rush feeling to the place, which will probably leave the islands in a constant state of random constructions for many years to come. But compared to the islands of Thailand, the Perhantian islands are still very innocent and unexploited.

This is "the place" to see semi-wild orangutans in Sarawak. The centre is located 25 km outside Kuching and doesn't see that many visitors (compared to Sepilok in Sabah), not even in high tourist season (July - August). There are feeding twice a day at the platform a couple of hundreds meters in the jungle but there are no guaranties - the orangutans are semi wild. Sometimes they just hang around the park centre, especially mothers with their toddlers in tow, and then there are a pretty good chance to see them up close.