The western coast islands, less popular than the those on the oriental coast, will delight the visitors who venture there. Easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur, they present a diversity of landscapes and auras as well as a rich cultural heritage.

In search of the west coast islands

Malaysia is a surprising country in every way. And the cluster of lakes linked to one another that go by the name of Tasik Chini will definitely live up to expectations! If this is not the case, then maybe the lake's monster will leave you speechless; rumour has it that it haunts the depths!

Tasik Chini legends

Asia

Malaysia is composed of two islands, located 700 km from each other: a peninsular island, which shares its northern border with Thailand, and an eastern island, which neighbours Indonesia. On one side, the energetic and structured capital of Kuala Lumpur boasts skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, at its head the impressive Petronas towers, a typical Chinese quarter and an upturn in economic activity. On the other hand, the country is overflowing with heavenly islands, tropical beaches, and villages full of fish, exotic flora and fauna. Malaysia is also a joyful melting pot of origins and religions. Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus and Christians share the country and offer an enchanting diversity of temples and cultural sites. This also makes for an extremely rich culinary culture, which is unanimously praised by visitors.

Malaysia

Frasers hill

Trek and hiking fans will love Cameron Highlands' blend of sport and nature. The smell of tea impregnates the countryside and the forests are full of surprises.

Cameron Highlands

The Belum forest reserve is a fabulous place in Malaysia.

Belum

 As well as being the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is one of Asia's hubs. It is a modern town surrounded by oil palms where you should spend several days.

Kuala Lumpur

Families and animal lovers will adore this natural reserve, where you can see some of the world's last orangutans living in the wild. 

Semenggoh Sarawak

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Oceania

Borneo is one of the last places in the world where you can see orangutans, a species that, sadly, is on the brink of extinction. The destruction of primary rainsforests, to make way for huge palm oil plantations, has resulted in a drastic reduction of the orangutan population. Today you'll have a hard time seeing them in their original habitats and reserves like Semenggoh are increasingly giving them a second chance of survival.    Leaving from Kuching, I arrived at the centre, where twice a day tourists can come during feeding time and watch them from specially built observation platforms. Although being fed means they are less feral, they do still live in a natural environment and, therefore, have the liberty to do as they please. This means that you're not always guaranteed to see them.  I managed to watch two young orangutans eat their meal before spotting an adult female swinging from branch to branch about 20m above the ground. When she finally sat down to eat I saw that she had her baby clinging to her stomach!  The Semenggoh Sarawak Natural Reserve provides a dual service - a tourist attraction combined with the conservation of animals who live in complete liberty. It's certainly a great reason for taking a <a href="/malaysia/">trip to Malaysia</a>.

When visiting Malaysia I spent several days in <a href="/malaysia/holidays/places/1096-kuching/">Kuching</a>. While staying in the city I was able to make a visit to the nearby Semenggoh Nature Reserve. The bus I caught from the centre of Kuching dropped me right opposite the entrance. There are several departure times during the day, but only one of them will get you there in time to see the morning feeding session. The entry ticket entitles you to attend two such feeding sessions (morning and afternoon). This reserve is less well-known than the Sepilok one and therefore does not get as busy. Because the orang-utans live semi-wild, there is no guarantee that you will actually get to see them. I was lucky enough to see one in the morning however. A ranger put some fruit out on a platform and an orang-utan came and helped itself to it. It's really impressive seeing how effortlessly they get around in the trees. Just as I was about to go to the afternoon feeding session it began to rain very heavily. I didn't get to see a thing therefore.

The Semenggoh Nature Reserve is one of the places where it's possible to see orang-utans.

Semenggoh Sarawak Vacations

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Malaysia: our articles for your vacations