Miraculously seen as floating on the water and hence the nickname The
Floating Mosque of the East. The distinctive design of the mosque on a
floating platform and its beautiful location on a lagoon by the mouth of
Sungai Ibai creates the enchantingly floating impression to viewers.
2. Khoo Kongsi, Georgetown, Penang
Khoo Kongsi, reputedly known as ‘The Heritage Jewel of Penang’. The
grand architecture is said to resemble that of the Emperor’s palace in
China. Myth explained that this was the reason that the clan house was
burnt down only 29 nights after its completion as a wrath from the Gods.
3. Petronas Twin Towers, KL
Visiting Malaysia is never complete, if one never visits this twin
towers…. and that include Malaysians, be it from KL or any other parts
of the country. The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers is one of the world’s
tallest buildings in the world, soaring to a height of 452 metres above
the city skyline. Designed by Cesar Pelli in 1997 and mostly
constructed with steel and glass, the towers were the world’s tallest
when completed.
The Batu Caves is believed as a 400 million years old limestone hill
over the length of 400 meters and a height of 120 meters, which has a
series of caves and cave temples. In the pristine state before 1860, some of the cave mouths were used
by the indigenous Besisi people as transit shelters. Today, this is the
most popular destination during annual Thaipusam festival in Malaysia
when more than 1.5 million pilgrims escorted the statue of Lord Muruga
to Batu Caves.
5. Cherating Beach, Pahang
Cherating Beach is a stretch of almost 10 kilometers of beach from the
south of Kuantan in Pahang right up to the town of Chukai in Terengganu.
With its sloping white sandy beaches and soothing sea breeze, it is an
internationally acclaimed spot for surfers particularly in November and
December.
6. Sipadan Island, Sabah
Surrounded by crystal clear waters, Sipadan Island is voted as one of
the best diving sites with its large numbers of greenback and hawksbill
turtles which gather here to mate and nest. Another focus of the divers
are to look out for the tornado-like formations of barracudas, big-eye
trevallies, mantas, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale
sharks. Even better, various dive sties are assured with garden eels,
leaf scorpion fishes, mantis shrimps, fire graces and various pipe
fishes. Sipadan is now one of the nominees for the New 7 Wonders Of
Nature.
7. Gunung Mulu National Park, Miri, Sarawak
The Gunung Mulu National Park has been inscribed as a World Heritage
Site in the year 2000. It is famous for its incredible caves and
chambers and karsts formations. Researchers often come to the park to
study the best example of tropical limestone weathering (karsts) in the
world including enormous razor-sharp pinnacles, deep-cut canyons, and
grand caverns that are home to millions of bats and cave swiftlets.
8. Kota Kinabalu National Park & Mount Kinabalu
Kota Kinabalu National Park is Malaysia’s first World Heritage.
Designated by UNESCO in December 2000 for its ‘outstanding universal
values’, the park covers an area of 754 square kilometers and surrounds
the majestic Mount Kota Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia (and
fourth tallest in Southeast Asia). The hiking of Mount Kota Kinabalu up
to the Low’s Peak ‘summit’ at 4100 meters is the goal of many trekkers.
If climbers wish to go further up, the climb is on bare granite rock.
The Rafflesia plant, which has the largest single flower in the world,
is also found in the Kota Kinabalu National Park.
9. Sarawak Cultural Village, Santubong, Sarawak
The Sarawak Cultural Village is the award winning living museum that
showcases the heritage of the major racial groups in Sarawak. The
concept is to build up a condensation of Sarawak’s ethnic diversity in
the 17 acres village. Visitors get the chance to personally experience
the different lifestyles of seven tribes at the distinct longhouses
models. Its multi-ethnic cultural performance at the mini theatre is
another fun event not to be missed that portrays the distinct cultures
of the many ethnic groups.
10. Heeren Street & Jonker Street, Malacca
Heeren Street which is also known as the ‘First Class Gentlemen Street’
or the ‘Millionaires Row’, is a road with double storey houses similar
to that of the modern terrace houses, but much longer. The houses
portray a rich and detailed mix of Chinese, European and Peranakan
architecture. Till today, the Peranakans (Baba Nyonyas) do live in
them, making this a living heritage, though there are also some being
turned into galleries, cafes, hotels and eateries.
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