Borneo & Malaysia

In one day in Kuala Lumpur, you can admire the elaborate Moorish architecture of the old railway station that looks more like a mosque, put on a robe and visit the real thing with its clean lines and acres of marble, shop yourself silly at one of the many malls, order some cheap spectacles and have a facial while you wait for them, eat fabulous food and finish with a visit to the futuristic Petronas Towers, gleaming silver in the spotlights against an inky sky.

Malay, Chinese and Indian people mix effortlessly here: add Portuguese influences in the old trading port of Malacca for yet another flavour. On the opposite coast, Langkawi has another sort of contrast: luxurious beach resorts and unspoiled landscapes where sea-eagles swoop down to feed and monkeys drop out of the mangroves onto your boat.

In Borneo’s Sabah, it’s orang-utans that will delight you. Stay in a traditional village longhouse with the Iban people, climb Mt Kinabalu for the sunrise, indulge your inner Indiana Jones on a jungle swing bridge. Primeval rainforest is made for adventure!