BACKPACK MALAYSIA - A COMPREHENSIVE BACKPACKING TRAVEL GUIDE TO MALAYSIA

Although officially a Muslim country, Malaysia is a multi-racial, multi-religious country (with only about 60% actively practicing Islam) sandwiched between Indonesia and Thailand.  Made up of East Malaysia located on the southernmost tip of a peninsula and West Malaysia, the northern part of Borneo, the country is dominated by its 3 main races; the Malays with their distinct indigenous groups, the Chinese and the Indians who arrived during British rule in the 1800s.

Apart from Singapore, Malaysia is by far the most developed and economically advanced country in South East Asia. Independent from British rule since 1957, the country has a strong agricultural industry through rubber and palm oil plantations, and also has a solid manufacturing base.

Although the country is often overlooked because of its bigger and more famous neighbors, specifically Indonesia and Thailand, Malaysia boasts spectacular islands and beaches, the oldest rainforest in the world and is considered extremely high in biodiversity.  Its cuisine is shaped heavily by the races whose cuisine was brought to Malaysia from their home countries and this often is pointed out as the main highlight of the country. Culturally and religiously very diverse, it’s not uncommon to see a church, a mosque, a Buddhist temple and a Hindu temple side by side.