English is widely spoken so it’s very easy to get by. Though a few words of malay (Bahasa Malaysia) are always handy and will impress people. Malay is the official language but due to the multiracial character of the country you’ll find many languages spoken like Chinese (mandarin, cantonese, hokkien,...), Tamil among the Indians and several more languages on Borneo.

If you plan to stay a bit longer in Malaysia it’s worth to get your own sim card for your mobile so it’s easier to make phone calls and be reach by your folks back home. Phone cards are sold virtually everywhere. Providers are: Maxis, Celcom and Digi. Some of them offer good IDD rates starting from RM 0.10 to call abroad

Taxis drivers can be good and bad. It’s usually best to go by meter but some won’t turn them on unless you convince them otherwise. A short ride within the city centre of KL shouldn’t cost you more than RM10. When you arrive at KLIA make sure you go to the official taxi counter to prevent being ripped off. Same applies to the KL Sentral railway station.

As a former british colony cars drive on the left side so watch out when you cross the road. It’s always better to look at both sides first. Malaysians can be crazy behind the wheel.

KL used to be a paradise for faked goods. Shops selling movies and software could even be found in shopping malls. Since 2007 the government forced the shops to close in the tourist areas. Now, you need to go to shopping malls outside the city center to find the DVD shops. However, you can still find them at the market on Petaling Street in Chinatown. Quality is usually good unless it’s a brand new film then there is chance that you might get a cinema copy.

Being a majority muslim country, alcohol is rather expensive compared to other Asian countries because of the so-called sin taxes. But alcohol is served in most convenience stores and Chinese restaurants. It’s also cheap in Langkawi because it is the status of a duty-free zone.

Airport tax is already included in the ticket prices. There is also no fee to pay when leaving the country.

There are only 2 train lines on the peninsula, one is the north-south track (Bangkok-Singapore) and one splits off in Gemas (south of KL) and runs to the north-eastern thai boarder near Kota Bharu. This line is also called the jungle train. The train is pricier and slower then the bus but can be more comfortable when travelling in a sleeper car. More info at http://www.ktmb.com.my and http://www.seat61.com/Malaysia.htm
There are currently talks of constructing a bullet train line between Sinpapore and Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian like to use abbreviations. So if you wanna belong you call Kuala Lumpur KL, Johor Bahru JB, Kota Kinabalu KK. 

Travelling in Malaysia is very safe in general. Though is you should be careful in crowded place of pick-pocket. Also watched out for the infamous poker scam in KL, when people approach ou and ask politely where you come from and invite you to their home because they claim to have a family member going this way. There have also been reports of people snatching hand bags from driving motorbikes.

The word malaysians use for westerners is “Mat Salleh”.

It’s very convenient to take busses in Malaysia. The condition of roads and buses are very good. There several privat and a national bus line (Transnasional). Usual it’s no problem to get ticket on short notice unless there’s a major holiday like Hari Raya (end of Ramadan), Deepavali or Chinese New Year. A 2-hour ride from KL to Melaka costs around RM10 and a 5h ride to Penang around RM25.

Definately one of the highlights of this country and safe to eat. You may have some trouble the first days if you are not used to spiciness of some of the dishes (but not all). But stories of food poisoning are rather rare. So go out try the hawker food and explore. It’s really good. And don’t you dare going to fast food chains… okay, one visit after every 10 local dishes is okay

Besides the malay muslim majority (50+%) there is the big Chinese community (30+%) and Indian minority (8%) plus many various indigenous cultures on Borneo (Iban, Datak,...) so walk around with open eyes and be amazed by the malaysian melting pot.

Mamak Stalls are a muslim Indian restaurants serving southern Indian cuisine. It’s a popular hang-out place for locals to meet friends and drink tea and have snacks like Roti Canai. The heart of Malaysia beats here.

It’s hot (around 30C celcius) and very humid throughout the year. So be prepared to take 2-3 showers every day to get rid of your own stickiness.

2008:
1 January (Tues) New Year’s Day
10 January (Thurs) Awal Muharam (Maal Hijrah)
7 & 8 February(Thurs & Fri) Chinese New Year
20 March (Thurs) Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday
1 May (Thurs) Labour Day
19 May (Mon) Wesak Day
7 June (Sat) Birthday of SPB Yang di-Pertuan Agong
31 August (Sun) National/Merdeka Day
1 & 2 October (Wed & Thurs) Hari Raya Puasa *
27 October (Mon) Deepavali *
8 December (Mon) Hari Raya Qurban
25 December (Thurs) Christmas Day
29 December (Mon) Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)

* - Subject to confirmation