Holidays in Malaysia is an opportunity to have a touch of the Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, traditions of descendants of island tribes living, for example, in Sabah, on the island of Borneo. Multiculturalism is not the only characteristic feature of this Asian country. The world’s oldest rain forests with the richest flora, covering most of the country’s territory, are home to a huge number of species. In order to get acquainted with this tropical world, tourists swim along the rivers, go hiking, including visits to the night jungles, watch birds and orangutans, go on a safari.
The long coastline of Malaysia, with white fine sand, azure sea, beautiful views and all the attributes of a tropical paradise, and the numerous islands, framed by coral reefs, is what attracts tourists from all over the world. Beautiful beaches can be found at such famous resorts as Tioman Island, Pangkor, Langkawi, Penang. Use an opportunity to reach the chosen resort with the car rental in Johor Bahru International Airport.
In addition to rest under the warm sun, you can do snorkeling, diving, windsurfing, and just go fishing. Geographic diversity allows you to choose a holiday to your taste, starting from interesting excursion programs with a possible rest on one of the many islands, and ending with diving tours. Those, who are fond of only beach holidays, will also find their place in the Malayan paradise.
You can swim in the sea in Malaysia almost all year round, except during the storm season in the eastern coast, as well as the time when the sea near the Borneo Island acquires a reddish tinge. The so-called “red tides” are dangerous for those who swim in this water. A wet and hot climate, for which rain is a natural phenomenon, can also afflict thunderstorms, however, intense precipitation are seen at a strictly defined time of the year.
Malaysia occupies one of the leading positions in diving. Andaman, South China and the Celebes Sea are some of the most attractive places for scuba diving. According to experts, the animal and plant world is much richer and more diverse here, than in the Pacific Ocean. To protect and preserve the underwater flora and fauna, to multiply and protect rare marine life, five Marine Parks were created. In these parks, there are special areas for scientific research, excursions and recreation. In the west of the Malaysian peninsula, the best time for diving is from December to May. If you come to the east part, it would be from March to October.
Here is a list of best places for diving in Malaysia.
The Marine Reserve of the State of Johor
It is located in the southernmost part of the peninsular part of Malaysia. Of all the islands lying in the coastal waters of Johor, the most famous islands are Sibu, Besar, Tinggi, Rawa and Tengah. These islands are surrounded by clear water. They abound in coral reefs and marine fauna and are declared a marine protected park. Besar Island is famous for its luxurious beaches with white sand and turquoise water, through which you can see a real underwater coral garden. Tinggi Island lies just 32 kilometers southeast of the state capital. The waters that wash the island are famous for the diversity of marine life. Here you can find butterfly fishes, sea angels and black sea bass. The possibilities for underwater photography and video shooting here are simply amazing.
The island of Sibu can amaze with virgin nature, white beaches, amazing coral reefs, gentle blue clear water and rich life of the sea depths.
Sipadan Island
Sipadan Island is some kind of Mecca for divers all over the world. This unique oceanic island is in the southeast of Sabah and at the same time-it was a disputed territory between Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. The singularity of this island is that literally 15 meters from the shore is the limestone slab, which serves as the foundation of the island, and abruptly breaks to a depth of 2000 feet.
This is a real paradise for scuba enthusiasts: the transparent aquamarine water does not hide the fishes of all colors and sizes and you can see barely every move of multi-colored coral gardens’ various inhabitants. From April to September, you can see turtles that go ashore. The dive season is from the middle of February to the middle of December. The visibility under water is 20-60 meters.
Tioman Island
There are 5-6 really interesting dive sites around Tioman island, which are less than 1 hour away on a boat.
In 15 minutes from the ‘Magician Rock’, you can observe whale sharks and giant oceanic manta rays that pass by. For photographers, this place will be very interesting. Departing from the east coast, from the village of Juara, you can see barracudas, snappers, stingrays and a variety of hard corals. Underwater rocks attract a large number of fish. Sri Buat, in the northeast, is known for its high soft and hard corals of incredible beauty. “Tiger Reef” consists of two rocks, near which schools of sea angels, yellowtails and snappers are living.
The best season for diving is from April to October. Manta rays and whale sharks are more likely to be found in March, April and May. Visibility is usually low, from 8-9 to a maximum of 12 meters. From April to September, rest on Tioman is very popular among people from Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Johor. In this regard, it is recommended to book tours in advance, because hotels are filled very quickly.