Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in southeast Asia. It's buoyant and wealthy, and has moved towards a pluralist culture based on a vibrant and interesting fusion of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous cultures and customs.

Malaysia is a multicultural society, with Malays, Chinese and Indians living side by side. The Malays are the largest community. The music, art, food, dance, architecture and general day to day living are influenced by all three to some degree, creating some of Asia's most fascinating sounds, sights and tastes.

The earliest inhabitants of the Malay peninsula were the orang asli or indigenous people who migrated from Siam around 2500 BCE. Proto-Malays originating from Java began arriving between 1500 BCE and 500 BCE. Ptolemy showed it on his early map with a label that translates as "Golden Chersonese", the Straits of Malacca were referred to as "Sinus Sabaricus". From the mid to the late first millennium, much of the Peninsula as well as the Malay Archipelago were under the influence of Srivijaya. Originally these were Hindu or Buddhist nations.

There were numerous Malay kingdoms in the 2nd and 3rd century CE-as many as 30 according to Chinese sources. Kedah-known as Kedaram or Kataha, in ancient Pallava or Sanskrit-was in the direct route of invasions of Indian traders and kings. Rajendra Chola, who is now thought to have laid Kota Gelanggi to waste, put Kedah to heel in 1025 but his successor, Vir Rajendra Chola, had to put down a Kedah rebellion to overthrow the invaders. The coming of the Chola reduced the majesty of Srivijaya which had exerted influence over Kedah and Pattani and even as far as Ligor.

The Buddhist kingdom of Ligor took control of Kedah shortly after, and its King Chandrabhanu used it as a base to attack Sri Lanka in the 11th century, an event noted in a stone inscription in Nagapattinum in Tamil Nadu and in the Sri Lankan chronicles, Mahavamsa. During the first millennium, the people of the Malay peninsula adopted Hinduism and Buddhism and the use of the Sanskrit language until they eventually converted to Islam.

A Famosa in Malacca. It was built by the Portuguese in the 15th century.There are reports of other areas older than Kedah-the ancient kingdom of Gangga Negara, around Beruas in Perak, for instance, pushes Malaysian history even further into antiquity. If that is not enough, a Tamil poem, Pattinapillai, of the second century CE, describes goods from Kadaram heaped in the broad streets of the Chola capital. A seventh century Sanskrit drama, Kaumudhimahotsva, refers to Kedah as Kataha-nagari. The Agnipurana also mentions a territory known as Anda-Kataha with one of its boundaries delineated by a peak, which scholars believe is Gunung Jerai. Stories from the Katasaritasagaram describe the elegance of life in Kataha.

Malaysia is well-endowed with natural resources in areas such as agriculture, forestry and minerals. In terms of agriculture, Malaysia is one of the top exporters of natural rubber and palm oil, which together with sawn logs and sawn timber, cocoa, pepper, pineapple and tobacco dominate the growth of the sector. Palm oil is also a major generator of foreign exchange.

Regarding forestry resources, it is noted that logging only began to make a substantial contribution to the economy during the nineteenth century. Today, an estimated 59% of Malaysia remains forested. The rapid expansion of the timber industry, particularly after the 1960s, has brought about a serious erosion problem in the country's forest resources. However, in line with the Government's commitment to protect the environment and the ecological system, forestry resources are being managed on a sustainable basis and accordingly the rate of tree felling has been on the decline.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill in the north of Kuala Lumpur which has a series of caves and cave temples. It is a sacred place for Hindus in Malaysia and home to a 42.7 m high statue of Lord Murugan. There are 272 steps, which will lead to the temple in the cave. Once a year, millions of Hindu devotees and other visitors throng the caves to celebrate the Thaipusam festival. On the other side of Batu Caves, there are few spots for rock climbing.[5] Zoo Negara, located near Taman Melawati on the north-east of Kuala Lumpur, is the national zoo of Malaysia.

About 25 kilometres west of Kuala Lumpur is the city of Shah Alam, site of the famous Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque, and 10 kilometres away from Shah Alam (35 kilometres away from Kuala Lumpur) is the town of Klang, famed for its seafood and Bah Kut Teh. Putrajaya, new federal administration centre. This is a modern futuristic looking township that houses all government ministries. The administrative buildings have been built on either side of a long road - in a manner stated to be modelled after the National Mall in Washington DC. At one end of this driveway is the Prime Minister's office and at the other end is a convention centre. Sepang International Circuit is a racing circuit located in the outskirts of the city, near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). It has been hosting Formula One's Malaysian Grand Prix since 1999.