Complete Malaysia: Cities & Forest from Kuala Lumpur to Belum

Kuala Lumpur rises against the Malaysian sky with the Petronas Towers — for years the world's tallest buildings — dominating the KLCC district at sunset when the steel glows copper and gold. Malaysia's capital is a multicultural metropolis where Malay, Chinese and Indian communities coexist, each with its own flavours and rituals. Chinatown — Petaling Street — buzzes with spices and street food; Masjid Jamek marks the historic heart at the old confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. Batu Caves, reachable by metro, shelter limestone caves with a forty-two-metre golden statue of the god Murugan. The MRT makes it easy to move between Bukit Bintang — with its malls and fine-dining restaurants — and Lake Perdana with its botanical gardens. Nasi lemak, roti canai and grilled satay tell centuries of cultural cross-pollination. A city that surprises at every turn.

Penang is an island off the north-western coast of the Malay Peninsula, renowned for George Town, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. George Town is a labyrinth of ochre-painted Chinese shophouses, incense-filled Taoist temples and colonial churches, best explored on foot or by trishaw. Ernest Zacharevic's murals turn the alleys into an open-air gallery. Penang is Malaysia's gastronomic capital: asam laksa, char kway teow and cendol can be found at the hawker centres of Gurney Drive. Penang Hill is reached by funicular with views over the strait; the beaches of Batu Ferringhi complete the offer to the north.