A modern nation-state Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the Federation of Malaya merged with Sabah and Sarawak to form a larger federation. This is a unique nation where the multi-racial co-exist on mutual tolerance, incomparable anywhere else in the world. Malaysia is that veritable melting pot of Malays, Chinese, Indians and the indigenous Orang Asli. With this multi-ethnic make-up, the country affords a very wide spectrum of colors and excitement in the myriad cultures and traditions.

History

More than fifteen hundred years ago a Malay kingdom in Bujang Valley welcomed traders from China and India. With the arrival of gold and silks, Buddhism and Hinduism also came to Malaysia. A thousand years later, Arab traders arrived in Malacca and brought with them the principles and practices of Islam. By the time the Portuguese arrived in Malaysia, the empire that they encountered was more cosmopolitan than their own.

Largest Ethnic Group

The Malay are Malaysia's largest ethnic group, accounting for over half the population and the national language. With the oldest indigenous peoples they form a group called bumiputera, which translates as "sons" or "princes of the soil." Almost all Malays are Muslims, though Islam here is less extreme than in the Middle East. Traditional Malay culture centers around the kampung, or village, though today one is just as likely to find Malays in the cities.

Exciting Activities

Visit the rain forest: The Malaysian rain forest is unique in the world and the oldest on the planet. A trip to one of the national parks, where you can take guided jungle treks both day and night, can be a profound experience. Nature has been infinitely inventive with life here, producing the world's largest flower, fantastically adapted insects and mammals, and trees that will make you gawk at their size.

Diving: The tropical waters off both Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo offer some of the world's best scuba diving. This is a place endowed with some of the sport's best possibilities: you can dive with whale sharks, hover around immense coral gardens and walls, or dive on ominous and hulking WWII shipwrecks.

Shopping: Next to activities like spelunking and jungle trekking, "shopping" may sound a bit tame, but make no mistake: exploring Malaysia's outdoor markets is pure adventure. The variety of bargain items you can find in the major markets is endless, ranging from quality electronics to blowguns to traditional arts and crafts.

Visit a longhouse: Along the rivers of Sarawak and Sabah are some very unique native communities where people live in structures called longhouses, which are really entire villages housed under a single long roof. Some longhouses have special "guest longhouses" adjacent for visitors, others host guests inside the main longhouse itself.

Beaches: It would be an impossible task to describe every one of Malaysia's thousands of beautiful beaches. Ranging from the powdery stretches of sand that characterize the eastern coastline of Peninsular Malaysia to the black sand beach of Pantai Pasir Hitam, Malaysia's shores offer more idyllic locales than one could explore in many lifetimes.