Malaysia Mini Guide
The country of Malaysia in South East Asia is split into two land masses. Part of it is located on a peninsula which has land borders with Thailand while the rest of Malaysia is located on the Northern third of the huge island of Borneo. This tropical country has a very diverse population with people celebrating many religions there including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism. This incredible mixture also makes Malaysian food so interesting as meals can have combinations of Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes.
The capital of Malaysia is
Kuala Lumpur and its other major cities are Malacca, Kuantan, Miri, Kuching, George Town, Putrajaya, Kota Kinabalu and
Johor Bahru. Most westerners can get into Malaysia without a visa and they are likely to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International airport. The other airports which have international flights are Johor Bahru, Miri, Malacca, Langkawi, Ipoh, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Air Malaysia is the national carrier while Air Asia does flights to most South East Asian destinations and countries such as Australia too.
If you have rented a car from Rhino Car Hire in Malaysia you may be able to take it to Thailand as part of your trip. If you plan to do this or go to Indonesia, Brunei or Singapore by road it is best to have an international driver’s licence. To Indonesia the main crossing is at the Tebedu-Entikong checkpoint on the Kuching-Pontianak road.
For Brunei the Kuala Lurah-Tedungan checkpoint is used for traffic travelling between Bandar Seri Begawan and Limbang in Sarawak. To Singapore the two crossings are the Causeway which links Johor Bahru with Woodlands in Singapore, and the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link which links Tanjung Kupang in Johor with Tuas in Singapore.
Traffic drives on the left in Malaysia and the road network there is good, though you should watch out for cyclists at all times. If you want to have a relaxed trip then avoid driving in the cities which can be confusing and congested and use the car to explore the countryside of Malaysia.
Driving from Malaysia to Thailand you can do the whole journey on the north-south expressway road. You are advised not to drive at night for security reasons so plan stops into your travel and that way you will enjoy the journey more. It is worthwhile carrying some Malaysian currency (Ringgit) with you at all times.
Whether you are travelling to Malaysia for business reasons or to take a well deserved holiday, we have a superb selection of rental cars for you to choose from. We have numerous locations all over the country where you can collect your car hire and pick up points include Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur Airport, Penang and Penang Airport. Don't waste hours trawling through lots of car hire websites, we do the hard work so you don't have to by comparing prices from all the main suppliers like Avis, Hertz and Dollar.
Malaysia Facts
- Approximately 27.5 million people live in Malaysia
- The currency in Malaysia is the Ringgit (MYR)
- In 1971 the government created a 'National Cultural Policy' which defined the culture of Malaysia
- A popular dish in the country is Nasi Lemak which is rice steamed with coconut milk and served with hard boiled eggs, fried anchovies, peanuts, cucumber and a spicy chilli paste called sambal
- Malaysia is estimated to contain around 20% of the world's animal species