Malaysia General Information – Countries and Exchange Rates

Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia. A country with an area of 329,758 sq. km, consists of two spatially separated parts, separated by approximately 640 km of the South China Sea. The capital is Kuala Lumpur. Language – Malay. The state system is a constitutional monarchy (federation).

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION, NATURE

West Malaysia occupies the south of the Malay Peninsula (with the exception of Singapore), and East Malaysia (the states of Sarawak and Sabah) – the north-eastern part of Kalimantan (former Borneo). On the mainland, Malaysia has a land border with Thailand, and on Kalimantan – with Indonesia. The Strait of Malacca separates Peninsular Malaysia from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The island part of Malaysia in the east is washed by the Sulu Sea, which separates the country from the Philippines.

A tropical paradise of immense charm – Malaysia is a country so amazing and fabulous that it bewitches the tourist at first sight. This is a country where the delight of a tropical holiday is combined with European comfort, a country in the very name of which you can hear the melodies of eternal summer. Variegated colors of the jungle, ancient temples, deep canyons, amazing and sometimes incomprehensible traditions of people so different from us. Giving the landscape a fantastic unreality, among the “powerful” buildings of the colonial era, giants of concrete, glass and steel grow, rushing into the sky. Cool mountain resorts, golden sandy beaches with emerald water, mysterious coral reefs with their own special underwater life, virgin jungle with thousands of shades of green and unique flora and fauna. For us, Malaysia is attractive also because that a visa is not required for entry. Malaysia consists of two main parts – continental and insular. The most beautiful are the islands of Penang, Lankgavi, Sipadan, Tioman, Borneo.

CAPITAL, MAJOR CITIES

Kuala Lumpur. The second largest city of Ipoh (about 500 thousand people) is located in the very center of the Kinta river valley. In the south of the Malay Peninsula there is the third largest city of Johor Bahru (the administrative center of the state of Johor.

Climate

Tropical, hot and humid. The average annual temperature is from 21 to 32 degrees Celsius.

POPULATION

According to an estimate in 1999, there were 21.4 LANGUAGE Malay, English, Chinese, Tamil spoken

RELIGION

Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Christianity widespread

HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS January 1, 19, February 21, May 1, 31, June 3, December 25, large number of local holidays.

It is very diverse – from Malay, Chinese, Indian rich in spices to European (mainly Portuguese). Pork dishes are rare on the menu. To get an idea of the traditional local cuisine, you should eat at hawkers who sell fried noodles and fried rice. You can be sure of the absolute safety of this food. Many fruits, including exotic ones: durian, considered the king of Malaysian fruits, rambutan, mangosteen, nangka (breadfruit), setar, pomelo, buah duku. Alcoholic drinks are sold only in expensive restaurants. The national drink is local beer.

Transport

Subang International Airport, located 22 km from the center of Kuala Lumpur, receives more than 90% of foreign visitors arriving in the country. The railway crosses the entire Malay Peninsula and connects all the main cities. Prices for railway transport are moderate, preferential tickets are provided for foreign tourists.

The most convenient and relatively cheap means of transport is a taxi. The car can be “caught” on the road, taken in the parking lot or ordered by phone. Getting into a taxi, you should agree on the price of the trip in advance – usually drivers do not use meters, and are also ready to bargain with you. The fixed cost of the trip usually exists only for airport-city/hotel and resort area-city transfers.

A car can be rented by foreigners aged 23 to 60 who have an international driving license (foreign licenses must be confirmed by the Ministry of Road Transport). It is highly recommended to rent a car in Lankawi. Attention! In Malaysia, driving is on the left!

TIME

6 hours ahead of Minsk.

MONEY

The local currency is the Malaysian ringgit (KM), there are 100 senok in one ringgit. The Malaysian ringgit exchange rate is about 3.75 ringgit per US dollar. It is more profitable to exchange currency in banks or exchange offices in the city center, small bills can be accepted at a less favorable rate. In big cities, hotels, shops and restaurants freely accept credit cards and travelers checks, but when traveling around the country it is better to use cash. There are no restrictions on the import and export of foreign currency and Malaysia.

VisaS, CUSTOMS CONTROL

For citizens of the Republic of Belarus arriving in Malaysia for tourism purposes, it is necessary to have a foreign passport valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry; the period of stay in the country in this case is limited to 30 days. Passport control may also require evidence of funds to live in the country (cash, credit cards, etc.), as well as a valid return air ticket with a confirmed departure date.

Some types of goods are subject to duty when they are imported into the country; these are carpets, clothing, jewelry, chocolate products, handbags, alcoholic beverages, tobacco, cigarettes. When importing such goods, you must pay a certain amount for “temporary import”, which will be returned to you upon departure, if you present the goods together with a receipt for payment. Cameras, watches, pens, lighters, perfumes and cosmetics are not subject to customs duties. The average tourist rarely has to deal with tolls. You can carry 225 g of tobacco or cigars (or 200 cigarettes) duty-free, as well as one liter of alcohol. Items for personal use are usually exempt from duty.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Office hours. In state institutions, working hours are from 8.00 to 16.00, and most private firms work from 9.00 to 17.00. Banks are usually open from 10.00 to 15.00. Shops begin to close at 6 pm, and large department stores are open until 9 pm. In the states of Selangor, Malacca, Penang, Perak, Pahang and Negri Sembilan, the weekend is the second half of Saturday and Sunday. In the states of Johor, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Kelantan – the second half of Thursday and Friday.

Check-out time in hotels is 12.00 (it is recommended to vacate the room before the above time, otherwise you will have to pay extra for your stay in the room after check-out time).

The voltage in the network is 220-240 volts. To connect to the European standard, you need an adapter, which can be obtained at many hotels.

You can make purchases in modern shopping malls, bazaars, craft workshops, duty-free shops. Batik is very popular – a multi-colored skillfully painted fabric, a pattern on which is applied using melted wax. Malaysia is famous for its silver products: you can choose a souvenir or jewelry, or make an elegant little thing to order. Vases, trays, jugs, beer mugs, tea and coffee sets are made from local tin. At the service of vacationers on the island of Lankawi (duty-free territory), there are numerous shops and “duty-free” shopping centers where you can buy traditional Malaysian souvenirs and local artisans, as well as all sorts of other goods.

For local calls, you can use coin-operated pay phones or pay by card. You can call abroad from the city from a public telephone or from a telephone communication point of the Telecom company. Most hotels have direct international telephone service with a small service charge. To call to Russia, you need to dial 001 + 7 (Russian code) + city code (Moscow – 095) + number of the called subscriber. With a phone card worth RM 20, you can talk to Moscow for almost 3 minutes (on weekends, the cost of international calls is reduced!).

Usually tipping is not accepted. In hotels and restaurants, services are usually already included in the bill (10% of the cost). You can add a tip if you were very satisfied with the speed and quality of service.

Most cities and towns have public hospitals and private clinics. Medicines without prescriptions can be bought at pharmacies or shopping centers. Health standards in Malaysia are among the highest in Asia, and tourists have nothing to worry about.

The water is generally safe to drink, but boiled or bottled water is best.

Attention! In Malaysia, driving is on the left!

Attention! Import, purchase, sale, use of drugs entails severe punishment – the death penalty! Any display of disrespect to the King or the Prime Minister is not allowed!