An orangutan goes bananas in Borneo

A former British colony, Malaysia is a tropical nation of chalk-white beaches, abundant wildlife and dense jungle. The country is broken into two regions - one is located on a peninsula of mainland Asia, the other on the northern part of the island of Borneo - separated by over 600 miles of the South China Sea.

Most of Malaysia's beach resorts are situated on the west and east coast. On the west coast is the island of Penang, plus miles of beaches and coral reefs. The beach resorts along the east coast are far less developed with secluded beaches and islands where you escape from it all.

Some 70% of Malaysia is covered in rainforest. Taman Negara National Park - which claims to be the world's oldest rainforest - is one of the country's prime attractions. Here you can explore the jungle by foot or by river safari and marvel at the tallest tropical trees on Earth. If you are lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of a tiger or elephant. More likely however, is an intimate encounter with a leech.

Survival guide

The capital of Malaysia is Kuala Lumpar. The languages spoken are Malay, English and Chinese dialects. The currency is the Ringgit.