Holiday houses & accommodation in Malaysia

Malaysian meals range from lavish feasts to beachside seafood to flavoursome street food. Some of the best fast food can be found at George Town's Lorong Baru. This is not fast food as you know it. Instead, evenings are characterised by 'hawker' stalls steaming with fresh otak-otak (fish curry), wok-seared pickled vegetables, rice and bean sprouts, and prawn noodle soup.

Wherever you choose to locate yourself with a holiday letting in Malaysia, make sure you savour a nasi lemak, which is so popular it is almost the national dish. There are many variations, but the staple ingredients are rice cooked in coconut milk and finished with spicy chilli sauce. Penang's Indian-Malay fusion dish nasi kandar is also worth a try, consisting of rice with cooked mutton or chicken with curry. There's nothing more comforting though than a bowl of laksa, with a zing of coconut and fish flavours garnished with fragrant coriander.

In George Town, you can inhale the scented breeze at the Tropical Spice Garden, where 500 species of plants thrive on as many acres. Dive into a brightly coloured world of tropical corals, fish and dolphins in Pulau Perhentian. Here, you can glide on a traditional boat through shimmering water beneath a brilliant starry sky. And don't leave Malaysia without venturing into its stunning rainforests, which echo and buzz with wildlife.

Other places in the Malay archipelago beckon travellers too. For instance, Borneo's national parks teem with pitcher plants and gigantic flowers you'll have to see to believe - note that hiring a professional guide is recommended for jungle treks. Or come face-to-face with Malaysia's vibrant wildlife at the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. From holiday lettings in Malaysia, discover the celebrated Batu Caves, one of Hinduism's most holy sites, just 15 km away. Or hang out at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre in North Kalimantan.

The wide variety of religions in Malaysia means there are festivals aplenty to ignite your imagination. Ramadan's festive feel reaches its zenith during Malaysia's Islamic festival of Eid, or Hari Raya Aidilfitri, as it is known in Malay. Elaborate decorations in all the major cities inaugurate the two-day holiday, and glittering light shows begin at nightfall.

Chinese New Year is another highly 'instagram-able' event, when Malaysians paint the town red (sometimes literally) to invoke luck. Or celebrate Vesak with the Buddhists. Giant Buddha statues float through towns as part of formal processions, and Buddhists gather to pray and perform charitable acts.