Feature Tours: Scuba Diving

The Malaysians are a diverse group of people with influences coming from many of the surrounding countries. This is reflected in the excellent Malayan, Indian and Chinese cuisine on offer - the curries taste great but watch out for stomach bugs that can be picked up in the food and water. Drink bottled water only and eat cooked food. The Malaysians are mostly Muslims, and there are also many Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. The language spoken is Malay, but English is also common. The currency used is the Malaysian dollar.

Malaysia is made up of three main regions covering over a thousand individual islands. There are 38 designated marine parks in the country as well as 19 on land. The regions are Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo in the east and Peninsular Malaysia in the west. The best diving in Malaysia is around Borneo where hundreds of turtles make the reefs and drop off their home. The Redang archipelago has good visibility and the healthiest reefs of the region. At Tioman you may experience some very spectacular and memorable dives such as at Chebeh, Labas, 7 sky or on the wreck of the HMS Repulse. The diving on Peninsular Malaysia is not up to the same standard as the diving around Borneo. It is degrades away from land into the Straights of Malacca where busy shipping channels cause the sea to suffer from pollution and bad visibility.

It is possible to visit Malaysia at any time of year, but the rainy season that runs from June to September can cause rougher seas and lower visibility. The months of July and August suffer from the heaviest rainfall. Avoid east coast destinations between November and January.

Malaysia is located in the tropics just north of the equator. The climate is hot and humid, averaging a temperature of 30°C (86°F). The wet season that runs from May to September sees a lot of heavy but brief showers. The Malaysian coastline is dotted with beautiful beaches and lined with warm blue seas and inland grows some of the world's oldest rainforest. There are also some cosmopolitan cities such as the capital of Kuala Lumpur, which is home to the Petronas Towers, the tallest building in the world. The walkway that joins the two towers is not to be crossed by people who suffer from vertigo!