The culture
The Malaysian people are a warm and friendly bunch, welcoming foreigners with open arms and even gifts at times. Even in the rural areas, there is a high level of English speakers, making it easy to socialize.
A number of international sports competitions are hosted in Malaysia, from golf to athletic events. But if watching isn’t for you, there is no shortage of venues to host you, including golf courses, tennis courts, swimming pools, etc. If you are near the coast, it is also easy to get into sailing.
But the main attraction is the local festivals. They all reflect Malaysia’s diverse range of cultures and offer more public holidays than most countries. For example, Thaipusam is a festival held in late January with great pageantry. It commemorates the victory over the evil spirit Soorapadam with a three-day celebration held at the golden shrine at the entrance of the Batu Caves. A silver chariot carries Lord Muruga to the sound of chants and drums – and that’s just one example.
You can visit the Kek Lok Si Temple in George Town to gain some traditional Malaysian culture. The Buddhist temple sits on a hill at the bottom of Air Itam mountain and is surrounded by 10,000 Buddha statues as well as gardens, fishponds, and prayer halls.
In the city of Kuala Lumpur, there is great nightlife to be enjoyed, as there is anywhere with a lot of businesses booming. With various clubs, rooftop bars and beach bars offering cocktails throughout the night.
Beyond the city, the rural beauties of nature have their moment. Smaller towns allow for a slower pace of life, with activities like sailing and hiking enjoyed by most.
With Malaysia just an island-hop away from a variety of different countries, Malaysia has a diverse population and therefore, a diverse variety of food. They take inspiration from three main types of cuisine: Malay, Chinese and Indian, which are all known to be superior in the world.
You can try the Indian dish mee goreng mamak, or the sweet treat of apam balik which is a pancake served like an omelet filed with sugar and peanuts, or join the queues waiting to try more of the blue rice dish, nasi kerabu.
The cost of living
Malaysia has been enjoying a resilient economic growth due to a vibrant business environment. You would think that would drive the cost of living up, and yet Malaysia is enjoying a comparably very low cost of living rate while their quality of life improves.
They are currently making an active effort to attract expats. They are implementing policies offering everything an expat could need – they even offer gifts. They also have a very affordable cost of living rate. Food is cheap and delicious due to a strong agriculture; fuel is often subsidized and therefore cheaper and healthcare is affordable even with heavy funding making its quality of care go up and up.
There is an abundance of environments to choose from when deciding where to settle down. Do you want the hustle and bustle of the city? Or the community and beauty of the more rural areas? There is a lifestyle for everyone.
Even though they are rising, house prices in Malaysia are famously low and are very reasonable compared to other countries. You can look for homes to rent in Malaysia by searching for “tanah untuk dijual”.
Crucially, Malaysia is very safe. Economically, politically, socially, the country is stable. It’s hard to find a flaw in such a place.
The environment
Malaysia’s natural beauty cannot be overstated. There are the rainforests, hill stations and tropical islands, all for you to see. A minimal population in rural areas has also left a lot of it untouched by man.
There are also a number of caves to visit, like the Batu Cave that has a gigantic gold statue of Buddha at the entrance and houses monkeys, or the Gomatong Cave’s birds’ nests. Sail over the turquoise waters between the islands, walk along fine white sandy beaches, or hike over hills and mountains. Every trip will give you a breathtaking sight to see, and new wildlife to catch glimpses of.
Visit the Bako National Park, which features sandstone cliffs on the edge of sandy beaches and peat swamp forests. There are 16 marked trails to follow to find some unusual creatures nearby. Or take the Langkawi SkyCab 2.2km up to the top of Gunung Machinchang mountain, which hosts a number of attractions, including a pedestrian skybridge and a glass-bottom gondolas.
Stress would naturally dissipate with so many enjoyable and relaxing things to do. The nature-infused environment allows for a slower pace of life. It would be very hard to be bored in a place like this, but also hard to be overwhelmed.