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- <text id=93CT1771>
- <title>
- Malaysia--Travel
- </title>
- <history>
- Compact ALMANAC--CIA Factbook
- Southeast Asia
- Malaysia
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>CIA World Factbook</source>
- <hdr>
- Travel
- </hdr>
- <body>
- <p> Customs: Visas are not required of US citizens arriving as
- tourists or for business for less than 15 days. Business
- travelers who will be residing in Malaysia and visitors for
- purposes other than business or tourism should arrange in
- advance for visas with a Malaysian Embassy. Vaccination
- certificates for cholera and yellow fever are required only of
- visitors arriving from infected areas.
- </p>
- <p> Climate and clothing: Lightweight clothing is suitable for
- the tropical climate, except in the highland resort areas.
- </p>
- <p> Health: Kuala Lumpur and other major cities are generally
- free from most diseases commonly associated with the Far East.
- Tapwater from the municipal water systems is considered safe.
- The use of malaria suppressants is recommended in rural areas.
- </p>
- <p> Telecommunications: Telephone service to the US is available
- 24 hours daily. Direct dialing for international phone calls is
- available from some Kuala Lumpur exchanges. Telegraph service
- also is available. Kuala Lumpur is 13 hours ahead of eastern
- standard time.
- </p>
- <p> Transportation: The modern Subang International Airport is 19
- kilometers (12 mi.) from Kuala Lumpur. Many daily flights
- connect the capital with most major cities in the region,
- Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Daily train service
- connects Kuala Lumpur with Penang, Singapore, and Bangkok. Bus
- transportation is available. Taxis are metered and fares are
- reasonable. Traffic moves on the left.
- </p>
- <p> Tourist attractions: Malaysia has a well-developed tourist
- industry with excellent hotels and a great variety of
- restaurants in the capital. Besides the capital's sights-such as
- the National Mosque, Parliament, and the National Museum-a stay
- in Kuala Lumpur offers the traveler the opportunity to visit
- nearby rubber estates and tin mines. The hill resorts to the
- north offer a refreshing change from Malaysia's tropical
- climate. Penang (Pulau Pinang) on the west coast is an island
- with many first-class beach resort hotels. Penang's capital,
- Georgetown, is a charming combination of Chinese shophouses,
- stately residences, and tree-lined streets. Visitors there may
- also see Southeast Asia's tallest office building and its
- longest bridge, linking Penang Island with the mainland. The
- east coast of Malaysia offers the visitor expanses of unspoiled
- beaches. Malay sultans, Chinese traders, and Portuguese, Dutch,
- and British conquerors all left their mark on the culture and
- architecture of the city of Malacca, an easy drive from Kuala
- Lumpur. Visitors with more time may visit the states of Sabah
- and Sarawak on the island of Borneo, where many cultural
- traditions predate the arrival of Islam.
- </p>
- <p> National holidays: The Ramadan fast is observed during the
- lunar month preceding Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. Business
- establishments and the US Embassy may be closed on the following
- 1988 Malaysian holidays:
- </p>
- <p>New Year's Day, January 1; City Day (Kuala Lumpur only), February
- 1; Chinese New Year, February 17-19*; Labor Day, May 1; Wesak Day, May
- 30*; Birthday of the Yang diPertuan Agong, June 1; Hari Raya, Aidil
- Fitri, May 17-18*; Hari Raya Haji, July 24*; Awal Muharram, August 14*;
- Malaysian National Day, August 31; Deepavali, November 8*; Birthday of
- the Prophet Muhammad, October 23*; Christmas Day, December 25.
- </p>
- <p>*Dates may change in subsequent years in accordance with Muslim,
- Chinese, and Hindu calendars.
- </p>
- <p>Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs,
- August 1988.
- </p>
-
- </body>
- </article>
- </text>
-
-