Have you ever been to Malaysia, one of the perfect countries for tourists that has developed enormously over the past years? If you want to find out about this diverse country with many highlights, keep reading!

As most of you may probably know, Malaysia is located in Southeastern Asia and shares borders with Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei. However, a little different from its neighboring countries, Malaysia is a multi-cultural society with the ethnic makeup of around 50% Malay, 24% Chinese, 11% Indigenous, 7% Indian, and 8% of others. Therefore, there are people following different religions rather than the majority of people from the country having the same religion. With that being said, the most important traditional events of each ethnic group are public holidays.

One of the most celebrated public holidays in Malaysia includes the Hindu festival, Thaipusam. It is an event based on the full moon day in January or February when people show devotion to their god by piercing all over their bodies using hooks and skewers. Another celebration is a Muslim event called Hari Raya Aidilfitri when people visit their relatives and friends to spend time together and to feast on traditional Malay delicacies. Lastly, the largest religious celebration of the Malays is called Gawai Day. This is when they enjoy drinking rice wine collected from harvest while singing and dancing with their family members.

Similar to how public holidays in Malaysia consist of events from different religions, Malay food is a mixture of Malay, Chinese and Indian influences. This is one of the reasons Malaysia is popular amongst tourists as they can enjoy amazing variety and flavors of foods in one country. Like Thai cuisine, Malay foods include combinations of many herbs and spices, creating strong, spicy, and aromatic flavors. One of the well-known dishes is Nasi Dagang, which includes steamed rice in coconut milk, fish curry, and extra ingredients like shaved coconut and boiled eggs.

Here is a funny fact about the Malay culture. Sometime between 1950 and now, Malaysia became the world’s largest consumer of the famous cocoa and malt drink, Milo. It is so essential to Malaysian people that it is served everywhere from KFC to coffee shops, McDonald’s to food stalls. According to visitors, literally, everyone in Malaysia drinks Milo to the extent that coffee shops will have Milo, but not chocolate drinks. It can be enjoyed in various ways and forms, such as iced, hot, jellied, caked, and heaped on top of whipped cream or ice cream. Maybe it is a good idea when visiting Malaysia, you can order Milo in a unique form that you have never tried in your own country before.

After reading this article, do you feel that you want to find out more about the different aspects of Malaysia all for yourself? It is definitely one of the countries that you will be interested to learn about, and I surely recommend you to visit there for great experience and discoveries.