Malaysia contains some of the oldest rainforests in the world, plus dozens of pristine islands scattered across the Andaman and South China seas. Several popular orangutan reserves in the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo have helped instigate an ecotourism boom. Malaysia’s multicultural capital, Kuala Lumpur, has managed to avoid the fume-laden chaos of Bangkok. A lively confluence of Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures fuels this eclectic city, which offers superb pan-Asian cuisine. An hour north of Kuala Lumpur by air, Langkawi is an archipelago of around 100 islands scattered in the Andaman Sea. Located just south of the Thai border, Langkawi features a landscape that is comparable to that of Phuket: blinding-white beaches, dramatic rainforests and azure waters.