10 Things You Should Know about Malaysia

Thinking of visiting one of South-East Asian countries, Malaysia? Besides seeking for information from the best agent, Tourism Malaysia Cambodia or other travel agencies, you can also learn some important things related to this amazing country so that you can be aware of worth-knowing info in order to avoid the culture shock you may encounter during your journey:

1. Everyone can fly
AirAsia group chief Tony Fernandes even managed to get Richard Branson to dress up in drag. Now that's clout. AirAsia led the way for low-cost travels in the Southeast Asia, and Malaysia's where it all started. Between the "Apprentice Asia" bossman Tony Fernandes' airline and Penang-based Firefly, some 18 domestic destinations across peninsular and East Malaysia are interconnected with scheduled flights. Breakfast in the UNESCO-listed world heritage city of Georgetown, lunch in Kuala Lumpur and asleep in the Borneo rainforest by nightfall? Travelers can now live the jet-set lifestyle, no frills edition.
2. Fair taxi fares? You probably won't find them
Kuala Lumpur's taxis might advertise themselves as "bermeter" (metered), but many drivers still refuse to switch them on. Kuala Lumpur taxis consistently rank on world's worst lists.
Their notoriety isn't helped by comments made by a minister who said the attitudes of the cab drivers were "worse than our filthy public toilets." (A comment later withdrawn with an apology.)
Savvy visitors insist on meter usage, haggle or, if they have time, use local public transportation.
Many of the new taxi booking apps are helpful: Easy Taxi, TaxiMonger and My Teksi are good.

3. It's always Milo time
In Malaysia, Milo isn't just a drink. It's a toast topper, too. Somewhere between 1950 and now, Malaysia became the world's largest consumer of the famous cocoa and malt drink. The country also has the world's largest Milo factory. It's sold everywhere from KFC to kopitiams (coffee shops), McDonalds to mamak stalls.You can enjoy it hot or iced, with Nescafe (aka Neslo), with a heap of powdered Milo on top (aka Milo Dinosaur) or a dino on steroids -- Milo Godzilla, with additional whipped or ice cream to top it off.

4. The word "bacon" is used loosely
If your morning has to begin with a pan full of pork, you might be disappointed with the breakfast buffet in Malaysia. For the third year running, Malaysia has topped the list of the world's most Muslim-friendly holiday destinations, according to Singapore-based Muslim travel consultancy Crescentrating. One of the criteria used for the survey was access to halal-compliant food. This means there are large voids left by pork sausages and bacon at most hotel breakfast buffet lines.

5. Greatest Guinness outside Ireland
Guinness is brewed in almost 50 countries worldwide. Claims like this don't come without medals and trophies to back them up. For five consecutive years, Malaysia has won the coveted Guinness League of Excellence Award and bragging rights for brewing the velvetiest Irish stout beyond the popular black nectar's home turf.

6. Duty free islands
Tioman's claim to fame it was supposedly used as a backdrop for the 1958 movie "South Pacific." If hedonistic pursuits put large dents in your travel budget, then consider this the excise rate paid on beer in Malaysia is the second highest in the world. Yet you probably wouldn't have guessed that the country also rounded out the top 10 of the world's largest alcohol guzzling nations in 2011, according to the World Health Organization. Luckily, islands like Langkawi, Tioman and Labuan are all designated tax-free zones, so you can stock up on quality booze and smokes.
Government tariffs are also waived on hotels and selected retail goodies.

7. Plants and animals like it here, too
Quintessential Malaysian Borneo a visit to the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary.Malaysia is one of just a handful of countries considered "megadiverse," said to harbor 20% of the world's animal species in its rich ecosystems. This natural biodiversity puts it in the same league as Brazil. In fact, the Amazon rainforest is a baby at 55 million years old compared with Malaysia's Taman Negara, which has been around for 130 million years and is reputed to be the world's oldest.

8. The best char kuay teow is in Penang
Char kuey teow made with flat rice noodles is one of Southeast Asia’s most popular dishes. Penang is widely regarded as the nation's culinary capital, and char kuay teow is at the top of the food chain.

9. Visiting during Ramadan isn't a problem
In Kuala Lumpur, the Ramadan Bazaar offers fantastic food after sunset for those looking to break their fast. Non-Muslims are welcome, too. With more than half the population being Muslim, Ramadan is widely observed in Malaysia. But unlike in more conservative destinations such as Dubai, visitors and non-Muslim Malaysians aren't expected to abstain from eating, drinking or smoking in public during the month of fasting. Nevertheless, it's considered a polite gesture for visitors not to be scarfing and swigging on the street during this time. For the most part, you can still get alcohol, and hotel eateries and restaurants run by non-Muslims open as normal.

10. Malaysians are mad for social media
If your new Malaysian friend uses the Internet, chances are they're on Facebook. In a global study conducted by research firm TNS in 2010, Malaysians ranked as the most e-social nationality on the web, with an average of 233 friends in cyberspace. As of 2012, a reported 87.9% of Malaysians on the Internet access Facebook. If you want a new Malaysian BFF, it won't be hard -- locals are often enthusiastic to become your newfound friend, fan or follower.