Our favourite places in Malaysia

Above ground, hike to giant, razor-sharp pinnacles and rugged mountain peaks; below it, marvel at helictites and rock corals in one of the largest cave systems in the world. Mulu National Park is a geological wonderland.

Often referred to as Borneo’s “Lost World”, the Maliau Basin’s hostile geography has kept the rest of the world out for 130 million years. Its isolation has allowed a cornucopia of endemic species to thrive undisturbed.

A wide variety of indigenous and immigrant cultures combine to form Kuching’s unmistakable cultural mélange, expressed not only in its historic architecture and ethnic diversity, but in its legendary laksa, multicoloured cakes and freshly blended gourmet coffee.

Beyond its colonial clock towers, lakeside mosques and ocean-fresh seafood, Sabah’s up-and-coming capital is the gateway to the tallest peak in Southeast Asia and one of the most important areas of biodiversity in the world.

Stay in an eco-lodge on the banks of Sabah’s longest river, where elephants, macaques and gibbons forage in the dense riverside foliage, and frogmouths, nightjars and hornbills wheel overhead.

Rising 4,095 metres over Borneo and surrounded by rainforest, Mount Kinabalu is the tallest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea, and the national park that surrounds it is among the most biodiverse regions on the planet.

With coral reefs, dense mangroves, sandy beaches and thick jungle, all just fifteen minutes by speedboat from Sabah’s capital, Gaya Island is a microcosm of the Borneo wilderness and a true tropical paradise.

Danum Valley is one of the few places in the world that has never been settled, logged, hunted or otherwise interfered with by humans. Hidden in its untouched forests, wildlife thrives – from the world’s tallest tropical tree to the highest concentration of orangutans anywhere in the world.

Remote Batang Ai is the ancestral heartland of Sarawak’s Iban people and the best place to spot orangutans in the wild. After exploring the jungle, experience life in a tribal longhouse, sharing song, dance and tuak rice wine long into the night.

Just a hop, skip and a jump (read: a short bullet train ride) from Tokyo, on a good day Hakone offers views of Mount Fuji in all her glory — and it’s your best bet for a good time even if she doesn’t oblige.

If it’s tradition you’re after, Andong will get your senses tingling: a journey through the city’s sumptuous surrounding countryside will allow you to enjoy the sights and sounds – and some of the more pleasant smells – of a Korea now almost extinct.

Korea’s bustling second city often comes out in first place with visitors, and it should be no surprise – as well as boasting the country’s most popular beach and Asia’s biggest film festival, “Seoul by the sea” has spent the last decade cementing its reputation as the country’s hippest destination.