What are experts and visitors saying about Malaysia?

*It's a potpourri of ecological wonders, where visitors can climb peaks, visit an orangutan sanctuary, hike through rainforests, explore caves, raft on rivers or explore the depths of the South China Sea.

-Al Petersen, Southland Golf, July 2008

*The reef (at Sempora) remains relatively pristine, and on a single dive you'll likely spot scads of green and hawksbill turtles, schooling whitetip and gray reef sharks, eagle rays, lionfish, octopuses-the list goes on.

-Becky Strauss, Sport Diver, February 2009

*I like the way the wind picks up in the early evening, the play of neon lights against cake-decorated building facades, the flocks of swallows silhouetted against the evening sky, the way evenly spaced red lanterns, marking Chinese New Year, light up a dark Malacca street.

P.F. Kluge, National Geographic, April 2008

*I felt an internal shift and began to accept the gifts offered by the jungle. There were waterfalls under which to swim and respites with hot sugary tea brewed over a fire and drunk from hallow bamboo cups.

-Megan Padilla, Islands, October 2008

*We roamed all over the city, devouring everything in our path. Kuala Lumpur's food scene was astounding, but we were even more impressed by locals' eagerness to share their enthusiasm for dishes...with strangers. Never had an unfamiliar place made us feel so welcome and so immediately at home.

-Robyn Eckhardt, Budget Travel, January 2009

*Nyonya (a style of cooking) is my Excalibur. I mean, how often in the States do you see an offering of true nyonya? To taste the real thing, it's a good idea to head to Southeast Asia, specifically Malaysia...and even more specifically, Penang.

-Christine Richard, Islands, September 2008

* The people were great everywhere we traveled. The authentic endemic cultural elements and the wonderful mix of other cultures, being able to see proboscis monkeys and Orangutans in the wild was a dream come true. And for me the diving was spectacular.

-Ty Sawyer, Sport Diver, Oct 2009