Malaysia's Best UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Some of Malaysia’s popular sights are selected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites because of their in-depth history of architectural buildings and luscious natures. No wonder these breathtaking sites are frequently visited by tourists and travellers. Here are the country’s best UNESCO World Heritage Sites to visit.

Melaka

Melaka is named as ‘The Historic Town’ at the southern part of West Malaysia right next to the Strait of Malacca. The architectural buildings (such as A Famosa Fortress and Dutch Square) symbolize Melaka’s history of 15th century Malay sultanate and 16th century of Portuguese and Dutch period. The historic town has its unique multicultural exchange of east and west and the birth of Peranakan culture. Its divine cultural heritage and monumental buildings grab the global travellers’ attention to stop over and enjoy the five senses of Melaka.

George Town

Gunung Mulu National Park

Gunung Mulu National Park is in the heart of Sarawak. The national park is known for its high biodiversity and its karst features, containing 17 vegetation zones and exhibiting some of 3,500 vascular plants. It offers spectacular sights of caves for adrenaline adventurers to explore. The wondrous landscape and mesmerising scenery is filled with deeply incised canyons, wild rivers, rain forest-covered mountains, spectacular limestone pinnacles and cave passages. Discover the limestone caves formation by visiting the Deer Cave and Clearwater Cave. Relax by the Paku Waterfall and visit a Penan settlement to learn about their daily life in the village.

Kinabalu Park

Kinabalu Park is one of the most popular national parks to explore its luscious natural rain forest and Malaysia’s iconic Mount Kinabalu in Sabah. More than 5,000 types of plants and more than 400 species of birds and mammals reside in the national park. Admire the rain forest’s scenic views and challenge yourself to hike up to the summit of Mount Kinabalu. Explore its diverse species and vegetation including Rafflesia, the biggest and smelliest flower in the world. Drop by at the Dusun villages to learn their culture and history.

Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley

Deep in the lush Lenggong Valley, there are four archaeological sites in two clusters which are said to go back almost 2 million years. Explore 20 caves near the river of Perak in Lenggong Valley. It has open-air and cave sites with Palaeolithic tool workshops that are related to the early history of invention. Most of the historical remains are from the Palaeolithic, Neolithic and Metal ages. The complete human skeleton of Perak Man, South East Asia’s earliest man, were discovered at the Gua Gunung Runtuh cave.

KILIM Geoforest Park

The protected landscape of KILIM Geoforest Park consists of various limestone formations and attractive mangrove forests in Langkawi Island. It is one of the hidden gems deep inside the tropical island. The park welcomes visitors to explore its geological and ecological features. Hop on a boat from the jetty at Tanjung Rhu or Kilim where the local boat operator will take you along the mangrove forest. Observe the eagles flying by the river to look for food. Hike through the rain forests and visit the Gua Kelawar’s limestone cave formations.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.