Malaysia is a mosaic of cultures and flavors, combining the best of China, India, and Southeast Asia with a smattering of old colonial legacy. Capital city Kuala Lumpur is thoroughly forward-looking, with its gleaming Petronas Towers and immaculate rail transport that’s surprisingly uncrowded. Its compact size—though giant compared to neighboring Singapore—means you can cycle between Penang’s 19th-century shophouses in the morning and wander past hawker stalls in KL by night. Eating is a national hobby here; hopefully you'll be contentedly patting your expanding stomach after just a day or two.