Langkawi itself is small, something like 20 miles from top to bottom. The best way to describe it is a ‘resort island’, a small piece of land opposite the border between Thailand and Malaysia mainland that was developed to attract tourism. The prime minister in 1986, Mahathir Mohammed, was instrumental in this move. As such there is little in the way of culture and most industry is centered around resorts, activities and restaurants. I think it is fair to say Langkawi lacks grit, at least compared to countries like India and even the Maldives.

And Kual Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia,home of 1,6 million people with more than 6,9 million people in greater Kuala Lumpur, which is also called Klang Valley. The city is a friendly melting pot of nationalities, religions and cultures and well worth a visit. Read on to get some tips, no matter if you are a seasoned visitor or not.