Malaysia: Truly Asia

Separated in the centre by the South China Sea, Malaysia is like two countries fused together, since the peninsula is a combination of Chinese, Malay and Indian cultures, and Borneo has a combination of granite peaks, exotic tribes and orangutans. Inside of these two diverse regions are many small worlds that exists isolated from the others, and yet form a symmetry witnessed rarely anywhere else, right from the high rise skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur to Sarawak's longhouse villages and the beaches of the Perhentian Islands. Food too, is pretty awesome, to say the least, with influences and assortments from all across the world, ranging from Indian banana leaf curries, Chinese buffets, Western delicacies and authentic & spicy Malay food.

Pulau Langkawi: Among the best holiday destinations in South East Asia, Pulau Langkawi's name alone is enough to conjure numerous pictures in the mind – coconut palms, sprawling beaches, crystal clear water and a carefree holiday. The archipelago comprises of 99 islands in the Andaman Sea, 30 kms from the coast of Kuala Perlis. The main island, after which the archipelago has been named, has an area of 478.5 square kms, and is the only one that has substantial human settlement. The sandy beaches on the outskirts, a thick jungle towards the interiors, along with the paddy fields; it is not hard to understand why the destination is the most extensively promoted tourist hotspot. Ever since the island was declared as a duty free zone in 1986, the number of visitors have increased exponentially. There have also been some pretty huge events organised here, like the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace (LIMA) exhibition around November, the Langkawi Arts and Crafts Festival (LACRAF) in December, the Langkawi International Water Festival in April and the biennial Langkawi International Festival of Arts (LIFA).

Pulao Penang: Back in the days when companies, governments and armies were like a common entity, this 28 square kms island was taken over by the British East India company as its first settlement on the Malay peninsula, in order to break the monopoly of the spice trade by Dutch Melaka. While that might have been the primary objective, what evolved as a by product was a populous port on the 'Betal Nut Island'. Suddenly, out of nowhere, entrepreneurs from all parts of the world – Chinese in particular – were vying for a piece of the action, settling at this tiny paradise to create business opportunities for themselves. However, similar to what happened to most company settlements, the island collapsed with the fading away of the empire. However, in the present day, it is the Silicon Valley of Malaysia, a fact that is barely visible to casual travellers

If there was every a holiday that can give a person the best experience of South East Asia, it has to be at Malaysia. And when the trip is supplemented by Matrix international SIM cards, the magic just multiplies with more than 80% savings on every call and fantastic network connectivity and coverage across all major cities.