Malaysia

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Fact File for Malaysia

Malaysia greets a steady flow of visitors: it is a rich combination of cultural attractions and bustling cities with both colonial and ultramodern architecture, vibrant street life as well as beautiful white-sand beaches and secluded anchorages.

COORDINATES: 4.2105° N, 101.9758° E

LANGUAGE: There are three major languages: Malay, Mandarin and Tamil

CAPITAL: Kuala Lumpar

WEATHER: There are two main season in Malaysia. The dry or NE monsoon season from November to March has stable wind speeds of force 2 to 4 from the NE, although local land breezes have a major effect on sailing conditions. During this period there are good sunshine hours and temperatures of about 25 - 30 deg C. The rainy season or SW monsoon runs from April to October. There is more wind at this time and sudden downpours are frequent. 

BEST TIME TO CHARTER: November to May

AIRPORTS: There are a number of international airports in Malaysia including at Kuala Lumpar, Penang and Langkawi. Airlines include Malaysian Airlines, AirAsia and Singapore Air. 

TIME: UTC+8

CURRENCY: Malaysian ringgit (MYR); American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted and ATMs are widespread.

ELECTRICITY: 230 V, 50 Hz

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:
Malaysia has some of the highest number of public holidays in the world and many of them are observed by individual states. Here are the major national ones:
1 Jan - New Year's Day
2 Jan - New Year Holiday
14 Jan - Birthday of Prophet Muhammad
Jan / Feb - Chinese New Year 
1 May - Labour Day
May - Wesak Day 
7 June - King's Birthday
June / July - Hari Raya Aidiladha 
31 August - Merdeka Day
16 Sept - Malaysia Day
Aug / Sept - Hari Raya Puasa
Oct / Nov - Deepavali
Oct - First day of Muharram
25 Dec - Christmas Day

MAIN MARINAS: Royal Selangor Yacht Club (in Port Klang, gateway to KL)  Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Admiral Marina & Leisure Club (in Malacca Straits) and Sutera Harbour Marina in Sabah. Malaysia also offers many secluded bays and coves to discover on a yachting vacation.

CULTURAL: Malaysia is a multi-racial country and while offically Muslim both Buddhists and Hindus are widely represented and respected. Most Malaysians wear Western clothes but if going into smaller villages it is recommended that you wear clothes that are not too revealing. The people are friendly and very averse to any sort of confrontation. English is commonly spoken.