Simon Richmond - Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei (Lonely Planet)

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Entwined by shared history, Southeast Asias terrific trio offer steamy jungles packed with wildlife, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands, culinary sensations and multi-ethnic cultures.

Sri Mariamman Temple () in Singapore's Chinatown THANK YOU/GETTY IMAGES

For many people this region is defined by its equatorial rainforest. Significant chunks of primary jungle among the most ancient ecosystems on earth remain intact, protected by national parks and conservation projects. Seemingly impenetrable foliage and muddy, snaking rivers conjure up the heart of darkness but join a ranger-led nature walk, for example, and youll learn about the mind-boggling biodiversity all around, from the pitcher plants, lianas and orchids of the humid lowlands, to the conifers and rhododendrons of high-altitude forests. The icing on this verdant cake is the chance to encounter wildlife in its natural habitat. The most common sightings will be of a host of insects or colourful birdlife, but you could get lucky and spot a foraging tapir, a silvered leaf monkey or an orang-utan swinging through the jungle canopy. The oceans are just as bountiful with the chance to snorkel or dive among shoals of tropical fish, paint-box dipped corals, turtles, sharks and dolphins.

If urban exploration is more your scene, you wont be disappointed either. Singapore is the regions overachiever, a showstopper of a city combining a historical legacy of elegant colonial buildings with stunning contemporary architecture and world-class attractions such as its zoo, museums and amazing botanical gardens (two of them!). Malaysias capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL), is less organised but perhaps more appealing because of that a place where Malay kampung (village) life stands cheek by jowl with the 21st-century glitz of the Petronas Towers, and shoppers shuttle from traditional wet markets to air-conditioned megamalls.

The historical cores of Melaka and George Town (Penang) are on the Unesco World Heritage list for their unique architectural and cultural townscapes, developed over half a millennium of Southeast Asian cultural and trade exchange. Both should be high on your to-visit list, but if youre looking for somewhere more under-the-radar then try Bruneis surprisingly unostentatious capital Bandar Seri Begawan: its picturesque water village, Kampung Ayer, is the largest stilt settlement in the world.

Mirroring the natural environments diversity is the regions potpourri of cultures. Muslim Malays, religiously diverse Chinese, and Hindu and Muslim Indians muddle along with aboriginal groups (the Orang Asli) on Peninsular Malaysia and Borneos indigenous people, scores of tribes known collectively as Dayaks. Each ethnic group has its own language and cultural practices, which you can best appreciate through a packed calendar of festivals and a delicious variety of cuisines.

Malaysian Street Food

White tablecloth? Confounding cutlery? Snooty waiters? A roof? No thanks. In Malaysia, the best food is served in the humblest surroundings and involves the least amount of fuss. The countrys seemingly countless vendors ( ) serve delicious dishes from mobile carts, stalls and shophouses, many still employing recipes and techniques handed down from previous generations. And in addition to informality, ubiquity and quality, youre also spoilt for choice; on a single Malaysian street youre likely to encounter Malay, regional Chinese, southern Indian and Western cuisines.

Central Market (), Kota Kinabalu TOM COCKREM/GETTY IMAGES

Diving, Sipadan

Sometimes it seems as if the worlds most colourful marine life from the commonplace to utterly alien fish, molluscs and reptiles, creatures that seem to have swum through every slice of the colour wheel considers the seawall of Sipadan ( ) to be prime real estate. They live here, play here, hunt here and eat here, and you, lucky thing, may dance an underwater ballet with them. For any diver, from the amateur to seasoned veterans like Jacques Cousteau, Sipadan is the ultimate underwater adventure.

BENOIT CAPPRONNIER/GETTY IMAGES

Kampung Ayer (Water Village), Brunei

Borneo is modernising quickly, but even the most tech-savvy entrepreneur is only a generation removed from the kampung ayer , or water village. Some only grow up in these waterbound communities, yet many live out their days in them. Thats the case in the water village ( ) that hugs Bruneis capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, the largest of its kind in the world. Some residents live humbly, while others park sports cars before catching a water taxi home, a fascinating juxtaposition of nostalgia and development all set on stilts.

MJ PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY

Jungle Treks, Danum Valley, Sabah

Walk quickly, our guide tells us. Fire ants. Once again we wonder: is this really fun? But it is. Trekking in the Danum Valley ( ) is one of the most stirring experiences in Borneo walking through a forest that is older than humanity. And while this is no open African savannah, and spotting animals can be difficult in the brush, the wildlife we see is all the more amazing for that: iridescent flying lizards, curious frogs, emerald pit vipers and, peering out with its headlight eyes, an adorable slow loris.

MINT IMAGES - FRANS LANTING/GETTY IMAGES

Snorkelling, Pulau Perhentian, Terengganu

Though eastern Peninsular Malaysia has several islands offering unparalleled underwater activities, Pulau Perhentian ( ) wins when it comes to attracting snorkellers. Perhaps its the water itself: clear and ethereally blue. Or the huge variety of marine life: sharks, tropical fish, turtles and nesting urchins. Living coral beds lie close to shore, and on most days you wont have to swim much further than the jetty at Long Beach before finding yourself inside a rainbow cloud of fish of all shapes and sizes.