Northern Peninsular Malaysia

The region of Northern Peninsular Malaysia encompasses the four northernmost states on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia: Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak. In these four states you'll find a mix of islands, historic town centres, national parks and traditional Malay urban centres. Compared to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, this region is more heavily touristed, but it's still pretty quiet compared to nearby southern Thailand.

Of these four states, Kedah -- home to the resort island of Langkawi and Penang, home to well, Penang -- get the bulk of foreign visitors. Perak gets far fewer -- the state is best known for its tin-mining, hardly an ace in the tourism pack -- and though many pass through the state's capital Ipoh, far fewer alight. As for Perlis, some guidebooks would lead you to believe that it doesn't even exist.

It's common to hear Langkawi declared Malaysia's Phuket and in many ways this is true. This large island, a part of Kedah state, has an international airport and there's also a vast choice of luxurious resorts to stay at. Also like Phuket in Thailand, there is an adequate selection of "budgetish" digs, so don't make the mistake of chucking it in your "outa my budget" box. Unlike Phuket, the sex tourism scene is more understated and we reckon this makes Langkawi a winner between the two, especially if you're travelling with your family. The beaches really are lovely -- really!

The best of Malaysia's north however is found on Penang. Though an island, Penang's main drawcard is not its beaches but rather its capital, Georgetown. This sprawling seaside trading town was formally inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2008, in part due to its unique architectural and cultural townscape. The island's beaches -- Batu Ferringhi is the best known -- are not all that much to write home about, especially compared to the beaches of Langkawi and southern Thailand. Pollution is the main issue, but they've also been developed in a shortsighted, unfortunate manner. If you're heading to Penang, do it for Georgetown -- not the sun and sea.

The northernmost state of Peninsular Malaysia, Perlis rates no mention at all in many popular guidebooks and many travellers probably pass through without even realising it's a state in its own right. Predominantly agricultural, the state has no islands to speak of and outside of the capital of Kangar, there's a pier to Langkawi at Kuala Perlis and the small Taman Negara Perlis (Perlis State Park) -- that's about Perlis! There are also a couple of popular border crossings to Thailand.

Perak's state capital of Ipoh has seen its fortunes closely follow the rise and fall of tin prices and since tin's collapse in the 1970s, Ipoh's star has definitely waned. Today it retains a reputation for fine eating but it's primarily a transportation hub. Perak can boast one pearl: the small, but decidedly special Pulau Pangkor, which is successfully managing its growing popularity as a tourist destination with its more traditional, fishing village history.