The cover is emblazoned with a turtle and the vague slogan "The adventure starts here". Neither gives you an idea of what you'll find in an area so hard to categorise. Culture ranges from the hi-tech of Kuala Lumpur's Cyberjaya zone or the 88-storey Petronas towers to the ancient longhouse communities deep in Borneo's jungle. You can shop in Singapore's Orchard Road malls or experience the abundant wildlife of Taman Negara National Park in Peninsula Malaysia. You could check out the water villages of Brunei, one of the worlds smallest but richest counties; discover bat caves and orang-utans in Sarawak; climb Mount Kinabalu in Sabah; or check out the incredible diving waters off Semporna.

Lonely Planet Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei is rammed with reasons why the region, arguably the least-fashionable bit of Southeast Asian backpacker itineraries, should be given more thought. One Amazon.co.uk reader complains that the previous edition was disparaging, but Lonely Planet should be praised for their honesty in pre-warning travellers where other guides might gloss over the negative. Equally, this guide puts many of the preconceived notions in context. Yes, Singapore is obsessed by fines and orderliness, but it also has a surprisingly vibrant nightlife, joyous hawker centres overflowing with cheap tasty food and is a fascinating microcosm of Asia. And yes, there is alcohol scarcity and problems for women in some Moslem areas of Peninsula Malaysia, but it is also a very multi-ethnic country. However, popular notions of Brunei being expensive and boring are confirmed--not being a place for budget travellers, it gets just 26 pages. --Sarah Champion

The one gripe i do have is that it gives border info as if you are travelling south to north (penisular malaysia). I wasn't, so it was frustrating to find the advice for getting to the towns beyond the border only went as far as "...to get to Hat Yai take a bus...etc...".


Don't go to Malaysia without it!   July 21, 2003
 10 out of 11 found this review helpful

I agonised over a number of guidebooks to take out to Malaysia with me and ended up with this one. Fortunately, I got it right - none of them are particularly cheap and it's a pain to take something out that turns out to be useless.

Seriously, if you're travelling to Malaysia, Singapore or Brunei, don't go without the Lonely Planet guide, it's absolutely invaluable. As well as the usual stuff, there are cultural tips to help you avoid offending the people; the crits about places to visit, hotels and restaurants don't pull any punches so if they're not worth it, you'll know in advance; and there's loads of historical information to keep you well informed.

As a companion to this, the Malay phrase book is a must, although so many people speak English, you don't need to worry. It is nice to be able to say please and thank you in Malay though - the people seem to appreciate it!

You can't do better than this one. As another reviewer says - this is the Bible.


IT IS A BIBLE   August 22, 2001
 13 out of 14 found this review helpful

We ended up calling it "the Bible". Why? Because all the answers are in it.! Several times we said to our selves that this information should have been in LP. And looking one more time - it was usually there. LP helps you plan and avoid vasting time. Of course you shold try to do things which is not mentioned in LP but this can be a major challanges. The guide goes every where and the information is incredibly reliable. So if you go - bring LP or bring no guide book at all - alternatives are poor sustitutions. We also brought a Footprint - but the reality is that nobody is above or besides LP.


An indispensable 'rough guide'.   July 18, 2001
 3 out of 8 found this review helpful

Provided a useful reference but don't rely on information to be 100% accurate especially information on Lankawi.


Not essential !!   June 9, 2001
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

The book tries to give a good overview of what to do and see but is misses lots of cheap places to eat and sleep that are much better some on the guide. I have been living in Malaysia for quite a long time, and although this new edition has updated some information, there are still many things that have not been corrected. Some of the places mentioned in the guide do not exist anymore. Some restaurants mentioned from Kuching are exclusively for tourists and the food is terrible compared to Malaysian average!!! I think that you can live woithout it.