1. Avoid tourist traps and eat locally. Sometimes the most dodgy looking restaurants turn out to be the best places to eat. Malaysian cuisine is most authentic when it is eaten from local street vendors who cook the food right in front of you. Although there are plenty of luxurious hotels which offer a vast selection of dishes, the best way to indulge in true Malaysian cuisine is to buy locally; not only is it cheaper, but the taste will be all the more genuine.

2. Avoid tap water. Drinking tap water in Malaysia is not recommended. Although the water is cleaner than some of its neighbours, it is safest to drink from bottled water when possible. A great method is to buy a large jug of water (up to 5 litres from a supermarket or convenience store) and fill up your water bottle regularly whenever you go out!

3. Bring a jacket for when you go inside restaurants or shopping malls. Although the weather can be immensely hot in Malaysia, most buildings are very well air conditioned. As a result, shopping malls can feel like Antarctica when compared to the weather outside. Bring a jacket with you when you plan to go shopping or eat in an upscale restaurant to avoid freezing!

4. Dress appropriately for where you go. Bring a lot of loose fitting clothes to help you survive the humidity. In saying that, Malaysia is still a conservative nation with a wide range of religious groups and values where over revealing clothes can be seen as particularly disrespectful. This is especially true if visiting any religious sites! Hence it is highly recommended that you take a scarf or sarong with you whenever you plan to go to a place of worship to cover up bare skin when needed.

5. Consider downloading the app Grab for taxis. Similar to Uber, Grab is a car transportation app that is extremely popular in Southeast Asia. It is convenient and cheap to use and has slowly become a more popular transportation service than conventional taxis. Although a walk is always good for your health, Grab makes getting to certain destinations faster and also offers greater independence than public transport!