This travel guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei provides information for visitors of all budgets, including advice on getting there, accommodation, local cuisine, places to visit, language tips, and health and safety.

　　Experience the jungle-frontier excitement of Malaysian Borneo or the sleek sophistication of Kuala Lumpur, sip gin slings amid colonial grandeur in Singapore or hot tea at a hill station in the Cameron Highlands, watch light playing on the domes of a stunning mosque in Brunei or the sun rippling on the water at Pulau Perhentian - this comprehensive guide covers all this and much more.

　　DISCOVER THE OUTDOORS with our coverage of trekking the magnificent Taman Negara, climbing the majestic Mt Kinabalu or rafting the mighty Batang Rejang

　　SLURP NOODLES at bustling Penang hawker stalls or brightly lit night markets in Singapore using our authoritative Food & Drink chapter

　　GET AROUND with our 122 detailed maps - including customised itineraries and walking tour maps

　　GET THE BACKGROUND on the region's environmental, political and economic issues using our expert chapters

　　TALK THE TALK with the help of our Malay language chapter

　　Malaysia

　　A country of southeast Asia consisting of the southern Malay Peninsula and the northern part of the island of Borneo. Malays probably moved into the penisula c. 2000 B.C., eventually reaching northern Borneo and displacing the indigenous Dayaks. Europeans arrived in the 16th century. By the 20th century Great Britain had established protectorates throughout the lower peninsula, which later formed the Union (1946) and then the Federation (1948) of Malaya. Gaining independence in 1957, it joined with Singapore, Sabah, and Sarawak to become the Federation of Malaysia in 1963. Singapore gained independence separately in 1965. Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city. Population: 23,900,000.

　　Singapore

　　A country of southeast Asia comprising Singapore Island and adjacent smaller islands. A trading center as early as the 14th century, Singapore was later part of Johor, a region of the southern Malay Peninsula, under the Malacca Sultanate. The island of Singapore was ceded to the British East India Company in 1819, and the city was founded the same year by Sir Thomas Raffles. The British took complete control in 1824 and added Singapore to the newly formed Straits Settlements in 1826. During World War II it was held by the Japanese (1942–1945) before being retaken by the British. Singapore became a crown colony in 1946, a self-governing state in 1959, part of the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, and a fully independent republic in 1965. The city of Singapore is the capital. Population: 4,420,000.

　　Brunei

　　A sultanate of northwest Borneo on the South China Sea. Formerly a self-governing British protectorate, it became fully independent on January 1, 1984. Bandar Seri Begawan is the capital. Population: 372,000.