Fast Facts

American Express -- The main office for American Express is located in KL at Menara Maybank, Ground Level banking hall, Jalan Perak (tel. 03/2050-0888).

Area Codes -- Malaysia's country code is 60. Area codes for destinations covered in this book are as follows: 03 for Kuala Lumpur; 06 for Melaka; 07 for Johor Bahru; 04 for Penang and Langkawi; 09 for Tioman, Kuantan, Cherating, Kuala Terengganu, and Kota Bharu; 082 for Sarawak; and 088 for Sabah.

Business Hours -- Banks are open from 9:30am to 3pm Monday through Friday. Government offices are open from 8am to 12:45pm and 2 to 4:15pm Monday through Friday. Smaller shops like provision stores may open as early as 6 or 6:30am and close as late as 9pm, especially those near the wet markets. Many such stores are closed on Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons and are busiest before lunch. Other shops are open 9:30am to 7pm. Department stores and shops in malls tend to open later, about 10:30 or 11am until 8:30 or 9pm throughout the week. Note that in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah, the working week runs from Saturday to Wednesday, with weekends on Friday and Saturday.

Dentists & Doctors -- All hotels and resorts have qualified physicians on call who speak English. These doctors will come directly to your room for treatment. If your condition is serious, they can help you check into a local hospital.

Drinking Laws -- Liquor is sold in pubs and supermarkets in all big cities, or in provision stores. If you're going to a smaller island, your resort may have limited alcohol selections, so you may wish to bring your own. In Terengganu and Kelantan, liquor is strictly limited to a handful of Chinese restaurants. Pubs and other nightspots should officially close by 1am nationwide, but there are places in KL that stay open later.

The legal age for alcohol purchase and consumption is 18, but foreigners are rarely checked.

Drug Laws -- As in Singapore, the death sentence is mandatory for drug trafficking (defined as being in possession of more than 15g of heroin or morphine, 200g of marijuana or hashish, or 40g of cocaine). For lesser quantities, you'll be thrown in jail for a very long time and flogged with a cane.

Electricity -- The voltage used in Malaysia is 220 to 240 volts AC (50 cycles). Three-point square plugs are used, so buy an adapter if you plan to bring any appliances. Also, many larger hotels can provide adapters upon request.

Embassies -- While in Malaysia, should you need to contact an official representative from your home country, the following contact information in Kuala Lumpur can help you out: United States Embassy, tel. 03/2168-5000; Canadian High Commission, tel. 03/2718-3333; Australian High Commission, tel. 03/2146-5555; New Zealand High Commission, tel. 03/2078-2533; and the British High Commission, tel. 03/2170-2200.

Emergencies -- Call tel. 999 for emergencies.

Internet -- Service is available to most of the nation, and I have found Internet cafes in the most surprisingly remote places. Although the major international hotels will have access for their guests in the business center, charges can be very steep. I used to recommend Internet cafes in each city but found that these small places came and went overnight, making it impossible for me to provide accurate information for this book. Wherever you are, your best bet is to ask your concierge or the local tourism information office for the best places close by. Usage costs only about RM5 to RM10 ($1.45-$2.90/90p-£1.80).

Language -- The national language is Malay, or Bahasa Malaysia, although English is widely spoken. Chinese dialects and Tamil are also spoken.

Legal Aid -- If you encounter legal trouble in Malaysia, you should notify your home embassy immediately. They will not be able to change local laws to help you, post bail on your behalf, or offer legal advice, but they can assist you to contact family and suggest names of local legal representatives. Note that drug trafficking carries a mandatory death penalty and that conviction for certain other violent crimes can result in corporal punishment. Some aspects of Shariah (Islamic) law have been incorporated into the lawbooks of some states.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover your wallet has been lost or stolen, and file a report at the nearest police precinct. Your credit card company or insurer may require a police report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two.

In the event of a lost or stolen credit card, you can contact the following hot lines: American Express, tel. 03/2050-0789; MasterCard, tel. 800/804-594; and Visa, tel. 800/800-159.

If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- Post office locations in each city covered are provided in each section. Overseas airmail postage rates are as follows: RM.50 (15¢/9p) for postcards and from RM1.40 (40¢/25p) for a 100g letter.

Newspapers & Magazines -- English-language papers the New Straits Times, The Star, The Sun, and The Edge can be bought in hotel lobbies and magazine stands. Of the local KL magazines, Time Out has great listings and local "what's happening" information for travelers.

Police -- For emergencies, call tel. 999.

Taxes -- Hotels, with the exception of those on Langkawi, add a 5% government tax to all rates, plus an additional 10% service charge. Larger restaurants also figure the same 5% tax into your bill, plus a 10% service charge, whereas small coffee shops and hawker stalls don't charge anything above the cost of the meal. Although most tourist goods (such as crafts, camera equipment, sports equipment, cosmetics, and select small electronic items) are tax-free, a small, scaled tax is issued on various other goods such as clothing, shoes, and accessories that you'd buy in the larger shopping malls and department stores.

Time -- Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, 16 hours ahead of U.S. Pacific Standard Time, 13 ahead of Eastern Standard Time, and 2 hours behind Sydney. It is in the same zone as Singapore. There is no daylight saving time.

Tipping -- People here don't really tip, but you might want to give your bellhop something. In a nicer hotel, at least RM2 (60¢/35p) per bag should be fine. In a budget hotel, they'll probably be shocked.

Toilets -- To find a public toilet, ask for the tandas. In Malay, lelaki is male and perempuan is female. Be prepared for pay toilets. Coin collectors sit outside almost every public facility, taking RM.20 (6¢/4p) per person, RM.30 (9¢/5p) if you want paper. Once inside, you'll find that your money doesn't go for cleaning crews. Public toilets are pure filth. They smell horrible and the floors are always an inch deep with stagnant water. While most toilets are of the "squatty-potty" variety (a porcelain bowl set into the floor), even if you find a seat-style toilet bowl, locals typically place their feet on the seat to squat. The best toilets are in hotels, upmarket shopping malls, and restaurants.

Water -- Water in Kuala Lumpur is supposed to be potable, but most locals boil the water before drinking it -- and if that's not a tip-off, I don't know what is. I advise against drinking the tap water anywhere in Malaysia. Hotels will supply bottled water in your room. If they charge you for it, expect inflated prices, especially for premium imported water. A 1.5-liter bottle goes for RM7 (US$2.05/£1.25) in a hotel minibar, but RM2 (60¢/35p) at 7-Eleven.