As planned our move to Singapore 3 years ago, I dreamed about weekends spent visiting, exploring and discovering Malaysia. I got my Malaysian visa and spent hours talking to Malaysian friends and browsing websites. Drooling over breathtaking landscapes and culinary marvels I planned in detail my dream Malaysian trip. Along with the visa stamp on my passport, I made a bucket list of places I want to visit in Malaysia. I have pages and pages of material saved in my travel planning document and images burned in mind.

I never made it to Malaysia. The visa stamp on my passport expired. I moved out of Singapore. And this is where I sigh and whine and grumble in frustration. I could give a you a list of reasons why I could not make a trip to Malaysia but really does it matter now?. I often go back and look at my Malaysia files with hopes that someday I will mark the country off my bucket list.

It was hard to narrow down my favorites among all the amazing things Malaysia has to offer. But here are 5 of the places on my must-visit-in-Malaysia list.

I am a beach girl at heart and the Tioman island has been my dream destination in Malaysia. How can someone not fall in love with sun-kissed golden sand beaches, water that glistens like crystal and beautiful corals to the boot. Every time I read about Tioman I could not get over the fact that such a pristine, untouched world was just around the corner. I hope someday I will be able to make it there – lie on those gorgeous beaches along South China sea with a book in hand, watch my daughter build sandcastles, hike along undisturbed lush rainforests and gasping at the beauty all around us.

After beaches, it is always food and heritage that attract me to a new place. Penang fits the bill perfectly. I have some great friends from Penang who keep reminding me how amazing hawker fare in Penang is. The laskas and the rojaks. The noodles and the curries. The smells and the sights. Just described in words by locals had me drooling. I can easily imagine wandering along the streets, sampling food, exploring temples, museums and falling in love with the history soaked Penang. The history laced inner town of George Town would enlighten, inspire and stay with me.

Some of my favorite memories from childhood include running along tea plantations in the cool hill stations of Tamil Nadu and Kerala during summer months with my baby brother. As a treat, we would sip on hot tea made from the leaves from the plantation.We would pick the freshest produce, watch the sun rise over serene mountains and enjoy family time. Cameron Highlands offers the same undiluted British tradition of summer retreat. I could envision evenings spent sipping fresh and fragrant tea along side scones topped with locally made strawberry jam and honey. The idyllic family summer retreat.

Many years back, when I first started researching Malaysia, I saw a picture of a mosque bathed in moonlight that stayed with me forever. It was the City Mosque at Kota Kinabalu. With a man-made lagoon and a location near the sea, this floating mosque has been haunting my thoughts. I never claim to be religious but just looking at pictures of this mosque fills me with peace and calm. Every holiday needs a calm spot and this would be mine. I will feed my soul with the calm the mosque radiates. The Danum Valley will be another stop in KK. I hope to see the wild men of Borneo in wild and catch a sight of the elusive rare Sumatran Rhinoceros.

As a traveler, I love an offbeat adventure-filled, culture soaked vacation. But I am a mother first and last. My vacations always include kid-friendly stops and indulgences to treat my daughter (and the child within me) and to hopefully help her fall in love with travel like me. My destination of choice would be Legoland and Hello Kitty land in Johor. Ofcourse I cannot go to Johor and not hit the Premium Outlets for some designer wear. Can I?

As I dream about Malaysia, the world keeps wondering, praying and frantically searching for MH370. My thoughts and prayers.

Image source: VMY2014 site

This post goes to the MalaysiaJao Blogathon Contest in association with BlogAdda.com.