Six of the best: Malaysian views

PENANG HILL, PENANG

This former colonial-era hill resort, studded with crumbling Victorian mansions and colourful Chinese temples, rises 833 metres above George Town. It's most easily summited on a seven-minute funicular ride, and provides cool breezes and spectacular views over the expanding city and glittering sea, with the mainland a smudge beyond. Take to some of the summit's hiking trails around the hillside, however, and you'll find yourself gazing over a startlingly different landscape of untapped forest tumbling down mist-draped valleys where bromeliads flourish and monkeys and langurs leap. An elevated tree-canopy walkway provides an up-close encounter with the rainforest. See penanghill.gov.my

QUEEN VICTORIA'S FOUNTAIN, MELAKA

No better historical viewpoint than to stand at this British-era fountain gazing at the salmon-pink town hall and church left by the Dutch. On the hillside above stand the ruins of a Portuguese fort and church. This port city has also been influenced by Chinese, Indian and Malay culture, providing a rich cultural mix. Turn in the other direction and you'll see the pastel-coloured shophouses of former traders lining the sluggish, muddy river. Across the bridge, Jalan Hang Jebat (or Jonkers Street) is crammed with evening street stalls selling souvenirs and spice-laden snacks. See destinationmelaka.my

ROOFTOP BARS, KUALA LUMPUR

The classic viewpoint is the deck of the 452-metre Petronas Twin Towers, which has impressive panoramas in two directions and allows a close-up view of the Islamic-inspired, geometric patterned architecture. But Kuala Lumpur's rooftop bars are a more enjoyable place to perch. Among a spate of cool, high-altitude hotel haunts is Sky Bar at Traders Hotel and View nightclub at G Tower Hotel, with its airy outdoor terrace. Two-storey Luna Bar at Pacific Regency Suites has an outdoor lounge and pool from which to gaze over the ever-changing, light-twinkled landscape of the Malaysian capital. See visitkl.gov.my

PUTRAJAYA LAKE, PUTRAJAYA

Take to a sightseeing boat on this artificial lake in Malaysia's administrative capital and it feels like a journey into an idealised future. Buildings erupt in towers of glass, minarets soar and avenues of palm trees sprout. The shoreline is lined by grand government buildings and tidy residential apartments surrounded by manicured lawns. Evening is an especially good time, when the eye-popping architecture and futuristic-looking bridges are illuminated, and reflections shimmer on the lake. Silvery Besi Mosque floats like a cubic steel flower, and the huge minaret of Putra Mosque looks like a rocket launch pad. See cruisetasikputrajaya.com