What is there to do in Perlis? Many things, as it turns out. The smallest state in Malaysia is usually regarded as the transit point to Langkawi or Thailand; it also has its own set of attractions that you shouldn’t miss. Despite its small size, it is home to all sorts of places to visit such as caves, coastlines, forest reserves and much more. If you ever find yourself in Perlis, your trip would be incomplete without visiting these attractions.

Located right at the border between Malaysia and Thailand, Padang Besar is one of the most popular shopping destinations for Malaysians. There is duty-free shopping as well as a selection of household items from Thailand. You can find all sorts of things here such as imported clothing, Thai food such as tom yam and pulut mangga, kitchen appliances, and bedroom accessories such as pillows and blankets at a very affordable price.

One of the unique foods available in Perlis is the Belacan Madu from Kampung Sungai Berembang. Despite having the word Madu in its name, there’s no honey involved here. The entrepreneur behind this brand used the word to describe how their belacan is a step above the rest of the belacans in the area. Although the ingredients are more or less the same as any other belacan produced there, the differences lies in the belacan’s production process. The fact that this particular local brand’s popularity is growing to the point of imitations is a clear indication that there’s something special about it.

An iconic modern landmark of Perlis would be the Masjid Al-Hussain, the floating mosque. Built on stone pillars next to the Kuala Perlis jetty, it looks as if the mosque is floating on water, thus earning its nickname. The walls of the mosque itself are not painted; rather it is adorned with corals, quartz, granite marble and pebbles. Another unique feature would be the hexagonal minarets, a first in the world. The minarets shines in various colors at night to signal different praying times and can be seen from 10 kilometers away.