Malaysia in the lead for complimentary places of interest

MALAYSIA has dominated the first five spots in the best places in Asia for free-entry tourist attractions category, according to a recent study by online lender CashNetUSA.

In terms of availability of free attractions, Malacca was ranked second (9.79%), Kuching stood at third (9.30%) while George Town was placed fourth (7.87%).

Free-entry attractions in Malacca include Jonker Street, the Dutch Square or Red Square, St. Paul’s Hill and A Famosa Fort. These attractions also have their own internal mini free-entry attractions or nearby attractions, such as the Malacca Heritage Centre and Chen Hoong Teng Temple on Jonker Street.

In Kuching, free-entry attractions consist of the Waterfront Esplanade, Mount Santubong, Carpenter Street and more.

For George Town, attractions include Kek Lo Si Temple, Penang Botanic Gardens, the graphic art on many streets, Penang Hill, Goddess of Mercy Temple and various other temples, among many more attractions.

In Asia, Macau boasts the highest proportion of free attractions (10.06%). For high-quality free attractions in Asia, nowhere beats Nepal, with 76.32% of its free attractions getting 4.5 stars or above.

There is no escaping how going on a vacation is costly. Even after factoring in the cost of travel, accommodation and food, tourist attractions and activities can be notoriously expensive. But look past the long lines and currency signs, you will find that every tourist destination has something to offer for no cost at all.

Even the most popular destinations have free things to do. For example, Paris is a leading travel destination for tourists across the globe and just a short walk away from the busy Louvre is the free to enter and just as Instagram-worthy Petit Palais art museum.

In the context of travel, free does not necessarily mean a lesser-quality experience. After all, a common saying is that the best things in life are free. Other than these examples, there are other tourist destinations across the world that boast some of the best quality, free attractions.

The study by CashNetUSA analysed publicly available traveller reviews for free attractions on offer at nearly 1,000 vacation destinations to uncover the tourist spots with the best availability (and best quality) of free attractions.