Study: Malaysia is The Best Holiday Destination for Safety in Asia, 2nd Most Relaxing Vacation Spot

A recent study by BookRetreats.com, a global online travel agency for wellness, yoga and meditation retreats, ranked Malaysia favourably in several categories under its Global Relaxation Index.

Specifically, Malaysia ranked as the best holiday destination for safety in Asia and 8th worldwide, as well as Asia’s 2nd most relaxing vacation destination and 20th globally. 

Malaysia is the best holiday destination for safety in Asia

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In its ranking of best holiday destinations for safety, Malaysia is the only sole entry from Asia in the top 10, coming in at number 8 worldwide with a final score of 57.5 and a Global Peace Index (GPI) of 1.427.

In the top spot is Iceland, with a score of 71.2 and a GPI of 1.112, followed by Ireland in second place. Making the top 5 spots are Austria, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Do note that the final score is the overall score for the index, which we will elaborate on later in the article.

Check out the top 10 list here:

Malaysia is the 2nd most relaxing vacation destination in Asia

Meanwhile, in the overall index, Malaysia ranked second in Asia and 20th globally for the most relaxing vacation destinations.

Japan is the only Asian nation that ranked higher than Malaysia in the index, placing 15th globally with a final score of 59.0.

The top 5 most relaxing vacation destinations in the globe as per the index are as follows:

1. Australia (73.8 score)
2. Canada (72.5 score)
3. Iceland (71.2 score)
4. Finland (71.1 score)
5. New Zealand (69.3 score)

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How the study was conducted

To determine the world’s most relaxing holiday destinations, BookRetreats.com revealed that it compared 76 countries across 5 key dimensions, namely Safety, Solitude, Serenity, Nature, and Wellness.

Furthermore, these dimensions were evaluated using 9 individual metrics. These include Peacefulness (GPI 2024), Crowd Density, Noise and Light Pollution, Traffic, Cities, Protected Areas, Forest Coverage, Biodiversity and Wellness Activities.

Through min-max and logarithmic normalisation, BookRetreats.com then determined each country’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score.

Each destination was graded on a 100-point scale, with scores closest to 100 representing greater relaxation.

For context, here are Malaysia’s scores for each metric in the index to record a final score of 57.5:

• Peacefulness – GPI 2024 of 1427
• Crowd Density – 107.07
• Noise and Light Pollution – 49.25
• Traffic – 37.17
• Cities – 37
• Protected Area – 8.13
• Forest Coverage – 58.17
• Biodiversity – 0.778
• Wellness Activities – 804

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So, what do you guys think of Malaysia’s placement in the index? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

Also read: Thailand Records RM195 BILLION Tourism Revenue in 2024, Over 4.5 Million M’sians Visited The Country