The melting pot of Asia. A country rich in history, culture and culinary excellence.
Highlights
For these (unavoidably) long blogs here are some quick links:
Day 1 - Kuala Lumpur
After Thailand, it was time for my Asia tour to continue its southerly trajectory, which led me to the beautiful country of Malaysia. My first impressions were favourable. For me, Malaysia is the embodiment of the holy triumvirate of “Good”, at least for a traveller that is.
1) friendly people;
2) delicious food;
3) and great value for money!
Its not as busy as Thailand with fewer tourists but the vibe is better for it as everything just feels way more laid back . My journey started in Kuala Lumpur and I am staying in hostel that is very central and decent too. The free breakfast this morning was a bonus and it also allowed me to meet other travellers. The first morning was relaxed, discussing sightseeing options as a lot of people had just arrived. Different ideas were thrown about, but the Petronas Towers, Botanical Garden and Batu Caves seemed to be the top contenders. The latter felt like a good place to start and I joined (or rather coordinated) a group of 4 for this excursion. Ride-sharing turned out to be the most expedient and cheapest approach. We ordered a “grab” (which islike Uber for Asia, but about 1000x cheaper). The Batu Caves are in the North, in a region called Gombak which was a 25 minute drive from the city and fortunately the ride passed quickly as we spent the time getting to know each other. We had hardly left the city when the caves appeared, nestled within the tall, rugged limestone cliffs. A man-made rainbow staircase is the only accessible route up to the cave entrance. To top this off, it is guarded by an imposing 43m statue of Lord Murugan.
The 272 steps were a challenge to ascend, but to add to the jeopardy we also had to contend with the wild monkeys from the mountains. I’d learnt enough about wild monkeys from my travels in India a few years ago to avoid or ignore them where possible. We got by relatively unscathed, except for one minor incident. One of the wild monkeys had spotted the old rambutan peels in the side pocket of my backpack - it jumped onto my backpack and went straight for them. It happened so quickly I didn’t really have time to react.
The Batu Caves are famous for the Batus (bats), ancient limestone cliffs and significant holy sites associated with Hinduism. We had a tour through limestone cliffs and also explored the hindu shrines. The caves are not that big so once we had walked around twice it was time to make our way down again.
At the foot of the caves we took some group pictures and then we had a chat about other stuff we could do in the area. Genting Heights was put forward as a suggestion. It is further north so we would need another ride. No "Grab" option this time - the drivers wouldn't go that far out, so we made do with a regular taxi for 30 mins. The ride took us up the mountains to where the Genting Heights resort is located. From there we rode the cable car up to the main shopping complex.
As far as research goes, no-one knew much about this place. We had made the journey on a mere whim. So when we disembarked we were curious to see what was up here. At first it was a bit underwhelming - we found ourselves at the entrance of a multi-storey shopping mall. The mall had all the usual attractions - shops, restaurants, cinema, etc. However there was one pretty significant point of difference. We discovered that the shopping complex also had a fully functional Indoor theme park. It was a bit of a surprise and we marvelled at this impressive feat of engineering - they don’t do things by half in Asia.
Fortunately it was free to enter and we could explore inside. We indulged in some candy floss and mucked around for a bit. It might not have been what we were expecting but we made the most of it!
To get back to the city we took a bus and arrived at the hostel around 9pm. Just as we were going inside, everybody was leaving. We tried (in
vain) to sneak past but this ploy failed. After much persuasion we were convinced to join everyone on a night out. So that's how we ended up in a bar in day clothes with backpacks still firmly attached to our backs. The music was funky and we danced away for about an hour before calling it. It was cramped, we were tired and personally I needed a cup of tea :).
We had been out for 10 hours - what a first day though!
Day 2 - Kuala Lumpur
My plan today was to get up earlier and do more sightseeing than yesterday, but the hostel is so comfortable that I'm finding it difficult to leave. The social breakfast is definitely a highlight and it's easy to lose track of time when chatting away. Eventually I suggested we explore either the Railway Museum, the Malaysian National Museum or KL Botanical Gardens. I was keen to do all if possible, but only managed to enlist one other traveller this time.
According to the internet the Railway Museum was supposedly located within the Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, so this is where we started. The railway station is a very striking old building, its European grandeur is clear to see but it also infuses asian design which makes it a very distinctive building. A true relic of Kuala Lumpur’s colonial past.
As nice as it was to look at, we could not find the museum! We thought we might be able to find some clues if only we could get inside, so we found a dodgy way in...it was a back route (via a hole in a fence) which led onto the platforms. We walked around for 10 minutes, but no joy here either. Eventually we were accosted by a railway guard who asked what we were doing. We asked about the museum and he said it wasn't here, but it could be found on the other side of the road. He was less than impressed with our mode of entry, but he did allow us to exit the same way. We spent another 20 minutes fruitlessly searching before giving up. It’s a general theme of Malaysia so far - sometimes it’s really difficult to find stuff and as for signage, it is either non-existent or very confusing. I guess the internet was wrong this time.
We put this disappointment behind us and made our way to the National Museum. Curiously outside, there were some old locomotives which made me wonder if they originated from the Railway museum. This mystery was perplexing!
The National Museum is a very large building with a distinctive architecture style, based on traditional Malaysian construction, but augmented with modern elements. Admission is cheap, only 5 Ringotts (RM) which is another example of great value. I found it a very well organised and informative museum.
Logically arranged with 4 sections, each covering a different chapter of Malaysia's history, I spent a considerable time exploring each one and learning as much as possible. The first section covers the prehistoric era, including the Perak man (which is an 11,000 year old homo sapien skeleton). This is followed by early Malay civilization, including the evolution of language and culture. The museum had many exhibits for the ‘golden age’ of Malaysia which followed. During the 15th century trade significantly increased with Europe across the Malacca Straits which also coincided with the introduction of Islam into the Malay Peninsula. The museum does not shy away from the tricky era of Colonial rule and I found it fascinating to learn about the different rulers and who this shaped the country into what it is today. The Portuguese, Dutch and British occupied these lands at different periods. To me it seemed like European powers were almost playing a board game dividing up this region. The Portuguese gained supremacy first, ruling for over 100 years before they were usurped by the Dutch in the 17th century. In the next centuries, the British established a base in the North and South (with help of the Sultan) eventually taking over from the Dutch, before handing back control to them during the Napeolanic wars. So with this many changes to rulers it's no surprise that this country has become a mix of cultures, religion cuisine and governance.
The museum concludes with the final (and more happier) segment of Malaysian history, that of Independence. Malaysia gained independence in 1957 and the country commemorates Hari Merdeka (Independence Day) every year with nationwide events during the month of August. Unfortunately I will not be around for the celebrations, which is a shame as I would have loved to contrast the celebratory events with my experience of Independence Day celebrations in Greece earlier this year.
After we left the museum it was too late to visit the Botanical Gardens so this would have to wait for another day. Instead we went to Brickfields (Little India) for a late lunch. The food was pretty good and it also gave me a chance to try the iced hot chocolate drink called Milo. It’s a very popular drink in the southern hemisphere and tastes a bit like Nesquik :)
The evening was spent exploring the lively Jalan Alor Food Market which was impressive in many ways. There were so many food stalls with so many choices and plenty of juice bars. I tried a Dragonfruit smoothie (which I won't be having again), and then it was time for some street food. Surprisingly, it took a while to find traditional Malaysian food as there seems to be more demand for Thai, Indian and Chinese food. However as we approached the end of the street we find a restuarant which served the national dish - Nasi Lemak (coconut rice). I was glad to try it. It's really good, the coconut rice is very indulgent. A satisfiying meal to end a very satisfiying day!
Day 3 - Kuala Lumpur
Today marks three weeks since I first arrived in Asia and the time has really flown by. I’m going to follow the recommendations of my fellow travellers and extend my time here in order to see more of Malaysia. My only constraint is to be in Singapore on the 15th for my flight to Bali. I have revised my itinerary as follows:
Penang Island - 2 nights
Malacca - 3 nights
Singapore - 3 nights
I’ve clawed back 5 more nights in Malaysia so Singapore will be reduced to a weekend only - which I think is fine. Now that the planning was done I was ready to head out and finally see the Botanical Gardens which have eluded me so far. On the way to the gardens I took a couple of short detours to visit a few other KL attractions - Central Market and the iconic National Mosque of Malaysia.
The gardens are enclosed within a large public park, with a pretty lake and walking route. The advantage of this is that you can access the main garden from different paths and explore different areas without actually feeling like you are in a Botanical Garden. The botany was modest, there were few tropical plants, trees and wildlife, but overall it was well designed. It's worthwhile visiting even just to walk around the beautiful lake (Tasik Perdana) and for the views of Goose Island.
I then made the short trip across the park to visit the world's largest walk-in aviary. The KL Bird Park is a huge site covering 20 hectare and the canopy is visible from some distance. I was pleasantly surprised by the Bird Park. I’ve never visited an Aviary before and I was just awestruck with the number of species of birds and how interactive you can get with the birds and other wildlife. For some reason I did not expect the birds to mingle with visitors but they seem comfortable around people. The park is divided into 4 zones, the entrance opens out into the "Love Aviary" which is a cute exhibition of pairs of love birds grooming each other. This is followed by Peacocks, the Flamingo pond and many other tropical birds.
I managed to visit all zones, including the Hornbill enclosure (these birds are native only to Malaysia). Other highlights included feeding large Ostriches (which was a bit scary) and the Parrot section. Finally I made my way towards the Bird Amphitheatre for the live bird show. I initially thought it might be a bit childish with cheap tricks and gimmicks but I was actually pretty impressed with the bird displays. Obviously a lot of training had gone into these shows and the show also included important messages about the environment.
It was now lunchtime so I made my way to the famous Hornbill restaurant - the birds are not on the menu however :D but they do serve some excellent Satay sticks. The restaurant has this name for a reason, the Hornbills are ever present, patrolling the terrace, observing customers eat their food. They are pretty friendly birds so it was not a nuisance at all.
To cap off a productive day, I managed to get a group together to visit the KL Petronas Towers. Every night there is an evening light show at Lake Symphony in the KLCC park and we made it in time for the last show at 10pm. We were also fortunate to find a good viewing spot on the island in front of the twin towers. It was an impressive show, especially the synchronisation of the music with the lights and water jets. I’m glad I managed to fit this in before I left.
On the way back we walked through the towers to see what was inside. It's not that impressive to be honest, it is full of expensive designer stores but I was surprised by the size of the atrium which was much larger than I thought possible. They even managed to fit in 2 full-size Mercedes F1 cars which hung from the lobby ceiling. No doubt they were both from the turbo-hybrid era (circa 2015-16) which was when Mercedes were at peak dominance in Formula 1.
Day 4 - Penang Island
This morning I prepared for my longest road journey since I started my travels. I took a bus from Kuala Lumpur all the way to Georgetown, Penang Island, some 350 kilometres north of KL. Penang is in the northernmost part of the Malay Peninsula and very close to the Malaysia-Thailand border. I’m lucky that Malaysia has an extensive bus network which criss-crosses the country including many operators which also offer different service levels. I chose a decent bus with a notable company. Despite it being a long ride (around 7 hours), I found the journey quite comfortable - there was plenty of legroom and decent A/C. The scenery started to change as we got closer to Penang, becoming more tro which made a nice change from the city.
When we arrived at the Butterworth terminal (and when I say ‘we’ I mean just the bus driver and me), the exit was pretty unceremonious, a kerbside drop off. I had to find my own way to the ferry terminal so that I could cross the straits to get to George Town. The terminal was as confusing as ever and I didn’t have a clue where I needed to buy a ticket, let alone which boat to board. Fortunately I found a local who was willing to help me navigate the maze and direct me to the correct place.
George Town is much smaller compared to KL and I was looking forward to exploring it. After disembarking the ferry, I went by foot to the hostel which took about 15 minutes or so. To my surprise I arrived at a chaotic scene with the staff looking very flustered. There was no electricity due to roadworks which had disrupted the power. The staff had to resort to pen and paper to check me in (which must have been novel for them). With no WiFi and the A/C not working in the room either, it was not worth hanging around so I dropped my luggage and headed straight out to get my first taste of George Town.
I visited the shopping district, walked through Little India and the Harbour. George Town has developed a reputation in recent years for its street art, in particular its impressive “banksy style” works and I have to say it didn't disappoint. I only saw a few, but I was impressed so far.
Eventually I found myself walking towards the Clan Jetties. I knew there must be a story behind the name. So when I arrived at the first Jetty (Chew) I sought information about the etymology. It turns out these Jetties were built by Chinese immigrants and were called Clans because they bear the family names of the immigrants who arrived from China e.g. Tan, Chew, Lee. The jetties were constructed in order to avoid paying property tax to the British during the time that Malaysia was under colonial rule (which was kind of smart when you think about it). The jetties have not changed much in the last 100 years. Each house was built using wooden slats and whilst the dwellings have now been fortified, the small community here still maintains a very traditional way of living.
It was now definitely time to head back to the hostel to see if the power had returned so I could take a much needed shower. Luckily everything was back to normal and I was able to freshen up before heading out for dinner. I’m excited about the food here. I’ve been told that the cooking in the north is very different - in particular the fish dishes and curries. So in the evening I set out to visit the Lagenda Cafe. My dinner was a traditional grilled fish dish called Ikan Bakar. I can safely say that the assertions were true. The food is truly delicious here, and it is also presented in style!
Day 5 - Penang Island
Today is my second (and last) day in Penang before I travel south to Malacca. Last night I met a few travellers in the hostel and we made a plan to meet up for breakfast today. We went to a local cafe and discussed options for exploring Georgetown, this included Penang Hill and the Lok Kek Si Temple.
In the end there was sufficient interest for a trip to the temple so we immediately set off in two Grab taxis. Lok Kek Si Temple is a large Chinese temple near Penang Hill and is one of the tallest structures in George Town. Despite it being quite a prominent landmark, we still struggled to locate the precise entry point. We walked around the area for a while before I spotted this rather innocuous sign. It was a good thing too as we were just about to head down the wrong track again!
Lok Kek Si is no ordinary temple; it is part of a larger, multi-layered complex of temples. At the foot of this site is a Chinese garden with a small pagoda housing a Buddha statue. On the other side of the garden is a small temple (you could call it a temple within the temple), which had some intriguing statuettes and many, many offerings which the people of George Town had already brought up here this morning.
Next to the garden and temple is the large Kek Lok Si Pagoda with its distinctive, multi-tiered architecture combining Chinese and Thai architectural styles. At the highest level of the temple complex is the prominent Guanyin statue, balcony and viewing terrace.
Rather than climb the steps all the way to the top (on this very hot day), we took the lift and paid the nominal toll fee. The first and most striking thing that you can see as you enter the open space is the Guanyin statue, also referred to as the “Virgin Mary statue”. It is only at the top can you truly gain an appreciation of the size, at 37m it is a very tall structure, placed on top of an already tall structure. The terrace also provides some excellent views of the Chinese Pagoda and Penang Hill.
On the way down we discovered a turtle pond so spent a bit of time feeding the turtles before discussing afternoon plans.
I wanted to hike up Penang Hill afterwards but everyone was so hot and tired from this excursion, that we went back to the hostel to freshen up and relax. We agreed that we would come back later for the sunset.
In the intervening period I went for a walk with a couple of others around the town to explore the Street Art. This time we could get a proper look at the Penang Street Art around the town. I used a map from my hostel to find as many works as possible - it was awesome fun!
Later that evening, we reconvened at the hostel to make the trip to Penang Hill. We got another cab to the Penang Lower Hill station and rode the funicular instead of hiking up. It was surprisingly fast, given that it ascends around 700m. I think it only took about 10-12 minutes to get to the top. Once we disembarked, it was a case of trying to find the best viewing platform so we could enjoy the sunset. Most evenings have been cloudy here in Malaysia so the sunsets have not been ideal, but we were here now and were determined to stick it out. Our perseverance was rewarded with a pink sunset.
Sometimes a cloudy sunset can result in a different kind of beauty with the array of colours that appear in the sky and it was definitely the case today. As dusk approached the moon came into full view and we watched the city lights appear before descending the hill again.
Afterwards, I took some people to the Lagenda cafe for another delicious Malaysian meal. We ordered a delightful smorgasbord of dishes which we shared. I am really falling in love with the food here :)
Day 6 - Penang to Malacca
Today was another epic Malaysian bus journey, I travelled from Penang Island to Malacca in the South - a distance of 520 kilometres! It was also the longest bus ride clocking in at 10 hours.
It went quicker than I thought and the long journey did afford me plenty of time to research Malacca. I think 2 days would probably be enough to explore the town, but I decided to extend one more night to see the famous Jonker Street night market.
When the bus finally arrived at Malacca Sentral I was pretty tired and hungry. I was late for hostel check-in but luckily I managed to get hold of the host on the phone and explain the situation. My host (Howard) was amazing, even though everyone from the hostel was at dinner, he left the dinner to let me in and then I was able to drop my stuff off and join him and the others for some much needed nourishment. We went to an outdoor Indian resturant and the food was superb. I am not sure whether it was because I was really hungry but I savoured every dish.
Day 7 - Malacca
My first full day in Malacca started with breakfast at a trendy cafe called Trois by Navy. I like a big breakfast whenever possible, so I ordered an egg, hash brown, avocado & red cabbage sandwich
It was the perfect fuel for a day of walking. Malacca is a small port town, but very accessible by foot or on bike. The cafe was close to the famous Jonker Walk, so I thought I might as well take a look around. To me it already seemed quite virbrant but I am told this is nothing compared to the weekend when the night market rolls in.
I walked all the way to the other end and reached the bridge leading into the ‘Dutch Square’. This square is quite different from the rest of the town. The buildings have a distinctive pink-red coating which is a hallmark of the Dutch colonial-era. There are two very famous buildings which stand prominently in the square - Stadhuys and Christ Church. Stadhuy’s was a former government building but now houses a museum with an extensive collection of artefacts and exhibits covering the local history of Malacca including the colonial period.
Stadhuy’s is also one of the oldest Dutch buildings in Asia, its origins dating back to 1650. I was surprised that the government decided to keep it as it was, but I suppose turning the building into a museum allows future generations to be educated. After I had explored Stadhuys I ascended St Paul’s Hill, which is just around the corner from Christ Church.
Its name is derived from another the Church which can be found at the summit. St Paul’s hill offers 360 degree views of the city including the Malacca Strait which is impressive given that it is only about 50 feet high. St Paul’s Church would have been a modest building even if it was not ruined, but with very little remaining of the original building, you can only imagine how it might have looked in former days. The Dutch buried the nobles here, so it was quite an honour to have a plaque up here on the hill.
On the way down, I stopped by another landmark called A Famosa (Porta de Santiago). This was once a fort, but it has now all but been destroyed. The Fort was bombarded by the British when Malacca was handed back to the Dutch after the Napoleanic wars. The British feared it would be used against them so William Farquhar was ordered to destroy it, and there would have been no remains if it was not for the intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles. Today it is no longer recognisable as a fort and its impressive size and scale is consigned to history books.
After spending most of the day walking in the unrelenting heat and humidity, I needed to rest and cool off. Later in the evening I joined my fellow travellers on bikes for an evening sunset tour of the Floating Mosque - another one of the hostel’s events. It was one of the best sunsets I have seen in Asia so far. The Malacca Straits Mosque is situated on a small island on the straits and the ambience I felt was hard to describe, there is a quiet serenity when the sun goes down and the fading sunlight is beautifully set against this famous landmark. The mosque is magnificently illuminated and the visual spectacle is enhanced by the sound of the muizen who calls for prayers and then as worshippers gather, the wind carrying the sound of the evening prayers into our ears.
Day 8 - Malacca
My last day in Malacca was pretty chilled. I had a late breakfast in a cafe called The Stolen Cup, which offers the closest thing I found to a traditional English Breakfast and treated myself to a Malacca-style coffee called Gula Melaka. It's a latte with honey syrup and spice.
After being suitably fed, I made my way to the Baba Nyoyna museum to learn a bit about Malaysia’s Baba Nyoyna history. The museum is housed inside a traditional Baba Nyoyna building which is currently owned by the 4th generation Chan family. The family allows the building to be used as a museum for the purposes of education and to promote this niche community in Malaysia. The Chans were an original Perkannen family and their great great grandfather was a "straits born" chinese immigrant. The Perkannen families were migrants from China who intermingled with Malay people and adopted Malaysian culture to create their own unique Baba Nyoyna identity. The building and museum collection celebrates the Baba Nyoyna culture which is influenced by Chinese traditions and values.
The design of the house is aligned to a traditional Chinese aesthetic, but there are many artefacts reflecting Malay culture exhibited in each room. I learned that the ‘Baba’ is male and ‘Nyonya’ is female, and Baba Nyoyna culture embraces a matriarchal society, which is unorthodox in Asian society. The hierarchy is a reversal of typical Asian stereotypes with Nyoyna sitting as the head of the family. The museum may be small, but I really enjoyed the art, history and architecture.
After the museum it was lunchtime and I went to a noodle restuarant to try some authentic Baba Nyoyna cuisine. I tried the BabaLaksa noodle soup and it was one of the tastiest dishes I’ve tried so far, exceptionally spicy, but definitely worth it!
My last evening in Malacca was spent experiencing the Jonker Walk Night Market. This was the main reason for extending the extra night. Howard was on hand again, this time offering to guide us through the various stalls and attractions. We started before it had actually gotten dark, so this meant we could see the vendors setting up the stalls and were able to observe the transformation of this street. Having walked down Jonker Walk over the past couple of days, I was amazed to see how much it had transformed. It was a completely different atmosphere when the stalls had pitched up with loud music, colour, games and full of people.
It’s a pretty unique experience and was worth staying for. I was amazed and somewhat surprised by the variety. There was a bit of everything - from shower heads to live demonstrations of blow-torched chicken. Normally I’m more of a window shopper, but tonight I did actually make some purchases which were also varied. I picked up some bright funky shoe laces, a flowery shirt (for Bali), bought street food and mango juice (which was delicious). As more stalls started to open up it got more crowded making passage through very difficult and I lost some of the group. The market stretches all the way to the Tiger statue near the bridge, where there were brightly coloured Trishaws blasting loud music eagerly awaiting customers.
Once I reunited with the group, I spoke to the others and quite a few wanted to call a night as it was getting busier. However, I was not keen to do so. It was my last night and sleep could wait until tomorrow. So around 10:30 pm, I ventured to the Malacca River Cruise jetty and got myself on the next available river cruise.
At night, along the riverbank the bridges are lit up which make for a luminous spectacle as the boats speed down the river. It was the most perfect way to cap off an amazing time in Malacca and Malaysia.
Comments