Malaysia Oct 24 - Nov 12, 2013
At the mention of the name Malaysia, one would conjure up images of a modern country which is a melting pot of many races. At one end of the spectrum are the pork-eating Malaysian-Chinese. The other majority group is the Muslim Malay. Malaysians share one common passion - food. I dare say the national food is noodles. From gourmet seafood char kuah teow to instant chicken-flavoured soup noodle, Malaysians love to eat spicy noodles any time of the day.
Even though Malaysia has very good infrastructure generally, a large part of the country remains isolated and rural, especially the northern part of Malay Peninsular and East Malaysia on Borneo. Travelling in these parts of the country certainly poses definite challenges for the independent travelers. I found myself waiting at bus stations, railway stations, ferry terminals and bus stands for endless hours because the schedules were mostly outdated and unreliable.
Malaysia appears to emphasize the nature aspect in its tourism promotional program. With the exception of the Lenggong archaeological site, the country has almost no ancient artifacts. Most buildings in the two UNESCO cities(Malacca & Georgetown) are no more than 200 years old. Perhaps more effort could be put in preserving its history. Penang is the only city that I witnessed the most restoration projects in progress.
If I have to choose my favorite place in Malaysia, I would pick Kuching as #1 choice to be followed by Malacca and then Georgetown. Kuching has a beautiful waterfront, the most number of museums which are all free of charge, a wide range of shopping styles from modern malls to portable stalls, the most places of interest such as wildlife park and cultural villages, a large variety of food, a generally good public transportation system and affordable accommodation.
In comparison to its neighbouring countries in SE Asia, Malaysia is modern and its cities are just as world class as the major cities in the western world. For Australian and New Zealand tourists and water sport enthusiasts, Malaysia is such a bargain in comparison to their home countries as vacation spots, and most locals can speak English. For a history and architecture fan like me, my Malaysian journey provided answers to the many puzzles that I had about the enigmatic island of Borneo and a refresher geography lesson for the Malaya Peninsular.
At the mention of the name Malaysia, one would conjure up images of a modern country which is a melting pot of many races. At one end of the spectrum are the pork-eating Malaysian-Chinese. The other majority group is the Muslim Malay. Malaysians share one common passion - food. I dare say the national food is noodles. From gourmet seafood char kuah teow to instant chicken-flavoured soup noodle, Malaysians love to eat spicy noodles any time of the day.
Even though Malaysia has very good infrastructure generally, a large part of the country remains isolated and rural, especially the northern part of Malay Peninsular and East Malaysia on Borneo. Travelling in these parts of the country certainly poses definite challenges for the independent travelers. I found myself waiting at bus stations, railway stations, ferry terminals and bus stands for endless hours because the schedules were mostly outdated and unreliable.
Malaysia appears to emphasize the nature aspect in its tourism promotional program. With the exception of the Lenggong archaeological site, the country has almost no ancient artifacts. Most buildings in the two UNESCO cities(Malacca & Georgetown) are no more than 200 years old. Perhaps more effort could be put in preserving its history. Penang is the only city that I witnessed the most restoration projects in progress.
If I have to choose my favorite place in Malaysia, I would pick Kuching as #1 choice to be followed by Malacca and then Georgetown. Kuching has a beautiful waterfront, the most number of museums which are all free of charge, a wide range of shopping styles from modern malls to portable stalls, the most places of interest such as wildlife park and cultural villages, a large variety of food, a generally good public transportation system and affordable accommodation.
In comparison to its neighbouring countries in SE Asia, Malaysia is modern and its cities are just as world class as the major cities in the western world. For Australian and New Zealand tourists and water sport enthusiasts, Malaysia is such a bargain in comparison to their home countries as vacation spots, and most locals can speak English. For a history and architecture fan like me, my Malaysian journey provided answers to the many puzzles that I had about the enigmatic island of Borneo and a refresher geography lesson for the Malaya Peninsular.
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