Hi All,
We arrived in Malaysia over two weeks ago, crossing at a land border from Thailand. It was the easiest border crossing we’ve encountered and was all sorted in 15 minutes; stamped out on the Thai side, mini-bus over to the Malaysian office, stamped in and on our way! Our first port of call was historic George Town on the island of Penang.
George Town was delightful and exceeded our expectations. It is up there with the most interesting urban areas we have visited. The cultural blend within the city is something that we found fascinating when everywhere we have been so far has predominantly been dominated by one culture. Once a key trading port between Asia and Europe, Penang has lots of colonial architecture as well as many Chinese and Indian residents. At one crossroad we could see Hindu and Chinese temples, a Muslim mosque and a Catholic church. This global influence puts Penang as Asia’s top spot for a huge variety of street food. At any one point we were surrounded by Malaysian hawker stalls (street food), Indian cafes and Chinese restaurants. Trying the delicious samosas, spicy curries, masala spiced chai (tea) and sweet jalebi reminded us of what an incredible time we had in India. Among many other things, we also enjoyed Chinese barbecued pork buns and char kway teow - a very tasty Malaysian noodle dish cooked in a ripping hot wok.
Another fascinating feature of George Town was its street art. The art, commissioned by Lithuanian artist, Ernest Zacharevic in 2012 made just wandering around the UNESCO town a treasure hunt. At every corner we found either one of the famous pieces or amateur work - all cool in their own way. Our favourite was a 3D interactive piece of two children riding a bicycle. By more luck that judgement, we found ourselves staying on one of the most artsy streets; the buildings were former Chinese shop fronts so had oodles of charm. The old bus depot had also been turned into a contemporary art gallery and housed loads more intriguing pieces.
We visited a few incredible Chinese mansions and ‘clanhouses’. As wealthy Chinese businessmen settled, they set up the clanhouses to create a safe haven in which to welcome others from their home community. As a result of competition between the clans, the houses became more and more elaborate to demonstrate their growing wealth; resulting in amazing, ornate buildings that have been restored for us to see. We found a tour round Peranakan Mansion the most interesting; we marvelled at wooden carved archways adorned in gold leaf and inlayed mother of pearl, learnt about the feng shui design and saw artefacts such as shoes that looked like the they were worn by a toddler yet belonged to women of the house who had had their feet bound. The Blue Mansion, former home to the ‘Rockefeller of the East’ Cheong Fatt Tze, and clanhouses Cheah Kongsi and Khoo Kongsi were also highlights.
The day before Ross’ birthday we checked into Shangril-La’s Rasa Resort located in Batu Feringgi in northern Penang. As we walked through the entrance to the 5* resort with our backpacks on we felt somewhat out of place in the fancy, grand surroundings! It didn’t take us long though to settle in and enjoy a cocktail by the pool. Lying reading on the plush loungers while surrounded by exotic trees and tropical birds felt pretty decadent. Ross was very impressed by the flyover that the Malaysian air-force put on for his birthday! We also played on their nine hole pitch and put golf course for which neither of us displayed any natural talent but was still good fun. Danielle managed to hit the ground as often as she hit the ball taking chunks of turf with it!
Ross started his 24th birthday with a smoked salmon, poached egg and hollandaise breakfast and ended on an incredible lobster buffet (the reason we were originally attracted to the hotel). Having been eyeing up lobsters for weeks, he managed to each about 10 small ones, 15 king crab legs and a huge array of other seafood including scallops, sushi and crayfish (avoiding all carbs as not to waste fullness)! Danielle had also organised for us to have afternoon tea served in the lounge each day and an unlimited cocktail/ canapé hour each evening. We certainly made the most of the great red wine and cheese! It is safe to say we were well fed and watered.
We both had a wonderful time at the resort but are happy to be heading back to street food and local experiences. Ross sends a big thank you for all the birthday messages, emails, cards and presents he received.
Next stop, hiking in the Cameron Highlights.
Love R and D xxx
Comments