Malaysia - APX
Malaysia - APX Malaysia - APX
The 285 sq km (177 sq mi) island of Penang, off Peninsula Malaysia's north-western coast, is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia and one of the country's premier resort areas. The island's beaches are touted as the major drawcard but they're somewhat overrated. What makes Penang Island really tick is the vibrant and intriguing city of Georgetown (pop 400,000) on the island's north-eastern coast. This city has more Chinese flavour than either Singapore or Hong Kong, and in its older neighbourhoods you could be forgiven for thinking that the clock stopped at least 50 years ago. Georgetown is a compact city and it's a delight to wander around. Set off in any direction and you're certain to see beautiful old Chinese houses, vegetable markets, temple ceremonies, trishaws, mahjong games and all the other to-ings and fro-ings of Asian street life. You can still see the time-worn walls of Fort Cornwallis in the centre of Georgetown where the first Briton, Captain Light, set foot in 1786 on what was then a virtually uninhabited island. He established a free port here and the stone fort was finished a few decades later. The area within the fort is now a park liberally sprinkled with cannons, many of them retrieved from local pirates. Seri Rambai, the largest and most important cannon has a chequered history dating back to 1600. It's famed for its procreative powers, and childless women are recommended to place flowers in the barrel of 'the big one' and offer special prayers. Penang has many kongsis (clan houses that operate partly as temples and partly as meeting halls for Chinese of the same clan or surname) but Khoo Kongsi is easily the finest. The original building was so magnificent and elaborate that no-one was surprised when the roof caught fire on the very night it was completed. This misfortune was taken merely as a sign that the building had been too grandiose, so a marginally less magnificent structure was built. One wonders at the opulence of the original since the present structure is a dazzling mix of dragons, statues, paintings, lamps, coloured tiles and carvings. Kuan Yin Teng Temple right in the centre of the old part of Georgetown is nowhere near as impressive, but it's one of the most popular temples in the city and there are often worshippers burning paper money at the furnaces, night-time puppet shows or Chinese theatre performances. For the best view of the city and the island, catch the funicular railway up Penang Hill which rises 830m (2722ft) above Georgetown and provides cool relief from the sticky heat below. There are pleasant gardens, a hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque at the top. The view is particularly good at dusk when Georgetown, far below, begins to light up. Most of the popular budget hotels in Georgetown are along Lebuh Chulia. More expensive options line Jalan Penang. There are plenty of Chinese and Indian restaurants, but be adventurous and try the succulent local dishes on offer from the street stalls, which appear at night along the Esplanade behind the Penang Library. Cameron Highlands The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of Peninsular Malaysia, comprise a series of hill stations at altitudes between 1500 and 1800m (4920 and 5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of Malaysia's tea industry and it's the place where locals and visitors come to escape the heat of the plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls, tours of tea plantations, beautiful gardens and plenty of wild flowers. The cool weather tempts visitors to exertions normally forgotten at sea level, like golf, tennis, and long walks, but this is really Malaysia's R 'n' R capital par excellence for those who don't like the beach and enjoy a bout of colonial nostalgia. Most of the budget hotels are in the village of Tanah Rata. The more expensive options are scattered between Tanah Rata and Brinchang. Tioman Island This picture-postcard island lies off the eastern coast of Peninsula Malaysia in the South China Sea. It boasts beautiful beaches, clear, coral-filled water, technicolour marine life, virtually unpopulated jungle highlands, crystal-clear streams, and the dramatic peaks of Batu Sirau and Nenek Semukut. Tioman has been blessed with exotic place names like 'Palm-Frond Hill' and 'Village of Doubt' and is generally quoted as the setting for the mythical Bali Hai in the film South Pacific. The permanent population on Tioman is low, and locals are usually outnumbered by tourists. June and August are the peak tourist months, but during the heavy November to January monsoon the island is almost deserted. The island's west coast is dotted with villages and is home to a classy resort. Pulau Tioman is the most popular travellers' destination; Kampung Nipah is the place to go if you really want to get away from it all. You can get to Tioman by boat from Mersing and Singapore. The island's largest village, Kampung Tekek, has an airstrip. 2 of 4
Off the Beaten Track Peninsular Malaysia Just off the coast of Perlis are the 104 islands of the Langkawi group. The islands are little visited, despite their good beaches, and the main island, Langkawi, has direct boat connections with Thailand. Low-key Taiping, in Perak, has beautiful lake gardens, well-preserved Anglo-Malay buildings, a good night-market and hardly any tourists. Also in Perak, is the historic royal town of Kuala Kangsar, which has fine mosques and palaces, and was the birthplace of Malaysia's rubber industry. Ipoh, Perak's capital, has elegant mansions and impressive cave temples. Although pretty inaccessible, a visit to Tasik Chini in central Pahang state is well worth the effort. It's actually a series of 12 lakes surrounded by beautiful jungle territory, with great treks, and it's rumoured to be the haunt of a cousin of the Loch Ness monster. Taman Negara National Park, accessible only by boat, offers a rare opportunity to visit one of the most pristine primary rainforests in the world. The park covers 4343 sq km (2693 sq mi), sprawling across Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu. The wildlife is varied and abundant, but more evident on extended treks or boat trips away from the more frequented areas. Sarawak Sarawak offers ever-shrinking areas of untouched jungle, the chance to visit longhouse-dwelling Dayak tribes and a good system of national parks. The area around the capital city, Kuching, has remote coastal villages, such as Pandan and Sematan, and unspoilt tropical rainforest, beaches and walking trails in the Bako National Park. Longhouses are found along the Rejang River and its tributaries - central and southern Sarawak's 'highway'. The areas downriver from Kanowit and Song are generally less frequented. In the north-east, the Niah Caves, accessible only by longboat and a 3km (1.86mi) hike, are unforgettable for their rock paintings, forest wildlife, jungle trails and night walks to see the luminous mushrooms. Visitors to Sarawak cannot fail to notice the extent to which logging is affecting the environment and the habitat of the Dayak tribes. Acquainting yourself with the issues surrounding Malaysia's logging practices is recommended before visiting the province. Sabah Scenic grandeur and fascinating wildlife are the main attractions in (expensive) Sabah. Just offshore from the capital, Kota Kinabalu, the huge Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park (4929ha/12,174ac) is made up of the islands of Gaya, Mamutik, Manukan, Sapi and Sulug. The islands have some of the best beaches in Borneo and wildlife varies from monkeys and bearded pigs to corals and tropical marine life. Not far from the Kalimantan border, Batu Punggul has an adventure-camp resort, jungle walks, canoeing and cave visits. The resort is accessible only by boat, and the area is home to many longhouse-dwelling tribes. North of the capital, Kota Belud is the venue of one of Sabah's largest open-air Sunday markets and get-togethers (called a amu). It attracts all manner of vendors, selling everything from magic pills to cattle. Inland, Mt Kinabalu is one of Sabah's major attractions. It's one of the easiest mountains in the world to climb and the views from the top are sensational - especially at sunset. History Aboriginal Malays (Orang Asli) began moving down the Malay peninsula from south-western China about 10,000 years ago. The peninsula came under the rule of the Cambodian-based Funan, the Sumatran-based Srivijaya and the Java-based Majapahit empires, before the Chinese arrived in Melaka in 1405. Islam arrived in Melaka at about the same time and spread rapidly. Melaka's wealth soon attracted European powers, and the Portuguese took control in 1511, followed by the Dutch in 1641. The British established a thriving port in Penang in 1786 and took over Melaka in 1795. The British colonised the interior of the peninsula when tin was discovered. East Malaysia came into British hands via the adventurer Charles Brooke (who was made Rajah of Sarawak in 1841 after suppressing a revolt against the Sultan of Brunei) and the North Borneo Company (which administered Sabah from 1882). Britain took formal control of both Sabah and Sarawak after WWII. The indigenous labour supply was insufficient for the needs of the developing rubber and tin industries, so the British brought large numbers of Indians into the country, altering the peninsula's racial mix. The Japanese overran Malaya in WWII. Communist guerrillas, who fought the Japanese throughout the occupation, began an armed 3 of 4
The 285 sq km (177 sq mi) island of Penang, off<br />
Peninsula <strong>Malaysia</strong>'s north-western coast, is the<br />
oldest British settlement in <strong>Malaysia</strong> and one of<br />
the country's premier resort areas. The island's<br />
beaches are touted as the major drawcard but<br />
they're somewhat overrated. What makes Penang<br />
Island really tick is the vibrant and intriguing city<br />
of Georgetown (pop 400,000) on the island's<br />
north-eastern coast. This city has more Chinese<br />
flavour than either Singapore or Hong Kong, and<br />
in its older neighbourhoods you could be forgiven<br />
for thinking that the clock stopped at least 50<br />
years ago. Georgetown is a compact city and it's<br />
a delight to wander around. Set off in any<br />
direction and you're certain to see beautiful old<br />
Chinese houses, vegetable markets, temple<br />
ceremonies, trishaws, mahjong games and all the<br />
other to-ings and fro-ings of Asian street life.<br />
You can still see the time-worn walls of Fort<br />
Cornwallis in the centre of Georgetown where<br />
the first Briton, Captain Light, set foot in 1786 on<br />
what was then a virtually uninhabited island. He<br />
established a free port here and the stone fort<br />
was finished a few decades later. The area within<br />
the fort is now a park liberally sprinkled with<br />
cannons, many of them retrieved from local<br />
pirates. Seri Rambai, the largest and most<br />
important cannon has a chequered history dating<br />
back to 1600. It's famed for its procreative<br />
powers, and childless women are recommended<br />
to place flowers in the barrel of 'the big one' and<br />
offer special prayers.<br />
Penang has many kongsis (clan houses that<br />
operate partly as temples and partly as meeting<br />
halls for Chinese of the same clan or surname)<br />
but Khoo Kongsi is easily the finest. The original<br />
building was so magnificent and elaborate that<br />
no-one was surprised when the roof caught fire<br />
on the very night it was completed. This<br />
misfortune was taken merely as a sign that the<br />
building had been too grandiose, so a marginally<br />
less magnificent structure was built. One wonders<br />
at the opulence of the original since the present<br />
structure is a dazzling mix of dragons, statues,<br />
paintings, lamps, coloured tiles and carvings.<br />
Kuan Yin Teng Temple right in the centre of the<br />
old part of Georgetown is nowhere near as<br />
impressive, but it's one of the most popular<br />
temples in the city and there are often<br />
worshippers burning paper money at the<br />
furnaces, night-time puppet shows or Chinese<br />
theatre performances. For the best view of the<br />
city and the island, catch the funicular railway up<br />
Penang Hill which rises 830m (2722ft) above<br />
Georgetown and provides cool relief from the<br />
sticky heat below. There are pleasant gardens, a<br />
hotel, a Hindu temple and a mosque at the top.<br />
The view is particularly good at dusk when<br />
Georgetown, far below, begins to light up.<br />
Most of the popular budget hotels in Georgetown<br />
are along Lebuh Chulia. More expensive options<br />
line Jalan Penang. There are plenty of Chinese<br />
and Indian restaurants, but be adventurous and<br />
try the succulent local dishes on offer from the<br />
street stalls, which appear at night along the<br />
Esplanade behind the Penang Library.<br />
Cameron Highlands<br />
The Cameron Highlands, in the centre of<br />
Peninsular <strong>Malaysia</strong>, comprise a series of hill<br />
stations at altitudes between 1500 and 1800m<br />
(4920 and 5904ft). This fertile area is the centre of<br />
<strong>Malaysia</strong>'s tea industry and it's the place where<br />
locals and visitors come to escape the heat of the<br />
plains. Attractions include jungle walks, waterfalls,<br />
tours of tea plantations, beautiful gardens and<br />
plenty of wild flowers. The cool weather tempts<br />
visitors to exertions normally forgotten at sea<br />
level, like golf, tennis, and long walks, but this is<br />
really <strong>Malaysia</strong>'s R 'n' R capital par excellence for<br />
those who don't like the beach and enjoy a bout of<br />
colonial nostalgia. Most of the budget hotels are<br />
in the village of Tanah Rata. The more expensive<br />
options are scattered between Tanah Rata and<br />
Brinchang.<br />
Tioman Island<br />
This picture-postcard island lies off the eastern<br />
coast of Peninsula <strong>Malaysia</strong> in the South China<br />
Sea. It boasts beautiful beaches, clear, coral-filled<br />
water, technicolour marine life, virtually<br />
unpopulated jungle highlands, crystal-clear<br />
streams, and the dramatic peaks of Batu Sirau<br />
and Nenek Semukut. Tioman has been blessed<br />
with exotic place names like 'Palm-Frond Hill' and<br />
'Village of Doubt' and is generally quoted as the<br />
setting for the mythical Bali Hai in the film South<br />
Pacific. The permanent population on Tioman is<br />
low, and locals are usually outnumbered by<br />
tourists. June and August are the peak tourist<br />
months, but during the heavy November to<br />
January monsoon the island is almost deserted.<br />
The island's west coast is dotted with villages and<br />
is home to a classy resort. Pulau Tioman is the<br />
most popular travellers' destination; Kampung<br />
Nipah is the place to go if you really want to get<br />
away from it all. You can get to Tioman by boat<br />
from Mersing and Singapore. The island's largest<br />
village, Kampung Tekek, has an airstrip.<br />
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