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Selamat pagi / Good Morning
Selamat tengah hari / Good Afternoon
Selamat Petang / Good Evening
Needless to say, one day is never enough to see and mingle with people in any city in the world.
This is especially true in cities known for their culinary brilliance.
Going to Penang/Malaysia was very important to me. I wanted to see the very land where my dearest friend,
Sharon of A Leaf in Spring Time [1], a woman whom I love and respect highly was born and raised. Although Sharon now lives in Finland and I wouldn’t have seen her there, nonetheless, I wanted to see the nation which produced and was blessed by Sharon’s birth and who she has become.
Well, I’m not done yet. In Kuala Lumpur, there is another lady who also has opened a space in my heart….
Sweet Nat of Bake Slave. Nat offered to put together a little care package for me and bring it to the port. I just could not make her drive 2+ hours round-trip to do so, even though it may have been that one-time chance I may have had to meet her in person.
I am dedicating this post and the next, to these wonderful Ladies with beautiful souls, to celebrate their home country.
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(Click on the links for detailed info on the sites,
and additional interior and incredible photos.)
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, or KL as it is commonly called, is a melting-pot for people of many cultures. Modern skyscrapers jostle with ancient minarets, colorful sikhs’ turbans mingle with black Muslim veils, tranquil English cricket pitches/fields border shopping alleys – all combining to make Southeast Asia’s most beautiful and fascinating city.
Unlike cities that developed without thought of the future, KL was planned from the start. True, in her infant years, she was a wretched town. Of the 87 miner- prospectors, who poled up to where the Klang and Gambok rivers meet, 70 died from fever and tiger attacks the first month. They called the settlement Kuala Lumpur, ‘muddy estuary’. It was an isolated outpost, surrounded by hostile jungle. But the mines produced and the town grew. Building and carving a new city out of the Malay jungle, 100 years ago, was a monumental achievement. KL has become a pleasant, garden city, which has successfully transformed a threatening jungle into 33 public greens of various sizes. It is a city more vibrant and charming today than ever before and a showcase of economic and social development.
Places we drove by with photo stop:
♦ Jamek Mosque: The city’s oldest mosque, built in 1909.
♦ Blue Mosque: The largest Mosque in Southeast Asia, can hold 24,000 worshipers.
♦ Merdeka Square: Home to the royal Selangor Club (site of August 31, 1957 proclamation declaring Malaysia’s independence from Britain).
♦ Petronas Towers: The tallest twin towers in the world.
♦ Istana Negara, Jalan Istana: Official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme King) of Malaysia.
Places we visited:
♦ National Museum: The Malay-style architecture building features a wide range of exhibits on Malaysian history and culture.
♦ National Monument: Heroes that fought against the Communists in the 1960’s. This statue was designed by
Felix de Weldon, the same sculptor who designed the Iwo Jima Memorial in Washington DC. Also, The Cenotaph, commemorates Malaysia’s heroes of WW II.
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State of Penang
‘The Pearl of the Orient’, lying just off the north-west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Penang, in original Malay is Pulan Penang, taking its name from the penang, the betel nut, which grows on palms found all over the island. (For those who might be interested in betel nut chewing, just be aware it makes your teeth black and your lips look bloody.)
Today, the Chinese comprise over half of the half-million population; indigenous Malays account for one-third and Indians 7%. This mixture of races and therefore creeds has created an ethnic kaleidoscope. Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and Christians live close together in reasonable amity, and the visitor is constantly surprised and delighted as he strolls through this microcosm of Asia.
Places we visited:
♦ Georgetown: UNESCO World Heritage Site, perhaps the best-preserved city in Southeast Asia.
It boasts a European-style esplanade and wealth of temples, mosques and Chinese clan houses.
Also, incredible street art murals . Check out more murals → here and here.
♦ Baba Nyonya Mansion / Pinang Pernakan Mansion: A private home belonging to a Chinese Kapitan, which has been lovingly restored.
♦ Wat Chaiyamangkalaram / Reclining Buddha Temple: The 4th-largest reclining Buddha in the world, a gold-covered statue, over 100 feet long.
♦ Kek Lok Si/Temple of Paradise: The largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, has a seven-story pagoda.
♦ Batu Ferringhi: One of Asia’s most beautiful beaches
♦ Fort Cornwallis: A star-shaped fortress, which dates back to 1810.
♦ Butterfly Farm: Opened in 1986, one of Penang’s best known and most popular tourist attractions. The eight-hectare butterfly sanctuary features more than 4,000 butterflies from more than 120 groups as well as other insects and reptiles.
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♦ Batik Factory: Demonstration of traditional art of printing fabric, Malaysian style.
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More on Penang:
[1] The Pearl of the Orient by Sharon of A Leaf in Spring Time
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My dearest Fae, your kind and heartfelt words touched me deeply this morning. Malaysia will always have a special place in my heart. For you to visit my beautiful homeland and to dedicate this post to me and Nat means so very much. May we indeed come to love and embrace this glorious world we live in! With love and blessings, Sharon
Truely, Sharon, we found Malaysia very clean, beautiful and so much fun to explore. Most of all, we loved the people. Definitely, a must destination on everyone’s bucket and culinary list. But to me, I was exploring “your” homeland, a special place. When I saw all the well cared for school children, I would picture you. Yes, we indeed come to love and embrace this glorious world we live in! <3
Hi Fae! Thank you for the lovely mention <3 ! I was disappointed to have missed that small window of opportunity to meet you (and to have passed you a curated box of Malaysian goodies), but was so happy when Radhika said she was hosting you! I hope you make it back to Malaysia soon (and for longer). Penang Island is the food mecca of Malaysia; you can't go wrong there. Here's hoping to meeting you someday! *hugs*
Greetings Darling Nat, So good to see you! Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope I will get the chance to travel to Malaysia again. Yes, I will make a point to see you then. What did you think of my Nasi Lemak? Can I make any improvements? Hugs back at you. <3
I’m finding your series from your trip to be so interesting. I’ve not been to any of the places you are sharing with us.
Hi Karen, I have 3 more posts in the series covering 7 more counties. I hope you’ll enjoy them too.
I want to visit Malaysia and see all the beautiful places and try all the wonderful food. Love this post.
Fantastic post! 😀
Such a fascinating and rich post Fae! My mother spent much time here and loved it immensely. One can see why from you excellent posting!
You sure can pick an itinerary Fae! Do you know the darling Shree of HeartSongs blog? She lives in Kuala Lumpur and it was a thrill to see where she resides ( She is originally from Sri Lanka I beleive) Penang also looks amazing. How was the food? We have some Indonesian / Malayasian places in Philly and I adore the diverse flavors of this region.
Keep posting your trip, I long to see so many of these places myself, but in the meantime…
xx Linda
Thank you, Linda. We did not eat outside in Kuala Lumpur (we ate on the ship). However, we did eat in Penang at a hotel buffet. It was fabulous. I don’t know the name of things we ate. I wanted to go for seconds, but the food was all gone.
Stay tuned, there is 3 more posts in the series. 
What a fantastic post! The pics are amazing – love the butterflies.
Thanks Fae, for dropping by Coffee By The Window. It meant I got to discover your amazing blog!
What a nice travel and post!
What a lovely recap from your lovely Holiday! I love reading & seeing it all, Fae!
xxx
I want that bed!
I’m green with envy, Fae! 😉 What a fantastic trip you had! Before Her Majesty, Stefano and I used to have adventurous trips visiting wonderful places. I guess everything in on hold right now waiting for her to grow up and be able to travel with us.
Oh Darling Francesca, it was the same for me when my son was small. Now I am retired and travel is my reward! 😀 )))
When your daughter finishes her education and becomes a valued member of working society, you are free to travel. Yahoo!
Thank you for sharing Fae, the photo’s that beautiful video and the links to the blogs of your dear friends. How wonderful that this is dedicated to them and to celebrate their home countries. What a fantastic trip you had.
Thank you for the kind comment, Suzanne. Malaysia is a beautiful, clean country with so much to offer, in culture and cuisine.
I am already in love with the place with your description. That’s very sweet if you to dedicate this and further posts to your good friends. The complexities and intricacies of cultures and religions and races, make south east Asia very very exotic. One day, God willing I want to travel to Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Bali, Java and Sumtra islands. Absorbing every inch of goldbe sun, people and food ofcourse :).
Cheers,
Sonal
Thank you, Sonal. God is willing, and it will happen sooner than you think. Just speaking from the experience.
So lovely of you to honour your dear friends! Interesting cities – although KL is quite a while ago for me now. As you ar ea foodie I am so curious to hear where you ate. Ah, the food in Georgetown was just amazing
Thank you, Afra. As a part of our excursion, we had an elaborate buffet lunch at a hotel (not at any of the street kiosks or any small eateries).
Another wonderful post! You really have had an amazing journey haven’t you? X
Thank you for sharing your pictures and video with us
What a wonderful post, Fae! I can see that you really had a good time and I know short time is not enough to explore all the beautiful spots/places in Malaysia.
Thank you for taking us here.
Selamat pagi Fae! Love this post! Hope you had a wonderful time! Farianti
Selamat pagi dear Faraianti. Your country is modern, clean and orderly. We enjoyed it, and food was delicious! 😀 )))
Actually I’m from the neighbouring country Singapore but I love Malaysia and have a lot of family there. You’re right though, the food is superb there!
wonderful post!