Malaysia summary
Malaysia appropriately celebrates its multiethnic character. It’s a lively melting pot of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures. Georgetown and Malaka were particularly interesting in this respect, especially their food dishes. Both have recently been recognized as World Heritage Sites to reflect their history and uniqueness.
Tioman Island was a special treat. The Cameron Highlands were refreshingly cool and picturesque with the tea plantations.
seAsia Summary
I visited peninsular Asia during January and February 2009. I spent a week in Singapore, four weeks in Thailand and three weeks in Malaysia. The weather was uniformly hot (35C/95F). I alternated between touring cities and visiting island beaches.
Route: I flew into Singapore (US to Tokyo to Singapore) and spent a week recuperating from the flight, eating good food and visiting museums. Singapore is neat, clean, easy to get around and very organized.
From there, I flew to Bangkok and visited a friend from college days. He was kind enough to show me around Bangkok and provide a tour of western Read more
Pulau Pangkor
Malaysia is famous for its islands on the east coast, but it is northeast monsoon season now. Pangkor is on the west coast, so it is unaffected. It is a small, sleepy place where fishing is more important than tourism. I spent several days at Nipah Beach swimming, snorkeling, kayaking and hiking. The place was empty and quiet. Aside from a limited choice of restaurants, it was a wonderful place to relax.
Unfortunately, a monkey took my camera. It was in a Read more
Malaysia
During the late 18th and 19th centuries, Great Britain established colonies and protectorates in the area of current Malaysia; these were occupied by Japan from 1942 to 1945. In 1948, the British-ruled territories on the Malay Peninsula formed the Federation of Malaya, which became independent in 1957. Malaysia was formed in 1963 when the former British colonies of Singapore and the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak on the northern coast of Borneo joined the Federation. The first several years of the country’s history were marred by a Communist insurgency, Indonesian confrontation with Malaysia, Philippine claims to Sabah, and Singapore’s secession from the Federation in 1965. During the 22-year term of Prime Minister MAHATHIR bin Mohamad (1981-2003), Malaysia was successful in diversifying its economy from dependence on exports of raw materials to expansion in manufacturing, services, and tourism.
