Other sights in Malaysia
-
Bako National Park
Bako National Park proves that you don’t have to go too far to find Borneo’s signature jungles stuffed to the treetops with wildlife. Sarawak’s oldest national park is a 27-sq-km natural sanctuary located on a jagged jade peninsula jutting out into the South China Sea. Although it’s only a stone’s throw from the capital, it’s well worth spending the night here.
reviewed
-
A
Petronas Towers
Anchoring the huge Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) urban development (with a park, convention and shopping centre and world-class concert hall) are the iconic Petronas Towers. A visit to KL just isn’t complete unless you’ve been here.
reviewed
-
Mari Mari Cultural Village
Located about 25 minutes outside of the city centre, the Mari Mari Cultural Village is the most interactive centre of its kind in all of Borneo. Visitors are taken on a three-hour show/tour (beginning at 10am, 3pm and 7pm), which winds through the jungle passing various tribal dwellings along the way. At each stop, tourists learn about the indigenous way of life, and can try their hand at a variety of interesting (and fun) activities, like traditional bamboo cooking, rice-wine making (and drinking!), fire starting, tattooing, blowpipe shooting etc. But the most fascinating part of the tour is little tribal titbits offered by your guide. For example, in the Dusun tribe, an…
reviewed
-
B
Tua Pek Kong
The name is ostensibly Tua Pek Kong, but this recently renovated structure, resplendent in red and gold and with polished black columns, has quite a few more aliases: Hock Teik Cheng Sin, Poh Hock Seah, Hokkien Kongsi and Tong Kheng Seah, among others. What’s with all the names? Well, besides serving as a temple and assembly hall, this building has also been the registered headquarters of several secret societies (Aside: secret societies register their headquarters? Really? With who?). Each society occupied a different portion of the temple, which became a focal point during the 1867 riots/war between societies. The fighting got so intense a secret passage was built betwe…
reviewed
-
Kota Mahsuri
Back around 1819 (the date is debated), the Malay princess Mahsuri was unjustly accused of adultery and executed by stabbing. With her dying breath she cursed Langkawi with seven generations of bad luck and expired, supposedly bleeding white blood, a sign of her innocence. Not long after, the Siamese invaded the island, and some 160 years later, in 1987 (that’s about seven generations) Langkawi took off as a tourism destination. That’s the story anyways, and its been commemorated by Kota Mahsuri, a historical complex that includes Mahsuri’s Shrine (a fenced-in slab of white stone) as well as a re-creation of a traditional house, a theatre, a ‘diorama museum’ and some …
reviewed
-
Temple of the Reclining Buddha
The Temple of the Reclining Buddha is a typically Thai temple with its sharp-eaved roofs and ceiling accents; inside it houses a 33m-long reclining Buddha draped in a gold-leafed saffron robe. The icon represents the Buddha’s attainment of nirvana and peaceful passage from this existence, although the claim that it’s the third-longest reclining Buddha in the world is dubious. The symbols on the Buddha’s feet represent the marks of a true Buddha (a title that means ‘enlightened one’ as opposed to a name). Also note the entrance and exit; the former is set off by a Naga, a Southeast Asian water dragon, while the latter is marked by a Chinese dragon, the East Asian equivalen…
reviewed
-
8 Hereen Street
Run by the Heritage Trust of Malaysia, this 18th-century Dutch period residential house was restored as a model conservation project. The friendly host will show you around and describe what era each style of the building came from (some as far back as the Portuguese occupation) and what life would have been like inside its walls over the centuries. The project was partially chronicled by Lim Huck Chin and Fernando Jorge in their beautifully designed coffee-table book Voices from the Street, which is for sale at the house along with other titles on historical Melaka. You can also pick up an Endangered Trades: A Walking Tour of Malacca’s Living Heritage (RM5) booklet and…
reviewed
-
Cultural village
In the small town of Penampang, about 13km south of KK, this high-quality Kadazan-Dusun cultural village on the banks of Sungai Moyog is named after a legendary warrior and headhunter, whose direct descendants established this private heritage centre in 1996. The hefty entrance fee includes a tour, a dance performance and several activities (similar to Mari Mari). The highlight is the House of Skulls, which supposedly contains the ancient crania of Monsopiad’s unfortunate enemies, as well as artefacts illustrating native rituals from the time when the bobolian (priest) was the most important figure in the community.
reviewed
-
Boh Sungai Palas Tea Estate
The Boh Sungai Palas Tea Estate is up in the hills north of Brinchang, off the road to Gunung Brinchang. The approach road leads past worker housing and a Hindu temple (tea pickers are predominantly Indian) to the modern visitor centre, where you can watch a video on the history of the estate. There’s also a gift shop selling every version of Boh tea you can imagine and a pleasant cafe where you can sip tea while looking out over the lush plantations below. Free 15-minute tours showing the tea-making process are conducted during opening hours. Wait for a staff member to collect you from the visitor centre.
reviewed
-
Botanical Gardens
The 30-hectare Botanical Gardens are also known as the Waterfall Gardens, after the stream that cascades down from Penang Hill. They’ve also been dubbed the Monkey Gardens for the many long-tailed macaques that scamper around (they’ve taken over the well-executed website as well). Don’t be tempted to feed them; monkeys do bite, and there’s a RM500 fine if you’re caught. Within the grounds are an orchid house, palm house, bromeliad house, cactus garden and numerous tropical trees, all labelled in English. A path leads to the top of Penang Hill.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
C
Lebuh Armenia
Although this street is named for Penang's Armenian population (such as the famous Sarkies who established the Eastern & Oriental Hotel), there's no evidence that any Armenians actually ever lived here. In the early 1800s the street was known as Malay Lane from a kampung settlement here, and later the Chinese named it pak thang-ah kay (copper worker's street) because this is where brass- and copperwares were sold.
It later became a centre for Chinese secret societies and was one of the main fighting stages of the 1867 Penang riots.
reviewed
-
Penang War Museum
Heading west of Batu Maung on the road to Teluk Kumbar, you’ll soon come upon the Penang War Museum, perched on top of the steep Bukit Batu Maung. The former British fort, built in the 1930s, was used as a prison and torture camp by the Japanese during WWII. Today, the crumbling buildings have been restored as a memorial to those dark days. Barracks, ammunition stores, cookhouses, gun emplacements and other structures can be explored in this eerie, atmospheric place, and there are information boards in English all over the site.
reviewed
-
Fort Sylvia
Fort Sylvia was built as Fort Kapit in 1880 to keep the peace and gain control of the upper Rejang. In 1925 the fort was renamed to honour Ranee Sylvia, wife of the third raja, Charles Vyner Brooke. The belian (ironwood) timbers have lasted amazingly well, even after massive flooding in 1934 almost reached the top of the doorway! In 1997 the fort was declared a historical building, and the Tun Jugah Foundation now runs it as a museum and a training centre for artisans, weavers and artists in the Kapit District.
reviewed
-
Kek Lok Tong
To get off the beaten path, you can visit the small and serene Kek Lok Tong. At the cave temple’s entrance, climb up to the Three Sages in the central cavern. At the back is a fat Chinese Buddha of Future Happiness sitting in the company of three other Bodhisattvas. Behind the cave is an ornamental garden with ponds and pagodas. To reach here, from Sam Poh Tong backtrack to the T-junction and turn right. Go on for 15 minutes, then turn right again before the first traffic light and follow the signs for Kek Lok Tong.
reviewed
-
Kek Lok Si Temple
The ‘Temple of Supreme Bliss’ is also the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia and one of the most recognisable buildings in the country, in its way as much a part of the national iconography as the Petronas Towers and the orang-utan. Built by an immigrant Chinese Buddhist in 1890, Kek Lok Si is a cornerstone of the Malay-Chinese community, who provided the funding for its two-decade long construction (and ongoing additions). The temple both stands atop and is carved into the slope of Air Itam, near Penang Hill.
reviewed
-
D
Loke Mansion
Rescued from the brink of dereliction by the law firm Cheang & Ariff, Loke Mansion was once the home of self-made tin tycoon Loke Yew, although the original part of the structure was built in the 1860s by another rich merchant Cheow Ah Yeok. The Japanese high command also set up base here in 1942. After years of neglect, the mansion has been beautifully restored; it’s possible to gain access by appointment only, although there’s nothing to stop you walking by and admiring the whitewashed exterior.
reviewed
-
E
Masjid Kampung Hulu
The oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia, this was commissioned by the Dutch in 1728. The Portuguese had destroyed all non-Christian establishments during their occupation, but the Dutch had different colonisation tactics and decided to help the locals rebuild their places of worship instead. The resulting mosque is made up of predominantly Javanese architecture with a multitiered roof; at the time of construction, domes and minarets had not yet come into fashion.
reviewed
-
Air Hangat Village
This village is towards the north of the island, not far from the turn-off to Tanjung Rhu, and is known for its hot springs. Apart from watching the water gush along artificial channels and buying souvenirs, there’s not much to do, although ‘cultural shows’ take place occasionally – contact the tourist office to see if anything is lined up. As with so many places on Langkawi, the springs are associated with an intriguing legend.
reviewed
-
Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park
Just west of Kota Kinabalu, the five islands of Manukan, Gaya, Sapi, Mamutik and Sulug and the reefs in between make up the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, covering a total area of just over 49 sq km. Only a short boat ride from the Kota Kinabalu city centre, they have some nice beaches and the water in the outer areas is usually clear, offering ideal day-trip material for anyone wanting to escape the city and unwind.
reviewed
-
F
Acheen Street Mosque
If you’re entranced by the call to prayer wafting over the short walk from Khoo Kongsi, the Malay Acheen Street Mosque is unusual for its Egyptian-style minaret (most Malay mosques have Moorish minarets). Built in 1808 by a wealthy Arab trader, the mosque was the focal point for the Malay and Arab traders in this quarter – the oldest Malay kampung (village) in Georgetown. Only Muslims can enter the mosque.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Laman Padi
At the northern end opposite Casa del Mar hotel is Laman Padi, an ‘ecotourism’ complex with picturesque rice paddies populated by water buffaloes and ducks. There’s also a museum dedicated to rice cultivation, some restaurants, a post office and Nawa Sari Spa, where you can contently watch rice paddies sway under the breeze while you’re pummelled and oiled by Thai masseurs (massages RM45 to RM100).
reviewed
-
G
Penang Gelugpa Buddhist Association
This small Buddhist Temple, next to Loo Pun Hong, isn’t particularly impressive compared to Penang’s other religious buildings. But it is unique for being the major representative structure of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) school of Buddhism. The Yellow Hats are a Tibetan order, and as such there are some beautiful Tibetan wall hangings in this temple that you’d be hard-pressed to find outside of a museum.
reviewed
-
H
Sri Mahamariamman Temple
This large and ornate South Indian Hindu temple, dating from 1873, houses a large silver chariot that’s paraded to the Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in January or February each year. Its polychromatic, deity-clad gopurum (entrance gate) was under wraps for renovations at the time of research, so it should be looking even more dazzling than ever when you show up.
reviewed
-
I
Maritime Museum
Housed in a huge re-creation of the Flora de la Mar, a Portuguese ship that sank off the coast of Melaka, the Maritime Museum merits a visit. Clamber up for a detailed examination of Melaka’s history via faded and dated props. The museum continues in the building next door with more absorbing exhibits featuring local vessels plus an assortment of nautical devices.
reviewed
-
Galeria Perdana
If you’ve been wondering what to get former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad for his birthday, you could see what everyone else bought at Galeria Perdana. Established by Mahathir himself, the museum displays the sort of weird gifts that get passed between foreign nations and heads of state (F-1 racers, Ming vases painted with Mahathir’s face – that sort of thing).
reviewed
