Malaysia
A Dream Destination for All

If your idea of a holiday is to spend time in spic and span city, with café-lined, cobbled streets
and no traffic jams, then stop right here. But if you want to feel the pulse of a metropolis
that reflects the essence of a 5,000-year-old nation, then read on.

By: Samaa Abu Sharar *

Malaysia was never a choice among all those I considered for our wedding anniversary or our very belated honeymoon. Seven years into our marriage and my nagging about missing out on our honeymoon never ceased.

After several attempts at making a choice, we finally decided to set for Malaysia, the Asian manifestation of beauty and culture. As I long awaited this dream trip, I was afraid to believe it because we had previously spoken of numerous trips that never materialized. Yet, now my dream was about to come true. In preparation for the set-off, I researched the internet on places to visit, to shop and so on.

Putting away the guilt of leaving behind our six-year-old daughter Meena, we decided to enjoy our trip to the fullest. The long-awaited event started at Rafik Al Hariri International Airport in Beirut where we took off to Doha and on to our dream destination. On the impressively luxurious plane, we had at least eight hours to kill. Since sleeping was unreachable as expected, we made use of the books we always take along on such trips. Besides, the popular American sitcom Friends and some other movie, kept me company for almost the entire trip.

Beautiful Penang
Once at Kuala Lumpur, we struggled at the huge airport to find the counter for our final destination; the beautiful island of Penang—a short trip of almost one hour. Exhausted after almost a day of travel, we were nevertheless ecstatic to finally reach our destination. Malaysia seemed like the end of the world, but we finally made it.

Penang is breathtaking; it is one of the most popular touristic destinations for people from the vast world. The island has much to offer. If you are looking for out-of-this-world scenery, it is there as the greenery is far beyond belief. If you are one of the cultured people, do no worry either, there are lots of heritage and religious sites to visit.

A melting pot
On the Malaysia territory, there co-exists three ethnic groups; the Malays, Chinese and Indians. The Malays who constitute the Muslim majority in the country are a minority in Penang. The architecture of the island speaks of its history as it embraces numerous British colonial buildings, among others, that were influenced by the current existing ethnic structure.

We were lucky to visit several impressive Chinese and Indian temples. At times, they seemed bigger than life, and more colorful than anything I have seen. Indian and Chinese cultures are full of colors—any color you can imagine. We also stopped at China Town and Little India. Such a real experience it was! Their shops and restaurants provoke the feeling of visiting real China and India.

Many visits followed to numerous places, but some of my favorites were to a British fortress by the sea side. At its entrance stand a huge cannon that was once used by the British for defense reasons.

The Penang Butterfly Farm is another favorite stop of mine. The brochure describes the farm as the world’s first tropical live butterfly sanctuary. As soon as you step into the garden, you are surrounded by all kinds of butterflies that hover all over you; some rest on your arm or shoulder; it’s an amazing sight and experience.

It’s Monkey Business
Since we arrived at Penang, we were constantly advised to visit one of the surrounding islands, particularly Langkawi and the Monkey Island. Langkawi was tempting, but since we had limited time, we opted for the Monkey Island as the boat trip was much shorter. The breathtaking mélange of the sea surrounded by green mountains is picturesque. Each couple or family visiting the island is given a spot, making you feel you’re the only one there. My husband and I were desperately waiting for any monkey to make an appearance, and almost lost hope before we were pleasantly surprised by one chimp taking shelter in one of the many huge trees.

Despite our numerous visits, my absolute favorite was the flea market by the hotel. Every night, I ventured along what seemed an endless variety market, at least to me. The trick was to bargain prices because they go down steeply as you haggle. I chose the items while my husband did the bargaining, proving to be a skilled negotiator as most of our souvenirs were bought there.

Kuala Lumpur Next!
Reluctantly we said our good byes to Penang and embraced Kuala Lumpur, our next and last destination, before heading home. Kula Lumpur reminded me of New York. Impressive skyscrapers are what strikingly catch the eye when you first arrive at the Malaysian capital.

Heavy rain, typical of tropical weather, got in our way during our first night at Kuala Lumpur. Our “Kuala Lumpur by Night” tour was cancelled and we ended up at the hotel having dinner but reminiscing over the beauty of Penang. We woke up the next morning hoping the weather will not get in our way yet again and after a quick breakfast, we hopped into a bus with other visitors on a city tour that was short, yet it introduced us to the delightful capital and its numerous attractions. Our visit included the Petronas Twin Tours, the King’s Palace, the National Museum and others. The Twin Towers, which were the world’s tallest, before being surpassed by the Taipei 101 in Taiwan, are still striking. They remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

At the impressive King’s Palace, we learnt the king was elected to a five-year term of office among the nine hereditary Sultans of the Malay states; the other four states, which have titular governors, do not participate in the selection. Besides these visits, we were escorted to a textile factory where we were given a demonstration of the art of drawing on fabric. A chocolate factory was another stop that everyone enjoyed. We tasted many different kinds of chocolate and bought much.

Lavish and Tolerance
Kuala Lumpur is packed with huge tempting malls from the very lavish to the more modest. We did so much shopping as everything there was totally tempting! Here, I have to suggest a visit to the boisterous open-air bazaar at the cant-be-missed China Town. Any brand imitation you can think of is there and you may bargain your head off.

Malaysia is a rich mixture of culture and modernity. Its people are extremely friendly and courteous. Their acceptance of each other’s distinct cultures makes it easy for them to accept everybody else. Malaysia’s affordable prices make it a very attractive destination for tourists of all budgets. Arab tourists from the Gulf and the Middle East are everywhere in Malaysia.

As a foreigner, you cannot but admire Malaysians for the distinguished status they granted their country in a multi-cultural continent, Asia. I believe we can all learn something from this country, which succeeded in harmoniously integrating rich, yet so different cultures with modernity. And at the end, my seven years of nagging paid off with this dream voyage!