Some say that Malaysia is a bit boring because travelling is so easy. The infrastructure is like in a Western country, transport is comfortable and punctual and everybody speaks English. Generally spoken, Malaysia is a lot more advanced than its neighbours in Southeast Asia (except Singapore). But boring? I know there are travellers who need their daily dose of unreliable and uncomfortable transport, chaotic street life, etc but I would definitely not call this country boring. It’s the most multicultural country I have ever been to with a rich mix of nationalities and religions. Although dominated by Islam, there are also large communities of Hindus, Buddhists and Christians. The population is composed by Malayans, Chinese, Indians, Westerners and many others. This is the main reason for its fabulous cuisine. Unfortunately there are very high taxes on alcohol which turn the evening beer into a luxury.
I decided to go first to Melaka instead of Kuala Lumpur. The airport lies between the two cities, so it made more sense to go first to Melaka and then to Kuala Lumpur. Melaka is a city full of history. First conquered by the Portuguese, it was then taken by the Dutch and finally by the British before Malaysia gained independence in 1957. There are still various monuments and buildings from the different periods.
I found a very nice guest house with large common areas and a roof-top terrace. The staff is really cool, they organise a bike tour every evening to different markets and eateries. Some of the other guests stay here for longer; it’s really like a big family! The bike is the perfect means of transport as Melaka is not very big and because it’s flat. The biggest surprise for me was the climate. I expected unbearable heat and humidity but it’s really enjoyable. The temperatures are moderate, between 22°C and 32°C and there is always a nice wind blowing from the sea. All other places I have been to at similar latitudes were a lot worse (Melaka is only 240 km north of the equator). I didn’t witness yet one of the torrential rainfalls which occur quite often. It sometimes seemed as if it was about to rain with dark thunderclouds appearing but then there were only some few drops.
Yesterday I did a little bike tour around the city. Although not very exciting, I also went to the sea front to have a look at the Strait of Melaka and the ships passing by. The Strait of Melaka is one of the busiest shipways in the world, chokepoint for all ships operating between Europe and the Far East but Melaka’s harbour is not playing a major role any more; it has been replaced by Singapore.
Tomorrow I will go to Kuala Lumpur and continue my culinary journey!
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