7 days exploring the rich food and culture of Malaysia

01.09.2023 - 17:03 / lonelyplanet.com / Art

No country in Asia, and possibly the world, is such a kaleidoscope of as Malaysia.

The main puzzle of Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities living in the Peninsula is completed by 18 aboriginal groups, the orang asli. Across the sea in Borneo, there are more than sixty different ethnic groups in both Sarawak and Sabah.

This dazzling, explosive melting pot shaped Malaysia’s rich culture, pioneered its labyrinthine mash-up of cuisines, and coexisted in its unique blend of architecture. It’s impossible to experience all Malaysia offers in just one week – but with these insider suggestions, you’ll get deeper than most.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site and the first British colonial settlement in Southeast Asia, George Town on Penang Island is the poster boy of Malaysia’s diversity. Start in Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, also known as “Harmony Street,” where the regal profile of the namesake black-domed mosque stands yards away from a pantheon of Hindu gods etched on the gopuram of the Sri Mahamariamman temple. Further up, devotees light joss sticks for Goddess of Mercy Kwan Yin at her dedicated shrine.

Just behind it, pre-war Sino-Portuguese shophouses rub corners with hip cafes and bistros in a grid of heritage lanes etched with the colorful mural art that, since 2012, kickstarted the rise of a cohesive art scene. Hin Bus Depot and COEX@Kilang Besi in Jalan Gurdwara host rotating exhibits and events with local artists and creatives. For literary events, check out Hikayat on Beach Street.

Food-wise, Penang is well-known around the world: a plate of local nasi kandar (a blend of rice and fiery curries originally served out of the jars that Indian Muslim traders carried with a pole over their shoulders) is a local specialty as much as the tangy Penang Laksa and Hokkien Mee – Penang’s variety is served in prawn soup, not dry with dark soy sauce, like in the rest of Peninsular Malaysia.

In the afternoon, take the funicular train up 2,900-foot-high Penang Hill, the first hill station founded by the British in 1788 Malaya and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve since 2021. Descend and enjoy more views from the pavilions of nearby Kek Lok Si, one of Southeast Asia’s largest Buddhist temple complexes, before hunting for more hawker food at New Lane Hawker Center or splurging on a Peranakan (mixed Malay-Chinese heritage) dinner in George Town.

Trains connect Butterworth on Penang state’s mainland to Taiping, the former colonial capital of Perak state from 1875 to 1937. Set at the foot of Maxwell Hill – where the newly opened Maxwell Base Camp has a campsite and guided forest hikes to the Renting waterfall and the mist-shrouded bungalows scattered atop this 4,100-foot-tall peak – Taiping was voted the world’s third most sustainable