Malaysia Jan. 20- Jan. 24, 2004 [Malaysia Gallery] [Back to Photo Page]

Malaysia is a country with a mix of people from many races and cultures: Malays represented the majority which makes Islam the national religion, and Malay the national language; Chinese (~35%) firmly dominated business and trade, and most are Tao Buddhist and retain strong ties to their ancestral homeland; Indians (~10%) had been visiting Malaysia for over 2000 years, but did not settle en masse until the 19th century. It is also a country mixed with different traditions and modern worlds like many other developing countries in Asia. Malaysia enjoys tropical climate with warm and balmy weather all year round with temperatures range from 21C to 32C.

Getting there ...

We missed our family trip to Thailand last year. This year I had a chance to go back to Taiwan on a business trip during Chinese New Year so we can join my family to go to Malaysia. The focus of the trip was (of course) for kids to play and have fun, and we were also going to a resort island (Pangkor Laut) which was selected as "The Top Ten Honeymoon Destinations in the World".

[Day 1/2] [Day 3/4/5]

The First Day ...

• Melaka
  Our first stop was Melaka, about 150 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur. Melaka was founded by Parameswara (or Raja Iskandar) the last Malay ruler of Temasik (ancient Singapore) in 1396. In 1511, it fell to the hands of the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch in 1641 after a fierce battle. In 1795, Melaka was given to the British to prevent it falling to the French when the Netherlands was captured during the Napoleonic Wars. It was returned to the Dutch in 1818 under the treaty of Vienna but was later exchanged by the British for Bangkahulu, Sumatra. From 1826 onwards, the British East India Company along with Singapore and Penang governed it, under the Straits Settlement administration in Calcutta. Its history is so complicated that I would never be able to remember it.

• Cheng Hoon Teng Temple (the oldest Chinese temple in Malaysia)

• Christ Church
  Standing exactly as it has always been since 1753, the church is testimony to Dutch's architectural ingenuity. Our tour guide arranged us to take the tricycle ride around the area which was kind of boring although their tricycles were decorated oddly.

 

 

• A'Famosa
  Built by the Portuguese in 1511 as a fortress it sustained severe structural damage during the Dutch Invasion. The British had set to destroy it but timely intervention by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1808 saved what remains of A' Famosa today.

The Second Day ...

• A'Famosa Animal World Safari
  

  A'Famosa resort is a wild animal park with many different animal shows including elephant show, bird show, multi-animal show, and cowboy show (which we did not see because we only stay till noon). There are also many small/gentle animals like rabbits, parrots, camels, etc. which you can feed. The most exciting activity was that you can feed elephants with bananas and sugar canes. Linus and I got on an elephant ride which was also an interesting experience.

• Kuala Lumpur
  More than any other spot in the country, Kuala Lumpur, or "KL" as it is commonly known, is the focal point of new Malaysia. Unfortunately, we only had one afternoon staying in KL and did not have anytime to tour around the city this time.

• Royal Palace
  Under the constitution of Malaysia, the position of king is rotated among the heads of the royal families of nine states every five years. We had a brief stop at the palace to peek from outside.

 

• Regent Hotel
  We checked in the Regent Hotel in the downtown area in the late afternoon. Linus and Iris could not wait to go to swim. They played in the small pool till we had to go to dinner.

• Petronas Towers
  With a height of 1,453 feet, the world's tallest twin buildings now rise above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur (the highest building title is taken by Taipei 101 in 2003). They are called the Petronas Towers, and, inevitably, they have become the symbols for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades. We passed by the towers after dinner but I was not very satisfied because I didn't have my big camera/tripod with me. After we went back to hotel, I persuaded Woanyu and kids to walk with me to the Petronas Towers. It's about 20 min walk through busy commercial areas. Linus and Iris liked to play in the fountain in front of the tower becuase it was such a hot day. We were too close to get a good shot of the building since it is so tall. On the way back, we decided to take the rapid transit to save some walk.

[Day 1/2] [Day 3/4/5]

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