Cruisin' in Malaysia

Many places are worth stopping in along the way, but be sure to check out Melaka or Malacca - once the most important city in the region, now a sleepy town with an unique blend of portugese, dutch, english colonial, chinese and malay architecture. Further up north, Kuala Lumpur deserves an entire chapter to itself. Ipoh is an old mining town, not much to look at, but home to Ipoh style chicken rice and a few magnificent temples set in rock caves. The last, long stop on your route should definitely be the island of Penang and Georgetown - a picturesque, old colonial city, now a relaxed, lively city.

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Excellent four-star seaside hotel at the northern end of Georgetown. The rooms are spotless and luxurious. The city center is not very far away, unless you're a lazy person, in which case you'll probably grab a cab anyway.

The views from the sea-facing rooms are great and the local restaurant offers good variety of meals. Prices, at around 120-150 RM per room (ask for special deals or discounts), are quite reasonable.

A small street stall, serving chendol and ais kacang, sweet Malaysian specialties based on shaved ice, coconut milk, green jelly, and teo chew red beans. Famous throughout Malaysia, this chendol stall attracts hordes of locals and visitors alike, eager to quench their thirst in the mid-day heat. The chendol here is simply excellent. Definitely worth visiting, and not just once!

A fascinating place of narrow, twisting streets, ancient temples and shophouses. Jonker Street, just across the bridge from Town Square, takes you into the heart of Chinatown. Packed with antique shops with an occassional temple or restaurant squeezed in for good measure, the place is bustling with life and a good spot for a bit of shopping, a quick snack or just wide-eyed exploration.

Several beautiful temples are located in this area - the Chen Hoon Teng temple is the oldest surviving chinese temple in Malaysia and is kept in the usual colorful and ornate style. Not to be outdone, the Kampung Hulu mosque is described as the oldest mosque in Malaysia. If you want ancient, Melaka is apparently your place.

A funky place for your souvenir shopping is "Orangutan", a small art shop run by a local artist Charles Cham, offering original print t-shirts, paintings etc.

Speeding north on the west-coast highway, you're bound to encounter city signs for Ipoh, the main tin mining city in Malaysia, altough much less so nowadays. Many a successful miner has made his fortune here, and signs of prosperity can be found throughout the city.

Except for old-time colonial buildings and chinese mansions, Ipoh's most interesting feature lies in its cave temples. Set in the limestone hills surrounding the city, the caves have been a target of worshippers for centuries and many have been converted to temples, spectacular for both their natural and man-made beauty.

A prime example of such is the Sam Poh Tong Temple, a buddhist place of worship just south of town. The colorful gardens outside provide a tranquil resting place. The caves lead into a natural courtyard, with a large pond, where myriads of turtles crane their necks up toward oggling tourists, in eternal expectation of a quick snack. A crowd of sellers outside the temple can provide you with greenery suitable to a turtle diet.

Hungry stomachs can find nourishment at a small vegetarian restaurant, but for a real taste explosion, pick up some local fruits at the small market a few steps from the temple. The locally grown pomellos (a citrus fruit the size of a small melon) will provide you with refreshment for half your remaining journey--and enough sticky juice to cover half your car!