Lonely Planet: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang
Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang are fragrant melanges of Chinese, Indian and Malay culture, and whether you want to sample them via tasty street stalls, historic temples or space-age shopping malls, you'll leave hungry for more.Get a taste for these three exotic cities with this extract from Lonely Planet’s Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang guide.
The story of Peninsular Malaysia is painted large in the historic cities of Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang. Many of the pivotal events in Malaysian history – the first Chinese settlements, the rise of the Melaka sultans, the arrival of the British, the declaration of Malaysian independence in 1957 – took place in these three fascinating cities. Here, the stories of Malaysia’s diverse ethnic groups and colonial empires are intertwined – South Indian cooks serve fiery curries from the doorways of Sino-Portuguese houses built as part of trade deals between European powers and the sultans of Melaka. The diversity of the peninsula is perhaps Malaysia’s biggest drawcard – this is not one country but three, the best of Malay, Indian and Chinese culture united under one flag.
From a visitor’s perspective, Malaysia continues to more than satisfy the tourism department slogan: Malaysia, Truly Asia. Kuala Lumpur is the same captivating theme park of historic monuments and city-sized shopping malls; Penang remains a fascinating hodgepodge of British-era monuments and Chinese temples; and Melaka is the museum of Malaysia, preserving not just the buildings but the culture of the diverse groups who helped found the nation. Factor in some of the best food and retail therapy in Southeast Asia and there’s only one question left: what are you waiting for?
This is an edited extract from Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang 1st Edition, by Joe Bindloss and Celeste Brash © Lonely Planet Publications, 2008. $32.95.
