Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
13
Peninsular Malaysia:
Kuala Lumpur &
the West Coast
The mor e popular destinations
in Malaysia dot the west coast of the coun-
try's peninsula. If you have little time, you
can stick to this central corridor and still
experience fascinating M alaysian heritage
and gorgeous outdoors without trav eling
too far.
Kuala Lumpur,
the nation's capital, lies
about midway betw een the nor thern bor-
der with Thailand and the tip of the pen-
insula, before you reach Singapore. For a
newcomer, the city 's museums, shopping,
and delicious dining choices make it a
good intr oduction to M alaysia's cultur e.
Kuala Lumpur is a great jumping-off point
for disco vering M alaysia's rainfor ests as
well.
The sleepy town of
Melaka (Malacca),
a 2-hour drive south of the capital city, has
remarkably retained much of its old-world
charm, with evidence of pr evious P ortu-
guese, Dutch, and British colonists mixed
with the cultur es of Arabs, I ndians, and
Chinese who settled and traded her e cen-
turies ago.
Pulau Pangkor,
or Pangkor Island, is a
secluded island hideaway with delicious
tropical r esorts dripping with S outheast
Asian ambience, a mer e half-hour's flight
from Kuala Lumpur.
Farther nor th,
Penang
is perhaps
Malaysia's most popular destination. Once
the seat of B ritish colonial po wer in the
region, Penang still bears signs of its for-
mer inhabitants. G eorgetown, the main
town on the island, bustles with charm—
narrow str eets, old shophouses, places of
worship, and terrific str eet food. I f y ou
stay in P enang's beachfront area, you can
enjoy the stimulating cultur e and a r elax-
ing beach experience.
North of P enang,
Langkawi
has the
greatest collection of stunning beach
resorts. S ituated in the Andaman S ea, it
also has the best waters of all the west-coast
attractions, and watersports to match.
1
KUALA LUMPUR
Kuala Lumpur (or KL, as it is commonly kno wn) is, mor e often than not, a trav eler's
point of entr y to Malaysia. As the capital, it is the most modern and dev eloped city in
the country, with contemporary high-rises and world-class hotels, glitzy shopping malls,
and local and international cuisine.
The city began sometime ar ound 1857 as a small mining boomto wn created by the
Industrial R evolution's hunger for raw materials. F ueled b y tin mining in the nearb y
Klang River Valley, the town grew under the business inter ests of three officials: a local
Malay ruler, a British resident, and a Chinese headman (Kapitan China). The industry
and village attracted Chinese labor ers, Malays from nearby villages, and I ndian immi-
grants who followed the British. As the to wn grew, colonial buildings that housed local
