I have heard from many people that Malaysia is the place to go for amazing food. And I must say, I was not one bit disappointed. Malaysia also has fabulously friendly people, vibrant cities, great scuba diving and, though I have not yet had the time to check it out, fascinating jungles.
CITIES/PLACES VISITED IN MALAYSIA : Kuala Lumpur, Sipadan / Mabul, Penang (Dec 2017), Melaka City (Dec 2017), Ipoh (Dec 2017).
In Penang, Chulia Mansion was an excellent place to stay - very central, great gourmet breakfasts and good wifi. It's not a mansion though. ;c)
MALAYSIAN SAYINGS
Terima Kasi (Teh-ree-mah Kah-see) : Thanks
Sanga Sedap (Sahng-gah seh-dap) : Delicious
FAVOURITE FOODS / DRINKS IN MALAYSIA
Satay Celup - A delicious satay hot pot / fondue experience with skewers of everything. So good!
Cham, a crazy Malaysian coffee drink made of coffee, condensed milk and tea?!! Actually quite tasty to me. Gives it a nice flavour twist.
Chilli pan Mee in KL from Restauran Kin Kin (no imitators!)
Rat tail noodles - Strange noodles that look almost worm like. Very odd indeed! And very slippery too.
Fresh raw waterchestnuts - so good!
Ipoh chicken rice with the plumpiest soybeans you have ever seen!
Yam abacus seeds - I nicknamed these chinese gnocchi. Delish!
Salted egg yolk dumpling (custard-like)
Nutmeg & pineapple juice from the Tropical fruit farm in Penang
Miracle fruit (actually from south africa, but was able to try it at the Tropical fruit farm in Penang) - Changes your tastebuds so everything is sweeter!
Dinning in the Dark in Kuala Lumpur - A dinner experience that is 100% in the dark.
BEST MEMORIES FROM MALAYSIA
Maleka City's Oceanarium - Magic vacuum aquarium. Can put your hand through it's side, into the water amongst the fish.
Ipoh mountains - very pretty
Penang mudpuppies at the clan jetties - so cute to see them hoping around in the mud!
Tropical fruit farm
Learning to make chapati in exchange for a ginger carrot soup recipe at Food Tourism House.
Love the inset walkway with the rounded alcoves
So much ethnic and religious diversity within an area story about how the Indian temple had a party, needed more room so they borrowed the Chinese temple space. Houses around were muslims but seemed fine with the noise.
Best times to walk around is the morning. It's cool and traffic is at an all time low.
Grab app (fixed fare!) and Uber are much cheaper than taxis
Anti bullying messages on the radio - Go Malaysia
Not much honking in traffic which is awesome!
Very friendly and helpful people
FUNNY OR STRANGE OBSERVATIONS FROM MALAYSIA
Every plate of food I ordered had a bit of sauce or noodle splayed out on the edge.
Shopping is creepy - sales staff always follow you around the store, never further than a meter away. Very stalky experience!
Opening hours are totally varied from place. Thank god for google maps and their associated opening hours info
Always carry Kleenex or napkins. You never get any napkins with food. You always have to ask. Even in restaurants. Also good for emergency pit stops.
Stinky durian is everywhere... custard tarts, coffee. Malaysian durian is stronger flavoured than in Thailand but it lasts only a couple of days (it last for over a week in Thailand).
In food courts, they always have some random person ask you if you want a drink long after you've ordered, sometimes while eating. I think there's a separate drinks person from the people who sell you meanls.
Random holes in the sidewalk which are usually either a very narrow sidebar, or a series of coarsely set up tiles overtop deep drain ditches. Often some of the tiles are either broken or missing. You can also sometimes smell the sewers as you walk around the city. Ick.
