SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN MALAY / UNTUK BAHASA MELAYU, SILA BACA DI BAWAH

In Kuala Lumpur, while towering skyscrapers, shopping malls and the golden glove of international finance may not be prime draws for many travellers in search of the ‘real’ Malaysia, a small scratch beneath its surface reveals an immense amount of cultural diversity and places full of interesting experience. With a little careful attention, the buzz of the city can be found in its throbbing street markets and the clamour of languages; its ease in whiffs of temple incense and catnaps in the shade of the central park.

The Kuala Lumpur skyline is unmistakable, towered over by the Petronas Twin Towers, the city's most prominent landmark

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Posted under General, Malaysia, new local connections, whl.travel news

SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN MALAY / UNTUK BAHASA MELAYU, SILA BACA DI BAWAH

Kuching is capital of the East Malaysian state of Sarawak and, as the fourth largest metropolis in Malaysia, is the most developed and populous area on the island of Borneo. Kuching often goes by the name ‘Cat City’, a nickname the precise origins of which have been lost in the mists of time, although the word kuching means ‘cat’ in Malay. The residents of this vibrant city have nevertheless warmed to the moniker and numerous statues of felines can be spotted in and around the town – along with a great many live cats.

The Sarawak River is the focal point of the Kuching, dividing its north from its south and eventually spilling into the South China Sea

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Posted under General, Malaysia, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

SEE BELOW FOR THIS MESSAGE IN MALAY / UNTUK BAHASA MELAYU, SILA BACA DI BAWAH

Although known as the birthplace of Malaysia’s petroleum industry – and still reliant on oil as a leading source of income – the coastal town of Miri, in northern Sarawak on the island of Borneo, is today so much more than an oil and timber town and site of national monuments like the Grand Old Lady,  or Oil Well No. 1, drilled way back in 1910.

The Grand Old Lady - Malaysia's first oil well was erected in 1910 and is now a state monument

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Posted under Malaysia, countries, new local connections, whl.travel news

Wild Asia is a young, Malaysia-based organisation helping to lead the charge for nature conservation and ‘green’ business practices in Southeast Asia. Established in 2003, it is a social enterprise sensitive to the connections between natural areas and communities reliant upon them. Fundamental to its growth has been the equally sociable building of partnerships with businesses that share similar social and environmental sensitivities.

Put succinctly on the Wild Asia website: “Our ultimate goal is to promote sustainable practices that will minimise adverse impacts on the environment, ensure that local communities are engaged and that local cultures are respected.”

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Posted under General, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel newsletter

Chinatown is often the area for budget accommodation and an intriguing cultural experience in its own right. But remember that it doesn’t represent the entire city.

By Stephen Chapman

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Zainald grills his halal satay in Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown. Photo © Stephen Chapman

Most people are familiar with a Chinatown, often the location of cheap eats and sleeps and hives of activity day and night. I recently returned to Kuala Lumpur (capital city of Malaysia) and was granted a fascinating perspective from the point of view of a Malay and it emphasised something extremely important.

Whether it’s based on a desire to rough it and to get under the skin of a place, or on Chinatown being known as a backpacker hangout, many travellers gravitate there. When you use Chinatown as a base from which to explore, particularly in Asia, there is a tendency to believe that it is in some way representative of the culture and character of the city within which it’s based, and for Kuala Lumpur and many other cities around the world this is far from the truth. It is no more representative of a city in Asia than it is of San Francisco, New York or London. There is no denying its value and influence, particularly on Kuala Lumpur, but it is only a small piece of the cultural jigsaw that makes up a city.
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Posted under General, Malaysia, countries, local tips, responsible traveller, whl.travel newsletter

On 11 January 2009 the New York Times (NYT) published a piece entitled The 44 Places to Go in 2009. The introduction suggests that they are the new year’s ‘most compelling destinations’ and they’re presented in an order of preference ‘recommended’ by the NYT. At the article’s request, readers also voted on their favourites and, with the click of a button, the preferences can be shuffled to reflect readers’ recommendations too.

Reader comments on the article covered fairly predictable ground, lamenting omitted destinations (“Nothing in China? I am a bit surprised.” “Not a single Canadian destination?”), suggesting new ones (“Visit Poland!” “Tanzania? Kenya”?), criticising those on the list (“Dallas? You’ve got to be kidding!” “Beirut? Get real.”), questioning the division into sub-categories (“How is Greece not a cultural option?” “Can someone explain to me how $600 a night in South Africa is ‘frugal’?”) and even challenging the validity and sustainability of the topic (“Honestly, how many working people will be able to afford big vacations this year?” “Do the authors and publishers of travel pieces like this bear responsibility for the environmental damage wrought by those who go?”)

One of my personal favourites is this one: Read More…

Posted under Australia, Brazil, General, Greece, India, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Morocco, Philippines, Qatar, Senegal, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Zambia, countries, whl.travel newsletter