Melting pot Malaysia

Are you looking for your first Asia travel? Malaysia is a good country to start with. It's rather small, you get around well with English and it's relatively safe in comparison to other countries. But most valuable for me was the mix of different cultures and religions. A few details you need to know about Malaysia before stepping on the plane:

• Bigger picture: Malaysia contains of two islands. While the left one, Malay Peninsula, is totally safe, the right one, Borneo Island, struggles with civil war from time to time.

• "Unity is strength": Malaysia has been influenced by Europe, China, India and many more. Main religion is Islam followed by Buddhism and Christian. Same diversity is visible in the amount of languages. They are very proud to be able to live peaceful together. Nevertheless: you will recognize that clusters exists and don't cross. Keep that in mind when talking to people.

• Neighbor Thailand: In the north is Malaysia's border to Thailand. I have never seen such protected border before. The country is highly sensitive to travelers coming from north, because this is were most of the drugs come in. If you want to extend your vacation, best you go to Thailand last.

• Safety and Women: I traveled alone and had several times conversations with Malay why my husband is not with me. Having a single woman traveling without permission of a male relative, is new to them. But those happened out of curiosity and not judgement and it was independent of the religion. Outside of Kuala Lumpur, I always had a guide with me. It was a good one for the first time, just till you learn how people tick and which topics/areas are sensitive. A second time, this would probably not needed anymore. Overall, I never felt unsafe, just sometimes obviously different.

Overall Malaysia is a wonderful country, where you can experience adventure as a combination of culture and nature. Best solution is a round trip and some of the stops are simply must-do's on your journey.

1. Kuala Lumpur

The capitol is the center of the melting pot which makes it so interesting to discover. Try to stay central and get a hotel with air condition. The heat is mixed with a humid climate and it's difficult to handle for people from Europe. Use the monorail to travel, bus is crowded, not cooled and not really on time. I would recommend to start with a guided city tour. You get an overview of the diversity and can better choose where to go. On one side you have the commercial, modern center with the Petrona Towers and a huge mall. On the other side you have the Merdeka square with many building from the colonial era. I had the pleasure to have a Hindu tour guide who walked me through the impressive Thean Hou Temple and explained me all the details. Very helpful! And of course don't forget the Masjid Negara Mosque or the several government building in Arabic style, like the Royal Palace. You can stay a week and fill every day with an other Asian culture. Amazing!

2. Elephant Sanctuary

Majority of the island is rain forest. It would be a pity to stay only in the cities. Break out and learn more about the local animal life, for example the endangered elephants. In the sanctuary you learn about the life, challenges and projects to improve the situation. You can feed elephants and even swim with them in the river. It's interesting and a new perspective on the Malay and how they life with nature. By the way: if you think, you only meet wild animals in a controlled environment, you are wrong. We had an elephant joining us on the highway and during a trip in the forest, I am glad we only saw claw traces of a tiger in the tree.

3. Ipoh

Ipoh is rather unspectacular even that it is the fourth biggest city in the country. But close by you find the Batu Caves, the most important Hindu temple outside of India. On the ground you have several smaller colorful temples giving a first impression what is waiting for you. But your way is leading up 272 stairs surrounded by giant statues. Inside the cave you find a huge temple with statues, ceremonies and monkeys. Monkeys as far as you can see and they are not shy at all. They are rather a bit territorial, so feeding or touching is not a good idea. It's breath taking!

4. Penang

In the north you find the Chinese center of the country. The center, Georgetown, is the remain of the colonial era, all very British. From there you can make a rickshaw trip through town. My driver talked the whole time, but I did not really understand something. Nevertheless, he was very engaged, always smiled... he was lovely. Stroll through little India, gardens and temples. It's incredibly relaxing of the main streets. It has a very special charm and is definitely rather Chinese than Malay. I have been there a few weeks before Easter and saw several trees with lights and plastic eggs in preparation to the celebrations. To mention: on your way to Penang you have several options to visit food or tea farms. Catch one of those opportunities to learn about local businesses. When you go on the fields be careful of the snakes!

5. Kelantar

While the west cost was a mix up of cultures and religions, the east coast is much more traditional and Islamic influenced. As a woman you should think about wearing a scarf. I didn't and definitely felt a bit off. Women fully dressed were in the hotel pool. The shopping mall had separate entrances for men and woman. In this area are less tourists, so you automatically pop out. But it is worth it, for example to make a trip to the national park Taman Negara or stay at one of the many wonderful beaches. After all the sight-seeing, it's time to relax. When you visit in an election year, the streets are bordered by posters in the color of the party the town votes for. In my case it was blue and green.

6. Kuala Terengganu

Of special interest is the area around Kuala Terengganu or more precisely said: the Islamic Heritage Park. There you find several replicas of world famous mosques as well as the Crystal Mosque and the Floating Mosque. It's beautiful so see so many imposing buildings all together. When driving on the country roads, don't be surprised if you see apes crawling up and down the trees. They are trained to pick the coconuts and throw them down. Funny to watch, but be careful - coconuts can cause serious injuries when falling down.

It's a small island and nevertheless so much to discover. Malaysia is an amazing place to go and get in contact with a lot of Asian cultures. On top: as diverse as the people is also the food. From fresh mandarins off the market to Japanese high-cuisine, everything is possible.