Multi-Culti Malaysia

As we spontaneously traveled to Malaysia, we were quite unprepared about the culture, history, and attractions in this country. Therefore, we relied entirely on the host of our first hostel in Melaka, a small, historic city that used to be one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia. The first settlers were Arabs, which is why the city (like most in Malaysia) is heavily influenced by Muslim culture. 80 percent of the population are Muslims, but Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians also practice their faith here, which leads to a cheerful multi-cultural atmosphere!

Melaka, besides its rich history, also has plenty of attractions to explore. You can try all kinds of street food at the night market on Jonker Street, wander from museum to museum, visit the houses of former sultans, explore Chinese antique shops for hidden treasures, and enjoy the evening sunset with a view of the most famous mosque in Melaka, which was built above the sea.

After Singapore and Melaka, we longed for nature again and decided to go hiking in the Cameron Highlands. So we went to Ipoh and there, the lack of preparation became apparent. After long consultations with the hostel owners, we realized that we wouldn't have enough time for a hike and decided to spend the day relaxing in Ipoh. In Ipoh, the multi-cultural history repeats itself, with the pleasant addition that here you can find literally EVERYTHING you desire when it comes to food! Indian, Chinese, Lebanese, kosher, halal... Besides the food, we spent the day admiring the many street art paintings, each one more beautiful and elaborate than the other!

The next morning, we set off in good spirits towards Kuala Lumpur - but the journey became unexpectedly difficult when, after about a two-hour bus ride, we suddenly realized that our passports were still in the hostel safe and the key to the safe was peacefully sleeping in my wallet. After a short discussion with the bus driver, I left my large, now almost 20kg heavy backpack with Johnny, who was supposed to bring it to Kuala Lumpur, and left the bus, crossed the highway, and found another bus on the other side that took me back to Ipoh. Luckily, back at the hostel, the passports were untouched in the safe, the hostess drove me back to the bus station, and at the last second, I caught the last bus to Kuala Lumpur, where Johnny had already carried the two heavy backpacks to the hostel. Using the hostess's phone, I briefly spoke with him to find out which hostel we had actually booked - a pretty important piece of information that we had forgotten to exchange in the excitement of switching buses... luckily, everything went smoothly, I arrived in Kuala Lumpur after a 12-hour bus ride, and could laugh again - especially since the day was already rainy and we wouldn't have done much anyway!

The next day, we were well-rested from the unnecessary stress the day before and set off with a young Spanish woman and a French man to explore the city. First, we went to the Batu Caves, a large cave with Hindu temples that impressed us with its many colors, statues, and paintings. On the way to the KL Tower, we found a Bavarian beer pub and couldn't resist having a wheat beer. Refreshed with this isotonic drink, we then went to the tower to enjoy the magnificent view over the city's rooftops. Honestly, I didn't realize how huge and modern Kuala Lumpur is, and I was even more surprised by the sight of the Twin Towers, formerly the tallest twin towers in the world, in the city center. Johnny was thrilled to have found another filming location there, this time for "Entrapment" and "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," and I particularly enjoyed the slightly cooler night air.

Unfortunately, we couldn't explore the, as we believe, worth seeing hinterland of the country, but the three cities Melaka, Ipoh, and Kuala Lumpur had a lot to offer. In terms of nature, we expect a lot from our next travel destination: the Philippines!