Malaysia, full of surprises

Malaysia is a great destination for individual or families alike, offering all manner of things to do and see. There is the modern and the old, with a rich historical culture from early times until the present. Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia, a city of skyscrapers, interspaced with past colonial structures and quant local cafes, restaurants and street stalls. In close proximity is Bukit Bintang food district, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and Chinatown. You will be able to see the Petronas Twin Towers (see above), Petaling Street flea market, and the contrasting 400 million year old Batu Caves all in reasonable proximity to the city. Add to the mix large shopping malls like Suria KLCC and Pavilion KL, both hosting a vast array of fashion labels and numerous sales events throughout the year.

If you still have time there is the worlds largest covered bird park called KL Bird Park and for the kids the Sunway Lagoon Theme Park located in Petaling Jaya (C.B.D);  including; the Water Park, the Scream Park, the Amusement Park, the Wildlife Park and the Extreme Park. The list goes on in and around Kuala Lumpur; there is also great natural scenery including exotic jungles and magnificent beaches to visit, if you have the time.

Malaysian History

Humans have inhabited the area for at least 40,000 years. The first major foreign entry into the area was from the Chinese in 1405, with Malacca obtaining client kingdom status of China, in return for Chinese protection from neighboring states, particularly Siam.

In the mid 15^th century the country adopted Islam and was converted into a Sultanate. From this time Malacca’s past history has resulted in a mixed origin population comprising predominantly; Indian, Middle East and Chinese descendents. Malacca has always enjoyed great trade importance due to its location on the important Malacca straights trading route.

After the Portuguese had a limited presence in the 16^th century, the Dutch in the 17^th century built numerous strategic trading posts along the coast of Malacca, dominating the straights for decades. From the early 1800’s the British took control of the area, colonizing and stripping the country of its valuable natural resources. The Malay straight was a highly important trade route, which the British were able to dominate for over 150years with its strategically placed trading/defense posts.

The Japanese invaded in 1942 and held the territory for 3 years. Malacca struggled for independence until 1957 when it became a part of the Federation of Malaya with neighboring countries, and then in 1963 when it became a separate sovereign nation known formerly as Malaysia.

Malaysia really has so much to offer and ranked globally in the top 20 countries for safety, a destination offering so much for all kinds of vacation for individual, groups, couples and families alike.

Shikideals