Malaysia, the Best of Southeast Asia

Postcards from Asia, Part 23

Dear friends,

I know I sound like a broken record praising every Asian country I’ve visited, but Malaysia is exceptional.

To say it’s a melting pot is an understatement. Within this Southeast Asian nation, you’ll find 137 languages, dozens of food cultures, and almost 36 million people from various Indigenous and ethnic groups, creating a dynamic country that’s extremely enjoyable to visit.

Better writers than me are showcasing the history, geopolitics, and landscapes of Malaysia; I recommend checking out the work of Elizabeth Tai, Calvin Jemarang, and ER Kumar. Instead, I’ll write to you about my visits to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Ipoh.

I arrived in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, after four months of travel, burnt out and sick of movement. Saying goodbye to Koryn, Ida, and new Indonesian friends was difficult, and I craved the comforts of home and the people you can be yourself around.

Kuala Lumpur was a blast of fresh air. A modern city with well-functioning transit, surrounded by lush green spaces and sacred cave temples, I stayed for a week with friends from Nigeria and Belgium. We visited Batu Caves, went on a waterfall hike, and checked out KL’s stellar architecture including the iconic Petronas Towers and Chinatown.

After KL, I took the four-hour express train to the north of Malaysia to visit my friend Shenny in Penang. Shenny and I met back in 2022 when I was working remotely in the Balkans, and she was living in Sarandë, Albania. We bonded over a love of linguistics and mid-2000s indie bands and stayed in contact over the years.

Shenny was now in George Town and invited me to stay with her for a few weeks, a kindness that saved me from further burning out and allowed me to take care of adult things including filing my taxes and going to the dentist.

Shenny and I went on humid hikes near the botanic gardens and up the Penang Hill Heritage Trail, in use since 1890. I wandered around the city, checking out cafes and kopitiams, determined to try as much food as possible.

Penang is the quintessential spot for Malaysian cuisine. As one PR manager put it: “We believe Penang has the potential to become a major culinary destination in Asia, on par with cities like Bangkok or Tokyo in the next five to 10 years.”

Everything from Malay to South Indian, Hokkien to Hakka, Cantonese and Peranakan… The list of dishes to taste kept getting longer: Hokkien mee, char kway teow, nasi lemak, Penang-style assam laksa, roti canai, lou sang, kaya toast, ais kacang, bak kut teh. With cups of kopi and teh tarik to quench our thirst.

Shenny took me to Michelin-revered restaurants like Woodlands in Little India and Moh Teng Pheow Nyonya Koay to taste Nyonya cuisine. We went twice to an Indian temple that served a fresh, all-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet every day. With the amount of mouthwatering flavors and spices, I was in food heaven.

I stayed almost three weeks in George Town before taking the train to Ipoh, to try more food. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese immigrants came to Ipoh to work in the tin mines. The town still has a strong food culture of Hakka and Cantonese cuisine including dim sum, Sar Hor Fun, nga choy kai, and claypot chicken rice, to name a few dishes.

I went to a popular restaurant which requires you to take a number and wait for your turn to sit at a table. Since I was waiting alone, the waitstaff asked if I would mind sitting with an older couple from KL.They chatted with me about my trip and their past visits to the US. It was refreshing to be with other people and hear about their experiences in KL. When it was time to leave, they were so sweet to pay for my meal, despite my protests.

I owe a lot to Malaysia. Thanks to the hospitality of Shenny, I was able to slow down, figure out the final part of my journey, and recover from the burnout that can accompany long-term travel.

It’s hard to comprehend the power of hospitality when you’re traveling, how a kind word from an older couple can change the direction of your trip for the better.

These brief moments of connection—exploring night markets in KL, laughing with Shenny in George Town, trying foods with strangers in Ipoh—are why I’m still fixated on travel after 15 years.

Until next week,

Ash