Kenyir Lake – Serenity in the Rainforest

On the Eastern border of Malaysia’s National Park, Kenyir Lake, a man-made lake, sits serenely within a 130 million year old rainforest.  The Kenyir River was dammed for a hydropower station and hilltops and highlands in the area became islands as the Kenyir Dam was filled to create the lake.

This largest man-made lake in Southeast Asia is now an ecotourist destination.  There is a host of things do, from fishing, jungle trekking, island hopping, caving, bird watching and taking a dip at the many streams and waterfalls on the islands and shores.  And do give Snakehead fishing a shot.  Its quite an adventure as narrated by Andy Pearson in his blog.

This video by thestaronline shows the sights of Kenyir Lake.

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Mulu Caves – Trepidation Awaits

There is a spectacular secret lying hidden deep in the jungles of the land of the Head-hunters.  Mulu National Park in Sarawak is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an evolutionary history of 1.5 million years with wild rivers, rainforest covered mountains, spectacular limestone pinnacles, cave passages and deeply incised canyons.

It has the largest known cave chamber in the world, the Sarawak Chamber (estimated to be as big as 16 football fields), and has at least 295km of explored caves with remains of prehistory.  Highly craggy and mountainous, keep your eyes peeled for the Swarm of Bats, the Pinnacles and the Head-hunters’ Trail.  You leave civilization behind as you enter this park as there are no roads and no residences. Only rivers and jungle paths.   But be careful, the Head-hunters still have their hunting rights.  Who knows what or who they will be hunting?

This video by AsiaTravelTV gives an excellent overview of the sights of Mulu Park.

Tenggol Island - Dive Spot

Tenggol Island  (Pulau Tenggol) in Trengganu’s Marine Park off the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia is a well kept secret of coral and marine treasures.  Divers  can expect to see sharks  and stingrays as well as beautiful corals and related marine life in these azure and warm waters.

This video by virtualmalaysia gives you an idea of what can be seen at the corals of Pulau Tenggol.

Assam Laksa - World's Best Dish at Number 7

CNN voted Assam Laksa as the top number 7 of the World's 50 most delicious foods.  Wow.  This noodle with fish broth is really an excellent try on the senses.  It has an aroma, texture and taste to behold!  As CNN says:

Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, pineapple … one of Malaysia’s most popular dishes is an addictive spicy-sour fish broth with noodles (especially great when fused with ginger), that’ll have your nose running before the spoon even hits your lips.

You can find this quote by CNN (21st July 2011) at: World's 50 most delicious foods.

This dish is native to Penang.  For a detailed walk through on the recipe, go by rasa malaysia at this link for more pictures and information Assam Laksa recipe. 

This video by LooseAppetiteMovement shows an example of a serving of  assam laksa by one of the many assam laksa stalls in Penang.  Bon appetite!

Updated 10th Sep 2011:  CNN did a new poll on 7th Sep 2011, and that changed the rankings of this 21st July 2011 survey.  Assam Laksa is now at number 26.

Penang - A Victorian Legacy

The Europeans came to Asia looking for riches from spices and trade.  The British created free ports such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Penang to get a share of the money of the Chinese traders.  The first of these free ports was Penang, established in 1786.

Armenians, Danes, Germans, Jews, British, Punjabis, Tamils, Malayalees, Bengalis, Arabs, Straits Chinese, Chinese, Siamese, Burmese, Achehnese, Javanese and Malays flocked to this beautiful island and were richly rewarded for their toils and enterprise.

The umbrella of the British Empire ensured that property was protected by law and the thriving community build institutions and shared their food and cultures.  We can see the cemetaries, houses of worship, clan houses, beautiful parks and beaches and taste the mouth watering mix of food and drink that uniquely defines Penang.  This unique melting pot has resulted in the capital city, Georgetown, to be listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site, a joint listing with its sister heritage city, Malacca. It should be noted that Penang's special home grown dish 'Assam Laksa'  made it to the top 10 (at number 7) of CNN's World's 50 most delicious food.

This video by Alfred and Jasmin Grech from their holiday in Penang sums it all.  Its a colorful montage of the various spots to see and things to do in this cosmopolitan creation of the British Empire.

Dikir Barat

Dikir Barat is a traditional group song. This is usuallly found in Kelantan and Trengganu state on the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. Its a to and fro singing, and is quite enchanting to watch.   Wikipedia has an excellent write up at Dikir Barat.

Here is a video by Rentakinitv. It starts off with an occult cleansing ceremony (very mild version) and then goes on into Dikir Barat proper.

Nasi Lemak

Swarnabhumi is a land filled with great food.  From simple boiled rice with dried fish with some chilly paste for taste, to rice soaked in coconut milk, a variety of vegetarian dishes to a spread of seafood and meat curries.

Below is a quick glance (by qqstar8) of Nasi Lemak, the typical breakfast food in Malaysia.  A traditional creation of the Malays, this dish is now a national dish, relished by all and a must have at all hotels in Malaysia.

As you have seen, this dish is very simple, with the trick that the rice must be rich in coconut milk and fragrant from pandan leaves.  The 'sambal' i.e., the chilly paste rich in chilly, onions and other secret condiments of the cook.  You can find more from this well written article on the secret to a great Nasi Lemak.