/countries/show/malaysia/1.rss en-us If you're interested in the unique fusion of cultures that makes up the population of Malaysia, there's no better stop on your trip to the peninsula than the town of Malacca. Located along the Straits of Malacca, Malacca Town (also known as Melaka) is a World Heritage Site that gathers together historical shophouses and colonial architecture dating from the 15th- to 16th-century Straits Settlements. In particular, the unique culture of the Peranakans, or Baba Nonya, is better represented in Malacca than possibly anywhere else in the world. Malacca is well suited for exploration on foot. Stroll down Jonker's Walk in the middle of town and you'll be in the heart of Peranakan history. The Peranakans are the descendants of ethnic Chinese who settled in the British Straits Settlements (of Penang, Malacca and Singapore) in Malaysia in the 15th century. The men are called “Baba” and the women “Nonya,” hence their other name, the Baba Nonya. After their arrival in Malacca, their culture adopted many of the local customs, with some Peranakans intermarrying with local Malays, creating a fusion of Malaysian-Chinese culture that is fascinating and unique. In the historical downtown area, you can feast your eyes on the Peranakan houses, a mixture of British and Asian styles, as well as many colonial buildings built by the Portuguese and the Dutch. Several mosques, Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Chinese temples, are also located in town, making downtown Malacca a delightful mishmash of architecture. As you walk through the streets filled with historical Chinese shophouses and colonial buildings, you'll catch snippets of Cantonese or Hokkien dialects as well as other languages. Almost all Peranakan descendants are multilingual. You can also sample some of the Baba Nonya's unique cuisine: Asian fusion at its best. Glutinous rice dumplings are served with coconut, and rice is flavoured with turmeric and other Southeast Asian spices. Purple and orange yams are cooked with sago in coconut milk for a local rendition of a popular Chinese dessert. You can also feast on local Malaysian fare: nasi goreng (fried rice) and mee goreng (fried egg noodles) that have been heavily influenced by Chinese “Hokkien” cooking. The Peranakan Museum in Malacca is a great place to learn about this unique group of people, and it is housed in an authentic historical Peranakan house. After getting your fill of facts about the Baba Nonya, head off on an extended walk through town where you can see the culture brought to life in front of your eyes. Sat, 18 Dec 2010 01:55:45 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/malacca-town http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/malacca-town Among Malaysia’s natural gems, the Batu Caves may be the most awe-inspiring, although they remain an unknown destination to many western tourists. In the eastern world this limestone network of temples and 400-million-year-old caverns, located just 10 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, is hardly a secret; the caves, adorned by a 100-foot golden statue of a Hindu god, are the focal point of the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, which attracts over 1.5 million religious pilgrims every year. Malaysia’s Thaipusam festival is one of the largest annual gatherings anywhere on Earth, famed for its eight-hour procession that begins in Kuala Lumpur and culminates in a flight of 272 steps to the top of the Temple Cave. This arduous journey outdoes any stairmaster, as the participants engage in various acts of devotion while carrying various types of “kavadi,” or burdens, all the way to the top. The burdens range from pitchers of milk to portable altars decorated with peacock feathers; the altars are attached to each devotee through dozens of body piercings, and can measure six feet high and up to 200 pounds. Thaipusam is not for the faint of heart, as fire walking and flagellation are also practiced, though participants claim to enter a trance that renders them unable to feel pain or even bleed. In recent years, daring tourists and pilgrims of other faiths have also participated in the challenging climb to the Temple Cave as kavadi-bearers. Although the festival of Thaipusam is the most popular time to visit, the Batu Caves are a can’t-miss destination any time of the year, offering a distinctively Hindu experience, boasting picturesque temples, colorful wooden sculptures and the Hindu worshipers dressed in their eye-catching sarongs. Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:09:15 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/thaipusam http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/thaipusam In the northern tip of Borneo island lies the lush forests of Kabili-Sepilok Reserve, which is home to the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre. Created in 1964 for baby Orang Utans rescued from illegal hunting and plantations, once here they are rehabilitated and released back into the wild once able to sustain themselves. These adorable primates draw many tourists each year, allowing them a chance to enjoy daily feeding in the viewing gallery and a possible first hand encounter as they wander the boardwalks paths of the reserve. Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:56:47 +0000 http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/sepilok http://www.thecircumference.org/experiences/sepilok