It’s been 15 years since we last visited Langkawi Island, the mythical island believed to have been cursed for seven generations by a young woman – Mahsuri – who was falsely accused of adultery. Locals believe the curse has been lifted as the island began to prosper over the last few decades after at least…
Category: Malaysia
Heritage Trail: Assumption Church, Penang
The Church of the Assumption on Farquhar Road in Penang was built in 1786, the year Captain Francis Light and British settlers landed on Penang island. They settlers set foot on this tropical island just off Butterworth/Seberang Prai on the mainland of Peninsular Malaysian on Aug 15th – the feast of the Assumption of the…
Thin: Tea-time treat
Tea-time is a big deal in my family home. My mum and our neighbours used to team up to bake, steam or cook up a variety of delicious sweet and savoury afternoon snacks and delicacies. Us kids used to be the guinea pigs for experimental cookouts – we didn’t complain very much until we grew…
Place in The World: Home
Cliche but true – home is where the heart is.
The Fading Façade Of A Quaint, Reverent Place
No this is not a haunted house, but a chapel that served at least three generations of Catholics in the town of Kuala Krai in Kelantan, East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. This year we spent Good Friday at this old dilapidated chapel along Jalan Geale located along the Kelantan River near…
Food Trail: Kelantan
Kelantan, previously a territory of the Siamese empire is probably one of the most underrated food destination in Malaysia and is usually given a miss by most tourists – including Malaysian travellers. It’s close proximity to Thailand in the north gives the local cuisine a different taste and aromatic twist compared to other parts of…
Explore: Down The Path Less Travelled
During my occasional outstation stints as a writer, I often had to go down paths less travelled, which led me to people and places I would otherwise have not taken the effort to explore on my own. Sometimes the people who know of these spots would rather not share their knowledge for fear of ruining the…
Thaipusam: Feast of Cleansing & Renewal
Today marks the eve of Thaipusam, an annual religious festival celebrated by Hindus in the Tamil month of Thai. Over the past week, devotes have been trickling into the Batu cave temple to participate in ceremonies and prayers. For many, this festival is a culmination of a period of fast and abstinence. Various forms of…
Kellie’s Desolate Dream
Nestled between plantations, forests and rolling hills around Batu Gajah, Perak is a rare and uncommon sight in this part of the world – a beautiful brick castle on a hill. Kellie’s castle is surrounded by a beautifully manicured garden, and a river (Sungai Raya) running through its grounds. But behind the walls of this…
Festive Bargain Hunting: KL
It’s the last day of Ramadan for Muslims in Malaysia today. Tomorrow they usher in the first day of Syawal after a month of fasting. After a long month of brisk sales, stall operators at Ramadan bazaars all over the city are closing for the festivities ahead. Many will pack up and leave for their…
City Break: Avani Sepang Gold Coast
The beachs in the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia are hardly mentioned in tourist brochures. Not surprising, as these beaches are hardly comparable to its counterpart on the East Coast which are cleaner, more picturesque with powdery white sand and beautiful diving and snorkelling sites with teeming varieties of marine life. The West coast beaches…
Down Love Lane
I’ve walked through Love Lane in Georgetown , Penang many times – usually in the daytime or late at night. But a wrong turn and evening walk through Love Lane yesterday made me see it literally in a different light. It is true what they say about how different the rich hues of dusk and…
Maria Dass the World 