Malaysia is naturally rich with culture due to its multi-racial communities. Hence, it is an ideal place for you if you are interested in culture and the practices of different societies here. Generally, the many communities in Malaysia live in harmony among one another. This is where you will find a unique feature where the different types of culture like the Malays, the Chinese, the Indians and the many ethnic groups are harmoniously intertwined in many ways that include daily living, food and celebrations.
The Malay culture is found in almost every state in the country. They are richer in states like Kelantan, Kedah, Perlis, Terengganu and Johor where you can easily indulge in their daily culture through visiting any of the towns and villages here. If you head out towards the states of Kelantan and Terengganu, you will be welcomed with the humming sounds of the Wau, a traditional kite flying game here. The Gasing, which is the local spinning tops game is also widely played. Performance arts like the Wayang Kulit and others are richly practiced and passed down through generations too. In Johor, you can experience the Kuda Kepang, a common dance loved by the locals here.
Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh are places where the Chinese culture can be widely experienced. Where this is concerned, you can enjoy the food, learn about the common practices and visit their homes. In these cities, you will find that there are numerous Chinese temples which are often filled with devotees especially during festivals and special occasions. During these occasions, you will be able to dwell among devotees and experience how they carry out their responsibilities and provide offerings to their gods.
Over in Sabah and Sarawak is where you will be welcomed with a rich offering of culture especially from the tens of ethnic groups here. The Ibans are the majority community of people in Sarawak while you will learn about the Kadazan practices in Sabah. Apart from these, there are also the Melanau, the Kanyah, the Murud and many more all of which have their own set of languages, practices, culture and such. The best time to experience their culture here is during the Gawai and the Kaamatan festivals celebrated in Sarawak and Sabah respectively. Held in the beginning of June, this is where most of the communities jointly celebrates their harvest festival, bringing about one of the most colourful and eventful time of the year.
Malaysia has a rich culture of the Kampong or villages especially for those of you who would like to indulge in the traditional lifestyle here. Where this is concerned, depending largely on where you are travelling, you will be able to find a wide variety of choices of what you want to experience to bring home with you.
The best way for you to experience the kampong lifestyle is to engage an accommodation at the homestay. This will allow you to learn about the local practices here from the people directly. You will be able to find homestay options at almost every state and town around the country where you will most likely stay with a family that offers you accommodation, meals and some travel resources at an affordable fee.
If you are around in the east coastal states of Kelantan and Terengganu, you will be able to stay at the villages in around Kuala Krai in Kelantan and in Kuala Terengganu. This is where you will want to find out more about how the local crafts like the Wau, the Wayang Kulit and others are made and then performed. In some situations, you will be able to try out these crafts as well. These options are often extended in most other traditional states like Kedah, Perlis and Johor too.
If you are in Sabah and Sarawak, you must engage an homestay at the longhouses here where they various ethnic groups will welcome you to a stay while offering you their most authentic and traditional meals and dishes. This is where you will also be able to experience the local lifestyles and everyday practices while they will also present you with their villages’ performances as well.
Along the coasts of the east and west of Peninsular Malaysia, you will be able to stay at the fishing villages where the main produce comes from the fishery industry. Here is where you will learn about how the fishes are caught and then go through the entire process before they make it to the homes of other cities and towns. In Kedah, you must engage the homestay to dwell among the paddy farmers which produce the majority of rice for the country. Here is where you will be able to experience and learn about how paddy is planted, produced and then channelled out to all other parts of the country to cater to the staple food of the people.
Malaysia is well-known for its traditions and culture. This is because it is home to many different communities and societies which come through many generations of history and heritage. Hence it is very common for travellers to experience the traditional lifestyle, practices, crafts and all other elements when coming to the country.
However, apart from the more cultural and traditional attractions around the country, Malaysia are also known to be one of the most modern countries in the world. Where this is concerned, you might not find that the entire country is covered with high-technology buildings and such but they are connected so. You will find that there are bulging skylines in the main cities like Kuala Lumpur, Georgetown and Johor Bahru. However, you will also be amazed to find that while not all areas are covered with buildings and structures, most of the places here are connected either through the cellular networks or through the internet.
Malaysia is one of the most internet enabled countries in the world today. It offers one of the most affordable internet services to the people as compared to other countries in the region that includes Singapore and Hong Kong. You will find that most major cities and towns offer free internet services in hotels and cafes while the local telecommunication companies also offer affordable wi-fi internet services.
Malaysia also has one of the most technologically advanced and well-connected highways in the world. One can go around the many states around the country through the expressways like the PLUS North-South Expressway and many others. Connection between states are also made possible with the likes of budget airways AirAsia while the national flag carrier MAS also offer flights to the domestic destinations. On top of that, MAS also operates the rural flight services where one can reach many rural areas through this service.
In the cities, the LRT (Light Rail Transit) service offers transport services to ferry people from one place to another. This service joins the other offerings like bus and taxi services. Particularly in Kuala Lumpur, the nation’s capital, one would be able to visit state-of-the-art places and international convention centres while visiting the likes of the Aquaria, Petronas Twin Towers and the KL Tower. The Federal Territory of Putrajaya is the governmental center of the country where it hosts world class bridges, convention centers and buildings which are amazingly built and enacted.
Malaysia has a rich history of event that led from the birth to independence and then throughout the years of development where it stands as one of the most developed countries in the world today. Hence, if you are interested to know about how the country came about and its achivments over the years, there are basically 2 ways to do that.
First of all, you can visit the National Museum which is located within the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Here is where you will be able to learn more about the historical events and the artefact collected throughout the years about the country. Generally, there are museums in all the states of Malaysia all of which offers you with a walkthrough the sands of time and to experience what the stories are about. At the state museums, you will be welcomed with information leading to the significant events and the struggles of the heroes of the state while the National Museum offers a look into the national history.
Another method to really learn about the history of Malaysia is to visit the actual locations itself. This can be easily achieved as you can easily be transported through the major expressways or you can fly in through the AirAsia air routes.
The best place to go to learn about the origins of Malaysia is to head out to Malacca. Known as the historical city of Malaysia as well as where the country started off, this is where you can visit the tombs of the warriors who fought the invaders during the time of the Malacca Sultanate. This is where you will also be able to visit the very popular A’Famosa which is a fort built by the Portuguese when they conquered Malacca. Apart from the Portuguese structures, you will also be able to learn more about other communities who came here throughout history and this include the Dutch, Chinese, Japanese and the British among many others.
All states would have their historical sites that you can visit and these places are usually open to the public for appreciation and knowledge. One significant place is the Monsopiad Cultural Village in Sabah where one can see the house of a renowned ‘head-hunter’ where he kept the skulls on the roof of the house which is still visible until today. Apart from that, old missionary schools like the St Johns’ Institution and Victoria Institutions also hold historical structures which have stood through the test of time.
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