Malaysia had been on our wish list for a long time. The country offers natural beauty, culture and a very friendly population. What we found just as interesting was that, economically speaking, it had been one of the “Asian Tigers” for years. That’s why we were keen to see it with our own eyes. We were particularly interested in modern Malaysia, but discovered that the ‘tourist attractions’ are just as interesting.
Our idea was to immerse ourselves as much as possible in Malaysian life, or in other words, “live like a local.” That meant making frequent use of domestic flights, eating at the many eateries you can find absolutely everywhere, usually staying in fine mid-range hotels, and enjoying the freedom of a rental car. And, of course, where possible, walking a lot. The people everywhere are very friendly and communicative. In this way, we came into contact with many locals belonging to the different ethnic groups of Malaysia. We often received detailed background information on a wide variety of topics and were this way able to learn a great deal about the country.
It was already clear in 2013 that a prosperous, self-aware middle class was developing in Malaysia. Middle-class neighborhoods with beautiful houses were emerging in a number of places. And this middle class loved to travel within their own country; we encountered them everywhere. You could also tell by the vehicle fleet: relatively new cars, often locally produced, with clean engines. They realized that their country was – and still is – developing rapidly. They are working hard to contribute to this. And they are proud of it. Rightly so.
We found Malaysia to be a wonderful country to travel through in a comfortable and relaxed way. My wife had mapped out an interesting route covering both West Malaysia (Peninsular Malaysia) and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo) and booked everything in advance. Here you find our route. Of course, in a few weeks you only get a superficial impression, but even a first impression often gives a good picture. And that is, by the way, also the idea behind the photo series, to give a first impression.
One more thing about the photos. These were almost all taken with a Canon S95. A high-quality digital point-and-shoot camera, the size of a pack of cigarettes. My wife took most of them, and I did the post-processing. It is incredible what such a small digital camera already could do back in 2013.
Malaysia 2013, one of the Asian Tigers, photo series