Tag: Malaysia

  • Spiritual Tourism: Thaipusam 2014

    Spiritual Tourism: Thaipusam 2014

    “Experiencing the festival of Thaipusam”… Yes!! Another travel wish come true. A few years ago, upon doing some research on my travel destination Malaysia, this festival had spiked my interest. I was quite upset when I found out I was just a few weeks late for one of the country’s biggest cultural/religious festivals. Six years later, I was pressed against strangers on a train to Batu Caves where Thaipusam was taking place.

    Upon arrival I was overwhelmed by strong smells of fried spices, Indian tunes blasting from every stall and an overly excited crowd. I threw myself into the mass to get as close to the action as I possibly could. It was steaming hot and slightly claustrophobic at times, but it was an experience I will never forget.

    fresh chili's
    fresh chili’s

    Thaipusam is a Tamil celebration of faith and gratitude which takes place every year between January 15th an February 15th. It’s the commemoration of the occasion where Hindu goddess ‘Parvati’ gave ‘Murugan’, god of war, a “vel” (spear) so he could vanquish the evil demon ‘Soorapadman’. Devotees make a vow to offer a “kavadi” i.e a physical burden, to request a favour from the god Murugan. The participants then start their journeys 48 days before Thaipusam by ‘cleansing’ themselves through fasting, praying and observing celibacy. On the eve of the big day, devotees carrying their kavadi, start their 15km pilgrimage- in this case from the main temple in the centre of Kuala Lumpur to the Batu Caves. The intensity of the kavadi ranges from carrying jugs of milk (symbol of purity and virtue) to followers taking a vow of sacrifice at every step by piercing their skins with hooks and spears.

    carrying milk to the temple
    carrying milk to the temple
    oranges and miniature milk pots to weigh down the hooks
    oranges and miniature milk pots to weigh down the hooks
    beginners start with lighter weights
    beginners start with lighter weights
    pilgrimage done on the knees with "lime hooks"
    some chose to pilgrim on their knees
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    milk and jasmin flowers
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    cheeks pierced with a spear
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    intense kavadi
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    chains to control pain level intervals

     

    Most of them bring along some kind of an entourage playing music, singing and encouraging them by repeatedly shouting the words “vel vel!” in a trance-like way.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    mersmerizing drum beats
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    dancing to the rythms

     

    Though it’s less common, women and children also take part in the procession. Most of them carry milk, but every now and then you can spot a few of them enduring the pain.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    vow of silence

    Thaipusam, Malaysia

    Thaipusam, Malaysia

    The participants numb their pain with natural herbs and consecrated ashes, moreover helping them to reach a state of trance.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    ashes and ‘special’ cigars
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    taking a smoking break
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    stupefied devotee
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    devotee’s spirit transformed into that of a sleeping snake

    A strange mix of suffering, exhaustion, pleasure, trance, curiosity and spiritual bliss come together to form a peculiar and intense atmosphere during the procession.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    suffering

    Thaipusam, Malaysia

    exhaustion
    exhaustion
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    pleasure
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    trance
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    curiosity
    spiritual bliss, Thaipusam, Malaysia
    spiritual bliss
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    priest attending to devotee before entering the caves

    The final sacrificial act of faith is for devotees to climb up a 272 step stairway to deliver their offerings in the Batu Caves temple.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    Murugan guarding the steps to Batu Caves
    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    inside the cave

    Once inside the caves, the milk is offered and the hooks are taken down. Consecrated ash is sprinkled over the devotees’ hooks and piercing before they are removed. No blood is shed during the piercing and removal.

    Thaipusam, Malaysia
    priest removing the hooks

    TIPS

    Leave your “germophobia” at home. If you want to get a sense of what’s going on, you’ll be close to people. Very close. You’ll be covered in sweat and I guarantee you it won’t necessarily be yours.

    To get to the Batu Caves, take the KTM. It’s not a good idea to take a car or a taxi. Unless you  just love traffic jams.

    The procession goes on all throughout the day. However, it’s best to get an early start as it can get pretty hot during the day; 8.30-9.00AM is a good time to arrive.

    In order to get some good pictures, start at the road, where devotees begin the last leg of their journeys. Then slowly make your way to the entrance of the caves.

    You can climb up the steps with the devotees and enter the caves, but beware, this can be a long process. Unless you’ve never been in the Batu Caves, there not really much to see inside except… People… Oceans of people!

    Once you’re ready to leave the scene, don’t take the KTM back. There is a long queue to enter the train which will be over packed. Instead catch a bus going direction ‘town’.

     

    Would you consider going to a crowed cultural festival like Thaipusam?

     

  • 2013 Travel Summary, Part II

    2013 Travel Summary, Part II

    Resuming the travel summary of 2013, the nomadic year… Read part I here.

     

    JULY… Timor-Leste- Gili islands

    If you have to leave Bali for a few days, where do you go? Ummm… Timor-Leste? Why not… Practical information online about Timor-Leste is scarce, so I left without any expectations. That might be why I loved it so much. If not because I have a tendency towards raw and unknown places. I enjoyed the fact that it was a trip for “advanced” travellers , I had plenty of new experiences- like eating dog and I met some awesome people. Another destination on my top 10 best trips-list!

    stunning landscapes
    stunning landscapes
    the Timorese
    socialising with the Timorese

    Gili islands

    Douglas and I took a few days off to meet-up with friends from England vacationing in the Gili islands. I made it a point to visit all three of the islands so I could compare and decide which one to choose for future trips! Read about my findings here. We spent lazy days on the beach, eating freshly caught fish, drinking beers and snorkelling with turtles. It was the ideal lazy beach holiday.

    lazy days
    lazy days
    happy island kids
    happy island kids

     

    AUGUST… Borneo

    I spent the last week of August in Sabah, Borneo. You might not believe it, but traveling around so much can get quite tiring. So I did what any burnt out traveler would do; I traveled lazily! I got massages, relaxed at white sand beaches, ate tonnes of fresh seafood, did mountain hikes, saw orang utans in the wild… Finally, I visited a refugee village on stilts, but that story deserves its own post. By the end of my stay in Kota Kinabalu, I had gotten quite a attached to the place. A place which seemed incredibly bland at first glance.

    village on stilts
    village on stilts
    wild orang utang
    wild orang utang

     

    SEPTEMBER… The Philippines

    I had a travel dream. It took me 13 years to make it happen, but at last… I went to the Philippines… and I was not disappointed. I spent most of my time there in Palawan. Every single day, my dear Douglas had to listen to me say: “Look at this!! How is this possible?? I can’t believe this beauty is real?!”

    el nido
    island hopping
    jeepney
    driving in the country side

    The Philippines are really close to my heart, not only because I loved everything about this flavourful country; the good, the bad and the ugly. But also because of my Pinoy friends who have shown me the true spirit of the Philipino community. If you’ve missed my posts resuming our vacation in Palawan, check out part I and part II.

    paradise beach
    paradise beaches

     

    Oh yes… and Manila is absolutely wacky!

     

    OCTOBER… Home sweet home, Bali

    Peace and quiet in Bali. For the first time in months I spent a full 4 weeks in the same spot. I used this time to explore the island further. I went on diving and snorkelling trips with friends in Lembongan and swam with graciously beautiful wild manta rays. I started practicing yoga and participated in a writing workshop during the Ubud writers festival. I woke up at the crack of dawn to visit Balinese temples minus the tourists. I wanted to learn Indonesian, so I enrolled in a class and finished the course. Now, I’m not fluent, but I can hold my head up high while having a basic conversation. I also know a fair amount of obscene words. What more do you need?

    bali
    visiting temples
    galungan
    immersing ourselves in the culture

     

    NOVEMBER… Vietnam

    Once again I had to leave Indonesia. This time around, I visited South Vietnam on a quest to understand why so many visitors dislike it as a destination. Though I understand why, I only experienced rainbows, sparkles and chocolate covered kittens. I was taken aback by a fragrant cuisine that was new to me. Vietnamese food… WOW! Read about my trip here.

    Mui Ne beach
    Mui Ne beach front
    Vietnamese food
    Vietnamese food

    DECEMBER… Sulawesi

    I’m writing you from Sulawesi, Indonesia where a couple of friends and I will be celebrating the end of a fantastic year and welcoming a new one. Hopefully a new year filled with laughter, friendship, love, adventure and realisation of goals and dreams. Those are my wishes or you.

     

    Happy New Year, Everyone!

     

    What was the travel highlight of your year?

     

  • Lazy travel: Sabah, Borneo

    Lazy travel: Sabah, Borneo

    One week lay over in ‘Kota Kinabalu’ or ‘KK’ for friends, capital of Sabah, the second largest state of Malaysia. Located on the island of Borneo, the state is reputed for its rich natural diversity.

    It boasts Malaysia’s highest peak, a UNESCO world heritage tropical jungle, pristine beaches, world-class dive sites and orangutans in the wild.

    Amazing!

    Who wouldn’t want a weeklong layover in what sounds like an ecological paradise?! You would be mad not to grasp the opportunity to explore the riches of Sabah. Yet here I was, comfortably settled in my hostel dorm room, not planning any activities at all.

    What happened?

    Sabah does indeed have some gems, but like most treasures, they are highly protected. This means you mostly need to book packaged tours to explore the majority of them. That’s right, forget the ‘National Geographic-type’ scene of you and your local guide machetting your way through the lush steamy rainforest. There are clearly marked paths and lots of other tourists.

    entrance Kinabalu park
    entrance to the park

    To climb Mount Kinabalu, Malaysia’s highest mountain, you need to book your overnight expedition months ahead and it will set you back €270

    Kinabalu peak from a safe distance
    Kinabalu peak from a safe distance

    During your organised canoe safari through the jungle rivers, your guide tells you he can’t stop the boat for you to check out the monkey posing by the river bank because it’s already 6.05pm and your tour ends at 6pm. (True story from several travellers I met)

    You’re obviously not the only one taking the tours, so you can expect hordes of (Chinese) tourists, island hopping with you and leaving trash all over the not so deserted beaches.

    arrival of the tourist groups
    arrival of a tourist group

    For a guaranteed sighting of orangutangs swinging freely through the treetops you need to make way to the rehabilitation centre… Why spend seven hours on the road only to have to fight off a crowd of tourists on the viewing platform.

    Don’t get me wrong, there are possibilities to have a more authentic Borneo experience and not use tours, but it will take you quite some time, effort and money.

    So what happened?

    I was simply not in the mood for extensive travel nor did I want a disneyland-type outing despite the fact that the attractions are unique in the world. I decided not to partake in the “mandatory” tourist trail. I spent most my days in Kota Kinabalu working from the hostel, getting massages, eating, socialising with travellers and the hostel personnel.

    daily dose of Malaysian staples
    daily dose of Malaysian staples

    After a while I started feeling some traveler’s guilt, thinking “I really ought to visit something...ANYTHING!”

    So I took 3 short trips from KK and as it turns out, you can perfectly “fake” the tourist trail by going on day trips!

    Even though I was being a lazy traveler, I still managed to see most of Sabah’s highlights!

    One of the trips, which was actually an overnight trip, took me to Kinabalu National park

    I didn’t climb Mt. Kinabalu but I did mount some sloping hills around it and got some great views

    Kinabalu park
    views

    I hiked a few km’s through the rainforest

    light hiking
    light hiking

    A 15 minute boat ride just off KK’s coast took me to some unspoilt beaches. 

    deserted beach
    deserted beach
    perfect beach
    perfect for a beer

    The last outing, took me to Rasa Ria, a five star resort which has its own nature reserve. It’s a short 45 minute taxi ride away from KK, which allowed me to spend a few a hours getting close and personal with our orangutan cousins. The resort’s rehabilitation centre is in close coöperation with the larger and more popular Sepilok Nature Reserve. There are much less orangutans in Rasa Ria, but also less tourists and the monkeys play around closer to the viewing platform.

    happy and free
    happy and free
    orangutan buddies
    buddies

    Unfortunately, diving was the only activity missing from my ‘lazy travel itinerary’. It takes an extra flight, a bus trip and truckload of cash (at least €500) to reach the underwater paradise of Sipidan. Although it would have undoubtedly been worth the trouble, I didn’t have the money. I still managed to see a lot of fish… on my plate! 

    yellow fin tuna
    yellow fin tuna
    exotic lobster
    lobster
    blowfish
    blowfish
    tropical fish
    tropical fish
    blue spotted stingray
    blue spotted stingray

    I spoke with many travellers in Sabah and they all confirmed my thoughts: by visiting this part of Borneo, you probably won’t be in for a rugged, authentic and unique adventure. Unless you have an abundance of time and resources, that is.

    Sabah is a great destination if you long to comfortably experience what Borneo has to offer minus the hassle of organising permits, transportation… I would advice you to combine a visit to Sabah with –time permitting- Sarawak, the other Malaysian state on the island.

    For a more unspoilt cultural and natural Bornean experience, head to Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo.

     

    Have you ever skipped the main tourist attractions because you just didn’t feel like it?

    The post “Lazy travel: Sabah, Borneo” first appeared on Travel Cake.

  • Eating Penang

    Eating Penang

     

    As I write this, I’m lying in the sofa, pants half open, thinking maybe I’ve overdone it. I’m on Pulau Penang, a small island off the coast of Malaysia, connected to the mainland by a 13.7km bridge. Charming! Chinese influence meets western colonial style. And of course there is the lush greenery around every corner, breath taking sunsets and knowing that there is a large body of water not too far away, is always a win, if you ask me.

    So why am I slouched in the couch feeling like I’m carrying the love child of grease and sugar.

    Well, the other thing Penang is famous for is its food. It is said to be one of the top places to experience ‘Pernakan cuisine’.

    As a matter of fact, as I was doing my research on what to do in Penang, most suggestions I got involved food in one way or another.

    So, what else could I do but to go on a street food frenzy?!

    The hawker culture is such a big part of the local way of life. The food is cheap, tasty and the portions are just right. So off I went…

     

    10 AM: BREAKFAST- DIM SUM

    DIM SUM
    DIM SUM

     

    This place was not on the plan, but the place where I was supposed to have breakfast was quite far away and I needed food FAST! Good dim sum, although I now realise I’m simply not a big ‘dumpling fan’.

     

    11 AM: POST BREAKFAST SNACK- FRIED OYSTERS

    Fried-oysters
    FRIED OYSTERS

    Deliciously crunchy. I experienced an entirely new texture and flavour. I must admit, I normally don’t like oysters at all- shame on me- but this dish has no connection to the oyster flavour I am accustomed to.

    eggoyster
    THE MAKING OF
    Oyster
    THE MAKING OF

     

    12.15 PM: LUNCH- EEL FISH BALL KOAY TEOW SOUP

    EEL SOUP
    eel fish ball soup

     

    What you get is handmade eel fish balls, handmade pork filet and rice noodles swimming in a light and tasty broth garnished with lettuce and fried garlic. I was reluctant to try this one because I’m not too fond of fishballs (they are more or less in the dim sum family). Once again, I was pleasantly surprised by a new set of flavours.

    Pitt Street Homemade Fish Ball Koay Teow Th’ng
    183, Carnarvon Street
    9am – 4.30pm. Closed on Sun & Mon

     

    1.30 PM: DESERT/REFRESHMENT- AIS TINKAP

    AIS TINKAP
    AIS TINKAP

     

    At this point of the day, temperatures arose and I needed a serious cooldown.  That is exactly what this drink did. It’s a concoction of shaved ice, coconut water, Indian herbs and rose essence. Texture is added with basil seeds and coconut flesh. I enjoyed this sweet Penang classic.

    Tamil Street, Penang
    12pm to 8pm (Closed on Sundays)

     

    2.30 PM: AFTERNOON SNACK- TROPICAL FRUIT EXTRAVAGANZA

    Fruit stall
    EXOTIC FRUIT

    I had planned to go for curry around this time, but the heat was too intense to be eating hot and spicy sauces. I decided to go healthy instead and try some of that alluring exotic fruit that’s omnipresent in the street scene.

    I went for the classics: mango, watermelon and pineapple. But I also tried the less familiar ones: starfruit, dragon fruit, guava, water apple and mangosteen.

     

    4.00 PM: EARLY DINNER-CHAR KOAY TEOW

     

    CHAR KEOW TEOW
    char keow teow

     

    An incredibly rich blend of noodles, fresh veggies, sweet lard, egg, tiny clams and shrimp fried on a strong charcoal flame. As you empty your plate all the flavours really come together, making this dish taste like a greasy touch of heaven. I just HAD TO order seconds!

     Located at the end of Siam Road
    3pm to 11pm (Closed on Mondays)

     

    The stall is insanely popular, the cook get dozens of orders every hour, yet he prepares every order separately so the dish wouldn’t loose its personal touch. Wonderful! This also means I had to wait 30 minutes (twice) to get my food. Absolutely worth it!

    I left the hawker stall at 6.00 PM wondering if I was going to keep eating…

     

    6.30 PM: “CAN’T EAT ANYMORE BUT MUST TRY SOMETHING NEW-BREAK”-  NUTMEG JUICE

     

    NUTMEG JUICE
    nutmeg juice

     

    Now that is something new! The sign said it was refreshing and rejuvenating, just what I was looking for. It looks a bit strange and that’s also how it tasted. I’m not sure whether I liked this fresh tangy juice or not. It has such a unique and peculiar taste, it’s just something you must try to understand.

     

    Shall I keep eating?

     

    8 PM: DINNER- FAST SUSHI

    SUSH WITH CHEESE
    sushi with cheese

    I was tired and in need of some hardcore aircon, so I cave and exchanged one street food meal for a less greasy dinner. I thought I was going for something more familiar, but as it turns out, this sushi was unique in it’s own way. It had a cheese topping. Cheese. Is this normal??

    The sushi wasn’t that great, I quickly regretted not having stuck to the street food plan!

    Sushi King
    1st Avenue Mall (LG-71, Underground)

     

    I was meant to go for a “post dinner” meal, but I was DONE. No more. I turned around and left the food scene. What a fantastic day!

     

    Have you ever tried an “eating-only” day?

    The post “Eating Penang” first appeared on Travel Cake.