Examining the maritime history and the unique heritage of the influential port cities along this vital Asian trade route.
This isn’t just a stretch of water. It’s history’s high tide. The Strait of Malacca stretches nearly 900 kilometres, a crucial shipping funnel located in South East Asia. Today, this narrow channel carries roughly one-quarter of all global commerce. For…
Stand on the shores of Langkawi today, and travellers can gaze upon a landscape defined by deep time. The island archipelago, a designated UNESCO Global Geopark, has mountains and rock formations over 550 million years old. This geological permanence, however,…
The E&O Penang is one of the premier heritage hotels in South East Asia. Famous guests have included Somersaut Maugham and Charlie Chaplin. Often referred to as the Grand Dame of Heritage hotels, its history is one worthy of telling.…
The tropical island of Langkawi at the entrance to the Malacca Straits has a captivating legend – the legend of Mahsuri. It tells of a woman whose beauty transcended mere appearance; a beauty of the soul that shone brightly and…
Jawi Peranakan is hardly a name that rolls off the tongue, but in Penang, while Nyonya cuisine often takes centre stage, another equally tasty culinary heritage awaits discovery: that of the Jawi Peranakans. This relatively unknown culinary alchemy blends the…
Kek Lok Si is a sprawling citadel of Buddhist devotion on the hillside of Ayer Itam on Penang Island. The first building was erected in 1891, and since then has blossomed into one of Southeast Asia’s most revered Buddhist temples.…
In the history of Phuket, for centuries, it remained largely uninhabited, serving primarily as a stopover for pirates and ships replenishing supplies. Change was slow, but the island’s population gradually increased over time. This is the story of how two…
The History of Penang and the Founding of Georgetown is a story of betrayal, double-dealing and lost friendship between Francis Light and the Sultan of Kedah. The island of Penang, virtually uninhabited at the time, belonged to Kedah, itself a…
Penang heritage under the British began in 1786. Up until then, Penang Island in the Straits of Malacca was part of the Kedah Kingdom. Little did locals know that this uninhabited island was about to be transformed beyond all recognition.…
The Clan Jetties Penang are one of the many attractions worth paying a visit to. But this tourist hotspot isn’t your typical waterfront promenade. The Clan Jetties are an important part of Penang’s cultural heritage. This UNESCO World Heritage Site and…