Malaysia is the cultural melting pot
of Southeast Asia, combining the flavors of the Orient,
India and Europe. More than fifteen hundred years
ago a Malay kingdom in the Bujang Valley welcomed
traders from China and India. With the arrival of
gold and silks, Buddhism and Hinduism also came to
Malaysia. One thousand years later, Arab traders
arrived in Malacca and brought with them the practices
of Islam. Still later the Portuguese arrived with
their cosmopolitan culture. These three groups are
joined by a huge array of indigenous tribes, many
of which live in the forests and coastal areas of
Borneo, thus creating Malaysia’s unique and
diverse heritage.
Malaysia is a country of contrasts, enjoying warm
tropical sun the year round, 3000 kilometers of coastline,
several historical cities, a unique cultural mix,
a string of cool hill resorts, the world’s
oldest rainforest and even S E Asia’s highest
mountain. Tie all this together, a destination that
cannot be surpassed.
Its capital, Kuala Lumpur, has emerged as one of
the great cities of the world and is a hub of global
trade and commerce. Tourism has now become a major
source of income for much of the country. KL (as
it is known) is a thoroughly modern city which could
resemble any major city in the USA. Although amidst
all the modernity of this city, you will find countless
examples of Malaysia’s colonial past. The sheer
scale of the Petronas Towers and the magnificence
of the KL Tower, you can compare it to any major,
modern structure of the world.
Malacca, aka Melaka in Malay is rich with history.
Founded over 600 years ago by a Sumatran prince,
it has thrived as a port city, receiving merchant
ships from India, China, Arab countries and as far
away as South America. Settle by the Portuguese
in the 1500s and later by the Dutch in the 1600s,
given to the British in the 1700s and back to the
Dutch in 1800s, thus making it a multi-cultural destination
settled by many European nations. Remnants of the
foreign cultures still remain. Onward we travel to
the northwest tropical island of Penang. This location,
too, was a stopping off point for the European vessels
of the 1800s. Penang has been nicknamed the “Pearl
of the Orient”. It is a lush area with fabulous
beaches, tropical paradises in its forested interior
and a vibrant town of Georgetown. Now we are leaving
the mainland of Malaysia and off to another island
of Borneo (part of Malaysia) and consisting of five
states. We will visit two of these states, Sahab
and Sarawak in East Malaysia. First we visit Kuching,
the capital of E. Malaysia which is very unlike its
western cousin of KL. It has Chinese temples and
pagodas mixed with Victorian and modern buildings.
It is a visit to the rainforest of Taman Negara’s
forest reserve and experience nature not to be missed.
You will see incredible flowers and fauna, caves
and animals and even a visit to the Orangutan Sanctuary
in Sepilok. We travel to the second state called
Sarawak and it is here that you will see the native
longhouses, the hunters of the forest who used the
blowpipes and still more, a visit to the Sarawak
Cultural Village. And if time permits,. We will visit
the place where thousands of turtles annually bury
their eggs at night on the shore, some to remain
and some to be saved and placed into incubation.
Our minds are ever full of the marvelous sights we
have seen both, of nature and the culture of a nation
but as ever, all good things draw to an end and we
must return home to the USA.
This is only a brief summary of what the Malaysia
program will be like. Space is very limited as the
nature accommodations are limited in size and therefore
we must keep our group limited to 18 persons. IT
WILL BE A GREAT TRIP WITH MUCH TO SEE AND DO!
This tour includes both land and air, and due to
the many domestic flights involved, use of own air
is not possible. $3295.00 per person based on sharing
a room and this includes international air from LAX;
$1000 per person domestic air flights, including
all taxes, fuel surcharges based on 3/26/08 rates
(subject to change until fully paid). $1050.00 single
supplement which are extremely limited due to space.
Itinerary
For further information: Premier Vacations Ltd.,
9378 Olive Blvd., #211, St. Louis, MO 63132
Tel: 314 994 9600 Fax: 314 994 9602 Reservations:
800 444 9250
