Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Enchanting Malaysia - yours to discover

Asia sticks to you. From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace & spirituality that it has fixated and confounded travellers for centuries. Friendly & fun loving, exotic & tropical, cultured & historic,

Buzzing cities, culinary sensations, beautiful beaches, idyllic islands & national parks with wildlife-packed rainforests - all of this can be found in Malaysia. Come……experience Malaysia with us………

Ancient Civilisations |Vast Landscapes |Glimpse of the Future

Asia has contributed a cast of villains & heroes to global history. Most of the significant achievements of the modern world had their infancy in Asia. Historic trading routes sliced across epic terrain as expanding empires competed to trade goods & ideas throughout the continent & beyond. Asia’s ambitious civilisations ultimately gave rise to some of the world’s most revolutionary ideas & important technology.

This is a spiritual place infused with the gods of past & present: the ancient spirits of the land & the family, the deities of Buddhism & Hinduism and the rules of Islam. Ancient architectural wonders & sacred spaces abound across the continent, from the Great Wall of China & the temples of Angkor to lesser-known marvels in Myanmar, Nepal & Afghanistan

From sublime coastlines to snow-capped mountains, from the majestic Mekong River to wildlife infested jungle, from rolling landscapes fed by the monsoon rains & frenetic cities fizzling with energy, the diversity of Asia’s landscapes is mind-boggling with a vibrancy that captivates & enchants. Immense expanses of desert flow down from inhospitable mountains, which in turn give way to seemingly impenetrable forests.

In a land where tigers still roam free (though far from noisy tourists), nature continues to be the driving force in many peoples’ lives. Virtually every climate on the globe is represented here; take a trek over the Gobi’s arching dunes or sunning yourself on the sand-fringed tropical islands of the South China Sea.

As are their highlights from trekking Malaysia’s steamy jungles & wildlife spotting in southern India to riding horses through the Mongolian steppes, skiing  Japan’s Alps & dodging falling coconuts on of the continents many remote islands.

Is there any greater place to eat than Asia? The continent has exported its cuisines the world over: India’s fiery red hot curries, China’s juicy dumplings, Vietnam’s steaming bowls of pho soup & Thailand’s heaping plates of pat tai (pad Thai) noodles are known & loved across the globe. Eating here can be both a joyous & chaotic affair: forks are forsaken in favour of fingers or chopsticks & food is enjoyed with unrivalled gusto. Whether settling down for a Michelin-starred meal in one of Singapore’s finest restaurants or pulling up a plastic stool on a Bangkok street, hungry travellers will never be bored by the diversity of Asia’s cuisines. Get adventurous with a local dish from a road side stall & gulp down a hearty bowl of Japanese ramen. With its colours, smells, flavours & personalities, you will find Asia is deliciously rewarding.

Gleaming skyscrapers, whooshing magnetic trains, shiny smartphones: in Asia, the future is now. China is charging its way into the 21^st century with its economy developing at a head-spinning pace, while South Korea boasts some of the fastest internet speeds in the world & India is a hub of growing technology. A frenetic buzz surrounds urban Asia: the fashion, culture & business in the continent’s metropolises easily challenge the biggest European & American cities for their status as global hubs. This ever-evolving modernity can make for some incredibly special travel experiences: watch rice paddies flash by from a high-speed train, pick up a shiny new laptop in a Hong Kong electronics market or go to a robot cabaret show in Japan.

And now, on to Malaysia……….

Cultural Diversity | Ancient Rainforests | Urban Adventures | Wildlife

The catchy tourism slogan ‘Malaysia, Truly Asia’ continues to ring true as this country really is a potpourri of Asian cultures. Muslim Malays, religiously diverse Chinese & Hindu & Muslim Indians all muddle along with aboriginal groups (the Orang Asli) on Peninsular Malaysia & Borneo’s indigenous people, scores of tribes known collectively as Dayaks. Each ethnic group has its own language & cultural practices which you can best appreciate through a packed calendar of festivals & a delicious variety of cuisines.

 Adventure looms large in this vast & steamy archipelago, where the best of Southeast Asia’s spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas & diverse cultures spin & multiply to the point of exhaustion, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling.

Malaysia is a tremendous holiday destination, as it has something for everyone … a gentle coastline with lovely beaches, dense jungles, high forested mountains, world-renowned resorts & gentle, hospitable people. It is really like two countries in one, cleaved in half by the South China Sea. The peninsula is a multicultural buffet of Malay, Chinese & Indian flavours while Borneo hosts a wild jungle smorgasbord of orang-utans, granite peaks & remote tribes. Within & throughout these two very different regions are an impressive variety of microcosms ranging from the space-age high-rises of Kuala Lampur to the smiling longhouse villages of Sarawak & the calm, powdery beaches of the Perhentian Islands.

And did we mention the food? Malaysia (particularly along the peninsular west coast) has one of the best assortments of delicious cuisines in the world. Start with Chinese - Malay 'Nonya' fare, move on to Indian banana leaf curries, Chinese buffets, spicy Malay food stalls & even some impressive Western food. Yet despite all the pockets of ethnicities, religions, landscapes & sometimes - great distances between them, the beauty of Malaysia lies in the fusion of it all, into a country that is one of the safest, most stable & easiest to manage in Southeast Asia.

It is one of Southeast Asia’s top travel destinations, possessing an endless range of attractions & activities that cater for the cosmopolitan shopper, cultural enthusiast, historical buff & nature-lover. Divided into Peninsular Malaysia in the West & East Malaysia, part of the Borneo archipelago, the country will allure you with the shopping experience of its modern cities, the splendour of its cultural arts & natural heritage of rich flora & fauna

A charming history dating back to the 15^th century, when Malacca was a vital world trading port, has turned Malaysia into a multicultural land of extreme contrasts. Traveling in Malaysia is a heart-warming experience due to its friendly people, while its first-world infrastructure assures a memorable & comfortable stay.

For many visitors, Malaysia is defined by its equatorial rainforest. Significant chunks of primary jungle - among the most ancient ecosystems on earth - remain intact, protected by national parks & conservation projects. Seemingly impenetrable foliage & muddy, snaking rivers conjure up the ‘heart of darkness’ - but join a ranger-led nature walk, for example, & you will be alerted to the mind-boggling biodiversity all around, from the pitcher plants, lianas & orchids of the humid lowlands, to the conifers & rhododendrons of high-altitude forests

Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur (KL) is a place where Malay kampung (village) life stands cheek-by-jowl with the 21^st century glitz of the Petronas Towers, & shoppers shuttle from traditional wet markets to air-conditioned mega malls. UNESO World Heritage listed, Melaka & George Town in Penang, have uniquely distinctive architectural & cultural townscapes, developed over a half a millennium of Southeast Asian cultural & trade exchange. Over in the Eastern Malaysian states, both Kuching & Kota Kinabalu offer fascinating introductions to contemporary & tribal life on Borneo.

You have a good chance to encounter wildlife in its natural habitat. The most common sightings will be a host of insects or colourful birdlife, but you could get lucky & spot a foraging tapir, a slivered leaf monkey, or an orangutan swinging through the jungle canopy. The oceans are just as bountiful: snorkel or dive among shoals of tropical fish, paint-box dipped corals, turtles, sharks & dolphins. Even if you don’t venture outside the urban centres, there are excellent opportunities for wildlife watching at places such as the KL Bird Park or Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre.

To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia; this gastronomical paradise is home to million-year-old forests, state-of-the-art skyscrapers and hundreds of colourful festivals. The time is now, the place is Malaysia.

A unique experience is just the beginning. Spectacular & surreal. Locals have an infectious love of life & generosity of spirit in this vibrant inclusive community which has no problem melding tradition & modernity. Take the plunge now & yep….the enchanting Malaysia is waiting. A warm welcome awaits you & The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

Come……be inspired & discover the World with us

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Malaysia. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore more options & we will be happy to offer suggestions based on your personal preferences………