Malaysia Highlights

Batu Caves is one of the most extraordinary religious sites in Southeast Asia — a series of limestone caves containing Hindu temples, 13km north of Kuala Lumpur, with the iconic 272-step golden staircase leading to the main cave temple. The 43-metre golden statue of Lord Murugan at the base of the stairs is the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world. The caves have been a place of Hindu worship since the 1890s and are the site of the Thaipusam festival — one of the most spectacular religious events in the world, when hundreds of thousands of devotees carry kavadi (elaborate metal frames) up the 272 steps as an act of devotion.

George Town is the capital of Penang island and one of the most extraordinary cities in Southeast Asia — a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary colonial architecture, Peranakan shophouses, Chinese temples, Indian mosques, and the most celebrated street food scene in Asia. The city's famous street art — murals and iron rod sculptures by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic — has made George Town one of the most photographed cities in the world. The Peranakan (Straits Chinese) culture of Penang — a unique blend of Chinese and Malay traditions — is one of the most fascinating in Southeast Asia.