A Magnificent Seven
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Penang’s reputation for a hawker food paradise extends far and wide. Here’s a selection of dishes that are a must on any dining itinerary on the island.
Marco Ferrarese
Marco Ferrarese lives in Penang since 2009, from where he covers Malaysia, India and the larger Southeast Asian region for a number of international guidebooks and publications that include Lonely Planet, the Rough Guides, Fodor's Travel, Nikkei Asia and South China Morning Post. His debut novel Nazi Goreng, a quirky subcultural thriller set in Penang, was published by Monsoon Books in 2013 and banned by Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs in 2016. Marco and his Malaysian photographer wife Kit Yeng still call Penang home, even though they are on the road reporting from elsewhere most of the time. Know more about him and his books at www.marcoferrarese.com and www.penang-insider.com
A Day at the Races
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The annual horse festival of Litang is a great opportunity to discover the Tibetan traditions that run deep in parts of Sichuan province. Photos by Kit Yeng Chan.
Spice Routes
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By saddling up and striking out of Kochi’s tourist areas by bicycle, our writer discovers the true essence of Kerala’s magical backwaters. Images by Chan Kit Yeng
Shot in the Dark
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Mount Inerie, the highest peak on Flores, is not a climb for the faint-hearted, as our writer and his group found out as they attempted to scale the mighty volcano without a guide.
Swingin’ Party
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A trip to the nature reserve of Gunung Leuser in North Sumatra brings travellers into close — sometimes too close for comfort — contact with a population of resident orangutans. Images by Kit Yeng Chan
Unearthly Heights
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Steeped in folklore and religious significance, Adam’s Peak in Sri Lanka is a site of pilgrimage for spiritual seekers and adventure lovers alike.
Photos by Chan Kit Yeng
Tending to the Tip
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Inspired by the conservation efforts of a British hotelier, the Rungus people of Sabah’s northernmost headland are protecting their beaches and ancestral lands with eco-tourism. Photos by Kit Yeng Chan.
From the Mountains to the Masses
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Sape virtuoso Alena Murang is popularizing the ancestral culture of Borneo’s Kelabit people through her music.
Nurture in Nature
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Borneo is legendary for its dense, rugged landscapes. And it is still very possible to lose yourself in Sarawak’s array of national parks.
Ugly Beautiful
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Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh is the ancestral land of the Apatani tribe, a pagan society famous for shamanistic traditions and the crude facial decorations of its female elders.
Rumble in the Jungle
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The Borneo Jazz Festival returns to Sarawak this month after a two-year ab-sence with a joyfully eclectic program. Marco Ferrarese gets the skinny from Hii Yuh Lin, the festival’s artistic director and a key figure in Malaysia’s live jazz scene.
Northern Exposure
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Remote and subject to harsh Himalayan weather conditions, Spiti Valley was the desolate main link between Tibet and India for centuries. Its seclusion has helped preserve the authenticity of one of the world’s most threatened cultures