Beyond The Borders: Singapore, Malacca & Kuala Lumpur

Singapore is a city-state suspended between East and West, an island at the tip of the Malay peninsula that in a few decades has transformed into one of the most modern and prosperous metropolises in Asia. Its futuristic skyline is mirrored in the bay, dominated by the unmistakable shape of Marina Bay Sands with its ship-shaped terrace poised across three towers. At its feet stretch the Gardens by the Bay, visionary gardens where the Supertrees, artificial trees tens of metres tall, light up each evening in a show of lights. But Singapore is above all a mosaic of cultures: in Chinatown the Chinese temples coexist with mosques, Little India is fragrant with curry and jasmine, and Kampong Glam guards the great Sultan Mosque. The shopping avenue of Orchard Road, the colonial quarter around the river with its godowns turned into bars, and the island of Sentosa with its beaches complete the picture. Yet the true heart of the city beats in the hawker centres, food markets where for a few coins you can savour Hainanese chicken rice, laksa and chilli crab, the emblem of local cooking. Among orchids, tropical trees and vertical architecture, Singapore is South-East Asia in its most orderly, safe and surprising form—a gleaming gateway for those setting out to discover the region.

Malacca (Melaka) is one of the most historically significant cities in South-East Asia, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. Controlled by the Portuguese, Dutch and British between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, the city carries centuries of overlapping influences in its streets: the Santiago Gate (A Famosa), the red-painted Christ Church and the Dutch Stadthuys are its defining symbols. Jonker Street hosts one of Malaysia's most famous night markets, scented with laksa and cendol. The Melaka River, lit with colourful reflections in the evening, can be explored by boat, revealing murals and hidden gardens.

Kuala Lumpur rises against the Malaysian sky with the Petronas Towers — for years the world's tallest buildings — dominating the KLCC district at sunset when the steel glows copper and gold. Malaysia's capital is a multicultural metropolis where Malay, Chinese and Indian communities coexist, each with its own flavours and rituals. Chinatown — Petaling Street — buzzes with spices and street food; Masjid Jamek marks the historic heart at the old confluence of the Gombak and Klang rivers. Batu Caves, reachable by metro, shelter limestone caves with a forty-two-metre golden statue of the god Murugan. The MRT makes it easy to move between Bukit Bintang — with its malls and fine-dining restaurants — and Lake Perdana with its botanical gardens. Nasi lemak, roti canai and grilled satay tell centuries of cultural cross-pollination. A city that surprises at every turn.