***This vacation was taken before I started blogging and before I started photos of my meals. It still contains relevant info on sightseeing and dining.***
My visit to Malaysia was brief…very brief. I was actually in Singapore on a group tour, when the tour guide mentioned that he had a surprise for us. He asked if we would like to travel to Malaysia, instead of having a free afternoon. We all chimed in with a “yes”!

When we crossed the border, the first stop we made brought us into the forest. A guide showed us how rubber trees are tapped for the liquidy substance which is to become our rubber products. The sap falls into little metal containers attached to the trees.

We also witnessed the harvesting of palm fruits from the palm tree. The fruits can be eaten or used to produce palm oil.

Our guide brought us to a typical Malaysian home nearby. He knew the family residing there. They kindly gave us a tour of their traditional home. The kitchen was simple..just a stove and table. The living room contained a prayer area with treasured religious articles. The village we visited was near Johor. The city of Johor does have a couple of vegan restaurants including Chow’s Family Vegetarian Restaurant and Merryland Vegetarian Restaurant. However, given the timing and our tour stops, the opportunity to dine at these restaurants was not a possibility.

The next stop on our travels was a pewter factory. Malaysia is known for producing beautiful pewter items. After watching the pewter-making process, we headed towards the small gift shop on site. I purchased a pewter statue of a Malaysian kite flyer.

Now it was finally time to eat! The setting was quite picturesque. Our destination for dinner was a little seaside village. We dined on the deck watching the boats pass by. This small, remote village did not have a vegan restaurant in the nearby vicinity. However, my guide asked the waiter to bring me a plate of veggies without fish sauce. The chef obliged. Even in remote villages, you need not always fear of starving. Chefs are usually willing to prepare something for their vegan diners. Our last excursion in Malaysia was a boat ride on the calm waters from which we could see one of the Indonesian islands in the distance.

I enjoyed my surprise visit to Malaysia! It is always a pleasure to visit any foreign land to experience the peoples, the culture, and the cuisine.

For those who have the opportunity to visit the capital city of Kuala Lumpur, the city is a vegan’s paradise. There are approximately 25 vegan restaurants! A few of them are 31 Street Food, Ba Xian Vegetarian Court, Berjaya Time Square 10th Avenue Food Mall , Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery, Fatt Yan.