Penang, Cameron Highlands, Kuala Lumpur, Redang Island.

TLDR: Very much a culturally diverse country with a heavy presence of Chinese, Indian, and Malay people. Everyone I met spoke 3+ languages (English being one, thankfully), and the street food in Penang was insanely delicious.

Quick recommendation: Nasi Lemak (national dish) and Roti (bread) are a must-try. There are also Kit Kat bars that are Malaysian food-flavored! Shout out to my new KL friend from whom I learned quite a lot, including the fact that knives are basically never used to eat food.

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A beautiful, peaceful country. My first stop was in Penang where you could still feel the colonial presence and old history in the antiquated city of Georgetown. As I traveled South, I visited the Boh Tea Plantation in Cameron Highlands. It was there that our guide told us that the tea and strawberry farmers, historically from India, are contracted for 13 years to live away from their families. Are there possibilities for visiting family throughout the years? Maybe, if they had enough money to fly out.

They send their payments via mail to help provide for their families back home. At one of the strawberry farms, the farmers let us tourists cut strawberries and try the fruits that they grew on the farm. It was there that one farmer shared his story. He too was one of the many who was contracted for 13 years in order to help provide for his family. Though it pained him to please tourists every day doing the same tour and activities, he had a broader goal in mind. His story became concrete proof that there are sacrifices being made every day that not many tourists will  dare to realize. (It is noted however, that these stories are told to tourists in order to pressure into giving tips or whether sharing these stories is out of genuine practice of providing cultural context.)