Malaysia: Discovering Asia's secret shores

After a dinner of crispy buttered prawns, I fell to reading Joseph Conrad's Lord Jim. Very soon, I concluded that I had stumbled upon the novel's fictional Malay state of Patusan, so little sign of change was there from the time when Conrad visited these parts over a century ago.

This awakening happened on the small island of Gemia, part of a land- and seascape that is so overlooked by British tourists that it might as well be imaginary.

Most of the south-east Asian peninsula that jabs down towards the equator seems familiar territory to many British travellers. Malaysia's dazzling capital, Kuala Lumpur, has long boasted numerous luxury hotels; and, more recently, its northerly neighbour, Langkawi, has been developed as a destination for indulgent tourists. Yet the capital has not left the past entirely behind in its headlong rush to the future, and the spice island of Penang is as rich in history and nature as it is in beachside hotels.