Here’s a sweet treat for the end of the day. I’ve got a soft spot for Asian desserts and these little putu piring from Malaysia are impossible to resist.

‘Putu’ is a generic Indonesian-Malay word for the dough and ‘piring’ means plate.  The mix of rice flour, grated coconut and flavourful palm sugar are lightly compressed into little patties and steamed for a few minutes.  The origins of the dessert is thought to be southern India.

This putu piring maker was snapped in the bustling Chow Kit Market on a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur.

While working in KL, I met up with my old mate and photojournalist, Pein Lee. We spent a few night’s chomping on braised pig’s ears at local eateries, and propping up the bar at Sam’s, chatting about photography, future projects, and the Malaysia’s current political malaise, until kicking out time. Pein’s talk is as direct as his images. I told him I was going to shoot the Petronas Twin Towers the next night. After the groans of disapproval had died down he said “There’s more to KL than all that shiny shit over there,” or words to that effect. And indeed there is…but I still can’t resist photographing the lofty monuments to Mahathir’s ego. As day turns to night and it lights up, it’s totally surreal.

You can check out Pein’s work here https://www.facebook.com/thepein

A post is long overdue. To be honest I have a huge backlog of web-worthy images as the past few months have been spent completing three new books on Cambodia and Thailand for my publisher, John Beaufoy. More on these when they hit the shelves of Asia Books and elsewhere in October.

More recently, I spent a little time in Malaysia before fleeing when the annual choking haze arrived courtesy of Indonesia which still believe that rainforest doesn’t look as nice as a palm oil plantation.

With its ethnic mix of Malay, Indian, and Chinese, Kuala Lumpur is a microcosm of all things Asian. Affectionately known as KL, it is one most  cosmopolitan cities in the region and a fabulous destination for a rewarding short break. What’s more, KL is just a two hour flight from Bangkok.

In KL, there are few places more colourful than Masjid India, the city’s textile district.

The vibrant area is the place for fabrics, bargain clothing, Indian knick-knacks, and good cheap eats. I spent a pleasant afternoon wandering around collecting colour-saturated moments with my camera.

There’ll be more on my KL exploits over the next few days as I gradually wade through the files and get them processed.

Music lovers in South East Asia, mark your calendar. The Penang World Music Festival 2013 has just been confirmed for March 30 and 31. Once again, the colourful event will be held at Quarry Park in the Penang Botanic Gardens. Organised by Penang Tourism, this year 12 bands will perform including Mu from Portugal, Kimi Djabate from Guinea-Bissau, Nasout from Iran, the Alp Bora Quartet from Turkey, Saharadja  from Indonesia, Inka Marka from South America, Kalayo from the Philippines, and a few as yet unannounced Malaysian bands.

In addition to evening performances at the concert all bands will take part in daily workshop sessions from 2 pm. The workshops give the public the chance to participate and learn the unique music making processes of the international artists. Evening shows will start at 7 pm ‘til late. The open-air festival will also include a bazaar offering food and drink, souvenir, crafts and performers’ CDs.

It’s true to say that for many years Malaysia has lead the way in the region when it comes to showcasing a diverse range of non-mainstream music. They should be loudly applauded and supported so get your tickets for the Penang World Music Festival now.  See you there!

PWMF 2013 tickets can be purchased at RM80 per adult and RM40 per child for the one-day pass, and RM140.00 per adult and RM70.00 per child for the two-day pass. Click here for more information.

In addition to the great music, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore the lovely island of Penang.

The official hotel sponsor for the festival is Hard Rock Hotel Penang.

Just a quick posting of a Buddha image snapped in a small Chinese temple tucked away down a side street in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

I really enjoyed being back Kuala Lumpur again last week. Although I wouldn’t want to live there because it lacks the energy and chaos that I so love about Bangkok, I am still very fond of it. This is because 16 years ago it was my first experience of Asia. Over the years I’ve made many return visits and it has been interesting to watch the city evolve. Much of the change has fortunately been for the better .

KL has an interesting mix of colonial-era and contemporary architecture infused with elements of Islamic design.

Many of the older buildings such as the one that now houses the National Textile Museum have been beautifully restored. At night they are lit up and the park opposite is a pleasant place to sit admire the buildings and changing colours.

A short walk away a vibrant Indian district is home to excellent ‘bannana leaf’ restaurants where you can get some superb southern Indian food. Here the old shophouses are overshadowed by towering office blocks .

Fortunately not all of the city has had a facelift and there are plenty of nicely textured street scenes to capture.

I took a quick trip to Malaysia last weekend to attend a lecture and demonstration by a couple of Japanese ceramic artists at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Shah Alam. I was there about 16 years ago for a couple of months as part of an artists’ cultural exchange so it was good to return and catch up with old friends. It also looks like I’ll be back sooner that I thought as I was kindly invited to give a lecture at the university and at the Perak campus based on my book, The Traditional Ceramics of South East Asia. The last time I did this was at the prestigious Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taipei a couple of years ago, and more recently at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

Shah Alam, which is about 25 kilometres from Kuala Lumpur or KL, is known for the enormous Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, more commonly referred to as the Blue Mosque. Inside and out, it’s an impressive structure and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity of photographing it, even if it meant rising at 5 .a.m. and walking a couple of clicks in order to be there for sunrise. And what better reason to take advantage of the so-called ‘blue hour’ at dusk and take some long exposure shots…

If I am not mistaken, this is the largest mosque in South East Asia. The blue and white dome rises over 100 metres and there at four towering 140 metre minarets. Although you are not supposed to photograph inside, a nice old gent overseeing proceedings at the mosque didn’t seem to object, as long as I didn’t stray into the ladies zone.

There’s more shots in the Malaysia Gallery. I’ll post shots from KL in a day or two.

Here’s a bit of good news for lovers of quality live music. If you are anywhere in Southeast Asia at the end of March it’ll be well worth making a detour and heading over to Penang in Malaysia.

The Penang World Music Festival returns after a hiatus of three years. It will be held from 30^th March to 1^st April 2012 at the Quarry Garden within the beautiful Botanic Gardens, not far from the heart Georgetown.

When it comes to life music, Malaysia is way ahead of its neighbours, and the return of the Penang World Music Festival is a another welcome addition to the annual events calendar that includes Borneo Jazz in May, the fabulous Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak during July, and the Penang Island Jazz Festival in late November/December.

Huun Huur Tu performing at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Sarawak a few years ago.

The 3^rd Penang World Music Festival will feature renowned musicians from Malaysia as well as a great line-up of international artists. They’ll be 18 bands in all, performing and conducting workshops, including Maite Hontele from Colombia, Beoga from Ireland, the Tori Ensemble from South Korea, Phong Nguyen Ensemble from Vietnam, Loyko from Russia, and the band I am really looking forward to seeing most of all, Altan Urag from Mongolia. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing several Mongolian and Tuvan bands and am always enthralled by them. I actually discovered the sound years ago through my love of the music of Frank Zappa after seeing a film of him at home having a ‘musicial soiree’ with members of Huun Huur Tu, a band I was lucky enough to interview and see perform a few years back at Rainforest World Music Festival.

You can find out more about the line-up at the 3^rd Penang World Music Festival website. The event is organized by the Malaysian Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the official sponsoring hotel for the event is Hard Rock Hotel.

I really enjoy the challenge of photographing live music and am looking forward to capturing images of the performers. And of course there’ll also be the chance to explore the delightful UNESCO World Heritage town of Georgetown and other attractions in Penang. For flights to Penang from Bangkok and other regional destinations, check-out the no-frills, no service, and plenty of bad attitude, Air Asia or for a little extra enjoy the service and quality of Malaysia Airlines.

I’ve just returned from a brief visit to Kuala Lumpur, one of my favourites among the more developed cities in Asia.

With its ethnic mix of Malay, Indian, and Chinese, Kuala Lumpur is a microcosm of all things Asian. Affectionately known as KL, it is one of the most colourful and cosmopolitan cities in the region and a fabulous destination for a rewarding short break. What’s more, KL is just a two hour flight from Bangkok.

Although I did manage to spend a day wandering around photographing a few streets scenes, the main purpose  of my visit was to capture strong images of the Petronas Twin Towers, something I have neglected to do on previous trips. It is 15 years since the spectacular building was completed. Rising 450 metres above the streets KL, the 88 floors of glass and gleaming stainless steel proudly declare Malaysia’s entry into the developed world.

Dominating the city, the Petronas Twin Towers is KL’s most popular attraction but visitors can only gain access to the skybridge that links the two towers at the 41^st and 42^nd floors. Tickets are limited to 1,700 visitors each day and queues start early, so it can be more trouble than it’s worth. In truth the towers are best viewed from a distance and at night.

To enjoy this truly spectacular sight head to SkyBar on the 33^rd floor of the Traders Hotel at around 6.30 p.m., just before the spectacular building lights up. This breezy pool bar overlooks the towers and is a fabulous place to take in the view while enjoying a signature lemongrass martini cocktail or a glass of wine with tasty finger food. To be sure of a the best view, you can book cabana-style seating by calling +603 2332-9888.

If you are heading for KL, I highly recommend the Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, a contemporary city centre hotel popular with business and leisure travellers. Traders offer 571 stylishly rooms and suites in the heart of the city, just opposite the Petronas Twin Towers. It is also has two excellent restaurants, and the fabulous SkyBar where guests and visitors can enjoy intoxicating views of the towers.

All but the last image were taken at dusk using a long exposure which has given them a somewhat surreal edge. Very little post-processing was done. You can see more images in the Portfolio section.

Asian nations are notorious for their disregard of architectural heritage. From Beijing to Bangkok, KL to Singapore, beautiful old buildings have never stood in the way of progress.

Until recently Penang was destined to make the same mistakes but commonsense prevailed and the island’s past is now proving to be its biggest tourist attraction.

Described by UNESCO as “a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia,” George Town was awarded the coveted World Heritage status in 2008. It was a moment when lovers of colonial-era architecture breathed a sigh of relief, optimistic for a future that would see a halt to the further deterioration or destruction of the island’s famous godowns, shophouses and mansions.

Although by no means the saviour of every old building, the new status put George Town and Penang firmly in the spotlight and was a huge boost for tourism. In Penang, the future is now history.

I’ve visited Penang on many occasions, exploring its many fine buildings. On a recent visit, however, I wandered the streets taking pictures of a few run down gems that ooze character. One of the best ways to discover George Town’s history is on foot. Most hotels and restaurants offer visitors a free map of the ‘Heritage Trail’, a leisurely stroll into the past that takes you down some of the town’s most historic streets with cafes and art galleries to enjoy.