It is one thing to travel the world casually visiting key destinations and tourist attractions; however, it is a completely different experience to travel the world with a theme in mind. Building a tour around a theme allows for a more considered and focused exploration of a culture which ultimately offers a deeper connection of understanding and insight into that culture.

While there are many organised tours that focus on particular themes, there is nothing quite as inspiring as putting together your own themed tour, and it’s not too difficult to do. Firstly, find a theme – something you are interested in, something different, something you are passionate about.

It may involve archaeology, architecture, music, cooking, museums or music. Or it may involve a focus on train travel, river boat travel or cycling through a particular country. Or it may be a focus on one country, one culture. There are so many different options available to assist you to construct your own themed tour.

Once you have decided on your theme, begin your research. Through Google there is a world of information at your fingertips. Check out your local library for more information and as your research expands, so your trip will begin to take shape.

My own themed tour began as something quite different. While researching Trip Advisor for a list of the top things to do in Singapore, I came across the Peranakan Museum. It looked interesting and I wondered: who are the Peranakans, where are they from and why is there a museum dedicated to them?

And so began a research project that developed into a fascinating overland trip following the trail of the Peranakan (a Malay word meaning ‘locally born’) people from Singapore to Melaka (in 2017 the state government changed the name from Malacca to its Malay spelling), and onto Penang exploring their culture and their way of life through visiting the many sites that continue to embrace the rich memories and heritage of this vibrant culture.

The Peranakans, also known as the Straits Chinese having been born in the British controlled Straits Settlements of Singapore, Melaka and Penang, trace their ancestry back to 15th century Chinese traders who crossed the seas in search of new trade routes.

Ships have passed through the Strait of Malacca for centuries as it is the shortest route between the Far East and the Indian Ocean and it is along these trade routes that communities grew. While there was conflict between the colonial powers of the Portuguese, Dutch and British during the 18th and 19th centuries, the British expanded its authority in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore, Melaka and Penang became important trading communities.

These Chinese traders who settled along the Strait of Malacca married local Malay and Indonesian women and aligned themselves economically with Western colonial traders. They became wealthy and influential businessmen with thriving business empires and luxurious mansions, and in doing so, created a distinctive cultural community. The men, known as Babas and the women as Nyonyas, became part of the affluent, privileged Straits Chinese.

Starting in Singapore

We are in Singapore. Our starting point for following the trail of the Peranakans is the Joo Chiat area of Singapore to view the Peranakan Houses. This historic area, named after the wealthy Chinese land owner Chew Joo Chiat in the 20th century is an eclectic collection of vibrant two storey heritage shop houses and terrace houses with colourful decorative facades with elaborate carvings and shuttered windows. It is our introduction to Peranakan culture.

As we wander through this fascinating area soaking up the Peranakan vibe, we check out artifacts in shops along with the colourful designs of elaborately beaded shoes and bags, marvel at the architecture of these vibrant terraces, stopping for coffee along the way. Lost in our explorations, we leave ourselves short of time to get to the Peranakan museum, so we decide the museum will have to be on the end of our tour as we have an appointment tonight; a guided tour of a Peranakan house.

Just before 6.00 pm we assemble with a group of other tourists in the warmth of a Singapore evening to begin our experiential tour of NUS Baba House which is managed by the National University of Singapore. I have bought the tickets online to make sure we get a place on the tour as a limited number of people are accepted on each tour.

Our tour guide arrives and although European, she informs us that she has a great love for the history and culture of the Peranakan people and is extra welcoming to the man in the tour group who is of Peranakan heritage. She tells us we are not allowed to take photographs inside the house.

Built around 1895, this Peranakan house was once the family home of the Wee family. Two large potted palms at the entrance, an external façade in deep blue, low hanging decorative Chinese lanterns and large gold Chinese symbols mounted on black frames positioned above the exquisite entry doors welcome you to Baba House. From the outside, the three-storey townhouse is enchanting.

Inside it is equally enchanting. Our tour is a detailed explanation of the daily lives and traditions of the Peranakans through the 1800s and early 1900s. We navigate our way through an authentic, beautifully restored house which is decorated in gilded, ornate and elaborate blackwood furniture, plush embroidered, elegant furnishings and high-quality fixtures that highlight the wealth and affluence of the Chinese Straits Peranakans.

We hear stories of the family traditions of births, marriages and deaths and the cultural practices attributed to these life events. We see the Grand Altar, the Bridal Chamber and even the secret spy hole surreptitiously placed on the first floor to spy on visitors coming to the house.

As we leave our tour I buy a book titled ‘The Straits Chinese House - Domestic Life and Traditions’. I am fascinated with the many large photos of prosperous family groups casually arranged in the gardens or on the stairs of sumptuous family homes and I want to read more of their lives and culture.

Onward to Melaka

The following morning we are on our way to Melaka upstairs in the double-decker bus, front row seats. We have a bird’s eye view of the landscape as we wind our way through the work day crowds and head into the outer suburbs of Singapore. But, it’s not long before I am consumed with worry. In all my planning, I have forgotten to check the visa entry requirements into Malaysia. I spend the rest of the trip to the border silently constructing scenarios for what will happen at immigration, needlessly, as it turns out. Our passports are checked, stamped, I have worried for nothing, and entry into Malaysia means we are back on the bus to Melaka.

In 2008, UNESCO recognised the historical significance of Melaka and George Town (Penang). These two historic colonial towns situated in the Straits of Malacca were instrumental in the formation of the shipping routes in the early trading days between East and West and the cultural exchanges that followed.

In Melaka, the Asian architectural constructions of Malay and Chinese heritage blend with the influence of the European heritage of the early Portuguese and Dutch settlers. It is welcoming and intriguing, this multi-cultural city, home of the early Peranakans.

Our bus driver winds his way through the narrow back streets of the Old Town, dodging cars and people to deposit us at our destination, the Courtyard @ Hereen Hotel. It is in this street, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, formerly called Hereen Street, and originally known as ‘millionaire’s row’ to the locals, that the Chinese and Peranakan merchants built their beautiful homes, many of which have now been converted into boutique hotels.

On entering the lobby we immediately recognise the distinctive Peranakan style. The unique Chinese ornate, elaborately decorated blackwood furniture is stylish and beautiful. A small fish pond on one side of the lobby surrounded by potted plants is accompanied by a model sailing ship, in memory of the sea faring heritage of the early settlers. I think it is gorgeous, quite deceiving from the outside with no indication of just how big the house is inside. During the Dutch era, a tax was based on the width of the frontage of these houses, so having a small frontage reduced the amount of tax required by the administrators.

I am captivated by the air-wells in these houses. As there are no windows, the air-wells create miniature courtyards and are often filled with potted plants, tiny water fountains or as Felix Chia, who grew up in a Peranakan family, says in the book ‘The Straits Chinese House’ that households would often use tubs and pails to collect rain water from the air wells during downpours. The air-wells are built just below ground level and have drainage holes to cope with downpours. I love the design of the air-wells, especially when they are abundantly filled with plants as they add a wonderful atmosphere to the house.

Having an entrepreneurial spirit enabled the Peranakans to succeed as flourishing traders, shopkeepers and successful businessmen in the shipping, banking and real estate areas. Many aligned themselves with the British, were educated, fluent in the language and wealthy and this allowed them to take on leadership positions within their communities.

They became philanthropists contributing to infrastructure in their communities, building schools, hospitals and orphanages. They were competently able to navigate the divide between the world of Asian trading and that of the colonial powers thus enabling them to succeed and prosper. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum which was once a family home.

Set in the late 19th and early 20th century Malay with cultural influences of the Portuguese, Dutch and Malay heritage, this beautiful and unique home was the ancestral home of the Chan family, a Peranakan family who spanned four generations and lived here from 1861 until it became a museum in 1985. It is just a two-minute walk from the hotel.

Spread across three terrace lots, this museum offers a glimpse into the prosperity and affluence of a Peranakan family. A feature of these homes is the importance of the reception hall to display the wealth and status of the family, to receive guests and to house the shrine of the family deity. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was fashionable for the Straits Chinese to have ornate blackwood furniture inlaid with mother of pearl and often decorated with gold leaf.

There are so many items to be fascinated by with the ornately decorated furniture and carvings, fabulous vibrant colors in ceramics, textures and patterns in the furniture, the clothes, the silk wall hangings and the delicate porcelains. It is a peek into a world of lavish consumption and beauty yet offers an historic connection to a vibrant heritage that we rarely see these days. I find it fascinating.

Peter Lee and Jennifer Chen, in their book ‘The Straits Chinese House’, quote the intrepid British writer and traveller, Isabella Bird, on the lavishness of the Malacca (Melaka) Peranakans: “they buy or build these handsome houses, as well as large bungalows in the neighbouring co-co groves, own their plantations up the country, and have obtained the finest site on the hill for their stately tombs . . . whereas cogent reasons compel the rich Chinaman at home to conceal the evidences of his wealth he (the Peranakan) glories in displaying it under the security of British rule.”

We leave the museum. It’s time to taste the fare of the Nyonyas, the Peranakan women, who are well known for their cuisine. We have been impressed by their cooking utensils and beautiful, colourful porcelains bowls, pots, dishes and plates so elegantly displayed in the houses.

The importance of the kitchen, affectionately referred to as the ‘Stomach of the House’ was the domain of the Nyonyas. Cooking was an important skill so it was only fitting that the young girls were introduced to cooking methods from an early age, after all, competent cooking skills was seen as the sign of a ‘good woman.’

Even before we enter the restaurant, we can smell the spices wafting out the door and into the street. Our eyes begin to water as we enter the ground floor to find large bags of opened spices, including curry, chillies, lemon grass and ginger spread around the room. We make our way up the stairs to a packed restaurant. We get the last table.

I scan the menu. Nyonya cooking has connections to Chinese, Malay and Indonesian cooking; the cooking spices from the kitchen permeate the restaurant. I query the menu looking for something that is not loaded with chilli and spices. The young waitress finds this alarming. She thinks it will have no taste if the chillies and spices are taken out.

I can’t find anything suitable and am rapidly losing interest in this Nyonya cooking because I don’t think my stomach will cope with it. I settle for a plate of rice and some vegetables, minus chilli and spices. The waitress is poker faced. Such a bland request is an insult to Nyonya cuisine.

In the afternoon we visit the Melaka History and Ethnography Museum to explore the early history of Melaka. Through the UNESCO classification the city retains an authenticity to its Dutch, Portuguese, British and Malay history.  The old sector is an eclectic combination of tiny jumbled shops, cafes and hotels crammed into narrow streets with Jonker Street coming alive at night with the night markets.

Tiny houses along the riverbank have walls adorned with street art and flowering pots of shrubs and bougainvillea create a colourful spectacle. As night falls the fairy lights and light displays along the river produce an evening wonderland, especially for those on the riverboat cruise.

The following morning we are back on the early bus to Kuala Lumpur for our afternoon train to Butterworth. The train is comfortable and air conditioned and along with the ticket comes a fat puffy donut and a bottle of water. The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Butterworth is a scenic mix of dense rainforest jungles, palm plantations, market gardens, wandering water buffalo, and in the distance, rocky mountain ranges.

Arrival in Penang

As night falls the sky turns bright orange and the lights of cities and towns appear blinking and shining in the darkness indicating just how big some of the towns are. We arrive in Butterworth at 10pm. The evening ferry is waiting and on a clear and calm night we set sail for the short trip to Georgetown (Penang).

Georgetown is a distinct mix of the old and the new. We are staying in the old sector which like Melaka, has been given UNESCO world heritage status to retain the authenticity of their heritage and this means that while people can modernise the inside of their houses the outside must retain the original facade.  

The old sector has a mix of Indian, Chinese and Arab influences however, the heritage status means the distinctive Peranakan coloured townhouses with their unique style will be protected. We walk the streets, taking in the sights and sounds, lighting joss sticks at the temple, photographing the old shuttered windows, having tea in tiny cafes and buying buns from the lady with the bun cart. There is street art, there is timeless history and there is the world the Peranakans created for themselves.

I am sitting in the library of our small hotel, Campbell House, a building dating back to 1903. Once a three-story Straits Chinese corner plot, it was specifically built as a budget hotel to accommodate sea-faring travellers and later in the 1920s became an establishment for ‘ladies of the night’. But now it's one of Penang's top-ranked luxury boutique hotels.

The library has a very British colonial feel with a splash of Chinese influence with its highly polished floorboards, beautiful ornate Chinese furniture, glass cabinets filled with delicate Chinese porcelain and vases and a bookcase filled with a wide selection of books. Overhead two whirring fans circulate the air. Along the walls are works of art from local artists. The sounds of the daily life of Georgetown can be heard from the streets below. It is my favourite place to sit and read.

While scanning old photographs from ‘The Straits Chinese House’ book I note the influence the British had on some of the Peranakan men who moved away from a traditional form of Chinese dress to adopt a more Western style. Crossing the divide between East and West in the early 19th century saw the males wearing suits and ties and dinner suits complete with bowties for formal occasions.

A photo of young boys with their mother from the 1930s shows them in white shirts, white shorts, long white socks and thin neck ties, although one little lad has a tiny bowtie and braces to hold his pants up. It is not so evident that women moved to a Western style of dressing until much later in the 20th century.

We visit the Peranakan Mansion which has become a museum showpiece. It is absolutely beautiful in layout and design and as we have seen in previous Peranakan houses, it highlights the rich and vibrant heritage of that culture. However, today was also the day the Penang Photographic Society was having an expedition to the museum.

Within no time 200 photographers of all ages, wearing black t-shirts and carrying cameras of all shapes and sizes, came swarming like ants all over the museum. But, the beauty of day was that models in heritage clothing of the Peranakans arrived to pose against specific backdrops for the photographers.

Like paparazzi swarming celebrities, the photographers flocked for poll position to photograph the models in various poses. We managed to snap a few shots too although ultimately we were swamped, so much so that the ticket guy on the door invited us to come back another time and he would let us in for free. He knew we did not stand a chance!

Back to Singapore

We fly back to Singapore where we have a day to visit the Peranakan Museum that we missed at the start of the trip. It is a perfect way to bring all the information together on all that we have seen of Peranakan culture from Singapore, Melaka and Penang. It is a fabulous museum and we feel fortuitous seeing it at the end of our tour as it brings together the jigsaw of the components of that heritage.

The museum is outstanding in its attention to detail, its layout and the information given. Visually, it has some of the finest pieces of furniture, clothes, porcelains, tapestries, and beadwork. I found the interviews with people of Peranakan heritage helped draw together the many threads of this fascinating culture.

Waiting in Changi airport for our flight home we reflect on all that we have seen and decide that we will put together more trips focused around a particular theme. To explore the Peranakan culture offered a chance to delve into the heritage and history of a select group of people who settled in the Straits of Malacca and went on to become wealthy businessmen and philanthropists.

These were pioneers who, along with their wives and families have left a vibrant legacy and heritage. It was an enlightening and fascinating study of a culture and heritage that we knew nothing about yet was so richly rewarding each step of the journey.