Kicking off my Malay/Malaysian adventure
From Language & Travel Hacking by Fluent in 3 Months
January 23, 2026 · 5 min · Season 2 · Episode 49
About this episode
The host shares insights from Kuala Lumpur as they embark on a language and travel project in Malaysia, focusing on learning Malay and exploring cultural differences.
In this episode, I’m checking in from Kuala Lumpur to kick off my first language and travel project of the year: using Malay to enrich my experience as I travel through Malaysia. I talk about how closely related Malay and Indonesian are, more like regional varieties than entirely separate languages, which means I can focus on reactivating my Indonesian rather than starting from zero. I share how I’m gradually getting my momentum back, brushing off the rust, and learning the small but interesting differences in accent and vocabulary as I begin using Malay in everyday situations. I also outline my planned route through Malaysia, with bases in Penang, Ipoh, Malacca, and Johor Bahru, before heading over to Borneo and ultimately reaching my 50th country. I reflect on how Malaysia feels culturally distinct from its neighbours, with large Chinese and Tamil-speaking Indian communities, and I recount a memorable half marathon through Putrajaya that gave me my first real chance to use Malay with locals. While English has been enough in Kuala Lumpur so far, the real adventure starts as I move beyond the capital, and I’ll be sharing more updates as this project continues, while wishing you…
People in this episode
Host: Fluent in 3 Months
Topics covered
- language learning
- travel
- Malay language
- cultural exploration
- Indonesian language
- personal journey
Keywords
- Malay
- Indonesian
- Kuala Lumpur
- travel
- language learning
- cultural diversity
- half marathon
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Penang, Ipoh, Malacca, Johor Bahru, Borneo, Malaysia
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