Great Asian Railway Journeys - Season 1 - Eps 18: Melaka to Johor Bahru
Michael Portillo is in Malaysia on a 2,500-mile tour of south east Asia. His 1913 Bradshaw’s Guide takes him to Melaka, for centuries one of the greatest trading ports in the world. He tastes the spicy cuisine of the Kristang community, descendants of early 16th-century Portuguese settlers who mixed with local Malays. Continuing to Kluang amid fertile farmland, Michael joins in the pineapple harvest and discovers how Malaysia’s resources of tin and tropical fruit created a global market in food. Arriving at the tip of the Malaysian peninsula in Johor Bahru, Michael visits the palace of Sultan Abu Bakar, a canny and well-travelled monarch who became friends with Queen Victoria and used what he learned in Britain to modernise his realm. Michael learns how Malaysia’s first ever railway fell prey to an implacable foe.
About Great Asian Railway Journeys
Title: Great Asian Railway Journeys
First Air Date: 2020-01-27
Last Air Date: 2020-02-29
Status: Ended
Rating: 7.5/10 (from 2 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 1
Total Episodes: 20
Network: BBC Two
Genres: Documentary
Production Companies: Fremantle Media Television Production
Synopsis
Michael Portillo is in Southeast Asia, armed with his 1913 Bradshaw's Handbook. It will lead him on a spectacular 2,500-mile railway adventure across six countries. He explores towering megacities and magnificent mosques.
Cast
Michael Portillo
Self - Presenter
