It’s said and done that the best way to learn more about a destination or a city is only when you take a heritage tour and exploring the place completely raw. There are many destinations in the world that offer tourists with this benefit. Malaysia is one of the destinations which offers you an opportunity to consider going on a royal trail as there are several royal trails worth checking out in Malaysia.

Jimmy Leong, the president of the Malaysian Tourist Guide Council (MTGC) shares the difference between the two. “A heritage trail traces the significant historical events of an era, including tangible landmarks such as buildings or places in a town or city – for example, the old forts and Dutch buildings in Melaka,”

“A royal trail, meanwhile, uncovers landmarks linked to the royal family such as the old/new palaces and also how they lived, the outstanding things they did, and their contributions to the state.”

Leong added, “It traces not only tangible historical landmarks of a place but also the story behind the lives of the royal family,”.

The royal trail includes the trail in Kedah, which traces the influence of old Thailand or Siam; Selangor, which is one of the largest; Johor, which traces the close relations with the British; Negri Sembilan with its Minangkabau influences; Melaka, with its Portuguese and Dutch influences; and Perak.

There are a total of  11 sites in the royal trail, including, the Kuala Selangor District Historical Museum, Istana Bandar, Sultan Ala’eddin Royal Mosque, the Blue Mosque (Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Mosque), Alam Shah Palace Busut Malawati, Royal Mausoleum and Sultan Suleiman Royal Mosque.

The Selangor Royal Trail is available from registered travel agents and agencies, as well as via local councils and Tourism Selangor’s social media pages and you can easily access it from the portal such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WeChat etc. You could also get in touch with appointed community hosts like Pemandu Pelancong for more information on the tours.