Top 6 Crazy Rich Asians Locations In Malaysia For You To Visit
Have you watched the movie Crazy Rich Asians yet?
It was a proud moment for many Asians when the movie Crazy Rich Asians, an all-Asian cast movie made it to the box office. It was a prouder moment for Malaysians when two of our own Malaysian darlings, Henry Golding and Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh are the main faces of the movie.
As a Malaysian, I’m proud to have these Malaysians carry the Malaysian name at an international level but what’s more important is that some of the Crazy Rich Asians locations that they showcased in the movie are right here, in Malaysia.
Which ones am I talking about? Check out the list below:
Carcosa Seri Negara, Kuala Lumpur
If you’ve watched the movie, then one of the Crazy Rich Asians locations you cannot miss is Nick Young’s family home, where he introduces his girlfriend, Rachel Chu to his mom for the first time. Yes, that home was actually the Carcosa Seri Negara located in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
Carcosa was built around 1896-1897 and it became the official residence of the first British High Commissioner in Malaya, Sir Frank Swettenham. The building had a combination of Neo-Gothic and Tudor Revival styles. In 1913, the name Seri Negara (translated as Country’s Beauty) was added and it became the official guest house of Governor of the Straits Settlement.
Now, Carcosa Seri Negara is designated as a heritage building. It has been a hotel for the last 30 years and even though it has traded management a few times throughout the years, it will continue to be one of Malaysia’s historical buildings.
Be-landa House, Kuala Lumpur
It was one of the most extravagant houses I’ve ever seen in a movie. I’m sure I would feel the same way too if I saw it with my own eyes. If you didn’t know what I meant, do you remember the scene where Eleanor Young and her friends were going through the Bible when Eleanor’s friends started asking her about her son and his so-called, girlfriend from New York?
Yes, Be-landa House (Belanda is “Dutch” in Malay) is a real house and it belonged to Jan and Ineke Hofstede and their three children aged 15, 18 and 20.
The house took a few years to design and built, especially due to it’s hilly slope that was very challenging. It consists of three pavillions at different levels linked by glass-walled bridges and seven staircases. Imagine the exercise you could get just by climbing up and down the house every day.
Astor Bar, St. Regis, Kuala Lumpur
Remember when cousin Astrid Leong-Teo went to the jewelry boutique and was so kind to this cute little girl before she was whisked off to a secret room at the back to look at the most expensive earrings you and I have ever seen in our lives?
That scene was actually filmed in St. Regis Kuala Lumpur’s Astor Bar. The settings might look slightly different than in the photo above, since they had to put up a few jewelry display panels in the room instead of sofas but Astor Bar sure bring out that “James Bond” vibe, didn’t it?
Four Seasons Resort, Langkawi
What a beautiful resort it was, right? Wouldn’t you like to have your own bachelorette celebration here? Four Seasons Resort Langkawi was used as the location where Araminta Lee took her girlfriends out to a family-owned resort in “Indonesia” for the bachelorette party.
The girls checked-in to the beautiful resort, they had so much fun getting free stuffs, had some massages and then, there was a dead fish on Rachel’s bed – left by some of the jealous girls.
I wouldn’t mind enjoying myself at this beautiful resort – minus the dead fish, of course. But first, let me collect some money into my piggy bank since this Asian (me!) is only a little crazy and not very rich (sad).
Langkawi Island (somewhere in Langkawi Island)
Remember the stag night for Nick Young’s best friend, Charlie Wu? It was supposed to be on a container ship and then both Nick and Charlie got sick of it so they took the helicopter to a more secluded place and had a chat on a raft in the middle of nowhere?
Yeah, on the screen it said Rawa Island, but the scene was actually filmed at Langkawi Island. Rawa Island is actually located in Malaysia’s state of Johor, a beautiful island with sparkling clear blue sea. So, don’t confuse the two.
Langkawi Island is definitely very beautiful too, the waters are calm and there are many water sports available for you experience.
Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Penang
Who does not love Penang and the delicious array of food available in this state? But food is not the only thing you can look for in Penang. Penang is a state rich with heritage buildings. And one of them is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion.
That scene where Rachel Chu faced Eleanor Young in a game of mahjong and she let Eleanor win before finally showing her hand because just like the game, she decided she loved Nick too much to fight Eleanor for him.
Built in the end of the 19th century by merchant Cheong Fatt Tze, it has 38 rooms, 5 granite-paved courtyards, 7 staircases and 220 vernacular timbre louvre windows. The mansion, also knows as Blue Mansion by the locals due to it’s hard-to-miss indigo-blue outer walls is located in George Town, Penang. It is gazetted as a heritage building and is now turned into a boutique hotel.
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Other Crazy Rich Asians locations in Malaysia worth mentioning:
- Cameron Highlands
- Christchurch Melaka
- Naza Towers @ Platinum Park
- Putrajaya (scene where Rachel teaching)
- KLIA2
- Subang Airport (private jet scene)
- MIECC Serdang
