A green so vivid that it looks like a still that could have been manipulated by an image editor – that’s the green that fills the region of Kedah so prominently, the alluring colour of the ranks of rice paddy fields that form Kedah’s main source of income. Providing more than half of Malaysia’s rice production, it is no wonder Kedah is known as the ‘Rice-bowl of Malaysia’. Surrounded by gently undulating hills, the scene is captivating, serene and yet very ‘real’. 

Kedah is more than just paddy fields it is the site of Malaysia’s most extensive ruins – the remains of a Hindu Kingdom, believed to date back to the 6th Century A.D. The remains are nestled in the Bujang Valley, where more than 50 temple ruins have been excavated and they are slowly and carefully being reconstructed. 

Sharing a border with Thailand, Kedah sits in the Northwest coastal corner of Peninsular Malaysia, opposite the islands of Langkawi, making it a prime place to stop off before continuing on to the infamous sun drenched islands.