SAYS Launches ‘Nandini Mana?!’: A Bold Malaysian Take On Travel & Culture

By Lara Kramer  •  08 Jul 2025 in Features

Thirsty for JUICE content? Quench your cravings on our Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and WhatsApp

SAYS just dropped a new video series called Nandini Mana?! and it’s not your typical travel content…

Think part documentary, part cultural deep dive, all told from a proudly Malaysian perspective.

Hosted by SAYS Video Lead Nandini Balakrishnan, the series sets out to explore culture, migration, and shared history across Asia and Europe, with Malaysia always at the heart of it.

Armed with just two flight tickets and a tight daily budget of RM170, Nandini is getting around by land, rail, and sea. Every stop comes with three self-imposed challenges: Eat only local food, learn at least five local phrases, and collect a matchbox as a souvenir.

The trailer alone has already pulled over 262,000 views and nearly 500 comments on Instagram, proving that Malaysians are more than ready for this kind of storytelling.

Watch the trailer here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nandini Balakrishnan (@nandinibalakrish)

From Sri Lanka to Spain, With Malaysia In Mind

The journey kicked off on 30 June in Sri Lanka, with stops in Colombo, Trincomalee, and Jaffna. Nandini dives into Tamil diasporic routes that mirror Malaysia’s multicultural roots, and even spotlights the existence of a Sri Lankan Malay community.

In the first episode, she visits a local Sri Lankan Malay woman’s restaurant to hear her story and taste her food. That video alone garnered over 211,000 views.

Watch episode 1 here:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SAYS (@saysdotcom)

From there, Nandini crosses over to India by ferry to explore Tamil Nadu through Trichy, Madurai, Pondicherry, and Chennai. Then she flies to Istanbul and continues overland across Greece, North Macedonia, Albania, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and finally the UK.

This Is Not Your Average Travel Vlog

Each week, a new 2–3 minute episode will be released across SAYS’ social media platforms. Expect a mix of humour, history, and heartfelt moments, all delivered with Nandini’s signature sharpness and warmth.

“This isn’t just about travel. I wanted to show how places that seem far from Malaysia are actually connected to us, through language, food, migration, and memory. It’s raw, it’s personal, and it’s very Malaysian. Jom lawatan sambil belajar with me,” Nandini says.

More info: www.says.com