From the onset we knew that the majority of time during our backpacking adventure would be spent in Malaysia.  And six weeks in a country where you can travel from north to south and back again within a day meant we really explored the nooks and crannies of a wonderful country.  “Malaysia – Truly Asia”, the motto for Malaysia Tourism, is definitely an apt way of describing it.  Upon leaving Trang in Thailand, we crossed the border in Satun and caught a one hour ferry across part of the Malacca Straits to the islands of Langkawi where we received a three month stamp into Malaysia.  We spent four nights on Langkawi’s main island of the same name in a relatively comfortable guesthouse called Rainbow Lodge about 500m from the beach.  Cenang Beach was a stunning soft white sand beach stretching a couple of kilometeters which was great for morning walks and sun tanning, although the water was a bit dirty and the area generally noisy with the amount of jet skis and speedboats towing banana rafts and parasailers around the bay.

A lot has changed since Rob was last there, having become much more commercialized with duty free malls and massive water parks in operation.  It kind of reminds us of Phuket, and although it was busy, I was very happy to be there as Langkawi had been on my wish list for a long time!  We found a good and cheap Indian restaurant open 24 hours a day for our meals which served really flavoursome Indian and Malaysian meals – there we could get a decent meal for about USD 2 each!  We managed to do an island hopping tour while we were there as Langkawi is actually an archipelago of 99 islands so it was good to get around and explore.  The first island we visited was called Pregnant Maiden Island because at a certain angle the mountain ridge has the shape of a pregnant woman lying down.  Upon reaching the jetty, you are met by inquisitive monkeys who, upon hearing anything sounding like plastic, cheekily approach you and pull the bag out of your hand, rip it open and devour its contents.  We even saw them drinking Coke from a can!  In the middle of the island, there is an unusual phenomenon… a crystal clear fresh water lake!  Here we were able to swim and take a stroll down a wooden boardwalk along the water’s edge.  The next stop was a place for feeding Langkawi birds.  Similar to fish eagles, they are beautiful looking birds, and are really graceful when they swoop and dive.  Our last stop was a smaller island with a tiny beach for some swimming and tanning before heading back.  Langkawi was well worth the stop for a few days, despite the heavy afternoon thundershowers we experienced.  And with 99 islands dotted around, it is a definite playground for yachts.

We left Langkawi the same way we arrived, by ferry.  After a three hour ride we arrived on Penang, an island just off the mainland.  We stayed in Georgetown which was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few years back and a lot has been done to refurbish the old town into its former glory.  Our first morning there was spent hiking up Penang Hill which is almost equivalent to Table Mountain in altitude.  Although we were soaked with sweat by the time we reached the top, the view over Georgetown and across the water to Butterworth on the mainland was totally worth it.  We took the funicular down which felt like a rollercoaster in some parts due to the speed it travelled!  Our second day was spent trekking through the national park, the journey to which took us along a very scenic coastal road.  We didn’t see much wildlife in the park except for a few birds, monkeys and a huge monitor lizard Rob spotted swimming through the rocks which climbed out of the water below our pathway and disappeared into the jungle.  We spent the rest of our time in Penang exploring Georgetown looking for the street art, which were pieces of steel welded together to make a picture and caption explaining the significance of a certain street or building.  Very cleverly done and a lot of talent and creativity involved to create this!

Following Penang, we packed up and headed into the mountains of the Cameron Highlands – home to tea, honey and strawberries.  On our way we crossed one of the longest bridges in the world, 24km from Penang across to Butterworth!  We arrived in the town of Tanah Rata in the pouring rain, but luckily our driver dropped us right on the doorstep of the lodge we had booked so we didn’t get too wet.  We stayed in an attic room for the four nights there which wasn’t much bigger than a 3-man tent – in width and in height – but it was cheap and cozy.  Unfortunately our first room was infested with fleas which we think came from the cats which roamed the hallway at night so we changed rooms after complaining, and had a much more comfortable stay after that!  We spent our time walking in the highlands, to tea plantations, on marked jungle tracks, and to strawberry farms.  Most afternoons it poured with rain, so we used the time to catch up on some reading, and test our skill at Scrabble and card games.  One of the highlights of our stay in Tanah Rata was enjoying a “steamboat”, chicken soup boiled on a gas stove on the table in front of you, and then you just threw in a whole bunch of different ingredients like chicken, fish, veggies, tofu, and noodles.  Delicious but way too much food for two people!

Wanting to keep moving, we continued our journey and headed to the island of Pangkor and found a place to stay near the beach.  I wasn’t too impressed with Pangkor and with it being a weekend the island became the local playground, noisy with screaming girls on jetskis and banana boats.  The one positive of having throngs of people was the availability of good street food, which unfortunately completely dried up the following Monday after the masses left, forcing us to eat in restaurants which is what we wanted to avoid.  I had my first taste of the Malaysian breakfast staple, Nasi Lemak, at one of the local eateries.  When Rob first told me about a breakfast of coconut rice, chilli sambal (sauce), fried anchovies, fried egg and peanuts, I thought he was joking.  No way was I going to eat that!  But one mouthful and realizing how delicious and satisfying it was, was enough to make me a convert for life.  We have even tried recreating the meal at home after our trip.  There is just some special ingredient we don’t seem to have; perhaps it’s eating the meal out of a banana leaf overlooking the ocean which made it all the more special!  We also wanted to rent bicycles to explore the island but the prices were so inflated we ended up walking the roads instead.  Most of our time was spent on the beach, walking the island or in the R&R area of the guesthouse, lazing in a hammock with a book.  The island is filled with hornbills so we had an accompanying soundtrack of the birds communicating with each other while we enjoyed our time there.

By the middle of April, we had had enough of islands, and undertook a longish journey into the cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur.  One thing we noted about Malaysia is that it is a very well kept country, for example, it is relatively clean, the grass verges beside the highway were neatly cut, and the roads are well maintained.  Again Rob was surprised at the growth of the place, no longer the sprawling city he remembered but now a concrete jungle of skyscrapers and apartment blocks.  We found digs in Chinatown and did a recce of the surrounding area.  I also treated myself to a haircut for my birds nest too!  Two funnies: first is that takeaway drinks were not in cups but in clear plastic bags with a drawstring and a straw and many times we enjoyed a takeaway iced coffee in this way; second was that the downpours in the afternoons flooded the sewers below the street so the drains were literally filled with drowning rats (but as mentioned before the streets were completely free of litter!).

The highlight of KL was visiting the famous Petronas Twin Towers and viewing the city first from the skybridge on the 41st floor, and thereafter from the observation deck on the 86th floor (about 370m above street level).  Standing at the top, we thought the same thing; our mothers would have been sick with nerves as they are both afraid of heights.  We were VERY high up and we could sometimes feel the vibration of the towers moving!  Although a bit of an expensive outing, it was totally worth it!  We spent the rest of our time in the city walking around exploring Chinatown and an area known as the Golden Triangle, KL’s commercial, shopping and entertainment hub.  One day we ventured out of the city, and took an outing into the suburbs to the Batu caves, a Hindu temple located in a cave which is reached by climbing 272 steps.  Those steps would have been a fantastic training opportunity for our Kilimanjaro preparation!

Having enjoyed Malaysian city life, it was time for a full on nature experience so we left KL for the jungles of Taman Negara Pahang.  We caught a local bus to the town of Jerantut with the idea of catching a connection to Kuala Tahan, the base town to explore the jungle.  Unfortunately both of us didn’t sleep well the night before and we decided to break our journey in Jerantut.  There wasn’t anything to write home about this town but we were both amazed at the westernization of the country in terms of food.  It was almost surprising NOT to see a KFC, McDonalds or Pizza Hut wherever we went!  After a noisy night (the road our lodgings was on seemed to be where the local fast and furious wannabe racer boys congregated for their showdowns) we boarded a rickety local bus for the short one hour hop to Kuala Tahan.  It was a bit sad to see that the majority of the native jungle along the way was being cleared for palm tree plantations – it seems palm oil is in major demand.  We were slightly consoled that at least green is being replaced with green!  Our guesthouse was cheerfully painted with murals of all the different bugs we could look forward to seeing in our jungle exploration.  After a bag drop we immediately crossed the river by longtail boat and headed into the national park – the jungle is said to be 130 million years old, the oldest rainforest in the world.  Our first outing was to the canopy walkway which was only about a 5km round trip but the humidity really took our breath away!  The walkway itself was about 500m long and 50m above the forest floor at some points.  We didn’t see much wildlife, only a few birds.  The next day was an early wake-up call from the mullah wailing from the loudspeakers of the mosque next door.  After breakfast of our now much loved Nasi Lemak, it was back into the park for a longish loop around the canopy walkway up to a lookout point and a loop around back to park headquarters.  With the heat and humidity, our clothes were soaked and despite a heavy coat of mosquito repellent we still had the pests buzzing around our heads as we walked.  Again no signs of wildlife except for a few birds, lizards and two spots of elephant dung.  We heard a lot of different bird calls though but the trees are so high we just couldn’t catch sight of them.  An avid bird watcher and photographer mentioned to us that he was struggling to spot the birds, even with binoculars and fancy camera equipment.  Although a bit disappointed not to see more animals, I’m just a little thankful for that, especially after seeing a poster outside the HQ office showing all the poisonous snakes in Malaysia… there are a lot!

After a relaxed last day wandering around the village, we left Kuala Tahan bound for Jerantut, but did the return trip a little differently.  Our departure started with a river boat ride from our frequented floating restaurant through some spectacular jungle scenery to Tembeling and was followed by a short minibus ride to Jerantut.  Not wanting to spend another night, we caught the jungle train north to the city of Khota Bharu.  Not the same train Rob experienced from his day, with wooden benches and open windows to enjoy the sounds and smells of the jungle, but now an air-conditioned train with soft seats and sealed windows – which was a bit of a bugger when the generator decided to give up the ghost and the train interior became a sauna.  We were set to arrive in Khota Bharu at 22h13 that night but we stopped at some back station just as it was getting dark for a bit longer than seemed normal.  Rob then made a comment to say he thought something was wrong with the train.  Next thing the lights went off and the train was in darkness.  Nevertheless onward we journeyed, in the pitch dark, with a huge electrical storm going on above us, through the middle of the jungle – very eerie indeed!  We only arrived at our destination after midnight, our backpacker place was all locked up and we were forced to stay in a dodgy single room in a nearby hotel for the night… RSA Hotel would you believe, apt for us South African travellers!  After an uncomfortable night we were able to sort out accommodation at the backpackers and were free to explore the town for the rest of the day.  We saw the most colourful fresh produce market in town, had a look at a few of the city sights, and did some window shopping for a new mobile phone for Rob and that was about it.

Towards the end of April we caught a transnational bus down the east coast to Cherating – we asked nicely and the bus driver dropped us off right at the turnoff into the village.  After a short walk down the road we found accommodation for ourselves, pretty wooden chalets set in a grassy garden, with about a 300m walk down the road to the beach.  Being a weekend warrior type of place, Cherating was packed with locals at the weekend but come Sunday afternoon the place became a ghost town, very similar to Pangkor.  Our days were very relaxed here – after wake up coffee on our deck, we had a good 4km beach strudge to the river mouth and back where after we had a delicious breakfast of Nasi Lemak.  Our routine became so apparent that when the restaurant owner saw us walking down the street she immediately started brewing our kopi – instant coffee “pulled” with condensed milk!  Mornings were spent reading with a swim in the sea.  A lunch of fruit bought from the market along the main road, post lunch siesta, coffee followed by another walk and swim, filled our afternoons and then we enjoyed a tasty Malaysian dinner.  Two weeks of this was bliss!  One varied day we took a walk down to the Club Med (yes, can you believe it!) and had a look around.  Not as fancy as we would have thought it would have been, the resort looked mostly closed up with a few pale faced guests around.  More disturbing though was the sight of used syringes of the beach of the resort – does that mean Club Med is actually short for Club Medicated?

But rolling stones that we are, we started gathering moss which was no good so we decided to move on to the west coast and we headed across country to Melaka, a World Heritage Town.  We had booked ahead at a guesthouse recommended to us by the people in Kuala Lumpur and were supposed to meet a pick up person at the bus station but couldn’t find the guy.  While we were waiting at the bus station for the local bus into town, the owner himself found us while trying to punt his guesthouse to other passengers.  Getting to his car, he asked us to wait while he touted for a few more customers.  While waiting, we saw an open beer can on his dashboard – a liberal Indian Malay in a predominantly Muslim population.  The guesthouse wasn’t the best, being located right next to the main road it was unpleasant with the amount of traffic noise and the amount of light shining into a room with no curtains.  Rob could only get his beauty sleep by using an eye mask we got on the plane when flying over in January!

Our first morning in Melaka was spent exploring the old town,  Melaka Christ Church, a Famosa Fort and Chinatown which has been heavily restored and looked very pretty, although a bit yuppyish with the amount of “quaint” coffee shops and restaurants.  The riverfront had also been upgraded with a fancy boulevard and walkway.  We also visited the maritime museum housed in a replica sea galleon.  We popped into the tourism office to try and suss out what else there was to see further down the coast as we had days to kill before heading to Singapore but there was nothing that could be recommended to us.  Luckily we found a better guesthouse, with cheaper rates and a much friendlier owner so we stayed in Melaka for a week, rather than the two days we originally planned.  On an excursion up a panoramic rotating tower we saw the local swimming pool was a 5 minute walk from our guesthouse so we made use of that every day of our stay in town.  We also did a lot of mall crawling and both splurged on new phones for ourselves, cheaper there than back home so a bargain in the end.  We took a local bus 5km from the city centre, to the Portuguese Settlement, a Kristang community composed of a mixed Portuguese and Malay population.  Although a thriving area at the time of Rob’s first visit, when we arrived it was like a ghost town with nothing to see, and no delicious seafood to taste as all the restaurants were closed.  For variety we took a day trip 50km down the coast to a town called Muar for a look around.  The name caught Rob’s eye when we were looking around the area and he was keen to go there and explore.  When asking people about it we were asked why we wanted to go to a small fishing village, but when we arrived it was anything but that – a bustling town it was!  With a huge river and old historical buildings it was a nice town to look around but we were happy that we didn’t stay there as one day was enough to explore.

The middle of May saw us travel down to the border city of Johor Bahru.  Unfortunately the various travel references we had read weren’t too flattering about the place so we didn’t know what to expect.  We had directions to the homestay we found on the internet and asked the local bus driver to drop as at a specific spot as instructed.  We were dropped off in the sticks with no sign of the city around us so on our walk to the homestay we were really wondering what we got ourselves into.  So our last days in Malaysia were spent in a rustic house in terms of its state of repair with a weird kitchen outside under tarpaulin and urban jungle mosquitoes relentless in their quest to bite our exposed flesh.  Luckily we weren’t as far from the city centre as we had originally thought as the city is a rolling hilly urban sprawl with the suburbs relatively close to the centre and the straits of Singapore.  We had a walk around town and didn’t really find any “wow” factor about the place.  Although the write ups weren’t good, we didn’t find Johor Bahru to be the dodge-ville city everyone said it was.  The amount of traffic on the causeway into Singapore was unbelievable though!  Just thinking about the daily commute a lot of people make from their houses in Johor Bahru into Singapore to work, then back again, was exhausting for us, and we were thankful we were not in the same position.  Seeing the queue of cars though prepared us for what was to be our longest border crossing the next day!

Malaysia is such a diverse country, and we were lucky to have had time in it to really experience the beaches, jungles and cities, by bus, boat and train!  With such a wide variety of tourist activities on offer, it is no wonder it is a popular destination, although so many people we have spoken with after our trip are surprised to hear that we would choose Malaysia as our top South East Asia destination, and not its Thai neighbour.  Being a first world country with an abundant history and rich culture, with its own oil to boot, the cost of living is cheap, the food is good, there is a lot to see and do, and the locals are straightforward, and honest.    If we had to choose a country in South East Asia to return to, Malaysia would be it.