Dear readers,
There is nothing more valuable than a good friend who shares your enthusiasm and passion to explore. That being said, one slightly tipsy night on a rather distant Greek island sometime in August last year, two girls joked about how great it would be if they met up in Malaysia for a unique adventure of discovery, exploration and well... lots of jungle. And so I found myself in Kuala Lumpur in the first week of January ready to meet a very tired and overworked Sophia who would join me in the tropic heat half way across the world.
But before I delve further into the journey that took us through the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, the nostalgically historic streets of Georgetown in Penang and the jungle roads and beaches of Langkawi let me first touch a little on the rather intriguing city of Kuala Lumpur. During the three days I spent exploring the shopping secrets, food markets and hidden temples of Kuala Lumpur as I awaited Sophia's arrival my opinion on what can be termed a very westernized Asian capital took a complete turn for the better. Having spent a significant amount of time in regions where electricity and water was scarce, the roads were unpaved and traffic was often held up by live-stock idling in the middle of the road, Kuala Lumpur appeared before me as a source of civilization and modernity that I felt I craved by that point.
Kuala Lumpur is a very developed city with tall sky-scrapers decorating the skyline, well maintained infrastructure such as roads and public transportation networks and what looked like a booming business incentive. Despite all this however, one can still see traces of the ex-colonial city that it used to be and how its prowess in trade via the Malacca Straits (to fellow Greeks reading this I was not able to take any of this seriously for a long time) made it the economically booming and cosmopolitan hub it is today.
Kuala Lumpur has a lot to offer sight-seers even though one is expected to do some on-site research if they are looking to truly explore the city. Over a period of 5 days that I spent in Kuala Lumpur in total both with and without Sophia, I was surprised to find that I was able to fill my time well. For those interested in clothes shopping the malls of Jalan Bujit Bintang are an oasis of luxury and modest clothing stores conveniently located close to the world renowned Petronas Towers which tower over the hub of the city. Even though I must admit I found them a little underwhelming in terms of hight in comparison to a lot of the architecture found in Dubai. The Batu Caves which lie a short metro ride outside of the city center pay tribute to the spiritual flair of the city with an impressive climb into the mouth of what can only be described as a monstrously large cave which anticlimactically leads pilgrims to a very small Hindu temple and colorful temple. Still worthwhile to visit however simply to experience the energy conveyed by its faithful visitors and the wildlife that inhabits the caves as it may seem that the caves act as the epicenter for monkey society. The southern part of the city offers visitors the chance to explore its streets whereby one will come across the well preserved (or rather, rebuilt) Merdeka square known for its importance as the ancient city center, the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Tower and the gardens below it, the Central Market; a playground for visitors with an eye for reasonably priced antiques and Chinatown where one can by anything from a fake Prada handbag to an authentic Chinese spring roll. I spent three very comfortable and happy nights in the Mingle luxury hostel there which I cannot praise highly enough for its comfortable and private beds, delicious homemade breakfast, organised day activities and great location. It was with the hostel that I chose to explore the man-made FRIM botanical forest which offers daily guided 4 hour walking tours through its grounds and across the most make-shift yet exciting 'hanging bridges'. Finally, the Jalan Alor night food market provided Sophia with the unique and brave opportunity to chow down on some roasted chicken feet as I did my best not to gag in front of her. I stuck to the dim sum which I found somewhat easier to stomach.
An un-misable day trip from Kuala Lumpur to the small colonial town of Malacca with some unexpected friends made at the hostel revealed a very picturesque seaside town which showed evident signs of having been 'hot-potatoed' between the Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British as one of the most important trading posts of the region. A day walking the city's streets will suffice but I would recommend spending a night in the very liberal town with its pimped out tourist bicycles and a plethora of museums to choose from.
Sophia and I took off from Kuala Lumpur by luxury bus and bound for the little visited Cameron Highlands, home of tea and jungle. The bus ride took 4.5 hours with 70% reclining seats, big windows and the most nauseating film about sinking ships which along with the sharp bends, safely delivered Sophia and I in the town of Tanah Rata feeling very green. Tanah Rata is the biggest own of the highlands, followed by Brinchang and I can best describe them as drab and depressing. The Cameron Highlands are very impressive in terms of nature with its sweeping forests and misty charm making me feeling as though I were in a scene of gorilla's in the midst even though the closest I found to a gorilla was my own disheveled reflection. We spent two nights there which proved a perfectly adequate amount of time to explore the tea plantations, rose gardens, butterfly gardens, strawberry farms (the British do them better) and bee hives before the monsoon rains would take the region hostage at precisely 15:30 each day. All in all the Cameron Highlands showed us a very different and unexpected side of Malaysia, even though the region itself has almost sold its soul to draw in tourists by creating the most soul-less attractions bar the very worth-visiting BOH tea plantations! In my view it was worth the trip just for the tea plantations.
Nonetheless another nauseating journey downhill brought us close but not quite to Georgetown Penanag, as the bus ticket had promised us. So we loaded my travelling home and Sophia's hand-luggage onto ourselves and trekked over to the ferry service which for 2 ringgits brought us into the harbor of Georgetown. This was by far one our the country's highlights as the town's historic district brought what I imagine New Orleans to look like to mind with its preserved colonial buildings, hipster shops and bars and a creative and energetic vibe flowing through its streets. Having only a single night in the region we spent our day walking the city's streets crossing through the various ethnically diverse districts of the old town before ending up on the Chew Clan Jetties which despite being little visited, traveled us back in time to a place where the city was kept alive by as a roaring maritime trade port. At night, we feasted, or I should rather say we devoured everything we could get our hands on at the Lorong Bary food market as onlookers observed us horrified. We then proceeded to lose ourselves both mentally and definitely physically through the streets of the old district in search of a particular bar that I had read about only to stumble across another which had early on given up looking for. Fate!
The following day we spent the morning visiting the truly stunning Khoo Kongsi temple which the Khoo Kogsi clan's ancestors still spend a lot of time and money protecting and restoring as it still acts as the clan's cultural center. We then decided to leave Georgetown on a sillier note having spent some time striking mind-boggling poses at the Upside Down Museum before boarding a very soviet looking boat to the island of Langkawi which closely resembled a very large flying dolphin boat that is often used in Greece. It was as we bounced across the waves that we took a look at the map of the island and took the ingenious decision to rent a car to allow us affordable mobility on the rather large island. It was in our 'whitemobile', as it was soon named, that we zipped along the bending and little traveled the island's roads to the island's Sky Bridge, the town of Pantai Cenang which is best described as a tourist trap and the Temurun Waterfalls all with two plastic bags of iced coffee swinging from the rear-view mirror. Apparently take-away cups are a rare luxury in Malaysia. Most importantly, we spent a complete day of R&R on the sandy beach of the Andaman Resort where Sophia had very generously sacrificed her points to get us a very luxurious upgraded room with a garden. In essence, we spent a few days totally spoiling ourselves on the island taking in whatever sun ray's were available, feasting on the tastiest nouvelle cuisine fish dinners and sipping on cocktails by the sea as monkey danced in the tree branches above us. It felt as though we were living in a dream. Either that, or we found paradise.
I can truthfully say that I loved Malaysia and all the largely differing sights it had to offer us. It goes without saying that having a bestie and like-minded traveler with me only brightened the experience further, as I was eager to share my teaching from Asia with her, and further discuss the meaning of life with as we sat in the most picturesque settings and fancy hotels sipping on wine. Whats more, it is not often that you find someone who is eager to walk as much as you, see the same things as you and eat even stranger things than you. We parted ways at Kuala Lumpur airport, each feeling like we had grown as much or hopefully, more than our luggage had, and with renewed energy. We most definitely each took more away with us than just trinkets, luggage and in my case a very irritating heat rash, but what exactly it is that we took away from our travels through Malaysia I am still working on fully comprehending. Only time will show.
There is nothing more valuable than a good friend who shares your enthusiasm and passion to explore. That being said, one slightly tipsy night on a rather distant Greek island sometime in August last year, two girls joked about how great it would be if they met up in Malaysia for a unique adventure of discovery, exploration and well... lots of jungle. And so I found myself in Kuala Lumpur in the first week of January ready to meet a very tired and overworked Sophia who would join me in the tropic heat half way across the world.
But before I delve further into the journey that took us through the tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands, the nostalgically historic streets of Georgetown in Penang and the jungle roads and beaches of Langkawi let me first touch a little on the rather intriguing city of Kuala Lumpur. During the three days I spent exploring the shopping secrets, food markets and hidden temples of Kuala Lumpur as I awaited Sophia's arrival my opinion on what can be termed a very westernized Asian capital took a complete turn for the better. Having spent a significant amount of time in regions where electricity and water was scarce, the roads were unpaved and traffic was often held up by live-stock idling in the middle of the road, Kuala Lumpur appeared before me as a source of civilization and modernity that I felt I craved by that point.
Kuala Lumpur is a very developed city with tall sky-scrapers decorating the skyline, well maintained infrastructure such as roads and public transportation networks and what looked like a booming business incentive. Despite all this however, one can still see traces of the ex-colonial city that it used to be and how its prowess in trade via the Malacca Straits (to fellow Greeks reading this I was not able to take any of this seriously for a long time) made it the economically booming and cosmopolitan hub it is today.
Kuala Lumpur has a lot to offer sight-seers even though one is expected to do some on-site research if they are looking to truly explore the city. Over a period of 5 days that I spent in Kuala Lumpur in total both with and without Sophia, I was surprised to find that I was able to fill my time well. For those interested in clothes shopping the malls of Jalan Bujit Bintang are an oasis of luxury and modest clothing stores conveniently located close to the world renowned Petronas Towers which tower over the hub of the city. Even though I must admit I found them a little underwhelming in terms of hight in comparison to a lot of the architecture found in Dubai. The Batu Caves which lie a short metro ride outside of the city center pay tribute to the spiritual flair of the city with an impressive climb into the mouth of what can only be described as a monstrously large cave which anticlimactically leads pilgrims to a very small Hindu temple and colorful temple. Still worthwhile to visit however simply to experience the energy conveyed by its faithful visitors and the wildlife that inhabits the caves as it may seem that the caves act as the epicenter for monkey society. The southern part of the city offers visitors the chance to explore its streets whereby one will come across the well preserved (or rather, rebuilt) Merdeka square known for its importance as the ancient city center, the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Tower and the gardens below it, the Central Market; a playground for visitors with an eye for reasonably priced antiques and Chinatown where one can by anything from a fake Prada handbag to an authentic Chinese spring roll. I spent three very comfortable and happy nights in the Mingle luxury hostel there which I cannot praise highly enough for its comfortable and private beds, delicious homemade breakfast, organised day activities and great location. It was with the hostel that I chose to explore the man-made FRIM botanical forest which offers daily guided 4 hour walking tours through its grounds and across the most make-shift yet exciting 'hanging bridges'. Finally, the Jalan Alor night food market provided Sophia with the unique and brave opportunity to chow down on some roasted chicken feet as I did my best not to gag in front of her. I stuck to the dim sum which I found somewhat easier to stomach.
An un-misable day trip from Kuala Lumpur to the small colonial town of Malacca with some unexpected friends made at the hostel revealed a very picturesque seaside town which showed evident signs of having been 'hot-potatoed' between the Indians, Portuguese, Dutch and British as one of the most important trading posts of the region. A day walking the city's streets will suffice but I would recommend spending a night in the very liberal town with its pimped out tourist bicycles and a plethora of museums to choose from.
Sophia and I took off from Kuala Lumpur by luxury bus and bound for the little visited Cameron Highlands, home of tea and jungle. The bus ride took 4.5 hours with 70% reclining seats, big windows and the most nauseating film about sinking ships which along with the sharp bends, safely delivered Sophia and I in the town of Tanah Rata feeling very green. Tanah Rata is the biggest own of the highlands, followed by Brinchang and I can best describe them as drab and depressing. The Cameron Highlands are very impressive in terms of nature with its sweeping forests and misty charm making me feeling as though I were in a scene of gorilla's in the midst even though the closest I found to a gorilla was my own disheveled reflection. We spent two nights there which proved a perfectly adequate amount of time to explore the tea plantations, rose gardens, butterfly gardens, strawberry farms (the British do them better) and bee hives before the monsoon rains would take the region hostage at precisely 15:30 each day. All in all the Cameron Highlands showed us a very different and unexpected side of Malaysia, even though the region itself has almost sold its soul to draw in tourists by creating the most soul-less attractions bar the very worth-visiting BOH tea plantations! In my view it was worth the trip just for the tea plantations.
Nonetheless another nauseating journey downhill brought us close but not quite to Georgetown Penanag, as the bus ticket had promised us. So we loaded my travelling home and Sophia's hand-luggage onto ourselves and trekked over to the ferry service which for 2 ringgits brought us into the harbor of Georgetown. This was by far one our the country's highlights as the town's historic district brought what I imagine New Orleans to look like to mind with its preserved colonial buildings, hipster shops and bars and a creative and energetic vibe flowing through its streets. Having only a single night in the region we spent our day walking the city's streets crossing through the various ethnically diverse districts of the old town before ending up on the Chew Clan Jetties which despite being little visited, traveled us back in time to a place where the city was kept alive by as a roaring maritime trade port. At night, we feasted, or I should rather say we devoured everything we could get our hands on at the Lorong Bary food market as onlookers observed us horrified. We then proceeded to lose ourselves both mentally and definitely physically through the streets of the old district in search of a particular bar that I had read about only to stumble across another which had early on given up looking for. Fate!
The following day we spent the morning visiting the truly stunning Khoo Kongsi temple which the Khoo Kogsi clan's ancestors still spend a lot of time and money protecting and restoring as it still acts as the clan's cultural center. We then decided to leave Georgetown on a sillier note having spent some time striking mind-boggling poses at the Upside Down Museum before boarding a very soviet looking boat to the island of Langkawi which closely resembled a very large flying dolphin boat that is often used in Greece. It was as we bounced across the waves that we took a look at the map of the island and took the ingenious decision to rent a car to allow us affordable mobility on the rather large island. It was in our 'whitemobile', as it was soon named, that we zipped along the bending and little traveled the island's roads to the island's Sky Bridge, the town of Pantai Cenang which is best described as a tourist trap and the Temurun Waterfalls all with two plastic bags of iced coffee swinging from the rear-view mirror. Apparently take-away cups are a rare luxury in Malaysia. Most importantly, we spent a complete day of R&R on the sandy beach of the Andaman Resort where Sophia had very generously sacrificed her points to get us a very luxurious upgraded room with a garden. In essence, we spent a few days totally spoiling ourselves on the island taking in whatever sun ray's were available, feasting on the tastiest nouvelle cuisine fish dinners and sipping on cocktails by the sea as monkey danced in the tree branches above us. It felt as though we were living in a dream. Either that, or we found paradise.
I can truthfully say that I loved Malaysia and all the largely differing sights it had to offer us. It goes without saying that having a bestie and like-minded traveler with me only brightened the experience further, as I was eager to share my teaching from Asia with her, and further discuss the meaning of life with as we sat in the most picturesque settings and fancy hotels sipping on wine. Whats more, it is not often that you find someone who is eager to walk as much as you, see the same things as you and eat even stranger things than you. We parted ways at Kuala Lumpur airport, each feeling like we had grown as much or hopefully, more than our luggage had, and with renewed energy. We most definitely each took more away with us than just trinkets, luggage and in my case a very irritating heat rash, but what exactly it is that we took away from our travels through Malaysia I am still working on fully comprehending. Only time will show.
