Malaysia 1998 Part 4:Langkawi

We travelled from Penang to Langkawi by ferry which took about 2 hours and cost around £20 return. Langkawi and Malaysia were preparing for the Commonwealth games later that year so they were getting ready for the influx of visitors. Langkawi is about the same size as Jersey in the Channel Islands and is made up of 99 Islands separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Malacca. Langkawi has replaced Penang as the duty free shopping Port, specialising in electrical items, perfumes and cosmetics.

We had booked into the Datai 5* Luxury Hotel as having booked in advance, we got a very good rate. (Langkawi was not as popular when I first went as it is now so everything was a lot cheaper!!!!), however my cousins and their children came with us to Langkawi and they had not booked in anywhere, but the Datai was full so I decided to stay in an alternative Hotel with them. The Datai is on the southern tip of the Island so it is a little out of the way. We were only in Langkawi for 2 nights so decided to try and do as much as we could in the short time. There were 8 of us all together and the Hotel recommended that we try and book a mini bus for the day and agree a price as it may work out cheaper than all paying for separate tours.

We ended up hiring a 8 seater minibus and driver for the day, I think it cost us about £10 per person and he would take us wherever we wanted to go all day and act as our guide. It was good as he also told us the best things to do. The first place we visited was Eagle Square which is the first landmark you see when arriving in Langkawi by boat. The square has Duty Free shops, restaurants and scenic ponds among other attractions.

Next we headed to Langkawi Crocodile Farm at Kubank Badak. There are daily shows and you can watch feeding. After the crocodile farm we went to Tanjung Rhu beach, which could rival any Caribbean Beach, and it was deserted. From the beach, you can take a short boat ride to Gua Cherita caves or Caves of Legends as they are known. The beach and caves are definitely a must see when visiting Langkawi.

The caves have small sandy areas around them which if you want to be totally secluded, you could use as your own private beach. Because Langkawi is small, you can get around the Island in about 3 hours. Other things you might like to do, which we never got time to is to ride a cable car up to Mount Mat Cincang which is Langkawi's second highest peak. You can ride the cable car from The Oriental Village which is in the Upper Northwest of Langkawi. It does get cool up the mountain, so I would recommend a jumper.

There are also waterfalls that you can visit such as Telaga Tujuh. Air Terjun Temurun and Durian Perangin Falls. The best time to see the falls in full flow is towards the end of the year when there is more rain. There are restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets in Langkawi from Barbies on the beach to seafood restaurants, whatever your taste, you will find something to suit.

For all the budding golfers, there are three 18 hole Golf Courses on Langkawi, said to have some of the most spectacular views in Asia.
If luxury Spa is your thing, Langkawi has plenty in most of the large resort hotels. There are lots of other activities to do in Langkawi if you get bored sunbathing of or shopping such as diving, horseriding and sailing. Langkawi as I mentioned earlier is a duty free tax haven for shopping and has lots of shops and Malls. You can buy designer clothes, electrical items and cosmetics among other things a lot cheaper than on the mainland. You can also buy local handicrafts. Tobacco and alcohol a lot cheaper.

The only advice I would give is to check how much you can buy as there are restrictions as to how much you can take back with you. Langkawi also has its fair share of nightlife with lots of pubs, bistros and nightclubs, dotted around the Island. The main resorts on Langkawi are Kuah, Pantain Cenang, and Pantai Kok. It easy to get around the Island either by hiring a car, taxi or motorbike. There are buses, but they are not very regular or frequent so I would not really recommend this. There are tours that you can book if you fancy exploring further afield such as Marine, Yacht and Islands Tours. I think that Langkawi is a fabulous Island to visit and has everything that anybody could want. It is also very cheap and a lot easier now to get to, as it has its own international airport with daily flights from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Penang. We had to get the ferry back to Penang to catch our flight to Singapore as there was no airport when we were there.

The weather is nice all the year round, but the wettest months are July to Mid September. The currency is Ringgit, but some places will accept foreign currency. The official language is Malaysian, but English is widely spoken. Throughout the year Langkawi hosts various festivals including golf tournaments, Jazz Festivals and Fishing tournaments, so I would check details before booking to make sure that you can get booked into accommodation as it can get very busy.

Coming Soon...Singapore and Sentosa Island

Malaysia 1998 Part 3: Penang

After our stay in the Cameron Highlands, we were refreshed and ready for the next part of our journey. After our bus journey to get to the Highlands, we decided we definitely were not going by bus to Penang!!. After some research we found we could get the train from a town about 40 minutes drive away called Tapah. We travelled by taxi to Tapah which cost about £10. The trains are excellent, comfortable and safe. The prices are also very reasonable, and because there was so little difference in cost between standard and first, we decided to travel first class.

The journey takes between 2 - 3 hours and it was about £15 standard and £20 first class. Penang is very different to Kuala Lumpur and Cameron Highlands, in the fact it was very hot and more of a tourist beach resort. (I remember somebody even comparing it to Benidorm!!!!) I must tell you having been to Benidorm as a teenager, it is much nicer and classier than Benidorm... It was very busy and there were loads of Brits in town. With the World Cup being on in France there was a carnival atmosphere.
There are loads of hotels to suit every budget. I cannot remember the name of the first hotel we booked into in Penang and I say first as we only stayed here a couple of nights as my cousins wedding was here. It was far out and you had to get a taxi to the beach and it was a bit grotty inside. The wedding reception was really good, It was a Chinese buffet, but there must have been about 15 different courses!!!. After the wedding, we moved onto the Shangri-La Golden Sands Hotel, where we had 4 nights booked. The Golden Sands is a resort with its own beach and is really nice. There are cheaper alternatives such as the Holiday Inn and Copthorne Orchid. For cheap rooms in Malaysia see Asia Rooms.

Penang is known as the Pearl of the Orient. The main beach area is called Batu Ferringi Beach in the district of Georgetown in Penang. Penang has lots to offer as well as beautiful beaches and warm climate!!! You can get the funicular up to Penang Hill or Bukit Bedera as it is otherwise known!!! It has amazing views and is cooler than the resort below. There are also lots of Temples, Mosques and Houses of Worship for every religion. I would recommend visiting the Snake Temple. There are poisonous snakes outside on a stand but it is said that that they have never bitten anybody and they guard the temple. It is free to enter the temple which is beautiful inside, but there is a donation box. Another Temple I would recommend a visit to is the Temple of the Reclining Buddah or Wat Chayamangkalaram as it is also known. This has a 33 metre gold plated reclining Buddha with lots of smaller Buddha's surrounding it. The Temple and the grounds are all beautiful and again this is free to enter with a donation box.

At the back of the Buddha, you will see lots of Niches containing the ashes of devotees. We were told that it cost a lot of money to have the ashes stored here. There are other attractions such as Penang Butterfly Farm, and Batik Craft Factory where you can buy local arts and crafts such as suits, clothes, paintings and tapestries. There are also day and night markets where you can buy local foods, fish, souvenirs, copy replica football shops and copy designer bags among other things. There are a few Malls in Penang such as Penang Mall, also there are lots of restaurants in Penang to suit every taste including Malaysian, Chinese, English, Japanese and European among others. There are fast food restaurants if you are not very adventurous such as Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Burger King!!!!

There are stalls along the beach selling snacks such as noodles, and lots of fish and seafood restaurants which are filled with huge fish tanks as you go in with everything from lobster to octopus and you tell your waiter which one you want and they go and cook it for you!!!! (Yes they are alive when you choose!!!!).

The currency is Ringgit and your money will go far in Malaysia as everything is so cheap and the people are really friendly. Taxis are probably the best way to get around Penang, they are cheap, but I would recommend agreeing a price before jumping in.

You can get buses but they are not as frequent, car hire is also an option but as the drivers are a bit mad, you may not want to tackle the roads on your own. There are bars, pubs and nightclubs in Penang that are popular if you fancy dancing, drinking or both until the wee small hours!!!! There are tours that you can book if you want to leave the organising to somebody else. All the temples and places we went to, we jumped in a cab, but you can book a proper tour and will probably learn more.

The tours you can book range from the places I have mentioned previously and tours around the Island and to museums. You can also book trips to Langkawi which I highly recommend (my blog on Langkawi will follow this one!!!) You can also visit Thailand as it is close to Penang. The weather in Penang is warm and sunny most of the time, they do not have a rainy season but September to November are known to be the wettest months. You can get to Penang with various airlines including Malaysian via Kuala Lumpur, KLM via Amsterdam and Lufthansa via Frankfurt or Munich.

There are no scheduled direct flights to Penang from the UK, although there may be charter flights. We loved Penang and 4 days is not really enough time especially if you want to soak up the sun rays as well as seeing everything. There are people who we spoke to who had booked a 2 week holiday in Penang and were just enjoying the weather and never ventured from the beach, which I think is a shame when you are travelling 14 hours or so on a plane, but it shows how popular it is.

Coming Soon Langkawi..........

Malaysia 1998 Part 2: Cameron Highlands

We travelled by bus from Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands (road is the only way to get there), it was a journey and half I can tell you!!!!!. There is a daily bus service from K L. We got a rickety old coach (if you can call it that!!!) that had no air conditioning and it was a very bumpy ride indeed!!!. It took about 6 hours to get there. I believe now there is a new expressway Simpang Pulai road that is a lot better and you can get from K L to Cameron Highlands in about 3.5 hours, and I am sure the transport is a lot better too!!!!!

Cameron Highlands is Malaysia's biggest Hill resort. Cameron Highlands is a leading producer of Flowers, and has lots of fruit farms and Tea Plantations. We decided on Cameron Highlands as it seemed a good alternative to the more popular touristy Genting Highlands. It reminds you of an Old English Village and does have an English Pub/Restaurant. The only way to get around the highlands and down to the village is either by taxi or bus, you are much better getting taxis as they are quicker and cheaper. I stayed at the Merlin Inn Hotel (now the Cameron Highlands Resort Hotel).

It is on top of a hill but has stunning views over the highlands, there are also other hotels such as the Strawberry Resort among others. For discount rooms see Asia Rooms. We had 3 nights in Cameron Highland's and spent 1 day at the famous Tea Plantations, which was very interesting, I did notice it seems to be the women who do all the hard work outside carrying all the baskets!!!! How do they work in that heat!!!!!. In the Tea Plantations, they have a tea shop where you can buy every flavour of tea imaginable and there are tasting sessions also.

We also visited a strawberry farm where you can pick your own fresh strawberries (there are lots of strawberry and fruit farms here) and one for the many flower Nurseries. I wanted to buy some flowers as they were so beautiful and fresh but with us travelling so much, I just couldn't. If you can't decide what to buy then you should visit the market which has everything under one roof. Another thing that we did while there was visit

Cactus Valley which is interesting to see and again there is a shop to buy some cactus. There are also butterfly farms to visit.

The village is 5 -10 minute drive and has a few shops, and restaurants. There are also lots of little stalls selling noodles, and snacks.

There seems to be a tradition in the Highlands of having afternoon tea and scones and there are a few hotels and restaurants that offer this. The Highlands do have an English feel to them although I am glad to say that at least we never saw any Union Jack shorts or towels!!!. The highlands attracts walkers, golfers (they are very big on golf, and there is a large golf course!!!) and nature lovers. There are lots of other things to do in the Highlands such as Camping, Mountain Hiking and Jungle Trekking. If you are feeling energetic a walk to the village will take you about 30 - 45 minutes depending on how quick you walk. We did it once and it is hard because of the heat and it is quite hilly.

You will get used to seeing lots of temples in Malaysia whether it be Buddhist, Sikh or Hindu and Cameron Highlands is no exception. They are all as grand as each other and I never get bored of going in and having a nosey. The Hindu Temples are the prettiest in my opinion as they are always so colourful in bright pastel colours. The Sam Poh Buddhist Temple is worth a look situated on a hill overlooking Brinchang Town. The Buddhist and Hindu Temples are so peaceful and quiet and just nice to be in. The Buddhist Temples have incense burning in them and there is always fruit at the front of them and usually there are stone lions guarding the temple.

You do not have to pay to go in the temples, but they have a donation box for you to give what you like. Your Hotel should book any tours or attractions for you, there is also a tourist information centre in the Main Village. Alternatively you can book through a tour company such as Titiwangsa Tours, C. S Travel Tours, Golden Highland Adventures and Cameron Secrets.

There are three main villages in the Cameron Highlands (or Townships as they are know in Malaysia). They are Ringlet, Tanah Rata and Brinchang. They are all fairly close and only a short taxi ride away from each other.

Cameron Highlands is inexpensive and apart from flowers, tea and fruit, there is not really anything (other than eating and drinking!!! Obviously...) to spend your money on, unless you play golf. The hotels are also inexpensive and English is widely spoken.

It is a lot cooler in the Highlands than in the beach resorts and main Cities. Monsoon season is from November to February and the dry season is from February to April although it can rain throughout the year. The coolest time to travel is between December and February. If you are planning a few days in the Highlands, I would recommend sensible shoes as you will do plenty of walking!!!, something waterproof and some warm clothes and long trousers

especially if you are planning to visit the tea plantations. I made the mistake of wearing jeans and with them being quite heavy, they were just awful and sticking to me. I would definitely recommend a stop in the Highlands as it is not too touristy and it is nice and quite and a complete change of scenery from the Smoggy Cities and Beaches.

Malaysia 1998 Part 1: Kuala Lumpur

I flew to Kuala Lumpur on 21 June 1998 with Lufthansa German Airlines.
Myself and my friend were lucky enough to fly Business Class via Frankfurt. Business class was really good and the service excellent. The flat beds were not really around then (I believe they are on board now), but there was loads of room. We had planned this trip around my cousins wedding. He was getting married in Penang, so we decided to coincide this trip with that. We booked flights to Kuala Lumpur for a 3 night stay, then onto Cameron Highlands for a 3 night stay, then to Penang for the wedding, and a 3 night stay in Singapore before flying home from there.

We had booked into the J W Marriott in Kuala Lumpur. The prices for the top hotels in Kuala Lumpur were very reasonable at the time we went. The currency in Malaysia is Ringgit, and as far as I remember the exchange rate was very good at the time. The Hotel is in the Golden Triangle area, which is the heart of the business and shopping district. The shopping is great in Kuala Lumpur, there are a few different shopping centres, each have a great range from Western High Street brands to all the designer labels. There is the Star Hill Gallery, Pavillion, and The Mall among others. It was the World Cup France 98' when we were there, so there was a carnival atmosphere, it was just a nightmare as the games shown were on at 0300 in the morning because of the time difference!!!!.

There are lots of things to see and do in Kulala Lumpur, including the K L Tower which is one of the tallest towers in the world and has an observation deck and restaurant at the top. In Kuala Lumpur city centre, you cannot miss the formidable Petronas Towers, although you cannot go up the towers as they are home to offices, there are shops and galleries you can visit at the towers. China Town is also worth a visit for the restaurants, markets and street stalls selling Nick knacks.The Jamek Mosque which is one of the oldest mosques' in the city is also worth a visit.

Another must see has to be the Sultan Abdul Samad Building which used to house the Colonial Secretariat, today it houses the Courts of Law, and is a gathering spot for New Year and National holiday celebrations. There is also the Planetarium, Zoo and Little India among other things to see and do. The one thing we found with Kuala Lumpur was that it was always very smoggy so you will be lucky to get a very clear picture over the city from the K L Tower.

Eating out is relatively cheap in Kuala Lumpur, and you can eat in top restaurants for very little. There is a very good choice of every kind of food from Chinese and Malay to American, Indian, English and french among others. There are also your fast food restaurants such as Mcdonalds, KFC (if that's your thing...). The range of food is suitable for meat and fish eaters and vegetarians. The climate in Kuala Lumpur is mostly hot, humid and tropical and they do get heavy rain sometimes but the rain tends not to last very long. Getting around is easy and taxis are mostly used, the drivers tend to speak very good English and they are cheap and do not try and rip you off like in most cities. There is also a good bus and train service.

There are lots of tours that you can book for Kuala Lumpur or KL as it is known. I would recommend getting a map and a city guide on arrival so that you can plan your stay carefully. KL is a great city for a short stay and would recommend it as a stopover, with direct flights from London with Malaysian, and flights from various European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.

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There are also hotels to suit every budget from standard to Luxurious such as Best Western, Crowne Plaza and Novotel.