MALAYSIA (07.-30.01.2013)

Because of my SHORT-TERM DECISION to use up my "longtime ago booked flight" to Asia I arrived here WITHOUT any plans, information, knowledge or any expectations about this part of the world.
Malaysia turned out as the perfect country to start with my asiatravels. Even if it has (of course) the own culture, you'll find as well a lot of WESTERN INFLUENCE. The second language is English which makes it very easy to get around. As well all the usual shops and restaurants are to find in every bigger city.
The own CULTURE is a MIX of Malay, Chinese and Indian. Over 60% are islamic, the others belong to the buddism (with heaps of chinese temples everywhere) or the hinduism (indian temples). FOOD is very important and you'll find every variety, often on MARKETS.
The same with the LANDSCAPE, you'll find everything here. Skyscaper cities and farms, Nationalparks, Rainforest, Highlands, world heritage towns, and of course all the islands with beautiful sandbeaches & diving - everything you need :)
 
3 1/2 weeks in West Malaysia - I safe the remote eastside with the jungle for next time.

Kuala Lumpur

The FIRST WEEK I stay in Malaysias capital with over 1,5 Milion people. At first I had to get some kind of feeling how everything works here. The streets are way more chaotic and busy then what I'm used to. Scooters and cars everywhere. Beetween them people sitting on the street and sell all kind of food and things, dogs sleeping in the corner... At least for me as my first visit to asia that is a totally different and intersting world.
Impressive is for me the big difference beetween the different cityparts. On the one hand you have the newly build and cleaned up center with huge shoppingmalls and bars/restaurants just like every other "western city" (even the radio is exactly the same than the australian one the week before). And just 10 minutes walking and you stand in the middle of the busy chinatown market with all the small streets and markets.
  
From here it is easy to get around by walking, bus or train to all the typical sightseeings. In the citycenter you find next to all the office-skyscrapers as well the FAMOUSE PETRONA TWIN TOWERS. Inside all kind of expensive shopping and eating. Nearby the TV-Tower with a great view all over the city. CHINATOWN & LITTLE INDIA with all the MARKETS a must see. And everywhere you find some TEMPELS and mosques. In some you're allowed to go in - just amazing with all the artistic decorations and statues! Another great thing to see are the BATU CAVES - old cave with tempel ornaments in it and lots of cheeky monkeys :)
If you stay longer here it's nice to get out of the big city on a daytrip to smaller living-towns like KLANG or SEREMBAN.

I really enjoyed the time here and met some awsome travelers from all over the world. But for me it was a bit to long here and I was happy to get finally out of the city to explore the rest of malaysia :)

Westcoast - Melaka, Cameron Highlands, Ipoh

The next destination is MELAKKA - the UNESCO WORLD HERITAG city south of KL. Sadly just 2 days there, but it is really cool. A lot of HISTORICAL BUILDINGS from early dutch and portugies times. Also some chinese history from early settlements, together with a huge market at Jonker Street in chinatown were we get to try some interesting food. The nightmarket and the rivercruise through the middle of town are quite nice, too. And I could have spend hours and hours just walking around the small streets where you find endless of different artgalleries to browse through :)

After here my tour goes up north of KL - to the CAMERON HIGHLANDS. Finally a cooler climate again, and a backpackers with a great outdoorarea to relax and with a hot shower (which is not often in asias hostels). The scenery up here in a small town in the middle of the highlands is just amazing. Lots of activities with hiking (mostly guided) and all kind of tours are to join here. We join a daytour with several stops like butterflyfarm or a traditional blowpipe demonstration. But the big activity of the day was the RAINFRORESThike to see the amazing RAFFLESIA FLOWER - probably the biggest flower and just in 2 countries for a few weeks each year to see! And a stop at the TEAFIELDS (which are all over the highlands) with some amazing views all over the area.

A short stop in IPOH - Malaysia's 6th biggest city which is famous for the food there and the never finished scottish castle outside of town. And then I'm heading up to some of the beautiful islands at the westcoast.

Islands Westcoast - Penang (Georgetown), Langkawi, Pangkor

PULAU PENANG is to reach eather by a 15 minutes ferryride or over a long bridge. Probably Malaysias biggest and most popular island. The mainsettlement is GEORGETOWN, which is different than all the other cities in malaysia. The HISTORICAL CITYCENTER is always crowded with tourists, as well all the mainsights. Still it is a relaxing place and I found lots of things to do. PENANG HILL is really worth to going to. You go up with an old cablecar and walk a bit further to the highest point of the island with a great view and lots of small attractions up there. And the chinese TEMPLE near the hill is just amazing to visit, the biggest I ever saw here! And if you want to do some outdoors - there is a NATIONALPARK for some beautiful walks around bays. As well as EVERYTHING else it to find on Penang. Beachactivities, small fishertowns, markets, as well as a lot of nightlife. Probably one of my favourite places in Malaysia and hard to leave;)

 

 

PULAU LANGKAWI is more of a holidayresort. One half of the island is just SANDBEACH - full of western tourists enjoying a typical BEACHHOLIDAY including lots of cocktailbars, hotelresorts and cheap shopping (the island is DUTY FREE). The rest of the island is the best to explore with a rented SCOOTER and easy to do in one day. There are a lot of remote beaches, waterfalls and small villages to find all along the coast. And in the middle is GUNNUNG RAYA - just one road goes up there and you'll see more monkey than people. Oh and don'te forget to spent one day with ISLANDHOPPING to all the tiny islands all around. I really enjoyed Langkawi - just to relax a few days with some great people around and not doing anything :)

On the way back souh again to Georgetown, this time just one day to see the big celebration from the TAIPUSAN HINDUFESTIVAL. Hundrets of people in the big hindutemple up the hill, a big market and lots of crazy traditional things to carry the godstatues. Some looked really painful with needles through the skin!

 

 

One more stop in LUMUT, a small town with one attraction. The ferry to the small island PULAU PANHGKOR. Easy to get around by scooter or even by walking like me. A peacefull place with  small FISHERVILLAGES along the coastline and one big sandbeach with a few guesthouses and restaurants.
 
And then it is already time to go back down to Kuala Lumpur, straight to the airport. Just a short flight this time - 2hours till Bangkok Thailand.