Our Malaysian adventure is complete and we are now off to Cambodia for even more adventuring!
Malaysia is a fantastic place and an amazing place to travel to. If you get the chance to go, don't be afraid to rent a car and drive the peninsula. Our travels began on December 28 and finished on January 12. We welcomed in the New Year from Kuala Lumpur. Read the logs below for a glimpse at what it is like in Malaysia. Our next stop is Cambodia!
January 12, 2014.
Back in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We have had an amazing time in Malaysia. For anyone who has any trepidations about traveling to Asia, Malaysia is probably a good place to at least acclimatize yourself to the Asian culture. It's very different than North America or Australia, but that is a good thing though! Not everyone lives the same way that Westerners do, and that's refreshing. The reason I would say that Malaysia is a good starting point is for a couple of reasons. First being that if you only speak English, it's no problem to communicate because most people here understand or speak at least some English. Secondly, there is a lot of Western influence here, especially in the major cities, Kuala Lumpur being the biggest. Yesterday was our last day in Georgetown and we decided to hire a private tour guide to take us to all the interesting spots including a stop at a durian fruit stand. Durian fruit is very smelly but is supposed to be very tasty. We tried it and almost gagged! It was horrible. Our guide, Daniel, was fantastic. As we were driving around, he gave us a lot of information about the area. We visited quite a few sites including a small textile factory, a butterfly farm, a nutmeg farm and a snake temple (where we got to hold a HUGE snake and wrap it over our shoulders - Bennett as well). Today, we drove from Georgetown, in northern Malaysia, all the way back to Kuala Lumpur. The drive took about 4 hours on the major highway which runs right through the middle from almost the top to bottom of the Malaysian Peninsula. The only really tricky driving was in downtown Kuala Lumpur and when we were trying to find our hotel. We checked into an unbelievable hotel in the ritziest area of KL, the JW Marriott. I booked the hotel on points and we were upgraded to a suite, heaven! Tomorrow we are on our way to Phnom Penh, Cambodia flying out on Air Asia which we had used to fly from Perth, Australia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are looking forward to trying a new country, but we will definitely miss Malaysia. It's supposed to be even cheaper in Cambodia, but we'll see.
Back in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We have had an amazing time in Malaysia. For anyone who has any trepidations about traveling to Asia, Malaysia is probably a good place to at least acclimatize yourself to the Asian culture. It's very different than North America or Australia, but that is a good thing though! Not everyone lives the same way that Westerners do, and that's refreshing. The reason I would say that Malaysia is a good starting point is for a couple of reasons. First being that if you only speak English, it's no problem to communicate because most people here understand or speak at least some English. Secondly, there is a lot of Western influence here, especially in the major cities, Kuala Lumpur being the biggest. Yesterday was our last day in Georgetown and we decided to hire a private tour guide to take us to all the interesting spots including a stop at a durian fruit stand. Durian fruit is very smelly but is supposed to be very tasty. We tried it and almost gagged! It was horrible. Our guide, Daniel, was fantastic. As we were driving around, he gave us a lot of information about the area. We visited quite a few sites including a small textile factory, a butterfly farm, a nutmeg farm and a snake temple (where we got to hold a HUGE snake and wrap it over our shoulders - Bennett as well). Today, we drove from Georgetown, in northern Malaysia, all the way back to Kuala Lumpur. The drive took about 4 hours on the major highway which runs right through the middle from almost the top to bottom of the Malaysian Peninsula. The only really tricky driving was in downtown Kuala Lumpur and when we were trying to find our hotel. We checked into an unbelievable hotel in the ritziest area of KL, the JW Marriott. I booked the hotel on points and we were upgraded to a suite, heaven! Tomorrow we are on our way to Phnom Penh, Cambodia flying out on Air Asia which we had used to fly from Perth, Australia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We are looking forward to trying a new country, but we will definitely miss Malaysia. It's supposed to be even cheaper in Cambodia, but we'll see.
January 9, 2014.
In Georgetown, Malaysia. Driving in Malaysia is a breeze! As long as you are not in a city or town, otherwise there are crazy motorbike and scooter drivers everywhere. Between Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown, there is a main highway, the E1, that is equal in quality to any Interstate in the US. The speed limit is 110KM/h and it's 2 to 3 lanes wide. You can cover a lot of distance quite quickly. Most drivers on the highway drive the speed limit or less, however, every once in a while a BMW will pass you going at a very fast clip of 200KM/h or more. Gasoline is very cheap here, works out to be about 60 cents CDN a litre! After enjoying Melaka, which in the southern part of the Malaysian Penisula, we headed north to Ipoh, which was about a 3 hour drive (a couple hours north of Kuala Lumpur). We finally had our first bad meal in Malaysia, which was Dim Sum at a Chinese restaurant in a town called Ipoh. We were not impressed with Ipoh. It seems that Ipoh is not much of a tourist destination, but it is close to an area that we wanted to explore called the Cameron Highlands. After a rather unforgettable afternoon/night in Ipoh (actually the hotel we stayed at wasn't bad though), we made our way into the Cameron Highlands which is a rather mountainous, lush and very beautiful area of Malaysia about 1 hour to the East of Ipoh. The Cameron Highlands are famous for a couple of things, first being tea plantations and secondly, strawberry farms (which seemed to be grown mostly hydroponically). The Cameron Highlands cover quite a large area and includes many small towns. The town we stayed in was called Tanah Rata, and our hotel (although being a little dated), offered excellent mountain views from our balcony. It was a real treat for Tricia and I to be able to sit out on our balcony, enjoy the views and sip wine (while Bennett enjoyed the company of the Ipad of course). While in the Cameron Highlands we stopped at a strawberry farm and picked some strawberries, visited a tea plantation and enjoyed some wonderful tea and basically explored the area. There are some crazy curved roads in the area and equally crazy Malaysian drivers who will overtake you even as you go around blind corners of the road. After the Cameron Highlands, we headed further north to where we currently are, Georgetown. The city of Georgetown is actually on an island called Pulau Pinang (the word Pulau meaning island). Although quite touristy, we are having a great time in Georgetown. Our hotel, called the Museum Hotel, is fantastic, very beautiful and the staff are extremely friendly. At sunset (and at sunrise) you can can hear the Muslims chanting from all across the city here (and in pretty much all of Malaysia which contains about a 60% Muslim population). The Muslims of the world really get a bad rap, in my opinion. The vast majority, at least here in Malaysia are very peaceful and kind. It seems that the extremist spoil their reputation. We are spending 3 nights here, this being our second night (as I write this log). Yesterday, we explored the town a little which has tonnes of shops and restaurants (actually took another rickshaw ride - our 3rd rickshaw ride in Malaysia so far!). Today, we first took Bennett to a Mall which had a kids play area (have to keep him happy!), then, we did more exploring although we initially had wanted to take one of the island cruises that are offered here but the weather was rainy. We ended up driving around pretty much the whole island. We saw many parts that are not really for the tourists such as some huge apartment buildings that, when viewing them, look like they should be condemned. There are many poor parts of Malaysia, where many people live. Having access to a car has really allowed us to view parts of the country that reinforce the fact that many Malaysians do not have a lot, something we definitely take for granted back home in Canada. It's all part of the adventure...to explore the good and the bad parts of the places we visit. It's late now...so I'm hitting the sack! Tricia will update tomorrow.....
Tricia: Well we are down to our last few days in Malaysia and although it has been fantastic, I'm excited to move on. As Bart mentioned, we are currently in Georgetown which is a UNESCO site. It has a fantastic vibe and again, the people are great! The Cameron Highlands were amazing, and I really hadn't expected it to be such a large area. The area we stayed in overlooked a beautiful green canopy. It had mist rolling in and was just magic! We had gone on a little hike to see a waterfall but it ended up being a disgusting little drip of water with garbage all along the sides. It was such a shame. We did meet a family from Holland with 2 little ones that are travelling the same route as us here so we were able to exchange some information with them. The tea plantation we visited was awesome. The smells were amazing and we were able to tour the factory. It was quite interesting. Heading to Georgetown was fine, but I have to admit, I am so glad that Bart is driving...sometimes I just close my eyes and hope for the best...the motorcycles are insane! Bart is doing a good job driving! We took Bennett to a play area today and it was amazing for him...they had absolutely everything for kids. He ended up spending 45 minutes creating "an abstract" painting with 2 women who were working there. THey also had a photostudio (they dressed him in a leather jacket for some reason) and then superimposed him with Mickey Mouse (I have the pictures and they are so funny). They also had a massive climbing area and a train that went round. Not to mention 5D video games and science labs! He loved it and he really needed some play time. We have been staying at The Museum Hotel and I can't say enough good things about it. It is absolutely beautiful...filled with antiques and just really well done. The staff leaves little presents on your pillow with the turn down service along with little inspirational quotes. Kinda weird but so cute. Today we are taking a tour of the island...should be a good day!
In Georgetown, Malaysia. Driving in Malaysia is a breeze! As long as you are not in a city or town, otherwise there are crazy motorbike and scooter drivers everywhere. Between Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown, there is a main highway, the E1, that is equal in quality to any Interstate in the US. The speed limit is 110KM/h and it's 2 to 3 lanes wide. You can cover a lot of distance quite quickly. Most drivers on the highway drive the speed limit or less, however, every once in a while a BMW will pass you going at a very fast clip of 200KM/h or more. Gasoline is very cheap here, works out to be about 60 cents CDN a litre! After enjoying Melaka, which in the southern part of the Malaysian Penisula, we headed north to Ipoh, which was about a 3 hour drive (a couple hours north of Kuala Lumpur). We finally had our first bad meal in Malaysia, which was Dim Sum at a Chinese restaurant in a town called Ipoh. We were not impressed with Ipoh. It seems that Ipoh is not much of a tourist destination, but it is close to an area that we wanted to explore called the Cameron Highlands. After a rather unforgettable afternoon/night in Ipoh (actually the hotel we stayed at wasn't bad though), we made our way into the Cameron Highlands which is a rather mountainous, lush and very beautiful area of Malaysia about 1 hour to the East of Ipoh. The Cameron Highlands are famous for a couple of things, first being tea plantations and secondly, strawberry farms (which seemed to be grown mostly hydroponically). The Cameron Highlands cover quite a large area and includes many small towns. The town we stayed in was called Tanah Rata, and our hotel (although being a little dated), offered excellent mountain views from our balcony. It was a real treat for Tricia and I to be able to sit out on our balcony, enjoy the views and sip wine (while Bennett enjoyed the company of the Ipad of course). While in the Cameron Highlands we stopped at a strawberry farm and picked some strawberries, visited a tea plantation and enjoyed some wonderful tea and basically explored the area. There are some crazy curved roads in the area and equally crazy Malaysian drivers who will overtake you even as you go around blind corners of the road. After the Cameron Highlands, we headed further north to where we currently are, Georgetown. The city of Georgetown is actually on an island called Pulau Pinang (the word Pulau meaning island). Although quite touristy, we are having a great time in Georgetown. Our hotel, called the Museum Hotel, is fantastic, very beautiful and the staff are extremely friendly. At sunset (and at sunrise) you can can hear the Muslims chanting from all across the city here (and in pretty much all of Malaysia which contains about a 60% Muslim population). The Muslims of the world really get a bad rap, in my opinion. The vast majority, at least here in Malaysia are very peaceful and kind. It seems that the extremist spoil their reputation. We are spending 3 nights here, this being our second night (as I write this log). Yesterday, we explored the town a little which has tonnes of shops and restaurants (actually took another rickshaw ride - our 3rd rickshaw ride in Malaysia so far!). Today, we first took Bennett to a Mall which had a kids play area (have to keep him happy!), then, we did more exploring although we initially had wanted to take one of the island cruises that are offered here but the weather was rainy. We ended up driving around pretty much the whole island. We saw many parts that are not really for the tourists such as some huge apartment buildings that, when viewing them, look like they should be condemned. There are many poor parts of Malaysia, where many people live. Having access to a car has really allowed us to view parts of the country that reinforce the fact that many Malaysians do not have a lot, something we definitely take for granted back home in Canada. It's all part of the adventure...to explore the good and the bad parts of the places we visit. It's late now...so I'm hitting the sack! Tricia will update tomorrow.....
Tricia: Well we are down to our last few days in Malaysia and although it has been fantastic, I'm excited to move on. As Bart mentioned, we are currently in Georgetown which is a UNESCO site. It has a fantastic vibe and again, the people are great! The Cameron Highlands were amazing, and I really hadn't expected it to be such a large area. The area we stayed in overlooked a beautiful green canopy. It had mist rolling in and was just magic! We had gone on a little hike to see a waterfall but it ended up being a disgusting little drip of water with garbage all along the sides. It was such a shame. We did meet a family from Holland with 2 little ones that are travelling the same route as us here so we were able to exchange some information with them. The tea plantation we visited was awesome. The smells were amazing and we were able to tour the factory. It was quite interesting. Heading to Georgetown was fine, but I have to admit, I am so glad that Bart is driving...sometimes I just close my eyes and hope for the best...the motorcycles are insane! Bart is doing a good job driving! We took Bennett to a play area today and it was amazing for him...they had absolutely everything for kids. He ended up spending 45 minutes creating "an abstract" painting with 2 women who were working there. THey also had a photostudio (they dressed him in a leather jacket for some reason) and then superimposed him with Mickey Mouse (I have the pictures and they are so funny). They also had a massive climbing area and a train that went round. Not to mention 5D video games and science labs! He loved it and he really needed some play time. We have been staying at The Museum Hotel and I can't say enough good things about it. It is absolutely beautiful...filled with antiques and just really well done. The staff leaves little presents on your pillow with the turn down service along with little inspirational quotes. Kinda weird but so cute. Today we are taking a tour of the island...should be a good day!
January 5, 2014.
In Melaka, Malaysia. After spending 7 days in Kuala Lumpur, which was great, it was nice to leave the big city and venture off to see new things. If you come to Malaysia for nothing else, come for the food. We have yet to have a bad meal! Malaysia feels so full of life, culture and food! It's an exhilarating place to be. For our last two nights in Kuala Lumpur, we indulged in sushi (probably the best I've had) and Malaysian food at a restaurant that also offered traditional Malaysian dancing as well, awesome food and fun entertainment. Kuala Lumpur has many Malls with both high and low end shopping. One particular Mall also has a theme park inside of it, similar to the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta. While Tricia enjoyed some shopping and a foot massage, I spent not one, but 2 afternoons in the Theme park with Bennett. We pretty much had most of the rides to ourselves, and Bennett had so much fun (I did too). We did end up renting a vehicle which we used to get us down to a popular tourist city, about 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur, called Melaka, which is where we are currently. I can now say that I've driven in Asia! I was nervous at first, but I got used to how other people drive here (and most are crazy!) quite quickly. They drive on the left side of the road, similarly to Australia and the UK. After driving cross country in Australia for a month, I was well accustomed to driving on the left, so no problems there. On our way down to Melaka, there was torrential rain which made the driving a little trickier, but we made it to our destination in one piece. We checked into our hotel in Melaka yesterday at around 5pm. The hotel is great, it's called the Hatten. There is quite a bit to see and do here in Melaka, probably enough for about 2 full days. There is an awesome night market, similar to the one in the Chinatown district of Kuala Lumpur, but it's quite a bit more laid back. The night market is located on a famous street here called Jonker Street and it's pretty much the center of activity in Melaka. After walking around the market for a while, we picked a restaurant to eat at (there are many in the market area), and again amazing food! Most of the tourists here are Asian, so we are definitely in the minority. If you have ever been to the Markham area, north of Toronto, it's kind of like that. We did a lot today, starting with a boat tour on the Melaka River (which is similar to a boat ride in Venice, Italy - complete with filthy water), followed by another walk and lunch on the Jonker Street market, then a rickshaw ride through Melaka, and finally a trip to a mall across from our hotel that had a great play area for Bennett (we have to keep him happy!). For me, the highlight was the rickshaw ride which allowed us to see all the main tourist sites that Melaka has to offer. Our rickshaw driver was this elderly guy (at least he looked pretty old) and I triple checked with him to ensure he was ok with bicycling us, a combined weight of about 400 lbs (me, Tricia, Bennett and his stroller) around the city. He assured us he was fine with it. He charged us a rate of 40 Ringit per hour (which is like 12 bucks CDN - ya gotta love the prices here!). Our ride lasted for about 1.5 hours and our driver allowed us to get off and visit about 5 different places. We were happy to get off the rickshaw if nothing else but to give him a rest! Comparatively speaking (especially to Australia), the prices are so cheap here. The CDN dollar goes a long way. We have finalized the remainder of our Malaysian journey plans which will include a drive north of here to a town called Ipoh, followed by a drive to the near top of Malaysia to a place called Penang. Afterwards, we will be driving back down to Kuala Lumpur and leaving to Cambodia (our flights are already booked) on January 12th.
Tricia: We were really ready to leave Kuala Lumpur. We loved the city but we were definitely ready for a change...I think we were all a little stir crazy on the last two days and Bart recognized that I was going insane...he took B to the amusement park and told me to have the day to myself (nice man). I ended up walking FOREVER which was great. I discovered the KL Heritage Walk which was through a little alley. Basically, it was a LOT of food stalls with people eating whole fish. I got a little lost and ended up at coffee shop to avoid the torrential downpour that was coming. It was in the bottom of a hotel/apartment but they also advertised massages (on the 3rd floor). I decided that what else did I have to do? I went to the 3rd floor and there were 4 people sitting at a TINY reception desk. I ended up getting a 75 minute foot massage from a man that just might be my next husband (Bart and I are going to see how things go!)...I'm pretty sure I could have got ANY type of massage I wanted but the foot massage was AMAZING! Seriously. (Husband #2 also threw in a head and shoulder massage too at the end!). I took B swimming on the rooftop in the rain, which he loved. Then we headed to a great Malaysian restaurant complete with traditional dancers. We are now in Malacka, a World Heritage Site and it is incredible! We have really had fun here and the food is amazing. The salad rolls are the best I have EVER had. We took a boat ride and explored most of the major sites and then the rickshaw covered the rest. Although, I really felt bad for the poor man...he might have been 80! I'm sure he is used to tiny little asian people getting on his bike. We are heading up to Penang and the Cameron Highlands tomorrow and are excited to explore even more of this great country. Then, Cambodia on the 12th. I was really struggling as to whether or not to bring Bennett to the Killing Fields memorial but have decided against it.l Although it is such an important part of the country he will be exploring, he is just too young to see that much sadness. That means that we will also miss it which I feel completely guilty about, but at the same time an interesting conundrum on this journey that we are on...
In Melaka, Malaysia. After spending 7 days in Kuala Lumpur, which was great, it was nice to leave the big city and venture off to see new things. If you come to Malaysia for nothing else, come for the food. We have yet to have a bad meal! Malaysia feels so full of life, culture and food! It's an exhilarating place to be. For our last two nights in Kuala Lumpur, we indulged in sushi (probably the best I've had) and Malaysian food at a restaurant that also offered traditional Malaysian dancing as well, awesome food and fun entertainment. Kuala Lumpur has many Malls with both high and low end shopping. One particular Mall also has a theme park inside of it, similar to the West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton, Alberta. While Tricia enjoyed some shopping and a foot massage, I spent not one, but 2 afternoons in the Theme park with Bennett. We pretty much had most of the rides to ourselves, and Bennett had so much fun (I did too). We did end up renting a vehicle which we used to get us down to a popular tourist city, about 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur, called Melaka, which is where we are currently. I can now say that I've driven in Asia! I was nervous at first, but I got used to how other people drive here (and most are crazy!) quite quickly. They drive on the left side of the road, similarly to Australia and the UK. After driving cross country in Australia for a month, I was well accustomed to driving on the left, so no problems there. On our way down to Melaka, there was torrential rain which made the driving a little trickier, but we made it to our destination in one piece. We checked into our hotel in Melaka yesterday at around 5pm. The hotel is great, it's called the Hatten. There is quite a bit to see and do here in Melaka, probably enough for about 2 full days. There is an awesome night market, similar to the one in the Chinatown district of Kuala Lumpur, but it's quite a bit more laid back. The night market is located on a famous street here called Jonker Street and it's pretty much the center of activity in Melaka. After walking around the market for a while, we picked a restaurant to eat at (there are many in the market area), and again amazing food! Most of the tourists here are Asian, so we are definitely in the minority. If you have ever been to the Markham area, north of Toronto, it's kind of like that. We did a lot today, starting with a boat tour on the Melaka River (which is similar to a boat ride in Venice, Italy - complete with filthy water), followed by another walk and lunch on the Jonker Street market, then a rickshaw ride through Melaka, and finally a trip to a mall across from our hotel that had a great play area for Bennett (we have to keep him happy!). For me, the highlight was the rickshaw ride which allowed us to see all the main tourist sites that Melaka has to offer. Our rickshaw driver was this elderly guy (at least he looked pretty old) and I triple checked with him to ensure he was ok with bicycling us, a combined weight of about 400 lbs (me, Tricia, Bennett and his stroller) around the city. He assured us he was fine with it. He charged us a rate of 40 Ringit per hour (which is like 12 bucks CDN - ya gotta love the prices here!). Our ride lasted for about 1.5 hours and our driver allowed us to get off and visit about 5 different places. We were happy to get off the rickshaw if nothing else but to give him a rest! Comparatively speaking (especially to Australia), the prices are so cheap here. The CDN dollar goes a long way. We have finalized the remainder of our Malaysian journey plans which will include a drive north of here to a town called Ipoh, followed by a drive to the near top of Malaysia to a place called Penang. Afterwards, we will be driving back down to Kuala Lumpur and leaving to Cambodia (our flights are already booked) on January 12th.
Tricia: We were really ready to leave Kuala Lumpur. We loved the city but we were definitely ready for a change...I think we were all a little stir crazy on the last two days and Bart recognized that I was going insane...he took B to the amusement park and told me to have the day to myself (nice man). I ended up walking FOREVER which was great. I discovered the KL Heritage Walk which was through a little alley. Basically, it was a LOT of food stalls with people eating whole fish. I got a little lost and ended up at coffee shop to avoid the torrential downpour that was coming. It was in the bottom of a hotel/apartment but they also advertised massages (on the 3rd floor). I decided that what else did I have to do? I went to the 3rd floor and there were 4 people sitting at a TINY reception desk. I ended up getting a 75 minute foot massage from a man that just might be my next husband (Bart and I are going to see how things go!)...I'm pretty sure I could have got ANY type of massage I wanted but the foot massage was AMAZING! Seriously. (Husband #2 also threw in a head and shoulder massage too at the end!). I took B swimming on the rooftop in the rain, which he loved. Then we headed to a great Malaysian restaurant complete with traditional dancers. We are now in Malacka, a World Heritage Site and it is incredible! We have really had fun here and the food is amazing. The salad rolls are the best I have EVER had. We took a boat ride and explored most of the major sites and then the rickshaw covered the rest. Although, I really felt bad for the poor man...he might have been 80! I'm sure he is used to tiny little asian people getting on his bike. We are heading up to Penang and the Cameron Highlands tomorrow and are excited to explore even more of this great country. Then, Cambodia on the 12th. I was really struggling as to whether or not to bring Bennett to the Killing Fields memorial but have decided against it.l Although it is such an important part of the country he will be exploring, he is just too young to see that much sadness. That means that we will also miss it which I feel completely guilty about, but at the same time an interesting conundrum on this journey that we are on...
January 1, 2014.
Still in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Happy New Year! We've had a very exciting and fun past couple of days here in Kuala Lumpur. They have an excellent subway system here, and we've taken advantage of it. Our hotel is only a few minutes walk to the nearest subway station, so we used it to get to a very interesting place called the Batu Caves. The Caves are a big tourist attraction and are actually a Hindu Shrine. Malaysia is a model for how all other countries should be in terms of how all Religions should get along. Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, in fact all people of every religion live here in peace and harmony. You feel so safe here and everyone is courteous and very friendly. The entrance to the Batu Caves are a steep incline of about 300 steps. There is a giant golden statue at the foot of the steps that must be 150 feet high which greets you as you start the trek up the staircase. As you climb the steps, monkeys come right up to you looking for food. Many of the tourists feed them, so they are not shy. Once at the top, and it's very hot and humid, the cave is quite cavernous with very high ceilings. It's a shame to see that many people leave litter around, which kind of spoils it a little. It's still a great experience visiting the caves and there are, of course, lots of shops at the base and at the top. We had a fine meal at the restaurant which is located right next to our hotel. The staff are very nice and they took a special shining to Bennett (cause he's so damned cute, but a little monster some times!). Yesterday we went to an elephant sanctuary located a couple of hours outside of Kuala Lumpur. We were very lucky to be able to book our tour with a man, his name is Zali, who volunteers his time at the sanctuary. As such, we received extra special treatment that the regular tourists don't get. We were able to go right into the elephant stables, prepare the food and hand feed the elephants and we even got to shovel out the elephant poo from the stables (fun!). It was a very special experience. Zali picked us up from our hotel, drove us to the sanctuary and then drove us back. We were also able to have a prepared lunch with Zali and the other staff members. We learned much about the elephants. There are still wild elephants in Malaysia, but not many at around 3000. Some of the wild elephants end up at the sanctuary we visited, especially young ones if they get abandoned by their herd. Asian elephants are smaller than the African ones and with Asian elephants only the males have tusks while male and female African elephants both have tusks. Poaching of elephants still occurs in Malaysia. After interacting with the elephants, it is impossible to comprehend how someone could kill one. Zali was a most excellent tour guide and very talkative (which he warned us he would be when we first met him!). Thanks Zali for making our experience so special! Be sure to check out all the pics and vids we took with the elephants. Last night was New Years Eve and we had a blast! We bought tickets to the New Years Eve party they were putting on at our next store restaurant. They had a fantastic buffet with tonnes of food, a live band and fireworks when the new year turned. It was loud, so we put noise cancelling earphones on Bennett and attached them to the IPAD. He almost made it to midnight, but fell asleep in his stroller under our table. It was a wonderful evening and a exceptional end to our tremendous day at the elephant sanctuary. We would recommend Malaysia to anyone who is interested in stepping away a little from the ordinary also the prices are much cheaper than what we are accustomed to. Today, we slept in a little (well not Tricia as she NEVER sleeps in) and recuperated from last night. We did venture out, once again using the subway, to the Little India area of Kuala Lumpur. Now, we're back at our hotel and planning what to do next. Oh, one thought, some might thing we are a little crazy, but we are planning on renting a vehicle to tour around Malaysia a little. We have booked 2 nights in a town called Melaka which is a couple of hours south of Kuala Lumpur and we are thinking of driving there instead of taking a bus (which is what most would do, but we are not like most!). We'll see how it goes.
Tricia: Happy New Year to everyone! BTW - I LOVE it here. We have had an incredible few days and feel incredibly lucky to be able to experience such a wonderful part of the world. Truth be told, I was a little apprehensive coming here but it is so much better than I ever expected. The Batu Caves were unbelievable. However, I HATED the monkeys! They scared the crap out of me because they are super aggressive and everywhere! The 300 steps were not bad and Bennett did them easily. I was also super concerned about the actual caves because most people know my total fear of bats...thankfully, i didn't see any! We had a fantastic Indian lunch at the bottom and Bennett had a sort of pancake with chocolate which obviously he loved. The waiter was very concerned that he didn't finish them (he didn't leave much!) so he insisted that we take the leftovers which he wrapped in paper and tied with an elastic band. Yesterday was one of our best days yet! As Bart mentioned, we went to the elephant sanctuary and were able to learn so much. Zali, our guide, is a jungle survival trainer but volunteers at the Sanctuary. He was so interesting. It was a total interactive day. We made their food, cleaned their poo and fed them. The lunch was provided by the wives of the rangers and we ate with the other employees. Did you know that when elephants get old and they basically starve to death because they lose their teeth and can't chew food? So they go to a specific spot and lie down. But a lot of times, the other elephants will try to keep them alive by surrounding them and they bring food? How cute is that??? It was a long day and we didn't get back until 7:30. We changed and went to the restaurant/bar downstairs where they had a NYE party. We thought we would have dinner and stay for a drink and then bring Bennett upstairs. We ended up staying until midnight and Bennett got the IPAD and earphones! He stayed up until 11:30 and fought the good fight but missed the fireworks. We had so much fun! They had a great band and everyone was up singing and dancing (after a few cocktails)...the weather was unbelievable and there was a warm breeze the whole night. What a great way to ring in the New Year! We hope everyone had a great NYE and here's to a fantastic 2014 filled with happiness and good memories!
Still in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Happy New Year! We've had a very exciting and fun past couple of days here in Kuala Lumpur. They have an excellent subway system here, and we've taken advantage of it. Our hotel is only a few minutes walk to the nearest subway station, so we used it to get to a very interesting place called the Batu Caves. The Caves are a big tourist attraction and are actually a Hindu Shrine. Malaysia is a model for how all other countries should be in terms of how all Religions should get along. Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, in fact all people of every religion live here in peace and harmony. You feel so safe here and everyone is courteous and very friendly. The entrance to the Batu Caves are a steep incline of about 300 steps. There is a giant golden statue at the foot of the steps that must be 150 feet high which greets you as you start the trek up the staircase. As you climb the steps, monkeys come right up to you looking for food. Many of the tourists feed them, so they are not shy. Once at the top, and it's very hot and humid, the cave is quite cavernous with very high ceilings. It's a shame to see that many people leave litter around, which kind of spoils it a little. It's still a great experience visiting the caves and there are, of course, lots of shops at the base and at the top. We had a fine meal at the restaurant which is located right next to our hotel. The staff are very nice and they took a special shining to Bennett (cause he's so damned cute, but a little monster some times!). Yesterday we went to an elephant sanctuary located a couple of hours outside of Kuala Lumpur. We were very lucky to be able to book our tour with a man, his name is Zali, who volunteers his time at the sanctuary. As such, we received extra special treatment that the regular tourists don't get. We were able to go right into the elephant stables, prepare the food and hand feed the elephants and we even got to shovel out the elephant poo from the stables (fun!). It was a very special experience. Zali picked us up from our hotel, drove us to the sanctuary and then drove us back. We were also able to have a prepared lunch with Zali and the other staff members. We learned much about the elephants. There are still wild elephants in Malaysia, but not many at around 3000. Some of the wild elephants end up at the sanctuary we visited, especially young ones if they get abandoned by their herd. Asian elephants are smaller than the African ones and with Asian elephants only the males have tusks while male and female African elephants both have tusks. Poaching of elephants still occurs in Malaysia. After interacting with the elephants, it is impossible to comprehend how someone could kill one. Zali was a most excellent tour guide and very talkative (which he warned us he would be when we first met him!). Thanks Zali for making our experience so special! Be sure to check out all the pics and vids we took with the elephants. Last night was New Years Eve and we had a blast! We bought tickets to the New Years Eve party they were putting on at our next store restaurant. They had a fantastic buffet with tonnes of food, a live band and fireworks when the new year turned. It was loud, so we put noise cancelling earphones on Bennett and attached them to the IPAD. He almost made it to midnight, but fell asleep in his stroller under our table. It was a wonderful evening and a exceptional end to our tremendous day at the elephant sanctuary. We would recommend Malaysia to anyone who is interested in stepping away a little from the ordinary also the prices are much cheaper than what we are accustomed to. Today, we slept in a little (well not Tricia as she NEVER sleeps in) and recuperated from last night. We did venture out, once again using the subway, to the Little India area of Kuala Lumpur. Now, we're back at our hotel and planning what to do next. Oh, one thought, some might thing we are a little crazy, but we are planning on renting a vehicle to tour around Malaysia a little. We have booked 2 nights in a town called Melaka which is a couple of hours south of Kuala Lumpur and we are thinking of driving there instead of taking a bus (which is what most would do, but we are not like most!). We'll see how it goes.
Tricia: Happy New Year to everyone! BTW - I LOVE it here. We have had an incredible few days and feel incredibly lucky to be able to experience such a wonderful part of the world. Truth be told, I was a little apprehensive coming here but it is so much better than I ever expected. The Batu Caves were unbelievable. However, I HATED the monkeys! They scared the crap out of me because they are super aggressive and everywhere! The 300 steps were not bad and Bennett did them easily. I was also super concerned about the actual caves because most people know my total fear of bats...thankfully, i didn't see any! We had a fantastic Indian lunch at the bottom and Bennett had a sort of pancake with chocolate which obviously he loved. The waiter was very concerned that he didn't finish them (he didn't leave much!) so he insisted that we take the leftovers which he wrapped in paper and tied with an elastic band. Yesterday was one of our best days yet! As Bart mentioned, we went to the elephant sanctuary and were able to learn so much. Zali, our guide, is a jungle survival trainer but volunteers at the Sanctuary. He was so interesting. It was a total interactive day. We made their food, cleaned their poo and fed them. The lunch was provided by the wives of the rangers and we ate with the other employees. Did you know that when elephants get old and they basically starve to death because they lose their teeth and can't chew food? So they go to a specific spot and lie down. But a lot of times, the other elephants will try to keep them alive by surrounding them and they bring food? How cute is that??? It was a long day and we didn't get back until 7:30. We changed and went to the restaurant/bar downstairs where they had a NYE party. We thought we would have dinner and stay for a drink and then bring Bennett upstairs. We ended up staying until midnight and Bennett got the IPAD and earphones! He stayed up until 11:30 and fought the good fight but missed the fireworks. We had so much fun! They had a great band and everyone was up singing and dancing (after a few cocktails)...the weather was unbelievable and there was a warm breeze the whole night. What a great way to ring in the New Year! We hope everyone had a great NYE and here's to a fantastic 2014 filled with happiness and good memories!
December 29, 2013.
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Well, we made it!! For the past 3 and a half months, we've experienced purely Western style culture, and this is a little different. Our flight from Perth, Australia to here was a relatively short one, at just over 5 hours. We arrived at our hotel at about 11PM. No time change from Perth, as it is directly north. Our first impressions of Malaysia have been great! The airline that we used, Air Asia, was completely no frills, but they are very efficient and the staff were very friendly. English does not seem to be any problem for the Malaysians, at least in the big city where we are. The taxi ride from the airport to our hotel in the downtown was about 1 hour. We should have stood in line at the official taxi stand at the airport to get our ride, but it was busy, so we just walked right outside. A bit of a mistake as we had no idea what the taxi ride cost should have been. Some guy came up to us and quoted a price of 180 Malaysian Ringgit (pronounced "ring it"), the CAD$ is about 1 to 3 Ringgit, so that would have been about $60. I talked the guy down to 150 Ringgit, but when we got to our hotel, the concierge said that if we booked the taxi in the line up inside of the airport, it would have been about 80 Ringgit. Ah well, we live and learn! Still, we only paid about 50 CAD$ for our taxi, which for an hour ride, is not bad by Canadian standards. Our accommodations are fantastic! A nicely appointed 1 bedroom apartment at the Somerset Anpang Kuala Lumpur, complete with a separate king sized bed (my fave!) bedroom, a full kitchen, living room and dining room space. And, it's clean! It's also located right in the downtown within easy walking distance to the Petronas Towers which are a big attraction. Last night, when we got to our hotel, we pretty much crashed for the night. Today, we went out and explored a little. Things are a little different here, as I've already mentioned. We were warned that the hotel water is not potable, it must be boiled first, so we are using bottled water only (no surprised there). The sidewalks, and traffic are crazy. The sidewalks are not "stroller friendly" as the tree roots have up heaved a lot of the concrete. There are pedestrian signals at the stop lights, but they never seem to change to green, so you just basically run like mad across the intersection when the opposing traffic seems to have stopped. There are many tall buildings and lots of construction going on. The tallest of the buildings are the twin Petronas Towers which are quite a site. There are some very high end shopping malls complete with all the shops you would see on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood, California (and the same prices too!). There are also some lower end shopping malls where prices are very reasonable, cheap even. That's what I like to see! There is a really nice water splash pad area and playground area for kids right around the Petronas Towers. While Tricia watched Bennett play, I ventured off to secure a Malaysian cell phone and data plan. So cheap! Roughly $40 CAD for a one month pay-as-you-go plan with 5GB of data. If anyone is interested, our Malaysian phone # is 011 1579 526. There is also a Buddhist Temple right next to our hotel, which was interesting and beautiful inside (had to take our shoes off when venturing inside). After spending the day downtown and getting used to the new environment, we went back to our hotel to unwind and have a swim at the pool which is located on the very top of the building. You get an amazing view of the city from the pool, although the pool is not heated, so a little cold. Bennett does not mind though! He loves the water. We then decided to try the local Chinatown district for dinner where there is also a huge Market area. Isle upon isle of "genuine copy" designer bags, watches, shoes, knapsacks and knick knack items. I learned quickly, DO NOT make eye contact with any of the vendors or else they start talking to you and attempt to sell you something. It was one of the most busiest and bustling places I've ever seen. We had dinner outside at one of the street restaurants, and it was great! None of the restaurants would have passed any of Health Canada's cleanliness laws, but that was fine with us. The food was tasty and delicious! It started to rain heavily while we were eating so we were ushered to the inside area of the restaurant. The rain did not let up for a good hour and a half, so we drank a couple of extra beers. The restaurant owners were extremely friendly and had no problem with us waiting out the rain storm inside. Malaysians (at least here in Kuala Lumpur) are very friendly. We really like it here! We've booked our hotel until the 4th of January and have not yet booked anything after that, but we are working on our itinerary. If anyone has any suggestions, please Blog us! We will be doing day trips, there appears to be much to take in within relatively short distances from our location. Got some great pics and vids so far, so check'em out. Tricia will, as usual, update her log in the morning. One more thing...the weather is hot and sticky here, but so nice compared Toronto this time of year!
Tricia: What a great place! We are really enjoying our time in Kuala Lumpur. It sure is different than Perth! (Which we loved too). The flight over was totally fine and felt quite short (after the epic journey from LA to Sydney). Our hotel is lovely and we have settled in. Yesterday we explored around our hotel and did "chores", like getting a phone plan etc. It was VERY muggy and hot and we ended up at park near the Petronas towers. We tried to go up to the bridge between the 2 towers but they are sold out until January 14! There was a big splash pad FILLED with kids. Bennett was a little distraught because he asked a few to play with him but they didn't understand him so they walked away...I had to explain that people speak different languages in different countries, to which he said "Jambo" - I think from Go Diego Go! The Bhuddist temple was amazing and so well cared for. They had a box of marigold and other flowers to take with you for your bath...Bennett indulged. We swam back at the hotel - I should say Bennett and I swam, Bart went waist deep and decided it was too cold - suck. (He only goes in hot tubs). At night we went to the night market in Chinatown. It was one of the busiest places I have EVER been. I was a little nervous that Bennett would try and run but he was a little overwhelmed I think. It was so vibrant and colourful and full of life. We didn't buy anything but browsed. Dinner was great! Aunt Tricia - it didn't exactly have the ambiance you tend to like (:) but it was great. There was a torrential downpour and we had to stay for an extra hour or so...which just meant a few extra beer! Today we are headed to the Batu Caves just outside the city...we are also trying to decide where to head next (we are thinking Malacka)...we'll keep you posted! xo
In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Well, we made it!! For the past 3 and a half months, we've experienced purely Western style culture, and this is a little different. Our flight from Perth, Australia to here was a relatively short one, at just over 5 hours. We arrived at our hotel at about 11PM. No time change from Perth, as it is directly north. Our first impressions of Malaysia have been great! The airline that we used, Air Asia, was completely no frills, but they are very efficient and the staff were very friendly. English does not seem to be any problem for the Malaysians, at least in the big city where we are. The taxi ride from the airport to our hotel in the downtown was about 1 hour. We should have stood in line at the official taxi stand at the airport to get our ride, but it was busy, so we just walked right outside. A bit of a mistake as we had no idea what the taxi ride cost should have been. Some guy came up to us and quoted a price of 180 Malaysian Ringgit (pronounced "ring it"), the CAD$ is about 1 to 3 Ringgit, so that would have been about $60. I talked the guy down to 150 Ringgit, but when we got to our hotel, the concierge said that if we booked the taxi in the line up inside of the airport, it would have been about 80 Ringgit. Ah well, we live and learn! Still, we only paid about 50 CAD$ for our taxi, which for an hour ride, is not bad by Canadian standards. Our accommodations are fantastic! A nicely appointed 1 bedroom apartment at the Somerset Anpang Kuala Lumpur, complete with a separate king sized bed (my fave!) bedroom, a full kitchen, living room and dining room space. And, it's clean! It's also located right in the downtown within easy walking distance to the Petronas Towers which are a big attraction. Last night, when we got to our hotel, we pretty much crashed for the night. Today, we went out and explored a little. Things are a little different here, as I've already mentioned. We were warned that the hotel water is not potable, it must be boiled first, so we are using bottled water only (no surprised there). The sidewalks, and traffic are crazy. The sidewalks are not "stroller friendly" as the tree roots have up heaved a lot of the concrete. There are pedestrian signals at the stop lights, but they never seem to change to green, so you just basically run like mad across the intersection when the opposing traffic seems to have stopped. There are many tall buildings and lots of construction going on. The tallest of the buildings are the twin Petronas Towers which are quite a site. There are some very high end shopping malls complete with all the shops you would see on Rodeo Drive in Hollywood, California (and the same prices too!). There are also some lower end shopping malls where prices are very reasonable, cheap even. That's what I like to see! There is a really nice water splash pad area and playground area for kids right around the Petronas Towers. While Tricia watched Bennett play, I ventured off to secure a Malaysian cell phone and data plan. So cheap! Roughly $40 CAD for a one month pay-as-you-go plan with 5GB of data. If anyone is interested, our Malaysian phone # is 011 1579 526. There is also a Buddhist Temple right next to our hotel, which was interesting and beautiful inside (had to take our shoes off when venturing inside). After spending the day downtown and getting used to the new environment, we went back to our hotel to unwind and have a swim at the pool which is located on the very top of the building. You get an amazing view of the city from the pool, although the pool is not heated, so a little cold. Bennett does not mind though! He loves the water. We then decided to try the local Chinatown district for dinner where there is also a huge Market area. Isle upon isle of "genuine copy" designer bags, watches, shoes, knapsacks and knick knack items. I learned quickly, DO NOT make eye contact with any of the vendors or else they start talking to you and attempt to sell you something. It was one of the most busiest and bustling places I've ever seen. We had dinner outside at one of the street restaurants, and it was great! None of the restaurants would have passed any of Health Canada's cleanliness laws, but that was fine with us. The food was tasty and delicious! It started to rain heavily while we were eating so we were ushered to the inside area of the restaurant. The rain did not let up for a good hour and a half, so we drank a couple of extra beers. The restaurant owners were extremely friendly and had no problem with us waiting out the rain storm inside. Malaysians (at least here in Kuala Lumpur) are very friendly. We really like it here! We've booked our hotel until the 4th of January and have not yet booked anything after that, but we are working on our itinerary. If anyone has any suggestions, please Blog us! We will be doing day trips, there appears to be much to take in within relatively short distances from our location. Got some great pics and vids so far, so check'em out. Tricia will, as usual, update her log in the morning. One more thing...the weather is hot and sticky here, but so nice compared Toronto this time of year!
Tricia: What a great place! We are really enjoying our time in Kuala Lumpur. It sure is different than Perth! (Which we loved too). The flight over was totally fine and felt quite short (after the epic journey from LA to Sydney). Our hotel is lovely and we have settled in. Yesterday we explored around our hotel and did "chores", like getting a phone plan etc. It was VERY muggy and hot and we ended up at park near the Petronas towers. We tried to go up to the bridge between the 2 towers but they are sold out until January 14! There was a big splash pad FILLED with kids. Bennett was a little distraught because he asked a few to play with him but they didn't understand him so they walked away...I had to explain that people speak different languages in different countries, to which he said "Jambo" - I think from Go Diego Go! The Bhuddist temple was amazing and so well cared for. They had a box of marigold and other flowers to take with you for your bath...Bennett indulged. We swam back at the hotel - I should say Bennett and I swam, Bart went waist deep and decided it was too cold - suck. (He only goes in hot tubs). At night we went to the night market in Chinatown. It was one of the busiest places I have EVER been. I was a little nervous that Bennett would try and run but he was a little overwhelmed I think. It was so vibrant and colourful and full of life. We didn't buy anything but browsed. Dinner was great! Aunt Tricia - it didn't exactly have the ambiance you tend to like (:) but it was great. There was a torrential downpour and we had to stay for an extra hour or so...which just meant a few extra beer! Today we are headed to the Batu Caves just outside the city...we are also trying to decide where to head next (we are thinking Malacka)...we'll keep you posted! xo