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Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and with a population of over 1.6 million people; it's a fast moving city. It's bustling with locals and expats, high rise offices, shopping centres and restaurants.
We stayed in Chinatown where the Night Market and Central Market were a short walking distance away. We wandered through the narrow night markets many times. We were constantly accosted by hawkers trying to sell us shoes, clothing, bags and watches. You could find yourself a great bargain here but we enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere of the Central Market.
There were a handful of stalls outside but inside was like a completely different world. There were 2 floors of basic stalls and grand stores. On the ground floor corridors were made to look like you were in Morocco. Lanterns lined the area and each store sold colourful scarves, pashminas and sarongs.
We caught the train to the world's highest twin skyscraper, Petronas Towers. Standing at 482 metres, it's an impressive construction of concrete, steel and glass. We stood by the water fountains admiring the architecture before exploring the gardens situated behind the towers.
The landscaped gardens were the perfect place to sit and escape the busy city centre. Surrounded by palm trees, the garden also boasts a swimming pool and a children's playground. Many locals gathered here to watch the world go by while their children played nearby.
We went to visit the Majid Jamek Mosque. Prayers were taking place so we couldn't go in. After passing some local markets we came to the beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad building. It was built for government offices in the 19th Century.
Located across the road is Merdeka Square, the immaculate green lawns surrounded by colonial architecture. It was here where the Union Jack flag was replaced with the Malaysian flag when Malaysia became independent in 1957. We found the City Gallery in the neighbouring square and since it was free admission, we decided to have a look around.
It depicted historical photos, artistic photos and a large model of Kuala Lumpur. And behind a glass window was a man creating wood art. From tiny charms to models of Petronas Towers. It was painstaking intricate work but the outcome was unique pieces of art.
The following day we caught the train to Batu Cave. Being 400 million years old, it's a series of limestone caves with the main cave dotted with Hindu temples. While Hindus prayed and lighted incense, macaque monkeys were preying on unsuspecting tourists. They stole bananas and bottles of drinks.
We then visited the National Mosque. This impressive white tiled mosque is known for its open umbrella roof. It has a capacity of 15,000 people. It was currently closed for prayers; it is only open for non-muslin tourists during specific times of the day.
Nearby was the Museum of Islamic Art. They had a large collection of ceramics, textiles, furniture, jewellery and swords. One room featured models of the finest mosques around the world. And another featured copies or Qur'ans dating back to the 7th Century.
We caught a local bus to Melaka. As fate would have it, the bus we caught was filmed for a Malay TV show on TV3. While TV crews and well known Malay presenters stood nearby, the passengers were told to stand in a queue to board the bus. While the cameras started filming, the presenters gave a commentary as we were handed a bag of goodies to celebrate Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan).
Melaka was founded in the 14th Century and has been dominated by many foreigners; from the Chinese in 1405, to the Portuguese in 1511, to the Dutch in 1641 and then the British in 1795. Now it's a mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Portuguese locals.
Once we reached Melaka we headed into the Town Square. The surrounding buildings were all painted in red providing a unique landscape. When the Dutch settled here, they were all painted white. When the British came, they changed it to red so despite the weather, the colour would simply blend in. The grassy centre was lined with market stalls and colourful rickshaws. Rickshaws were dolled up with fake flowers, tinsel and techno music to capture the attention of tourists for a ride around Chinatown.
In 2008, the area of Chinatown in Melaka was rewarded UNESCO World Heritage. With its beautiful colonial architecture, riverside restaurants and clean streets it was a real treasure. Jonger Street is the main street in the heritage area. It was lined with perfect cafes, clothing and souvenir stores pumping out Pink and Katy Perry music. It had the same charm as Hoi An in Vietnam.
The riverside reminded us of Bruges with outdoor cafes and potted flowers along the riverfront. Along the river we saw the Water Wheel. Melaka was a bustling international port between Asia and Europe in the 15th and 16th Centuries. The Water Wheel was used to channel waters. This replica "symbolizes the wheel of life and evolution of man's civilization."
Further down there was a replica of the Portuguese ship Flor de la Mar (Flower of the Sea). After 9 years of sailing, the ship with its treasures was lost at sea near Sumatra in 1511.
The following day we headed to the Gyro Tower. It's an 80 metre high revolving tower which gives you panoramic views of Melaka. It's a bigger town that we imagined. We could see the ocean, high rise buildings and the highlands.
We then walked around the riverfront that runs parallel to Chinatown. It's called the 10,000 steps. We couldn't walk the 10,000 steps due to construction taking place but we did view some beautiful architecture and colourful graffiti along the riverfront. Every building had been artistically touched.
In the evening, we wandered around the smoke screen back streets. Locals would light incense and burn paper offerings. One street had all the buildings lit up with red light globes. It was a cross between Christmas and the Red Light District in Amsterdam.
The following day we continued our exploration. The streets were full of people as if there was a festival on. Everyone was out and about; walking, queuing up for rickshaws and river cruises, pausing to taking photos, resting and eating. We moved with the crowd.
Just behind the Town Square is St Pauls' Hill where St Paul's Church resides. We climbed up the stairs for semi-panoramic views of Melaka before looking through the Church. It was built in 1521 and contains a burial vault containing many people of distinction.
On the other side of St Paul's Hill, a decrepit fort stands surrounded by replica canons. A 3-man band was inside belting out popular Malay tunes, locals watched and some joined in the singing. The music echoed through the fort and up towards the hill.
To the left was a replica of Sultan's Palace. It was a large wooden longhouse structure. Just outside were armoured vehicles. They were used in the 1960s and 1970s when there was political unrest in Melaka.
Later on we explored the night markets of Chinatown. We'd never seen the place more alive with a sea of people. We shepherded our way through the crowd and found numerous food stalls. It was a challenge to walk through so we headed out of the hustle and bustle before turning down an alleyway. We walked passed many local houses. They were small but quaint homes with ornate high gates.
We booked a river cruise the next day where we floated down the riverfront and noticed monitor lizards lazing by the water's edge. Further on, we passed the colourful graffiti buildings before coming to the small amusement park. The boat turned around when we arrived at the high rise offices and hotels.
This was the first time we noticed the monorail track. It was built in 2010 at a cost of 15.9 million ringgit and after hours of operation, the monorail encountered problems. After 2 months, it closed due to safety issues. Apparently they still do nightly test runs, they need to get it working as a 13.2 million ringgit extension has already been approved.
That evening the guest house owners invited us to join them and their friends for dinner at the Indian restaurant next door. After dinner one of the guest house owners offered to drive us to the Portuguese Settlement only 5kms out of town.
The Portuguese settled here in the 16th and 17th Century and in the 20th Century, the mix of Portuguese and Malay people, known as the Kristang, bought land here to create a haven for their culture. It's a small fishing village with traditional houses and colonial buildings.
The riverfront had a fun fare atmosphere and there were plenty of people eating seafood and setting off paper lanterns. After walking along the boardwalk we bought some paper lanterns. We wrote messages on the lanterns before setting the fire starter and letting the heat fill the lantern. Soon, we let go. It drifted a fair distance before it disappeared out of sight. It was a nice way to end our time in Melaka.
After catching a bus back to Kuala Lumpur, we took another bus to the Cameron Highlands. Our bus was like stepping back in time. It had a musty smell and the chairs were like cigar chairs; big, soft and grubby.
Turning off from the motorway, the road to the Cameron Highlands was steep and windy. This is why every seat was equipped with a sick bag. And it didn't help that the driver flew around blind corners. But we were greeted by stunning scenery of forested areas and lush tea plantations.
As soon as we stepped off the bus in Tanah Rata, we could feel the cool mountain air. It was a welcome relief from the humidity we have endured for so many months. The owner of our guest house advised us to wear socks if we're going out at night. We should have listened. It was so cold I had to sleep in my thermals every night.
Tanah Rata is a small town with only one main road lined with tour agencies, restaurants, souvenir shops, market stalls and massage parlours. Waking up to fresh mountain air, we felt energetic on our first day. We decided to walk 6km to reach the Cameron Bharat Tea Estate.
It was fairly busy with many locals drinking black and herbal tea and eating scones and curry dishes in the café that overlooked the tea plantation. From here you could walk into the plantation and wander around at leisure. Parents took their children by the hand and led them through the steep field to get a closer look at the tea plants.
We decided to join them and were presented with panoramic views of the entire plantation. Each section of ground had been carefully cultivated allowing the tea pickers to easily walk through during picking season. We only roamed a small section of the area, further along were steep inclinations into the tea valley.
The following day we caught a bus to the most beautiful tea plantation in the area, Sungai Palas Boh Tea Estate. From the main road, it was a 3.5kms walk through a narrow windy road. The road was only wide enough for one car to pass through so when 2 cars came along in opposite directions, they had to slow right down and carefully manoeuvre around each other. Meanwhile, we had to climb onto the edge of the road and hope we didn't lose our balance and roll down the valley.
Once we reached the plantations, we were overwhelmed by the green tea shrubs planted from the top of the rolling hills down into the valleys. It was a massive 8,000 acre plantation with several areas designated for the different variety of teas. Along the road towards the tea store we watched tea pickers plucking out the imperfect leaves from their pile of tea leaves.
Inside the store was a small theatre where watched the Boh Tea Estate presentation. It's owned by an English family who have marketed this tea for 70 years. It depicted how it began to the tea making process to exporting in Japan and the Middle East.
Further on, we came to the factory. We could walk along the glass encased sections to watch the locals at work. The machines rolled the tea before it sifted out the stalks and dried them out ready for packaging. The process only took several hours. It's the picking of the leaves that was time consuming.
Georgetown, Penang was granted the UNESCO World Heritage the same time as Melaka. We hoped for beautiful cobblestone alleyways similar to Melaka but this was not the case. The streets had similar architecture but they were dirty and rundown. It was uninspiring to say the least.
The next day we were eager to discover this Heritage area. We came across an antique toy museum. Outside they had old toys on display, one was a baby holding a BB gun while sitting in an old Cadillac. We then went in search of the artworks on the decrepit buildings.
There were 2 types of art work. One type being wrought iron caricatures, the second type was paintings with innate objects creating a 3D image. These were the most impressive and more challenging to find.
When we found a handful of tourists taking photos of walls, we knew we had found another artwork. Our search took us to Chew Jetty, the oldest and largest Chinese waterfront settlement. There was a wooden boardwalk through the old homes and souvenir stores. Locals lingered outside watching the tourists go by.
Being by the waterfront, we continued north and headed to Fort Cornwallis. It's the largest standing fort in Malaysia and was built in the 18th Century to protect Penang from pirates. However, it had never seen a battle. We walked around the crumbling fort, antique cannons and the artillery shed before searching for more artwork.
We later found out that some of the paintings had been painted over or faded over time but those few remaining were like finding lost treasure. It felt like we walked the entire region of Georgetown. It was time to explore other parts of Penang.
Located in the centre of Penang is Kek Lok Si Temple. Perched high on a hill, it's the largest Buddhist temple in South East Asia. It consists of a 7 storey pagoda of 10,000 Buddha's, a 30 metre bronze statue of Kuan Yin, otherwise known as the Goddess of Mercy, surrounded by several halls for assembly and prayer.
This temple is intricately ornate and well cared for. Not surprising since it has taken over 100 years to complete the final touches. Construction began in 1890 and it wasn't until 2002 when the Kuan Yin statue was put in place.
We climbed the market lined staircase to reach the temple. Just over half way, you come to Liberation Pond which is a pond filled with turtles. We bought some leaves to feed the turtles. They were hungry and were climbing over each other to get a mouthful of the greenery.
Inside the temple there is a myriad of stairs and shrines. While meandering through, we had great views of Air Itam town. We then passed many commercialised shops selling Buddha statues and trinkets before taking the inclined lift to the Kuan Yin statue. We had considered walking up but we were told it was a 2km hike. When we reached the top 5 minutes later, we realised the ticket seller meant 200 metres.
The proud looking statue was impressive. It towered over the garden shrines. The shrines had lit incense sticks, candles and prayer ribbons. We each bought a prayer ribbon to tie onto the ribbon tree.
We then walked to the 7 storey pagoda. We spiralled up the narrow staircase to reach the 6th level which was as far as we were permitted to go. From the top we could see as far as the Straits of Melaka.
Penang is also known for its beaches. We caught the bus to Batu Ferringhi, north Penang. For some reason Arab families flock to Batu Ferringhi. Keeping our clothes on, we were greeted with small lapping waves and the scent of sewerage. Right on the beach was the sewerage waste running into the sea. We walked along the beach to escape the smell and had some lunch while watching families frolic by the water's edge. Many made the most of the water activities such as parasailing, jet skiing and riding on the banana boat. We waited for someone to fall off the banana boat but the waves were too tame.
The Perhentians are the crown jewels of Malaysia. We caught a ferry from Kuala Besut and were dropped off at Coral Bay, Pulau Kecil. Coral Bay is a small inlet with only a handful of guest houses. Colourful boats were moored on the beach while beach goers went swimming and snorkelling in the shallow water.
We spent the afternoon wading in the shallow water with an English couple we met on the ferry over. Although the beach is covered with dead coral, the water was so clear, we could see fish lingering in our shadows and nibbling on our feet.
The sunsets here were perfect. Crowds gathered every night on the beach to watch the sun go down but we were lucky to find the perfect shack. We perched ourselves on our balcony for the greatest view. Soon after, all the beachside restaurants started preparing for their BBQ feasts.
We visited the other side of the Island, Long Beach, several times. Long Beach is known for their noisy bars but during the day, it's peaceful and serene. The beach is lined with guest houses, cafes and bars but the tranquillity is interrupted by construction. More guest houses were being built and they were offloading all the materials onto the beach.
Apart from that, the beach is free of debris with soft white sand. And the water is so shallow you could walk about 50 metres and still be waist deep. Under the hot sun, the water beckoned us and we found ourselves wading in warm bath water.
The Perhentians Islands are known for one of the best diving and snorkelling sites in the world. We arranged a snorkelling trip and although the water appeared calm, the boat ride was chopping. The driver would enjoy speeding up, slowing down and then making a sharp turn to give us a thrill. Our first port of call was at Turtle Point.
Strange enough, there are no turtles at Turtle Point. What we did see was an array of colourful tropical fish swimming amongst the coral. Some parrot fish were the largest I'd ever seen. Shiraz saw a sting ray but I was too busy swimming through schools of sergeant major fish. The guide was feeding them so I took some crackers and the fish swarmed around me. You could reach out and touch them if you were quick enough.
After playing around, we went back to the boat and made our way to Turtle Beach. As soon as we arrived we were told there was a turtle on the sea floor. We then started following the turtle waiting for it to come up for air. Some people swam down to it for a closer look but we decided to keep away from the crowded area. As more and more boats arrived, it became a circus. The turtle finally emerged for a breath.
It was time to head to our next destination, Shark Point. We were told sharks roamed this area. With Shiraz and I in the lead, we went searching for them. Although the coral was beautiful, the choppy waves kept us moving. The tide would either send you crashing onto the rocks or out to sea if you floated in the same area for too long.
We found tropical fish we had never seen before. One had the markings of a leopard. Others were bright yellow, bright purple and maroon. We didn't find any sharks and when we returned to the boat, other people coming in said they saw reef sharks and a moray eel in the shallows.
After lunch we made our way to the Lighthouse. This became my favourite snorkelling place of the day. Schools of fish circled around the base of the tower and a few metres away tropical fish fed off the coral on the rocks. We circled the rocks seeing different fish every time. Around one of the rocks was a school of small fish. They didn't flinch as we swam through them. We were one of them. It was surreal and mesmerizing. Our guide brought a bottle of bread. I squeezed the bottle for the bread to come out and fish swarmed around my face.
When everyone had enough of snorkelling, a couple of the guys decided to climb up the lighthouse tower. Everyone gathered around to watch them to jump. It was fairly high and they had to be careful about jumping into the deep sea rather than the nearby rocks. They both took their turns and jumped. We all cheered as they made a splash.
It was time to board the boat again and head to our last place, Romantic Beach. It was a small secluded beach only accessible by boat. Several people were already there either snorkelling or sunbathing. As soon as we jumped out of the boat, Shiraz and I were bitten by fish. We clambered onto the beach and decided to laze on the coral laden sand rather than go snorkelling.
But all good things come to an end and it was time to farewell this island paradise and head back to the mainland.
Cherating used to be on the backpacker trail but now it's a small almost deserted beach town. During the monsoon, surfers flock to this area to catch the best waves, otherwise you will find chilled out wanderers looking for some peace and quiet.
Every day we walked along the quiet streets and wondered where everyone was. We went to the beach to find only a handful of people but otherwise, the place was desolate.
In the evenings, the place became livelier. Restaurants would open, the karaoke bar was in full swing and night tours would operate. On our first night, we went on a firefly watching cruise.
Along the banks of the river are mangroves and overhanging trees where the fireflies like to feed and procreate. We headed further along the river away from the bright lights of the town and into the darkness.
We passed many other boats also in search of fireflies and it didn't take long to find them. Looking around, we noticed flickering lights in the trees. The owner of the guest house had sold the trip to us, "It will be lit up like a Christmas Tree". Not quite. It was more like dim fairy lights but it was still extraordinary to watch.
Our boat driver had a red light which attracts the fireflies. All along the river we waded towards the more populated trees and the fireflies would then fly towards us. We were told we could catch and release them. All we had to do was put our hand out in their flight path. Several people had caught some, their flickering light within our hands. One had crawled up Shiraz's arm and one landed in my hair.
In turn, we all managed to catch a firefly. We were mesmerized by their lights. The boat driver explained that the light is created from a chemical reaction within their abdomen. When oxygen is inhaled, it lights up.
The following evening we went on a turtle watching trip. When we arrived at the beach, there was a group of people standing around baskets. These baskets contained about 100 baby turtles. They were only a couple of hours old and were to be released tonight. After the ranger gave us information on the green turtles, we walked by flashlight onto the beach to find some turtles.
The beach was dimly lit by the town lights reflecting off the clouds. It was a long stretch of beach and at one point, had a steep drop into the water. While the ranger waited for everyone to walk down the dune, Shiraz and I walked ahead. We noticed many shadows on the beach wondering if they were turtles or debris. But when we saw one shadow moving, our eyes adjusted and we realised it was a turtle making her way back into the sea.
There were 5 rangers on the beach that stayed up all night watching for turtles. They collected the eggs for safe keeping until they hatched before releasing them into the sea. But no one noticed this turtle. We had been told that no turtle secretly lays eggs, the rangers would find them.
Further ahead was a turtle trying to find a safe place to lay her eggs. She was searching in a rocky area so we were told that it would be a while before she started digging. If the turtle isn't satisfied with the hole, she will move on and find a place more suitable.
We waited there a while so we could witness her laying the eggs. But then our ranger got a call. Further along the beach, one turtle had finished laying her eggs and was in the process of covering her hole. We walked along in anticipation. Once we got there, the turtle was using her flippers to cover up the hole. But little did she know that one of the rangers had already bagged her 104 eggs.
The turtle was exhausted. Every few flicks of sand, she rested. When she gained some strength, she flicked more sand over. It was a long and tiresome process. It would be some time until she finished covering the hole before reconvening her life at sea.
The ranger advised we can now move onto the first turtle. She had finished digging her hole and was now laying eggs. When we got there, a small flashlight was put beneath her so we could watch nature at work. The turtle wouldn't even know we were there. When laying eggs, they are in a trance like state and are not aware of their surroundings.
94 eggs were laid. They are soft yet strong eggs - similar to a ping pong. We all took turns at watching until she finished. She then started filling in the hole. Giving her some space, we took the time to release the baskets of baby turtles. Everyone picked one baby turtle, lined them up and by the flashlight, released them. Meanwhile, the ranger emptied the baskets in front. Some were eager and almost ran towards the water. Others became confused and didn't know which way to walk. Some were so exhausted from flapping about in the baskets, they didn't move at all.
We waited for the energetic turtles to reach the water while helping the confused ones in the right direction. The ranger picked up the unmoving turtles for release closer to the water. Only 1 out of 1,000 baby turtles survive due to predators lurking in the water. This is a sad percentage but as the ranger explained, "This is nature. If all the turtles survive, the beaches would be overrun with them". For the turtles that survive, as an adult they return to the same beach they were born to lay their own eggs. How they find their way is unknown. These creatures and many others species seem to have an in-built GPS to find their way.
Once the baby turtle release was done, the group moved onto the second turtle which was now making her way to the water. Shiraz and I decided to stay away from the crowd and watched the first turtle fill her hole. It was nice to have this turtle all to ourselves, apart from the ranger giving us some light. After a while, we were told to join the rest of the group, the second turtle was almost at the water's edge.
When we got there, she only had 5 metres to go. For a large creature, she was quick in the sand despite having a rest every metre. We followed behind and alongside her, flashing the light in the direction of the water so she could easily find her way. Once in the water, we returned to the first turtle who was now ready to return to the sea.
But this turtle chose such a rocky area, she almost ran into a couple of rocks. The ranger gently eased her around them. And soon enough, she was back in the water. When we could no longer see her bobbing around, it was time to head back. The whole experience was heart-warming and gave us a new appreciation for turtles.
We returned to Kuala Lumpur to prepare for the next leg of our journey. Malaysia has been a warm and wonderful experience, we formed many friendships here. But it was time to move on. Next stop, Sri Lanka…
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