Malaysia is incredible. The people here are, by far, the friendliest I have met in Asia (people say hi to you on the street for no reason...not even trying to sell you stuff!), English is widely spoken (former British colony), and I simply love the huge fusion of cultures, foods, and traditions. There are three main ethnic groups in Malaysia (Chinese, Indian, and Malay), and the country prides itself on the fact that all three and their respective religions live in harmony. The 'Colours of Malaysia' are definitely vibrant!
After Morgan and I split up, I was feeling like a weary traveler. After 4.5 months of living in Thailand and traveling every weekend, and 2.5 months on the road moving quickly from place to place, I was pretty burnt out. I booked myself a room in a well-known party hostel in Kuala Lumpur, but canceled it shortly afterward because at this stage of my travels, I wasn't really in the mood to be in that sort of environment. I got lucky and found a 4-star, centrally located hotel for only $15 more a night (LUXURY!), and it was at that point that I knew that I had transformed from a traveler to a tourist for a good portion of the remainder of my trip. I've spent the past 10 days sightseeing, relaxing, and going to bed in a room with consistent water pressure, bright lighting, and walls which aren't paper thin; I cannot say that I've had one regret about ending my time in Asia this way!
Kuala Lumpur is an active and extremely modern city; a sight for sore eyes after Cambodia. I stayed within walking distance of the city's shopping district (Bukit Bintang), and it's here that I found huge malls and high-end stores lined up one after the other. The city has numerous notable landmarks and ethnic neighborhoods, and I spent a good part of my first day walking the entire city. I left my hotel room at 11:00am and didn't come back until 12:00am that night; it was an exhausting but really fun day!
The Menara KL is one of the main structures in the city's skyline
A view of the city and the famous Petronas Towers (world's tallest twin towers and formerly the world's tallest skyscrapers) from the top of Menara
Even though I had seen the city's view from the Menara, I still had to go up the twin towers and see the view as well.
In the skybridge that connects the two towers
Bukit Bintang street
Batu Caves- right outside of KL- had to climb 200+ stairs to see the temples in the cave
In the center of the city is an open area called Merdeka Square, which is surrounded by several historical buildings. I got lucky again because the Board of Tourism was holding their annual 'Colours of Malaysia' Parade that weekend (hence my getting home at midnight on my first night). This parade rivaled any Disney World parade, complete with floats, dancing, music, light show, and a spectacular fireworks show at the end.
After KL, I headed to the beautiful island of Langkawi, easily one of Malaysia's best known destinations. I stayed on the island's busiest beach (Pantai Cenang), but similar to Cambodia's beaches, it was pretty quiet (it's now considered the rainy/off-season in most SE Asian countries, even though it's still 90 degrees and sunny for a good portion of the days). If you are the kind of person who likes having a beautiful beach all to yourself, then visit SE Asia from May-September!
This would be one of my last SE Asian beach experiences. Goodbye palm trees! It's back to the Atlantic Ocean I go very soon.
Cable car view over the island
After seven days of going over my $ limit and doing my own thing, I was now ready to socialize a bit. I headed to the island of Penang, where I booked a room in a cute, friendly guesthouse in the colonial capital of Georgetown. The characteristic streets are filled with historic buildings, temples, and mosques, and are easily walkable within a few hours. I also checked out Gurney Plaza (huge waterfront mall) and the prettiest beach on the island (Batu Ferringhi), where the main beachfront street is lined with 4-star hotels and resorts.
Met Rich from Canada at the guesthouse and he was my city-touring partner/map navigator for the day. Took this picture on the Georgetown promenade. He was also my partner in crime in sneaking up to the city viewpoint that was closed for construction. Look for us on 'Locked Up in Malaysia.'
I love this! Real bike with painting on the wall
What the???? Apparently, some Armenian merchants settled here back in the day. Who knew?
Mosque in town
Beach in Penang
Tonight, I met up with my friend Nick for dinner; I met Nick in Indonesia, and he was born and currently lives/works here in Penang. He took me to a great waterfront restaurant for dinner and then to a unique coffee place for drinks and dessert http://www.chinahouse.com.my/. It's always great to know a local; thanks for the hospitality Nick!
Malaysia was definitely an unexpected highlight of my SE Asian travels! I have a feeling that I'm going to love Singapore too, as I've heard that it's the most modern city in SE Asia. I guess I'll find out tomorrow! Until next time....Sawatdee kah!
