Malaysia

Day 11, 13th September – Hop On, Hop Off Bus

Prior to breakfast I thought I would check our emails. It was lucky that I did as the file I sent last night was rejected as it was too big. I quickly resent the documents in five separate files. After breakfast we had an email from the agent requesting us to sign two pages that we had not done properly. I was now an expert and after a quick trip to the internet café the revised pages were on their way.

By this time it was nearly 11:00am so we headed down the street to catch the Kuala Lumpur Hop On, Hop Off bus. At RM45 per ticket it is a reasonably priced tour for a capital city. A round trip on the bus takes approximately 2.5 hours and covers the major sights including

·         China Town

·         Central Market

·         Petronas Twin Tower

·         KL Tower

·         Museums

·         Botanical Gardens, Bird Park and Butterfly Park

·         Kuala Lumpur Railway Station

·         National Palace

The National Palace is a good photo opportunity as the drivers take a 5 minute cigarette break at this location. There is just enough time to walk up to the front gate, take some happy snaps or a selfie if you are that way inclined. There is also a handy very clean toilet which is just perfect for me. If we had more time the botanical gardens would be a great place to spend a few hours. In the end we alighted at the Central Market and went in search of food and bargains. The environment was like an oasis and we settled into a nice chair and sampled some of the fine food on offer. The chicken satay and the potato puff pastry were delicious. Alice went off in search of bargains so I remained in the suffering seat until she returned some time later. I was surprised to learn that she had only checked out the top floor. Rather than spend more time in the suffering seat until she returned some time later. I was surprised to learn that she had only checked out the top floor. Rather than spend more time in the suffering seat I decided to take a stroll around the bottom floor. I was in luck as I found a fish massage store offering a 15 minute massage for RM10. The massage fish were bigger than those I had seen before and as soon as my feet hit the water they were all over me like a seagull on a chip. The way they were going at me I thought I had put my feet into a tank full of Piranha. It took a few minutes before my little pinkies could accept the incessant nibbling but when my time was up my feet were as smooth as a baby’s bottom. I returned to the suffering seat and was only waiting a few minutes when Alice arrived clutching her bounty.

The China Town market was nearby so we headed over there to check out the quality of the goods on offer. There are plenty of stalls selling the usual knock off items of T-shirts and sunglasses just to mention a couple. It is a lot like the Bangkok street markets where you have to navigate your way through narrow corridors and fend off all the vendors trying to entice you into buying. We did manage to purchase a couple of items but after an hour Alice was becoming fatigued from the heat and her earlier shopping foray. That suited me and I found a booth near the end of the mall where we could relax over an ice cold Anchor Pilsner beer.

By this time it was approaching 7:00pm so we decided on a RM15 taxi ride back to the hotel. We

thought that it would be good to try some Moroccan food but try as we might we could not find it anywhere. In the end we settled for some seafood at one of the plethora of restaurants that set up night time street tables. Alice had prawns stir fried in teriyaki sauce while I had a hankering for some salt and pepper calamari. The problem was that I could not see it anywhere on the menu. I asked a waiter who turned the pages of the menu and pointed to the word Sotong. Who would have guessed! We finished off the evening with a Turkish ice-cream cone.

Day 12, 14th September – Rain Means Massage

There is a bit of thunder happening this morning and the rain is tumbling down. At around midday it had started to clear so we ventured out for a banana roti with fresh coconut juice. In this area there is no shortage of establishments offering massages at a reasonable rate. About 50 metres from our hotel there is a particularly well appointed one offering a range of packages at reasonable rates. Alice settled for a 2.5 hour package for RM180 ($60) which included a 30 minute foot massage, 30 minute body scrub, 60 minute aromatherapy massage and a30 minute facial. As everyone knows I am a new age metrosexual man who will do anything to look good. I chose the two hour package which started with a 30minute body scrub which was as good as a massage. My body felt like it had a Valvoline oil change, you know what I mean!  Prior to my next treatment I needed to shower and remove all the salt and oil from my body. One good thing is that you are not naked during the treatment and Alice thought I looked quite sexy in my black paper panties. Next up was the 30 minute full body wrap. After smoothing a concoction from the Harry Potter potions class all over my body my masseuse wrapped me up in plastic and towels. It looked like a scene from the Mummy and I could imagine Vincent Price sneaking in and making a cameo appearance. She left me to bake for another 20 minutes before returning to unwrap me. It must have been relaxing as Alice complained about my snoring. Another shower and it was time to finish off with a 60 minute full body aromatherapy massage. I thought the RM130 ($40) was excellent value.

I was having a relaxing Tiger beer when Alice emerged looking ravishing and revitalized. We both felt so good that we decided to try and find the Moroccan restaurant for our last dinner in KL. Tonight we had no problems in locating the restaurant and it wasn’t long before we were enjoying a couple of succulent lamb dishes. KL is a melting pot of different nationalities who all seem tolerant of each other. There is some irony of eating at a Moroccan Restaurant in Malaysia and being served by a humble waiter from Bangladesh.

Day 13, 15th September – Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands

Our time in KL has come to the end as we have a bus to catch at 10:30am to the Cameron Highlands. KL is definitely a city worth visiting especially if you like shopping and the Bukit Bintang area is good for accommodation and access to most sights and areas.

We decided to give ourselves plenty of time to reach the Pudu Sentral bus station so we jumped into a taxi at 9:20am. I thought that the RM10 price that he quoted was exceptional until we pulled over 5 minutes later at our destination. This was a different terminal from the one we had been dropped at 4 nights ago. After collecting the tickets that I had purchased online we still had another 45 minutes to wait. Our bus the Unititi Express is not as new as the previous bus but we have plenty of leg room and comfortable seats. The only downside is that we departed 30 minutes late at 11:00am which may have a negative bladder impact during our 3 hour 204km road trip.

I was just starting to cramp up when the driver decided that it was time for a break. The restrooms are not part of the service station and are amazingly clean and large. There are showers and the according to Alice the ladies had an atrium. With 60km to go the bus turned off the main highway and started its meandering upwards crawl to the highlands. The scenery changed dramatically as the road cut its path up to the mountain plateau. It is school holidays and the road is clogged with sightseeing families. At around 3:00pm and 1.5 hours late we arrived at our destination of Tanah Rata in the Cameron Highlands. The name "tanah rata" means flat ground in Malay and it refers to the relatively flat area on which the town is located amidst this highland region. It has an elevation of 1,440 metres (4,720 ft) and it is reportedly the nicest and the most popular town in Cameron Highlands. As we were driving in we spotted the Hillview Inn which will be our accommodation for the next three nights. At the bus terminal there was a van for the Inn so we were able to get there without the need to hire a taxi.

Our room is quite small but at $42 a night we cannot complain. The building is quite large and it is operated in a similar manner to a boarding house. There is a common room on each floor where you can watch television or just sit and read. Alice who had not eaten lunch was giving me the I’m hungry and if I don’t eat now I’ll rip your head look. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from so I was saved from being mauled. There are quite a few adventure tours available so we may have to flip a coin and see what happens.

Day 14, 16th September - The Lord’s Café and an Agro Tour

This morning Alice and I are just chilling and taking our time before heading to the hustling downtown area. We dropped into a couple of tour companies and decided that we would take an afternoon tour. With a couple of hours to kill we thought that it would be good to send a couple of postcards. The post office was closed and that is when we discovered that it was a public holiday for Malaysia Day. No wonder there is so much traffic around. For those of you who know Alice you will understand why she could not go past a café with the name The Lord’s Café. It was a quaint little area that served up scones and tea without any fanfare. After writing our order on the proffered piece of paper our order duly arrived. The strawberry scones which were the house specialty were particularly delicious.

Alice thought my hair was starting to look scruffy so she marched me into one of the local Indian barbers. For the princely sum of RM10 he made short work of my graying locks. He was quite adept with a pair of scissors and would make a great addition to the staff at Hair Logics.

Our tour van arrived promptly at 2:00pm and our guide was quick to point out that it would take some time to travel the 10km to where we would pick up the other four guests. His estimate that it would take some time was an understatement as the traffic was bumper to bumper and hardly moving. If he had not pre-warned us it would have lived up to the tour’s name, The Agro Tour. In the end it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to reach our destination. The only saving grace was that the guide was nice and we could really admire the countryside.

The tour itself is not very exciting but we did get to look at a variety of different farming principles that is in use in the highlands. Our first stop was at an organic vegetable farm that also sold their produce at what we would call a roadside stall. Our guide was very enthusiastic about the Cameron Highland sweet corn which is so sweet that you can eat it raw. We took him up on his boast and it lived up to its reputation. Its taste was similar to sugar cane and was so good that Alice bought one for later consumption.

The next stop was at a pick your own strawberry farm. Unfortunately we are running so far behind schedule that this option was not available. Our guide gave us a history lesson on strawberries in the region. The climate is so good that they can grow strawberries all year round. They are all planted in pots and water is supplied by drip feed irrigation. For all of us wanna be horticulturists the big tip is that they do not grow them in soil as the roots find it difficult to penetrate. Some genius worked out that the best growing material is coconut husk. We did purchase some over the counter strawberries, jam and of course a couple of strawberries dipped in rich chocolate.

Our following stops were at a cactus farm and a lettuce farm. The cacti were planted in various sections and came in different shapes and sizes. Some had beautiful purple flowers. At the lettuce farm we were shown the different types under cultivation. Our guide gave us an explanation and demonstration on how they were grown using the hydroponic method. The real draw card here was the restaurant where they served cheap strawberry milkshakes and deep fried ice-cream with strawberries. Ah delicious and a little fattening!

My favourite stop was the Chrysanthemum flower farm. It was getting late when we arrived and the only Chrysanthemums flowering were on a high terrace at the back of the farm. This entailed a difficult walk along drainage ditches. When we reached the top we knew it was worth the effort as the flowers were in full bloom. It was like looking at a beautiful living carpet. The colours ranged from the standard white and yellow to orange, red and purple.

Our last stop for the RM65 ($22) tour is at the well named Titiwangsa Hotel where we will have a steamboat dinner which is included in the tour price. Alice and I were the only westerners in the packed restaurant and complete novices at steamboat eating. Our guide gave me a quick rundown on what to do and then left us to our own devices. In the centre of the table is a gas burner and a steamboat which has a moat filled with a chicken stock and vegetables is placed on top. We started with a bowl of broth and then the waiters brought two trays of ingredients for us to cook in the moat. There were prawns, calamari, fish and chicken on one tray and mushrooms, tofu, crab sticks and other delights on the other. In addition we had two eggs and could help ourselves to unlimited vegetables, rice and noodles. We started off slowly with the prawns and calamari and Alice showed a deft hand in removing various pieces from the moat with her chopsticks. I was pathetic and had to resort to a fork. I had no idea what to do with the eggs but the waiter gave me a hand signal to crack them open and place them in the broth. The result was a tasty poached egg. The steamboat is supposed to be a specialty in the highlands as the climate lends itself to this style of eating. My opinion is that it was an excellent dinner and a good way to graze your way through the evening.

Day 15, 17th September – Forest Discovery Tour

Alice and I chose this particular half day tour as it does not kick off until 9:30am and finishes around 2:00pm. The tour cost of RM60 ($20) is a little more expensive than the other operators but we thought we could afford it! Our guide Ravi who with a name like that must be of Indian descent picked us up on time and drove us back in the same direction as the previous day. What a difference a day makes as today it only took 20 minutes to traverse the route. Along the way we picked up another guest an elderly lady from Singapore who is staying at the salubrious Strawberry Park Resort. Nearby to this hotel is the Jim Thompson Cottage (revitalized the Thai Silk industry) where he stayed prior to disappearing without a trace in March 1967. He basically did a Harold Holt, he went for a walk and never came back.

Our first stop today was the peak of Gunung Brinchang which stands at a lofty height of 6,666 feet. Now that is a scary number. After climbing the observation tower we had a magnificent view of nothing! Unfortunately there was a lot of mist and low lying cloud about. The only good thing was that the drive up was quite spectacular as the road wound its way past tea plantations and then through the mossy forest. Ravi then drove a short distance back to a location where we could do a short walk through the mossy forest. Prior to the walk he gave us an overview of the various herbs that grew by the side of the road. His explanation and demonstration of the medicinal values of the various herbs was informative and enlightening. We even tried a few of the roots and seeds. Some smelt like Tiger Balm but I took a fancy to one of the brown pitcher plants that had not yet opened. Ravi then endeared himself to me for life. He was studying my face and then said you remind me of a movie star, that James Bond guy, what’s his name? Oh that’s right Daniel Craig. Of course I could not argue with him, after all I am shaken but not stirred!

We then took a 25 minute walk along a boardwalk that wound its way through the mossy forest. One of the downsides is that the number of people who visited here yesterday on the public holiday have left a mountain of rubbish. The locals (not the guides) have no idea on conservation and most just drop their rubbish when they have finished. Thankfully there was a gang of guys collecting the trash from the area. The rubbish aside it is a beautiful area with the soft moss clinging to most of the trees. From some points there are great views of the surrounding countryside.

Our last stop was a visit to the BOH (Best Of Highlands) tea plantation. They have set this place up as a tourist trap by constructing a building on a ridge that is aesthetically pleasing and overlooks the tea plantation. On the drive in Ravi explained that most of the workers are now from Nepal or Bangladesh. They are provided with accommodation, health facility and even places of worship. From the carpark the footpath takes you past the tea trees to the centre. Once there you can watch a movie about the BOH plantations before walking past signs providing historical information. From there it is past a shop selling all varieties of tea produced and then to the cafeteria. I almost gave up at this point as the service queue was exceedingly long, however Alice was patient enough to stand in line and order us a nice pot of tea and a heavenly piece of cake. A view and a cup of tea just seem to be natural partners. Both our tours could have been done cheaper by about RM20 but we thought both our tours were enhanced by our guides and that offset the extra price.

Alice and I went our separate ways for the remainder of the afternoon. I was content with tea and scones at the inn. The natural born woman however was happy to troll the shops of Tanah Rata in search of items that bring joy and happiness. She eventually returned not because she had run out of money but mainly due to the fact that she could not carry anymore booty. This evening we are venturing out for a pre dinner cocktail, a good feed and perhaps some more booty.

Day 16, 18th September – Cameron Highlands to Perhentian Islands

We had a good stay at the Hillview Inn, the staff was helpful, courteous and the place kept spotlessly clean. The only issue that we had was the water pressure for the shower was non-existent. Our mini bus for the 200km road trip to Kuala Besut arrived on time at 8:00am. With all 8 passengers on board our driver sped relentlessly towards our destination. He was a good driver but you could feel every bump and curve as he accelerated in and out of the corners. At around the 3.5 hour mark he mercifully pulled over for a cigarette and for Alice and I a toilet break. I took the opportunity to fuel up on some potato curry puffs which at 5 for RM2 was a bargain I could not refuse. After a ten minute rest we were on our way again and an hour later we arrived at the jetty for our onward journey to the Perhentian Islands.

Before we could go we needed a return speedboat ticket (RM70) and of course the marine park tax had to be paid. As a senior I had to pay the hefty sum of RM2 (65 cents) where as junior Alice had to cough up RM5 ($1.65). The speedboat was quite large and powered by 2x200hp Johnson outboards. The boat flew across the open sea and 45 minutes later we were deposited on a small pontoon near our accommodation. It was extremely muggy and by the time Alice and I had walked the short distance to reception we were sweating profusely. When we were in KL we booked a sea view room for four nights at the Cosy Resort on Pulau Perhentian for  Besar (large island) RM1050 ($355). By my usual standards this is an extravagance however I did not want to risk having to hunt down a room during their busy school holiday period. Our room is huge and clean but the real bonus is the balcony that overlooks the coconut palms and the turquoise waters of the South China Sea.

After settling in we walked down to the beach and selected a couple of heavy wooden deck chairs that I had to drag under the shade of the coconut palms. The water was quite shallow near the beach and as a result the water was unbelievably warm. Alice snorkeled for a while and I went for a long swim in the deeper water. At around 6:00pm we returned to the room for a refreshing shower. We then adjourned to the balcony with an ice cold Tiger beer to watch the sunset over Pulau Perhentian Kecil (small island). To finish off what has been a long day dinner was taken on the restaurant deck overlooking the water. Our meal of barbequed Kingfish fillet was complemented nicely by a few cups of Yalumba Shiraz from our last cask.

Day 17, 19th September – Run to Paradise

Alice and I had a good sleep in this morning and it was nearly 9:00am when we presented ourselves for the buffet breakfast. The hotel has an egg lady who cooked us up a fresh vegetable omelet which was cooked to perfection. Some toast and coffee and we are prepared to face todays rigorous activities. My first job was to go for a walk along the beach and then drop into the dive shop. I have booked a dive for 3:00pm with Seahorse Divers and hopefully a few more dives over the coming days. If you book five dives the cost per dive is RM80 ($27) which is good value.

Prior to lunch we took a walk down the beach towards the jetty. There were a couple of wooden deck chairs available so we grabbed two of them and placed them under the shade of a huge tree. No chance that we will get burnt here. The snorkeling near the jetty was terrific and Alice and I spent a fair amount of time in the water. There were giant clams, Grouper, Parrot, Sea Anemones and of course their resident Clown Fish. We took lunch at a little hole in the sand establishment that cooked up a mean roti. The mango shake that I ordered was so cold that I ended up with a brain freeze.

At 3:00pm I arrived at the dive shop for my afternoon dive. There were only two of us diving so it should be a relaxing dive. The dive site is known as Batu Nisan which is located just off Long Beach where all the pack backers like to hang out. The visibility was once again poor and the depth of the dive was around 16 metres. There was plenty to see and we encountered some Scorpion Fish, Lion Fish, Giant Puffer Fish, NudiBranch, and juvenile Harlequin Sweetlip just to name a few.

 Alice had purchased a couple of beers for us to enjoy the sunset with. After a quick shower it was great to be knocking back a cold one and enjoying the spectacular sunset from the sanctuary of our air conditioned room. You would not believe how hot it is on the balcony at this time of day.

For dinner tonight we have decided to try the up market Tuna Bay Resort. We arrived early and chose a table overlooking the water. There are plenty of options on the menu including a T-bone steak from New Zealand. However we are in Malaysia so we ordered spring rolls, chicken satay and tom yam soup. When the food arrived it was beautifully plated but more importantly tasted great. My soup was so hot and spicy that I required two cold cans of tiger beer to quench the fire that was raging in my mouth. Nevertheless I would have to say that it was one of the best tom yam soups that I have ever eaten.

Day 18, 20th September – Call Me Bubbles

I was up bright an early this morning and presented myself at the buffet breakfast right on 7:30am. There was already a crowd there but I had no trouble organizing a seat and a hearty breakfast. After I was fully sated I returned to the room to wake Alice up and prepare myself for the morning dive. Only three of us are going out and our dive master has chosen what he says is the best dive site in the Perhentian Islands. Tokong Laut is a pinnacle of rock out in the South China Sea that is in about 20 metres of water and abounds with sea life. The visibility was ordinary and the current in places was quite strong. When we began the dive we saw a blue spotted stingray, bamboo shark and a moray eel. There was plenty of tropical reef fish including blue banded angelfish and a batfish that took to following us. A number of other moray eels were gliding over the coral in search of food which is something I rarely see. It was a great dive and with good visibility I can understand why it is considered a premier dive location.

Back on shore I found Alice lazing on a deck chair under the shade of a coconut palm. I joined her and we whiled away the time reading and taking dips in what is very warm water. This lifestyle is difficult to take but we needed some lunch prior to me setting off on another dive. Lunch was a toasted cheese sandwich but we forgot to tell the waitress to hold the mayo. They just love saturating a good sandwich with litres of mayonnaise. If you are hungry then you will eat just about anything. Luckily, the fruit juices we ordered did not have sugar added to it.

Two o’clock and it is time for me to go and get ready for another underwater adventure. There are eight divers on this trip so the boat was pretty full when we took off for Batu Layar which is a 5 minute speedboat trip. This dive site is like an underwater coral island with a maximum depth of about 16 metres. I can’t seem to crack a dive with good visibility. At least the current here was not strong. On the dive we saw some scorpion fish, blue spotted stingray, giant puffer fish and blue banded angelfish. The best part of the dive was when we skimmed over the coral garden in about 10 metres of water. There were plenty of baitfish and small very colourful reef fish.

The remainder of the afternoon we spent in the sanctuary of the air conditioned room where we could enjoy the view in comfort. At around 6:30 pm I escorted Alice to the bar in the Tuna Bay resort so she could indulge in a Pina Colada or whatever concoction she desires. Me on the other hand have opted to get wet again and will be undertaking my first night dive in 15-20 years. The dive tonight was at a site known as the Police Wreck and there are 3 boats that have been scuttled in 16 to 18 metres of water. The visibility was poor but there was virtually no current. With torches in hand we could see luminescent jellyfish and on the wreck there were small crabs and shrimp that appear only at night. We did a circuit of the first wreck and saw some boxfish and puffer fish. There was a line connecting the wrecks so that was our only means of navigation between them. At the second wreck there were blue spotted stingrays that seem to appear on every dive. On returning to the first wreck there was a large flounder lying in the sand just waiting for an unsuspecting smaller fish to pass by. The dive was marginal at best and I can understand why it has been so long between night dives.

It was 9:00pm when I arrived back at the room. A quick shower and we went down to the restaurant hoping for some barbeque. Alas the flames had been extinguished and we had to settle for a very poor stir fry. At least the red wine tasted nice.

Day 19, 21st September – Attack of the Creepy Crawlies

When I returned from breakfast this morning I found Alice sitting on the bathroom floor staring at the toilet. She looked in a little pain and a hundred images flashed through my brain as I wondered what had happened to her. While she was in the bathroom she felt something crawling on the bottom of her foot and before she could react she had received a painful bite from what appeared to be a centipede. It had then scurried behind the toilet and disappeared. Alice was waiting for it to reappear so she could identify her attacker and then lay it to rest. Unfortunately, it did not emerge from its hiding place.

Alice was feeling a little better so being the caring husband that I am, I left her and went off to the dive centre. This morning we are diving at Sugar Wreck which lies between Kuala Besut and the Perhentians. It is a large vessel that sunk in the mid 1990’s and lies at a depth of about 20 metres. It was an excellent dive mainly due to the variety of marine life that infests every nook and cranny of the ship. We saw Bamboo Sharks, Blue Spotted Stingray, Moray Eel, Scorpion Fish, Lion Fish, huge Trigger Fish, Box Fish and Puffer Fish just to name a few. The visibility was poor on the bottom however it improved dramatically at 10 metres.

This was supposed to be my last dive but as I was enjoying myself I thought it would be good to have just one more dip. Alice who has recovered from her bite has generously agreed to let me go again so I fronted at the dive shop to see if they had a space left for me. I joined the group and at midday we headed off for a site known as Terumbu Tiga. This site consists of a lot of boulders that provide some interesting swim throughs and coral gardens. As soon as I entered the water I knew it would be a good dive. The visibility was great and the marine life prolific. I think I saw more Nudibranch on this dive than all of my other dives combined. There was some beautiful light green lace coral growing off the side of the canyon walls. Giant Puffer Fish, large Blue Banded Angelfish, Trigger Fish and Cleaner Shrimp were some of the species that we encountered. Towards the end of the dive we finned over a large patch of soft pink coral that made me sigh with pleasure.

Alice and I had a late lunch and then set off on a walk across the burning sands. There are a couple of tracks that link the various sandy beaches so we walked to the last beach. It was practically deserted so we did what we always do and went for a snorkel. It was once again great with plenty of large parrot feeding on the coral and the usual array of small reef fish. One problem we encountered was a particular species that likes to follow you and then when you least suspect it, they take a good nip at you. Alice also found an unusual green colored sea anemone which was full of clown fish. At around 5:00pm we called it quits and picked up our laundary and a couple of cold Tiger beers. We consumed the afore mentioned beers sitting on the balcony in a cooling breeze watching the sunset over the turquoise blue water. It doesn’t get much better than this. Of course it does, Alice talked me into having cocktails at the Tuna Bay resort whose bar is practically on the water’s edge. Except for Neil Solomon’s flathead, our meal of red snapper fillet was probably the best piece of fish I have eaten.