Cutting Back Into The Jungle

For the last bit of Asia we returned to Malaysia. After a straightforward border crossing at Sungai Kolok we caught a taxi (the only way to get there) to Kuala Besut in time for the last boat of the day to the Perhentian Islands.


Early on, back in Goa, I wrote that the beaches there were paradise as far as I knew. Now with a wide selection of Thai beaches behind me I'd still say it was true, but the beaches here compare well. White sand, no unexpected rocks under the surface, nothing stinging in the water. It was good to start and end with the best beaches. Other ones had many plus points too but for the basics, the sand and the sea, these were top.


We spent four nights there in total, the first in the company of rats at the Chepaka huts before moving to the more pleasant surroundings of Panorama Chalets. The third day saw us out on a snorkelling trip. I can now count as done swimming with turtles and sharks (and this time seeing one).


From the Perhentians we had time for one more thing before Kuala Lumpur, we decided on Taman Negara, apparently the oldest jungle in the world (due to missing out on the effects of the ice ages). We didn't really do our homework, it's a pricey place to do things and Toms budget doesn't really allow for extravagences right now. We made do with a bit of day trekking and a walk around the canopy walkway, then signed up for a night safari. With a guide and torches we were off out into the dark of the jungle to see spiders, locusts, deer and grasshoppers. No snakes on this occasion, which greatly disappointed our guide.


We made our way out of the jungle by boat, said to be a journey not to be missed, but jungles are better seen from the inside than from the river if you ask me. Once back to the gateway town of Jerantut we went for a bit of money saving, switching to public transport instead of the easier tourist minibus direct to Kuala Lumpur. A local bus took us to Temerloh, where there were numerous bus companies after our business to take us the rest of the way to KL. An easy saving of about RM36 each (£6).


We didn't do a lot in Kuala Lumpur this time round, having seen a good few of the sights in January. One thing I did get round to doing was seeing a dentist. And it was the best dentist I've ever been to. They fixed my chipped tooth while Tom browsed the free internet in reception. We accepted their offer of a lift to the train station afterwards and enjoyed complimentary cups of tea while the driver waited for the rain to ease before fetching his Mercedes.


Encouraged by our thrifty arrival in Kuala Lumpur I did a bit of research on how best to get to the airport. The usual option is a direct express train straight from KL Sentral to the airport that charges ridiculous prices, standard practice for airport trains it seems. Instead, we took a commuter train out of the city for an hour or so before switching to a bus for another hour to the terminals, another £4 each saved.


Next up is Australia for just a few weeks before moving on again and giving some proper time to seeing New Zealand.

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