http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Malaysia/Johor/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Malaysia , Johor en-us Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:54:30 UTC Fri, 05 Dec 2008 01:54:30 UTC MY here we come. Saw much of Singapore from a car wasn't intentional we got lost and managed to go from one end of Singapore to the opposite end in 45 minutes small country. So many hours later we finally reach Singapore checkpoint to cross in to Malaysia. My God thought I was in New Dehli for a moment. There was a sea of cars lorries and mopeds each driver with their own rules of drivi http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-345953.html Today Paul and I left Singapore for Malaysia where we will split up. Staying in Singapore was a lot of fun and a good starting place for the whole Asian adventure. Paul is headed to climb some mountain in Asia. He says it is the the tallest mountain in SE Asia... I'll just take his word on that. I am headed to Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia. I am going to take a night train from Johor Bahru http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-325540.html Na een wissel van het hotel omdat deze toch echt te smerig was werden we wakker op 16082008 vandaag zouden we terug keren naar Bako national park om een andere trail te lopen die meer tijd in beslag nam dan die van eergisterenin de avond zouden we dan terug keren naar het hotel om onze tassen te pakken en een vlucht te nemen naar Johor Bahru dit is niet meer het borneo gedeelte maar de ander http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-320973.html Hi all just a quick update covering our last couple of weeks in Singapore and S.E. Malaysia.After a pleasant 8 hour flight from Brisbane we landed in steamy sultry Singapore 'The City State' just 36 miles north of the equator. Tina's never been before but my last visit 15 years ago was as a penniless backpacker and my memories were not that fond. Fortunately this time around was much better.S http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-318108.html Hi everyoneWell as it turned out we did not return to Koh Tao but travelled on to Koh Phangan instead. We stayed at a small but perfect hotel on a white sand beach what other kinds of beaches are there One of the outstanding things we found on this island is an Italian restaurant run by an Italian chef and his wife from Northern Thailand who make all their own pasta some of the best food w http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-296387.html Getting a train out of Singapore for Kuala Lumpur was impossible. Weekends are always hectic for crossing into Malaysia. However not only has an Islamic militant been running loose but Malaysian elections were taking place and the weekend marked the start of a weeklong school holiday. Brilliant Was I ever going to get to leave Singapore Enter the overnite express commercial bus with a gru http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-254725.html Included in our package tour is a trip to Johor Bahru Malaysia. The place is quite similar to the Philippines. The tour guide fetched us from our hotel at 745am. Since we were only 5 in the group we were able to save time in the immigration. From previous tour with big group we spent an hour waiting for the rest to passed through an immigration. Many hours were wasted just waiting fo http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-223727.html We stayed at the Japamala on Tioman for 3 nights. The resort was absolutely amazing. Kevin went on adventures into the jungle while I relaxed on the beach. We even got Thai massages. The little lady tried to squish Kevin into a tiny ball. We saw more monitors and monkeys. Everything about this secluded resort was relaxing and it really started to feel like we were on our honeymoon then we thr http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-213542.html Holasiento mucho no escribir mas a menudo pero la verdad es que intento mantener tambien my diario de viaje al dia y tanto escribir es complicado quizas algun dia me de por poner todas mis experiencias y anecdotas juntas y haga un libro de una sola copia para que lo vayais circulando y podais leer un poco mas lo que es el dia a dia con la mochila a cuestas. A ver si retomo el tema. Cuando lleg http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-210049.html The Sibu group of island consists of Sibu Besar Sibu Tengah Sibu Hujung and Sibu Kukus Coral Island. Sibu Island Resort is located at Sibu Tengah island east coast of Johor Malaysia 20 acres in size and surrounded by white sandy beach. We took a public bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru and then another public bus to Kota Tinggi. From Kota Tinggi we took a taxi to Tanjung Leman's jetty wh http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/blog-189337.html Took the hotel transfer to the long distance bus station in Kuantan the twenty minute journey cost more than the price of our bus tickets for a three and a half hour journey to Mersing We were punctual as ever purchasing our bus tickets two and a half hours prior to the bus departing. We left our bags at the station and headed to the near by shopping centre where I had spotted a Starbucks. Ki http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Mersing/blog-189079.html After missing a salivating trip last year to Pulau Tinggi I would not let go another trip organized by Malaysian Nature Society Johor branch this year. Not many people can resist the temptation of eating fresh durian on a tropical island while doing bird watching. I departed home at 8am driving alone and passed through Yong Peng Air Hitam Kluang Jemaluang and finally reaching Tanjung Leman http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/blog-184960.html Well...let me begin by saying that it is important to do a little research before going to a different country even if it is only a 40 minute bus ride from Singapore Christa and I decided to do a day trip to Malaysia for lunch and due to our time restraints we decided to go to Johor...we then wake up this morning to find in the paper an article about how unsafe Johor is and the plague of viole http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/blog-176987.html Day 298 25th March Melaka Muar Batu Pahat We awoke at around seven or was it eight and went for a slap up breakfast dowstairs. This was the day that we would travel again together as one group after 6 weeks apart. We packed our panniers loaded our bikes and there was an amazing amount of arsing about before we set off just after eleven on our final leghellipWe had people from the h http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-138997.html Last night we got a decent nights sleep the last 3 nights we've had a large bunch blokes decend on the place whom don't seem to have a problem with the idea that talking at full volume at 4 in the morning with a room full of unknown paying guests is possibly considered socially inconsiderate in most parts of the world. If it isn't it should be. I eventually told them as much but language bar http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-138186.html Johor Bahru one of Malaysia's city just a few minutes by bus from Singapore. It's not big city you can ride city tram for Johor Bahru's sightseeing. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-124634.html hi all we have arrived today is day one on 3 hours of non rem sleep. it will take a day or two to adjust but i am in paradise so i guess i will have to suck it up i have some advice for long stretch travel periods. wear comfy clothing ie yoga wear sandals and have some great music i have never been so comfy after 29hrs of airplanes airports. etc. i really need to relax at home th http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-121153.html Train Ride YoHehe... I'm all out of the darn city life now bye SingaporeFirst embarkation Johore Bahru KTM train station. 0615 Woke up at Qiyun's house. Took a cab down from sembawang to Woodlands Custom as efficient as ever. It took us only 30min to reach Johor stationON MORNINGS ONLY ate breakfast and stone till 0920. 0920 We had a seater train which gave me a marvellous buttache http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-115718.html Well Hello to everyone we have finally arrived and touched down in Asia. Sorry for the delay in updating my travelblog as you canall appreaciate we have been busy exploring the place and drinking tiger beer till the early hours of the morning. I know that is no excuse but i'm using it anyway. So anyway let us fill you in on what we've been up tooWhile i am on the subject of excuses i will appol http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-102508.html Morning I woke up feeling refreshed as the wake up call phone rang. I had adequate sleep last night for todayrsquos flight home to Sibu. I hurried to the Caf Tanjong Puteri again for my breakfast. To my shock they only have bread and coffeetea left. I thought I was early I was wrong. They Muslims would already have early breakfast around 5.30 am during the month of Ramadan. Even more shoc http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96092.html Morning The night passed quickly and I received my wakeup call at 7.00 am. I like to add few more things about New York and Crystal Crown Hotel. Both of them have swimming pool attached. New York has indoor swimming pool equipped with steam and sauna facilities. Hotel guest can use free of charge. I didnrsquot use them because lack of time. The pool in Crystal Crown is exposed to the sun light http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96091.html Morning I couldnrsquot sleep the whole night. Disturbed by the noise of the guests outside most likely they are drunk. From the floor 12th I can see the 11th floor meeting room as they donrsquot cover the floor. Must be the clubbers going back to their room I guess. But they need not make such big noise at 3.30 am it was rather annoying. One more thing I noted inside my room the floors http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96090.html Morning Feeling refreshed I woke up to check the time. It was almost 6 a.m. Well I have slept for almost 10 hrs since yesterday night. And the pillow was the best and the most comfortable I have used in all these years. With my mouth feeling so full after waking up I headed straight to the toilet to wanting to brush my teeth. I opened the bathroom door and opened the light. Yacksshellip.. http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96088.html Morning The whole night I find it hard to sleep constantly checking my clothes to see if they have dried up. Only TV remains my best companion for the night. As it is approaching 6 a.m. I was starving indeed starving coz my last meal was at 10.30 p.m. the night before. Eight hours onwards I was hoping to get a decent breakfast meal downstairs in the hotel coffeehouse at 7 a.m. I was attracted t http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96087.html Recently I came back from a trip to Johor Bahru JB which I didnrsquot even plan in the first place and it took me only 2 days to make that decision. On 199 Tues I suddenly came up with an idea to visit JB all of a sudden. I thought itrsquos better to leave now rather than in Nov or Dec as it will be fully congested in the hotel rooms and certainly the air fares would be more expensive. On http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-96086.html Malaysia Truly Asia Our JB trip started late today. After meeting my friends Yq and March in Chinatown at 6pm we proceed to drive up the causeway to cross the Malaysian border. March was doing this religiously every weekend rain or shine because he could save 50 off his expensive petrol bills at his favourite Shell Station at JB's Taman Sri Tebrau.Like a typical weekend the causeway was pac http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-90711.html Crossing the causeway to Malaysia was quite easy. We hired a taxi that was able to do the cross border trip and got lucky enough not to have to get out and open our suitcases for a search. They just waved us through. Things seemed to be going smoothly. We got ourselves to the Hyatt in Johor to pick up our rental car again planned out by Jorsquos sister. The only thing was that the car wasn http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-65937.html Legs aching still tired but had to get up to get to airport for flight back to Johor Bahru on the Malaysian mainland. Had a farewell meal at the bus station in JB with Mark Lynn who were heading off to islands on the east coast. We boarded a bus to Melaka. After arriving and checking out a few tatty places we stayed at the very nice Travellers Lodge. Our legs are aching so much we can hardly w http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-57697.html Woke up early by the noisy chatter of the girlsonly dorm. The hostel is nice but the walls don't go all the way to the ceiling hence noise travels quickly. Checked out and took the bus for the huge sum of 2.4 Singapore dollars 90p to Johor Bahru in Malaysia. After 2 checkpoints we lost the bus then found another one which took us 5km out of town to Larkin bus terminal. We then realised we sho http://www.travelblog.org//Asia/Malaysia/Johor/Johor-Bahru/blog-53043.html