Advertisement
Published: February 16th 2011
Ten days in Malaysia proved to be an insufficient amount of time, but it definitely made me realize how badly I’d like to visit the vibrant country again.
KUALA LUMPUR
After a long overnight flight on a low cost carrier, we arrived in Kuala Lumpur at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal…as zombies. After spinning around in circles and attempting to figure out how to get to our hostel in Chinatown, we boarded a bus that would take us to KL Central. From there it was a 10 Ringgit taxi ride to the Monkee Inn—a centrally located, backpacker friendly hostel in bustling Chinatown. As with all hostels, this one had its ups and downs. Pros: Wonderful location, tasty and free continental breakfast, and clean shower areas. Cons: I only have one: the rooms are separated by cubicle-like partitions and the “walls” don’t reach the ceiling, therefore you can hear absolutely everything going on in the hostel. This is definitely not the place for light sleepers. But, the shower area was clean, and they had peanut butter, jelly, toast, breads, coffee, and tea for breakfast. It definitely could have been worse.
We arrived at 5 am and were determined to
make the most of our day because our time in Kuala Lumpur was limited to 1.5 days. After a checking in and grabbing a quick breakfast we headed out for some sightseeing. The following day we left to Taman Negara (to be detailed later) and then we would have another half day to spend in Kuala Lumpur, during which we saw the towers and Little India. However, writing chronologically will just get confusing so I’ll highlight the places we saw in Kuala Lumpur first.
1. Batu Caves: A series of caves used by Hindu Priests since the late 19th Century. I was told that this site is the most important Hindu site outside of India. We were fortunate enough to visit during the time of the Thaipusam festival, a time when Hindus attach or carry portable shrines and make a pilgrimage of 13km from downtown KL to the caves. The festival was due to start in a few days, but massive crowds had already formed. We were also lucky enough to see several of the individuals carrying the shrines, as well as a man with about one hundred hooks on his body, all holding fruit. This was definitely an
1 Kuala Lumpur (106)
Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Templamazing site to see: the pain and devotion associated with these actions are unfathomable to me. Thousands upon thousands of people showed up for the festival, many in traditional yellow clothing and shaved heads. Watching people dance, chant, and climb the 272 stairs to the cave entrance was extraordinary. Children helping parents and grandparents, men helping others carry massive shrines to the top, it was amazing. Inside, the cave is damp and dimly lit, with brightly colored statues scattered throughout. I am not sure I would have enjoyed the caves as much if I didn’t go during the Thaipusam festival—the chaos and excitement participating in a steep climb with thousands of other people was definitely the highlight for me.
After our descent, we went to the cafeteria-style restaurant on the grounds of the cave. Grab a tray with a banana leaf on it, stand in line, and point to the various exotic Indian foods you’d like to sample. The total for two trays was about 10 Ringgit and we were able to sample some deliciously spicy meats and curries. It was heavenly!
2. Chinatown: A lively and colorful district where you’re sure to find exotic foods and plenty of
1 Kuala Lumpur (19)
Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Templ knock off goods (if that’s what you’re into). This area has so much to offer: interesting architecture, striking smells and sights, colorful lanterns, and busy, busy walkways. Take a stroll through aisle upon aisle of fake merchandise, food stalls, and fresh fruit stands. After you feel like you’ve had enough, venture a bit further out to two beautiful temples.
- Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Temple: This is the oldest Hindu temple in Malaysia and is considered a national treasure. Elaborately designed and booming with colors, your eyes will not know what beautiful statue to rest upon. Inside the temple is a chariot made of 350g of silver that, long ago, was used to transport a statue of Lord Murugan to the Batu Caves from KL.
- Kuan Ti Temple: Kuan Ti is the goddess of Literature and War (interesting combination), his statue can be found the center of the small yet vibrant temple. This traditional Chinese temple is nestled between two tall, modern buildings, making it seem a bit out of place. However, once you’re inside you seem to forget the fact that you’re in a bustling commercial city. The smell of incense and the lively colors are quite soothing.
1 Kuala Lumpur (84)
Sri Mahamariamman Hindu Templ This temple is just a short walk from Sri Mahamariamman in Chinatown.
3. Petronas Towers: The tallest twin buildings in the world stand prominently in the Golden Circle—KL’s mecca for shopping and nightlife. According to wikitravel, “The towers feature a skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-storey bridge in the world. It is not attached to the main structure, but is instead designed to slide in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking during high winds.” By the time we made our way to the towers, the skybridge was closed, which was definitely a disappointment. I highly recommend visiting the towers at night as they are lit up magnificently, highlighting their massive statures. The area around the towers appears to be occupied by office buildings, but not too far in the distance is Traders Hotel, a tall, luxurious hotel with an ultra modern bar on the top floor. Your best views of the towers, as well as much of the KL skyline, will come from Traders Hotel, and you can do it all while sipping a martini. By the time we made our way to the towers, the
skybridge was closed, which was definitely a disappointment. However, the view from Traders cannot be beat.
4. Golden Circle: After visiting the towers, take a stroll through the Golden Circle. If high-end shopping is your thing, this is the place for you. Luxurious stores, hotels, and restaurants are brightly lit up and the neighborhood is alive. I’m not much of a shopper so our visit to this area was rather quick. We did, however, have a wonderful Arabic meal of hummus and skewers. It was delightful.
5. Little India: With our plane not leaving until late afternoon, we decided to maximize our time in KL and visit Little India in the Brickfields district of KL. The streets are vibrantly painted and the smell of flowers is in the air (not to mention the glorious smell of Indian food). There are lots of shops in which you can buy Indian products and traditional clothing. Exotic foods are hard to find here in South Korea, so we stocked up on lentils, saffron, turmeric and other spices. After strolling through the neighborhood we had a magnificent lunch of Indian food.
Overall impressions of Kuala Lumpur
I definitely feel like 1.5
days was plenty of time for us to see what we wanted to see in the city. We definitely made good use of our time, spending more than 12 hours out and about. The city is large, polluted, and dirty but it is also charismatic and eclectic, which made me love it dearly. It is also surprisingly easy to get around. The subway system is cheap and effective, and taxis are ready to take you where you want to go. Be wary of taxi drivers that are unwilling to turn their meters on. If you chose to go with a driver that refuses to turn his meter on, make sure you decide on a price prior to departing. Otherwise, Kuala Lumpur is a fantastic city, enjoy!
No visit to Kuala Lumpur is complete without the following:
- A visit to the Petronas towers: highly recommended to go at night or during the sunset.
- A stroll through Chinatown
- Visit Little India. Sample traditional Indian cuisine, do a little shopping.
- Glam it up in the Golden Circle
- Climb the 272 steps to the Batu Caves
- Get out of the city and visit the world’s oldest jungle:
Taman Negara.
TAMAN NEGARA
We booked a 3 day 2 night package of Taman Negara through NKS Hotel and Travel. The package included meals for all 3 days, lodging, and several activities including a night trek, canopy walkways, rapids, and a hike. Taman Negara is considered to be the oldest surviving jungle in the world, and in it is the longest canopy walkway in the world. I was not sure what to expect; I am definitely a city girl and had no idea what would happen in the jungle. We booked a package that included a private bungalow with all amenities, so we definitely weren’t “roughing it” in the jungle. Apparently there are also packages that include trekking through the jungle, camping, and cooking your food. Seeing as how neither of us have ever done anything like this, we played it safe. The bus picked us up from Chinatown and we headed out for the first part of our journey: 3 hours by bus to a small town where we would change to a different bus. After a modest lunch we headed out to a new bus that would take us the ferry boat. The boat was definitely
an experience—we spent two hours on a long, wooden boat, seated on floor two by two. On the way we saw monkeys, birds, and spectacular views while on the river.
We arrived at the floating restaurant, checked in to our rooms and headed back to the restaurant for dinner. The food, again, was modest but tasty. Then it was time for the night jungle walk. I was hoping we would navigate some trails, see some interesting animals, and perhaps get spooked by a giant spider. None of those things happened. The jungle “trek” was more of a calm walk through neatly paved walkways and perfect stairs. We did see walking sticks, centipedes, a scorpion, and many spiders. It was definitely nice to be out in the jungle at night.
The following morning after breakfast we gathered for the jungle hike up to the canopy walkways. The hike up was quite mild, parts were paved and the incline was never tough, I was a bit bummed about this. Then canopies were great fun! A series of about seven canopies took you high in the trees for spectacular views and some shaky excitement. I definitely recommend this to any visitor
of Taman Negara. After the canopy walkway, our guide took us to a small settlement of people living in the jungle. They are a nomadic tribe that is allowed to live off the land. This portion of the visit was a bit disheartening. I felt as if we were in a human zoo. The people clearly did not was us there, and were coerced into putting a bit of a spectacle for us by demonstrating how they start a fire and shoot blow darts.
. After lunch we went back in our boat to brave some rapids. Everyone was ready for excitement, but the rapids were a bit of a dud. The driver of the boat did manage to get us all soaked though, but that was all due to careful maneuvering, not the existence of actual rapids. We then stopped for a swim in the river and some goofing off that included holding on to a rope and jumping into the river. The tour did not include any activities for the evening so we decided to purchase the “Night Safari,” a 1.5 hour tour through part of the jungle in a 4x4. In an effort to maximize use
of the vehicle, too many of us piled into the back of a pickup truck and embarked on a bumpy ride. We did manage to see an owl, wild pigs, a small snake, and a wild cat. Although it was not as exciting as anyone had hoped, it was nice to be out and about.
The following day we checked out, ate breakfast, and climbed back into our sturdy little boat, ready to make the long journey back to KL. Overall I am extremely happy that we made the trip out to Taman Negara, but it did feel a bit too sterile. The pathways were neatly paved, I felt as though my foot rarely touched the soil while we “trekked” the jungle.
LANGKAWI
Per recommendation from a friend, Langkawi was our next destination in Malaysia. Langkawi is a beautiful, picturesque island that allows for total relaxation without boredom. Not nearly as developed as Penang, Langkawi is a popular tourist destination for people from Europe but not many Americans can be spotted there. Perhaps the airfare is too expensive, the tradeoff, of course, is that activities, hotels, and food are extremely cheap in Malaysia. So, a trip to
Malaysia could end up being cheaper than popping over to Hawaii for a week.
We stayed at a charming hotel called AB Motel. Don’t let the “motel” part fool you; this hotel offers private bungalows on the beach. It’s located in Pantai Cenang, the most popular beach in Langkawi due to the availability of fine dining and activities. I could not have been more pleased with the accommodations, especially considering that one night in the hotel cost 120 Ringgit, which is approximately $40! Not too shabby! Pantai Cenang is a wonderful place to stay. It’s not too crowded, yet it offers restaurants, beachside bars, live music, shopping, and excursions.
We spent an entire day on the beach, and loved it! Plenty of shade can be found, as well as servers offering drinks and food. Spending a day relaxing on the beach, reading, strolling, and swimming was superb.
The following day we decided to take in the sights. We began by booking an island hopping tour that would take us to Pregnant Maiden Island, Pulau Beras Basah, and a spot for eagle feeding. I think we were unlucky enough to book the tour through a low class agency. We
booked the tour through AB Motel and it was definitely disappointing but the sights were fantastic. Here’s a short breakdown of the three stops we made:
- Pregnant Maiden Island: Apparently with other tours, visitors can swim in the lake. We sped by the island on the way to somewhere else. The way the mountains are arranged definitely makes it look like a very pregnant woman is lying on her back. If your tour is better than ours, perhaps you would be allowed to take a dip in the Pregnant Maiden Lake.
- Pulau Beras Basah: One of the 99 islands belonging to Langkawi, this island boasts a jungle situation right on the beach. However, this island is also known for a rather sad fact: this appears to be where all of the garbage from Langkawi and other neighboring islands washes up. The once beautiful beach is full of bottles, cans, and even a broken toilet. It broke my heart to see this, but not as much as it broke my heart to see a monkey walking around with his hand stuck inside of a smashed soda can. If you want to make this island a more pleasurable experience,
turn right from the pier, not left. Left is the “relaxation and swimming” area, although I’m not sure who would want to swim on Garbage Island. If you turn right, you can enter part of the jungle, walk a slightly cleaner part of the beach, and check out some coral in shallow waters. On our adventure we saw a group of monkeys waking up in the morning and getting ready to head towards the tourists in search of food. We also saw a rather large monitor lizard.
- The last stop was a cove where boats gather to feed brown eagles. This was definitely exhilarating to see; the eagles dive eagerly into the water in search of food that has been tossed by the boat captains. The graceful feeding of the eagles was an exciting stop.
After a spectacular lunch at one of the many delightful restaurants on the main strip of Pantai Cenang, we headed over to ride the cable cars. The Langkawi Cable Car is not a sight to be missed when visiting the island. The cable cars cover 2.2km until you reach the peak of Gurung Machinchang and have a spectacular 360 degree view from 708
m above sea level. On your journey to the first viewing station, you get a clear view of Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls (aka Seven Waterfalls). Once you reach the first viewing platform you have your first chance to breathe the clear air and take in the stunning view. Hop back into the cable car and take it to the final viewing station. It is said that on a clear day you can see Thailand from the summit of Gurung Machinchang. After you’ve enjoyed the view, walk over to the Langkawi Skybridge, one of the world’s longest curved suspension bridges. The view is extraordinary; take some pictures, take some deep breaths, and take in the sights; you will remember this place forever.
Top 10 Things to do in Langkawi:
- Jet ski: affordable and exciting
- Snorkel/dive: the clear waters make this a wonderful place for spotting myriad fish.
- Island hop: check out some of the other 99 nearby islands.
- Ride the cable car for breathtaking views far into the distance
- Set foot on one of the longest curved suspension bridges in the world
- Relax on the beach, you owe it to yourself
- Eat local Malaysian
and Indian food
- Experience jungle trekking on Langkawi
- Sip a drink during the sunset at one of the many restaurants lining the beach
- Take a peaceful stroll along the beach, and don’t forget to breathe and enjoy the calm.
Langkawi is truly a relaxing, exciting, romantic, and exotic destination. It is the perfect blend of remoteness yet familiarity, with peaceful beaches and stretches of eclectic restaurants.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.087s; Tpl: 0.016s; cc: 7; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0524s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
kaswira
non-member comment
kuala lumpur is polluted and dirty
i mean how clean are the cities in western europe like london or paris for example