Blogs from Malaysia, Asia - page 8

After finishing my last blog and peering round my dark and dank mozzie-infested digs, killer spray in hand, I decided this was ridiculous and went to the main block to see if I could move. Luckily there were new reception staff. They showed me a room on the second floor looking over the road (but it’s quiet here after 11, so not much road noise) and it was fabulous, huge bed, nice bathroom, usb points next to the bed, bright and cheerful. I said I’d move, inwardly crying at the thought of packing and unpacking again, but for 5 nights it was worth it and I could do it straight away rather than wait until the morning. They tried to charge me an extra 150 ringgits, but I said no, that was the type of room ... read more

So on my last night I abandoned the local eateries and went to Elephant, hankering (maybe) after a burger. This was after discovering in no uncertain terms that jungle formula extra strength mozzie lotion is not an eye-enhancing product, even when wearing contact lenses. After accidentally misdirecting the spray I spent the next 10 minutes silently shrieking and trying to rinse my eye under the tap, however bad an idea this was in retrospect. With glasses on and one piggy red eye I went out. Elephant is a cool hangout joint with definitely uncool prices, 350B for a burger. So I went for loaded curly fries at 220B (£5.50) for a very small portion. They were tasty but at London prices, not the best idea. Not the best night’s sleep either, with my neighbours having a ... read more

After spending the holidays with families on the East Coast and West Coast, and putting in a couple weeks of work, we decided to escape again. Finding decent airfares to Bangkok, looking at a map of the area, decided on Borneo, a place we had almost visited a couple of years, but did not. So, we decided now was the time! Some quick email exchanges with Top Peak Travel who provided some excellent suggestions and a workable itinerary. And we were off! A couple of days in Bangkok, we stayed in our usual area near the river, and enjoyed exploring Chinatown getting ready for the Chinese New year celebrations. Talking to another couple at breakfast, they told us of a wonderful performance they had seen the night before Siam Niramit. We managed to purchase tickets for ... read more

After years of being habitually criticized as a dirty and chaotic border town, Johor’s capital city of Johor Bahru (JB for short) has been repaved and replanted and is well on the way to rebranding itself as a major tourist destination. Most travelers skip southern Malaysia’s largest city in favor of Kuala Lumpur or the Cameroon Highlands up north, but for some intrepid souls, there’s a handful of worthwhile museums, temples, mosques, shopping and even party zones right here. And should these “not be your thing”, JB also has a Legoland where everything is supposedly “awesome”. Personally, I’ll take dibs on the museums and party zones - I’m not a Legoland kind of girl. A massive construction effort is currently in progress which will radically change southern Malaysia over the next decade, and JB is about ... read more

Australia Day... Who knew? My friend Darren invited a crowd up to his penthouse to celebrate, mainly all Australians but from New Zealand, USA, Europe... there was quite a few of us. He had his place decorated with Australian bunting and flags, adverts were on the TV, all old Australian tunes and ads.... it was a funny old day! Anyway here's a few pictures.... read more