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Published: December 8th 2009
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We left Thailand many weeks ago in the direction of the Malaysian island Langkawi. Booking through a travel agent had, up to this, always proved to be the cheapest way to travel, however on this occasion the forty eight euro being asked seemed a bit steep so we decided to make our own way down using any means of simple transportation available to us. Although we may not have had the luxury of an air con minivan and hassle free pick ups, the savings more than made up for that, with the full journey costing us a mere six euro! We were quite proud of ourselves and entered Malaysia in high spirits.
Our first impression of the country was great. We were not quite sure what we expected but having spent the previous five weeks island hopping in Thailand, staying in "rustic" accommodation and living a very simple life, it was a luxury to be in a place where the roads were good and the town was very clean.
We stayed in the sea-side resort of Pantai Chenang where the mood was very relaxed. It seemed like the perfect location to spend a few days chilling on the beach and planning
our onward travel for the weeks ahead. Unfortunately when we got into the water we discovered that it was full of tiny little jellyfish! Although the stings weren’t too bad, they were enough to keep us out of the sea so we rented a bike to travel around the island. We found a few sights of interest, including a pleasant Oriental Village where we stopped off for lunch and took a spin up the mountains in a cable car but soon realised we were ready to move on.
We left for Georgetown on the island of Penang. Searching for accommodation was not a nice experience. We walked from guesthouse to guesthouse with our bags on our backs only to discover that the hygiene standard here left a lot to be desired. We found peep holes in some rooms and dirty sheets in others but luckily, after a good hour of searching, we stumbled across a tiny hostel which seemed clean enough to rest our heads for a few nights.
Penang is famous for its delicious food and we soon learned why. Our first taste came at the Chinese food markets. There was so much variety, the food was fantastic and
it was all so inexpensive. The smiles were back on our faces! We spent most of our days at the food stalls and at Little India, sampling the food that was on offer.
Our next destination was Pulau Pangkor, a small island off the west coast, where many Malaysian families spend their weekends and holidays. It was not geared towards the average backpacker but we stayed in a fantastic home stay where the owners were so kind and welcoming and made us feel right at home. They made all sorts of Malaysian snacks and treats for us as we sat in their living room and watched movies in the evening. We really don’t live a bad life over here.
After a few lazy days on this small island, we moved on to the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur. Basing ourselves in Chinatown, where the markets came alive early in the morning and trading continued til all hours of the night, we explored this incredible city. The Petronas Twin Towers are very impressive and the whole city is an amazing place. We loved it, there was just so much to do and see.
We really wanted to travel over the the
east coast of Malaysia, where we have heard the islands are beautiful but due to the monsoon season they were inaccessible. Instead we booked last minute flights to the Philippines!
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Mebs and Paulo
Mebs and Paulo
Hey Tony and Annie
So great to hear from you again. We're still enjoying every second. All set for Christmas? Kisses xxx