Two weeks in Malaysia in September 2017 (page 2 of 3)

Hi there, and thanks for this great travel journal!

We’re heading to Malaysia next year (mainly Borneo and the Perhentians), so it’s always nice to get some tips beforehand!

We’ve chosen Coral View Resort on Besar... hope we won’t regret it...!

Have a good evening.

Hi Fifi,

We passed by the Coral View on our way to PIR Beach, and we were impressed by the sea-view bungalow terraces—it looked pretty luxurious! That said, from what I remember, there’s no direct beach access!

Have a great trip!

If you have any comments, insults, or just questions about my story, don't hesitate! 😉

Just comments. Malaysia is one of the few places in the region where people aren’t constantly after my money. Communication is easy there. It’s relaxing. The Cameron Highlands are a victim of their own success. If you love tea, a visit to Sri Lanka is a must. 😎 The walkways. Essential for getting around in cities. The model that leads more easily to the shopping mall than to the street seems to have inspired the designers of airport duty free areas. Asian city-dwellers rarely walk; exits often lead to taxi stands and public transport stations. Borneo is a great idea for extending your next trip.

If you have any comments, insults, or just questions about my story, don't hesitate! 😉

Just comments. Malaysia is one of the few places in the region where people aren’t constantly after my money. Communication is easy there. It’s relaxing. The Cameron Highlands have fallen victim to their own success. If you love tea, a visit to Sri Lanka is a must. 😎 The walkways. Essential for getting around cities. The model that leads more easily to the shopping mall than to the street seems to have inspired the designers of airport duty free shops. Asians in cities rarely walk; exits often lead to taxi stands and public transport stations. Borneo is a great idea for extending your next trip.

Thanks for the comments! I’ll keep your tips in mind for future trips to Asia 🙂

Thanks Servanel for this vivid and captivating travel journal. We were in Malaysia last year in October too, and your itinerary brought back memories and similar experiences... We also ended our trip beautifully at the Journal Hotel! Have a good evening

Thanks Servanel for this vivid and captivating story. We were in Malaysia last October too, and your itinerary brought back memories and similar experiences... We also ended our trip in style at the Journal Hotel! Have a great evening

Thanks for your reply—it’s nice to know we’re not writing for nothing! 🙂

It’s funny we picked the same hotel to wrap up our stay! It’s true that for the price of a pretty basic accommodation in France (for a wedding, we spent a night in a rather charm-free hotel in Brittany at the end of September. For the three of us, we paid over 80 € (no breakfast included!))... We enjoyed a fantastic buffet breakfast and rooftop pool access.

Really a chance to enjoy some luxury at a bargain price!

it's nice to know we're not writing for nothing

Hello, You managed to capture the little things in life that give meaning to travel and describe them with humor and whimsy.

A fair perspective on the other side of the mirror too: message #16:

Finally, we take a taxi to the Kampung Baru district, known for its traditional houses. Is it fatigue, or are we just not in the most pleasant spot? But visiting this place left us with an unpleasant feeling of discomfort. Like zoo visitors or millionaires in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We’re not far from the slums, and the towers just behind (the two areas separated by a huge impassable wall) remind us of dystopian movies.

Best regards,

it's nice to know we're not writing for nothing

Hello, You managed to capture the little things in life that give meaning to travel and describe them with humor and whimsy.

A fair perspective on the other side of the mirror too: message #16:

Finally, we take a taxi to the Kampung Baru district, known for its traditional houses. So, is it fatigue or are we just not in the nicest spot? But visiting this place left us with an unpleasant feeling of unease. Like visitors in a zoo or millionaires in a disadvantaged neighborhood. We’re not far from the slums, and the towers right behind (the two areas separated by a huge impassable wall) remind us of those dystopian films.

Best regards,

Thanks for your comments! 🙂 Indeed, we experience our travels through the lens of humor (well, mostly self-deprecation), because it’s really important to us.

But that doesn’t stop us from noting what’s ugly... I grew up until adulthood in so-called "developing" countries, and you’ve got to call a spade a spade: inter-racial and/or religious wars, extreme poverty surviving just steps away from sheer luxury...

A big thank you, Servanel, for this beautiful travel journal. My wife and I were also in Malaysia last August, and your story brought back some great memories... We stayed at Coral View for 9 nights, and I can confirm it’s a really nice hotel. PIR beach is by far the best on the island, and the snorkeling is fabulous. As for taxis in KL and Malaysia, I recommend downloading the "Grab" app to find taxis everywhere for cheap. We paid 65 RM from KLIA1 to our hotel in Bukit Bintang at 2 AM—it’s really simple and affordable. You can also use Uber and compare prices. Malaysia is a beautiful country, and the mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures adds a lot. The food is amazing too! I’ll be back next year because I’d love to visit Borneo and Tioman :) Have a good evening

A big thank you Servanel for this beautiful story. My wife and I were also in Malaysia last August, and your account brought back some great memories... We stayed at Coral View for 9 nights, and I can confirm it’s a really nice hotel. PIR beach is by far the best on the island, and the snorkeling is fabulous. For taxis in KL and Malaysia in general, I recommend downloading the "Grab" app to find taxis everywhere at a low cost. We paid 65 RM from KLIA1 to our hotel in Bukit Bintang at 2 AM—it’s really simple and cheap. You can also use Uber and compare prices. Malaysia is a beautiful country, and the mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cultures adds a lot. The food is amazing too. I’ll be back next year because I’d love to visit Borneo and Tioman! :) Have a good evening

Thanks for your comment! 🙂 So, to pick up on what you said, Coral View did seem really nice (at least the sea-view rooms), but we didn’t share the same opinion on PIR beach. I wrote that we were really disappointed with it because—when we went—it wasn’t well maintained, with an ugly stagnant pool at one end. 🤪 I’ll keep your taxi tips in mind for my next trip! Thanks! 🙂

Like everyone else, thank you for this story—it has a little something spontaneous and refreshing about it. Really, really nice to read; I loved it.

I think you did a great job, even if your itinerary didn’t always hit the best spots. For example, I never go to the Cameron Highlands for various reasons, including the bad weather (rain and/or fog) and the lack of interest. On the other hand, kudos for Kuala Gandah—it’s not visited that often.

For your next trip to Borneo, just a small note: the cost of "tourist" living (hotels and activities) is significantly higher than on the peninsula, whether in Sabah or Sarawak. Personally, I find there’s more to see in Sabah than in Sarawak, except for Mulu Park—a totally incredible karst wonder that’s worth the effort (both to get there and for the climb, which requires being in great shape). It’s similar to Shilin in China or the Tsingy in Madagascar, but I found it even more impressive.

In Borneo (Sabah and Sarawak), you have an endemic monkey (found only in Borneo): the proboscis monkey (called *nasique* in French). Hergé used it as a model for his character, the abominable Rastapopoulos (for those familiar with Tintin). This monkey sleeps in trees above rivers and moves inland during the day to feed. So, you can really only see it from a boat, either in the morning or evening. Given that (roughly, depending on the season), the sun rises around 6 AM and sets around 6 PM, most tourists see the *monyet belanda* (their name in Malay) in the late afternoon. I recommend doing this visit in the morning, which will probably mean getting up around 5-6 AM to be on-site and start the tour by 7 AM at the latest. It should be over by 9 AM. In the morning, there’s hardly anyone around, so your boat pilot won’t have to juggle to make space for others to see them too. And for photos, the light is better than in the evening (it’s often a bit twilight-like when you see the monkeys). I’m attaching a photo of nasiques. You can find them on almost all the rivers in Sabah and Sarawak. There aren’t *that* many rivers, but nearly all of them have nasiques.

Another activity you missed is the fireflies (*kelip-kelip* in Malay). If you’re passing back through the peninsula, you can see them in Kuala Selangor, about an hour from KL (train to Rawang or KTM to Kuang, then a taxi, costing around 20 €). Or you can see them in Sabah or Sarawak. They need *barambang* trees growing around a brackish river (a mix of fresh and saltwater). It’s absolutely fascinating—tens of thousands of little flies perched there, blinking like a Christmas tree.

About monkeys, there are also orangutan protection and rehabilitation centers. There’s one in Sarawak (Semenggoh Nature Reserve, 20 minutes from Kuching) and one in Sabah (Sepilok, near Sandakan). Like the elephants in Kuala Gandah, these are government-run centers, but there’s an entrance fee (not too expensive), and the monkeys are completely free. Some return at feeding time, when you can see them from large platforms before they head back into the jungle. There are always a few around, because the main problem for orangutans is the destruction of their natural habitat, and what’s left today is really too limited to feed them all.

I last went to Malaysia in 2015 and chose Sabah in Borneo because this Malaysian sultanate offers more wildlife. But I also love Sarawak because of its large Dayak population. I spent three days with a Dayak guide—dressed in jeans and sneakers—but with an incredible knowledge of nature and what it offers to eat. We fished for giant prawns (seriously giant: 500g each!!!), ate fern shoots (delicious), and more... In Sabah, you should go to Sandakan (cheap with AirAsia) and plan a stay on the Kinabatangan River. There’s a local association (Mescot) working in villages to prevent wild exploitation and the destruction of primary forests (by replanting trees) while promoting responsible tourism. You can even stay with locals (the Homestay program exists across Malaysia). Check out mescot.org—it might inspire your planning. Also, try to see a rafflesia, the largest single flower in the world. It blooms roughly every ten years, takes between 7 months and a year for the bud to turn into a flower, and the bloom lasts about a week. Luckily, there are many of them, so you have a good chance of seeing one, but it’s not 100% guaranteed. It’s free, but it’s better to have a guide (which does cost), because if you don’t know what to look for, you’ll easily miss it—it’s not always visible from the paths.

Don’t hesitate to ask me questions—I’m starting to know the place pretty well (26 trips between 1998 and 2015).

Like everyone else, thank you for this story—it has a little something spontaneous and refreshing about it. Really, really nice to read, I loved it.

I think you did a great job, even if your itinerary didn’t always go through the best spots. For example, I never go to the Cameron Highlands for various reasons, including the bad weather (rain and/or fog) and the lack of interest. On the other hand, well done for visiting Kuala Gandah—it’s not that well-visited.

For your next trip to Borneo

Good evening,

Thanks for your compliments! 🙂

I agree the CH aren’t that interesting, but I’ll admit that after KL, I didn’t feel like considering another city (Penang or Malacca)...

Thank you so much for your invaluable tips for Borneo!!! 🙂

Unfortunately, our budget won’t allow us to go there in the next (3/4) years, but I’ve noted your advice and hope it’ll be useful to other readers!

In any case, it’s really making me want to go!

Thanks again!

Hi Servane,

First of all, a very happy New Year full of wonderful travels! We really enjoyed your travel journal, especially since we’ve planned a trip to Malaysia this coming July. We know Kuala Lumpur well, having stayed there several times for a few days on our way to Indonesia (Java, Bali, Lombok, Flores). We’ve also been to Melaka—a fantastic city that’s well worth the trip and quite close to KL (just a 2-hour bus ride).

For this summer, we’re considering a week at the Perhentians, and I think Abdul’s GH looks great with its sea view. From what I understood, you were happy with it—is that right? Is it quiet there? There’s also Mama GH, which gets mentioned a lot on this site—have you heard of it? Is the beach at Abdul’s good for lounging and swimming right in front of the GH? We don’t do diving or snorkeling, just a quick dip. We love hiking, but I get the impression it’s pretty tough due to the jungle on the island. Are there any trekking options? We enjoy walking for several hours in the morning to explore and then relaxing on the beach in the afternoon. Did you book Abdul’s GH directly through their website, or did you use Booking.com or another platform?

One small detail: I enjoy a cold beer in the evening before dinner, so do you have to go a bit farther to find that little pleasure? Abdul’s doesn’t serve any.

We’re also thinking about the Cameron Highlands for a week, if the weather’s nice. We’d love to do some treks (and take photos) in the tea plantations. Is that possible? I think you mentioned your route was set up by your taxi driver due to time constraints and not-so-great weather. Is Father’s GH quiet and nice?

That’s a lot of questions to start the year! Thanks so much. Looking forward to reading your reply. Mina and Olivier

Hi Servane,

First of all, a very happy New Year full of wonderful trips! We really enjoyed your travel journal, especially since we’re planning to go to Malaysia next July. We know Kuala Lumpur well, having stayed there several times for a few days on our way to Indonesia (Java, Bali, Lombok, Flores). We’ve also been to Melaka—a great city that’s worth the trip and quite close to KL (2-hour bus ride). For this summer, I’m considering a week at the Perhentians, and I think Abdul’s GH looks pretty good with its sea view. From what I understood, you were happy with it? Is it quiet? There’s also Mama GH, which is often mentioned on this site—have you heard of it? Is the beach at Abdul’s suitable for lounging and swimming right in front of the GH, since we don’t do diving or snorkeling, just a quick dip? We love walking, but I gather it’s quite difficult due to the jungle on the island? Are there any trekking opportunities? We enjoy hiking for several hours in the morning and relaxing on the beach in the afternoon. Did you book Abdul’s directly through their website or via Booking.com or another platform? One detail: I also enjoy a cold beer in the evening before dinner, so do you have to go a bit farther to find that little pleasure? Abdul’s doesn’t serve any.

I’m also considering the Cameron Highlands, but for a week if the weather’s nice. We’d like to do some treks (and take photos) in the tea fields. Is that possible? From what I understand, you did a set route with your taxi driver due to time constraints and not-so-great weather. Is Father’s GH quiet and good?

That’s a lot of questions for the start of the year. Thanks! Looking forward to reading your reply. Mina and Olivier

Hi Olivier,

Here are a few answers to your questions, but keep in mind that our trip was in mid-September, so not peak season!

1) Yes, Abdul’s was quiet because it’s at the end of the beach. The "deluxe sea view" bungalow had the double advantage of being right by the sea but also independent (no risk of being woken up by the neighbors’ kids 😉 ). The view from the bungalow terrace was really lovely, and you could swim right away, even in shallow water. The beach has fine sand for lounging if you want. Meals were good, there’s a little shop, and the staff was friendly (we saw a lot of comments about them on TripAdvisor, but maybe they’d been told off because we found them very helpful). To book: contact them directly by email (check their website). They’re not on booking sites. You’ll need to pay a deposit of about 50% about a month before. It was a real headache because it’s either a bank transfer (with a nice fee for the bank) or sending your credit card details by email 🙁. In the end, we created a virtual credit card with a set maximum amount and numbers that couldn’t be used after the first transaction. It went smoothly 🙂

2) Mama: Can’t really say, except that there’s no direct beach. But it has a good reputation on TripAdvisor!

3) Walks/treks: For a relaxing stroll, it’s nice at sunset on the beach. For jungle adventures, you don’t need to be super fit, but expect to sweat a lot and get attacked by hundreds of mosquitoes. So bring plenty of water and good mosquito repellent to enjoy the jungle 😏. Otherwise, exploring other beaches (some almost deserted, as I mentioned in my journal) is nice.

4) Beer: Served with other alcohol at Tuna Bay’s bar, and Tiger Beer sold in cans at Coconut (a bit farther north than Tuna) for 11 RM each. Abdul’s doesn’t serve any, and generally in Malaysia, don’t expect every place to offer beer.

5) Cameron Highlands: It was a discovery, but personally, it’s not what I remember most from our trip. There are plenty of hiking trails, but we were there for 1.5 days, which turned into 1 day because of (supposedly) a typhoon on the coast. So if you love trekking, I think you’ll enjoy it :) The "route" with the driver was just the road from Tanah Rata to the tea fields, with a few photo stops when possible. Father’s GH: Clean, international visitors, outdoor areas, and a snack bar... But very basic, and hot water is optional. For the price, though, it seems to be the best in the area.

Happy New Year and happy planning!

PS: Be careful—especially for July, you’ll need to book very early (ideally now) for the Perhentians! We booked our bungalow in early January for September, and it seems we weren’t too early!

Hi Servane,

Thanks so much for all this super clear info!

The guesthouse doesn’t accept PayPal either, and I’m not familiar with Webcard. I’ll look into it.

Before booking, just two more logistical questions to pin down our arrival day:

We’re scheduled to land at 9:00 AM at KLIA 1. We’ll take a flight from KLIA 2—no problem, that’s pretty quick. But at the other end, is the trip between Kota Bharu Airport and the city really about an hour of rally-style driving, based on your ultra-detailed trip report? And is there still a boat around 5:30 PM from the mainland to Besar? Did I get that right? I’m checking if we can make it with the AirAsia flight at 1:05 PM, arriving at 2:10 PM, to avoid spending the night in Kota Bharu.

Thanks! Have a great evening. Mina & Olivier

Hi Servane,

Thanks so much for all this super clear info.

The GH doesn’t accept PayPal either, and I’m not familiar with Webcard. I’ll look into it.

Before booking, just two more logistical questions to nail down our arrival day.

We’re scheduled to land at 9:00 AM at KLIA 1. We’ll take a flight from KLIA 2—no problem, that’s pretty quick. But on the other end, is the trip between Kota Bharu Airport and the city really about an hour in rally mode, based on your ultra-detailed trip report? And is there still a boat around 5:30 PM from the mainland to Besar? Did I get that right? I’m checking if we can make it with the AirAsia flight at 1:05 PM, arriving at 2:10 PM, to avoid an overnight in Kota Bharu.

Thanks. Have a great evening. Mina & Olivier

Hi Olivier,

Watch out +++ for flight schedules! Are you planning to take a direct flight to Kota Bharu right after landing in KL? I really think you should consider the unexpected before booking domestic flights. Just a few hours’ delay (on departure or arrival) can throw off your whole schedule and cost you time and money. As for boats to Kuala Besut, we were able to catch one until almost 6:00 PM... I’m not sure if there are boats for everyone at that time or only for reserved buses (the usual schedules I saw were 8:00 AM/5:00 PM).

Hi Servane,

Thanks so much for all this super clear info.

The guesthouse doesn’t accept PayPal either, and I’m not familiar with Webcard. I’ll look into it.

An e-card is a virtual bank card number. Just ask your bank.

Hi Servane, Thanks. Yes, you're absolutely right—we're arriving at KLIA1. I'll take a closer look. Have a good evening

Note about the 50% advance payment by credit card or e-card: 3% fees as stated on Abdul's chalet website.

Hi Servanel,

Love your story! Thanks for all the info.

I wanted to book at Abdul Chalet, but unfortunately, it’s not available for my dates! 🙁 So I’ll book at Reef Chalet instead. Did you get a chance to see it? If so, what did you think of it from a distance? I also have a 50% deposit to pay—I was thinking of going through my bank. I’ll look into that ecard system.