Malaysia Pearl of the Orient
KUALA LUMPAR. On arrival in KL airport we headed to the city centre by train which took about 45 minutes. I stayed in the 5 star deluxe Shangri La which is in the famous area called the Golden Triangle. Here you find all the good standard hotels, big shopping malls, nightclubs and also here is the famous Petrona Twin Towers. Moving north of the city is a lot more traditional with all the night markets where many bargains are to be had with hundreds of stalls of handbags, watches sunglasses and rip off designer clothing. Lots of food markets in this area too. Don’t miss a trip to the Brickfield area home to little Indian, browse the stores for beautiful Indian fabrics and inexpensive restaurants. We stayed for 4 nights but you could really stay in KL as long as you wish as it is such a cosmopolitan city with blend of the Far East.
After a 4 night stay in KL you could take a 1 hour flight to Penang, but we decided to take a land excursion to see of the real Malaysia. 3 hours north of KL through tea plantations and rainforests to The Cameroon Highlands: the centre of Malaysians tea plantations and 5000 - 6000 feet above sea level. We stayed 2 nights in Cameron Highlands and then headed to Penang, approx 194 miles crossing the 3rd largest bridge in the world linking Penang to the Mainland.
PENANG We stayed 6 nights in the 4 star Park Royal in Penang which was situated at the centre of the bustling Batu Ferringhi beach. There was a great buzz in Penang with its vibrant night markets and excellent cuisine, fabulous beach with lots of water sports. The Capital Georgetown is a modern city worth a visit and we also took an excursion to a butterfly farm and a batik factory in the town of Teluk Bahong.
LANGKAWI We then headed to the strikingly beautiful island of Langkawi with pure white sand beaches. After the buzz of Penang it was nice to chill out in the beautiful Meritus Pelani Beach Resort and Spa on all inclusive basic. We stayed for 5 nights of pure relaxation. We then left The Pearl of the Orient flying Langkawi/Kl/London/Dublin after a most memorable stay.
We really enjoyed our 15 nights stay but can’t wait to go back to Malaysia and head to Borneo located off the east coast, where you can combine relaxation, adventure in the home of the Orang Utang. Borneo offers stunning scenery, pristine beaches traditional culture and adventure. It is a land of immense jungles, unique wildlife beautiful beaches, fascinating history and excellent hotels and cuisine. I CANT WAIT.