MALAYSIA & SINGAPORE

Penang

After a long bus ride from Thailand we arrived in Georgetown about 8pm. We were starving from the long journey and there was a KFC just opposite where the bus dropped us off, so we decided to get one after nearly 3 months of no fast food. Cheesy wedges and a chicken burger, it was good just what we needed! After we had something to eat we went to get a taxi to our hostel. There was a man with a passenger bike standing next to the taxi rank, he said to us "where do you want to go?" we ignored him at first but when no taxi's were coming we had to go with him. He wanted a high price for a short journey, we said what we wanted to pay and then finally he agreed. By looking at his bike there was no way 2 of us and 2 rucksacks could fit on it, but he managed to get it all on and cycle. It must have been heavy but he managed to cycle all the way to our hostel. We checked into our hostel and went straight to bed.


The next day we got up and looked for another hostel for the next night as ours seemed to be expensive. We managed to find a room at "Banana Guesthouse" which was on Love Lane where all the backpackers stay. The room only cost 5 pounds but it was horrible. We didn't check the bathrooms and the toilet was a squat one with a shower above it, it was disgusting. Luckily we only stayed one night. In the day we went to The Botanical Gardens, lots of monkeys there but I found it boring because it was just trees and plants! In the night time we got a bus to Batu Feringgi which had a night market on. It was a really good market but I resisted buying anything.

Penang

Langkawi


We took a catamaran from Penang to Langkawi which took about 2 hours. When we arrived in Langkawi we shared a taxi with a Dutch guy who had been travelling up South East Asia. None of us had booked accommodation so we had the laborious task of finding one in the humid heat. We asked around a few hostels but a lot of them were booked up because it is a popular holiday destination for the Malaysians and it was the holiday season. We managed to find a room at "Daddy's Guesthouse". The room was very old fashioned and the bathroom was basically a small cupboard so we decided to stay one night and then look for somewhere else later in the afternoon. However, after asking down the whole strip of guesthouses all of them were full or were really expensive so we decided to stay at Daddy's. We took a look around the duty free shopping complex as it is a duty free island and then went to the beach for sunset. We ate at a Indian restaurant called "Tomato", we had amazing tandoori chicken and butter chicken masala.


The next day we got up and got ready to go and get some breakfast. As we were leaving Morgan picked a cushion that was on the floor and was greeted by a Scorpion and shouted "oh my god!". So I went to see what all the fuss was about and couldn't believe my eyes. It was quite big and had massive pincers and a sting! I told Morgan to get a stick to try and get it out because there was no way I was touching it! After about 25 minutes Morgan finally got the angry little bugger out, it went into the grid outside our room which didn't put me at ease about sleeping that night! We spent the rest of the day at the beach. When we got back we told the owner about the Scorpion and said to him that it had gone into the grid, so he lifted it up and it was still there so he got a peg and a box and picked it up with the peg then he told his wife to get some scissors. We wondered what he was going to do with them and then he held it up with the peg and cut its sting off from its tail. Probably not humane but at least the poison was gone! After that we booked our ticket to the Cameron Highlands for the next day because I had had enough of Langkawi and just wanted to leave where there would be no scorpions in my room!

Scorpion

Langkawi

Cameron Highlands


It took 1 ferry and 3 buses to get to the Cameron Highlands so when we got there in the evening we were knackered! We hadn't booked anywhere so we decided to check out "Father's Guesthouse" which had been recommended. The didn't have any more beds in the dorm room so they asked us if we would like to stay in there apartment. At first we didn't really want to, but the owner drove us to them after a bit of waiting round. When we got there they didn't look all that from the outside, the buildings reminded me a ski chalets you have in ski resorts. When we got into the apartment we couldn't believe our eyes. Everything was brand new, it had a flat screen TV, cable, a suede "L" shape couch and it had about 6 bedrooms coming off the living room. We immediately said we would  take the room. It was by far the best room we had stayed in!


After a good nights sleep we went to get some breakfast and then walked back to the The next day we decided to visit a tea plantation as the place is famous for its tea and strawberry farms. We decided to get a taxi near to where it was then walk the rest of the way. What we thought was going to be a short walk turned into nearly 2 hours walk mostly up hill! By the time we got to the the cafe at the top of the plantation we were so tired, but the passion fruit tea and scone was worth it! The view was pretty amazing too.

Banana Leaf Dinner

Cameron Highlands

Kuala Lumpar


We got a coach to KL, there was no one else on the coach so me and Morgan had it all to ourselves which was a bit weird! The cockneys recommended "Suzies Guesthouse" as they had stayed there before and it was only about a week old so everything was brand new! The first night we stayed there me and Morgan ended up top and tailing on the top bunk bed. The people in our dorm were a Japanese quartet with a difference...a beat boxer was also part of the group. We later found out that he was the Japanese beat box champion which was cool.
The next day we moved into a smaller room which had a bed for both of us woooo! We had a look round China town then visited a few shopping malls because I wanted a new camera.
The following day we got up early so we could visit and go up the Patronas Towers as they only give a certain amount of tickets out per day. We went with Danny and Sara as they had also come to KL for a few days. The view from the walk bridge was amazing, from the outside it doesn't look high but when you are up there your taller then most of the buildings.

In the middle of the Patronas Towers

Singapore


We stayed in Little India in Singapore at a hostel called "Footprints". The hostel was nice and we got free breakfast but there was a really bad snorer in our room so I didn't have the best nights sleep there! We walked around most of the city for the 2 days we were there. We liked it as it was a very clean place and very efficient (Yan from Germany would like!).

Next stop Australia...