Malaysia Truly Asia

Holding its own among Asia’s best know destinations, Malaysia encompasses the best of the region’s outstanding characteristics, without the hassle or concerns of its neighbours. From the stunning beaches in Langkawi to the history on Penang and Sophistication of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia offers its 20 million annual visitors a completely satisfying experience.

On this site we cover the entire Peninsula and Borneo, including Melaka, the Cameroon Highlands, the islands of Perhentian and Redang, as well as Kinabalu, and the jungles and beaches of East Malaysia. Written by an old hand on Southeast Asia, this blog will soon be upgraded to a full travel site with hundreds of pictures and pages to help you plan your trip to Malaysia.

Whether you’re into diving, hiking, history, shopping, beaching, culture, backpacking or simply soaking up the atmosphere of this organised and mutli-cultural country, there’s something for you on this site. We’ve got the tourism on Malaysia covered.

The best way to see Malaysia is under your own steam with a rental car. This allows you to get around easily to the various rural areas of beauty. It’s best book online in advance using an online car hire comparator that lists the best deals from car hire companies in Malaysia

If you think about heading to Johor Bahru, you are more likely to be a victim of petty theft than violent crime (unless you run into a drug trade), but you would want to avoid being a victim of any crime.

If you decide to walk around the city of Johor Bahru, don’t do it alone because this is one of the easiest and best ways to be safe and try to keep it to day hours.

Secondly, if you are purchasing anything, please use change or small bills, if possible, don’t show your wallet or money to anyone and keep it close to your body, refrain from “wow, that was cheap or saying something like that.

If you are wealthy or even reasonably so for that area, don’t do anything to show your wealth, keep jewelry to minimum and clothing simple

Be cautious of strangers asking for change, ignore them because if they have your attention, you are more likely to be mugged at a knife point, better act disinterested and keep walking.

Finally, and completely different from your personal safety, be careful about water in Johor Bahru, boil all tap water and if possible drink only bottled water.

It is the southernmost city in Malaysia, thousands of travellers hit this city on their way from Thailand to Singapore. It is the second largest city in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur. Because of the extremely large flow of tourists the city of Johor Bahru has developed into a real hub of heritage attractions, great variety of cultures, awesome cuisine and hundreds of fun things to do.

No one will ever get bored in this lovely place as there are hundreds of shopping malls, handicraft shops, exhibitions, bazaars and night markets to wonder around and get some souvenirs. Johor Bahru City Square is very famous for delivering great quality goods to shoppers of any expectations. It is situated in the Central Business District

Incredibly interesting side of Johor Bahru is its night life. As soon as it gets dark you can see thousands of food stalls and vendors appearing literally from nowhere, bringing some fabulous cuisine as well as an extremely great variety of local drinks such as ‘Chai’.

Taking a cab is a very common and cheap (not as cheap as taking the local bus) way to travel around the city as nearly every city cab is supposed to have a meter. The fare prices double after the midnight.

KTM (local train system) offers numerous services connecting Johor Bahru with every Malaysian state and can even take you to Singapore in no time. Tourists who prefer to travel by sea may do so by taking a ferry from Tanjung Belungkor ferry station in Johor Bahru straight to Changi Point in Singapore, the journey will satisfy absolutely anyone who is in love with the sea.

The weather in Johor Bahru is the same as the everywhere in Malaysia; the Malaysian climate is categorized as an equatorial because the country is located near the equator, being hot and humid throughout year.

The annual rainfall exceeds 2000mm a year and the average temperature is 27 degrees (81 F).

Malaysia faces two monsoon wind seasons, the Southwest monsoon from late May to September and the Northeast monsoon wind from November to March.

The northeast monsoon brings in more rainfall compared to southwest monsoon. The records suggest that the highest temperature was recorded in Chuping Perils on the 9^th April 1998 at 40.1 degrees (104.2 F) and the lowest rainfall was recorded on the 6^th January 1967 at 608mm in kota Bharu, Kelantan and the highest in Sandakan, Sabah at 5687mm in 2006.

The wettest place in Malaysia is Kuching Sarawak with the average rainfall of 4128mm with 247days of rain a year, and the driest place in Malaysia is Chuping Perils with the average rainfall of only 1746mm a year.

What can be better than a refreshing visit to one of the most famous Malaysia’s hill resorts. Think of seeing tea plantations and vegetable farms on a very nice and sunny days at almost 2 KM above sea level.

It is situated north-west of Pahang in cool fresh air, away from noise and pollution of the city. If you would like to rent a car and drive there it is going to take around 3-4 hours from Kuala Lumpur (295km drive through breathtaking green jungle), the fastest way to drive there is to take the expressway near Tapah town. A lot of people prefer driving to taking a tour with a travel agency since driving itself can be an eye candy. There are a couple of really nice places to stop by such as Kuala Woh Forest Recreation Park where you can have fun at a hot spring.

There are quite a few companies that organise tours to the Cameron Highlands that arrange pickup service from major hotels of Kuala Lumpur (RM320 adult, RM200 child).  Most travellers prefer to leave in the morning and come back in the evening, since there are a lot of things to see it is usually better to spend the whole day, you really wouldn’t want to rush.

Tours will take you to the tea plantation, where tea-making process will be revealed to you in front of your eyes, strawberry farm can delight your eyes with bright-red coloured strawberries in the amount you could only dream about, butterfly park, where you can find some astonishing looking species of the most exotic butterflies and take some photos, a rose garden (no need to say anything if you understand the value of pretty flowers).

Absolutely any nature lover will be happy to spend a day in an incredibly green paradise of Cameron hills, they are literally too green.

Visitors to Johor Bahru will never go hungry as there is a great range of cheap food to try, which draws large numbers of hungry gastronomes from Singapore every day. Fresh seafood is widely available and often turned into spicy curries and traditional Malay dishes. Johor Bahru is famous for its vibrant night market and this is also a great place to find a cheap meal and pick up a bargain or two.

Hawker stalls and coffee shops are good places to find a cheap and tasty meal. Hawker stalls tend to be very clean and open until late in the evening. Curry dishes and other meals in western style restaurants, while seafood restaurants serve fresh fish prepared in the Chinese style. For western food, head to the shopping malls, where you will usually find a large food court with a number of well known fast food restaurants.

Despite being located in a predominately Muslim country, alcohol is widely available in Johor Bahru. Beer and other alcohol can be bought in bars, restaurants and 7-11 shops. The local brew is tuak, which fermented rice wine that comes in many forms. Usually served lukewarm, tuak is often flavoured with sugar or honey.

Cameron Highlands provides and oasis for those who like to walk. Pleasant  strolls are everywhere and the weather is never hot so you can enjoy the high altitude scenary without the efforts required in other parts of Malaysia.

Simple maps are available at many tour operators and hotels. You can choose organized tours or pottering about by yourself whatever you decide Cameroon Highlands with its plantations waterfalls and greenery are a walker’s paradise.

While in Brichang why not take the trek to Gunung Brinchang? This marvelous peak is not too strenuous at 2000m and can easily be reached on foot taking trail 1 from Brinchang. Many people have difficulty finding the path  as the sign is located about 10m from the main road.  Ask for the way to the army base and walk to the end of the road from there the path is clearly sign posted.

It takes about 2 to 2.5 hours to reach the summit but  The walk to the top takes about 2-2.5 hours depending on your fitness but the view is spectacular. Once there you can walk 6kms down to the road and the boh tea plantation. From here you can walk or take a bus back to Binchang.

This is a very popular and not to strenuous trek and there is really no need for a guide, however, if you prefer to walk with an aid and other walkers, there are numerous places to book this beautiful hike with local tour operators.

Cameroon Highlands offers many accommodations from guest houses to apartments to Luxury hotels and whatever your budget or requirements there is surely somewhere in this exotic, cool and beautiful destination to suit you. That said it is hard to find mid range accommodation here but the ones on offer are very, very good.

For the budget conscious or outdoor enthusiast  Sg Pauh Campsite in Taman Sedia just between Taman Rata and Brinchang is a basic amenity campsite with running water and showers.

A very popular hostel is Father’s Guest House in Tanah Rata. It has dorm and private rooms and you can book tours from here.

For as little as 8RM you can rent a dorm room bed in Daniel Kang’s Traveler’s Lodge in Tanah Rata, They offer hot showers, DVDs, a pool table and nightly bonfires, where you can barbeque your own food.

Owned by friendly Indians, The Twin Pines offers great value rooms from 12RM to 75 RM with internet, cable TV, hot showers and a small garden.

On Jalan Mentigi lies The Cameronian Inn with its cute cottages and lovely garden., afternoon tea and strawberry scones, and mix of dorms and private rooms.TV room with ASTRO. 4-Bed Dorm: RM10, Private Double Room w/shared bathroom: RM50.
In Brinchang there is the Hotel Chua Gin, with its inexpensive rooms and apartments.

For the less budget conscious there is The Bala’s Holiday Chalet in Tanah Rata. One of the most ancient colonial buildings in Cameron Highlands which started life as a school. Within walking distance of Tanah Rata this mock English guest house has lovely lawns and spectacular mountain views, just the place to contemplate and enjoy tea and scones.

The Cameron highlands may be short on bars but its restaurants and food stalls are a delightful experience and great value for money. Loads of cuisines to choose from Western, Malay, Indian and Chinese as well as superb local produce like strawberries, honey and locally produced teas. The English influence still remains and cream teas with jam and scones are wonderful.

A ‘steamboat’ is a great delicacy. They give you a pot of boiling water and you cook you own meat and vegetables at the table try The Mayflower in Tanah Rata where it’s a specialty.

Zainab Samin in Tanah Rata has fantastic Malay food.

Gerai Opah in Tanah Rata offer great mountaineers breakfasts and friendly staff.

Restaurant No. 14 in Tanah Rata has fabulous curries and other Indian delicacies.

Bala’s Holiday Chalet is famous for its afternoon teas which are delicious at any time of the day.

Right next to the guilty pleasures of Starbucks in Tanah Rata is Sri Brinchang which has great Indian food at exceptional prices with some vegetarian dishes..

Another tea room with a great atmosphere is Tanah Rata though remember they close on Sundays.

The only place to enjoy German food in Jalan Persiaran which is The German Swiss Restaurant well worth a visit the sausages are so fresh you’d think you were in Berlin

All of these restaurants serve authentic, well made food with great service. It’s a good job that there are many opportunities for exercise in the Cameron Highlands!

Going to the Cameron Highlands for nightlife is bit like going to Las Vegas for the peace and quiet. Though not totally deserted most people are coming here for the numerous day time pursuits and enjoy an early night. This mountain destination does offer a few things to do and even has a Starbucks but the traveler should lower their sights if expecting too much in the way of entertainment

As the main towns in Cameron Highlands, Tanah Rata and Brinchang are the liveliest at night with most people heading to either for the evening. There is bus service between the two which costs 1.5 RM or if there are a few of you, you might want to share a cab which is a little more costly at 6RM.

There is only one pub in Tina Rata called The Travelers Bistro and Pub. Nothing in the way of dancing or cabaret but a pleasant place to talk with friends or make new ones as this is a popular venue with fellow travelers. It also shows football matches on the big screens which are popular with the locals too.

Brinchang has a weekend night market which runs throughout the week during the school holidays night selling all manner of clothes souvenirs and groceries the honey is especially good. The market adds to the local color and is safe and pleasant to walk about at night with very little in the way of crime or vice. Apart from restaurants and shopping there are also a few clubs and lounges in the town to hang out after dinner.

Kota Kinabula is a fabulous destination easy to get around by taxi, bus, motor cycle or even just walking there is much to see and one compact easy to negotiate destination

A good place to start after enjoying the beaches is The Atkinson Clock Tower – built in 1902 in memorialize Francis George Atkinson, the first district officer of Jesselton, as KK used to be know. The tower is on a hill beside Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman very close to the city centre.

For those who enjoy religious wonders the Sabah State Mosque – located on Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and also worth seeing is The State Museum which gives a quick quide to the city’s history and culture.

Another must see is Monsopiad Cultural Village which is about half an hour south-east of the city centre, this small park shows the traditional way of life of the Kadazan ethnic group and tells the story of Monsopiad, a Kadazan local hero, who  300 years ago  killed 42 men who attacked his village. Take a cab form KK and arrange pick up 3 hours later.

Near the small town with the same name Lok Kawi Wildlife Park is just south Kota Kinabalu. It features all manner of monkeys, elephants, birds, local deer, a few tigers, a Sumatran Rhinoceros and is expanding with a reptile house very soon. It’s a marvelous wildlife experience as you get much closer than you would in the jungle. The best way to get there is a pre arranged cab with pickup from Kota Kinabalu.