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Malaysia is the result of its history of invasions and foreign dominations and this is reflected in a multiracial society: It is a country where it is difficult to find indeed, people which immediately you can identify as Malayans, what we saw arriving at Malaysia is a big mixture of races: Indians, Arabian, Thai, Indonesian, Chinese...
We also realized it is a very developed country and even more if we compare it with its neighbours of South East Asia: Vietnam, the Philippines.... and this a result of the English presence which is really visible all around the country with influence in the infrastructures, commerce and most of the sectors... Also as a result of all this, most of indicative posters or announcements or of publicity (private and public), are in English, Chinese and of course in Malayan.
Cities are pretty modern and we did not see much difference between rich and poor like we saw in other countries.
Who visits the East and the West coast of Malaysia will realize that the level of development in general: infrastructures, tourism, level of spoken English... etc, is much more than in the Western side of Malaysia.
Date
July 29th to August 21st, 2005.
Itinerary
We arrived via Singapore and left from Kuala Lumpur, so that in the same travel we can quickly visit another country beside our main destination Malaysia. We decided to go to the main recommended cities and islands according to our willing and to what most of the guides recommend. Unfortunately we hadn't enough time to visit everything what we would like to of the Malayan part of Borneo island and we only spent there 3 days. Who has more time or does not want to spend so many days in wonderful islands can decide to stay longer in Borneo, to visit more national parks or islands in Sabah, to share some days with families and to see orangoutangs; and also to take the chance of visiting the kingdom of Brunei.
Day 3: Singapur - Johor Bahru
Day 4: Johor Bahru - Kuching (Borneo)
Days 5-6: Kuching
Day 7: Kuching - Salang (Tioman)
Day 8: Salang (Tioman)
Day 9: Salang (Tioman) - Kuala Terengganu
Day 10: Kuala Terengganu - Pulau Kecil (Perhentian)
Days 11-12: Pulau Kecil (Perhentian)
Day 13: Pulau Kecil (Perhentian) - Pulau Besar (Perhentian)
Day 14: Pulau Besar (Perhentian)
Day 15: Pulau Besar - Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands)
Days 16-17: Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands)
Day 18: Tanah Rata (C. Highlands) - Georgetown (Penang)
Day 19: Georgetown (Penang)
Day 20: Georgetown (Penang) - Kuala Lumpur
Day 21: Kuala Lumpur - Melaka - Kuala Lumpur
Day 22: Kuala Lumpur
Days 23-24: Kuala Lumpur - ... - Barcelona
Money
In Malaysia it is possible to change euros or dollars in banks or houses of change with no proble. We had the experience changing the two currencies and we never had problems to change. Somewhere we even asked if we could get a better change and surprisingly they did it, therefore you're advised to insist if the change can be improved. Credit cards however, are accepted in almost all places and hotels but be aware that they charge between a 3% and a 5% of commission.
Banks do not take commission when they exchange in cash, but they take 10RM when changing travel checks. It is recommendable to compare the change rates in different places.
Average change:
In Singapore we took American dollars by Singapore dollars: 1.636 dollars of SGP by each American dollar (to go faster in the calculation of the prices, you take the price in dollars of Singapore, and divide between two and the result are €).
1 € = 4.6 RM (Malayan Ringgit): to go faster in the calculation of prices, we divide between 5 the price of RM and the result will be €. Another way would be multiplying x2 the prices in RM and to remove a 0 and we will have the price in euros. By each American dollar they give us 3,6 RM.
Travel Expenses
(each person)+ 1034 € (BCN-Malaysia-BCN blight)
+ 45 € (flight Johor Bahru-Kuching-Johor Bahru)
+ 120 € (transport: interurban buses, buses and taxis)
+ 280 € (hotels)
+ 140 € (restaurants, drinks, juices and supermarket expenses)
+ 38 € (souvenirs and others)
+ 48 € (excursions and entrance fees)
= 1.705 € (Total)
Average daily budget: 27 €, flights aside.
Visa
It is obligatory to take the valid passport and to keep the entrance card until the end of the travel because it will be requested at the airport customs. The visa is only necessary if we want to stay in Malaysia longer than 90 days. The same is valid for Singapore.
Health
It is not necessary to be vaccinated if you're not going to the island of Borneo, if you want to go there, it's better to be vaccinated and to take pills to prevent the malaria. The recommended vaccines are those of the yellow fever, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, typhoid fever, meningitis, to be updated of the vaccine of diphtheria and tetanus.
You need to be vaccinated at least one month before beginning the travel, and the tablets of the malaria must also be taken 1 week before the trip and during 6 weeks. To get the vaccine you must go to the centres qualified by the department of health of the Generalitat de Catalunya (Tel. 93-443 05 07). The vaccines and consultation cost around 30 €. We recommended to ask for the appointment, minimum 3-4 months in advance, because as travellers to exotic destinations are growing, it is possible that they cannot give us our preferred time.
Security
Malaysia is a country that seemed to us very, very calm, the same sensation as in other Asian countries. Certainly is recommended to have the same precautions that we would have in all the places where we travelled (or where you live). The robberies happen, but they do not have to happen if you're watching your properties and the value objects that you take. Logically it is advised to travel without jewels or external ostentations. Our experience was absolutely positive and for the rest, we took the habitual precautions that had in any other travel (or when you go for a walk in your city), and of course in places with people agglomeration and night hours or places with few luminosity.
Transportation
Although distances in Malaysia are not big, when you use public transport, they do seem to be bigger as they are. Taxis or buses do not drive over 70/80 km per hour and what could be done pretty fast, takes longer, some hours. The infrastructures of the roads are better in the West side as the East side, and when we were there, they were building a new highway from the North to the South, and they are making big investing efforts in infrastructures.
Airplane. We only took an internal flight that we bought a month before in Internet. We flew from Johor Bahru (and not from Singapore as it's cheaper to fly from Johor Bahru) to the island of Borneo. Johor Bahru is a small and modern airport where they also have low cost flights and we do not found them at the international airport of Singapore. In August 2005, the works at the Johor Bahru airport were just finished and it was really surprising its modernity.
Airline companies: AirAsia (low cost), Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines.
In the guide they say that at the airport, leaving Malaysia you must pay an airport fee of 47 RM, but it's better to ensure that this airport fee is included in your ticket as it will probably be.
Taxi. The taxis in Malaysia are cheap, and the only place where they use taximeter (= barmeter) is Kuala Lumpur, and it must be requested (better demand!) that they switch it on, because sometimes they don't use it and they raise prices. As we have the right that they switch the taximeter, it is our choice to demand that they switch it on or to get out of the taxi and take another one. That's what we did a couple of times. For instance, what could cost taximeter between 2,5-3 RM, without it they charge 10 RM. Of course you also find taxis that work honestly. In the rest of the country they do not work with taximeter and the routes prices are stipulated with official fixed tariff, and the rest of the routes must be agreed.
Bus. The interurban buses are a good option to move around the country. The different companies that operate between cities, have all the same price, therefore what we must do is to check which kind of buses offers this service. All buses we took, they put oil once they had charged the passengers and in addition they put it wile the motor was on (very dangerous!), we saw that everyone puts oil this way in Malaysia. The disadvantage is that although the distances are not big, speed oscillates between 60 and 90 km/hour. Some bus lines have buses with three seats by row instead of the four habitual ones, and this allows us to be much more comfortable. We recommend to ask which type of bus the different companies use.
The most important bus companies are: Konsortium Bas Ekspress, Gunung Raya, Plusliner, and Transnasional.
Train. We did not take any malaysian train, because there is only a train-line in the Western side of Malaysia and the schedules, duration of trip and prices are better with the buses.
Rental car. The option of renting a car seems to be good, because the oil is very cheap and the price of the renting cars seems not to be abusive. But we did not do it, so we cannot explain much about that!.
Lodging
Malaysia has many types of lodging, in general with very good price. We have verified that that some hotels have a nice website in which the rooms seem very pretty and new but the reality that we found was another one... Who does not have odd habits or has austere habitudes can find lodging between 30-50 RM per night per double room. The modern or only better hotels cost between 90 RM and 150 RM. From 150 RM they are very pretty hotels, new and modern. When the hotels offer rooms with TV it is usually local channels unless they have satellite tv that also offer some channels in English.
In this travel, exceptionally we went to some hotels with the reservation already done per internet from Barcelona, some hotels they gave us surprises when comparing what we saw in their website with the reality, and due to this, we recommend to follow our usual system: when we arrive to a new city, one of us remains with the backpacks and the other goes around to see the hotels that the guide recommends, and we also checked those that we had found previously per internet. Without problem the managers of the hotels allow us to see the rooms and give us the price. You should also try to bargain the price, but in Malaysia it is not like in other countries that always reduce the price obtaining big discounts. You must try it at least.
Breakfasts are not always included in the price of the room, and to be sincer, if you are not a rice lover, it's not necessary you get the breakfast included. We saw it usually was Asian breakfast, or thought for Asian guests with cooked rice and noodles in different ways. We rarely found fruits (melon, watermelon and pineapple basically) and eggs in the breakfast buffets.
If you pay with credit card, they always charge 3% or 5%. Also it is better you ask if the prices are net or plus plus: +5% of taxes of government and 10% of services fee. If you foresee you will arrive to a city on Friday or Saturday, we recommend to make a previous reservation because we had difficulties to find a room when we liked the place (and the price) because we arrived on Friday and the Malayans are used to travel in weekend. If you prefer to leave your country with all reservations done, we recommend not to do it with the hotels directly, but in: Malaysia Hotels or in maxcarry@tm.net.my, because we were able to verify that the prices that hotels have in Internet are cheaper than making the reservations directly with the hotel, or through the website of the hotel. And the service is extremely good and kind.
Gastronomy
Malaysia is the varied result of an incredible mixture of cultures and logically this is reflected in very various gastronomy: we found specialties from India, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, China... In addition beside that, we found many counters in the streets that are built up in the evening and there you can taste any type of plate you wish in very simple conditions and at very economic prices. For us it is a very recommendable food.
The restaurants that we went to were usually simple, with plastic furniture, and opened, that is to say, without glass windows or walls, almost completely outdoor. We must say that the prices of dishes were cheap, if you want you can eat for 2-3 €, if you prefer a better restaurant, you could pay about a 10-15 €. The difference of these restaurants with the cheaper ones, is the facilities or the presentation of the food, but for us the cheaper ones have also a good quality of food (at least the raw material meat, fish, seafood). Interesting is to eat fish where you can choose it: they show you the different fishes they have, and you agree how to cook them and you also agree the price according the weight. They are generally fast in serving.
Though in the tourist zones they live on the tourism, their level of English is minimal to understand what drink you want and not much more. Although we ordered a first and a second dish, they bring the food whenever they want, without considering if it's a starter or a main dish and also without expecting that all people sitting in the table get the dishes at the same time. A negative surprise was that fruits were not so good or sweet as we expected and the juices that they give us contained half glass of water. We only obtained in few places the juice we wanted (pure juice we must say) and for that you must always pay extra money. The prices of juices oscillate between 3 RM and 10 RM.
For the wine lovers, we are sorry to say that in Malaysia the wine is clearly a product of luxury and not of consumption. In some restaurants of medium level can be found Australian or French wine to a relatively high price.
At the time of paying you must consider that in some restaurants they will receive the plus plus: +5% government taxes and 10% of services fee.
Curiosities
- In most of the restaurants they do not give (and often nor they have) knives. And the napkins frequently must be specifically requested, because they do not give them automatically with the meal.
- It's recommendable to reveal photos and the digital photos in Malaysia, we paid to 0,35 RM per each digital photo in size 10x15. In order to reveal analogical pictures we paid 0,35 RM plus 5 RM for the reveal. It is worth to compare prices and also to try to negotiate prices by amounts, in most of the places they offer 0,60 RM by photo revealed as a first price, but you can get it for 0,50 RM or 0,42 RM. We did it in Kuala Lumpur in Suria Photo (50 Jalan Hang Kasturi, just in front of the power station market). They have several stores around Kuala Lumpur.
Weather
Most of Malaysia territory does not present significant seasonal variations, neither in rain, nor temperature or humidity. The climate in Malaysia when we visited it, was extremely warm and humid and we were always sweating. Temperatures were superior to the 35 degrees during the day and during evening around 30. In the mountains area, in the Cameron Highlands, evidently it did not make an extreme heat but a good temperature. In the island of Borneo the heat was extreme.
Time difference
During our summer, Malaysia is 6 hours ahead of Barcelona.
Travel guide
Malaysia e Brunei, Lonely Planet Italian version (Ed. March 2004).
General information about Malaysia
TRAVELOGUE
SINGAPORE
Singapore is a country located in an island in the south of Malaysia. We decided to book the flight from Barcelona entering by Singapore and leaving by Kuala Lumpur to take advantage of visiting a new country (quickly only). Singapore is the cleanest city we have ever seen, it's wonderful and very modern, with an incredible extreme mixture of races and people and in the few hours that we spent there was very pleasant.
The prices of Singapore are cheaper than in Barcelona but not much cheaper. It is a very modern city that conserves some colonial houses and nice districts like China Town and Little India
We bought the ticket in the travel agency Viajes Iberia in Mataró (0034 93-755 25 80). We paid 1.034 €. The flight Barcelona-Frankfurt with Lufthansa takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. In Frankfurt we have had just the time to change and take the flight Frankfurt-Singapore that takes 11 hours and half. In the international airport of Singapore we took a taxi that costed 16$ till hotel 81 Palace
In Singapore there are about 20 hotels of chain 81 and we chose one of the cheapest they have and which has a tube station just 5 minutes walking. In the Hotel 81 Palace (25 Lorong 6, Geylang, Singapore 398867, Tel. 0065-6440 8181) we paid 49$ for a double room without breakfast. We booked it per internet. It is a modern hotel but already needs an updating. During the weekend costs 10$ more.
Since we have only one dinner to spend in Singapore, we went to the centre and we stopped in a full commercial centre of restaurants, we chose the Imperial Treasure La Mian Xiao Long Bao (6 Raffles Boulevard #02-138, Marina Square Singapore 039594, Tel. 0065-6338 2212), where we ate discreetly
Singapore is a modern city, a city of businesses that we think it's the cleanest one we have ever seen, even in the subway is strictly prohibited to eat, and they put fines if you eat or you smoke in the subway.
You must walk around China Town and Little India. And if you have time enough a funny thing is to visit the island of Sentosa that is a kind of amusement park where you must pay absolutely for everything, except to go to the beach; things to do: to raise the Carlsberg tower (with nice views around), to swim with dolphins, to visit butterfly and insects farm, the underwater world.... There is an internal bus that goes around the island and costs 0,90$. To arrive to Sentosa we took a cable car where price includes the entrance to the island and costs 11.90 $ for a return ticket.
To move around Singapore we chose the subway although the taxi has a reasonable price. Curiously the metro ticket is a hard card that once is used you must give it back to the spending machines and they give you back 1$. The price of the subway depends on the distance but it's around 2 and 2,5 $ (it includes 1$ that later will be given back by the spending machine).
The Raffles Hotel is a charming building that must be visited or if you can try to spend some nights at this wonderful colonial hotel. At the Raffles you can also enjoy the Sundays brunch for 65 $ and it is possible to have dinner for 45 $ with free buffet. It is a precious historical building with gardens and a general elegance that is worth to go although only to take a picture.
JOHOR BAHRU
Johor Bahru is the first city of Southern Malaysia and we decided to go there because it has an airport from where there are low cost flights and we don't find low cost flights in Singapore. We took the bus to the Queens street Bus Depot, the ticket costs 2.40 $ and takes 25 minutes until Johor Bahru. We must cross the border of Singapore walking and some meters later we take again the same bus until the Malayan border. From there we walked until our hotel which was very close
We chose by Internet from Barcelona the Compact Hotel, the double room costs 110 RM (18 Jalan Wong Ah Fook, 80000 Johor Bahru, Tel. 0060-7 221 3000). It is a tall modern building and they gave us the highest room with corner, which allows us to enjoy the views of Johor Bahru and the Straits of Johor that separates continental Malaysia with Singapore. This price is without breakfast.
To have dinner we went opposite of the hotel where there is a long narrow street, Medan Selera Meldrum Walk, with thousands of gastronomical stalls that offer everything what you wish and we had for dinner fresh fish for few money
In Johor Bahru, State Capital of Johor we arrived at 5 in the afternoon and we only had the evening to go around. It's worth to see the museum Royal Abu Bakar that was the main palace of the royal family of Johor, built in 1866. Beside that Johor Bahru has not much interest.
KUCHING
In order to arrive from Johor Bahru we took a flight of one hour and 15 minutes. To go to the airport of Johor Bahru we took a taxi from the Compact hotel that costs 40 RM and takes 45 minutes (considering there is no traffic at 5 am in the morning!). The flight of AirAsia was kind of dangerous as after 10 minutes of flying we had to fly back for technical problems. After 20 minutes we took off without problems and landed in Kuching and with an anecdote to explain. In the airport of Kuching we took a taxi to the centre that costs 17,50 RM, the price is fixed and we got a ticket for it in a counter in the terminal exit
The hotel that we chose is very centric and very recommendable: the Singgahsana Lodge (1 Temple Street, 93000 Kuching, Tel. 0065 6 82429277), a cute hotel in Serawak style, simple but he is one of the cleanest and prettiest that we saw. We booked the "honeymoons's suite", per internet from Barcelona. This suite is one of the two only rooms that has a bathroom inside the room, it costs 107.80 RM per night including a simple breakfast. The other rooms do not have bathroom inside but they are equal to the "suite". Dormitory costs between 40 RM and 80 RM the double or triple room. It must be made an advanced payment by credit card of 30% of the total of the room. To wash clothes at the Singgahsana costs 3,50 RM the kilo, Internet 4 RM per hour and to rent a bicycle all the day costs 20 RM. Right opposite there is a tall building, the Harbour View Hotel (Lorong Temple, 93100 Kuching, Tel. 0065-6 82 274 600) which as it indicates well its name has views to all the fluvial port and a double room including breakfast costs there 98 RM. Who wants some more luxury there is also a Hilton Hotel, a Crowne Plaza and a Holyday Inn Hotel in the centre of Kuching.
To eat well, we recommend a very simple restaurant, that offers really fresh and very cheap fish and seafood, and you pay it according to the weight: See Good (53, Ban Hock Road, 93100 Kuching, Tel. 0065-6 82 232609). Also we had dinner at Khatulistiwa (Jl tunku Abdul Rahman, Tel.0065-6 248896) next to the river with varied and western kitchen, it was good but took them longer than one hour to bring the food. Another recommendable is Bing! (84 Padungan Road, 93100 Kuching, Tel. 0065-82 421880), where we went to drink something, the ambience was very pleasant and it's a design bar. Another restaurant to go and to taste the crab with black sauce, is D'Alif (Waterfront, Tel. 0065-82 8188400, Fax 0065-82 413753). Life Coffee (108 Ewe Hai street, 93000 Kuching, Tel. 0065-82 411754) offers good Chinese and vegetarian kitchen. The big water bottles cost in Kuching 2 RM and the small 1 RM
Kuching is the State Capital of Sarawak, in the island of Borneo. The island of Borneo has the oldest known forest in the world and is full of national parks. In addition, in the island also there is also Brunei and Indonesia.
Kuching means "cat" in Malayan, is a pretty and interesting city which as all the Malayan cities has their China Town and Little India, parks are very nice. The river Serawak invites to take a walk along the very attractive Waterfront. The Bazaar is in front of the waterfront and there are hundreds of stores that sell exactly the same. It is worth to compare prices because there are remarkable differences. In Kuching there is the place where handicrafts in Malaysia are made and mostly sold. After to have compared prices with the ones at the power station Market of Kuala Lumpur we say it is the cheapest place to buy handicrafts. It is in Kuching where we recommend to do our souvenirs and wood crafts shopping because the prices are half as in Kuala Lumpur.
To cross the Sarawak river costs 0,30 RM. At the other side of the river we saw Istana, the residence of the governor of the state that cannot be visited. You must visit the mosque (Jl Nan Hock), and the market of fishes, birds and fruits, everything is less than five minutes walking and we will find it near the waterfront. From Kuching is and ideal place to make several trips that can be done in Sarawak. For the lovers of the cats, they will find the only museum on cats of the world, it's a little kitsch but it pays tribute to the felines that give their name to the city. At dusk we made a boat trip to enjoy the evening, it takes around one hour and a half and costs 30 RM. Also there are other boats that cost 45 RM, that can fit more people
Excursions around Kuching. The excursions can be done on your own or with an agency that organizes them. The prices of agency are around 170 RM per person to see the Semengoh Wildlife Centre and the farm of reptiles, or to go to the Gunung National Park costs 190 RM, to go to the Bako National Park in excursion of one day costs 200 RM by person, and the 2 days excursion and 1 night costs 316 RM by person. To go to visit the Longhouse costs 2 days/1 night 422 RM by person, 3 días/2 nights costs 528 RM by person and to go to the Longhouse more far would cost 952 RM by person. You can see all this in Borneo Adventure, the main agency of Kuching (there are others more, we found all in the bazaar). We chose to make the trips by our own.
Bako National Park. Try to remember to bring at least one passport among the people who go together to the park, because at the entrance of the park, they request a passport to register the visitors. A bus of the company Petra Jaya Transport leaves very early, at the time o'clock, we took number 6, they are yellow and blue, it costs 1,5 RM. You can also find some vans that leave once they're full, they're at the market, next to the mosque of Kuching, price 5 RM per person and they bring you to the jetty where we embarked to the Bako national park. It took 30 minutes to drive 27 km. At the jetty there is a place to register (remember to bring your passport) and to pay 10 RM, the boat that takes us until the park entrance and the boat costs 10 RM if you are 5 people or less and 8 RM if you are 6 to 9 people. The boat takes 20 minutes to arrive at the entrance park.
Orangutang in Semengoh
In the park we found several itineraries to do and they are perfectly indicated with the hours that it can take to finish them. If you want to contract a guide it must be done previously as there are no guides at the entrance. In the Bako can be seen proboschis monkeys (monkeys of prominent pink nose), and all type of rainforest animals.
Semengoh Wildlife Centre. To arrive there you must take any bus 6A, 6B, 6C that leaves in front of the post office, price: 2 RM. You must tell the driver to stop at the Semengoh. The trip takes 55 minutes. The entrance to the Semengoh costs 3 RM. At the Semengoh they feed twice a day orangutans, at 9 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. We arrived one hour before and we had the opportunity to give them the breakfast fruit by ourself attracting them with typical shouts that made that orangutans approach and come down the trees. The real show at the park is the feeding the orangutans done by the keepers and tourists are around 50 meters distance. You can observe as orangutans approach to take their fruit, but it is not the same as feeding by yourself, that's why we recommend to arrive early in the morning. To return we took the 11:30 bus, which came 20 minutes earlier.
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