Tag: tours and travels

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Everything is big about Taman Negara

Beg tree in Taman NegaraPreparing for trekking in Taman Negara with help of guidebooks, I was smiling reading “everything is big about Taman Negara”. Now, I can trust my guidebook with no doubt: giant trees, mutant bushes, even ant five times bigger that normal one, and there are also living big animals, like bears and elephants. Maybe it was good for us, that we did not meet them. Continue reading Everything is big about Taman Negara

Kuala Lumpur – sweet and sour megalopolis

We spent about a week in Malaysia Cameron Highlands – cooling and even freezing. Heading to Taman Negara national park we decided to go via Kuala Lumpur, with overnight stop. Seems that this way will be cheaper, the direct minivan from Tanah Rata to Taman Negara cost 85 ringit per person.

Ordinary bus from Cameron Highlands to KL cost Rm 22,5 per pax. Unfortunately Pudu Raya bus station is on renovation now, and all buses arriving to the Central bus stand (near central stadium), city bus from there to China town cost 2 ringit.

One of my friend recommended us Le Village Guest House as a budget guest house in Kuala Lumpur, now we are appreciated for this recommendation. This place is fricky, but nice and clean, with great facilities, like Wi-fi Internet, kitchen (free coffee and tea all day), laundry service and wonderful relaxing atmosphere.

Having kitchen facility and planning some simple spaghetti for a dinner, we went to a local supermarket to check the prices for food and other necessaries. I can say, that prices for food are very close to Thailands one, something a bit expensive (like Thai imported goods) and something is a bit cheaper (like western goods).

Kuala Lumpur can be called with no doubts as a city of contrasts, kind of cocktail of different nations, religions, times. Here is Chinese eatery and opposite the road is Hindu temple, and 15 meter away someone singing “Allah Akbar”. Here is Muslim woman, covered from head to the feet with black cloth waiting the train on the underground station, and next to her sitting young lady with red hair, piercing and tattoo, dressed in short skirt and sexy top. It is very difficult to find pork or beef in supermarkets or fast food restaurants, but very easy to find a whore of any nationality, size and sex.

Combined with modern infrastructure, skyscrapers, tropical hear and rains and you will get Kuala Lumpur – sweet and sour capital of Malaysia.

Evergreen jungles, tea plantation and strawberry madness – Cameron Highlands

From Georgetown to Tanah Rata (Cameron Highlands) we took a tourist minivan for 38 ringit. Probably we could save some money, if we would took a local transport (from Butterworth to Ipoh and from Ipoh to Tanah Rata), but unfortunately we overslept this opportunity (as far as we know the last bus from Ipoh depart at 11:30). We were «lucky» this week was a school holiday and Caneron Highlands are preferable destination for locals.

Cameron Highlands attract visitors cool temperature, tea plantations, jungle walks and strawberry farms. It seem that locals are really crazy about strawberry – fresh berries, ice creams, jams and all kinds of souvenirs — they buying it all in a huge amounts. Local vendors seems to be very happy.

Arrived in Tanah Rata we barely got the last room, all hotels and even cheap guest houses was full with locals and tourists. We got room in the attic in Twin Pines GH for a 20 ringit. Be honest what we got is hardly can be called a room — a mattress on the floor with four walls and small window.

After hot seaside on islands, the cool weather of Cameron Higlands is very pleasant, you want to put warm socks, shawl and sleep till the midday in the warm sleeping bag.

There are plenty numbers of jungle walks around Tanah Rata, from easy half hour trek a-la «forest walking» to the really hard jungle treks with dirt climbing. The real trekkers can stay in a camp site (half hour walk from Tanah Rata by the Path N4). The camp site is really good, with toilet/shower and even electric sockets, but during holidays it occupied by local families with music and BBQ.

Today and tomorrow we will check around for tea plantations and after that will go to Taman Negara national park

George Town – unique place, where you can come back any tme

We left our paradise island Ko Phangan early morning and were planning to reach Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. The plan was impossible and good for us, we realized it in Hat Yai, near Malaysian border.

Maybe we will go to Penang, for a couple of days? – the idea to have a dinner in indian restaurant and meet friendly chinese guy in 75 Lodge was very pleasant.
We arrived in George Town in the evening, after 9 pm, in summary we spent more then 14 hours for the road from Ko Phangan to Penang island. Our favorite guest house 75 Lodge had a room for us (22 ringit with shared bathroom) and 15 minutes after check-in we were enjoying tasty dinner – tanduri chicken, garlic naan, sweet lassi and masala tea — yes, we love indian cuisine.

George Town have not change for 1, 5 year (last time we visited Penang in 2008). But we had noticed that the number of people and development around the island had increased. In 2008 Georgetown got from UNESCO status of World Heritage site, so I think that is the reason for the future changes.

The couple of days past very quickly, besides standard tourist routes: from indian restaurant to the chinese one, from China town to Little India, we visited Penang`s beaches. So,what can I say — yes, there is the sea and yes, there are few beaches, but I do not liked it all — the atmosphere there is strange for me, and this place is definitely not for backpackers. It is about 1 hour ride from George Town to the beaches (the area called Batu Ferringhi), public bus N101, the ticket cost 2,7 ringit per person.