This week our Travel Guides are in Malaysia for a truly multicultural experience.
From the sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur to the wilds of Borneo there’s something here for everyone.
An 8 hour flight from Sydney has them landing in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, where they head straight to the city’s most recognisable landmark, the Petronas Twin Towers. As the tallest twin towers in the world, the bird’s eye view of KL from the view deck is like no other but a strict time limit has some of the Guides racing to capture all its jaw-dropping angles.
Checking into one of KL’s cheapest and quirkiest accommodation options, MoMo’s, our guides are spout to discover what a ‘micro space’ hotel is. What MoMo’s lacks in size, it makes up for in personality as our Guides are forced to get very cosy.
KL is a melting hot pot of Asian cultures and cuisines offering up some of the best street food in the world. At almost 2 kilometres in length and over 700 stalls, the Taman Connaught Night Markets dishes up one of Malaysia’s most famed dishes, the Laksa. Served piping hot, the heat can blow the most seasoned chilli-fan’s head off….and it does.
Just a few clicks out of KL is one Malaysia’s most insta-snapped spots, the Batu Caves where 272 coloured steps lead like a rainbow to brightly coloured Hindu Temples snuggling inside 400 million year old caves. However, it’s an adventure climbing the stairs to get there! There are plenty of roaming monkeys who are eager to cause havoc for our Guides.
Trying to catch their breath after their mighty stair work out and to escape the humidity, our Guides head inside to KL’s mega malls to cool off in the air conditioning but soon break into a sweat as they find themselves hurtling around Asia’s longest indoor roller coaster. The indoor activities keep coming including badminton with a difference; as they turn the lights off for a futuristic game of glow in the dark badminton.
In the lively neighbourhood of Chow Kit our Guides head out for a memorable feed but some of the traditional dishes may end up being remembered for all the wrong reasons. Who will soon forget “torpedo soup” AKA “bull’s penis soup”?
Another side of KL worth exploring is its Chinese heritage with many locals believing in the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With their love of money saving Asian spa treatments while on holidays our Guides head in looking for relaxation only to find themselves being scraped until red raw, pounded into writhing pain and needles inserted into their face.
Leaving KL behind, our Guides fly an hour and a half west to Malaysian Borneo famed for its unspoilt jungles, amazing wildlife and humidity. Landing in Kuching it’s a short drive to their jungle accommodation at Permai Rainforest Resort. While some love the adventure of hanging out up high in the treetops in a treehouse, it’s a few steps too far for others.
Nearby Bako National Park is home to every kind of different type of vegetation found in Borneo plus an abundance of wildlife endemic only to this special part of the world; a perfect place for a rainforest ramble. For those who keep the noise down there is a very good chance of spotting the star attraction – the long nosed proboscis monkey.
If there is one reason to visit Borneo it is to see orangutans in the wild. Semenggoh Nature Reserve is one of the few places in the world where these critically endangered apes can be observed in their natural habitat. In this 653 hectare reserve orangutans roam freely in the jungle; so there are no guarantees that a visitor will glimpse one. However, for the very lucky who do it is a life changing experience and one that our Guides will never forget.
Finishing off their holiday in the Malaysian Borneo capital of Kuching, the city of cats, the guides explore its charming streets and stumble across some oddities including the local cat museum, a crystal healer and a local beauty parlour.
