Hey, sorry it's taken me a while to update this,there is always something far more interesting to do!
I really have hit the ground running and have seen so much in such a short time. Starting in KL, I only spent a few days there because I was keen to head towards the beaches. It's a big city, but it's well laid out and easy to get around. Chinatown is bustling and full of amazing sights, sounds, smells and FOOD!!!
I decided pretty quickly to head to the Tamar Negara national park so I could see some jungle and do some trekking. The journey there involved a 3 hour riverboat ride in a narrow wooden boat. I really enjoyed the trip and was busy snapping pics of the scenery and the wildlife along the banks. The guy behind me ( who couldn't swim) didn't enjoy the boat ride quite so much ;)
With heavy rains each night, and a lot of leeches, I decided not to take the 3-4 day trek into the park. Instead I joined a day trek which let me scale a small peak with great views, take a walk along the treetop canopy and go along a night trail with a local guide to do some animal spotting. We saw a lot of snakes, bugs, scorpions, Tapiers and some deer. The guide did have a lot of fun suggesting everything in the distance was a tiger or a lion and watching an older European guy in the group take a billion photo's before he realised it was another deer :) I was also able to do some white water rafting while I stayed at Tamar Negara, which was great fun.
Next up I caught the bus to the Cameron Highlands and spent a few days drifting through the misty mountains and tea plantations. After the sticky humidity of the jungle this was a welcome change. The scenery up there is spectacular and there were plenty of local trails to take yourself on a wander through the mountains. I went down trail 9 with a group from the hostel and had a very entertaining afternoon slipping and sliding about on the muddy pathway.
Then I was on to the Perhentian Islands to spend some time on the beach and in the water. The Perhentians are a beautiful set of islands of the North East coast of Malaysia, very popular with the locals and the backpacker set. I had planned to get my PADI scuba certification sorted there, but I had some problems with my ears so I had to settle for snorkeling instead. And if I had to 'settle' it wasn't a bad place to do it. The snorkeling was really good, with great visibility and lots to see. Highlight would have to have been swimming right above/beside a sea turtle and with some small reef sharks! The fish and coral were pretty impressive too... but they just don't compare to the turtle and the sharks :)
Next I headed south down the coast to a little island called Pualu Kapas. Nothing I say will do it justice, but believe me the place is perfect. Pristine beaches, great snorkeling, friendly people and a hammock tied to every tree. There weren't a lot of people there, but I thinks that's all part of the charm. Played a few games of volleyball with the locals, sampled the islands famed squid and shared my bathroom with a lizard that I named Lance. I will not miss Lance.
Now I am over on the east coast in a beautiful old town called Melaka. It has a really interesting combination of Malay, Chinese, Dutch and Portugese heritage. As such the architecture, people and the food are a crazy blend of everything. The food here is soooooooooo good!!! Last night I wandered through the night markets snacking on all sorts of sweet and savory bits and pieces. I avoided the chicken feet ( sorry Mez), but I gave most other things a chance... even if I didn't know what I was eating. End result, I had a delicious stroll down the street and only spent about $3 Australian dollars. WIN.
Tomorrow I am headed North to Penang for some more time on the beach. Then... Thailand where I hope I can finally sort my dive ticket!
I'm having a great time and I hope you are all well and happy too xox luv Nads
p.s. Balcatta kids I hope you are being lovely to your new teacher!
