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To Malaysia... and beyond!
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Firstly, sorry for the delayed response. Things have been pretty hectic at work and I just haven't had the time to think about this properly.Doshwaster wrote: »Great to hear that your trip is taking shape!Great to hear you've booked the tickets!
Yup it's good to know that I have at least got that the main bit sorted out. Takes the immediate pressure off organising everything in between... which is the fun bit
Doshwaster wrote: »The 777 isn't too bad but as soon as you get on an A380 you realise how much better they are. It's the only time I've seen people taking photos of an inside of a plane.
Wow!Doshwaster wrote: »You don't need a visa for connecting through Dubai. For Malaysia and Thailand as long as you have a UK/EU passport then you get a free visa stamp on arrival (and I'm sure Singapore is the same). I've never crossed the border by train but I'm sure there will be some formalities to go through.
Some useful visa information us at http://projectvisa.com/regions/AsiaIf you have a UK passport, you do not need a visa for Singapore, Malaysia or Dubai; especially with an onward ticket.
OK thanks for the info. It looks like I won't have to make any prior arrangements for visas. Great!
On to another boring thing... vaccinations... I hadn't even considered it until now. Just checked and I'm up-to-date with Diphtheria/Tetanus, Polio, MMR, but, I have no record of a Yellow Fever vaccination. I'm not sure if it's checked, but I think this one may be required. Can anyone confirm this?It is OK to skip Melaka if you think there is no time. There are some interesting Portugese and Dutch influences in there, an interesting Chinese-Malay heritage (termed Peranakan) plus lovely food.
Well, I know they're not the same, but I thought that I'd get to experience plenty of that kind of thing in Georgetown. I had more or less written off Melaka until I read this...Do not miss Malacca.
I'll say again do not miss Malacca.Final tip.
Do not miss Malacca.
Now I'm not so sure!About booking trains SG-KL, the train provider is Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM for short. Their website is as follows :
http://www.ktmb.com.my/
You could book via their customer service telephone line which is a Malaysian number. You could buy tickets in person, of course, but looking at your itinerary, you would probably have to buy these in SG hence a higher price. Check the departure point from SG as well. It used to be from a lovely colonial station at Tanjung Pagar but by the time you are there, it might be from a station in Woodlands instead.Train travel is nice but it does take much much longer. I would plump for coach travel. There are some coaches which are really great - with business class like seats, (only 16 - 20 per coach!) personal entertainment system and food served onboard. Check out these two highly recommended coach travel :
http://transtar.travel/index.php
https://www.aeroline.com.sg/
Thanks for the info, this was very useful. I'll give it a bit more thought and, If I decide I definitely want to visit Meleka, I'll probably take a coach to Kuala Lumpur (which does sound rather nice) with a stopover in Melaka for the afternoon. If I'm still undecided, I'll probably do as I had initially planned and catch the *overnight* train to Kuala Lumpor leave Melaka as an optional day trip if I get fed up of the city.In Malacca we use the Baba House. Try it for a change.
I had a quick look and this place looks fun! As I have said, I doubt I'll be staying overnight in Melaka, but, If things work out that way, I'll certainly bear this place in mind. Thanks for the recommendation!On train travel once you've done 2 hours on the train then that's all you need or want.
You won't see anything more than by coach probably less as the jungle has encroached alongside.
The train ain't too comfortable either imo.You are right that it would probably be just mini-buses or non-luxury coach between KL and Taman Negara though.
Yeah I have gone off the idea of taking the train up to Taman Negara. It looks as though NKS do a shuttle bus up to Kuala Tembeling Jetty from Kuala Lumpur, and another service to take me from Kuala Tahan on to the Cameron Highlands. I'll make further inquiries.For trips, you may want to check out Ping Anchorage. I had used it before and the service was good.
Thanks for this link. I haven't yet decided whether I want to go on organised tours to Taman Negara and the Cameron Highlands, or just turn up and do my own thing. From what I've read, it's certainly possible to explore the immediate area of Taman Negara myself, but, with just a couple of full days, it might well be more sensible to have everything arranged to fit the timescale. I understand that it's possible to arrange day/night treks with the official park authority on arrival. Do the various private tour groups use their own guides rather than using an official park guide? Or is it just that they make all the transport and accommodation arrangements around the same official trips? Which would be best? Any other comments from those with experience of the park would be appreciated!Penang is great but keep away from the Batu Feringhee hotels. Waste of money and well away from Georgetown.
Langkawi. Well until 30 years ago it was just an island. Now to us it's just an island with hotels. No real history like Malacca or Penang so nothing to see.
Bali you can do another time.
Thanks for this. I think I have come to more or less the same conclusions from reading other comments.Buses and taxis are good in Penang now but make sure before you get in a taxi that it has a meter or you bargain the fare. Same all over Malaysia.
Hire a car in Penang for a day or so. Drive around the island.
You reckon a hiring a taxi for a day would be easier than buses for touring the island? Is this easy to sort out? I'm not keen on the idea of hiring my own car really. I don't have a motorbike license... is a moped/scooter out of the question?Make sure you are fit because the jet lag will knacker you for a week.
Oh and you won't be able to eat local food continuously for a week I reckon so space things out.
Hmmm... hadn't really thought about jet lag effects. I guess I'll be taking it pretty easy in Singapore, so hopefully will be able to recover a bit then. My Singaporean friend has promised to stuff me silly... which I'm rather looking forward to Seriously though, I'm intending to eat local food the whole time I'm out there and can't imagine getting fed up of it!For accommodation, I would recommend www.wotif.com, if you want to book hotels in KL and BKK. It usually has good offers and I used it to book a lot of business stays.Seen this place recently on another forum. Haven't tried it yet
http://www.huttonlodge.com/location.asp
We use the Paradise Sandy Bay or the Flamingo next door to the Paradise when in Penang
The E & O sometimes have good promo rates.Asiarooms for hotels. Don't go for international hotels they are the same the world over.
If you find ones you like then ask again on here for confirmation.
I haven't done so yet, so I think looking into accommodation is the next step. Thanks for the links and recommendations. As you have suggested, I'll use these as a starting point and come back for confirmation on any that look good.You can do Bangkok in a short time, the Palace in a morning, the river in the Afternoon and a roof top skyscraper bar/restaurant at sunset/early evening.
Yeah I'm sure I could see quite a bit of Bangkok in a day, but I'd rather spend some more time there to get a better feel of the place. I may regret it... who knows?! I was already planning to travel up to Ayutthaya, but I can always take another day trip out somewhere if I get fed up of the city.Have you thought of a side trip to the Angkor temples at Siem Reap, I thought they were amazing http://www.google.co.uk/images?q=angkor+wat&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=qm80TYrGFNODhQe7sJSVCw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=3&ved=0CEIQsAQwAg&biw=1270&bih=703
Yup I had considered Siem Reap as an alternative to Bangkok, but, as you said, it looks like a pretty amazing place. I decided that I would rather dedicate a bit more time to exploring the area more thoroughly some time in the future. Looking forward to it!I really want to go back to Malaysia and Thailand. I think they are one of the best holiday destinations and you want to go back there again and again.
Yeah it all looks great. I think it'll be the first of many visitsJackie2oo7 wrote: »I don't have much advice to add, however it sounds amazing, Have fun owains!!!
Thanks! I'm sure I will
Once again, thanks for all the help... keep it coming!0 -
Hi we spent three weeks in SE Asia and Malaysia in Dcemeber. Every one is correct about the weather. The west peninsula coast closes in December due to the high rains and so we were restricted to the east coast. There were serious floods in Borneo too. I'm not sure about April but I think you should be OK
We flew into KL and then got a flight with Air Asia to Phnom Pehn in Cambodia, loved it spent a few days there then got a bus to Siem Reap and visited Angkor Wat. Really loved CAmbodia and the people were wonderful.
We flew from Siem Reap back to KL and spent the day there before getting the overnight train ( 1st class sleeper about £18 for 2) and then got taxi and ferry to Langkawi. Langkawi is beautiful and the beaches truly are magnificent but there is not a huge ammount to do but chilll out which is fine if thats what you want.
We got the ferry to Penang which is really fantastic. such a lot of interesting things to see and do but the beaches are not much to write about. Georgtown is steeped in history and there are plenty of day trips using public transport that you can take.
From Penang we took the overnight train back to KL, it was Ok but on neither trip did we see any of the countryside as it was dark. We did consider car hire but one way trips are virtuallly ipossible and expensive.
We stayed for the rest of the trip on KL taking day trips again with public transport to places like Malacca.
If we could have travelled at another time we would have gone to the west coast and Borneo but we still had a fantastic time0 -
Do not miss Malacca.
I missed out Malacca on my trip to Malaysia. It's top of my list for next time.Langkawi. Well until 30 years ago it was just an island. Now to us it's just an island with hotels. No real history like Malacca or Penang so nothing to see.
Which is the whole point of Langkawi. Nothing ever happens there. I'd go insane with 2 weeks there but for 4-5 days it's the perfect place is chill-out and do nothing. It's a tax free island so the low drinks prices make a nice change from the rest of Malaysia.markandkate wrote: »Hi we spent three weeks in SE Asia and Malaysia in Dcemeber. Every one is correct about the weather.
The best way to deal with the weather is expect it to rain at least once a day and be prepared for it. Apart from in the rainy season the downpours don't last long but they are spectacular to see and really clean the air (and the streets!). The people who complain about the rain are those who expect 14 days of sunshine. If you want that, go to Egypt.markandkate wrote: »We got the ferry to Penang which is really fantastic. such a lot of interesting things to see and do but the beaches are not much to write about. Georgtown is steeped in history and there are plenty of day trips using public transport that you can take.
Yes, the beaches are poor, especially compared to Langkawi, and the resort of Batu Ferrenghi is nothing to write home about. My one regret at Penang is not spending more time exploring the island.
One essential place to visit in Georgetown is the Red Garden night market (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g298303-d941966-Reviews-Red_Garden_Food_Paradise_Night_Market-Georgetown_Pulau_Penang_Penang.html) which has loads of hawker stalls selling every food you could possibly imagine (and some you couldn't. Frog Porridge, anyone?) all at really low prices. If you don't like a dish, you just try something else.
For a hotel in Georgetown I would recommend the Traders Hotel (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298303-d302162-Reviews-Traders_Hotel_Penang-Georgetown_Pulau_Penang_Penang.html). There are cheaper options available but sometimes on a long trip it's nice to treat yourself to a little bit of luxury.0 -
markandkate wrote: »Hi we spent three weeks in SE Asia and Malaysia in Dcemeber. Every one is correct about the weather. The west peninsula coast closes in December due to the high rains and so we were restricted to the east coast. There were serious floods in Borneo too. I'm not sure about April but I think you should be OK
We flew into KL and then got a flight with Air Asia to Phnom Pehn in Cambodia, loved it spent a few days there then got a bus to Siem Reap and visited Angkor Wat. Really loved CAmbodia and the people were wonderful.
We flew from Siem Reap back to KL and spent the day there before getting the overnight train ( 1st class sleeper about £18 for 2) and then got taxi and ferry to Langkawi. Langkawi is beautiful and the beaches truly are magnificent but there is not a huge ammount to do but chilll out which is fine if thats what you want.
We got the ferry to Penang which is really fantastic. such a lot of interesting things to see and do but the beaches are not much to write about. Georgtown is steeped in history and there are plenty of day trips using public transport that you can take.
From Penang we took the overnight train back to KL, it was Ok but on neither trip did we see any of the countryside as it was dark. We did consider car hire but one way trips are virtuallly ipossible and expensive.
We stayed for the rest of the trip on KL taking day trips again with public transport to places like Malacca.
If we could have travelled at another time we would have gone to the west coast and Borneo but we still had a fantastic time
Sounds good... glad you enjoyed your time out there! Please let me know if there was anything specific that you came across during your time in Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown that you can recommend. Thanks!Doshwaster wrote: »Yes, the beaches are poor, especially compared to Langkawi, and the resort of Batu Ferrenghi is nothing to write home about. My one regret at Penang is not spending more time exploring the island.
At the moment, the plan is to head the beach area for day/afternoon. I'll only have a few days there, but, hopefully, I'll be able to spend one day travelling around the island a bit. I am considering reducing my time in Bangkok (currently 6 full days including 1 day at Ayutthaya and 2 travel in/out days) to ensure I don't run out of time in Penang. I'll need to decide fairly soon before I book my flight from Penang to Bangkok!Doshwaster wrote: »One essential place to visit in Georgetown is the Red Garden night market (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g298303-d941966-Reviews-Red_Garden_Food_Paradise_Night_Market-Georgetown_Pulau_Penang_Penang.html) which has loads of hawker stalls selling every food you could possibly imagine (and some you couldn't. Frog Porridge, anyone?) all at really low prices. If you don't like a dish, you just try something else.
This looks like fun! I like to try unusual food... but frog porridge might be taking a bit far! Thanks for the recommendation.Doshwaster wrote: »For a hotel in Georgetown I would recommend the Traders Hotel (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g298303-d302162-Reviews-Traders_Hotel_Penang-Georgetown_Pulau_Penang_Penang.html). There are cheaper options available but sometimes on a long trip it's nice to treat yourself to a little bit of luxury.
Yeah, I imagine accommodation will probably be pretty basic in Taman Negara and Cameron Highlands, so I'll probably be looking for something a bit more luxurious for Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Bangkok. I'll add this one to the list of places to investigate when I start looking to book accommodation. It looks as though I'll probably boring and book all my accommodation before I set off... I just can't stand the idea of searching for a place to stay when I arrive!Doshwaster wrote: »The best way to deal with the weather is expect it to rain at least once a day and be prepared for it. Apart from in the rainy season the downpours don't last long but they are spectacular to see and really clean the air (and the streets!). The people who complain about the rain are those who expect 14 days of sunshine. If you want that, go to Egypt.
I'll certainly be taking a waterproof jacket!0 -
Yeah, I imagine accommodation will probably be pretty basic in Taman Negara and Cameron Highlands, so I'll probably be looking for something a bit more luxurious for Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Bangkok. I'll add this one to the list of places to investigate when I start looking to book accommodation. It looks as though I'll probably boring and book all my accommodation before I set off... I just can't stand the idea of searching for a place to stay when I arrive!
Yes, Guest House accommodation can be great fun and fantastic value but once is a while you cannot beat the 5* treatment. For the price of a dodgy B&B in London you can get some superb hotels in SE Asia. My room in KL was bigger than my house and you could lay in the bathtub while looking at the Petronas Towers out of the window.
I tend to book all of my flights and hotels before travelling, all worked out on a spreadsheet. This gives you some certainty, a schedule and avoids the hassle of having booking something when you get there. More experienced travellers (I much prefer to think of myself as a "traveller" than a "holidaymaker"!) prefer to leave things quite open ended to give you flexibility and often the best bargains can only be found locally.
One thing I would strongly recommend is not to book day trips and excursions from the UK. Don't book through your hotel either as they will charge you for the privilege. Go to a local agent - there will be dozens of them - and negotiate hard. If you don't get at least 50% of the advertised price then you aren't getting a deal and you should walk away. I've been on several trips where other people on the mini-bus have paid a lot more than I had for the same day out.0 -
Wwvw long had our eye on Toman and Rendang islands. Did the Pjilipinnes twice and fancy Malaysia nxet but not KL - our freinds said it was an unremarkable place.0
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Wwvw long had our eye on Toman and Rendang islands. Did the Pjilipinnes twice and fancy Malaysia nxet but not KL - our freinds said it was an unremarkable place.
KL is worth a couple of days at either end of a trip to Malaysia but once you have wandered around the Petronas Towers and Chinatown then there's not much else there. It's not tight laced or organised as Singapore but not as much fun or chaotic as Bangkok.
When I was there I found myself sitting in a Starbucks in a shopping mall (I was there for the free WiFi, honest) and realising that I could be in any country in the world0 -
Doshwaster wrote: »Which is the whole point of Langkawi. Nothing ever happens there. I'd go insane with 2 weeks there but for 4-5 days it's the perfect place is chill-out and do nothing. It's a tax free island so the low drinks prices make a nice change from the rest of Malaysia.
What, not even 'Sin Tax'!?:beer:0 -
Train is a very pleasant way to travel - we went from Butterworth (for the Penang ferry) to KL.
Well unless my current plan (Singapore > Kuala Lumpur > Taman Negara > Cameron Highlands > Penang) changes, the only travelling that makes sense to do by train is the Singapore to Kuala Lumpur leg. To save time I was planning to do this as an overnight journey, so I won't actually be seeing any of the countryside as I pass through. However, I'm sure I'll get plenty of that later on in my trip!Did the Pjilipinnes twice and fancy Malaysia nxet but not KL - our freinds said it was an unremarkable place.Doshwaster wrote: »KL is worth a couple of days at either end of a trip to Malaysia but once you have wandered around the Petronas Towers and Chinatown then there's not much else there. It's not tight laced or organised as Singapore but not as much fun or chaotic as Bangkok.
When I was there I found myself sitting in a Starbucks in a shopping mall (I was there for the free WiFi, honest) and realising that I could be in any country in the world
At the moment I have more or less 3 full days based in Kuala Lumpur. I was planning to do a trip out to Batu Caves and, if I decide it's worth the 6+ hours on a coach, a day out to Melaka. Hopefully that will easily fill my time. If I'm not too keen on Melaka, I guess I could shorten my stay and spend an extra day in, say, Penang. Hmmm!Doshwaster wrote: »Yes, Guest House accommodation can be great fun and fantastic value but once is a while you cannot beat the 5* treatment. For the price of a dodgy B&B in London you can get some superb hotels in SE Asia. My room in KL was bigger than my house and you could lay in the bathtub while looking at the Petronas Towers out of the window.
Wow that sounds great! As you can tell, I still haven't fixed dates, but perhaps you could you tell me where that was exactly so I can take a look? Would you recommend it?Doshwaster wrote: »I tend to book all of my flights and hotels before travelling, all worked out on a spreadsheet. This gives you some certainty, a schedule and avoids the hassle of having booking something when you get there. More experienced travellers (I much prefer to think of myself as a "traveller" than a "holidaymaker"!) prefer to leave things quite open ended to give you flexibility and often the best bargains can only be found locally.
Ha... I think I lean towards your approach and try and get all the main stuff arranged before I set off. You certainly do lose an amount of flexibility, and it probably does work out more expensive, but I like the peace of mind gained from having all the major stuff arranged beforehand. Plus, it means I don't waste "holiday time" searching for a good place to stay.Doshwaster wrote: »One thing I would strongly recommend is not to book day trips and excursions from the UK. Don't book through your hotel either as they will charge you for the privilege. Go to a local agent - there will be dozens of them - and negotiate hard. If you don't get at least 50% of the advertised price then you aren't getting a deal and you should walk away. I've been on several trips where other people on the mini-bus have paid a lot more than I had for the same day out.
Thanks for this advice. I think this is the approach I'll take for any day trips that I want to do. However, for my trip to Taman Negara (for a few days), I'll make arrangements from home. I know the company that I mentioned previously (NKS) have a Kuala Lumpur office, but I don't want to try and organise things last minute and find them fully booked! Again, in this case, I'd rather pay a bit more to ensure it happens. Perhaps I'll send off an email to see about flexibility, or if I can make a provisional booking now and finalise in person.0 -
try trip advisor for KL hotels have a look at the Impiana if they have finished the upgradeSave 12k in 2020 #19 £12,429.06/£14,0000
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