Away From The Madding Crowd

mark55man

PS Your holiday sounds fabulous - OH and I like our independence but being able to do new things and feel more comfortable is worth a little loss of that.  More to gain than to lose

Nebulous2

@Humboldt Thanks very much. That was a very useful post.

Everyone we've heard from said they liked Malaysia. Some of them said they preferred other places, such as Thailand, but they still liked Malaysia. If we're spreading our wings away from our previous European haunts we have to start somewhere. 

We've gone ahead and booked return flights to Kuala Lumpur, and four nights accommodation there, with the intention of booking internal flights to another two destinations, then back to KL to fly home. 

@mark55man

This may be a very Scottish one, I'm not sure how well it will travel, but I recently saw a quote ascribed to Lewis Capaldi.

He said something like:- 

"Anyone who says money can't bring you happiness, never bought 3 takeaway meals in the same day."

mark55man

@Nebulous2 - never a truer word was said 

Enjoy your holiday

angieb15edin

Malaysia is a fabulous place to visit but you need to watch the weather depending on where you visit and the time of year 
it offers a wide variety of experiences which is easy to mix and match,internal flights with air Asia and firefly are very cheap
ypu will need to make sure your vaccinations up to date and if travelling to Sabah or Sarawak you might need anti malarials
the food is fantastic and can range from very cheap to expensive depending on where you choose and alcohol is very expensive 
the major tourist areas are very cosmopolitan but some areas can be quite conservative 

Humboldt

Great quotes that made me smile @mark55man. Interesting thread too.

@Nebulous2 Go you booking a holiday to Malaysia .  You can now enjoy the researching.  Is it just me, or does anyone else enjoy the researching almost as much as the holiday itself? lol.

If it helps, below is a brief summary of our visit.

DH and I spent a couple of weeks visiting Sabah, located on the northern tip of Borneo.  From Kota Kinabalu we ventured to Kinabalu Park (a UNESCO world heritage site), on to Sandakan (great temples and waterfront), then travelled a stretch of the Kinabatangan River Basin (you can book trips here from Sandakan, staying in basic lodges), we then visited the Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary (a nature reserve that provides a rehabilitation centre for young orang-utangs), ending with a couple of nights in the Sh@ngri-La Rasa Ri@ hotel in Kota Kinabalu (a beautiful beach hotel which was a real treat after 'roughing it' for a while).  Whilst at the fancy hotel, we could not resist fitting in a couple more trips with a local guide to visit the surrounding villages and countryside.  @angieb15edin sums it up perfectly 'Malaysia is a fabulous place to visit'.

@angieb15edin hello and welcome.  Thank you for taking the time to comment. Lots of really useful information, that made me want to go on yet another adventure. As if I need any encouragement!

Today's simple pleasure - hot buttered homemade sourdough toast and a mug of tea.

Organgrinder

I first went to Malaysia in 1993. Stayed in KL, did a triathlon at Port Dixon before taking a bus to Kuantan. Stayed in Teluk Cempedak for a few days before heading to Tasik Chini.

Absolutely loved it. The food. The culture. Everything.

Went back about 10 years ago. Would love to go back again 

angieb15edin

Humboldt said:

Great quotes that made me smile @mark55man. Interesting thread too.

@Nebulous2 Go you booking a holiday to Malaysia .  You can now enjoy the researching.  Is it just me, or does anyone else enjoy the researching almost as much as the holiday itself? lol.

If it helps, below is a brief summary of our visit.

DH and I spent a couple of weeks visiting Sabah, located on the northern tip of Borneo.  From Kota Kinabalu we ventured to Kinabalu Park (a UNESCO world heritage site), on to Sandakan (great temples and waterfront), then travelled a stretch of the Kinabatangan River Basin (you can book trips here from Sandakan, staying in basic lodges), we then visited the Sepilok Orang-Utan Sanctuary (a nature reserve that provides a rehabilitation centre for young orang-utangs), ending with a couple of nights in the Sh@ngri-La Rasa Ri@ hotel in Kota Kinabalu (a beautiful beach hotel which was a real treat after 'roughing it' for a while).  Whilst at the fancy hotel, we could not resist fitting in a couple more trips with a local guide to visit the surrounding villages and countryside.  @angieb15edin sums it up perfectly 'Malaysia is a fabulous place to visit'.

@angieb15edin hello and welcome.  Thank you for taking the time to comment. Lots of really useful information, that made me want to go on yet another adventure. As if I need any encouragement!

Today's simple pleasure - hot buttered homemade sourdough toast and a mug of tea.

We go to Malaysia every year yes it’s a long journey but once you’re there it’s actually less expensive than a 4/5 star hotel in Europe 
now that we are both retired we try and go for five or six weeks usually adding on Singapore Thailand or similar for a week either at the start or finish but with the ever expanding low cost carriers routes the possibilities are endless 

Humboldt

@Organgrinder hello and welcome.  Thank you for sharing your experience of Malaysia.  Very impressed that you were undertaking a triathlon.

@angieb15edin thanks for giving us a glimpse into your adventures during retirement. 

Today's simple pleasure - the colours of the autumnal leaves backlit by the sunshine.

Humboldt

Hello and welcome.

Motivational quote of the week.

My philosophy is that worrying means you suffer twice – Newt Scamander.

Money saving.

Our monthly budget for me and my DH is £250.  Week 2 spend for October was £56.84. Total to date is £132.43.

Took advantage of a 20% discount on an airport hotel and parking for our winter sun holiday.

This week’s main menu.

Monday – Wild garlic pesto, black olives, and feta cheese pizza.  I will make the pizza dough with homemade sourdough discard.  The pesto is also homemade and from the freezer.  Feta is left over from last week.

Tuesday – Pumpkin, spinach, and coconut biryani (W@itrose recipe). I will buy a large squash and use what is left for Thursday’s meal.

Wednesday – Ping meal (cook once, eat twice – saves on time and energy costs).

Thursday – North African squash and chickpea stew (R!ver C0ttage Veg recipe). 

Friday – Baked chicken with tomatoes and olives (N!gel Sl@ter recipe) and roasted vegetables. I will fully utilise the oven by cooking the sweet potatoes for tomorrow’s meal and a homemade sourdough loaf.

Saturday – Sweet potato soup, potato skins and coconut (N!gel Sl@ter recipe) with a hunk of homemade sourdough.

Edit - Unfortunately, I found the above recipe too sweet and will not be making it again.  Obviously, others may not have the same opinion. 

Sunday - Lentil bolognaise, with whole-wheat spaghetti.  A quick, economical meal, using a tin of green lentils (49p @ Ald!).

Breakfasts are oat based during the week, and lunches continue to include homemade soups from the freezer.

Healthy lifestyle.

Completed 2 free online workouts.

Completed 5 free meditations

Step count last week was 39,472.

Simple pleasures.

Top of last week’s simple pleasures must be seeing the Northern Lights for the first time.  I never expected to see them from our garden. Our family Wh@tsApp group was filled with photographs of the stunning display.  Incredible sight, made even more special because we got to share the experience with family even though we do not live in the same area.

An unexpected gift from a friend.

DH and I made the most of a sunny day by visiting a local nature reserve.  A lovely day out that included tea and cheese scones in the onsite café. Bliss.

Apparently, expressing gratitude, finding joy in the everyday, etc, has been proven to regulate the bodies nervous system and can help to combat our fight or flight response by providing a balance during difficult times.

Thanks for dropping by and taking the time to read my diary.

Organgrinder

Humboldt said:

@Organgrinder hello and welcome.  Thank you for sharing your experience of Malaysia.  Very impressed that you were undertaking a triathlon.

@angieb15edin thanks for giving us a glimpse into your adventures during retirement. 

Today's simple pleasure - the colours of the autumnal leaves backlit by the sunshine.

It was a long time ago!