Malaysia Journals

Kuala Lumpur

A Nice Ending to a Horrible
Day in Penang

Going Around Georgetown

Some Time on the Penang
Coast

Kuching - Our Borneo Arrival

Bako National Park

Lazy Time on Pulau Tioman
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Photo Albums
Kuala Lumpur and
Penang

Kuching/Borneo

Tioman Island
Links relating to
my trip
Accommodations:

Renaissance Hotel (Kuala
Lumpur)

Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion
(Georgetown, Penang)

The Lone Pine Hotel (Batu
Ferringhi, Penang)

The Crowne Plaza (Kuching)



Other Sites:

Little Lebanon - Great restaurant
with local Sarawak specialties in
Kuching.

E&O Hotel - Even if you can't
afford to stay there, you can afford
to do afternoon tea there!

Sarawak Forestry - Can find info on
the national parks in Sarawak,
Borneo.

Island Hospital - Wonderful
medical care with a great, friendly
staff.
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My Malaysian Experience...

Highs: Finding out how gorgeous the Petronas Towers are; the great shopping; how easy it is to get
around KL.

Lows: Michelle getting mugged which sent her to the hospital; the rafflesia flower not being in bloom
in Borneo while we were there; not seeing many Orang Utans while at the Semenggoh Wildlife Center.

Best Moment: Watching the probiscus monkeys while at Bako National Park.

Worst Moment: Not only was it my worst moment in Malaysia, but I think it was one of the Top
2 worst moments I've ever had to witness - when my sister had just gotten mugged and got up with
blood all over her. The absolute worst was when she passed out in the hospital while I was alone with
her and trying to talk to her.

Smells: Food (whether it's Indian, Malay or Chinese - amazing smells!).

Sounds: Once again, another country with no horns honking; Chinatown vendors trying to lure you
to buy 'Gucci' or 'Prada'; Christmas carols in the malls.

Sights: The Sky Bridge at the Petronas Towers (free); the KL Tower observation deck (20
ringgits); Chinatown; many o' shopping malls; Chinese temples and colonial architecture in Penang;
the Thaipusam festivities; Semenggoh Wildlife Center (where there are Orang Utans); a longhouse.

Tastes: Gingerbread lattes from The Coffee Bean; satays; chicken rice (much more tasty than it
sounds); Chinese dim sum; tropical fruit (mango, dragonfruit, etc.); bamboo chicken; apam bilak (a
pancake-like thing sprinkled with sugar and crushed peanuts and then folded over like an omelet);
laksa; dim sum; umai (a seafood salad); lapis cake; rice wine; 'fish sticks' at a hawker stall; pupia
(almost like an Asian wrap); rojak (a fruit salad with prawn paste and crushed peanuts - sounds
disgusting but it's great!).

Purchases: A dress and four shirts from Mango; a couple pairs of flip-flops from Reef; a small vase
with stand (Borneo).

Street Food: Tropical fruits; pork buns; Indian food, Malay food, Chinese food.

Fun Food Finds: 'Kaya' - a coconut jam.

Western Companies Out Here: Where to start? McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, The Coffee
Bean, Starbuck's, Gloria Jean's, A&W, California Pizza Kitchen, Cinnabon and sooo many more!



Other General Info...

Visa needed? Nope.

Type of currency? The Malaysian Ringgit. About 3.3 ringgits are equal to $1 US.

Things Malaysia Is Known For: Borneo and orangutans; the beaches; the diversity in
ethnicities out here, this year being its 50th anniversary as a nation; I always think of the tourism ad
saying "Malaysia: Truly Asia".

Religion: Truly a bit of everything! Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Christian.

Costs:
Malaysia...
December 20-24, 2007 and
January 22-31, 2008
Sunset on a Penang beach.
Adorable Malaysian kiddies.
The Petronas Towers at night.