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///// home – travels – malaysia /////
:: M A L A Y S I A ::
Malaysia
is located in Southeast Asia just north of the Equator. The country is
divided into Peninsular Malaysia to the West and the states Sarawak and Sabah
which make up one third of the island of Borneo to the East. Malaysia is
renowned for its natural beauty and its multiethnic society. There are 45
national or state parks which offer everything from canopy walking and bird
watching in deep jungles, adventure caving in spectacular deep gorges,
turtle hatching on desolate islands, and climbing of ragged mountain peaks
in biological hotspots with carnivorous plants.
On
the cultural side is Malaysia a stunning country to visit. Only 50% of the
population in Malaysia is ethnic Malaysians. 25% is Chinese and 10% is
indigenous people. Indians in urban centers make up the third largest
group. The state religion is Islam, but there are Buddhist, Taoist,
Confucian and Hindi temples on most street corners. With a mix of the
Indian, Chinese, Thai and Indo-Malay kitchens it comes as no surprise that
the food is great.
Places visited
:: Sabah :
Malaysian territory in northeast Borneo
Kota Kinabalu – Capital of
Sabah and gateway to North Borneo
Tunku Abdul Rahman Park
– Beautiful islands just offshore Kota Kinabalu
Sabah Highlands &
Mountains – Climbing the towering Mt Kinabalu (4101m)
:: Northeastern Islands, Peninsular Malaysia ::
Perhentian Islands – Alluring bounty
islands with more hammocks than residents
Redang Island – Hedonistic
island-retreat for the moneyed travelers
Lang Tengah Island – Extremely
tranquil island for Robinson Crusoe wannabees
:: Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia ::
KL – Multicultural,
green, warm and sunny capital of Malaysia
August 2004
In Summer 2004 we visited Malaysia for three weeks on our trip from
Bali to Bangkok. We started out in the exotic province of Sabah in northern
Borneo with an ascent of Mount Kinabalu, the second highest mountain in
SE-Asia after Hkakabo Razi in northern Myanmar. After a relaxing stay at
Poring, a village with hot streams in the highlands, we headed back to the
north coast to explore the capital Kota Kinabalu and its offshore islands.
After Sabah we went to Singapore and then through Peninsular
Malaysia with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Running short of time we
continued to southern Thailand to visit some friends residing on Koh Tao.
July 2005
We had a
glimpse of Johor Bahru at the tip of the Malay Peninsula on our way from
Jakarta (Indonesia) to Cebu (Philippines) via Singapore.
July 2006
Jakob and
his girlfriend Rie visited nearly all of the northeastern islands and
marine parks in Peninsular Malaysia in an attempt to find the most gorgeous
beach. After 10 days or so they packed up and went further north to do some
more island hopping and beach strolling in Thailand.
Future places to go in
Malaysia
Peninsular
Malaysia
§
The
Seribuat Archipelago
§
Cameron
Highlands
§
Lake
Kenyir
§
Highlands and national parks in Pahang and
Negeri Sembilan
§
Thaipusam Hindu festival at the Batu Caves
near Kuala Lumpur
§
More islands in the Redang Archipelago
Malaysian
Borneo
§
Sarawak State with all its tempting waterways,
long houses and national parks
§
Layang Layang Atoll in the disputed Spratly
Islands
§
More of Sabah; the turtle islands and the
islands close to Tawi Tawi in the Philippines; Bajau sea-gypsy community in
Tawau
Fast facts and hints
Daily budget: On the cheap: 20-60 RM; more activities:
50-180 RM
Pros: Much less touristy and more cultural diverse than
neighboring Thailand
Cons: More pricey than the rest of SE Asia; some places it may be hard to
find a beer
In a nutshell: 64% forest cover, religious festivals,
economical progressivism, peaceful coexistence of multiple religious
groups, AirAsia
///// home – travels – malaysia /////
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