Apr 8, 2013 - Malaysia - 08/4-28/4

13/4/13 - With no visa left & Langkawi only 45mins away from Ko Lipe, it seemed the sensible option to come here even though I was here in January. I've now been here for a few days, having to make the most of the beach (of course!) & planning my next move. Keith & i have said our goodbyes this morning & he's left for Thailand for the water festival as his end of trip clock is ticking but I'm going to hang around in Malaysia for a little while. Ciao Hun, enjoy the rest of your travels, keep in touch & stay safe! & then there was one. Ok,...

Feb 14, 2012 - In cerca di fresco... e di un pò di fango

In questo mio viaggio alle Cameron Highlands ho imparato una cosa molto importante: prima di unirsi con qualcuno in un trekking, informarsi sempre su chi sono e cosa fanno le persone con cui stai per intraprendere un’ardua camminata. Perché se vedi un ragazzo alto più di 2 metri che viene dalla Nuova Zelanda, dovresti immaginare che nel suo sangue scorre la forza degli All Blacks, o se ce n’è un altro dall’Australia, non è così strano che sia un campione di surf. E così se il taxista, mentre vi accompagna al punto di inizio del trekking, vi...

Jan 4, 2012 - Malaysia - Day 30 - 32 - Rafflesia (World's Largest Flower) & Traditional Poison Blow Pipe

an. 2nd: We arrived in Cameron Highlands just a little after 5pm. There are 5 towns that make up the entire area of Cameron, we are located in Tanah Rata. The Cameron Highlands is one of Malaysia’s most extensive hill stations. It covers an area of 712 square kilometers (275 sq mi). During the day, the temperature seldom rises above 25 °C (77 °F); at night, the temperature can sometimes drop to as low as 12 °C (54 °F). We walked down the street to our guest house and checked in for three nights. Dressed in warmer clothes, we actually put...

Jan 1, 2012 - Malaysia - Day 29 - Bathed baby elephants on New Year's Day!

We caught a 9am bus to Lanchang, about an hours and a half drive from Kuala Lumpur headed to Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Center. It is the only center in Malaysia dedicated to elephant translocation and conservation. Visitors get to feed, bathe and ride the elephants for free, providing you get the 'yellow' ticket, which we did because Jason called and reserved four for us. It's mass disorganization and it was more like a zoo than a conservation center however we still enjoyed our time at the park and loved every minute we got with...

Apr 27, 2011 - Sweat, blood and tea

We spent the night in a place called Jerantut, found sone tasty food at the only stall with a menu translated into English. Then again not sure what pluffy is supposed to be! We cruised out early the next morning to catch our boat up the river and into the jungle. We got pretty excited when we saw sone big buffalo bathing in the water, and overly excited when we thought we saw a tapir, turned out to be a wild boar :(  On our arrival we headed straight into the park to spend the night in a hide in the jungle with our jungle essentials. Turns...

Apr 12, 2011 - Kuala Lipis

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND Kuala Lipis was a gold mining town for some time before the British arrived in 1887. Things really started looking up when it was declared the capital of Pahang and construction began on many governmental colonial buildings. A separate area was established for the Chinese and Indian migrants, and today, the old shophouses add a touch of character and colour to the area near the confluence of the Lipis and Jelai Rivers. Even today, a large percentage of the population is Chinese and Indian and they use English, as a...

Apr 11, 2011 - Taman Negara

@@@@@@@ BACKGROUND The jungle at Taman Negara is reputed to be the oldest on earth (130 million years old). There have been no volcanoes, no geological activity and even the Ice Age failed to leave its mark on this terrain. The Taman Negara covers 4343 sq km of the Malaysian peninsula with damp, shadowy, impregnable forests. The vegetation can be overwhelming, the world’s largest flower, the rafflesia grows here, but there are animals here too and chances are they will see and not be seen. Most visitors who stay long enough to do some...

Apr 10, 2011 - Jerantut

@@@@@@@ We had set out for the Taman Negara National Park from Kuala Terengganu after picking up our rental car and getting a little lost in the city, trying to find the highway that led away from the coast and into the interior. I won’t go into any detail here, but I will admit that I’m a nervous passenger, and sitting in the back seat trying to be the official navigator wasn’t the easiest role imaginable. Once we were out of the city, we were on a narrow highway with tons of oncoming transport trucks, no shoulders to speak of and a speed...

Mar 6, 2011 - Tea and Scones

After the mammoth trek of yesterday we all decided it was time to take it easy.So , it was time for tea and scones.With much advice being given(all of it contradictory)we headed out and within no time we found our gem , a taxi driver who would take us all around for the day,at a fair price-excellent.No chance of getting lost. Destination- The Seung Lee Boh Tea Plantation, the most famous plantation in Malaysia. After a hair raising drive to the site you could understand why.Once into the valley the road curled this way and that, with our...

Mar 5, 2011 - Cameron Highlands

After a long 8 hour drive, we were really pleased to arrive at the Cameron Highlands and meet up with Eva and John. So nice to see them and hear all about their adventures in India, also the temperature is cooler, in fact we've had to ask for another blanket as it's cold at night. Our first meal together involved all kinds of curry served upon a banana leaf-very tasty. Today we set off at 10 am to follow a trail into the mountains, aiming for about a 3 hour walk. 6 hours later we returned, exhausted to Tanah Rata, having got completley lost...

Jan 9, 2011 - Phnom Penh #2

I love this city. After some readjusting to the currency, the poverty (not totally readjusted- and doubt I ever will be), the filth, the confusion and the language barrier I find myself in a city that is a buzz of culture, history and new beginnings. It seems an exciting time to be here. It is hard to walk anywhere with an abundance of moto tuktuk's and motorbikes everywhere asking if you want a ride. They don't seem to understand the the need to walk just for orientation. Day three I decided to travel 45km out of town (1 and a half hours...

Jan 6, 2011 - Camodia- Phnom Penh

After a few lazy days in Kuala Lumpur, I arrived at Phnom Penh yesterday morning 8am. The Moto ride from the airport was a great way to see the city at first glance. The traffic here is pretty intense. there is no real give way system. When they reach an intersection everyone just slows down a little and works out which way everyone else is heading. The streets are not so clean and there are people everywhere- lots of little stalls by the side of the road and whole families on motor bikes- the most I have seen so far is 5 people, A mother...