Wildlife lover trying to organise Malaysia trip - need suggestions!
Jan 31st, 2006, 12:54 AM
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Wildlife lover trying to organise Malaysia trip - need suggestions!
Hello,
A year or so ago I posted a message asking for help organising a honeymoon trip to Malaysia and got a lot of helpful suggestions from posters on this board. In the end, we went to Africa for our honeymoon, but we are now hoping to arrange a slighly lower-key trip to Malaysia in autumn this year.
However I'm absolutely stuck and don't even know where to start with my planning. Usually I'm good at travel planning but somehow I just can't get my head round Malaysia!
I've read the Lonely Planet guide practically cover to cover and perused many Malaysia posts both here and on the LP thorntree message board. I've browsed through countless websites offering tours and itineraries through Malaysia/Borneo. And yet I *still* don't know where to start.
So I thought perhaps a bit of first-hand experience from people on this board would help...
We are a Scottish/French couple aged 31-32, fairly well travelled. We love wildlife and nature, small hotels/lodges, good food. Not hugely turned on by massive "luxury" resorts or all inclusive beach holidays, but love more remote beach areas, especially if there is good snorkelling.
We'll have about 2 to 2.5 weeks in total, though this is flexible, and probably wouldn't mind hiring a car, though perhaps not for the duration. We'd even consider an organised (private) tour, if it seemed worthwhile.
Just to make things more complicated, for the next 12 months my husband has to take medication that requires constant refrigeration (under 4 degrees C), which means we can't stay anywhere too rustic, or that involves long, hot journeys. We usually carry a coolbag with ice packs that we refreeze when we can. This means that my hopes of trekking in Borneo are pretty unrealistic.
A friend living in Singapore (who we are also hoping to visit for a couple of days) suggested sticking to peninsular Malaysia, as did a colleague who used to live in Brunei. This seems like a logical plan, but then I wonder whether I'll be missing out by not trying to focus on Borneo instead, as the wildlife aspect is obviously a big draw.
Then I wonder that if we get too carried away with the wildlife/nature side, we'll miss out on the wonderful cultural heritage of the country.
So, I suppose my main questions are:
- Is there enough in peninsular Malaysia to keep 2 first-time visitors/wildlife lovers happy?
- If so, what areas would you suggest we focus on?
I know this is all pretty vague, but any/all help is appreciated - can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance
H
A year or so ago I posted a message asking for help organising a honeymoon trip to Malaysia and got a lot of helpful suggestions from posters on this board. In the end, we went to Africa for our honeymoon, but we are now hoping to arrange a slighly lower-key trip to Malaysia in autumn this year.
However I'm absolutely stuck and don't even know where to start with my planning. Usually I'm good at travel planning but somehow I just can't get my head round Malaysia!
I've read the Lonely Planet guide practically cover to cover and perused many Malaysia posts both here and on the LP thorntree message board. I've browsed through countless websites offering tours and itineraries through Malaysia/Borneo. And yet I *still* don't know where to start.
So I thought perhaps a bit of first-hand experience from people on this board would help...
We are a Scottish/French couple aged 31-32, fairly well travelled. We love wildlife and nature, small hotels/lodges, good food. Not hugely turned on by massive "luxury" resorts or all inclusive beach holidays, but love more remote beach areas, especially if there is good snorkelling.
We'll have about 2 to 2.5 weeks in total, though this is flexible, and probably wouldn't mind hiring a car, though perhaps not for the duration. We'd even consider an organised (private) tour, if it seemed worthwhile.
Just to make things more complicated, for the next 12 months my husband has to take medication that requires constant refrigeration (under 4 degrees C), which means we can't stay anywhere too rustic, or that involves long, hot journeys. We usually carry a coolbag with ice packs that we refreeze when we can. This means that my hopes of trekking in Borneo are pretty unrealistic.
A friend living in Singapore (who we are also hoping to visit for a couple of days) suggested sticking to peninsular Malaysia, as did a colleague who used to live in Brunei. This seems like a logical plan, but then I wonder whether I'll be missing out by not trying to focus on Borneo instead, as the wildlife aspect is obviously a big draw.
Then I wonder that if we get too carried away with the wildlife/nature side, we'll miss out on the wonderful cultural heritage of the country.
So, I suppose my main questions are:
- Is there enough in peninsular Malaysia to keep 2 first-time visitors/wildlife lovers happy?
- If so, what areas would you suggest we focus on?
I know this is all pretty vague, but any/all help is appreciated - can anyone point me in the right direction?
Thanks in advance
H
Jan 31st, 2006, 06:10 AM
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I just topped my Borneo trip report for someone else. Take a look at my experience there. The Borneo Rainforest Lodge has refrigeration, so you'd just have to keep medication in a coolpac from Kota Kinabalu to the Lodge, which should be do-able.
This was an incredible trip! There is a thres on teh Thorntree about how to see Oranguntans in teh wild. It's on the SEA islands and peninsula branch. Read that as well.
This was an incredible trip! There is a thres on teh Thorntree about how to see Oranguntans in teh wild. It's on the SEA islands and peninsula branch. Read that as well.
Jan 31st, 2006, 06:55 AM
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Let me try to make that last sentence more readable...
There is a thread on the Thorntree about how to see Oranguntans in the wild. It's on the SEA Islands and Peninsula branch. Read that as well.
There is a thread on the Thorntree about how to see Oranguntans in the wild. It's on the SEA Islands and Peninsula branch. Read that as well.
Feb 1st, 2006, 04:15 AM
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Hi,
I'd love to help - a little national service for my country. I had a few friends from Europe who just visited a month back and I can share what they found interesting and also some sights which I might be of interest to you.
The best beaches in Malaysia are either on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia (west Malaysia) and East malaysia (Sabah). On the east coast the best places for snorkling are at Redang Island and Pulau Perhentian (also close to Redang). I think you wouldn't be disappointed with Redang - absolutely lots to see in terms of snorkling and there are sandy white beaches (the powdery kind which you can sink you feet into). There's plenty of colorful fish of varying sizes and species, and lots of coral reef. Pulau Perhentian aka Perhentian Island is more secluded and if I'm not mistaken it's about 40mins by boat from Redang island as well. So if you stay in redang you can get the best of both these islands - I highly recommend it. At Redang you can easily spend 3 nights there but if you thinking of hitting Perhentian Island as well then I'd throw in another night or two. However, one drawback is that the food at the resorts are not the best of malaysia - that is for sure, but just ok. I'd recommend either staying at Berjaya Redang or the Laguna Beach Resort. Get a good room, not just the standard one, and i think you'd have a great time. I think the most convenient part about Redang is that you can fly there from Kuala Lumpur (KL) from the Subang airport, which is just about 20-30 mins from KL, so you don't actually have to fly from the main airport which is about 1 hr away from KL. It's very convenient - only takes about 30-40mins by plane from KL to Redang. There is only one operator for the plane - Berjaya Air. You can look it up on the web. Berjaya actually has a package that works out pretty well - they price the flight very cheaply if you take the package, which I'd recommend for cost purposes.
Pulau Sipadan aka Sipadan Island is also known for its splendid diving, and it's located in Sabah (east Malaysia) It's unspoilt and lots to see there if you're a diving fan. But if you just want to snorkle then I think Redang and Perhentian Island is better. I think East Malaysia (the states of Sabah and Sarawak) is a great place to observe nature at its very best. There are also good beaches, so you could actually spend a few days at the beach then venture out to the rainforests of the next few days. The best resorts in Sabah are Nexus Karambunai and Tanjung Aru beach resort. These resorts can arrange all the tours for you including to the rainforests as well. I'm not too familiar with the natural parks in East Malaysia but I believe you can find more info about it from other people who have posted here.
I'm more familiar with west malaysia - if you're planning to just stick in west malaysia there's also the national park (Taman Negara), where there is the oldest rainforest in the world - older than the Amazon, and lots of trekking can be done there. There are quite a number of guided tours that you can book and hire from - there are a few websites on this. And these tours will arrange transportation to there as well. It's about 4 hrs from KL and another 1 hr on the boat in the jungle, if i'm not mistaken.
I'd suggest also spending about 2 nights in KL - there's the twin towers and lots of shopping to be done - things are certainly going to be cheap if you're coming from Europe.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any other info.
Regards.
I'd love to help - a little national service for my country. I had a few friends from Europe who just visited a month back and I can share what they found interesting and also some sights which I might be of interest to you.
The best beaches in Malaysia are either on the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia (west Malaysia) and East malaysia (Sabah). On the east coast the best places for snorkling are at Redang Island and Pulau Perhentian (also close to Redang). I think you wouldn't be disappointed with Redang - absolutely lots to see in terms of snorkling and there are sandy white beaches (the powdery kind which you can sink you feet into). There's plenty of colorful fish of varying sizes and species, and lots of coral reef. Pulau Perhentian aka Perhentian Island is more secluded and if I'm not mistaken it's about 40mins by boat from Redang island as well. So if you stay in redang you can get the best of both these islands - I highly recommend it. At Redang you can easily spend 3 nights there but if you thinking of hitting Perhentian Island as well then I'd throw in another night or two. However, one drawback is that the food at the resorts are not the best of malaysia - that is for sure, but just ok. I'd recommend either staying at Berjaya Redang or the Laguna Beach Resort. Get a good room, not just the standard one, and i think you'd have a great time. I think the most convenient part about Redang is that you can fly there from Kuala Lumpur (KL) from the Subang airport, which is just about 20-30 mins from KL, so you don't actually have to fly from the main airport which is about 1 hr away from KL. It's very convenient - only takes about 30-40mins by plane from KL to Redang. There is only one operator for the plane - Berjaya Air. You can look it up on the web. Berjaya actually has a package that works out pretty well - they price the flight very cheaply if you take the package, which I'd recommend for cost purposes.
Pulau Sipadan aka Sipadan Island is also known for its splendid diving, and it's located in Sabah (east Malaysia) It's unspoilt and lots to see there if you're a diving fan. But if you just want to snorkle then I think Redang and Perhentian Island is better. I think East Malaysia (the states of Sabah and Sarawak) is a great place to observe nature at its very best. There are also good beaches, so you could actually spend a few days at the beach then venture out to the rainforests of the next few days. The best resorts in Sabah are Nexus Karambunai and Tanjung Aru beach resort. These resorts can arrange all the tours for you including to the rainforests as well. I'm not too familiar with the natural parks in East Malaysia but I believe you can find more info about it from other people who have posted here.
I'm more familiar with west malaysia - if you're planning to just stick in west malaysia there's also the national park (Taman Negara), where there is the oldest rainforest in the world - older than the Amazon, and lots of trekking can be done there. There are quite a number of guided tours that you can book and hire from - there are a few websites on this. And these tours will arrange transportation to there as well. It's about 4 hrs from KL and another 1 hr on the boat in the jungle, if i'm not mistaken.
I'd suggest also spending about 2 nights in KL - there's the twin towers and lots of shopping to be done - things are certainly going to be cheap if you're coming from Europe.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you need any other info.
Regards.
Feb 23rd, 2006, 08:06 PM
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Dear Hanl,
Hi there! I am new to fodors.com. I am Casey Ng, 38, and I am delighted you find Malaysia fascinating enough to attempt planning a trip here for a holiday.
I am a Malaysian, trained engineer (used to work for Ford Motor Company) but found my calling in business. Today, I own an espresso coffee roasting factory and in my leisure hours, I write travel articles for New Strait Times (the largest and oldest newspaper in Msia). You can view some of my articles at;
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...05915/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
About 43 travel articles of mine are also collected by Highbeam Research headquartered in Chicago US for professional use (view www.highbeam.com, search key word “Casey Ng”).
I started writing for travel media sometime back and the years of scouring the breadth and width of Malaysia for captivating anecdotes have nudged me to some of the best romps for nature, heritage, history, and ah yes, food. On the flip side, it’s also opened up my eyes to the poverty that still plague rural communities. I never get use to that part of travelling.
So, a couple of years back, I founded Outskirt OutReach – a small fund-raising organization – and started hosting small groups of foreign visitor (2-5 pax) to off-the-beaten-path vistas in my home state Perak hoping to bring some economy spread to rural community. Whilst running my coffee business, I could only find time to host 5 or 6 groups annually. But it’s the best I can do, personally, for humanity. Most visitors I have guided are ones who don’t like being herded by commercial tour agents in buses and prefer a “local friend” to take them around for a safe journey.
Small profits from fees collected are used to buy books, educational toys, sports equipment and anything that can help spur rural education (currently I am aiming to aid a small fishing hamlet call Kuala Sepetang) to catch up with the city. I hope by guiding visitors personally, with my insider account, it would help those new to Malaysian outdoor discover its hidden accolades minus the frills.
As you have mentioned that you hope to stay 2 weeks and your medical predicament, I would like to recommend you to base your stay in Ipoh city, Perak, my hometown. It’s about 2.5 hours car ride from capital Kuala Lumpur airport (KLIA), some 240km. What can both of you do within the vicinity of Ipoh? Quite a lot, really. Here are the thrills…
1. White water rafting in Gopeng’s class 3 river – 1 day
2. Explore Kandu Hill’s limestone cave – 1 day
3. Explore one of the world’s largest mangrove forest eco-system in Matang – 1 day
4. Taiping town steeped in heritage and bygone charm – 1 day
5. Pangkor island, sun sea sand – 2 days
6. Penang island city, great food and lots of interesting locales – 3 days (listed in Patricia Shultz’s bestseller “1000 places to see before you die”)
7. Ipoh free and easy – 1 day
8. Lenggong archeological site and highland lakes at Titiwangsa Range – 1 day
9. Cameron Highlands (cool weathered farm land, tea, scones, strawberry jams .. etc ) – 2 days.
YOUR WILDEST DREAM - Travelling to these destinations will also drip-feeds you with lots of wilderness along the journey.
NEVER GO HUNGRY - Eating can be an adventure itself. Jamie Oliver is running in our TV twice weekly and everyone loves his shows. You can say Ipoh is a cultural crossroad with the influence of Indian, Malay, Chinese, Sikh and English. There's a place in Ipoh call FMS Bar that will be celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year. The bar used to be THE drinking joint for European officers, planters and lawyers.
COST OF THINGS - Hotels in Ipoh and Penang charge about 60 GBP per night per room. A simple street meal cost about GBP 1 – 3.00 for rice, noodle and drinks. Starbucks here charge GBP 1 for a cup of cappuccino. Mc Donalds Big Mac is GBP 80p. If you want to treat yourself to a nice 3 course western dinner – it’s about GBP 30. Malaysia dinner for two is about GBP 20. Of course, there are cheaper places to go, stay or eat but in my opinion some are tourist-traps, un-hygienic and sometimes compromise on quality and service.
JUST IN CASE – There’re 4 world class hospitals in Ipoh. Internet cafes are all over the place. If required, you can buy a 2nd-hand mobile phone for about GBP 30 to carry around and keep in touch with friends and family back home 24/7. If you fall sick, there’re many private clinics around the city that operate 24 hours. There’re roughly 40 pharmacies here.
The thrill list above can easily give you 13 days of power-packed romp, with a balance mix of heritage, culture, history, countryside, city life and Mother Nature. You may also want to spend a day or two in Kuala Lumpur before you fly home.
So, there you are. Do contact me at [email protected] directly if you have questions. Perhaps, I can send you some pictures for viewing.
Cheerio.
Casey.
Hi there! I am new to fodors.com. I am Casey Ng, 38, and I am delighted you find Malaysia fascinating enough to attempt planning a trip here for a holiday.
I am a Malaysian, trained engineer (used to work for Ford Motor Company) but found my calling in business. Today, I own an espresso coffee roasting factory and in my leisure hours, I write travel articles for New Strait Times (the largest and oldest newspaper in Msia). You can view some of my articles at;
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...05915/Article/
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
http://www.nst.com.my/Weekly/Travel/...cle/index_html
About 43 travel articles of mine are also collected by Highbeam Research headquartered in Chicago US for professional use (view www.highbeam.com, search key word “Casey Ng”).
I started writing for travel media sometime back and the years of scouring the breadth and width of Malaysia for captivating anecdotes have nudged me to some of the best romps for nature, heritage, history, and ah yes, food. On the flip side, it’s also opened up my eyes to the poverty that still plague rural communities. I never get use to that part of travelling.
So, a couple of years back, I founded Outskirt OutReach – a small fund-raising organization – and started hosting small groups of foreign visitor (2-5 pax) to off-the-beaten-path vistas in my home state Perak hoping to bring some economy spread to rural community. Whilst running my coffee business, I could only find time to host 5 or 6 groups annually. But it’s the best I can do, personally, for humanity. Most visitors I have guided are ones who don’t like being herded by commercial tour agents in buses and prefer a “local friend” to take them around for a safe journey.
Small profits from fees collected are used to buy books, educational toys, sports equipment and anything that can help spur rural education (currently I am aiming to aid a small fishing hamlet call Kuala Sepetang) to catch up with the city. I hope by guiding visitors personally, with my insider account, it would help those new to Malaysian outdoor discover its hidden accolades minus the frills.
As you have mentioned that you hope to stay 2 weeks and your medical predicament, I would like to recommend you to base your stay in Ipoh city, Perak, my hometown. It’s about 2.5 hours car ride from capital Kuala Lumpur airport (KLIA), some 240km. What can both of you do within the vicinity of Ipoh? Quite a lot, really. Here are the thrills…
1. White water rafting in Gopeng’s class 3 river – 1 day
2. Explore Kandu Hill’s limestone cave – 1 day
3. Explore one of the world’s largest mangrove forest eco-system in Matang – 1 day
4. Taiping town steeped in heritage and bygone charm – 1 day
5. Pangkor island, sun sea sand – 2 days
6. Penang island city, great food and lots of interesting locales – 3 days (listed in Patricia Shultz’s bestseller “1000 places to see before you die”)
7. Ipoh free and easy – 1 day
8. Lenggong archeological site and highland lakes at Titiwangsa Range – 1 day
9. Cameron Highlands (cool weathered farm land, tea, scones, strawberry jams .. etc ) – 2 days.
YOUR WILDEST DREAM - Travelling to these destinations will also drip-feeds you with lots of wilderness along the journey.
NEVER GO HUNGRY - Eating can be an adventure itself. Jamie Oliver is running in our TV twice weekly and everyone loves his shows. You can say Ipoh is a cultural crossroad with the influence of Indian, Malay, Chinese, Sikh and English. There's a place in Ipoh call FMS Bar that will be celebrating its 100 year anniversary this year. The bar used to be THE drinking joint for European officers, planters and lawyers.
COST OF THINGS - Hotels in Ipoh and Penang charge about 60 GBP per night per room. A simple street meal cost about GBP 1 – 3.00 for rice, noodle and drinks. Starbucks here charge GBP 1 for a cup of cappuccino. Mc Donalds Big Mac is GBP 80p. If you want to treat yourself to a nice 3 course western dinner – it’s about GBP 30. Malaysia dinner for two is about GBP 20. Of course, there are cheaper places to go, stay or eat but in my opinion some are tourist-traps, un-hygienic and sometimes compromise on quality and service.
JUST IN CASE – There’re 4 world class hospitals in Ipoh. Internet cafes are all over the place. If required, you can buy a 2nd-hand mobile phone for about GBP 30 to carry around and keep in touch with friends and family back home 24/7. If you fall sick, there’re many private clinics around the city that operate 24 hours. There’re roughly 40 pharmacies here.
The thrill list above can easily give you 13 days of power-packed romp, with a balance mix of heritage, culture, history, countryside, city life and Mother Nature. You may also want to spend a day or two in Kuala Lumpur before you fly home.
So, there you are. Do contact me at [email protected] directly if you have questions. Perhaps, I can send you some pictures for viewing.
Cheerio.
Casey.
Feb 26th, 2006, 09:43 AM
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Thank you so much to everyone for responding. My Malaysia planning has been on hold for the last few weeks as I haven't been able to get in touch with my friend in Singapore regarding dates etc. We also have the offer of staying in a villa (owned by a friend) in Phuket for a few days, free of charge, so we're trying to decide whether we want to include that in our itinerary.
Also, my husband reckons that he would rather stay in Western Malaysia this time and devote an entire trip to Borneo once he's stopped taking the medication I mentioned above.
So taking all that into consideration, I think we'll try and fit in Penang and Taman Negara (organised package from KL), Singapore (to see our friend), and possibly Redang or Tioman island (depending on whether or not we go to Phuket). I'm sure this will all change again though!
Thanks again for all your help so far.
Also, my husband reckons that he would rather stay in Western Malaysia this time and devote an entire trip to Borneo once he's stopped taking the medication I mentioned above.
So taking all that into consideration, I think we'll try and fit in Penang and Taman Negara (organised package from KL), Singapore (to see our friend), and possibly Redang or Tioman island (depending on whether or not we go to Phuket). I'm sure this will all change again though!
Thanks again for all your help so far.
Feb 26th, 2006, 05:28 PM
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Happy planning.
By the way, Redang and Tioman is off bound usually by 3rd quarter of the year - monsoon season. The sea is rough and you can expect rain almost everyday. Nonetheless, para-sailing geeks adore that time of the year - they call it "monsoon madness" - because the sea/wind conditions are perfect for their hobby. Taman Negara which is located in Pahang state would also be affected by the monsoon. I think the best time to go island hopping and rainforest trekking is mid-year.
Cheerio.
By the way, Redang and Tioman is off bound usually by 3rd quarter of the year - monsoon season. The sea is rough and you can expect rain almost everyday. Nonetheless, para-sailing geeks adore that time of the year - they call it "monsoon madness" - because the sea/wind conditions are perfect for their hobby. Taman Negara which is located in Pahang state would also be affected by the monsoon. I think the best time to go island hopping and rainforest trekking is mid-year.
Cheerio.
