Mr.Mac

Hi everybody, <BR>I'm spending six days in Malaysia and about three weeks in Thailand. I plan to be in KL, Port Dickson, Kuantan, Kuala Terangganu, Kota Bharu, Ipoh, Penang, and Langkawi in those six days. Am I crazy? Where should I stay in each place? Could I skip one or more of these places and or substitute one not mentioned? <BR>I will then cross the Thai border and go from there for the three weeks. Any suggestions? <BR>Accomodation advice would be greatly appreciated - places middle of the road price wise. Thank you.

harry

Yes you are crazy!!!!!As I've only been to 3 of the places mentioned i couldn't really advise which ones to do. And I don't know what your interests are. i would advise picking just 2 or 3 of them or giving yourself more time. Personally I would pick KL ,Penang and one other(I suggest you skip Langkawi. It is beautiful but more a "chilling out" place, which you haven't given yourself time to do!!!!)

James Allen

You'd never make it, or be an absolute 'wreck'! KL then Penang ( train or very very cheap flights ). There is a daily train service from Penang (actually Butterworth Station just over the Causeway/bridge). If you want to add Camron Highlands between KL and Penang it should be enjoyable, but that is more than enough for 6 days. <BR>Once the rail route crosses into Thailand the first major town is Hat Yai, very much a provincial busy town where many Malaysians go for shopping and 'fun'. The rail line continues north to Surat Thani from where you take bus/boat to Koh Samui. From Samui you can take a boat to Kao Tao. From Koa Tao there is a boat to Chumpon, remote beach area. From there you can bus or train to Hua Hin which is nice for beaches and eco-tourism, national park etc. It is just over 3 hours by bus from Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi (River Kwai). You can then head to Sukhotai for temples and culture, then north to Chiang Mai. From Chiang Mai in the north you can overnight train or fly (cheap) to Bangkok. <BR> <BR>James

James

'Camron' should be 'Cameron Highlands'. <BR>Try www.asiatravel.com, they have an excellent range of hotels and also have maps and local travel information for all Malaysia and Thailand. Most hotels are in the US$25 and up range on this site, there is the benefit of a large number of hotels at truly 'great' discounts. Many have mentioned them on this site, they are very good indeed. <BR>In Malaysia Rm 100-150 (US$25-35 approx) will get you a nice 3-star, probably with pool. In Thailand same price range goes for same type hotel. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps <BR> <BR>James

Mr.Mac

Thanks for the info. <BR>Am I better off to book from here or to just try and find a good spot once I get there? <BR>I much prefer places that are part of the culture rather than western in nature. Places between $30 and $50 Canadian would be great - cheaper if they're nice. <BR>We want to see parts of Malaysia that aren't too touristy and display the culture. Caves and either fishing or white water rafting might be neat. <BR>Any suggestions?

Dani

Another good website to check out for great hotel/tour rates around Asia/Australia is http://www.e-hotelbooking.com ..I've used them many times are they are very efficient. <BR> <BR>Cheers!

wayne

I'm from penang, malaysia. You can't see all those places in 6 days. Let me suggest a better itineary. travel from KL to Penang, staying 3 days each city and make your way to Thailand from there, or visit Taman Negara for 3 days, KL 1 day and Penang 2 days. Port Dickson is a dirty, lousy beach near a major port so you can definitely skip it. Kuantan, Kota Bahru and Kuala Trengganu are nice small towns but you can find similar towns, villages and beaches in Southern Thailand. Ipoh can be done on a day trip from KL to Penang (4 hr car ride from KL to Penang) altho I don't know what you hope to see in Ipoh. Langkawi is just like Phuket minus the buzz. Penang is interesting for its colonial charm and good food.It;s like SIngapore 20 yrs ago. I am suggesting Taman Negara, the 100 mil yr old tropical rainforest as something different from all the beaches and crowded cities of Asia. You can take a bus from KL. You take a 3 hr long boat ride in and stay right in the middle of the forest and u can see tribes people (orang asli) and lots of wildlife, even the malayan tiger if you are lucky. i bet it will be a once in a lifetime experience! you can e-mail me if you need more info or simply search for taman negara malaysia on any serach engine.enjoy!

harzer

Hi Mr Mac! <BR> <BR>Wayne is right, you have to opt either for the east coast (KL - Kuantan - Kuala Terengganu - Kota Bharu - Thailand), the centre (KL - Taman Negara) or the west coast (KL - Cameron Highlands - Penang - Hat Yai would be my recommendation). The east coast is more Malay and Muslim, especially the further north you go; the west is very much dominated by Chinese culture. Entering Thailand from Penang is perhaps a bit easier than going in from the north-east. There are minibuses that do the run to Hat Yai in around four - five hours. Any guesthouse or hotel can do the booking for you. But then the beaches are better in the east. The best beaches on the west side are on Pulau Pangkor or on Langkawi. I feel that Penang is very much overrated from all points of view. <BR> <BR>So much for my thoughts <BR>Cheers <BR>Harzer <BR>

Kaja

I was disappointed with Penang when I visited last year. Drop it! However, I am surprised that nobody has recommended Melaka, a very interesting city both from a historical, architectural and cultural point of view. Can be done as a one-day excursion from KL (although I would suggest more time). Recommended! <BR>And Cameron Highlands where you can also visit the orang asli tribes.

barryb

I would recommend <BR> <BR>1. K Lumpur City (try to visit Kuala Selangar in the evening to see the fireflies) <BR>2. KL to Cameron Highlands, stopping at Batu Caves on the way. <BR>3. Cameron Highlands and afternoon drive to Penang (I agree not much to see in Ipoh really apart from the PErak Tong temple, so could do a half hour stop). Kuala KAngsar is also worth a short stop as well for the mosque and Palace. <BR>4. Penang - worth seeing, spend half a day in Georgetown and half a day going round the Island. <BR>5. Penang to Langkawi <BR>6. Langkawi <BR> <BR>As a rule, Malaysia is more expensive than Thailand, so save all shopping for there (apart from and Malaysian specialities that is), although bargains can be found. <BR> <BR>As for accomodation, KL has a large range. Cameron Highlands is fairly 'up-market', but not excessive. We stayed at The Lakehouse, which was very nice. <BR> <BR>Penang gives a choice of the big hotels by the beach, or Georgetown.

anonymous

Skip KL.