MALAYSIA islands and Singapore

Travelling around Malaysia

 

PENINSULA MALAYSIA, Singapore AND ISLANDS
ORGANIZATION: DIY with the help of the Bible "LONELY PLANET", all the websites on Malaysia, and all the people of the TPC forums that I have provided useful advice.

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Flight from ROME WITH MALAYSIA AIRLINE A / R 600.00 EURO HEAD INCLUDING A DOMESTIC FLIGHT 1
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HOTELS IN KUALA LUMPUR: SWISS GARDEN 4 STAR FOR 2 DAYS IN TWO EURO 90
MANDARIN PACIFIC 1 DAY 25 EURO PER ROOM WITH BREAKFAST
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3G/2N TAMAN NEGARA: 145 EURO A HEAD PACKAGES INCLUDING ACCOMMODATION AND MEALS AND MISCELLANEOUS transfers
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7G/6N ISLAND Perhentian Besar 410 EURO INCLUDING TWO MEALS, TRAVEL AND TRANSFERS SNORKELING

7G/6N ISLAND Redang 300 EURO INCLUDING TWO MEALS, TRAVEL AND TRANSFERS SNORKELING
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3g/2n Singapore: ORCHARD PARADE HOTEL 5 STAR EURO 175 rather then 150 you explain ..

Why Malaysia? Because I read a magazine article on "start" and we thought "why we are not starting?" ....
After almost a year to plan this trip on 24 June finally arrived!
Off at 14:30 with 45 minutes of delay and the beautiful hostess with the currency typically distribute the eastern wet wipes! And we also give the sheet from ?, ah that nice Chinese restaurant as complete and deliver then to the passport control (you can not declare the money). Almost 12 hours of travel in the economy class seats, torture, really uncomfortable, and in a film, a game and somehow we nap in KUALA LUMPUR at 7, 30.

At the airport immediately change some euros to buy train tickets "KLIA EXPRESS" (35 ringgit each way plus or minus 7 euros) that will take us 28 minutes to town.
We arrive at the KL Sentral station, that great would be an extension of the station where it is possible to check in and where the underground and local trains, we change our first travelers check and where the man of change asks us " where are you from? "and we" Italy, Rome "and he" ah yes! Francesco Totti! "And so we found for the rest of the holiday if you ask from where you just answer Francesco Totti and the Malaysian who lives in the hut in the jungle will understand that you are Italian!

Well, the second means of transportation we take the monorail, (the price of tickets is at the second stop) and so we arrive at the hotel booked by the internet, after a few minutes walking we see the huge Swiss Garden Hotel, a hotel 4-star hotel, located between the area of Bukit Bintang and Chinatown.
Conquered the room literally collapsed from sleep and then we take a nap around .. 2 hours and then via the streets of KUALA LUMPUR, soon we realize that the atmosphere is heavy, sultry air that takes away the breath.
Take the jalan Bukit Bintang chock full of restaurants for all tastes and WILLINHOLLY of customers for reflexology foot massage, we pulled into the shopping center LOT stunning 10 to make purchases and then leave only to 18 and then take a taxi and head towards the grandiose Petronas tower. The towers are truly spectacular especially at night when illuminated, inside there is the Suria shopping center worthy of a skip and a "buy"!

Kuala Lumpur

After a great breakfast we decide to go to Chinatown to the NKS book, and the TAMAN NEGARA, pass in front of the station PUDURAYA from where many buses to different directions in Malaysia and here starts the real casino with people, cars, smog, confusion for the Sunday there is more people around so much, we arrived at the famous "Petaling Street" the pedestrian street of Chinatown, where everything's more, with fruit carts and things to eat indecipherable visually apparent, and stands of shoes, watches , T-shirts, etc. Chinese herbal medicines. (very characteristic). Throughout the walk there with a terrible stench, stench of what? Bò! Of all that is on the streets, the sidewalks are terribly zozza perhaps the most zozza we have seen in Malaysia .... However, arrived at the Mandarin Pacific where there is the agency we realize that, since Sunday, l 'agency is closed, bella cheat because we planned to leave the next day for the TAMAN NEGARA, then we have to another day in KUALA LUMPUR so that we have already booked a room here on Monday night as the starting point of the bus for the park is in front of this hotel. (116 ringgit a deluxe room with breakfast).
The day continues with the arrival of a "cuddly" I assume from air conditioning which forces me to stay in the room, unfortunately, until 15 pm ... After that I go back again and see the famous Merdeka Square where he was proclaimed 's independence by the British in 1957. E 'a square well kept and very large easily recognizable flagship dall'altissima auction. Opposite is a park where once the British playing cricket. Exceeded the square wanted to visit the Masjid Jamek "the mosque, according to the LP "The most beautiful of KL" and actually the architecture affects us, is a blend of Moorish and colonial style with beautiful domes and arches, but unfortunately we can not enter because it is Sunday and closes earlier than the other days of the week, what luck eh eh eh? What do I do that? Take a taxi and go to Lake Gardens.
I do not remember the exact point where you have downloaded the taxi, however, so we walked to meet or the "Bird Park" or the Taman Rama Rama "(park of butterflies), gira gira reach instead the" National Monument "on a hill surrounded by a fountain ... (nice) we continue to follow the signs until we meet two boys who ask how long we should walk in the park of butterflies, and how if you wish hard on us tell us that virtually missing 100 meters, the park had just closed and it is a spectacle ... va bè, we give up the sfiga of the day and we return to center mostly on foot because the only taxi that has stopped us wanted to draw 15 ringgit and when we pulled it to 7 said "you can go walking, bye"! children in KUALA LUMPUR in some areas taxis use the meter in the other are just gnorri and to bring them from one place to another in the center just 6 or 7 ringgit, are paraBIP! However, the Lake Gardens look like a little 'to our Villa Borghese in Rome, and there is a po' meno sultriness to the center.
The evening ends in a Chinese restaurant and then in the hotel!

Day of the next few days.
We transfer your luggage with the Mandarin Pacific, clean room and facing the temple hinduista Sri Mahamariamman with many colorful decorations, the LP is right on, economic and clean.
Finally the book 3 days in TAMAN NEGARA, and then we head towards the agency Ping Anchorage that sells packages to the islands a good price (always as the LP). A taxi will arrive in a very off-hand bruttina also say that its not so much inspired security, climb the stairs of a dilapidated building and that the agency that's beautiful! So, book 6 days in Perhentian Besar and 6 to Redang.
All that remains is going to take the Berjaya air tickets for the flight from Singapore to Redang. While the domestic flight included in our ticket was we could not exploit it because the Malaysia airline can not make changes of any kind because the purchase price is cheap ....
We conclude with a 'shopping mall at Sungei Wang Plaza and BB Plaza and walk to Jalan Bukit Bintang and Sultan

Kuala Lumpur - Taman Negara

8.00 a.m. NKS of the van is full of young people of various nationalities in the direction of TAMAN NEGARA.
After 3 hours of travel and come to a stop squalid town of Jerantut, where we eat at Sri Emas, a real hovel where wafts the smell of durian, but it eats Benin, here is the basic NKS where there is a kind Mr Zimi girl and we explain everything we do, buses, boats, guides, etc..
Here we buy a bus ticket to Kuala Besut which costs RM 25 instead of 55 because we have organized everything with NKS.
You leave for Kuala Tembeling where we are given permission to enter the park and licenses to take pictures, we recommend that you always keep with us the permission, because otherwise we could be severely fined and expelled from the Park (fear!).
In Kuala Tembeling us to embark on launching navigate the waters of Sungai tembeling, the scene moves us, the river is brown and it wraps around a lush, green vegetation, the jungle!
Well, spend 3 hours and a half on this launch before you come to kuala tahan, the weather is still warm and air heavier arriving by boat in speed gives us a little 'breathing space, we can even nap (for us day began with alarm at 6.30 am). Along the river you do see some groups of Indian buffaloes lazily lying on the shore, and some children who are the bathroom and throw kisses to us, will be "orang asli"? mah ...
18 to arrive at Kuala Tahan, where is the headquarters of the park, go and get all the backpacks, we can accept a guide that makes us all sit around the table to explain the place, excursions and where they are housing.
Then take another barchettina to go the other side of the river where the Mutiara TAMAN NEGARA resort we booked, and I collect the key to our bungalow after leaving a deposit of 200RM that there will be returned when returning the key , it seems absurd to us since we have already paid more ... mah ...
Our bungalow is 96 moolto far from the main building of the resort, everything is well taken care of along the way you feel verses of birds of all kinds and hum of the engines of the boats that pass continuously along the River. Our bungalow was very nice and especially in air-conditioned cool thanks, we are both completely wet of sweat, we take a shower and we riprepariamo to go to serve the mangiare.Ci barchettine that for 50 sen a person carrying the tourists from one shore to the river, you should know that compared to Mutiara TN all the floating restaurants and the rest of housing and the main road are located on the opposite bank, we were happy with the choice, 1) because he's cute 2) because it is well integrated into the vegetation, practically there are only bungalows and jungle.
After dinner with chicken and rice and the wonderful juice and carrot all'ananas course ice, starts the movie on the educational park that is not practically spun by anyone ... including us!
Let us then know our mythic guide Herman, a boy from the very weak constitution, with its ramshackle English but we will understand for all three days explaining everything that we'll see.
21.30 start the night walk in the jungle armed with torches, ready to illuminate anything that makes noise and moves! The first step is an observation hut which spotted some deer that night to seek food, and then along the Herman path we noted the insects of the night: a big and hairy ragnone the family of the tarantula, scorpions and other insettoni (sorry but I do not remember even one name "technical" view of species). For some time put out the torches and we remain silent, the jungle is a concert of sounds emitted by insects, bats and some kind of animal, of thrill, a wonderful feeling, we feel a little 'Indiana Jones in the jungle evil!
And after this night walk in the bungalow we return again and bathed in sweat .... Buonanotte. (Mega storm night ... help! I think it comes from "leeches leave?")

Taman Negara

Alarm at 7.45a.m. , Breakfast and meeting with Herman, we expect the "Canopy walkway and some 'trekking and fortunately the only leech was attached to the ankle of Herman saving our ....
The crossing of the bridges was very exciting and dramatic for me, when you want a mid-race to get off as soon as possible .... I have all seemed quiet as if they had already done so who knows how many times, perhaps pretended? Mah ....

After the bridges do some 'trekking towards Bukit Teresik hill "to see the panorama of the jungle, the only thing we encounter is a big scorpion green but no monkeys or other animals, apart from us eh eh!

In the afternoon we go to visit an Orang Asli village, a visit somewhat disappointing, these ethnic minorities are losing their traditions and peculiarities as to meet the "progress" and tourism and therefore the money should make a setting to make believe tourists that they live in the village supporting the limited resources of the jungle ... but to ignite the fire use a lighter wood because they can not, and this is what we have seen him swear!
We continued the trip on the boat going fast, and then we stopped on a beach along the river for swimming, the only was a courageous Texan while we are still wet because it started to rain a hijacking, it is the only time in the jungle where we felt cold!

Taman Negara - Perhentian Besar

8.00 a.m. We are waiting for the coach of NKS that will take us to the Perhentian Kuala Besut jetty ... 8:15 hours if the coach does not see it, fortunately there are 2 other English guys to wait and confirm that we have said to them that the point of departure was right in front all'Ekoton resort ", at 8:20 you get the NKS coordintore of a foot and a little 'tired that we almost almost cocks because we waited on the highway, and cabbage which was the main road? mahh anyway .. climb on the bus and spend 4 hours with the air conditioner and the TV volume a palla, moreover we are the last places where there are no chairs but a kind of bench that will make the trip unbearable! We are so tired that we take the ridarella ....

About 13 to make the stop for lunch and 14 again, and we divide into two groups, one goes to Cameron Highlands and the other (including us) to Kuala Besut.
Since the van is full KB for travel on a machine with 2 other girls in Sweden, will be 3 hours of panic, the gentleman who leads the Chinese origins, performs at risk of overtaking, overtaking all our faces will deform by fear but he will Watch the mirror and says "do not worry, trust in me" and we have had to rely on strength, however, a destination we arrived and we just relaxed when we got on the boat Simphony of which the Chinese driver was the owner (to understand eh? Chinese Er ...)

Eccociiii, see our resort away from the TUNA BAY RESORT, we are the second to fall, a boat comes to meet us, we make the transfer luggage from one boat to another and a second transfer by boat to the beach. We deliver the key and we offer the "welcome drink", we go straight ahead in the bungalow, little but clean and bright, now we are robbing us and finally throw in the waters of the beautiful Sea of China!

1st to 6th July

Spend these days idling on the beach, snorkeling and strolling by. This island is a paradise, tourists are few, the staff of the resort is affectionate and always available. In front of the beach is a beautiful coral reef populated by many colorful fish, each time like an aquarium. With the boat we went to shark point twice but we have not even seen a shark, turtle and a point we made the bathroom with the turtles, it was beautiful and exciting.
Then because we had changed enough money, we went to the Perhentian Island resort along a short stretch of jungle where the path is located after the "NEWCOCOHUT CHALET" We have put a little 'to find it because it was not very visible, it comes out to View and Coral then passes in front of Mama's and then get out in front of the beautiful wide beach and the PIR, the exchange of money was not very convenient but we were forced otherwise remained dry!

Tuna is next to the "seahorse diving where you can do courses at sub little money, we unfortunately have not done so, and then there's" ABC Chalets "which has a rather untidy appearance seems that the structure is to yield ... But the right of the resort there are small chioschetti selling sarongs that are the wonderful fruit shake.
The only thing to do in the evening it was back on deck chairs on which oziava up to a few hours before dinner and watch the extraordinary lightning in the distance or stroll on the beach and admire the stars.

LAST DAY: Wake up call at 7 am, starting at 8 to Kuala Besut, but not before he welcomed the PG, a boy of staff to whom we loved during our stay.
In Kuala Besut is a child of Ping Anchorage very kind to us asking if we were happy with the stay and then we load the backpacks in the car and I think a type of Chinese origin who do not even speak English to us to take Merang 'other boat to Redang. After about an hour to travel with air conditioning on ball at risk paresis (as usual) come to this desolate "river port" of Redang Beach Resort. To go to Redang necessarily buy an all inclusive package in a resort on the island because each structure has its own ferry, then it's all in the hands of tour operators!

6th to 12th July REDANG

Arriving by boat in the distance we see the color of the turquoise sea that washes the beach of Pasir Pajang not wait to plunge into the water!

So begins the ritual baggage, check in and transfer to cameraaaaaaa!
Here is quite different from Perhentian Besar, it soon as it is structured from the resort, this is a real village with mini market, souvenir shops, people who should be people who come, ehh be very difficult to adapt to these rhythms, and these noise after the quiet of Besar ...

The most squalid village is the restaurant that we dubbed the "mess" it's a buffet (the food is not that bad) you sparecchia and equipment alone, streak plates, glasses (of hard plastic and washed rilavati ), and placed in special large plastic tubs full of water.

We consoled by a long hot bath in the sea and idling here on wooden deck chairs ...

In the evening after supper we throw ourselves exhausted in bed e.. Sorpresaaaa music full volume, is the disc that cool evening, sleep at least not to one up, hic hic regret as the Tuna Bay!

Next morning: they are hysterical and I want to change resort, I view some along the beach including the Coral that is definitely the class, but we get to Redang Holiday Villa
practically the last resort at the end of long beach where we speak with gentle Miss Florence, that will not be so nice and then I will explain, and filter a bungalow, of course, after having seen, nice, clean, un po 'dark but quieter as it is perched on the rocks in the jungle.

So after talking to the other resort we transfer to Redang Holiday Villas and from here onwards I will not dwell on to tell the adventures we had this ... but I will have to say: just turn off the light and hear noises from behind the curtain to display a window that's the size topone not indifferent, we fight, but my boy begins to struggle with a broom against the mouse, but the latter has the better and how to spell dissipated in the room and now? Well, we changed room three times until we returned to Redang beach without even a penny back, that kind Miss Florence eh?!

On the other during the three days spent in the bungalow in the jungle we saw a beautiful large launch, many squirrels, monkeys and a beautiful view what else? The TOPONE!

But we talk about nature, coral reef in front of long beach is wonderful, beautiful corals and a myriad of strange fish, large and colorful, squaletti and barracuda. Without realizing it riamanevamo in water more than two hours with his face down to see and sometimes touch this wonderful underwater world.
We were in Marine Park (you pay 5 ringgit), where there is a very nice house reef, but we feel sullied by a long bridge of concrete dock where the barges that carry tourists.
Redang is frequented mainly by groups of young Chinese, Korean, and also Japanese. Was shot on a film that has been very successful in Hong Kong and thus has attracted a strong tourist appeal, in fact near the huge and somewhat 'Pacciano Laguna Redang resort there is a faithful reconstruction of one of the most important set the movie is called "more more tea inn" where everyone must at least take a picture (even us ..).



A Redang to get there through all-inclusive packages, so that the only restaurant open to external customers that we found was that of Coral (30 ringit buffet) and a booth at another resort where we ate 5 ringit of Wester food ie burgers and fries!
The last few days we have become accustomed to its "tourist" on the island but mostly we enjoyed the beautiful sea, we bask in the sun lying on white sand (attentive to midges have massacred the legs!) ... Hic .. I I'm moving ... ..:-(

Redang - Singapore

Departure at 8.00 in the boat to Redang airport, ahead of a separate Berjaya air (not the expected!) That we charge in the car and leads us to the airport from where we start at 9.50 per Singapore with 4 motors 48.
We arrive in Singapore with the rain, but I say, the deluge! The time to reach the inside of the airport and we are completely wet from head to foot in spite of the tarpaulins el'ombrello.
Go up by taxi wet and cold (air conditioning on ball as usual) the taxi driver will be welcome in town doing a promotional sort of show in Singapore, "Singapore is a safety city, Singapore is beautiful, 'etc. etc.. and also tells us that we were lucky that it rained because the police had called the airport taxi enough for all passengers who normally seen at the Selet there are no taxis and we must call them by telephone (menomale!).

Arrived at the hotel on "the Elizabeth" change on the fly a few euros in Singapore Dollars to pay the kind taxista. After a short wait we announce that the room is not available because many people have extended their stay el'albergo is full and we will be transferred to another hotel, in fact pay us a taxi and send us all'Orchard Parade Hotel-class precisely on Orchard Road that luck again!
And finally we are in the room, placed a little 'things to go just to go around the BEAUTIFUL Singapore yeah!
After several rounds in the many shopping malls are taking a taxi and go in the district of Clarke Quay, along the river there is a restaurant behind the other from Italian cuisine to the Spanish, Mexican, Japanese have plenty of choice, everything is colorful and very lively, on the river there are the typical barge to make a romantic excursion, it's all so perfect that it seems fake! We stop by "Hooters" where we use the pretty waitresses in mini shorts.

SINGAPORE

After a lunch in a chic from American film, ask the reception information for coaches to return to KUALA LUMPUR, we suggest buying tickets on our behalf, the cost is somewhat 'expensive so we decide to go to the station and buy them ourselves. The station is located at Lavender Street to buy tickets for Transnational ' "economic bus" that cost S $ 25 a head, we have definitely saved a lot of money providing for themselves.
Then we devote the morning to the neighborhood to buy some Chinese souvenirs and where we are doing as good a painful massage reflexology.
We visit a Hindu temple where a couple meet French people who were at TAMAN NEGARA with us, that beautiful when you see familiar faces! But they would continue the trip to Indonesia, and we ... we are almost at the end, I can not think !

Afternoon at Sentosa Island, we were so happy to take the cable car .... And instead came to the mountain Harbor tell us that the gondola is closed for maintenance, which kills sfiga, we have been too bad.
Vabbè, we go by bus, the ticket to enter Sentosa you when you arrive, there are three or 4 lines of colored buses that lead to the various attractions of the island, we predict the blue line to go all'underwater worl. We are disappointed the Aquarium, it is a beautiful 85 meters long tunnel where sharks, mantas and monstrous sea creatures will go over your head, but there is no other, we read that Asia was the largest aquarium ... mah ....
Meanwhile the flood of new, expect some spiova 'and then go to the "musical fountain" where we see a wonderful show of lights, sound, fire and water, we were enchanted most of the children!

The evening concludes with a dinner at Clarke Quay and nanna.
Tip: Always take a taxi is more convenient means of which work well, whether bus metro. The maximum amount that we spent was $ 6 (3 euros) at night.

The next morning we go to the station from where we depart by bus in perfect time. But before we give the same form that we have completed the first airplane to enter
Malaysia. Descend to the exit from customs in Singapore, leaving luggage on buses, go to the passport control and climbing on the bus a little later. Throughout the journey we are always assisted by an officer of the Transnational always check that they all be returned on the bus.
The second stage is the customs entry for Malaysia, we go with all the luggage and deliver the form, but increased in all coaches and way to KL.

We arrive in KUALA LUMPUR at 16.30, just go to KL Sentral where we check in the freeing of the luggage and then stand around waiting for the time steps (we are too tired to wander into town).

23:59 hours the aircraft are assigned Roma, holiday over, everything is already becoming a good memory, this time we close our eyes and opens his arrival at Fiumicino ... ...

CONCLUSIONS:
interesting country, but without an identity, a mix of ethnic groups but not the unique charm and to the nation as you hear in other places. And 'certainly a place that offers numerous references to natural level, but local people who are Chinese, Indian and other races has always been kind and helpful.

ADVICE: matches with the bag empty, it's up there in the many mega shopping malls in KUALA LUMPUR.

What else to tell you? Go in Malaysia ne vale veramente la pena.
Buon viaggio a tutti!