Last stop, Malacca

Last destination before heading back down to Singapore is Malacca.

The town has become immensely more popular in the 9 years since I saw it last. It was always a tourist draw, but the number of tourists today greatly overwhelms that of my previous visit. 

The historical old-town is still much the same, but the area around it has had a growth spurt. The street of small guesthouses and restaurants where I based myself in 2011 is gone, replaced by an enormous shopping mall.

But the old town is still beautiful. The museums run the gamut from wonderful to dreadful. And the food is always wonderful.

A fitting last fling for this trip.

Malacca old town

Street art (and cats)

Riverfront scenery

Dusk falls over Kampung Kling Mosque

The Malacca River, by Dutch Square (Red Square)

Crowds at Jonker Street night market

KL, city of contrasts

I have kinda a love-hate relationship with Kuala Lumpur. 

I've been there several times for business, and several times for pleasure. I don't think I'd ever want to live there (I find much of the city too chaotic and noisy for me, and there are far too many scammers and touts that prey on tourists for me to really relax in town).

But it does have wonderful food, and tonnes of sites and neighbourhoods to explore. After several visits, I've still barely scratched the surface of all the city has to offer.

So I know I'll undoubtedly be back.

Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, at the southern end of Chinatown

The city is ever-changing; a small historical remnant in rapidly-gentrifying Kampung Baru

Lights come up over the 110-year-old Masjid Jamek, surrounded by office blocks, with Menara Kuala Lumpur rising in the background

On Jln Petaling, if memory serves, in Chinatown

Penang 2, Me 1

Long-term readers of this blog know Penang and I have a bit of a history. I'd first visited in January 2011, and loved Georgetown and the wider island for it's history and food. I had a great trip.

Then I'd gone back in 2016, and that one ended badly (I mean, two weeks in hospital badly).

So, the big question for me, when I was going to be passing down the west coast of peninsular Malaysia again in late 2019 was, do I chance it again or not?

Of course I chance it.

So, I spent my days wandering the old town, admiring the old shophouses and visiting the clan houses.

I checked out a bunch of temples, and hiked around Penang Hill.

I marvelled at how much more crowded Georgetown had become in the 9 years since I first visited.

I ate great food in night markets.

And breakfasted like a king in kopitiams.

Then I got cocky and ate falafel and salad in a tourist-oriented cafe, and spent the next 24 hours stuck in bed with food poisoning, because the gods are cruel sometimes.

(Incidentally, this was the first and only incident of food poisoning on this trip, and I've been travelling for more than 6 months).

Penang, I love you, but I ain't chancing a 4th visit.

Malaysia one more time; first stop, Langkawi

One last push through the big-sites of the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia, back down to home in Singapore.

(Well, home for a short while longer - after three happy years, my job in Singapore ended last Spring, so I took the opportunity to have a grown-up gap trip in SE Asia before shipping my furniture and myself back to England).

After I left Thailand, it was an easy run down to Singapore via Langkawi, Penang, KL, and Malacca (all the biggest tourist sites in Malaysia). I'd been to all of them before, some more than once. And some (one) that had terrible memories for me (Penang was where I had that bad accident in 2016 that resulted in 2 weeks in hospital and titanium rods in my spine). 

But I've always loved Malaysia (hospitalisation notwithstanding), so let's dive in.

Panorama of Pantai Tengah

First stop is Langkawi, an easy ferry journey from Satun, and a lovely place to spend Christmas.

It's a hugely popular resort island, filled with domestic and foreign tourists. There are beaches and watersports, and plenty of attractions to keep everyone busy: an aquarium, a cable car up the mountain to a viewing platform, the rice garden (an educational site focusing on traditional rice growing and production), spas, and go-carts. 

Rice Garden

Food wise, you're spoiled for choice. There are loads of international cuisines. There's a version of a night market made from a bunch of food trucks that take over a parking lot near the beach each evening. There are hole-in-the-wall curry rice shops, and Western tourist-oriented cafes selling burgers and shakes. There are toes-in-the-sand beach bars and rooftop cocktail lounges. There's also Starbucks and duty free shopping. In other words, most tourists will find what they want there.

Food trucks at the tourist-focused "night market"

Those who read this blog will have undoubtedly noticed I tend to veer towards less touristy sites most of the time, but every now and then I find myself craving some familiar comforts, like pizza that doesn't suck, or margheritas and enchiladas. And Langkawi delivered on that respect. 

I found a nice small guesthouse in Pantai Tengah (the smaller beach just south of the main beach, Pantai Cenang) and had my Christmas dinner watching the sun set from a rooftop Tex-Mex restaurant (which was outstanding, I must say).

Get in my belly! Enchiladas at El Toro Restaurant

In between enjoying the food and cocktails, I walked miles along the beach, and revisited the rice garden (which I'd enjoyed on my previous trip to the island). I'd already been up the cablecar last time, so instead I took some boat trips. On one, we cruised slowly through some mangrove forest looking for snakes and birds. On another, we visited three nearby islands, including one (Pulau Dayang Bunting) featuring an inland lake that's popular with swimmers and paddleboaters. It was a lovely way to spend Christmas.

Pulau Dayang Bunting

Random sea life washed up on the beach (Langkawi is known for copious jellyfish - a small bottle of vinegar isn't a bad addition to your beach bag)

Crossing from Malaysia to Thailand in the East

Crossing the border from Malaysia to Thailand at Sungei Kolok / Rantau Panjang is fairly straight forward, but you may need some patience.

From Kota Bharu, local bus 29 will take you to the border at Rantau Panjang (what the Malay side of the border is called). The bus runs every 30-45 minutes, and takes maybe 1 hour (if memory serves - I'm writing this blog two weeks after I actually crossed, as I'm a lazy bugger).

The bus stops just before the Malaysian customs building - it should be easy to spot, not least because 2/3 of the bus will alight there. The bus then continues to other spots in the town. (Note, a handful of people got off one stop earlier, I think because motodops wait there. Ask the driver if you're unsure if you're at the right stop).

When you alight, walk straight ahead into the customs complex. The road curves to the left, to go around the complex, so you'll have to cross a couple of lanes of traffic. Luckily, it's not that busy. The pedestrian entrance is on the far left of the complex, as you enter (the pedestrian sign is blocked by the gate, so you can't really see it until you enter).

Malay exit customs is efficient and straight forward - just show your passport at the desk, and you're done. Keep walking straight to exit the building, then just walk over the bridge.

At the Thai side  you'll enter the building to find a mass of people in several snaking queues. There is no separation of queues into Thais vs foreigners - everyone just lines up together. But first you'll have to remember to pick up a landing card (known by the staff as the "white form"). They are not on display anywhere; there's no pile of them as you enter or stack on a counter. Instead you need to stick your head into the medical room, where the nice lady behind the desk will give you the form.

No, I don't know why they're kept there, either.

Then you join one of the snaking queues, and hope that no one in front of you has any problems, because the customs officers will hold up your queue for 20 or 30 minutes while they sort it (why can't they take the person aside to wait for the checks to be made or the call to come in, I don't know).

Not many Westerners cross by land here, so you may get an officious customs officer who gives you a hard time. Mine demanded to know, repeatedly, why I didn't have a Thai visa. I had to point out, repeatedly, that I didn't need one. Try to remain polite and smiling, even though it's hard not to get annoyed at the hassle, and the time wasted (in all my visits to Thailand, I don't think I've ever made it through customs in less than 45 minutes. No other country I've visited has such consistently slow immigration).

Once you're (finally) through Thai customs, just walk out the back of the building, ignore all the people hanging about waiting for their friends to get through, and walk straight ahead to leave the complex and enter the town of Sungei Kolok.

If you want the train heading north to Hat Yai and beyond, keep walking straight as you leave immigration. Ignore google maps, which puts the station entrance on the right of the tracks, and tells you that you need to go one street over. Google is wrong - the entrance is straight ahead, on this main road.

Thai trains are usually late, so don't expect your train to leave on time (mine sat on the tracks until 30 minutes after our scheduled departure time). Tickets on this section of the line are noticeably more expensive than on other sections (maybe because of the extra security). I paid 92b for a third class seat up to Hat Yai, and they wanted more than 400b for a second class seat. Expect friendly locals who seem genuinely surprised to see a foreigner sharing the bench with them. Carry loads of water (the third class carriages have no AC, nor do the fans run while you're sitting in the station, so expect to sweat. A lot).

Welcome to Thailand!

2019 travel costs for peninsular Malaysia

Back on my 2011 travels, I included a breakdown of travel costs for Malaysia. I thought it might be useful to update those costs for my 2019 trip, so here goes:

One caveat, my travel style has always been more flashpacker than backpacker, and is probably even more so, now I'm middle aged. I like AC. I hate share bathrooms.

Accommodation: one key thing to note is that the Malaysian government, in it's infinite wisdom, thought to themselves "We're already far less popular with tourists than neighbouring countries like Thailand and Indonesia, and seen as more expensive; why don't we make ourselves worse value for money?!" and added a 10RM per room, per night tourist tax. The touristy towns on the Western side also often add a 2RM per room per night local tourist tax (on top of the federal one).

Eastern side of the peninsula (Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Marang, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bahru): average costs per day = £29 (153RM). 

These areas are popular with domestic tourists, but don't see many Westerners, and that's a shame. The food is amazing, the people are friendly, and many of the towns are attractive and fun to explore.

Accom average £16.50 per night (87RM), including the tax.

• JB - 98RM (£18.50)
• Kuantan - 80RM (£15)
• Marang - 140RM (£26.50) way overpriced
• KT – 84RM (£16)
• KB – 73RM (£14)

Food and drink: average £5 per day (26RM) – a mix of meals at hawker centres and cheap restaurants, but no alcohol. Expect a meal of curry rice and iced tea, or fried fish (served with rice, fresh vegetables, and dip) in a small restaurant to cost around 8-10RM, and 4-6 RM for a typical hawker stall meal.

Western side of the peninsula (KL, Malacca, and Penang - which is technically an island, but large and has the feel of the mainland, not the islands): average costs per day = £39 (209RM). 

This is the touristy part of Malaysia, where most people go. 

Accom average £26 per night (136RM), including the tax.

• Penang - 170RM (£32). Penang has steadily become more and more popular over the past 10-15 years, and prices have risen accordingly. Now, the old shophouse guesthouses all call themselves "heritage hotels" and the city boasts many shiny new modern hotels with tiny rooms and pillow-top mattresses. The cheap-and-cheerful accommodation seems to be long-gone.
• KL - stayed a couple of nights in a cheap, backpacker oriented place (ensuite but windowless rooms) for 71RM (£13) and then a few nights in a midrange place for 135RM (£25.50)
• Malacca - 134RM (£25). It's another very popular place, and prices now reflect that.

Food and drink: average £7.20 per day (38RM) – these are all great eating cities, with tonnes of amazing and inexpensive food.

Island sites
(Tioman, Kapas, Lang Tengah, Langkawi): average costs per day £54.50 (288 RM)

Accom is more expensive on the islands, especially to get something offering flashpacker or midrange quality. 

Tioman seems to exist as a getaway for middle class KLers or Singaporeans, and charges accordingly. Beachfront resorts will charge typically £60 (300RM) for a pretty standard room. If you're willing to be off the beach, you might be able to find a place for half that.  

Kapas is small island, with a lot of backpacker accommodation, and a couple of mid-range options. If you don't mind a run-down A-frame with cold water bathroom and fan, or a newer room with shared bath, you'll be looking at £11-15 (60-80RM) a night. There's also camping for those on tighter budgets.

Lang Tengah only has a few places to stay, and they're all midrange and up. I paid £60 (300RM).

Langkawi is a large island with a wide range of accommodation, so you should be able to find something decent there for £23 (120-130RM).

Food and drink is also more tourist-focused, and slightly more expensive (but still pretty reasonable). Average £7 (37RM) per day. On most of the islands, expect to pay 10-15RM for a meal at a small standalone restaurant or cafe, and at least 2-3x that to eat in a resort or for Western food. Langkawi is the exception here, as they have hawker stalls and small restaurants charging mainland prices for local food, so you can eat very cheaply here. Although they also have some fantastic international restaurants, so you probably won't want to stick to cheap places!

All sites

Sightseeing is pretty cheap, as museum fees are generally fairly low, and all that wandering around is free. Average £0.75 (4RM) per day, not including any expensive day-trips or tours, like diving or snorkelling trips.

Transport is also affordable: add maybe £4 (20RM) for each intercity coach. Ferries may cost a bit more, depending on how popular and far the destination is. Kapas is close to the mainland, and only costs 15-20RM each way. Tioman is further out, but there is competition and high volumes, meaning prices are a very reasonable 35RM. Lang Tengah only sees small numbers, so the boatmen charge 60-80RM.

Between the ferries, the intercity coaches, and the local buses (and occasional taxi), I spent an average of £4 (20RM) per day on transport.

I like big Buddhas and I cannot lie: wats near Kota Bahru

About 30 minutes north of Kota Bahru by local bus, a couple of attractive wats make a good half-day trip out of town.

The best known of these is Wat Machimmaran, better known as Big Sitting Buddha. The temple was pretty deserted when I visited, but you can take your shoes off and climb up to the terrace at the base of the Buddha. I had a bit of an explore around the grounds, but didn't see much of interest away from the main temple area, and the handful of dogs watching me were a wee bit disconcerting, so I didn't spend a lot of time wandering in the complex.

Across the street is Wat Prachumthat Chanaram, which was busier with a service in progress when I arrived. This is an attractive and relaxing complex, with a wide range of statuary (and, for some reason, Hello Kitty on their gardener's carts).

A third wat, Wat Phikulyai, is just up the road, but the gates were locked when I visited.

To get there, take bus 27 from the central bus station (just off Jl Tok Hakim, 2 streets south of the main market) and tell the driver you want the sitting Buddha. You'll see it from the road, when you get there.

Kota Bharu is ready for its close-up

Kota Bharu desperately wants tourists to come.

There are a clutch of small museums in the centre of town, focusing on different aspects of local history and craft (the local sultans, the town history, WW2, local Islamic practices around childbearing, weaving and woodcarving, etc.).

There is a cultural centre that does free 2 hour performances and demonstrations of local entertainments several times a week, where visitors learn about and are encouraged to try top spinning, drumming, and the local martial art that for all the world looks like a dance, interspersed with occasional bouts of grappling.

There are plenty of good value hotels (the rack rates are often... ambitious, but many of the smaller hotels and guesthouses offer 50-60% discounts on booking sites).

The food is great, natch.

And the town has an attractive location, right on the riverfront, and is a convenient base for exploring the state.

But the Western tourists still don't come - except for the French. I spent 4 nights in town, and saw about a dozen other Westerners, most of whom were at the cultural centre with me for the demos, and all were French.

(I always find it weird how certain towns attract certain nationalities. I've been to towns in Asia where most of the visitors are Scandinavians. In Mae Nam on Samui, there were a plethora of Austrians. Why?)

That's not to say that the hotels are all completely empty, but I did get the impression that most other guests were either local tourists or business travellers. The museums were certainly pretty quiet. And overall, the town gives the impression of economic difficulties, with empty buildings turned over to bird boxes, and piles of rubble in the main market.

Which is a shame. Kota Bharu is a nice town to spend a few days. So with no further waffle, here are my top pics for the town:

• Best museum: crafts museum (AKA Handicrafts Village), for the fantastic weaving on display, and Islam museum, for the building.
• Best activities: cultural centre, for the demos. Be aware that it's often quite quiet. When I arrived, I was initially the only one there (and was somewhat embarrassed, wondering if I should sneak off so the performers didn't have to put on their show for only me). Luckily, around the time the performance was supposed to start, another couple arrived. Then over the first 15 minutes of the show, a half dozen others arrived.
• Best food: the fried fish at Restoran Nasi Ulam Cikgu (open 11-5) next to the crafts museum, the nasi dagang breakfasts at Capital Cafe (mornings only, I think), the fried chicken at Warisan Nasi Kukus Kebun Sultan on Jl Kebun Sultan (dinner only).
• Things to avoid: like much of SE Asia, broken pavements, bad traffic and roads without pedestrian crossings, and missing drain covers are the norm. Watch your footing, or prepare for skinned knees (I ruin more trousers that way....).

Overall, NE Malaysia attracts far fewer international tourists than the Western coast does, and that's a shame, because these are engaging, low-key and hassle-free destinations. If you get a chance to explore this part of the country, go!

Finding my fins on Lang Tengah

Lang Tengah's biggest draw is probably its exclusivity.

Located about 40 minutes to an hour by boat from Merang, subject to sea conditions, and a twenty minute hop from the more popular (and much larger) Pulau Redang, Lang Tengah is a small slice of paradise.

There are only 3 operating resorts (Summer Bay, Sari Pacifica, and D'Coconut), one warung, and one abandoned resort. Limited accommodation means few crowds. Instead you get long, almost empty beaches of fine white sand. Warm, crystal clear seas. Masses of fish and baby sharks (do do duh do do!) to snorkle and frolic with. Just lovely.

The beach in front of Sari Pacifica

Sari Pacifica's dock

It's not perfect, of course.

Exclusivity has a price. None of the three resorts are within a typical backpacker budget. And I did get a few sandfly bites on the beaches here. Meanwhile the coral off beach is all dead, broken stuff (although there are still some fish, and all those baby reef sharks). Even the famed blue bommie in front of Sari Pacifica seemed MIA (at least, I couldn't find it, nor did I see any snorkle boats in the area, so I'm guessing it probably died).

No one on this beach except you, a small warung, and an abandoned resort

The abandoned resort

But although the off-beach snorkling is fairly poor, there is some amazing snorkling and dive sites within 5-10 minutes by boat.

I've focused on off-beach snorkling in the past, mostly because I've never been a particularly strong swimmer, and got worse after my accident. So I've tended to prefer to snorkle in water that's no more than 10 feet deep, and no more than 20-30m from where you can put your feet down.

On Lang Tengah, I popped my deepwater cherry. The first site they took us to featured enormous chunks of hard corals in 18m deep water. Despite the depth though, it was so clear you could easily see the marine life. I was entranced!

The next site they took us to was maybe 5m (estimating, as I was too busy swimming to ask at the second site). It was absolutely amazing! I saw my first moray eel (mean-looking sonofabitch!).

The snorkle trips aren't cheap - I paid 70RM to join an 80 minute trip, covering two sites. But man, oh man, it was worth it.

Do do duh do do!

A few more pics of Kuala Terengganu

Terengganu? Terengganyes!

Kuala Terengganu was my next stop after Kapas, a chance to try more local (read not-geared-to-tourists) food, and get the sand out of my knickers.

I actually wasn't really expecting much (it's not a town I'd really heard much about), but you know what? I really liked it.

The town council must have engaged in a project to beautify the town a few years ago, because there are murals and street art everywhere. Little cute ones. Big, stately ones. Ones that seem rather ironic - one well-known series of cartoons stretches up Turtle Alley, and attempts to teach kids that turtles are friends, not food. 100m away, turtle eggs are sold prominently in the local wet market.

Meanwhile, the streets echo with canned birdsong.

So what do you do in K.T.?

• The old town (Chinatown) makes a nice place for a wander.
• The large state museum on the west side of town is worth a visit (you can get there on historical bus C02, from the central bus station, but be prepared to call a Grab on the way back, as the bus doesn't always turn up when scheduled.
• You can (and should!) eat. I had several memorable meals in town.

Just don't get a haircut, at least not in the place I did. I asked for a chin length, layered bob. I got, well it's not quite a page boy cut, but it feels not that far off. Because she started at the back, by the time I realised just how short she was cutting it, it was too late.

Meanwhile the hairdresser, who looked at the picture I brought with me and then ignored it, carefully collected all my cut off hair, presumably to sell to the local wigmaker.

Sigh.