Our route:
Kota Kinabalu (2 nights)
Kudat/Tip of Borneo (2 nights)
Sepilok (2 nights)
Sukau (1 night)
Kota Kinabalu (3 nights)
Singapore (2 nights)
Mersing (1 night)
Pulau Tioman (3 nights)
Mersing (1 night)
Kuantan (1 night)
Kuala Tahan/Taman Negara (4 nights)
Perhentian Islands (2 nights)
Kuala Besut (1 night)
George Town (6 nights)
Tanah Rata/Cameron Highlands (5 nights)
Ipoh (2 nights)
Kuala Lumpur (3 nights)
We definitely had a great time in Malaysia. We travelled to most of the main places. By the end we felt pretty comfortable in this country. We learned that the most sketchy looking places have the best food, the toilets that cost, are the most disgusting ones and we experienced that people are friendly where there are not a lot of tourists. We met a lot of great people, we learned a lot and we made so many memories. I have to be honest, there were moments when we hated Malaysia. The moments when we were sick of rice and noodles, sick of disgusting toilets with no toilet paper, sick of the unbearable heat, sick of the haze and not having blue sky, sick of endless bus rides, sick of mosquito and sand fly bites and sick of tourist places that wanted to get as much money as possible. But on the other hand we loved the nature, the monkeys and lizards, the friendly people, the amazing food, the clear ocean, the exciting motorcycle tours and getting to know another culture. And our last three days, which we spent with such welcoming, generous, friendly and hearty people, was a perfect completion to Malaysia.
But I also have to say that we honestly expected a bit more from Malaysia. It’s hard to explain what I mean by that. All in all it was just not that impressive and breathtaking. I don’t know if I should recommend going to Malaysia. If you have a lot of time and you travel to other countries as well or if you’ve already seen the rest of Asia than I would recommend visiting Malaysia, otherwise I would say there are nicer countries (We are in Bali, Indonesia now and we like it much better).
What we regret, is that we didn’t stay in Borneo longer. At the beginning of our trip we thought that we will not have enough time to see everything but we actually did. Another mistake we’ve made is, that we booked all our flights already. At the travel agency in Switzerland they told us that we need flight tickets going out of the country to be able to get in. It is not true, we are the only people that did that. I think if we could decide again, we would only do one month in Malaysia and one month in Indonesia and add Cambodia to our trip. However, you live and you learn.
Expenses (41 days):
~ CHF 2’480.00 (including Singapore)
Our max. budget was: CHF 4’100.00 (CHF 50 per person, per day)
General Tips:
Buy a dry bag
Always bring toilet paper with you
Eat fresh mango
Rent a motorcycle in Penang
Must eat/drink:
Banana leaf
Steamboat
Nasi Lemak
Popiah
Rojak
Satay
Roti Pisang
Roti Tisu
Roti telur bawang
Fresh mango
Durian
Milo Ice
Teh Tarik
Fruit Juices
Best Accommodations:
“33 Stewart Houze” in George Town
“Paganakan Dii” in Sepilok
“Borneo Backpackers” in Kota Kinabalu
Worst Accommodations:
“Hotel Bajet” in Mersing
“Kang Travellers Lodge” in Tanah Rata/Cameron Highlands
Highlights:
Staying with Areef and his family
George Town / Penang (stay at “33 Stewart Houze”)
Tip of Borneo in Kudat (stay at “Tampat Do Aman”)
River cruise on Kinabatang River in Sukau (stay at a Homestay)
Taman Negara
BOH tea plantation in the Cameron Highlands
Overrated/Not our cup of tea:
Snake Temple in Penang
Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Center
Sapi Island (from Kota Kinabalu)
Perhentian Islands
Find the reasons and explanations in the different parts of the diary under “Malaysia” and then under the certain name of the place (village or city).
If you’re planning on going to one of the places we have been to, ask me anything. I would be happy to help you!
The Travelling Smiths 