After the spiritual bliss of Indonesia, we were on the road again, this time to the beautiful country of Malaysia for just over a week, which was also the only Islamic country on the Wirld tour. Check out how we got on below.
Kuala Lumpur
Our flight touched down in Kuala Lumpur airport at about 1am after a serious rocky flight from Bali where the airhostesses almost bashed their heads off the ceiling during some turbulence. Top notch piloting it must be said. Once safely on the ground we were pretty fast through immigration and customs before realising we had missed the last bus to the city so we grabbed an extortionate taxi for the 1 hour ride to the city. Serious trek. We arrived to the hostel around 3am and went straight to the leaba to catch some shut eye. The beds in the hostel were quite different from anything we had experienced before and were like little pods with its very own mirror, double bed, light, plug and curtain.
We were up at around 10am the following day for some breakfast which was fried rice and watermelon. I mean…the fried rice was delish, just not at 10am in the morning. With a slightly queasy belly Kev headed to the doc to get a check-up while Chris and I went for a little walking tour of the city. We stopped off at Merdeka Square, where Malaysia announced its independence in 1957, and then visited the local museum which gave a detailed history of the country.
Our flight touched down in Kuala Lumpur airport at about 1am after a serious rocky flight from Bali where the airhostesses almost bashed their heads off the ceiling during some turbulence. Top notch piloting it must be said. Once safely on the ground we were pretty fast through immigration and customs before realising we had missed the last bus to the city so we grabbed an extortionate taxi for the 1 hour ride to the city. Serious trek. We arrived to the hostel around 3am and went straight to the leaba to catch some shut eye. The beds in the hostel were quite different from anything we had experienced before and were like little pods with its very own mirror, double bed, light, plug and curtain.
We were up at around 10am the following day for some breakfast which was fried rice and watermelon. I mean…the fried rice was delish, just not at 10am in the morning. With a slightly queasy belly Kev headed to the doc to get a check-up while Chris and I went for a little walking tour of the city. We stopped off at Merdeka Square, where Malaysia announced its independence in 1957, and then visited the local museum which gave a detailed history of the country.
Careful now! Once Kev was out, we all headed off for a nice Irish lunch in O’Brien’s, which you will be glad to know also has a significant mark up in Malaysia compared to similar food in other restaurants. After stuffing ourselves with a BLT (no real bacon allowed) we went to the local barbers for a haircut and a beard trim, which was quite an experience. The barber shop was the place to be in KL, with many locals stopping by just for a chat. Once upon the chair, the barber raced through a haircut and expertly trimmed our beards (well 2 and a half beards). The hairdresser himself was as mad as a bag of snakes and occasionally burped in our faces while he also gave us a head massage that resembled someone playing the bongo!
That evening we took the metro across to the infamous Petronas Towers, which were spectacularly lit up at night time, but it was almost impossible to get a decent photo angle with the whole building in so resorted to lying on the ground while cars drove by. Afterwards we headed back towards the hostel and grabbed a bite to eat at the Central Market, where tasty dishes cost €1.20. We also chatted to some of the friendly locals too who were more than happy to talk about their beloved country. All full up the three gentlemen retired for the evening to their individual pods. Talk about rehab. We are like 3 Alcoholic Anonymous graduates on holidays at Lourdes!
We checked out early the next morning, had some noodles for breakfast and walked to the bus station before hopping on a bus to Penang, an island in the north west of Malaysia.
Penang
We arrived in Penang just before sunset on the outskirts of the city and grabbed a local bus for 45 minutes to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Georgetown. We were dropped off in Little India and after a while walking around managed to find our way to our hostel where we checked in. The place was fairly small but cosy. As it was getting late we headed to Little India and got some quality curry for dinner which burned our mouths off. Afterwards we returned to the hostel to get some shut eye, but it wasn’t too successful thanks to our Japanese roommate who snored nonstop from 12am until 9am the following morning. Lovely fella.
We checked out early the next morning, had some noodles for breakfast and walked to the bus station before hopping on a bus to Penang, an island in the north west of Malaysia.
Penang
We arrived in Penang just before sunset on the outskirts of the city and grabbed a local bus for 45 minutes to the UNESCO World Heritage site of Georgetown. We were dropped off in Little India and after a while walking around managed to find our way to our hostel where we checked in. The place was fairly small but cosy. As it was getting late we headed to Little India and got some quality curry for dinner which burned our mouths off. Afterwards we returned to the hostel to get some shut eye, but it wasn’t too successful thanks to our Japanese roommate who snored nonstop from 12am until 9am the following morning. Lovely fella.
To avoid our new mate, whom we named Terence, we got up early, ate some brekkie and went to discover the town. The heat was quite unbearable so the walking tour only last about an hour, but during which we saw the main parts of the old city. To cool down we stopped by Little India for another excellent curry and then visited the largest mosque in Georgetown. As Malaysia is the only Islamic country we shall be visiting on our trip, we were keen to learn a bit more about the religion. Once inside the mosque, we were dressed in lovely purple onesies and then given a walking tour of the mosque. Afterwards our tour guide gave us a very interesting and detailed explanation of Islam which gave us a much better insight compared to a lot of the propaganda seen on our television sets back home.
In the afternoon, Chris and I got the local bus to the nearest beach which was about 45 minutes away by bus. I swear that Eddie Irvine himself was driving the bus as we took some corners at 100km, with old ladies hanging on for dear life. A quick jog and dip in the sea later, we decided to head back to the hostel. En route Chris made a really nice new friend on the bus. The lad had one eye and just pointed at things,made their shape with his hands and asked Chris if he agreed. At one stage he began berating a young lady at a bus stop while we both looked on mortified. We all headed out for some noodles for dinner (not the mad fella) which burned the bloody mouth off the three of us. An early night was on the cards as there was not a whole nightlife in the town itself.
We grabbed some breakfast early the next morning and made a horrible walk to the bus station in excruciating heat before hopping on the bus to the Cameron Highlands which was due to be a 5 hour journey.
In the afternoon, Chris and I got the local bus to the nearest beach which was about 45 minutes away by bus. I swear that Eddie Irvine himself was driving the bus as we took some corners at 100km, with old ladies hanging on for dear life. A quick jog and dip in the sea later, we decided to head back to the hostel. En route Chris made a really nice new friend on the bus. The lad had one eye and just pointed at things,made their shape with his hands and asked Chris if he agreed. At one stage he began berating a young lady at a bus stop while we both looked on mortified. We all headed out for some noodles for dinner (not the mad fella) which burned the bloody mouth off the three of us. An early night was on the cards as there was not a whole nightlife in the town itself.
We grabbed some breakfast early the next morning and made a horrible walk to the bus station in excruciating heat before hopping on the bus to the Cameron Highlands which was due to be a 5 hour journey.
Cameron Highlands
The bus rolled into the Cameron Highlands town of Tanah Rata at about 7pm and we wandered over to our hostel which was pretty nice and very cheap. The town itself is about 1500m above sea level so the jumpers were out within seconds. Once checked in, we did the best thing there is to do in Malaysia and went eating again. Yet again we visited an Indian restaurant and popped into the local shop for some sneaky Cadburys chocolate before returning to the hostel to have a few games of FIFA Fitness…you know the beaches of Thailand are coming soon!
We were up and ready to go by 8am the following day as we planned to trek through the infamous tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands. After some scrambled egg on toast and orange juice that tasted like Fairy liquid, we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the nearest town of Bichrang, where the Trek began. The hostel said it would take about 6 hours. They had obviously never heard of The Wirld’s Speed Tourism. We trekked uphill through the jungle for about 2 hours which was pretty tough, but not too bad as we are as hard as nails. Once at the top we climbed the lookout post with decent views of the countryside, but we couldn’t see much of the tea plantations. As we had forgotten to purchase a map, we followed the trail for another 5 km or so and made it to a break where we found some beautiful plantations. We sneaked in to the fields and managed to walk for an hour all the way to the tea factory with some spectacular views along the way.
The bus rolled into the Cameron Highlands town of Tanah Rata at about 7pm and we wandered over to our hostel which was pretty nice and very cheap. The town itself is about 1500m above sea level so the jumpers were out within seconds. Once checked in, we did the best thing there is to do in Malaysia and went eating again. Yet again we visited an Indian restaurant and popped into the local shop for some sneaky Cadburys chocolate before returning to the hostel to have a few games of FIFA Fitness…you know the beaches of Thailand are coming soon!
We were up and ready to go by 8am the following day as we planned to trek through the infamous tea plantations of the Cameron Highlands. After some scrambled egg on toast and orange juice that tasted like Fairy liquid, we hopped in a taxi and made our way to the nearest town of Bichrang, where the Trek began. The hostel said it would take about 6 hours. They had obviously never heard of The Wirld’s Speed Tourism. We trekked uphill through the jungle for about 2 hours which was pretty tough, but not too bad as we are as hard as nails. Once at the top we climbed the lookout post with decent views of the countryside, but we couldn’t see much of the tea plantations. As we had forgotten to purchase a map, we followed the trail for another 5 km or so and made it to a break where we found some beautiful plantations. We sneaked in to the fields and managed to walk for an hour all the way to the tea factory with some spectacular views along the way.
We arrived at the factory mid-afternoon and ordered a cup of tea straight away with some strawberry cheesecake. Lunch of Champions. The tea was decent but no Barry’s. All filled up, we trekked another 5 km down to the nearest town, where there was a huge traffic jam. As the town was 20km from our hostel we had to grab a taxi. And what a taxi we got! The driver was fairly well on by the smell of his whiskey breath but he was full of the joys telling us about the town. We were stuck in the jam for about an hour and even picked up an elderly Italian couple who used all their English vocabulary in about 6 minutes. Queue the taxi driver just naming everything he knew about Italy and them saying yes. His knowledge of Ireland was pretty limited so just explained Guinness to him and he seemed happy enough with that. Once back at the ranch, we got washed up, sneaked in some FIFA Fitness and headed out for some sweet Indian food for dinner. As the bodies were beginning to ache we retired early to get a good rest in.
We were up early the next day to check out and hopped on the early bus to Kuala Lumpur to give ourselves enough time before our flight in 2 days’ time. We checked into the hostel and booked a bus for the following day to Malacca 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur. The hostel itself was in a red light district so was fairly seedy as we arrived in the lashing rain. And by the looks of things, the locals would have to be in desperate need if they were to avail of the services.
We were up early the next day to check out and hopped on the early bus to Kuala Lumpur to give ourselves enough time before our flight in 2 days’ time. We checked into the hostel and booked a bus for the following day to Malacca 2 hours south of Kuala Lumpur. The hostel itself was in a red light district so was fairly seedy as we arrived in the lashing rain. And by the looks of things, the locals would have to be in desperate need if they were to avail of the services.
Tea Trekking!
Malacca
After a very comfortable bus journey early the next morning we arrived in Malacca and began looking around the old colonial town. The town itself is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and is extremely beautiful, with evident Portuguese and English influence. We strolled down Jonkers Street before picking up some lunch at the local food market. All full up, we climbed the local tower which gave excellent views of the city and visited the nearest market where we picked up a couple of things before hoping on the bus back to Kuala Lumpur. Once back in KL, Kev got a final check up at the doc who gave him the green light for drinking and we grabbed a bite to eat at the local Indian before hitting the hay fairly wrecked after a long day out.
After a very comfortable bus journey early the next morning we arrived in Malacca and began looking around the old colonial town. The town itself is also a UNESCO World Heritage site and is extremely beautiful, with evident Portuguese and English influence. We strolled down Jonkers Street before picking up some lunch at the local food market. All full up, we climbed the local tower which gave excellent views of the city and visited the nearest market where we picked up a couple of things before hoping on the bus back to Kuala Lumpur. Once back in KL, Kev got a final check up at the doc who gave him the green light for drinking and we grabbed a bite to eat at the local Indian before hitting the hay fairly wrecked after a long day out.
Kuala Lumpur
We were up early the next day to check out of the hostel and try get our bags all packed for the flight to Thailand. As there has not been a laundry for a while, I feel particularly sorry for the sniffer dogs at KL airport. Once all ready, we had about 5 hours to kills and decided to visit the infamous Blue Mosque about an hour outside the city. We made a schoolboy error and forgot to write the name of the mosque down, so when we arrived at the town by train people told us various mosques to visit. In the end we hopped on the wrong bus but ended up at an equally as impressive mosque in the centre of Putrajaya, donned our robes and got a tour of the beautiful mosque. While inside we were introduced to a local who had studied in the Dublin Business School and only had good words about the capital as well as the mosque on the South Circular Road. After a chat with his family we headed out and did some Irish dancing before grabbing the bus back to the station and getting our bags at the hostel. Bags in hand we boarded the train and headed to the airport for the next leg of our trip: a nice little holiday in Thailand!
A big thank you for the warm welcome to all the people of Malaysia. It was quite fitting that we did not have a drink of alcohol during the whole time we were in the only Islamic country on the Wirld tour. We got the chance to learn a lot about the diverse cultures in the country and also gained a greater understanding of Islam in general (that’s deep). Cheers for the awesome curry too!
See ya in Thailand!
The Lads
We were up early the next day to check out of the hostel and try get our bags all packed for the flight to Thailand. As there has not been a laundry for a while, I feel particularly sorry for the sniffer dogs at KL airport. Once all ready, we had about 5 hours to kills and decided to visit the infamous Blue Mosque about an hour outside the city. We made a schoolboy error and forgot to write the name of the mosque down, so when we arrived at the town by train people told us various mosques to visit. In the end we hopped on the wrong bus but ended up at an equally as impressive mosque in the centre of Putrajaya, donned our robes and got a tour of the beautiful mosque. While inside we were introduced to a local who had studied in the Dublin Business School and only had good words about the capital as well as the mosque on the South Circular Road. After a chat with his family we headed out and did some Irish dancing before grabbing the bus back to the station and getting our bags at the hostel. Bags in hand we boarded the train and headed to the airport for the next leg of our trip: a nice little holiday in Thailand!
A big thank you for the warm welcome to all the people of Malaysia. It was quite fitting that we did not have a drink of alcohol during the whole time we were in the only Islamic country on the Wirld tour. We got the chance to learn a lot about the diverse cultures in the country and also gained a greater understanding of Islam in general (that’s deep). Cheers for the awesome curry too!
See ya in Thailand!
The Lads
