Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore Trip 2012

Asia, I'm coming. Despite the monsoon season, I spontaneously decided on a three-week trip to Malaysia, Indonesia, and Singapore, from 11/01-11/23/2012 – Free and alone in the big wide world =)

11/01-11/04 Frankfurt (D) – Dubai (UAE) – Kuala Lumpur (MYS)

My flight was with Emirates from Frankfurt am Main to Dubai, where I had enough time for shopping and relaxing in the jacuzzi during a good 6-hour stopover. So the jet lag was secondary, and I arrived in Kuala Lumpur more or less refreshed, after about 24 hours of travel time, including the journey there. Ooh ooh ooh....

It continued to a colleague's place, where I spent the first night *sweat* At a sweltering 30 degrees Celsius at midnight, sleeping is excellent without air conditioning. Oh, and on top of that, I'm actually totally well-rested. Anyway, the next day I'm shown the surroundings and then, for convenience, I move into a hotel in town.

Following a recommendation, it will be Tune Hotel directly in Downtown KL (Kuala Lumpur). From there you can reach, for example, the Petronas Towers (Twin Towers) in about 20 minutes on foot. The hotel is really great for Asian standards and also inexpensive. Nevertheless, I'm only booking two nights for now, as I'm heading to Bandung in Indonesia in two days. But first, a few words about KL. The city is amazing. Partly extremely modern, huge shopping malls, a top-modern monorail (tram), as well as a well-functioning road network. After all, 1.6 million people live here. Among them are Malaysian Chinese, Indians, and Malays. Which, by the way, should not be confused! In terms of status, Malaysians are of course at the top, then come the Chinese, and only then the Indians. Crazy crazy crazy.

On my first walk, I realize my sneakers aren't quite ideal for the temperatures and the monsoon. It rains for exactly 30 minutes at 3 PM... every day in November =) How do they do that??? Anyway, on the first day, my shoes are soaked inside and out. The water is sometimes so high on the street that it runs in from the top... damn it. So, I'm heading straight to the next shop because I need flip-flops. But comfortable ones, because I walk several kilometers a day.

I probably don't need to mention that Kuala Lumpur is absolutely top-notch culinarily, as long as you like Asian food. I love it! There are top-notch places in the shopping malls, but also delicious stalls on the street or in the markets. You should always be a little careful with your belongings here. Especially in the evenings and when you're in some of the darker areas. I particularly like these areas because they are usually off the tourist hotspots and you get to experience real life.

11/04–11/07 Kuala Lumpur (MYS) – Bandung (IDN)

After the first two days, I'm meeting my acquaintance and their friends at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in KL and we're flying to Bandung, on the island of Java. Outlet shopping is the order of the day there. And it's really extreme there, extremely much and extremely cheap! There are only official stores, like Nike, Hilfiger, among others. Primarily American brands that have products manufactured in Indonesia. Tommy Hilfiger shirts can be found here for just a few euros. After withdrawing about 1.5 million IDR from the bank, about 110 CHF *g*, I dive into shopping paradise.

With fully packed bags we head back to the hotel and then in the evening to a great restaurant. Thank goodness I'm traveling with locals, because nobody understands English here. Bandung has 2.4 million inhabitants, so I'm a bit surprised by that.

Since we rented a taxi for three days, we'll have them drive us to the Kawah Putih volcano on the second day, located in the west of the island. Kawah Putih means „White Crater“ and is situated 2400 meters above sea level, meaning it's nice and cool up here. As you can see in the pictures in the gallery, you shouldn't get too close to the water, and definitely don't walk on the small stones. These are NOT stable, and you'll sink up to your knees in yellow mud...oops. The water is quite hot, by the way; it steams extremely everywhere, so it's not an option for cleaning. It also smells of sulfur. But I then found a puddle with rainwater somewhere where I could clean my pants and shoes...oh right...you should definitely avoid standing water because of the germs *lol* if you have a choice.

11/07 - 11/09 Bandung (IDN) – Kuala Lumpur (MYS)

Back in KL, I booked a room at the Tune Hotel for the remaining time and planned my trips from here. After two days, I moved on to Singapore by long-distance bus... for practically nothing. A 5-hour bus trip there and back for about 50 CHF *lol*

11/09 - 11/14 Kuala Lumpur (MYS) – Singapore (SGP)

First impression: Wow, it's so clean here =) You could eat off the floor anywhere here, practically like in Zurich *lol* As I arrive in Singapore at 6 AM and head towards the city center, I book a hotel for four nights and cancel the one already booked because it was too far out. Briefly freshen up and wait for the shops to open, then it's straight to Orchard Road for shopping. Although... that was limited here. It's almost as expensive here as it is back home 😉

On the bus, I met See Eong, whom I'm meeting up with tomorrow morning. In the end, there are six of us, and we walk through the city with Jo, a nice guy who grew up in Singapore. He shows us cool shops and restaurants, as well as a temple where I can confess. With incense sticks in hand, looking up at the sky, we end our sightseeing tour and head to the Marina Bay Sands, where we can get a little something to eat. The hotel is great. Futuristic architecture, with a small canal inside where boats sail, and a huge pool on the roof with a view of the city. Since it was a pretty tiring and exciting day, we relax a bit more in the harbor and let the day wind down.

The next two days I will spend, among other things, on the beach of Kusu Island, the turtle island, and I will visit the Night Zoo in Singapore. This is a real highlight that everyone who visits Singapore should experience. It's super exciting to watch the mostly nocturnal animals. Unfortunately, you can't take photos here because it's too dark. Countless trails lead through the park, which you can explore on your own. Oh, and don't touch the watermelons! Pieces of watermelon hang from the trees, which you'd better not touch. The hiss of a flying fox will scare you to death if you're not expecting it *lol*

I'm going on another tour where you ride a train through the large enclosures, which is why the zoo is also called Night Safari. Afterwards, I'll eat a very well-seasoned, sweet and sour Chinese noodle soup and head back to the city with a stomach ache 🙂

14.11.-16.11. Singapore (SGP) – Kuala Lumpur (MYS)

The next two days I'll spend in Kuala Lumpur again, hiking through a rainforest and finding a canopy walk. I'll treat myself to the entrance fee of about 1 CHF and walk across rope bridges through the treetops. From up here, you can take great photos of the city. On the way back, I'll stumble upon a bird park, and a peacock will greet me by fanning its tail.

Back at the hotel, I book a ride to Pangkor Island, an island in northern Malaysia. The journey takes about five hours and costs around 50 CHF again. Perfect!

I'm still storing my things at the hotel in KL. Super convenient.

November 16-23 Kuala Lumpur (MYS) – Pangkor Island (MYS)

I'll arrive at the port of Lumut, a port city, at noon. From there, I'll take the ferry to Pangkor Island, an island in the Strait of Malacca. It's only 12 km long and 4 km wide, and there's only one road that goes around the island. I've picked out a Bed & Breakfast on the way there and will have a pink taxi take me there. The taxis here are all pink, by the way =) It looks funny.

Arrived at Nipah Guesthouse, I'm renting a dirty, sorry, triangular bungalow for seven nights and settling in comfortably. The overnight stay here also costs next to nothing.

I put on my straw hat and head straight for the beach. Here, practically everything is located by the sea due to the island's size.

The first hammock is mine, and since there are hardly any tourists here, if any, only Asians, I am almost alone on the beach. I'm enjoying the sun and shade, using the only restaurant and the only beach bar, and then walking along the beach.

The next day, I rented a scooter and explored the island. The left-hand traffic didn't bother me much. I drove on the right 😛 There are hardly any cars here, mostly just taxis. Pink!

From someone I no longer remember, I get a tip that there's a secluded beach in the south of the island. Armed with a book, food, and drinks, I set off. I reach a small village and the jungle behind it. A family is sitting in their front yard, and I ask them about the beach. At first, they don't know anything, but then they send the grandpa over =) He grabs his scooter and drives me into the jungle. We stop at a fork in the road, and from there, I'm supposed to just keep walking straight on a small path. I have no idea how far *lol* But it can't be more than 4 km =) After about 15 minutes, I reach a clearing and am already at the beach. Alone... just as promised. I spend a few hours here sleeping, reading, swimming, eating, and walking. The tracks of a Komodo dragons They only bother me for a very short time. They don't let me sleep anymore, but I'll stay here for a while longer. You have to tie your things to trees anyway, so the monkeys don't steal your stuff.

I'm running back through the jungle. If you stop here, you'll be eaten alive by mosquitoes immediately. There are thousands of them here and they're buzzing all around you. Yuckkkkkkkkkk.....

I'm going back to the bungalow and chilling there a bit more.

The next day, I meet a South African couple from Cape Town on the beach. Neil is an engineer, and they've been living in Lumut, the port town (see above), for a few years. They invite me to lunch, and we chat about anything and everything. Afterwards, they invite me to their home in Lumut, the port town (see above) *g*

What sounds a bit strange turns out to be brilliant. We zoom across the island to the harbor and take the ferry. Upon arriving at their home, I settle into the guest room, and afterward, we meet colleagues and friends in town. There's a super delicious dinner – did I mention I love Asian food?? 😉 – and we have a fun evening. Most of the friends are from Brazil, and we go out barhopping together for a bit longer. Afterward, I spend the night in Lumut and only take the first ferry back to Pangkor in the morning.

At noon, I'm meeting up with my colleagues again, and we're renting jet skis. That's totally cool because the sea is relatively calm here. However, we're also going out onto the open sea, which is pretty intense =) No risk, no fun 🙂

November 23-24. Pangkor Island (MYS) – Kuala Lumpur (MYS) – Dubai (UAE) – Frankfurt (D)

After seven wonderful days, it's time to drive back to KL, check out of the hotel, and head to the airport. It's back via Dubai to Frankfurt. After 24 hours of travel time, I reach Türkismühle in Saarland and experience the next culture shock. (positive *g*)

Singapore Trip Conclusion

Brilliant vacation! Malaysia and the Singapore trip were a hit. Indonesia was more of an adventure. The people everywhere were super nice and also super interested in Europe, our culture, and my story.