Detour to Malacca

13th - 21st February

The Old Town

Slight change of plan, we have backtracked to Malaysia. This is the first time we have revisited a country on our travels and to be honest its lucky that we don't require a visa to revisit. Our original plan was to try and catch a ferry from Singapore to Bantam Island and then find another ferry to Jakarta. The problem with this route is that the ferry to Jakarta is incredible infrequent and as we only have a maximum of two months in Indonesia (with a 30 day extension) it just wasn't worth the risk of having to stay put for a few weeks waiting for a boat.
After a little bit of searching we found a regular ferry service exists from Malacca, Malaysia to Dumai, Sumatra. The boat would be cheaper and more punctual with daily ferries leaving Malacca at 10:00am. So it ticked all the boxes and would allow us to visit a new town.

View of Malacca from St Paul's Church



windy miller

Malacca is a popular destination amongst travelers of the Malay peninsula. Its location between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur make it a great place to break up journeys between the two capitals and also allows a little rest bite from the city hustle and bustle.
We stayed at Jalan Jalan and Layan Layan across a seven day period to allow us to enjoy the Chinese New Year celebrations. As the names suggest the guesthouses are under the same ownership and are both located on the same old town street right in the heart of the historic and cultural centre. Both places are a real find with budget backpacker prices, great rooms, friendly atmosphere and helpful staff.



Gourmet Night

Like Penang in the north Malacca is a historic harbor town and trading hub which made it a target for land grabbing exploratory forces from the western colonies. As a result the town has been occupied by the Portugese, Dutch and British with each country leaving its mark. The Portuguese built a fortress, the Dutch built churches and important government administration buildings and the British did a good job at blowing up the original fortress walls.


karaoke night

Today Malacca still retains a European feel with Dutch buildings that resemble the tall, thin and long structures familiar by the canals of Amsterdam (except you don't find monitor lizards in the canals of Amsterdam) and a higher protestant population than elsewhere in the country. As a nice touch most of the sights in the old town are free including the architecture museum, museum of Islam and independence museum. The daily free walking tour from the tourist information centre is a great way to get your bearings around the maze of narrow streets.

The bargains continue when looking for a bite to eat and the guys at the hostel were always keen to meet up for an evening meal at one of the great banana leaf restaurants or somewhere a little bit different. We tried stingray for the first time in a small street side shack just outside the old town. A little chewy but not nearly as bony as you would think.



AS with most of Malaysia street art can be found on most buildings

I wonder if this is seaworthy

The local rickshaws really blend in

The best place for food in town had to be at the Gurdwara (Sikh temple) and for a small donation the friendly chaps at the temple put on a full spread of great grub. We grabbed some bicycles and visited with an old Japanese guy who was staying in our room. The guy is 86 years old and still intent to continue backpacking ever year. A true role model and legend but a crazy bugger on the roads. It turns out that when your in your 80's you revert to the same mindset as an eight year old. A mantra of RIDE OR DIE!!!


Malacca is a pretty sleepy place and a few days is really enough to see all, but for us it was nice just to enjoy civilisation before venturing to the sparsely trodden tracks of Sumatra. The Chinese New Year celebrations were a little low key and although there were the usual hawker food stalls on Jonker Street the festivities were limited to a sporadic scatter of fireworks and the odd dragon dance.

fireworks in the bar

This didn't hinder our attempts to have a little fun and our regular watering hole Shantaram's certainly made it memorable. This small home run bar offers the cheapest beers in town and is therefore a popular spot for backpackers and ex-pats. Weirdly enough us travelers were more keen to celebrate than the local Chinese population and it wasn't long before two crazy Scottish regulars acquired some dodgy fireworks from a nearby back alley trader. The cramped surroundings meant that most of the home made pyrotechnics were ignited inside which would have been fine if the Scot lighting them gave clear notice beforehand. Its incredible how quickly you respond to a fire cracker being thrown at
your feet, even after a gut full of booze.
It was a nice week in Malacca but its time to say goodbye to Malaysia for good as we head to our penultimate country, Indonesia.

Innercity Life in KL

20th January - 9th February 2015

PETRONAS Towers from KLCC Park

 This may sound weird to some people but the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur was a very memorable stop for us. For the first time in eight months we decided to step away from the tourist trail and put our energy towards doing some actual work. Jono and I had been chatting for a few moths about taking on some voluntary work and give something back to an area other than our pennies and queens heads.

 Many fellow travellers recommended using HelpX to find volunteer placements and sure enough after registering and a little research we found a perfect match, an up-cycling enterprise operating in a suburb in Kuala Lumpur.



Biji-Biji HQ in Taman Rainbow in Northern KL

Biji-Biji is the brainchild of a small multicultural group of friends who wanted to advertise sustainable living across Malaysia. Since coming onto the scene two years ago they have tried their hands at any project opportunity within grasp. Art installations, business fairs, concerts, training courses, furniture manufacture they do it all and with mainly recovered waste materials. With backgrounds in environmental management and cabinet making biji-biji was the perfect volunteer vocation for Jono and I. In two and a half weeks we worked on creating Chinese lanterns from water bottles for the New Year exhibition at a shopping centre and Jono assisted in a transforming an office space with wall panels made from recycled pallets.
The best thing about biji-biji was meeting  many interesting people. Some local, some from various corners of the world, some creators, some grafters, some entertainers but all were friendly, welcoming and unique. Its still early days for this small enterprise but if anyone can make an impact on changing the lifestyle and mind set of the Malay people to see value in waste its Rashvin and the gang. If your visiting KL and are interested in volunteer work Biji-Biji are always looking for extra helping hands. Contact them direct through the Biji-Biji Facebook page or search for them on HelpX if you have an account.



KLCC Mall inside the PETRONAS Towers

 The guys at biji-biji were pretty laid back and were always willing to allow us time at weekends and some weekdays for sightseeing. Kuala Lumpur is a large city but unlike other Asian capitals you don't really feel the population density. Sure its busy some times on the metro but you rarely feel claustrophobic. The place is noticeable more clinical and modern than the rest of the country especially around our first tourist stop, the Petronas Towers.
This international architectural icon is a beacon of wealth, success and progress. The affluence of the business district is immediately obvious with the grand array of designer stores, hotels and restaurants catering for the hoards of cash rich entrepreneurs who are now the mainstay of the cities elite upper class.

Although most of the areas activities are limited to shopping, eating and drinking, there are a few spots to drag visitors away from such tedium who may not need the latest Ralph Lauren polo shirt or look at the price on a Louis Vuitton belt and think "I can live for a month on that cash in Laos".   

1) On the upper floor of KLCC Mall you will find Galeri Petronas which showcases a collection of contemporary and modern creations from Malaysian and international artists acquired by the company over the years. For a private collection its a good sidetrack for half an hour and it's Free Admission.

2) Another Free area just outside KLCC mall is the adjacent KLCC Park. Don't let the imaginative name fall you this green space is a nice oasis amongst the modern steel-clad infrastructure. Bring your swimming trunks along as the park features a small shallow pool which is a great way to escape the midday heat. Grab some takeout grub from the mall food court and people watch from a shady bench for an hour whilst enjoying the vista of towering sentinel structures.



KLCC Park: Great place to chill out, cool down from the midday heat and people watch

3) On the far side of KLCC Park lies another popular attraction. Aquaria is renowned locally as Malaysia best aquarium and although the last such places we've visited were at SeaWorld, Florida ten years ago and a Sealife centre  in Hunstaunton, Norfolk in 1996 (I think) this place is certainly no washout (sorry about the pun).
We visited Aquaria with our Malaysian friend Mikhail and it was a great day out. If your a fan of the series river monsters the amazon section will make you think twice about having a swim in Brazil. The attractions showcase is a 90m travelator tunnel walk beneath a tank containing many tiger sharks and huge rays.

mangrove tank three floors high at Aquaria

4) Ok its another park walk but the Lake Gardens a little outside KL centre are a great escape from the city hustle and bustle. The
91 hectare space incorporates the cities impressive National Monument with an awesome view of the city, deer park, orchid garden, butterfly park, national museum, planetarium and more. Its a full day exploration on its own. 


KL will hold a lasting memory with us not just because we had work to do for a change. We met up with Mikhail who we last saw in Penang whilst he was on holiday.
Makhail was kind enough to meet us in the centre on one occasion to guide us around a few sights and introduce our taste buds to some new cuisine.

ABC and Cendol Desserts

After spending much time trying local curries it was a nice change to try two popular Malay desserts. Ais kacang (known as ABC) and Cendol are sweet dishes often seen as unusual to western eyes due to the presence of ingredients like red (kidney) beans and sweetcorn but don't be put of by the description as both really work well with the ice cream, crushed ice, grass jelly and coconut milk.
Sure it looks like the outcome of leaving lit fireworks in a refrigerator but I like it. 




Thaipusam at Batu Caves 

For the first time on our travels we actually managed to time our stay with a local festival and in early February the Hindu festival of Thaipusam is a big deal.

Kuala Lumpur is actually one of the only places left outside India where this event takes place and the temple at Batu Caves on the city outskirts provides the perfect setting. 
 Thaipusam coincides with the full moon on the month of Tamil (January/February) and is famous worldwide due to the actions of the devotees involved in the pilgrimage.

Thaipusam is a huge event for all Hindu's in Malaysia

The devotees must fast, live a life of celibacy and only eat pure Satvik food once a day for 48 days before the big day.
On the day their heads are shaved and they must complete a pilgrimage to Batu Caves from the city centre whilst undertaking burdens (kavadi).
These burdens range from carrying pots of milk to piercing the skin, tongue and cheeks with hooks or skewers. We saw one guy who had that many hooks in his back he resembled a fishing tackle shop.
The most popular kavadi is a decoraded wooden frame (although many we saw contained metal rods to strengthen the structure) which the devotees carry on their shoulders along the entire route. Needless to say the days events takes its toll on someone who has fasted for so long and many participants seem to wonder aimlessly to their goal in a trance like state with friends and family making sure they don't collapse under the intense heat.

The festival was a complete crush of people and colours with music playing and devotees chanting but one of the most spectacular gatherings you can possibly see. If you in KL in late January early February grit your teeth, bear the claustrophobic conditions and get your camera ready because you wont be disappointed.

Many backpackers underestimate KL labelling it up as "just another expensive capital city" but if you scratch beneath the surface and throw yourself out of the clinical epicenter and perhaps say with locals you will see a multicultural metropolis full of character and charm. Sure the cost of a pint is a rip off but a little detox never hurt anyone.

Oh yeah I forgot one thing. For those who read the last post here is the promised picture of a cat courtesy of Mikhails's family. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

Cameron Highlanders

16th - 20th January 2015

     We left Ipoh for the Cameron Highlands in convoy with a fellow countryman Oliver Hamler who had been couchsurfing with us at Bella's place. The three hour bus journey along the winding mountain highways was a smooth one until we reached a police checkpoint. The officers boarded the bus armed with guns and in an intimidating tone ordered us to "show our passports". Naturally we quickly responded to this request and waited for the officer to reach us. Unusually he had no interest in the passports of any "Westerners" and a little interrogating he ordered almost half the bus to head outside to the checkpoint desk at which point the bus continued on its way. We later found out that the region has been hit hard by illegal deforestation and agriculture from mostly Bangladeshi and Burmese immigrants looking to take advantage of increased salaries. As a result the Malay government has clamped down on any individuals looking for work without the proper documentation.

Who said we've passed our peak

Mossy Forest

Malaysian Pitcher Plant waiting to catch some insects

    

      Despite the eventful journey we made it to Tanah Rata in one piece. Tanah Rata is the main town in the Cameron Highlands and is therefore the main commercial hub for the area with plenty of hotels, hostels, restaurants and stores. We booked four nights at Fathers Guesthouse, one of the highest rated hostels in town due to the friendly atmosphere and the great treks they offer.

Our band of backpackers

   Its all about the trekking and the tea in the Cameron's and on our first full day we arranged to join a 4 hour guided hike up one of the nearer peaks. Our guide Jason was a wealth of knowledge regarding the local flora and fauna, particularly when it came to the wild orchids. Unlike our other short hikes this was real jungle and its easy to see how people can become disorientated moving through the slightly claustrophobic web of roots and branches. The sightings of animals was limited to a few birds and one non toxic viper but that didn't really matter to us because for once we were able to feel like proper explorers of old.

Indiana Bones is back

this is more like it. where's that machete

     The jungles of the Cameron's are known as the "mossy forests" due to the abundance of tree hugging mosses. These sponge like plants are critical to much of the life that's evolved and many species are only found in this part of the world. From the peak of the mountain we had a great view of the valley below and a lunch break of much needed nutella sandwiches before heading toward the plantation. If I had known about the nutella and tea I would have tried this trekking lark a long time ago.


      As we approached the tea plantation we saw first hand the stark contrast from the thick mossy forest and the scorched earth from land clearance. However we were now left in awe of one of the most beautiful man-made landscapes around. The sweeping carpet of green leaved terraces stretched out as far as the eye could see and it was spectacular. The plantation shop signaled our finish line and being English we took great delight in celebrating with a finest and freshest cup of tea you can find with a view over the valley.



conditions change quickly here



thanks for the free parking

     Our second trek attempt came two days later where we planned to head out of Tanah Rata towards the town of Brinchang. The trek would be fine to complete on our own as long as we followed the trail. Like our first trek we decided to hike uphill through mossy forest for around 2 hours to reach a radio tower at the peak. From there it would be a longer gradual descent back to town through another plantation. This was a tougher hike than the first as it was uphill all the way but after just over two hours we made it to the top with a few scraped knees and a real bad case of sweat rot. The funny thing is by hitchhiking back and walking up we saved ourselves almost £20 compared to the guided tour which took tourists to the top by land rover, meaning they missed the jungle all together.
    

A stunning walk down to town through the plantations

    


look out KL were coming for you next

     As we leave the cool climate of the Cameron's behind and travel to the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur we are left with a sad truth. Sadly much of this unique habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate due to deforestation for tea plantations and increasing temperature due to air pollution. Unfortunately the Cameron Highlands do not yet have national park status and therefore lack sufficient environmental protection policies. Hard efforts from local conservationists like Jason have fallen on deaf ears as many lack the education to understand that losing the jungle will mean huge long term consequences including a decrease in soil nutrition, increased run off and risk of regular landslides. The effects of recent landslides during an unusually wet December 2014 still scarred the landscape.

     Once again government corruption does little to help the situation with many officials to focused on short term monetary gains to care about the consequences for future generations. So for us it was a real privilege to explore a beautiful environment that is likely to die out in the next fifty to one hundred years and become just another notch on the long list of victims of mankind.

      Right serious article over and I promise the next post will be of a lighter nature and contain a picture of a cat or something.

Couchsurfing in Ipoh

11th - 16th January 2015

    Our exit route from Penang should be nicknamed "The Overkill Line". Never has a four hour journey required a minibus and three regular busses but despite the slight inconvenience we made it to Ipoh.

Time to take out the trash

     Our initial plan was to spend two nights in at The Abbey Hotel which lies on the edge of the old town before attempting to couchsurf. If your expecting a lively atmosphere the Abby probably wouldn't be the right accommodation for you. The hotel is one of the newest additions to town and parts are still in construction. The common area is limited to one sofa by the front desk. If your just looking for a comfy bed then you'll feel fine here although it must be noted some of the rooms do not have a window but for a few quid a night and a central location we couldn't complain.


If we weren't trying to avoid flights this would be a great way to get to Oz

     Despite not featuring on the most travellers to visit list Ipoh and the surrounding region has a rich history and offers plenty of sights. The city was Malaysia's second administrative centre after Kuala Lumpur during British rule and became a lucrative earner for the empire due to the abundance of tin in the region.
    Today the old town features old colonial buildings and some great street art similar to what we saw in Penang. In front of the towns impressive railway station sits the plant that gives the town its name. The Antiaris or Ipoh Tree in Malay across Asia for being the plant which produces the poison jungle dwelling tribes used to soak their arrows and darts. Apparently some of these jungle peoples still live in remote regions of the Malay Peninsula and Borneo but in Ipoh the tree purely remains as an emblem of local pride.


no caption needed



"Are you sure you only sell durian here in Gopeng?"

     On our first full day we ventured outside Ipoh and caught a local bus to Kellies Castle. Sadly this unfinished, ruined mansion was closed on the day we visited but we were still able to get a few photos from the entrance. The journey wasn't a complete waste though as the nearby town of Gopeng contained a nice selection of street art.

Although there are limited sights in Ipoh old town there are plenty of places to grab a bite to eat. Great independent Chinese tea houses operate on the same roads as the street art and offer a range of great noodle based grub. These tea shops are famous for the dessert caramel cake which is very reminiscent of the crème caramel dishes you can find in Europe. A sugar rush is always welcome when your on the move.



Never look a gift horse in the mouth

 By the time we returned from our magical mystery tour it was time to grab some dinner. Jono arranged for us to meet a local couchsurfer who lived on the outskirts of the city and had some rooms available for the following night.
Amazingly this was the first time we had managed to find a vacant host through the site. We attempted to use couchsurfer to find cheap accommodation in Europe but spaces are competitive and the nature of our travels meant we were never in one place very long, so our plan never worked out. We have found that the site offers a great platform for arranging meet ups with local hosts. This function has proved incredibly useful in large, unfamiliar cities and we met some great local guides in Warsaw, Riga and Saint Petersburg.




Bruvs with Bella

No need for washing dishes in the Indian restaurant

First impressions were great as Bella arranged to pick us up with her friend John and food court style restaurant. The corrugated roof courtyard looked at little rough and dilapidated at first sight but out here that's a good sign of a culinary diamond in the rough. The food court offered a range of culinary delights from the region and beyond. Laksa, Pad Thai, Satay, Singapore Mehun, Penang Curry, they had the lot.
As we have been in Asia for a while now I though I'd be a smart ass and try a Penang curry. I had eaten this dish a few times before in Thailand and Malaysia and though I could handle the chili. Unfortunately I soon found out that the dishes in Penang and Thailand are adapted to tourists taste buds and spent most of the time sweating and crying. Later I was told Penang Curry is mild to medium dish on the spicy spectrum (mental note: stick to butter chicken).
Bella and John were great guides and we shared stories of travel, job, countries and family for a good few hours before moving on. Before dropping us off at the Abby Hotel they were kind enough to show us a local temple but it was a bit of a wash out on account of the tropical weather front hitting the region. I guess we should be glad it was the end of the wet season.

     The next day we were picked up and led to "Casa D'Bella" where we would be staying for a few nights. Bella's place is ideal for couchsurfing and she had enough room for four or five surfers. The place was on a quiet estate and guarded 24/7 by six or so cats (if food was out). Bella's efforts go far and beyond the minimal requirements of a host and she took great joy in  offering us advice regarding sights and offering to drive us around.


A great view of the karst mountains from the cave temple

Our first sight on the cards was a nearby cave temple dedicated to Chinese Buddhism. There are many cave temples around Ipoh most of which charge an entrance fee but Bella assured us this one would be free and offer great views of the karst landscape. The natural weathered limestone structure was filled with statues and murals depicting gods and idols. The most magnificent of these was a 7 meter high Buddha. A 300 step stone staircase ascended from the rear of the temple and hugged the limestone cliff and led to a stone elephant idol at the summit. The view from the top wasn't as stunning as other karst landscapes we'd seen in China and Vietnam but considering this area isn't a popular tourist it sure as hell left us wondering why the coaches aren't flocking to the region.



Cave Buddha

One of many cave temples in the region






















Turtle power!

    After the temple we ventured to the aptly named "Jurassic Park". This small landscaped space was a great place to chill out and have lunch. The entrance of park is blocked off by a small lake nestled between two karst limestone hills. A small ferry was required to cross this water body where your serenaded by the lyrics of "Islands in the stream" by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Pretty strange!?







Dinosaurs do exist here

Back home were used to seeing families walking their dog and letting their kids feed the ducks. In Ipoh the ducks have been replaced by a large colony of turtles and koi carp and monkeys (on the shore) all begging for your lunch. Granted it's an artificial environment designed to draw in visitors but in Jurassic Park it works well. If your really lucky you may even see a few "Dinosaurs" (monitor lizards) which roam the more isolated areas of the park. 


It's true when they say "only mad dogs and Englishmen walk out in the midday sun" and after our brief exploration of the area we settled into the Malaysian way of life a kicked back and chilled during the heat of the day. Malaysia's climate is very consistent all year round with an average high of 32°C so out here working hours tend start much earlier than back home to avoid the peak heat.
Bella's home had the feel of a guesthouse with the atmosphere of a top hostel and it was great to spend time with like minded backpackers all with an interesting story to tell. It's not everyday that you meet a French national who has been living in the Amazon Rainforest with indigenous tribes for the last year. Most evenings we would have a nice group meal at Bella's favourite eateries. One in particular we visited a lot over the week. It was a banana leaf restaurant offering great curry dishes. Proper curries not like the adaptations we get in the UK. All the meat is cooked off the bone, served with naan's and roti's and best of all served on a banana leaf. No cutlery, no plate, no washing up that's how they roll here


Jurassic Park lake





Ipoh is the gateway to the Cameron Highlands famous for the cool climate and jungle trekking. Most tourists skip Ipoh in favour of the Cameron's but unbeknown to us Ipoh has trekking routes to match. If you manage to avoid the corruption that is.
Bella was kind enough to take us to a national park where we could trek to a waterfall. This would have been great if it wasn't for the local "Forestry Bureau". No sooner had we parked up and got out of the car a group of Malay locals came out of nowhere and  "welcomed" us to Malaysia. Now its fair to say as much as we like friendly welcomes during our travels we have noticed a definite correlation between friendly welcomes and people looking to con tourists and sure enough we were right. The main guy said that if we wanted to enter the reserve (which Bella informed us was free to visit to all) we would have to pay for a "permit". Frustrated by this cock and bull story Bella advised us that its best if we don't see the waterfall and that she would report the story to the local newspaper to warn others. This sort of thing is frustrating but all part of the package of South East Asia travel unfortunately. Corruption amongst government officials and bureaus is rife and a real issue. The short sighted gains of the minority unfortunately cause a knock on impact for local tourism. If a few cases get reported then an area gets a bad reputation and tourists go elsewhere. Its as simple as that.


This sort of thing can happen almost anywhere and if your backpacking you should remember that if someone seems overly friendly chances are they are a friendly person but there is always a 5% chance they want something from you. Its therefore perfectly healthy for you to be a little paranoid.



Not quite the waterfall but it will do

Jess "The 30l backpacker girl"

 In summary our first experience couchsurfing was a great one and if your fed up of boutique hostels that are full of travellers fixated on their phones and laptops then it definitely ticks all the boxes. You meet interesting local people, share knowledge, make friends with like minded travellers, get extremely cheap accommodation and all you have to do is pay the kindness back if your paths cross again. We both hope to meet Bella again some day.


 Even though neither of us had ever heard of Ipoh before our visit we were extremely glad we stopped by. It's an overlooked part of Malaysia with awesome countryside, history, culture and an array of sights. A little like our home town Northampton and the surrounding county which was the English capital for a few years, has a long history of shoemaking, famous battles, royal estates and stunning rolling fields but few people know about it. If your looking for a break from the tourist hoards and want to experience genuine Malaysia add Ipoh to your bucket list.

Penang: colonial town holds cultural crown

4th - 11th January 2015

     George Town the capital of Penang Island was our first destination in Malaysia. As the name suggests this bustling town was first founded in 1786 by a British naval captain called Francis Light and named after the then British monarch King George III (What better way to get prestige and quite possibly wealth and a title). Captain Light captured the region as he required a suitable base for the activities of the British East India Company as they attempted and ultimately succeeded in increasing Britannia's dominance over this profitable part of the world. Under the watchful eye of the British Empire the founders managed to turn a sleepy fishing village into a major commercial hub. Today the old town contains many of its original colonial buildings and structures. Most notable is the stronghold of  Fort Cornwallis which despite being a shell of its former self still highlights how highly prized the island was to the worlds largest superpower at the time.

New George Town

Its a jungle out there

Indiana Jones selfie

    The British weren't the only western powers to occupy the island with the Dutch, Portuguese and French claiming the territory beforehand although there is architectural evidence today.

   Jono and I stayed in a very nice hostel in the heart of the old town called "House of Journey". The young couple working there were incredibly helpful and interesting. They had both spent a number of years living in Manchester, England for studies and travelled Europe before returning home to run this great establishment. Check out the links for more details.


     Georgetown remains a prized possession for the Malay people and the International community. In 2008 the old town was officially granted UNESCO status which should ensure the historic hub remains preserved for many years to come. Since the change in status the town has become the gem of the Malaysian tourist trail. There are many sights to keep anyone preoccupied for a few days. The city is famous for its great array of street art both in the commonly used media of spray paint but also metal rods. Its a great way to get your bearings around the old town's narrow streets and also completely free.





Awesome Street Art

     Another great feature of Georgetown is its well preserved wharfs that have stood since the settlements birth. The same families still own and in some cases live on the same wooden structures that supported their ancestors.

George Town Wharf



Tucking into some grub at "Red Garden"

Penang Hill

Bruvs on a Bench (Penang Hill)

     Penang's capital is a great melting pot (or in this case cooking pot) for a range of great cuisine. The street food is famous all around Malaysia. Its inexpensive and there is great selection. George Towns population is made up of Malays, Chinese and Indians and over the years the town has developed its own versions of the best dishes these cultures have to offer and have even adapted dishes from neighboring countries. One good location is a food court called "Red Garden". It's a great place to eat with a group as every possible food option is available from Thai to Sushi or Korean to Western and at 9pm they normally have live entertainment to accompany the experience. It's a bit like an outdoor Working Men's Club with lady boys instead of bingo.


    

Monkey Beach

The sights continue outside George Town with the funicular railway up to Penang Hill or Penang National Park on the islands North East shore offering great views and the chance to see wildlife. We visited the National Park on two separate occasions for a bit of trekking. The first visit involved an easy one hour walk through the forest to Monkey Beach. Not the most stunning strip of sand in the world due to the litter but it did offer a nice place to swim and sunbathe after a sweaty hike.





What no Pelican or Zebra crossing

I think I'll name you Raphael

The second visit required a slightly longer but by no means difficult trek to the more isolated and stunning Turtle Beach. We were unable to swim when we visited as a red flag was raised due to toxic jellyfish but we were still able to see the small but impressive green turtle sanctuary. The workers collect some of the youngsters when they hatch and ensure their well fed in small tanks before releasing into the wild. This was our first sighting of a baby turtle and no doubt its more spectacular seeing them in the ocean but there's no denying the world would be a worse place if these critically endangered creatures die out.

turtle sanctuary

Penang National Park is also a great place to grab cheap accommodation if your willing to rough it as they have a number of free camping grounds. We may have considered it if it hadn't been raining heavily every evening but what can I say we wimped out.




metal rod artwork

some locals at Monkey Beach

Lots of island strays