Kuala Lumpur

During my six week stay in Malaysia, I ended up in Kuala Lumpur (KL) three times. Each time I saw a different side to KL and fell in love with the multicultural, non-stop, vibrant city. Getting there & around The first time we arrived in the city, we'd hired a car from Johor Bahru to …

Sandakan – a charming, quiet city on Sabah’s east coat

Sandakan is on the north-east coast of Sabah and is a good gateway for exploring Sabah's nature hot spots, like the Kinabatangan River and Sepilok. There isn't much to do in the city itself, but the charm of the old town, the lack of western development and the friendly people make it an enjoyable visit …

2 days, 1 night at the Kinabatangan River

The Kinabatangan River is the second largest river in Malaysia, stretching 560km through the southwest of Sabah. Borneo's endemic proboscis monkeys, crocodiles, hornbills, pgymy elephants, amongst other birds and mammals, can all be spotted along the riverbanks from the water. It's really worth a visit if you're in Sabah. Seeing these animals in the true …

Sepilok – orangutans, sun bears & rainforest

Sepilok is a small place that's been made popular by the Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, Sun Bear Conservation Centre and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. Three unmissable attractions in a relaxing environment make a perfect couple of days. A lot of people will only visit Sepilok as a day trip from Sandakan, but they'll have to rush/miss …

Kinabalu National Park – nature, orchids & trekking

Kinabalu National Park is a perfect place to immerse yourself in nature, switch off and relax for a few days. The area was one of the first national parks in Malaysia, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With over 4500 species of plants, 100 mammal and 326 bird species and multiple walking trails, …

Kota Kinabalu – markets, museums and a marine park

Kota Kinabalu (KK) is the capital of Sabah, the northern Malaysian state in Borneo. The city is on the coast of the south China sea and surrounded by rainforest, making the air nice to breathe (what a difference after Kuala Lumpur!). The city has developed a lot in recent years - a few shopping malls …

Langkawi – swinging through the trees & beautiful beaches

Langkawi is made up of 104 islands and is 30 km off the north-west of Malaysia. The main island of Langkawi is pretty big, not overly populated and a lot of forest still remains. The island is duty-free, which makes it a popular with locals, as well as international tourists. There are a lot of …

Cameron Highlands – tea plantations & a mossy forest

Being at least 1300 metres above sea level, the Cameron Highlands is home to Malaysia's highest hill station, endless tea plantations, agricultural crops and cooling temperatures. Getting there The views up to the Highlands are beautiful - imagine winding roads through lush, green valleys, blue skies and and rolling hills. As we got closer to …

Pangkor Island – an island off the beaten track

Pangkor Island is just off the west coast of Malaysia and only a three/four hour drive from Kuala Lumpur. However, if you take the bus, it could take up to six hours, but hey, that's cheap public transport for you and a driver who wanted to delay the journey by forty-five minutes to have lunch! …