Malaysia comprises two regions: the Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak Sabah and Sarawak are on the island of Borneo. It is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious federation of 13 states
Our first stop in Malaysia was Kuala Lumpur the capital and the largest city in Malaysia. Literally meaning “muddy river confluence” in Malay, Kuala Lumpur has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis of 7 million. We stayed in the city center. It embodies a good blend of the modernity and cultural heritage. We where surprised at all the Towering skyscrapers, including the iconic KLCC Twin Towers, that dominate the city skyline, while bustling street markets and historic temples showcase the city’s diverse charm.
On our first night we catch up with Ferando and Winnie friends from Australia, it is always lovely to meet friends from home when we are travelling. We had a very nice Chinese’s meal. Note the food courts in some of the shopping centers are next level, and the deserts are gorgeous.
You cannot miss the 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers, a pair of glass-and-steel-clad skyscrapers with Islamic motifs. The towers also offer a public skybridge and observation deck. They are very impressive. Below the towers is the lush, 50-acre urban sanctuary KLCC Park. Visitors can come to enjoy the lush greenery or the park’s wide range of amenities – from the two-acre children’s playground, running paths, a wading pool & choreographed fountain displays.
We had been told to visit the Batu Caves it is a mogote with a series of limestone caves in Gombak, it is located about 13 km north of the capital. The cave complex contains many Hindu temples, the most popular of which is a shrine dedicated to the deity Murugan. To be honest the natural caves are wonderful to see but they have been decorated with all these tacky status, there are 272 steps up to one of the caves that are painted in all different colors but it was all very cheap and tacky looking. I think they should bring it all back to its natural form and it would be much nicer. Some times we should just leave nature as it is. There are also a lot of monkeys around the area, I think people are feeding them so they expect everyone to feed them, so they can get a bit aggressive.
We decided to take a trip to The Strait of Malacca is a vital part of the Indo-Pacific because it is one of the key sea lanes linking two oceans—the Indian and the Pacific. it’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site recognized for its unique blend of Malay, Portuguese, and Dutch architectural influences.
We saw the following, the notable Famosa the Portuguese fortress, The fortress was originally constructed in 1511 by Alfonso de Albuquerque, who led the Portuguese invasion of the Malacca Sultanate.
Christ Church Malacca is a historical landmark built by the Dutch when they took possession of Malacca from the Portuguese. Today, it stands as one of the most defining structures along Jalan Gereja (also known as Church Street).It’s an instantly recognizable brick-red building with a huge white cross at the top.
The Stadthuys is a massive bright terracotta-red riverfront building and landmark in Malacca. Once the official residence of Dutch governors and officers, it’s believed to be the oldest-surviving Dutch building in the East.
St. Paul’s Church, was constructed by Portuguese nobleman and captain, Duarte Coelho, in honour of the Virgin Mary for saving his life during a storm at sea. It was originally called (Our Lady of the Annunciation). Although it is now roofless and covered in ferns, and has been in ruins for more than 150 years, it is a beautiful, breezy sanctuary
We also took a walk down Jonker Street, it is an atmospheric thoroughfare with Markets, small boutique shops and restaurants. There was a lot of Durian for sale so we decided this would be a good time to try it. Lets just say this was my first and last piece of durian. Just not my cup of Tea !!!
St. Peter’s Church, it is the oldest functioning Roman Catholic church in Malaysia. It is a lovely church with a gorgeous grotto and garden.
We had a great time in Kuala Lumpur, it is a very impressive city. We wanted to spend some time on Borneo island, we flew from KL to Sabah on Borneo island.
Borneo is the third largest island in the world, situated in Southeast Asia, and is split between three countries: Indonesia (majority of the island, known as Kalimantan), Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak regions), and Brunei (a small northern section);. It’s characterized by its dense rainforests, mountainous terrain with the highest peak being Mount Kinabalu.
We stayed in Kota Kinabalu the capital of Sabah for 2 weeks the first week we related and spent time booking our travel for the next 6 months. We had a lot of rain so it worked out well. We did take a trip out to some of the islands Mamutik and
The smallest island, Mamutik is also nearest to the mainland. Easy access makes the roughly triangular island very popular. Rocks line one side while sandy beaches fringe the others
Manukan is the Park’s second largest island and the most developed. Shaped like a crescent, it is one and a half kilometres long and a third of a kilometre wide in the middle. The best beach is on the eastern tip of the island and has good snorkelling to the south and east.
They are both beautiful islands. Besides the island hopping you can do from Kota Kinabalu and a few golf courses there is not much more besides shopping and markets in Kota Kinabalu.
We hired a car and drove out to Mount Kinabalu, Mount Kinabalu is in Kinabalu Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site is the highest mountain in Borneo and Malaysia. With an elevation of 4,095 metres, it is the third-highest peak of an island on Earth, the 28th highest peak in Southeast Asia, and 20th most prominent mountain in the world. We had hoped to climb it but you have to book it nearly a year in advance. There are other hikes you can do in the Park so we decided to stay in the Park for 4 nights. The accommodation was very nice although a bit expensive. It can be very misty and it rains a lot in this area but we still managed to do some good hiking and we got some good photos of Mt Kinabalu.
We stopped at Poring it is a small tourist resort in Sabah, located 40 km south-east of the Kinabalu National Park, here you can do a canopy walk you can also take a dip in the hot springs, but when we were there most of the hot springs were closed so we just did the Canopy walk. The canopy walk is very good but before you get to the canopy you will need to walk uphill along a trail involving a significant number of steps it was fine for us but if you have knee issues it might be a problem.
We travelled from Mt Kinabalu in Sabah to Sandakan. Sandakan is a city in the Malaysian state of Sabah, on the northeast coast of Borneo. We went here as we wanted to see the Orangutans and the Proboscis Monkeys in the wild. We went to a The Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (SOURC) it was established in 1964 to rehabilitate orphaned orangutans. It has since grown from having just an outdoor platform to having an Outdoor Nursery viewing area. It is located within the Kabili-Sepilok Forest Reserve, making the area suitable for trekking and birding. Besides the mums and bubs in the centre there are also orangutans in the forest near by. We did see some in the wild although only from a distance but it is always so good to see them in their natural environment. The mums and babies in the Nursery stay their until they are both strong enough to go back into the wild.
Our next stop was to see the Proboscis Monkeys. Located in Labuk Bay mangroves, this sanctuary safeguards proboscis monkeys and preserves mangrove forests. Back in the day as trees withered and fresh water sources dried up during the 97-98 El Nino drought and palm oil development closed in, the desperate monkeys found safety on the Lee Brothers’ plantation. Moved by the monkey’s plight, the Lee Brothers began to enact a simple feeding program to supplement the monkey’s diet and eventually converted part of their land holdings into Sabah’s first Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary. Over the years, the sanctuary has been expanded to 500 acres of coastal mangrove forests via land acquisition, and the restoration of degraded forests. Labuk Bay currently houses one of the largest isolated population of proboscis monkeys on the Borneo islands. Visitors can observe a variety of species including silvered leaf monkeys, otters, slow lorises, and hornbills. The sanctuary restores mangroves by replanting forests over oil palm plantations. The monkeys only come to the feeding platforms if they cannot find food in the wild it is a way to supplement their diets and to keep an eye on them. It is also a great way for tourist to get a closer look at them. It was great to see them so close. No one is allowed near them, everyone is kept at a good distance.
We were very lucky to see a hornbill, what an amazing looking bird they are. There are also lots of silvered leaf monkeys. It was a shame we did not get to see any otters but we could not complain it was so wonderful to see all the animals and the great work that the people of Borneo are doing to make sure these amazing creatures around for years to come.
Our last stop was to see the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre. The centre opened in 2014 and aims to provide care and rehabilitation to the rescued sun bears while increasing public awareness about this species. To date, there are about 43 rescued ex-captive sun bears residing at the center with continuous efforts to set them back in the wild when they are ready.
We drove back to Kota Kinabalu and flew to Brunei our last stop on Borneo island.