| Submitted by: Timothy Eyre , United Kingdom |
| Submission Date: 07 February 2005 |
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This document is the body of a letter I sent to Lonely Planet giving the technical details of my trip to Malaysia in July, August and September of 1994. I believe it is accurate about what actually happened to myself but this is no guarantee that it will be the same when you go there. The first paragraph gives the inaaccuracies and ommissions in the 1994 edition of 'Malaysia Singapore and Brunei - A Travel Survival Kit' that I spotted while using it. The second, longer paragraph consists of the details themselves. Finally there's some blurb. Do I recommend the LP guide? Yes, it saves lots of hassle trying to find decent hotels and there are loads of maps. Remeber, though, that no guidebook is a substitute for common sense, opportunism and a sense of adventure.
Tim Eyre
Department of Mathematics
University of Nottingham
Nottingham
UK
tmwe@maths.nott.ac.uk
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National Library is incorrectly positioned on the map of KL, also Melaka Hotel squares and eating triangles are mixed up in Melaka map key box. Street name in Alor Setar needs to be added between Grand Continental Hotel and at least as far as express bus station is Jalan Sultan Badlishah. Before this is Lorong Selamat. On map of Kota Bharu your no.5 seems misplaced, should be north of no.7. South of KB map also seems inaccurate, Cultural Centre is on an alley directly opposite Jalan Bayam, Hotel Purdana is on corner of J. Bayam and J. Sultan Mahmud (which is signposted Jalan Mahmood) and all the shops along what is marked Jalan Hamzah and Jalan Pasir Puteh give their address as J. Sultan Yahaya Petra. J. Pasir Puteh doesn't seem to start until after J. Dusun Muda.
Istanbul airport is a madhouse. Turkish Airlines is OK but nothing special. To get from the airport in Singapore straight to MAlaysian border get bus #27 to Tampines (S$0.90) and get MRT to Bugis and then walk to Ban San bus station using an airport map. Bus is either S$0.90 (cheap, #140) or S$1.80 for air-con and more speed (about 40mins vs. 1hr). Shell petrol station is a good landmark for the Footloose Homestay, which is RM12 a night or rm24 for the double room. Friendly place indeed but the beds in the dorm are in a state of collapse. Brenda said to me 'you'll always get a bed' and that they're rarely full. No sign on gate and the dog won't bite. Can be noisy because of TV and kids. Kotaraya shopping centre has a bookshop with English books.
Posh bus to Kota Tinggi RM3. Lots of cheap hotels here. I paid RM16 for a noisy room with common bath and real walls at Hotel Upstairs. Bus 43 still goes to waterfalls. Post office is quite a way out of town. Has one good supermarket which might take S$. Ordinary bus to Mersing RM4.25, about 2 hrs. Sheikh Guesthouse still RM5 for decent dorm bed with lockless lockers. Food places close early here. ABC special at stall 6 is indeed good. Stall 1 sells usual traveller fare - French toast etc. Lots of places to change money, even on Sunday. Boat to Tioman was quoted to me at RM34 return. Instead walked 6km up the coast to the Farm Guest House which is RM12 for full board and a delightfully peaceful place to stay and see kampong life. In KG Tenglu Laut, ask at Shiekh Guest Hous for directions, taxi RM6 (though ask for more) or bus and 1km walk 45sen. Has free bikes and possibility of working for board. About 7kkm to Air Papan Bubble Bay Beach Resort which had just opened, RM15 for matress on floor and zillions of mosquitoes. was glad of net got in JB for RM15, light but bulky. Has teething troubles but friendly, great beach and quiet. Good English spoken. Lunch and dinner RM6 for the two, ordered in advance, b'fast RM2. Two AC chalets were being built while I was there so may have changed radically. Matahari huts are 1.5 hr walk or 20 min easy hitch from Batu Sembilan. Bus 90sen from Mersing. Dorm RM7, camp RM5, bungalow RM18, some with bath. Isolated and bleak location with good trails around. Run by a Californian. Beaches mediocre. I did a half day traill and a full day which included seeing rhino tracks, owner Tom has details. Can hitch from Matahari to nearby Penyabang which has some pleasant looking chalets called 'Cocnut Inn' RM25 but didn't stay there. Lots of cheap hotels in Endau and easy to get taxi for RM2 to Kuala Rompin which is an unpleasant place. No pick up for Watering Hole bungalows unless you phone (not easy- line poor) and if they pick you up outside of the pick up times of 2.30pm and 5pm you get charged RM5. I walked, it was easier and more scenic. RM18 for A frame hut including b'fast and dinner and free tea. More for the bungalows and bungalows with bath.
Decent location and grounds well cared for. Management unfriendly and nast dogs around, but well kept. Air Papan is a place popular with locals and has Rm14-15 places to stay. Managed to hitch a lift from Watering Hole after 40 mins. A sign helps. Got to KL in posh car in 5 hrs. Meridian Int Youth Hostel RM8 for air con dorm with YH card, o/w RM10 (men only), women go in the cheaper no air con dorm. Mosquito net good for privacy in the huge dorm. Restaurant Yusoof underneath is good. Nearby cinema is plush and shows decent films for RM8 with cold air con. Got cheap imitation Rolex for RM16. Puduraya is the bus station for Kuala Selangor. Apparently there is a Blackjack scam in KL and one should avoid people who ask 'have you got a credit card' and talk of big business. RM3.50 to K. Selangor, Nature Park accomodation was full though they said that this doesn't happen very often. Government Rest House is about RM40 pax, and swarms with tourists looking at mediocre historical remains and overfed monkies. Stayed in smaller of the two smaller bus station hotels for RM20, room with bath, fan, two double beds but I was locked into the building. Hitching K. Selangor to KL easy. Bus to Melaka RM6.75 incl. air con and no one else on bus. Samudra Inn is closed now, but Robin's Nest is still open and good, single RM12. Tourist Office has walking tour hand out for old town. Hitching to Muar easy. Embassy Hotel and Nan Yang Hotel are both brothels and nothing below RM21 around. Muar not all that ninteresting anyway. Hitching didn't work, bus to JB RM8 3hrs.
At Why Not Homestay they have replaced the 4 bed dorms with 6 bed dorms. Was transported to Boon Wah Boarding House where RM8 for bed in 25+ dorm. Poor value but location god for Little India. National Library is air con with lots of English books that are interesting, easy to get in, crowded as day goes on, has travel guides, open 7 days a week 9 to 5 or 8. Holland Village walkable to with determination. Visit Marina Mandarin + Pueri Pan Pacific hotels before Raffles to see the contrast. To get to Changi Village boat service (S$5, 1st 7am, last 4pm, just round corner from bus terminal) from airport go to Tampines (#27) $1-30 (air con) $1 (non air con) and change to Changi Village (#29, 80c). From Changi Village take #2 to get to Golden Landmark Hotel etc. Terminal 2 at airport has a reading room. Science Centre is in Transit. Hotel JB ok, good value for JB, air con not powerful. There is a bus to Mersing at 1.45pm, 3 hours. Tell guy in charge of station if taxi drivers charge more than RM6 to Farm Guest House. Hitching on main road nr. Farm Guest House easy for two. The Government Hospital in Mersing gave us a course of Malaria tablets for East Malaysia for RM2 each (didn't use them), wait just 1.5hrs. Bus from Endau to Endau Rompin 40 mins RM1.60, pposh air con 3 seat across (as opposed to 4) Endau Rompin to Kuantan 2 hrs. RM7.10. New Meriah Hotel RM24 for twin with fan, bath, carpet and big room. Hotel Embassy now called Moonlight Hotel. Ferry to Kampung Tanjung Lumpar infrequent.
Found a flyer for a place called La Chaumiere Lot61 Kampong Pelindong, 26100 Kuantan tel. 09587662/5133026 RM15 per person b&b but didn't check it out. Cinem,a on J. Besar nr. info centre good at RM3.50, Western Films and air con. Bus to Maran RM3.50, dropped off at the turn off for Tasik Cini without having to ask. Bus to Belimbing came after 1 hr, a guy offered us a lift for RM10, bus only RM3 or so. Long wait for boat, RM40 for whole boat (up to 4 people) or RM80 for 12 people boat, actually good value as trip is amazing. Shopkeeper at Tasik Cini has two huts for RM15 incl. food as well as Jones place (RM15). All full so stayed at a local house (again RM15 inc. food). Good walks in Jungle. Go away from lake by village road, turn left at T junction then there is a turn off on the left after 1 mile or so which leads to miles of wonderous jungle tracks that are well defined. Roads here still not all sealed. To get out, Chinese shopkeeper takes people in his 4WD (only one in town) for between RM5 and RM10 to Cini. The taxi drivers in Kuantan were adament that it was RM60 to Kampung Gummum. >From Cini taxi share to Kuantan is Rm6, bus Rm4.70. Bus Kuantan to KL 6hrs RM 12.10, aircon. KL City Lodge attempted to give a double bed as a 'double' but backed down when we complained. Rm30 for double with aircon, RM25 without. Rooms tiny but fairly clean and actually quiet. Cafe next door downstairs good. 7-11 is nearby. Bus to Kuala Kubu Bharu leaves from Puduraya and Rm3.50, 2hrs. Bus from KKB to Frasers is 8.30, 12.30, 1hr. Can change money at Maybank in KKB (RM5 commission!)No obvious accomodation in KKB. Lots of building going on at Fraser's, but can get away from it.
Gap Rest House recently renovated and now RM41 a double, good value as absolutely great place to stay. Western dishes poor but Malaysian food good. Chinese eatery at Gap nasty but Muslim place ok. There is a marked trail off left of the Fraser road near the top when ascending which seems to go down very steeply through beautiful jungle. Hitching from Gap to KKB easy when traffic is allowed down Fraser's Hill. Out of KKB harder as EVERYONE stopped whether going to KL or not. KL Butterfly park RM4 +RM1 for camera, is in Lake Gardens and worth the money. Paid RM2 to get there from Railway Station by taxi. wait at Mimibus stand to avaid coupon system and queue. KL City Lodge to Park is RM2 or RM3 by taxi. Also bird park at Lake Gardens, RM3 and very good, includes lots of Hornbills and flamingoes.
Taxis AWAY from bird park difficult to get, worth booking if not prepared to walk. Bus to Orang Asli museum from Lebu Ampang RM1 each way, pleasant journey and interesting museum, worth the effort. Exists bus to Lumut at 3pm rm12.40 4.5hrs. KL City Lodge is helpful, informative and friendly. Fan To Phui hotel in Lumut is RM16 a double, shared bath., good food downstairs. Bus to Lumut passes Kellies Castle so might be possible to be dropped there on way and hitch onwards. Ferries to Paulu Pankor frequent, the Yellow Red and Black Co. is RM2 (don't have to get return ticket) for air con one way. Taxi to Joe's Fisherman's Lodge RM10, huts RM20 and RM23 with two mattresses on the floor. Ewxpensive. No drinking water except mineral water at RM4 a bottle, take Puritabs or stock up in Lumut.
Beach ace, only good thing about the island really! Ablutions amongst the worst in Malaysia. Walk around island takes 4hrs if you don't stop to admire much. foodstalls on beach not overpriced and ok. There are buses from this place to Jeti from bus stop but are infrequent we got an impromptu taxi share for RM5 between two. Feri back only rm1.50, bus to Ipoh RM3.80, 2.5hrs at 2.45pm. Winner Hotel RM43.70 for aircon twin but was full. Cathay Hotel RM18.70 for grubby twin, noisy, ablutions poor but reasonable value and get plenty of furniature. Security poor, key obviously not cut. Aircon bus to B'worth at 10am from Ipoh. |
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| Copyright © - "Timothy Eyre" |
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