Moving south and into Malaysia

Entering Malaysia by boat

This was the second time on the world trip that we had arrived in a new country by boat. The first time being when we disembarked from the Norwegian Epic, after 9 days at sea, in a cold, wet New York City . Today, we were entering Malaysia through immigration at the port on Langkawi Island. This was after a two hour boat ride since clearing customs in Thailand.

Although I have previously travelled through Malaysia, Langkawi was a new destination for both of us. I wasn’t sure what to expect and there is always a sense of excitement when crossing the borders of neighbouring countries. How similar will they be? How hard will it be to adapt to (another) new currency? And, perhaps most importantly, what will the local beer be like*

Languid Langkawi

What we did find in those early days in Langkawi was that many of the restaurants did not serve alcohol. For the first time in as long as we could remember, we had dinners without an alcoholic drink. Never have we drunk so much Sprite. Due to sharia law in Malaysia, muslims are not allowed to consume alcohol. It follows that alcohol is a little harder to come by. We even saw mini marts, usually our go to for cheap beer, with signs in the window pointing out the fact that they don’t sell beer. 

Langkawi had the feel of a place that needed some love and attention. Possibly as a result of the pandemic, and a lack of tourists, many places looked abandoned, or run down. The beach was a wide expanse of sand, with lots of potential. Yet, there were few sun loungers or parasols to encourage lingering. We did what most people seemed to be doing, spending days around our hotel pool, wandering back out for dinner in the evening. 

We did do a trip whilst on Langkawi. To the mangrove forests of the Kilim Geoforest Park. An enjoyable day out on the river, exploring the natural beauty of Langkawi, with nearby Thailand in the distance. Cruising through the mangroves, sharing the forest with some very inquisitive monkeys. Monkeys that had the temerity to jump on board our boat and steal bottles of water. On this trip we are meeting some monkeys that are not endearing me to the species. 

Pressing on to Penang

Our plan was to jump on a boat from Langkawi, heading south. Yet, the effects of COVID linger in these parts of the world. The boat to Penang was out of service because of it. This left us having to jump on a plane for the 45 minute flight. If only all flights could be this short. On the island of Penang we were staying in Georgetown, the UNESCO listed heritage town. 

The Citadines is a chain of hotels we first came across whilst in Brussels, all those months ago. In Penang the Citadines was brand new. In a gorgeous, renovated heritage building. So new you could still smell the paint. It was a great place to rest our heads for three nights. Francis Light established modern Penang in 1786. Following the second World War, Penang merged with Malaysia which itself gained independence from Britain in 1957.

Wandering around Penang is a delight. Beautiful architecture. Hawkers selling local street food. And some of the best street art you will see. We happened across a couple and started reading about them. It turns out that Penang is a street art delight. One of the simple pleasures is going on a “treasure hunt” to find more. To see them all would take a lot longer than the 3 days we were in town. We will have to save the rest for the next time we are passing through.

From Penang to Kuala Lumpur

For now, we were back in the air. Another short flight. From Penang to the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Known locally as KL, this is a city that for me is so reminiscent of Singapore. Clean streets. Great hawker food. And some of the best shopping malls in the world. It is true that we weren’t here to shop, but after a long walk to see the Petronas Towers you can’t believe how welcome a bit of air conditioning is. A life saver. The Petronas Towers are the highest twin towers in the world but these are put in the shade by the new Merdeka 118 tower. The second highest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Much like Singapore, KL has very diverse neighbourhoods. It was whilst strolling through Chinatown that we discovered KL has its very own street art. Our treasure hunt was back on. But first, coffee. I may have mentioned coffee in previous blogs, and how the coffee shop experience across southeast asia is off the scale. In KL we found a self proclaimed “Melbourne coffee shop”. I am afraid to say that whilst it was a decent drop, it wasn’t the quality of Melbourne.

On the bus to Melaka

Leaving KL and heading south we were able to eschew the airport this time. Our taxi dropped us at the out of town bus terminal and despite a 30 minute delay we still arrived in Melaka (Malacca) in good time. Melaka is another port town, colonised in the past due to its strategic location, much like Penang. In fact, at one point in the past the British destroyed the fort at Melaka, trying to encourage people to relocate to either Singapore or Penang, ports they deemed to be of more importance. 

Travelling in the way we have been doing for the last 10 months is an education in itself. We learn more than we ever could sat in a classroom. The colonial past of many countries is intertwined. With some countries, such as Britain, coming out looking less than favourabley. In building an empire, Britain subverted cultures, destroyed families, and imposed their will in places that were mostly not wanted. We look in horror at what Putin is doing to Ukraine. If we look in the mirror, what do we see?

Melaka is a very popular tourist town. And it is easy to see why. Weekend visits for nearby Singaporeans. European backpackers. And lots of Malaysian visitors. It is easy to see why the town is so popular. It is very easy on the eye with the many buildings painted in a vibrant red. And yes, it even has its own street art. With the town now protected by UNESCO I hope all the ugly high rise hotels I see on the outskirts of town don’t ever start encroaching on the lovely historical centre.

One day we took a river cruise. An activity that gets a lot of visitors. We joined a boat load of them and slowly cruised up the river, giving us a new perspective of the shophouses that line the river as it snakes its way north. En route there were a number of “ghost” stops that I imagine the boats stopping at in previous times. Like a lot of things we have encountered on our travels I wonder how much as been shaped by the pandemic, and how much will return to how it was.

Walking back along the river, later in the day, we got quite the shock. I have seen Komodo dragons in a zoo before. But never in real life. The size of these things give you a shock. I am sure, should they be inclined, they could drag me in the river and devour me. Thankfully, we survived, and I had to (absolutely had to) go for yet another coffee to calm my nerves.

A travel day like no other

It was time to leave Melaka, and Malaysia. We had somewhere to be. And it was going to take us a while to get there. Starting with a taxi to the bus station in Melaka. Then, a 3 hour bus ride across the border, clearing both Malaysian and Singaporean customs. A ride through Singapore. A taxi to Changi airport. Finally, a flight to Manila. Phew. I am tired just thinking about it and will save the next leg of the trip for the next blog.

*For those wondering, the “local” beer appeared to be Tiger. Despite being from across the border in Singapore, it was ubiquitous in Malaysia. And it only cost 92 cents a can (52p).