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Jungle, tea and beaches Route: Kuala Lumpur- Taman Negara National Park - Cameron Highlands - Penang - Kota Bharu - Perhentian IslandAfter a couple of days acclimatising in Kuala Lumpur you'll head into the jungles of Taman Negara National Park. From there you'll travel to higher elevations to visit the tea fields at the Cameron Highlands before continuing on to the cultural and culinary capital Penang. On Penang you'll visit one of the many temples before crossing over to the east coast where you'll find some of the most beautiful islands in South East Asia - Pulau Lang Tengah and Pulau Perhentian. From there, you'll travel across the beautiful countryside for a unique experience in a traditional Malaysian kampung. For the grand finale you'll spend a couple of days on one of Malaysia's island gems: Pulau Perhentian. You'll travel either by comfortable minibus with driver, or at your own pace by hire car. |
| Duration |
17 days / 16 nights departure daily March - October |
Accommodation |
Comfortable hotels, lodges, guesthouses and resorts with character. Comfort Levels 3 and 4 (see accommodation). |
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Price |
£910 by shared minibus £990 self-drive including car hire Price per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
Transport, accommodation with breakfast, batik painting workshop |
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Transport |
Minibus with driver or hire car |
Excludes |
Flights, (airport) taxes, other meals, excursinos, taxis, additional costs of car hire e.g. petrol and additional insurance |
Day 1 and 2 - Kuala Lumpur - arrivalMost flights from London to Kuala Lumpur arrive early in the morning. Our representative will be waiting for you at the airport with your travel information for your entire Malaysia self drive trip. After receiving all the required information, you'll be taken to your hotel in Kuala Lumpur by car or minibus. Once you've checked in, you'll have the rest of the day to explore the city. Only a short distance from your hotel you'll find the lively Petaling Street. This street is excellent for endless strolls through its small side streets and alleys.A few top attractions you don't want to miss are the world's highest towers, the Petronas Towers, the neo-colonial Anglo-Moor style train station and the hyper modern Masjid Negara-mosque. Kuala Lumpur has a lot to offer travellers who are more 'West' oriented; from fast food restaurants to large air conditioned shopping malls suitable for seemingly endless shopping sprees. During our stay here, we found an extremely friendly and helpful taxi driver named Eric. If you wish, you can book a city tour with him for either an entire or half day. He can be reached at his local number: 016-2871969. |
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Day 3 - Kuala Lumpur - Taman Negara National ParkTravel time: 6 hoursAt 8:45am you’ll take the luxury bus from across your hotel to the small village of Kuala Tembeling. If you're travelling by hire car and taking the Malaysia self-drive option, your car will be dropped off at your hotel. All our hire cars are standard equipped with GPS navigation system to help you find your way. Travelling to Taman Negara by car you can stop off oat the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary to join in the daily bathtime with the elephants at 2pm. From there you'll continue on to Kuala Tahan, the headquarters of the Taman Negara National Park, where you'll park the car and cross the river by boat to your resort around 6pm.Travelling by comfortable bus instead of hire car, the trip from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Tembeling takes about 3 hours. At the port office of Kuala Tembeling you’ll be asked to fill in your personal details for your pass to the Taman Negara National Park. You’ll need to pay extra for your camera. Next you’ll step onto a wooden jungle boat for a relaxed boat trip along the Sungai Tembeling river. After about 3 hours the boat will moor at the jetty of your luxury resort. The resort has an excellent (buffet) restaurant, but you can also head across the river to one of the floating restaurants in Kuala Tahan. |
Day 4 and 5 - Taman Negara National ParkFor the next two days of the Malaysia self drive enjoy a bit of a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast in the hotel restaurant. There's plenty to do in and around the resort. Make sure you do the canopy walk, unless you're afraid of heights that is. From the walkway suspended 30m above the ground you’ll get a completely different perspective of the rainforest around you. Despite crowds in July and August we thought it was a spectacular experience. The entire walk takes around 3 hours.In the afternoon you can relax back at the resort and recover from the tropical heat and exercise. Later on you can go rafting or visit a local village of the Orang Asli tribe, Malaysia’s indigenous inhabitants, go on a sunset cruise or discover the secrets of the jungle at night on the daily night walk. If you're interested make sure you book ahead though, for example at reception when you check in at the hotel. For dinner head to the excellent hotel restaurant, or hop across the river to one of the riverside restaurants in Tahan. |
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Day 6 - Taman Negara - Cameron HighlandsTravel time: 6 hoursAfter breakfast it's time to bid farewell to the jungle and cross the river where you'll find your driver waiting to take you to your next destination the Cameron Highlands. You'll be sharing the minibus with other passengers.For those travelling by self drive through Malaysia, you'll pick up your car in Kuala Tahan and follow the directions of your GPS to the rolling tea plantations. As soon as you start to climb you'll notice that the temperature will begin to drop and tropical vegetation soon makes way for endless hills covered in lush green tea plants. Towards the end of the afternoon you'll arrive in Tanah Rata where you'll find your characteristic hotel in British colonial style... In the evening you can either enjoy dinner at your hotel, or go into town to check out the many tasty dining options there. Try a 'steamboot', a type of Cantonese fondue at a restaurant called Mayflower. The town has a large Indian population so you'll also find lots of excellent curry houses here. |
Day 7 - Cameron HighlandsToday you might want to go for a nice hike through the rolling hills in the area. You can do this independently; however it may be more fun if a guide can accompany you and tell you all about the area you're walking through. Let us know ahead of time if you would like to participate in an excursion to the Cameron Highlands. If you choose to visit the tea fields, you'll be picked up at your hotel around 10am and taken to one of the largest tea plantations in Malaysia, the Boh Tea Estate. Afterwards you and your guide will head out into the Mossy Forest, so you may want to wear decent walking shoes or sandals today. After visiting the tea factory (which is closed on Mondays by the way) and learning all about the process of making tea, you'll go for a picnic at a lovely spot on the Boh Tea Estate. During the picnic you'll get to taste a wide variety of teas while enjoying the view of the endless terraces of the tea fields. After a while you'll return to the hotel and during the ride back, you'll visit a butterfly garden.If you're not going on the tea fields tour, there are several hiking trails in the area. Just ask at reception for routes and maps. |
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Day 8 - Cameron Highlands - PenangTravel time: 4 hoursAfter breakfast you can spend the rest of the morning chilling on your private veranda or wander into Tanah Rata. Later today you'll board the minibus to the cultural island of Penang. For those taking the Malaysia self drive option, you'll make your own way across the impressive 8 mile long Penang Bridge to the colourful Georgtetown where your car will be picked up at your hotel.Penang is a cultural melting pot and a culinary hotspot, even for the local Malaysians. The typical Nyonya cuisine is a delicious mix of Chinese and Malaysian influences. While we're on the subject of food, we definitely recommend having a quick bite to eat at one of the local food stalls. You'll find quite a few at the 'Datuk Keramat Hawker Centre', which is also known as 'Padang Brown'. You'll often find a typical night market here as well. Be sure to ask your hotel's concierge when these markets take place, it differs from time to time. Last, but not least, don't forget a visit to the heart of Georgetown.... Gurney Drive. This hawker's square looking out over the sea is known across all of Malaysia for its' authentic Malaysian cuisine, including dishes such as "Asam Laksa", a salty sour fish soup. Your hotel is located in the heart of Georgtetown within walking distance of all the sights. The hotel has comfortable rooms, a pool and even it's own hawker's centre out front. |
Day 9 - PenangIf you want to see everything Penang has to offer (and there's plenty), we suggest getting up a bit early. There are several ways to travel around Penang; besides local buses there’s a free shuttle hop-on hop-off service to all the major sights, very useful if you want to visit other places outside Georgetown. You can also take a taxi and ask the driver to take you around the sights. On Penang taxis don't have a meter, so you'll need to agree on a price beforehand.Within Georgetown (where you'll also be staying) take a trishaw to get about. We can pre-arrange a trishaw ride for you in which case you'll be picked up at your hotel at 9am by your trishaw driver who will take you to some of the most fascinating spots in Georgetown liket he Khoo Khongsi Clan house, Fort Cornwallis and the Goddess of Mercy Temple. In the evening we had dinner at the food court next to the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (Blue Mansion) in Chinatown. It turned into quite a little party later on with live music and the local Chinese having a little dance. |
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Day 10 - Penang - Kota BharuTravel time: 8 hoursToday you'll leave the west coast and follow the most northerly road towards the east. Take a taxi from your hotel to Penang bus station to catch the morning bus to Kota Bharu (departure times subject to change). The Malaysian public buses are very comfortable and in the luxury coaches we'll reserve a seat for you. If you're doing this Malaysia itinerary self drive, you'll make your own way from Penang to Kota Bharu using the GPS which comes standard equipped in your hire car.It's quite a drive today and you'll be on the road for about 8 hours. The beautiful scenery makes up for it though. You'll travel along the Thai border through villages and palm tree plantations. When you arrive in Kota Bharu in the evening you'll be welcomed by your Dutch hosts with whom you'll be staying for the next to nights. They live in a traditional kampung and you'll be staying in your own private cottage. The family has lived here for years and have become part of the community, they speak the language and they know everyone in the village. They’re very involved in the community life, their neighbours and the local village culture. In the evening you'll have dinner with the lovely next-door neighbour Makcik who conjured up the most amazing local dishes from her small kitchen. After all those hours of travelling and satisfied after such a great meal you'll have no trouble sleeping tonight. |
Day 11 - Kota BharuAfter breakfast with home-made bread and fresh eggs Harry will take you to meet the neighbour and show you round the village. We were amazed to find so many tiny workshops hidden behind the houses and Harry knows exactly who does what; this is where the silversmith lives, this is where they make ‘keropok’ fish crackers, further up is where they make kites. Harry’s next door neighbour has a small batik factory in his shed where he designs colourful batiks using traditional methods. A typical Malaysian design is usually made up of beautiful flowers but they also use more modern designs. You can have a go at designing your own batik cloth using hot wax while the neighbour tells you all about the history of this colourful art form and the specific techniques he uses.In the afternoon you can relax on the veranda in front of your little cottage, or explore the rest of the village and the surrounding area. Take the car with a map and directions and go exploring on your Malaysia self drive holiday. It’s the best way to experience the kampung at its best. In the evening you’ll join Makcik the neighbour for dinner again, or even take a cooking course with her. Just ask Harry a day ahead if you’re interested. |
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Day 12 - Kota Bharu - Pulau PerhentianTravel time: 1.5 hoursAfter another fresh breakfast you'll be transferred to the harbour at Kuala Besut, or you'll drive there yourself as part of the Malaysia self drive itinerary. It's a short 1-hour drive from Kota Bharu. The boat to Pulau Perhentian Besar leaves Kuala Besut every half hour between 8am – 4pm and the crossing takes just 30 minutes.Stepping ashore on Perhentian Besar you’re be greeted by palm trees, bleached white sands and a crystal clear turquoise sea. You’ll be staying in a charming resort on one of the most beautiful beaches on the island which its own coral reef which is terrific for snorkelling. In the evening you can have dinner at the resort, or try one of the nearby restaurants. We had a great meal at the Panorama restaurant on Long Beach which will appeal to movie buffs as well. |
Day 13-16 - Pulau PerhentianFor the next few days enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the morning and then wander over to the white beach in front of the resort to find a spot in the soft white sand. The palm trees softly rustling in the wind, the soothing sound of the waves lapping on the beach and the warm sun tickling your skin...life couldn’t be more perfect. You could just lie here for the rest of the day, but if you want a little more activity, take an afternoon snorkelling trip. If you book a half-day trip you can pick up your snorkel, mask and flippers in the morning and snorkel around the reef in front of the resort to spot the most exotic brightly coloured fish swimming among the coral. At the resort reception you can also book a jungle tour (approximately £4), hire a canoe (£1-2 an hour), or a sea-fishing excursion (approximately £52 for 5 hours). |
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Day 17 - Pulau Perhentian - Kota Bharu - Kuala Lumpur - End of tripTravel time: 3 hours to Kuala LumpurUnfortunately all good things must come to an end and so the time has come to leave this island of paradise. After breakfast you'll board the boat for the 30-minute crossing back to Kuala Besut from where you'll be transferred to Kota Bharu airport. We'll do our best to book your international flight on Malaysia Airlines, so that your domestic flight from Kota Bharu can be added to your flight itinerary with the same airline. If for some reason there are no seats available on Malaysia Airlines, we'll make separate reservations for you on a domestic flight operated by Air Asia from Kota Bharu. The additional fee for this flight is approximately £60 per person. |
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