Contact Me

Dear Reader,

I hope you like the website.

If you have any comments or suggestions I would be delighted to hear from you.

Please complete the form below and I will get back to you if a reply is needed.

Happy Travelling

David

Here is a sample of comments made by readers over the past couple of years, together with my responses:

Dear David,

Thank you for this wonderful website it is just what I was looking for. I have a question please, is the weather around mid October suitable to travel with children? Would we be able to take the children to beaches?

Thank you very much.

Jawahir

Hi Jawahir,

Thank you for contacting me and for your kind comments about my Malaysia Traveller website.

October is a perfect month to visit Malaysia with kids. There is not a huge variation in the weather here but the northeast monsoon season starts in November and continues until March. Some beach resorts on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia are closed during those months due to stormy seas and heavy rainfall.

October is also a good month to visit because the local schools are not on holiday so the beaches will not be crowded and you can get better rates from hotels.

Hope you have a great holiday here.

Regards

David

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hello david!

came to your site and found that under Malaysia Mountain tab has interesting stuff.

Do you happen to have details for each mountain? :P since it's a consolidated list already.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Adeline

Hi Adeline,

Thank you for contacting me regarding my website.

I'm afraid I don't have details for all 300 mountains appearing on my list of Malaysia Mountains. I only write about places that I have visited personally. So far I have climbed the 9 mountains which have photos and links shown on that page. You can click on those for more details. I'll be adding another one to the page in the next few days.

If you'd like to provide details and photos of any Malaysian mountains that you have climbed I would be happy to create a new Readers Travel Stories page and add it to the website.

Regards

David

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm please to know this web page.

I'll travel at Kuala Lumpur in August, until that month free KL city bus still activates?

If I stay on Jalan Pudu Lama Street, which is the closest bus stop I'm able to catch?

I'm going to visit Petronas Tower on weekend Saturday? I have to register to buy tickets in advance?

Thanks so much

Dear Vi,

Thank you for contacting Malaysia Traveller.

As far as I know, the KL City Bus should still be operating when you visit in August.

From Jalan Pudu Lama, the best stop for you when travelling in the direstion of Petronas Tower is Menara Olympia (Olympia Tower). You can find the location on my map on the website. Menara Olympia is on the purple route. You have to change to the green route at The Weld (the second stop after Menara Olympia). The green route will take you to KLCC (Petronas Towers).

There is no need to register to buy tickets. Tickets are free. Seats are first come first served. If the first bus is full you can wait for the next one.

I hope you have a nice trip to Kuala Lumpur.

Regards

David

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, i wish to climb gunung ledang until the top. but i don't know how and whom i need to contact. can you help me?

Prem

Hi Prem,

Thanks for your enquiry.

You can try this number at the Gunung Ledang Resort: 06 9772888

Or contact the Johor Parks Corporation:

Perbadanan Taman Negara Johor

Aras 1, Bangunan Dato’ Mohammad Salleh Perang,

Kota Iskandar, 79795 Nusajaya,

Johor Darul Ta’zim, Malaysia

Tel: 607-266 1301

Fax: 607-266 1302

Email: jnpc@johor.gov.my

Website: www.johorparks.johordt.gov.my

Hope this helps.

Regards

David

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David,

Came across this website via the Thrifty Traveller. Thanks for sharing all your knowledge - helpful for a trainee Tourist Guide like myself.Haven't had a chance to read everything yet but this will definitely be part of my study resource.

Cheers!

Ee Lin

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David, checked your tips on cycling in Putrajaya and they are very interesting and helpful. Thank you! Was wondering if you have the coordinates to the Putrajaya Challenge Park as well as to one of the starting points of your favourite route around Putrajaya? Can't wait to try these out, as I've just got a foldie! I'm also looking to join a small group of cyclists (who have patience with a newbie like me) who cycle often at Putrajaya. I live in PJ.

Thanks!

Eve

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am planning to go to from the Kuala lumpur Centre to the LCCT at 4.00 am for the 6.30 am Air Asia flight. Could you suggest which railway approriately to go?

Thanks and look forward to hearing you soon

Huy

Dear Huy,

Thank you for contacting Malaysia Traveller.

There is no railway station at the LCCT terminal. If you want to go by train you have to take the KLIA transit train from KL Sentral to Salak Tinggi where a shuttle bus will take you to the airport.

However I think it is easier and cheaper just to take the Aerobus non-stop express bus all the way from KL Sentral to LCCT. The cost is only RM8 per adult, one way. You can catch the bus at the basement level of KL Sentral station.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David,

First of all I must say you have done an awesome job on your website! Thank You!You should spread the word on "Tripadvisor" and get more visitors as you are truly a wealth of information!

I have a question that I haven't found enough information on, and that is FOOD!

I have grown up in Europe, lived in Africa and Japan, done a few Tourist tripa to Thailand and now live in Australia, so I have tasted a lot of differnt foods, but what is worth tasting and what's worth staying away from? My hubby LOVES Spicy hot food, but we'll be travelling with 3 kids under 6yrs,(who've travelled a fair deal in Europe/Japan, but not so rest of Asia) so need to have a bit of a back-up plan, that doesn't just include McDonalds, which one of them don't eat anyway!

Can you Help?

We won't be travelling until next year, either Dec-Jan or Jun-Jul. Either one better time?

Thank You so much in advance for all that is on your site an what is to come!

Jane

Hi Jane

Thank you for your email and nice comments.

I have written some stuff on Malaysian food in my book Offbeat Malaysia which is advertised on my website. I'm planning to add something on food on my website but haven't got around to it yet.

Malaysians are very proud of their food and rightly so because on the whole it is very delicious and varied. With Malay, Indian, Chinese, Nyonya and other dishes on the menu you will be spoilt for choice.

I recommend Nyonya food and you can't go wrong with any fried rice dish for the kids.

There are countless Malaysian foodie blogs - just google 'Malaysian food blog' and you'll find plenty of information but here are a few dishes (mentioned in my book) to look out for:

Assam Laksa and other types of Laksa (spicy for hubby)

Chee Cheong Fun

Dimsum

Fried Oyster Omelette

Fresh Exotic Fruits - must try durian!

Hokkien Mee

Ice Kacang (a dessert)

Ipoh White Coffee

Koay Teow

Mee Goreng

Otak-Otak

Nasi Lemak (the national dish)

Nasi Kandar

Rojak (one to avoid)

Roti Canai

Satay (must try)

Teh Tarik (sweet foamy tea)

Stinky Tofu (another one to avoid!)

Wan Tan Mee

Hope this helps. There are plenty of cheap Japanese restaurant chains here like Sushi King which your kids might like as a back-up plan.

Have a great trip to Malaysia.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, Just planning a trip to Malaysia in October and find your website interesting and informative. Wonder if you could give me a few tips. I want to visit the East Coast travelling down from Kota Bahru to Kuantan. I am rather concerned about self-drive although we are two experienced senior travellers. Would like to drive along coast. Is it safe? Don't like to be tied to an organized trip. Is there a bus service? Or is easy to organize an experienced driver from one hotel to another. WIll definitely visit Cameron Highlands and Georgetown on Penang and Melaka. Plan one week to relax at sea. Debating whether to spend 5 days in Kota Kinabalu or maybe Langkawi? Thanks in advance.

Cynthia

Hi Cynthia,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your planned trip to Malaysia in October.

Regarding the East Coast, I would definitely recommend the self-drive trip from Kota Bharu to Kuantan. I did the same trip myself last year. I wrote something about it on my Thrifty Traveller blog:

http://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/terengganu-beaches/

Self-driving is very safe. It is easy to drive in Malaysia (just remember to drive on the left!), Malaysian's are generally fairly careful drivers, there is not much traffic on that route, except in the towns, and it is easy to find your way. One-way car rental is possible (pick up at Kota Bharu and drop off in Kuantan or elsewhere).

Self driving is more enjoyable as you can stop off whenever you like. If you hire a driver he probably will not want to do multiple stops. Buses have the same problem - they tend to go from city to city without stopping.

The East Coast is also safe from the point of view of crime. If you are two young women travelling alone then you need to exercise the usual caution but in general Malaysia is probably much safer than most of Europe.

A nice spot on the East Coast is Kampung Mangkul near Penarik. I'm told it is the most beautiful village in Malaysia. An interesting resort opened there recently:

http://www.terrapuri.com/Terrapuri_About.html

If you go there please send me a review with photos and I'll put it on my website.

Both Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu are relaxing places. Just avoid the east coast of Sabah at the moment (from Sandakan to Tawau and the islands of Sipadan, Mabul and so on) because there is trouble there with Filipino terrorists at present. The west coast of Sabah and the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine park should be fine though 5 days might be too long. Langkawi is probably the better bet for now.

My only other tip would be don't try to do too much. Malaysia is bigger than it looks on the map and you don't want to spoil your holiday by spending too much time at airports or driving. You can always come back again to see what you missed!

I hope this is helpul. Feel free to ask for more advice if needed.

Best wishes and happy travels in Malaysia.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi im coming down this saturday 16march with 3 of my frens to Putrajaya Cycling Park(pcp),can you recommend any budget hotels nearby which can cater our bikes,cuz we are staying for 1 night.

Thank you so much i appreciate it if you reply.

Ewan

Hi Ewan,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your visit to Putrajaya Challenge (Cycling) Park.

Sepang Budget Hotel in Dengkil is very close to PCP (5 minutes away by bicycle if you take the shortcut through the cemetery, Taman Selatan). You can find details, including contact numbers, on this website:

http://www.lcct.com.my/hotels/sepang-budget-hotel

I suggest you phone them to see whether they can provide secure storage/parking for your cycles.

I hope this helps. Good luck with your visit.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi,

I'm looking for new bukit / gunung to explore and am amazed that you have personally try out the gunung in your list. Any chance for me and friends to go with you for new gunungs. My friends are fitter, and I am the weakest link though.

Elyantie

Hi Elyantie,

Thank you for contacting me about climbing gunungs in Malaysia.

I wish I could say that I have climbed all 300 mountains on my list but I have only climbed those few with a photo and link attached. There are many more to explore and I would be happy to go with you and your friends on my next trip. I would probably be the weakest link - getting old these days!

I have no immediate plans (I'm going to Langkawi tomorrow for a few days) but I'll contact you if I am planning a climb. Also you could contact me if you and your friends are planning your own trip.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hi,

May I know if there is any river cruise or other sight-seeing place on 10th Feb? It's the first day of Chinese New Year actually.

Ashley

Hi Ashley,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I'm sure Melaka River Cruise will be open over Chinese New Year. You can call the Melaka River Cruise company on 06 281 4322/23 to double check.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi Mr.David, i like your page a lot. It gave me new information of places and activities that are unknown to me before. Keep up the good work.

Ayub

Hi Ayub,

I'm glad you like my website. Thank you for commenting.

I shall keep trying to add new places and activities so please revisit often.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thank you for this very insightful information, I am taking notes trying to sell a Malaysia and Singapore tour.

Naphtally

Hi Naphtally,

Thanks for your nice comment. I'm glad the website has been useful for you.

Good luck with selling your tours.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear David,

I like your site, especially your travels in Malaysia. I will be retiring in the near future and plan to see my own country in a more detailed manner. Your site will be a good travel guide.

Keen

Hi Keen,

Thank you for your nice comments about my website.

I plan to visit lots more places in Malaysia so please keep checking on my website for updates.

Good luck with your retirement.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks for the beautiful virtual tour and info. 18 years ago I was privileged to live in M'sia for about a year. I am so glad to see that it is still so beautiful and becoming even more so. Love that the "old" places are still there and that new chances for adventures are available, too. No need to reply unless you want to. Just wanted to say thanks again for making me feel so welcome all those years ago.

Joanie

Hi Joanie,

Thank you so much for the kind comments and I'm glad my website has brought back happy memories for you. A lot has changed in Malaysia from 18 years ago but (we hope) many things will always remain the same such as the beauty of the scenery, the friendliness of the Malaysians and the tastiness of the food.

I have just finished writing a book (eBook version) on Malaysia which I shall be promoting on my website soon so please check back on Malaysia-Traveller.com in a couple of weeks.

Best Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear David,

First of all I would like to thank you for putting all the information under one roof and I like the Putrajaya Equestrian Park and would like to visit there for horse riding.

May I know more about the price and other additional information as I am planning to fly KL on Sat morning and would like to spend my day there by the nature with horse riding.

Looking forward to hear from you.

Cheers,

Janna

Hi Janna,

Thank you for contacting me about Putrajaya Equestrian Park.

I mentioned the pricing on my page:

https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/putrajaya-equestrian-park.html

I don't have any further information to add at this time. If you need more details you could contact the Equestrian Park direct on

Tel 03 - 8888 6080 (ext 118) or 03 8881 1271

Fax Fax: 03 - 8888 8699

Thank you and I hope you enjoy your trip to Putrajaya.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I really liked the images you created that looked like Japanese woodblock prints, but of Malaysian places. Then I found this site which is great !! so much information, very helpful.

Peter

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for contacting me. I'm glad you like the woodblock print idea.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Loved reading your reviews. I was last in KL in 2005 and just returned. This time my drinking buddies have left town. They took me to a dingy outdoor night club called Jungle Gardens. Is it still kicking and if so where is it? I have an unpaid bar tab!! :)

Lee

Hi Lee,

Thanks for contacting me and glad you enjoyed reading my reviews.

I'm not familiar with the Jungle Gardens so perhaps it is no longer around or the name has changed. Your description sounds very similar to the Beach Club which is on Jalan P. Ramlee, (walking distance from the Shangri-La Hotel). If that's not the same place there are a couple of other similar ones nearby - The Thai Club (opposite the Beach Club) and the recently opened Run Jungle (corner of P.Ramlee and Jalan Pinang).

I suggest you start your search at the Beach Club and see if they still remember your unpaid tab.

Cheers

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David,

Your site is very informative! I'm arriving via KLIA-LCCT and want to go to Melaka. What is the fastest or cheapest way to do that?

Ray

Hi Ray,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your trip to Melaka.

There are no trains to Melaka so you have to go by road.

Coaches are the cheapest and only take about 2 hours. I am not sure if you can catch a coach directly from LCCT to Melaka - you might have to travel into KL first (or to the coach terminal at Bandar Tasik Selatan).

This website might be able to help you:

http://www.busonlineticket.com/

If you are in a hurry you could try negotiating with a taxi to take you from the airport. I should think they would charge between RM100 to RM200 one way.

Hope this helps and have a great stay in Melaka.

Regards

David

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hi David,

I really liked your page on Selangor attractions - there are places I never heard of before that seems really nice.

I was wondering if you know whether these places are open this Hari Raya holidays? Particularly the Kanching waterfalls and the Alaedin Palace in Jugra? Actually wanted to go to Taman Pertanian Shah Alam but realized they are closed! Tried looking up the other places but I can't find any info about if open on public holiday.

Denise

Hi Denise,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Selangor attractions.

I'm afraid I don't have the exact answer to your questions but from experience most museum-type attractions in Malaysia (which would include Alaedin palace) are closed on the first day of Hari Raya. When I went to Alaedin palace it was closed. You could still take photos from the outside and visit the other nearby Jugra attractions such as the hill.

I'm not sure about Kanching waterfalls. Probably closed tomorrow (first day of Eid) and open after that.

Hope you enjoy your travels.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David,

First of all, I must sincerely thank you for all your highly detail effects, and hard works being put into this site. There isn't any more I could ask for, and thank you for doing this. Above all, all your effects of endless enlighten knowledge sure indeed, helps to booths the Malaysian financial and economy systems, to be more sustainable in terms of domestic and foreign tourism, for the local traders from various industries.

My name is Louis, and I have been living overseas most of my life. Only recently I come back to Malaysia, and currently living in Ipoh. While I am backed home to my very own motherland, for personal pleasure, I only travel within Malaysia to explore more about my very own country, and what my country has to offer. From high up in the mountains of Gunung Brinchang to the middle of the rainforest in Taman Negara, deep in the cave of Mulu to scuba diving in Perhentian. I even went into our very own Alcatraz Island in Jerejak, and stay there for a week. Hehe… Of course, most major capital states of Malaysia, I have also been to. In fact, while I am on the road, I accommodate myself from a budget to supper high-end accommodations, like Pangkor Laut, and Cameron Highland Resort (formally known as Merlin Hotel). In fact, I almost run out of ideas and interesting locations, until I found your site. Thank you! You not only make my day, but brighten my life of wondering which locations should I go first!

Louis

Hi Louis,

Thank you very much for contacting me and for the nice comments about my website. Interesting to hear about Jerejak - I must try to visit there.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hi im looking for a beach holiday to have with my husband but we want somewhere that would be absolutley private, like a private villa on a secluded beach where i could sunbathe and be comfortable that noone will walk passed or oversee, are there any destinations like this in malaysia??

Ayesha

Hi Ayesha,

Thank you for contacting me regarding secluded and private beaches in Malaysia.

Generally speaking, beaches in Malaysia are far less crowded than in most parts of the world and there is a good chance you can get a whole beach to yourselves provided you avoid weekends and Malaysian school holidays. For example take a look at the photos on this article which I posted on my blog recently:

http://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/terengganu-beaches/

But these are public beaches so it is not possible to guarantee total privacy.There are some luxury beach resorts in Malaysia where you can obtain complete seclusion but as you can imagine they are not cheap. Here are a few websites that might be of interest:

http://www.agoda.com/asia/malaysia/langkawi/sangria_exclusive_beach_villa.ht ml

http://www.pangkorlautresort.com/accommodation/index.htm

http://blog.malaysia-asia.my/2009/11/four-seasons-beachfront-villas-langkawi .html

Finally, this place might be ideal for your needs but it is in a remote corner of Borneo (east Malaysia):

http://borneobeachvilla.com/our_home/

I hope this helps you to find the perfect spot for your Malaysian beach holiday. If you need any more help please let me know.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Mr. Nursey,

I saw your note on the Malayan Volunteers Group website seeking information on your great uncle Mr. JR Rutty.

I was recently in the town of Sungai Lembing doing some research for my travel websites (malaysia-traveller.com and thriftytraveller.wordpress.com) and I snapped the attached photo of a war memorial listing the names of local residents who died during the Malayan Emergency. A Mr. JR Rutty was included on the list.

I'm afraid it doesn't give you any additional information but the photo might be of value to you if you haven't already seen the memorial. (Sorry it has my reflection in it!)

If you Google the name above your great uncle's (DW Jennings) you will see a newspaper cutting saying that he was killed by terrorists around 9 July 1948 on a road between two villages in Pahang, near Kuantan and that his assistant was missing. Possibly Mr. Rutty was that assistant?

I hope this is useful for your research.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello David,

My niece and myself are going to travel in November to Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore.

We are planning to fly to Singapore in November and travel North. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Elsa

Hi Elsa,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your planned trip to the Far East this November. Suggestions for your itinerary would depend on how much time you have available, your interests, budget and so on.

November is not the best month to see the islands off the east coast as it is the start of the monsoon and the sea gets rough and many resorts close for a few months.

I suggest you stick to the west coast. A possible route could be:

Singapore to Melaka (by bus) and spend a day or two there.

Melaka to Kuala Lumpur (by bus) for another couple of days.

Kuala Lumpur to Penang (by air, bus or train).

Penang to Langkawi (by ferry) if you like the beach. From Langkawi you can go on Thailand by boat or air.

You can find details of what to do in Melaka, Kuala Lumpur and Penang on my website.

Hope this helps,

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi David, I would like to explore some of the mountains and nature parks in Malaysia and was wondering if you organise hikes and trips. If you do, I would be interested to join the group. If not, if there are groups that do these hikes, could you give me their contact details, if you know of any,

Sharllene

Hi Sharllene,

Thank you for contacting me about exploring Malaysia's mountains and nature parks. I'm afraid I do not organise hikes and treks - perhaps I should because a get asked this question frequently!

The following websites might be useful for you:

http://www.meetup.com/KLhiking/

http://www.outdoor-gear-malaysia.com/groups/

I have not joined any of these groups myself so I cannot give you a recommendation but I have heard good things about Waterfall Survivors if you are interested in waterfalls. I hope this helps you to find a suitable group.

Good luck with your exploring!

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi there

I wonder if you could advise us on a Malaysian island to visit in June this year. We are currently in Nepal and would like to finish our trip with some beach time before back to the UK. However we are looking for somewhere with few tourists, where we can find cheap accommodation and food etc. Nice beaches, nature, little development are important, but not so bothered about nightlife etc. Friendly locals would be nice too!

Can you advise on an island (however remote or difficult to get to) where we might find all this? We don't need luxury, just somewhere nice and not full of expensive resorts.

Many thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards, Tamsin

Hi Tamsin,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your planned trip to Malaysia.

Most Malaysian islands have what you are looking for - nice beaches and basic accommodation.

You could consider Perhentian Islands or Pangkor Island. You can read about them on my website. Perhentian is more for foreign tourists whereas Pangkor is popular with locals. There are villages on Pangkor island so you can meet locals and there are more restaurants whereas on Perhentian there is really nothing outside of the resorts. The sea water is clearer on Perhentian. Cheap accommodation is available on both.

I recently returned from Kapas Island. It's a very,very sleepy island with a handful of cheap hut-style resorts. If you just want to swim and sunbathe this could be ideal.

If you want to go to East Malaysia (Kota Kinabalu) you could visit the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park which is made up of 5 beautiful islands. I suggest spending the daytime on the islands (a different one every day) and overnight in KK which has a range of accommodation, restaurants, shopping and a very tame nightlife.

By the way school holidays in Malaysia run from 26th May - 10th June this year. This means that hotels tend to get booked up and they increase their prices. If you can time your visit for after the holidays you will get better value for money.

I hope this helps.

Best Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Great website! Thanks for putting all this information together. The information is very thorough and very helpful. I am planning a July vacation to Malaysia from Canada with my family; it will be our first time in Malaysia. I'd like to ask you if you can suggest an itinerary of must-see places. We have 2 - 3 weeks available in July, and of course, a budget. The travelling group is 2 adult children and and 2 old/middle-agish parents. I am very active and would love to see nature (Borneo!), tradition, and culture. The other 3 people are very inactive and not adventurous. They would like to see culture and a little bit of nature. I know this is a strange combination, but is there an itinerary you can suggest? Is there a tour operator or a tour package you can recommend as well, or should this be very easily doable independently?

Thanks so much for your website and any answers you may be able to provide to my questions!

Angela

Hi Angela,

Thank you for contacting me regarding your planned holiday in Malaysia in July.

Your family sounds exactly like mine (with me being the adventurous one) so I understand the difficulty of organizing a vacation which pleases everyone.

If you are flying directly from Canada I expect you will have to go to Kuala Lumpur first. I suggest a couple of days there to recover from jet lag and see some of the top KL attractions listed on my website (this page):

https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/top-kl-attractions.html

Maybe the Lake Gardens, Batu Caves and Petronas Towers would be the right mix of activity and inactivity. You can arrange all that easily by yourself without a tour company after you arrive.

Then I would suggest going to Penang (by flying, train or self drive car rental). This island has culture, tradition, nature and beaches all in a compact area so you do not have to spend too much time and money travelling. This page lists some of the attractions you can find in Penang:

https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/top-penang-attractions.html

You could go off for a hike in Penang National Park and leave the family to relax on the beach or have a foot massage at Batu Feringgi.

But in Penang you won't find Orangutans or coral reefs. For those you have to go to Borneo (Sabah). You could fly from Penang to Kota Kinabalu and base yourself in KK for a few days to see things like the Mari-Mari Cultural Village, travel on an old train, do white water rafting, visit Kinabalu Park, and island hop in the beautiful marine park just offshore. There are travel agents who can arrange all this for you such as:

http://www.amazing-borneo.com/discover-sabah-packages/sabah-unveiled-12-days -abk-ds01.html

But I find they are expensive and not really necessary as you can fix up all these day trips once you get there.

For domestic flights I recommend Air Asia, Malaysia's top budget airline. You can book your own flights through their website. The earlier you book the better the discount.

For hotels in Penang and elsewhere in Malaysia I recommend you use a website like Agoda. If you click on their advert on this page I might even earn a few cents commission from them:

https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/penang-heritage-hotels.html

I hope this is helpful. I also have a blog which has a number of Malaysian travel stories on it if you need more ideas. Here is the link:

http://thriftytraveller.wordpress.com/

If you need more help please let me know.

Have a lovely vacation.

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello David

I find your site very informative and helpful. I intend visiting Malaysia for the first time from 22 to 28 december 2011. We are a family of 5. Can you recommend a fairly good hotel in the city that is situated in close proximity to most sites? regards

Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Thank you for contacting me regarding hotels in Kuala Lumpur.

There is a big choice of hotels in KL and quality and prices vary considerably. A family of 5 tends to be expensive (my family is also 5) as you will probably need 2 rooms unless you can find a family suite - depends on the ages of your family members of course.

I suggest you use a website like Agoda and type in your proposed dates. Agoda's recommendation include Pacific Regency Hotel Suites which is in a central location (opposite KL Tower) and they are offering rooms from MYR238 per night for the dates you mention. Agoda also lists Prince Hotel at MYR308 and Royal Chulan from MYR290, which is an excellent rate for a 5 star hotel of this standard. You can enter Agoda's website by clicking on the ad on my website then I will earn 6 cents commission (big deal!).

After you have selected your hotel it is worth double-checking the reviews on TripAdvisor before making up your mind:

http://www.tripadvisor.com.my/Hotels-g298570-Kuala_Lumpur_Wilayah_Persekutua n-Hotels.html

Lastly, since Xmas is peak season I recommend you book soon to avoid disappointment.

Hope you have a great holiday.

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are awesome. Thanks =)

Eva

Hi Eva,

Thank you very much for your 'awesome' comment.

You are awesome too!

Regards

David

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear David,

I like your web and would like to ask you how to climb Gunung Datuk?

I mean, whom to contact, phone numbers and etc.

OR it doesn't have to book earlier?Just go, pay permit and climb or what?

I need information because I plan to go this weekends

Thanks

afqh

Hi,

Thanks for contacting me regarding Gunung Datuk.

There is no need for you to book early. You can just turn up, pay the RM5 permit fee and start your climb.

If you want to double check that the mountain will be open on the day you choose you can call their office on 06-4381046 or email: gunung_datuk@yahoo.com

Don't forget to bring water with you in case the shop there is closed.

Hope you have a safe and enjoyable day.

Regards

David