Let's visit Malaysia ... part 2
Melaka
Visit Malaysia's historical town Melaka, it's legacy of historical relics and monuments are unparalleded elsewhere in the country.
Getting to Melaka
You can easily find many tour operators in Singapore that organises day trip to Melaka. Or you may purchase a coach ticket to Melaka from Golden Mile Complex (beach road) . Travelling time is around 2 - 3 hours.
Melaka is a prominent historical town with rich history. A visit to the museum is a must if you appreciate history and cultures. You will learn a lot about the Portuguese, Dutch and British occupation of this strategic town at different time line. There is also a small community of portuguese settlement where you can visit for the cultural performances on Saturday nights.
A famous local food is the Chicken rice ball, try the one that located at 28-30 Jalan Hang Kasturi where you can eat in the comfort of a cleaner environment.
Street hawkers come alive on weekends on Jonkers Street where you can get great bargains and find special handicrafts.
Genting Highland
Besides Melaka, Genting Highland is also a hot favourite with Singaporeans. It is a modern highland resort about 5 hours drive by coach or car from Singapore. It has high-rise hotels, an artificial lake, golf club, cable-car rides and casinos, 4 theme parks and a huge entertainment centre. My family absolutely like the cool highland weather which is a good respite from Singapore's heat and humidity.
Getting there : Drive or take coach from Golden Mile Complex (Beach Road).
Best is go for a packaged tour as they are able to do it quite cheaply with accommodation (check the local newspaper for best deals)
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, easily the largest city in the nation. KL has a population of over one and a half million people.
A place for shopping and eating and a pivot city to many other Malaysian states.
Places to go and things to see in Kuala Lumpur :
Batu Caves - 3 caves of natural limestone formation
Chinatown - for bargaining hunting
Surpreme Court - landmark
KL Tower and Petronas Twin Towers - national landmarks, good to catch a good view of the city
Bangsar - a popular restaurant and clubbing district and lots more.
How to get there : Fly, Drive(about 4 hours) or take a coach
Fraser Hill
Located in the State of Pahang, about 100km north of Kuala Lumpur, Fraser Hill is one of the prettiest Malaysian Hill resorts. Named after a Scottish man, Louis James Fraser, who once lived there, it was developed as a hill station by the British from around 1910.<br><br>
There are many neat, greystone bungalows surrounded by roses, hollyhocks and geraniums which attribute to the chararter of this lovely hill. This small town has many flower garden and a golf course. 5km from here are the Jeriau Waterfalls.
Good place for a quite retreat.
Tioman island
Tioman island or Pulau Tioman is the largest island among the east coast islands of Malaysia and also one of the most popular among visitors seeking an island getaway.
A heaven for beach lovers, scuba divers, snorkellers with it's clear water and rich marine life. There is also a dense jungle for trekking and exploration.
Getting there :
By Air : Daily flights direct from Singapore's Seletar airport departing at 1.55pm. (Call Berjaya Air Tel:6227 3688 for more information)
By Bus then change to boat : Take the transnasional bus (Tel : 6294 7034 $26.50) from Lavender St. bus terminal. When arrived at Mercing, catch either the <b>speedboat, the speed ferry or the slowest normal ferry which stop along the various spots for passengers to embark and disembark.
By private taxi : Book a taxi (cost under RM$100) from Johor Bahru's Larkin Bus station.
By Van : If you have a larger group, you can source for private passenger van operator from Malaysia that will come into Singapore to pick you up.
Langkawi
Visit Malaysia's northernmost resort island on the west coast, Pulau Langkawi is the main one of the 104 islands that make up the Langkawi group.
From muddy coastal mangroves to tombs that speak of past legends, Langkawi has sights both peculiar and fascinating to explore.
The island is natural repository for marvellous flora and fauna. There are also plenty of landmarks and historical establishments on this island.
Getting there :
By Train : Take the train from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, then catch the overnight 'Langkawi Express' sleeper train from Kuala Lumpur to Alor Setar. From Alor Setar, take a short taxi trip to the Kuala Kedah ferry terminal.
By air : Silk Air and Malaysia airline fly direct from Singapore to Langkawi. Or you can catch a bus to Johor Bahru and fly by Air Asia from Johor to KL and from KL to Langkawi.
Penang
Join one of the Penang Local tours to visit main attractions like George Town, the Penang Bird Park, the romantic peak of Penang Hill, Fort Cornwallis, the site of Light's first landing, monkey beach and the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve (crisscrossed with beautiful trails leading to isolated beaches). Savour the distinctive Penang cuisine and enjoy the cultural show.
Getting there :
You can drive there or catch a coach from Golden Mile Complex (Beach Road), however, it will be a long traveling distance.
By Air would be a better option if you are not on a tight budget. Take a bus to Johor and from there catch Air Asia Budget airline.
Taman Negara
Consider Taman Negara as one of your family travel adventure destinations. It is Malaysia's National Park with a total protected area of 4,343 sq km, Taman Negara is one of the world's oldest tropical rain forests and a sanctuary to hundreds of species of birds, butterflies, insects, and fish.
For those who like adventure holiday, this is one place to be at.
At Taman Negara, there is a good network of jungle trails and expert guides. The park is also noted for fishing, especially along the upper reaches of the Tahan or Kenyam rivers, and for rafting the rapids of Sungai Tembeling.
Getting there :
By Road: From Kuala Lumpur, the road journey takes about three hours. Travel to Jerantut by way of Mentakab or Raub. From Jerantut, Kuala Tembeling is sixteen kilometers north. Follow signs from Kuala Tembeling to the jetty.
By Rail: Train services are available from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The train passes Kuala Tembeling. From Kuala Tembeling, there is a half-hour walk to the jetty.
By Air: Pelangi Air flies to Taman Negara from Kuala Lumpur.
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