Friday 25 November 2011

Malaysia's Ethno-Culture Mix

 FFW to October 2011. I packed up my things in Canada, quit my job, and met Adri across the globe, with our first stop being Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 

I really liked this city for its fusion of cultures consisting of Thai, Chinese and Indian. We stayed in a hostel in Chinatown the first few nights, loving the ethnic mix. Oh and the shopping was pretty awesome there too, although the best part for me was just exploring the city by foot. 

After a few days in Kuala Lumpur, we ventured out to the jungle: Teman Negara. Just a 5 hour bus ride and 3 hour boat trip to the NE of Malaysia. We stayed in a cabin at Mutiara Resort, across the river from the main village. I just loved this place- wild hogs, monkeys walking around everywhere… OH and they served alcohol at our resort! Literally the only place in the entire town where you can get a beer, nevermind a fine wine from Italy! 

Just being in Teman Negara was an experience in itself. All the restaurants were floating on the river, and we walked the highest canopy bridge in the world. Oh also, visited a 
local tribe, “Orang Asli” meaning Original People. Throughout the years they have managed to preserve their native culture, despite all the tourists infiltrating the area. 

Next stop, Cameron Highlands in Northern Malaysia. Known for its tea plantations, this place was straight out of a fairytale. The photos speak for themselves! 

We conquered Cameron Highlands much faster than initially anticipated, and decided to Amazing Race-it back to Kuala Lumpur one day early… even though we already paid for our accommodations at Father’s Guesthouse there- a hostel I would only half recommend. At this point in the trip we were craving a touch of luxury, so within 15min we raced back to the hostel, packed up our things and were on the next bus out of the city. 8 hours later (with a transfer in Ipoh) we were chillaxing in the Sheraton Kuala Lumpur…. I could get used to this Adri… be careful! 




























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