MALAYS call Malaysia “Truly Asia” because of its ethnic mix. When I set eyes on it, I felt it was truly heaven. The aerial view from the Malaysian Airways plane as we landed in Kuala Lumpur was like a preview of things to come: swaying palm trees, tropical rain forests, serene white beaches. And once inside the terminal, immigration was over so quickly and so painlessly that I couldn’t believe it.
Malaysia is one of the most beautiful countries I’ve ever visited. It is beauty, fun and peace blended into one and it is also very clean and affordable. Budget hotels and tours start at under SR100 a day. There are a wide variety of things to do in Malaysia — all kinds of water sports, sailing, biking, trekking, bird watching or just relaxing either on the beach or in the mountains. As guests of the Malaysian Tourism Department and Malaysian Airlines, we were taken on a whirlwind tour of the country recently.
PENANG: Pulau Penang, or the island of the betel nut, is a small island on the blue sea boasting beautiful beaches. It is a unique blend of East and West. We saw some of the famous sites, like the butterfly farm. It was small but had over 500 species of butterflies. We also visited a batik factory where high-quality cloth is sold at reasonable prices.
LANGKAVI: We took a 25-minute domestic Malaysian Airways flight to Langkavi which is famous for its limestone hills, caves, rustic villages, scenic paddy fields, crystal clear water and white beaches. Langkavi is truly an idyllic tropical paradise! The presence of water buffaloes and thatched huts suggested that it was still relatively untouched. Langkavi, the largest of the 104 island group and one of the four inhabited ones, was known in the past as a honeymooners’ paradise but recently it has become popular for families. It is also a duty-free island which means things are cheaper. A 72-hour stay, however, is required to purchase certain high-priced items. We saw where the famous Hollywood film “Anna and the King” was shot. The site has been preserved as a tourist attraction and is worth the visit if you are a movie buff like me.
At night we visited a karaoke bar in our hotel. For 30 ringgits — one ringgit is about equal to a riyal — you can book a room with a VCD, two microphones and a collection of English and Hindi songs. Our party of five had a great time.
My favorite time in Langkavi was when I went parasailing. From high in the sky, the earth looked so peaceful even though my heart was thumping!
GENTING ISLAND: This beautiful hill station at 2000 meters above sea level is an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur. It is rightly called the city of entertainment and averages nine million visitors per year! At one point buses are not allowed so we took the skyway, which is the fastest cable car in the world and the longest in Southeast Asia.
I loved Genting Island for two reasons. It has one of the most beautiful scenic tropical forests in the world and only four percent of the land has been used for hotels, theme parks and such. The other reason is the inspiring story of its owner who is now a millionaire. He was a carpenter who moved from China to Malaysia when he was 20. A number of heads of states have visited him yet he remains modest. He speaks no English and at 83, still works seven days a week!
In Genting Island there are many things to do — from playing golf, trekking or visiting the theme park. The theme park boasts the largest coffee house in Malaysia; it can accommodate 1,338 people!
KUALA LUMPUR: I loved the city for its tall buildings, palm trees and cleanliness. I hated it for its traffic jams. No matter when we went out, the streets were always congested. The world’s largest twin towers, the Petronas, is in KL. It is 88 storys high and 451.9 meters above sea level! I loved the revolving restaurant. Kuala Lumpur’s city lights were delight from there.
I also loved our hotel, the Sunway Lagoon. It was one majestic, piece of art. The front had big, stone elephants. The chandeliers, the sculptured pieces and best of all, the comfortable rooms were a treat. I hated the television because there was nothing to watch except CNN.