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[mudler77]

Hello all. I arrive in KL early sept and have a month there. Ive no idea where to head/what to do - Im pretty active and like hiking/adventure sports. My most loved environment being being mountains/waterfalls/forests. Any suggestions? My budget is restricted (that to say backpackers standard noodles for breakfast dinner and tea ;-) and want to feel safe alone.

Id actually really love to get involved in a volunteering - school or conservation project..

So if anyone is able to offer any advice to this clueless soul I would be very appreciated.

Tracey

[jeremystravels]

One place I'll be going to is the Cameron Highlands for a day or two. It is primarily tea plantations and strawberry fields with a few places to hike or bike. Most people only use it as a stop on to other cities, but it looks really pretty and I am a bit obsessed with strawberries so it is on my list.

[sianeth]

I agree with Jeremy - Cameron Highlands sounds like a good place for you. Also Taman Negara, which is a big rainforest natural park, loads of outdoorsy stuff to be done there. I'd say its easy enough to organise your own transport there from KL when you arrive - going there with a tour probably isn't likely to give you enough freedom for all the exploring you sound like you'd want to do!

I also went over to an island in the South East of Malaysia - Pulau Tioman, which was ridiculously good for diving/snorkelling, and there were a couple of cross-island hikes to waterfalls/beaches etc that were quite intense. I also hear the Perhentian Islands are spectactular.

Good luck, I think you'll love it over there

[mudler77]

many thanks for the tips! Cant wait

[barsie]

Perhentian islands is a must must see.

Melaka is another must see- great history and amazing food. Head there on a weekend where it has a night market and bizarre karaoke stage.

The whole of Malaysia is awesome, travel by Bus is really very easy cheap and comfortable. They often call them VIP buses- the price is cheap but it's very comfortable.

One thing to bear in mind though is the travel can be time consuming, so pre planning a route may help to maximise your time. I generally found myself bouncing back to to KL a lot in between destinations as that's just how the bus routes tend to go. With that in mind may be worth rather than spending 3-4 days exploring KL in one go, just do a day at a time when you return there.

[iwashere]

Hiyee ... i dont see a reason for you to worry abt the cost. The standard of living in Malaysia is not really that high and I have recommended friends from abroad back packing thru out North and South of Western Malaysia for a mere cost of RM1,000/- and that covers accommodation, transportation and meals for almost 7 nites. Namely places that they had traveled are

1) Penang ( Malaysia's Pearl of Orient)
2) Ipoh
3) Pahang, National Forest
4) Malacca (Historical City Of Malaysia)

Just chk local websites for places of interests and refrain from taking taxi cab in the KL city, buses are quite easy to catch and it saves cost.

Take care
CK