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[psoula]

I'm heading in to KL and have 2 weeks but 1 will be to get out of town to check the surrounding area out. I would love any recommendations of a remote beach or great rain forest hike or old city ruins. Not looking for a Marriott hotel experience but nature and authenticity. Any not hotel ridden beachs to stay on East side? How about great day trips once back in KL for second week? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Any diving on East side beaches? Any surfing or waves at beaches?
Thanks

[pugsly2002]

I'm heading in to KL and have 2 weeks but 1 will be to get out of town to check the surrounding area out. I would love any recommendations of a remote beach or great rain forest hike or old city ruins. Not looking for a Marriott hotel experience but nature and authenticity. Any not hotel ridden beachs to stay on East side? How about great day trips once back in KL for second week? Any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Any diving on East side beaches? Any surfing or waves at beaches?
Thanks

Look into Tioman Island. Its fairly secluded and on the east side. A long day trip is possible to Singapore by train if you're interested. Air Asia is based out of KL has has really cheap prices for flights all around the area.

[Paul]

A friend of mine recently gave me some suggestions that I will copy and paste here for you:

"Malaysia, places to stay. KL – stay in Trekker Lodge, Golden Triangle area (very central for ease of travel and local food and facilities). Free wi-fi in the sociable communal lounge areas, or can use their computers (also free) if you don’t want to travel with laptop. 50 MYR per night – expensive by Thai standards (500 baht) for the small room you get, but by central KL prices you won’t find much cheaper unless going into a dorm.

Avoid Genting Highlands – crappy isolated gambling mecca, but in an amazing location. Go and see for yourself on a day trip (the travel out to it from KL Central Station via bus and cable car is fun). It does have a major water park there if you want to take family – I would take my family there for that reason alone. Looks brilliant and heaps better than Suan Siam as far as I can tell.

Langkawi – my preference for short stay (it’s a bit expensive, about 180 MYR): http://www.beachgardenresort.com/ Free wi-fi. Beautiful beach front location. At this price only quality guests = your laptop, camcorder etc safer than in cheapy lodgings. Easy to rent motorbike just a few mins walk away for 20 MYR per day.

Alternatively, the A2B Motel, further south down same road. Can’t remember price exactly as I didn’t stay, but about 80 MYR. Beachfront location. They were just installing wi-fi when I enquired but not yet up and running, hence I didn’t stay."

Oh - I tend to get good reports about the Cameron Highlands. Sounds like that'd be worth a visit. Good luck

[rayandpaul]

East coast is the place to dive in Malaysia (unless you want to spend, in which case get out to Sipadan). Tioman can be reached by taking a bus to Mersing from Puduraya bus station, for about RM30 (one way). We go there for weekends from KL often. Then get a boat to Tioman (RM45 one way; last one leaves about 4pm); should be all pretty easy, Mersing isn't big. Tioman is duty free (hurrah!), and accommodation is generally reasonable. We go to Tekek beach and stay at Swiss Cottage (RM68-88/night). The place is OK (would be great if they were painted), but the dive shop there (Tioman Dive Centre, www.tioman-dive-centre.com) is v good. Shahrul, the DM there has logged about 4k dives, while the expats running the place are v sensible.

You can get to the Perhentian Islands and Redang by flying up to Kuala Terranganu (actually slightly quicker to fly into Kota Bharu for Perhentian) on AirAsia. Good planes, cheap, no issues, we fly them all the time. Redang is more package orientated, but both also have v good diving.

Langkawi is nice, but West coast is going into wet season, so expect weather to decline. Even though they don't have full on monsoon there (also duty free though... )

Cameroon highlands is nice for a few days, escape the humidity! Tea plantations, jungle walks and a mountain (well big hill really) with nice views.

Good day trips include the elephant sanctuary at Kuala Gandah, but avoid weekends, can get v busy. Don't know how much, as we live here and drive, would be interested to know though...

Dodge Genting Highlands...big blot on a hillside with a casino.

[Paul]

Oh yeah - Perhentians sound great. i would love to go

[rbisset]

I loved Malaysia when I went last year. Cameron Highlands were great and we stayed a few days doing some trekking in the forest and tea plantations. Temperature is about 10C cooler than in KL.

I loved Taman Negara as well. Running aronud in the rainforest like a lunatic and sweating so much I could wring out my t-shirt with about a pint of sweat! Canopy walks, lakes to swim in, prehistoric forest. What more could you ask for?

Best thing in Malaysia is the food though!

[psoula]

Wow ...THANKS ONE AND ALL THESE ARE ALL GREAT LEADS AND RECOMENDATIONS.
I am attempting to hit most of the highlights you all mentioned

Pathfinder you are an expat living in Malaysia? Working or retired?

THANKS again for the help
Paul

[Paul]

Hi.

If you mean me (Paul), I am a white round eyed guy living in Thailand. Working.

I can't call myself an expat as that term reminds me of fat, rich, drunk people living in overpriced and over a/c'd mansions and treating local people as slaves.

Good luck with your trip

[rayandpaul]

If you want cheap, my top tip is still Tioman. Berjaya isn't that cheap (have a look on line and see), esp not on Redang. Tioman is duty free and the diving is just as good in my experience (I've been living here for 5 years and been to all of them).

The fireflies at Kuala Selangor are really good, and you can combine it with Bukit Melawati, a lighthouse with views supposedly across to Sumatra on a clear day (not that I've ever had it that clear!) but the best bit is the silver leafed monkeys which have punk style hairstyles and really cool, much less aggressive than the macaques.

Paul.

[fourloves]

If you love nature - Borneo is a short, cheap flight with air asia. Sarawak is the place for hiking, Sabah is good if you want more hiking, and/or the famous Kota Kinabalu - check out the new, difficult route up. While Mulu is over priced, it is still one of those world wonders - your choice. In KL, I stayed at Anjung KL guesthouse beside Jalan Alor (FOOD STREET WHEE!) - superclean, friendly, resonably cheap (50Ringgit), though supercheap hostels are in chinatown - as low as 15 ringgit (though possibly feral). Don't overlook airasia as a source of cheap transport to anywhere you want. Flinder's hill north of Taman Negara ("national park" literally translated, so don't call it Taman Negara National Park, it's redundant! ) is the place to go for bird watching if that's your thing. Have a great time, and smile lots! Be wary of scams in Bukit Bintang - it's not representative of Malays, that area attracts the invertebrates of the human world! Don't fall for the - "oh, you're from XXXXX? My sister/cousin/grandmother is going to XXXXX to study nursing! Could you hang out with us and give us some advice on XXXXX?" Yeah. sure.

Selamat Tengahari! Have some pagoos jalan jalans! (and some aroi mee goreng for me!)