Why these three hidden gems are worth the detour

Malaysia, the charming peninsula with sea and jungle and a deep history. There are countless reasons to visit, whether the capital of Kuala Lumpur calls with its latest styles and mouthwatering street food, or venturing into the Bornean forests on the hunt for orangutans and pygmy elephants is more your speed. The country has something for everyone.

The geography of Malaysia is fascinating as it is divided between Peninsular Malaysia. This portion is home to the famous Penang and the capital, Kuala Lumpur as well as Taman Negara the 130 million year old rainforest. Then across the pond you will find East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Malaysia shares the island with Brunei and Indonesia’s Kalimantan region. East Malaysia is home to Mt. Kinabalu and the Kinabatangan river, known for it’s orangutan and endemic species population. Needless to say this country is teeming with opportunities for every taste.

After spending 6 weeks crisscrossing and falling in love with the culture, the history, the nature and the food of Malaysia, it is fair to say I have found a few places worth taking the detour for.

Taiping, a nature lover’s favorite food spot:

If ever there was a reason to stop in a city because of a good park, Taiping would make that cut. Taiping’s most famous attraction is its Lake Gardens. An extensive 160 acres of greenery with countless outdoor activities. The park is a reset to the senses with rolling hills and endless fresh air. There is entertainment enough found in bike trails, foot paths and gazebos to picnic in. Add in the occasional food vendor, the numerous octogenarians and the overall relaxing energy and you’ve got a day well spent.

Situated in Perak in Peninsular Malaysia, it is often overlooked for its seemingly sleepy appearance. However this small city has plenty to offer to engage visitors for days. I arrived with the intention to spend 2 nights and ended up there for a week.

Beyond the Lake Gardens there is the hike up Bukit Larut, otherwise known as Maxwell Hill. The old hill station is a steep but worthy hike as it winds up to it’s peak at 1,200 meters. Join the early morning crowd as it gets hot later in the day. Prepare to be humbled as the steep incline takes a bit of adjustment if you aren’t one of the 90+ year old’s who hike it everyday. From the base to the top is around 13km, so a bit of a trek. However if, like me, you want something a bit more moderate, there is an abandoned hotel about half way up. This makes for a nice turnaround point as you get the views, a nice hike and can come back down in time for lunch.

Which leads me to the third highlight of Taiping. The food diversity in Malaysia is attributed to its unique cultural make-up. A combination of Malay, Indian and Chinese heritage weave together to influence the traditions and more noticeably the food. In Taiping this is more than evident as shoulder to shoulder in the Hawker halls you can find roti, nasi lemak and char keow teow. A combination of Indian, Malay and Hokkien Chinese dishes. Taiping is a great spot to explore the culinary diversity of Malaysia as it is home to a number of great hawker centers, street vendors and dine-in options.

While there here are some dishes to try:

• Laksa- my all time favorite soup, is a combination of creamy, spicy, and fragrant goodness. A breakfast or lunchtime staple often found under signs of Asam Laksa.

• Popiah- a Malaysian take on the spring roll, unfried-this is a perfect midday snack filled with crisp veggies and comes with it’s own sauce. A perfect pick-me up.

• Kaya Toast- a breakfast treat that is sweet, almost too sweet until you dunk it in a sharp strong coffee. A fluffy piece of toast spread thick with kaya- a coconut preservative- and thick slabs of butter. It is an experience and a kickstart to your morning!

• Nasi Kandar- rice with your choice of curries, meats and veg. Normally a lunchtime buffet style filled with rich spiced options to load onto fresh rice. My favorite? The spiced okra ( ladyfingers) is a dish I could eat happily everyday.

Thanks to the compact size of Taiping accessing the number of Hawker centers( big food court style complex with a number of vendors) is easily done on foot.

Looking for a place to stay?

The Sojourn Beds & Café is an excellent centrally located hostel with private and shared room options.

Pangkor Island: crystal clear water and local holiday spot.

Sometimes, on the very rare occasion, zooming in on Google maps can lead to the discovery of a little slice of paradise. Such was the case with Pangkor Island. After scanning the maps for a beach in between Kuala Lumpur and Penang I stumbled on Pangkor Island. And a quick look at Booking.com revealed there were plenty of little hotels and guesthouses available. A little hidden island, with great tourism infrastructure… need I say more?

From top to bottom the island is 12km. It packs a punch though with a long coast of pristine beaches, gorgeous clear water and lush jungle. There is not much more to do here than relax and enjoy paradise. I based myself out of Teluk Nipah a small beach/tourist town with all the essentials and good access to beaches and nature.

The numerous beaches that line the western coast boast warm water and clean beaches to work on your tan or stretch out with a good book. Try Coral beach and it’s long stretch of golden sand to feel as though you’re on a private island!

There are a number of scooter rental spots and I recommend for those bored of beach time, to rent one and piddle around the island. Through the jungle canopy and hilly terrain spend the afternoon sighting different animals, finding different beaches or stumbling across great view points.

There are tours offering snorkeling as well- however I cannot speak to them as I was a beach bum for my four days here.

Food in Pangkor is a mix of practical and average meals. The fresh seafood is by far the highlight of the culinary scene. However you can also find a number of dishes like mee goreng and nasi lemak. The highlight of dinner time is not so much the food but the people watching as the area springs to life on the weekends with street vendors and pedestrians filling the road. Oh and did I mention the dozens of domesticated Horn billed birds that chill in the trees waiting to swoop in for an unguarded corn cob or spare peanuts. It is an event in itself.

Naturally, Pangkor island is not a hopping party zone or adventure seekers destination. It is basic, relaxed and full of necessities to enjoy a few days reset on uncrowded beaches. And because it attracts less international tourism during the week you are bound to feel like you’re on a private island.

For the complete guide on how to get there read this article

Looking for a place to stay?

For those on an ultra budget Nazri Nipah Camp offers basic accommodation near the beach and with working facilities. If traveling light and solo the owner can pick you up from the ferry for a small fee.

For those looking for a bit more comfort Utan Teluk Nipah is a great option. They are extremely communicative and can assist you with info on rooms and accessing the property( they were fully booked when I was on the island so I cannot attest to their room quality)

Kuching: daytrips galore and so much more

When you have tired of Peninsular Malaysia and are ready to brave Borneo and East Malaysia, Kuching is a perfect place to start. The capital city of Malaysia’s Sarawak state, Kuching is a a great place to spend a few extra days. Beyond being home to the world’s first cat museum, Kuching is also within reach to 4 national parks, a wildlife reserve and 2 sets of massive explorable caves. It is unlikely you will run out of things to do during your stay.

If you are on the hunt for a city break, spending time in the Waterfront and Chinatown quarters will be a feast for your senses. Each street is packed full of little cafes, food stalls and shops. It has a relaxed feeling and is great for those on the hunt for traditional shophouse facades, excellent dumplings or a strong cup of coffee. Spend the day wandering around and trying out the cities unique intersection of culture and cuisines.

Malaysia has a burgeoning coffee culture often seen in the kopitam who’s influence spread across the region but are a cornerstone of Kuching culture. It is in these coffee houses turned hawker stalls turned local cards and neighborhood council hotspots that the bustle of the city is felt. The kopitams plays a huge part of Kuching society and hopping from the old to new is a great place to understand this multicultural city. Here are a couple of my favorites but head here for the full guide.

• Green Hill Corner on the edge of Chinatown is always bustling. Head there early for a classic Teh tarik (pulled tea) and a bowl of excellent beef noodle soup or if your lucky Sarawak Laksa before it runs out!
• Wind Meal Cafe on Carpenter Street is a more modern take on the kopitam and they make a strong coffee best served with a kaya toast.

The city is also chock-full of activites such as: the waterfront promenade and it’s light show… the laser show is a tad underwhelming but the promenade is a great place for evening street food and people watching. There is the orchid garden on the other side of the river which is home to a stunning array of orchids and other fauna, plus it’s free.. so win-win. Finally a visit to a city who’s very name means cat, would be incomplete without a visit to the cat museum. It is exactly what it sounds like. A massive hall packed with tons of cat paraphernalia. I’m talking posters, spoons, scarves, renaissance paintings, sculptures by children and posters by Hollywood. Anything cat related to drive home the name and heart of this great city, the cat museum has it and it is not worth missing.

And if nature is more what you’re after then look no further than the numerous national parks. Accesible by a comibination of public bus, and sometimes taxis the following parks are showcases of the natural beauty that Borneo has to offer:

• Bako National Park is an extensive park home to most famously the Proboscis monkey. While it can be visited in a day, for the full experience checkout my guide for an overnight.
• Kubah National Park is nearby Kuching and is well known for its jungle walks, waterfall and the thriving frog community.
• Gunung Gading National Park is a bit farther out but is home to the famous Raffleisia flower. Check in with their Facebook page to see when it is in bloom.
• Kuching Wetlands Park is accessible by river cruise and home to an extensive mangrove network.

Other bits that shouldn’t be missed:

• The Fairy and Wind caves near Kuching are accessible by scooter, tour or taxi hire. They are nearby each other and pretty striking forces of nature.

Closed toe shoes are necessary otherwise you can rent rubber ones from the ticket office.

• Semenggoh Nature reserve is home to semi-wild orangutans who like their counterparts in the Sepilok center(in Sabah) live in permanent rehabilitation. This is a smaller center and if you already have been to Sepilok this isn’t a must but it is another great opportunity to witness orangutans.

Needless to say there is plenty of nature, history and good food to discover in Kuching… not to mention the abundance of cats. Kuching is one of these cities that has plenty to offer in terms of tourism but also in terms of unique culture, not found anywhere else but Sarawak. It is a city caught between modernity and tradition, nature and urbanism and is in short an excellent gateway to Borneo and Malaysia in general.

Looking for a place to stay?

Quiick Cat Hostel is well located and where I kept extending and extending and extending spending over a week there. Clean private and shared rooms, helpful staff and a perfect location I cannot recommend it more.

That concludes my three favorite spots in Malaysia, all of them brought me to a deeper understanding of Malaysian history, nature and cuisine. That being said, Malaysia is a fantastic place to take some time and truly enjoy all it has to offer, wherever you end up… if you can make it to any one of these places I hope you can enjoy them as much as I have.