Third times the charm …. As the old proverb goes.
I’ve had two booked flights to Malaysia.. both fail’s. both no-refunds. The price of Global travel.
My failure to get to Malaysia is frustrating yet humorous. The first time around was in 2020… I’m in New Caledonia, South Pacific.. with a flight to KL.. But,,the world had other plans.. All flights and governments shut down… I am locked down in New Caledonia (another Blog story) … No Malaysia in 2020 !!
The second time around.. was in 2022.. I am in Thailand, with a flight to KL … but again, the world had other plans. Malaysia changed their travel requirements.. and demanded that I be Rona vac ‘boosted’.. WTF ? I am Vac’ed,, but it wasn’t enough for the leaders of the world.. so Malaysia refused my entry.. ☹ failure #2 into books.
So,, I try again.. In 2024.. Success. I am permitted entry.. No questions about my Vac status.. In-fact, Immigration was a breeze. It did have one strange requirement.. to fill out the eVisa before travel.. but only withing 2 days. So, I kept track of the dates… filled it out (free), and magic – I’m in Malaysia. Third times the charm 😊
Malaysia is like three countries in one: Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak. I went thru immigration w passport stamps in all-three !! A month in Malaysia! –cool.
First stop is Kuala Lumpur.. the normal entry point for travel to Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is more commonly called KL.. Get on-board with the lingo!!!
KL was an unexpected surprise. Everyone I’ve known to travel here describe it as a-bit boring, not very safe, with not much to do..
I found none of these descriptions accurate. True, I wouldn’t plan more than a few days here, but there is plenty to see and some first class hotels to rest-up in. I book JW Marriott. A huge luxury hotel, famous in KL (but not overly expensive) in the downtown district. There are hundreds of restaurants and shopping districts just outside my hotel door.
… but a little planning would have helped. I attempt to get tickets for a visit to Petronis Twin towers…. The iconic symbol of Malaysia and KL. No-luck. Sold out and very hard to come-by… I go to plan-B.
Plan-B. Pay the freight. I booked a private tour guide for the following day,, a local pre-arranged guide that had access to tickets. Not-sure how they pull that off, but magic.. I have a ticket to the show.
Although my private tour was a little expensive by Malaysian standards.. it was worth it. My tour included a great car and guide. We visited 4-5 other city venues, and I learned a ton of history about Malaysia,,and got the inside skinny on politics here,, and what they think about US politics. Very interesting,, I find – these types of conversations (off the record) with a locals can only occur 1-on-1, in the privacy of a vehicle.
The Petronis Tower visit was definitely cool. The walkway connecting the towers is world unique and has the best views!!! KL has a world class skyline.. as good as any city in the world.
Visits to the Batu caves and its colorful stairway. Chinatown, National Mosque, National War memorial, Little India, Dry markets.. all worthy experiences. KL has more than advertised !!
Next stop: I fly to Semporna (TWA airport).. deep in Borneo – the state of Sabah, in the far east of Malaysia… Time to dive.
Here is the gem of Malaysian scuba diving.. On the Celebes Sea. Just a few km to scattered Philippines and Indonesian Islands.
Sipadan and the surrounding islands: Mabul, Si Amil and Kapalai. I’ve booked 8 days with Scuba Junkie on Mabul…. 20 dives here,, but I need 100 more !! The diving was Magnificat… Macro life and reefs where first rate.. and the Dive operator ran the boats and hotel like a machine… on point.
6:00am departures. Be ready. Boat resort diving. Photographers’ wonderland. I really need to dive here again one day. The vibe is ideal. So many photos of the marine life .. Wow !! And NEVER skip the night dives here.. the best !
The reefs here are pristine, the walls and deep blue dives first-rate.. but the best was the endless macro-life on the man-made reefs and near-by Mabul and Kapalai reefs. Every 20 seconds,, another Nudibranch, or Mantis Shrimp, or Juvenile Bat fish… it doesn’t end … crazy.
The wind was high thru-out my stay in Sipadan, but the viz stayed good on 19 of my 20 dives here. One-thing about diving here … With 3 or 4 dives a day, and most sites 30 minute boat rides.. It’s a long, tiring day. With high winds, the ocean chop makes for bouncing boat rides. Hold onto something…it’s like an abb workout.
Funny how good divers need skills below the surface,,but also skills above the surface. Handling time on boats, in small spaces, kitting up on a rocking deck, working with strangers – sometimes beginning divers, absorbing dive briefings, entries and exits in ocean swell, identifying the weakest diver to keep an eye on… All part of the adventure. I love every second.
If your interested in history… Look up the Sipadan back-story. 8-10 years ago, Terrorists from the Philippines took over the island.. holding tourist divers as hostages… with several being murdered… Now.. there is only a Military presence on Sipadan and Si Amil … off off grid diving.
All too fast, my diving here is over, I’m moving on. To the deep jungles of Borneo. Scheduling time on a River Safari on the Kinabatangan River.
Croc’s, Monkeys, Birds.. river cruises… remote, off the grid adventure ... real Malaysia. I dig all Safari’s… this one is the real deal.
Pig Tail Monkeys, Long tail Macaques, Green Tree Viper snakes, Monitor Lizards, Tree frogs, the Nocturnal Slow Loris and Tarsier Monkeys, several species of Hornbill birds, Eagles and Red flying Squirrels,,, Proboscis Monkeys… this is a legit Safari.. with animals unique to Borneo. Great stuff !! so much more than just Orangutans.
Continuing to travel by car, I transfer to Sepilok.. near the town of Sandakan. Here I’ve booked into a little luxury. The Sepilok Nature Resort.. I am exhausted from jungles and diving and non-stop travel … and desperately need it. … regroup..
Although I have down-time here,, the location is central for visits to three animal Centers. The Orangutan recue center is a 5 minute walk… very touristy, but plenty of Orangutans.. Still very worthy of a visit. Did you know that Orangutans in Malay language is translated as Jungle People ?
I only have my phone for land photos.. so they aren’t the best. I did see wild Orangutans and hundreds of monkeys on the River Jungle ... but this Orangutan Rescue center is more like a zoo… interestingly, the Orangutans are free to roam the nearby jungles .. returning to the center for free food. A fair deal 😊 They are amazingly calm and tame.. They are Jungle People !!! Nothing like wild Chimpanzees or Gorillas, or any other types of Monkeys I’ve ever seen.. They seem crazy intelligent.
Sepilok also has a Sun Bear center.. a little boring, but well organized…. But the third center is a Proboscis Monkey preserve.. This preserve is on a private Palm Oil plantation, near the ocean… that has a ton of monkeys.. So they set-up a remote board walk thru a mud flat,, and feed them. The experience is the best I had in Sepilok.. Totally up close, almost no tourists when I was there, and I was in awe of these Monkeys… The males have giant long noses.. insane.. Evolution is endlessly strange.. What could have caused this to be a selected trait ?
Time to move again ... A domestic flight to Kota Kinabalu.. Commonly called KK. Located in Northwest of Borneo, on the South China Sea - still in Sabah. KK is famous for its UNESCO world Heritage site Mt. Kota Kinabalu. Many people climb this monster, overlooking the Ocean. I took the easy-way out,, getting a transfer to the park and hiking base camp. Mt. Koto Kinabalu took me by surprise. Its views and presence and park hotel-rooms at the base are a quality escape. High mountain jungle walks, just below towering peaks. Cool stuff. I hope to schedule 4-5 days here someday. Relax, climb the mountain.. just breathe the fresh air.
Although famous for its mountain.. KK is a big city.. with a large Marine Park just off shore. I book 2 days of diving here.. So I’m back in my element. The water conditions where not the best.. very low viz.. ☹
Diving the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park, just a 15 minute boat ride from the KK ferry dock.. drops me into another adventure. I dive and visit 4 of the Marine Park islands: Sulug, Mamutik, Sapi and Gaya. Just 6 dives total here.
The reefs where very healthy, plenty of hard coral, and a good amount of Macro life… but the colder water (22-23C) and low viz made the diving a challenge .. most other divers were beginners .. not the experienced types I encountered in Sipadan.
Diving experiences totally change under these circumstances. Dive guides must manage the beginning divers..3m viz makes watching everyone a challenge ,, always someone is quick to run out of air,, the dive profiles shallow-up .... and it’s difficult to point-out marine life.. Still,, it’s all good.. Diving is diving. I always find success with the proper attitude!! And in Malaysia… hundreds of amazing underwater photographs !!
I spend my free time in KK walking the Night market, just across the street from my perfectly located hotel (La Meridien).. and its Waterfront. Plenty of quality restaurants and vibrant life… a welcoming experience.
It’s been easy to explore Malaysia,,, I had no idea. The impression some countries painted by the media and even history books is way-off. Food is cheap and plentiful, Hotels cheap….I always feel safe.. It’s as relaxed as Thailand.. The Islamic culture is not as-dominate as portrayed.. All with a reasonable infrastructure and quality amenities.
Ahh. Travel chaos has struck.. its inevitable … I must adjust to last-second changes.. my onward flight from KK is canceled.. I rebook, find another hotel. Make the needed schedule changes.... Relax.. its Malaysia. – it always works out.
Still not finished with Malaysia.. I dry my dive gear in my Hotel room… and arrange yet another Domestic flight. This time, onward to the state of Sarawak.. and the city of Kuching. Land of the White Rajah. I arrive without a plan.. what is next ?
I end-up at the Waterfront Hotel in Kuching. A perfect historic location. Just outside my window is their historic old district. Sarawak has a fascinating history.. Read up on James Brooke,, the White Rajah. How he and his descendants ruled North Boneo for 100+ years… until the Japanese invaded I n WWII.
There is a very educational Brooke gallery and fort just across the Sarawak river from my hotel.. I loved the place.
Walking the footbridge over the Sarawak river leads to the most beautiful Orchard garden I’ve ever visited. Stunning.. I must have a hundred photos of flowers..
After the long walk, with impressive views of the Sarawak Government buildings – overlooking the river … I tracked down a local long boat to re-cross the Sarawak River… a must-do when visiting here. Its Ramadan during my visit..and only a few boats where available. (and lots of closed stores)
Chill at a mall with Starbucks, get a haircut, ate at the food courts attached to my hotel.. I’m relaxing here in Kuching, catching my breathe ... Getting another feel for Malaysia. I’m not fully exploring Sarawak.. only discovering Kuching.
Don’t miss the Sarawak History Museum in Kuching too!! A first rate quality museum on Borneo and Sarawak’s history. I got a-bit lazy in Kuching,,not making outside the city. Next visit, I’ll get to the deep jungles here!!
Almost a full month in Malaysia… every day packed with diving or jungles or cityscape discovery. A giant country to visit.. finally the travel gods approve 😊
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A few things on transportation in Malaysia: The KL, KK and Sandakan airports are modern and easy to manage. The Tawa is a very-small, messy airport..best to just for arrival to diving Semporna..(airline mis-paced my baggage for a day :( ,, not cool.
Download and use the Grab app… a MUST DO in Malaysia ,,,like Uber .. It’s hard to just hail a cab on the street,, but Grab is reliable,,,, in KL the pre-pay airport arrangement on arrival worked good. So,,, it’s not important to have prearranged airport pickups.
Domestic flights with Firefly where fast-short trips… but only coach was available. So you have to pay for extra luggage if you have dive gear. I got away with just 50MYR because it was sporting equipment,,but it would have been 500MYR.
Food is very cheap.. but it’s only the local Sarawak Laksa that I truly loved… a Malay favorite.. Could be I just didn’t get to the right restaurants … or I’m getting picky? In KL I had a high high end unique Chinese restaurant experience.. but again not my favorite … Otherwise, just survival food
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