This past month we have had the chance to visit some really different places in Malaysia. The first trip was to the Cameron Highlands, a cool mountain retreat from the hustle and bustle of KL. The area was discovered by Sir William Cameron, a British surveyor, in 1885, but it wasn't until the 1930's that a road was built to the mountainous region. It was also discovered that tea could be cultivated on the mountainsides, and today, there are two major tea producers in the area. The average temperature is a delightful 18-25 degrees Celsius, which is a definite lure for heat-weary residents of KL and other parts of Malaysia.
The drive from KL took us about three hours, of which the first two were on the modern four-lane highway. However, once we turned off to make the journey up the mountain, the road quickly became a series of sharp curves and turns (many of which are at least 180 degrees). Our driver was fantastic and we felt very safe but somewhat queasy, so needless to say, we were quite happy to arrive at the lovely Smokehouse Inn. The Tudor-style hotel dates from 1937 and we felt as though we had stepped back in time to jolly old England. The gardens are full of beautiful flowers and trees, and many people in the area just come the the Smokehouse for afternoon high tea and sit outside to admire the foliage.
The drive from KL took us about three hours, of which the first two were on the modern four-lane highway. However, once we turned off to make the journey up the mountain, the road quickly became a series of sharp curves and turns (many of which are at least 180 degrees). Our driver was fantastic and we felt very safe but somewhat queasy, so needless to say, we were quite happy to arrive at the lovely Smokehouse Inn. The Tudor-style hotel dates from 1937 and we felt as though we had stepped back in time to jolly old England. The gardens are full of beautiful flowers and trees, and many people in the area just come the the Smokehouse for afternoon high tea and sit outside to admire the foliage.
No trip to the Cameron Highlands would be complete without a visit to the tea plantations, so we decided to take a tour with a local company. Our day included a drive further up the mountains in a minibus that was full to the brim with vacationers (we ended up squishing into the front seat with the driver, but it gave us a good vantage point to view the scenery). It is hard not to be impressed with the vibrant green mountainsides, full of tea plants, various flowers, and lovely trees. We drove to the highest point of Mount Brinchang (6667 feet) and the views were incredible. Our next stop was a walk through the Mossy Forest, a moist tropical environment full of moss-covered trees with a well-maintained walkway to explore. Our final stop of the day was the Boh Tea Plantation, where we had a tasty cup of tea and a scone and enjoyed the views from the restaurant with its floor to ceiling windows.
The climate in the region seems to be perfect for growing almost anything, and our visit to the Rose Centre, full of exotic flowers, was a great testament to that. We also visited an interesting butterfly garden that included some unusual bugs that were bigger than any I had ever seen before. Many farmers in the area also grow strawberries, as they can produce three to four crops a year so it is a pretty lucrative business. We stopped at one such farm and picked up some delicious berries and jam to bring back to the apartment and the taste was amazing.
A few weeks later, we ventured to the island of Penang, located off of the northwest coast of Malaysia in the Andaman Sea. We stayed in the capital city of George Town which was founded in 1786, and the oldest part of the city is now designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our stay at the Eastern and Oriental Hotel, built in 1885 and located on the waterfront, was lovely and it gave us a good vantage point to explore the city. The one thing we hadn't counted on was that we were visiting during the two-day Hari Raya festival (the end of Ramadan), and many of the shops and restaurants were closed. On the plus side, much of what we wanted to see involved just walking around the streets to view the lovely old colonial-era buildings.
Other highlights included visiting Fort Cornwallis (built by the British in the late 1700s) with its high stone walls and various ancient cannons poised ready to fend off pirates of the day. We also took a tour of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion which was built in the late 1800s by a man who had arrived in the city penniless from China and slowly built an empire through hard work and perseverance. One area of the city that was quite busy with tourists was around the clan jetties. These jetties were settled by various Chinese clans who built their stilt houses along walkways to reach the water's edge. The most popular one is the Chew Jetty, which also meant that it was overrun with people wanting to get pictures of the ancient homes in which people still live. At the end of the jetty, we stopped for a cold drink and happened upon a one-man band. His "instrument" was a set of drums made out of various household containers, and as he blared 1970's music from his tape recorder, he kept the beat on his drums (talk about ingenuity)!
Other highlights included visiting Fort Cornwallis (built by the British in the late 1700s) with its high stone walls and various ancient cannons poised ready to fend off pirates of the day. We also took a tour of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion which was built in the late 1800s by a man who had arrived in the city penniless from China and slowly built an empire through hard work and perseverance. One area of the city that was quite busy with tourists was around the clan jetties. These jetties were settled by various Chinese clans who built their stilt houses along walkways to reach the water's edge. The most popular one is the Chew Jetty, which also meant that it was overrun with people wanting to get pictures of the ancient homes in which people still live. At the end of the jetty, we stopped for a cold drink and happened upon a one-man band. His "instrument" was a set of drums made out of various household containers, and as he blared 1970's music from his tape recorder, he kept the beat on his drums (talk about ingenuity)!
Our last adventure coincided with our 14th wedding anniversary, and thanks to the generosity of a friend who gave us a gift certificate, we had the opportunity to visit the main island of Langkawi and stay at the fabulous Four Seasons Resort. We boarded a ferry in George Town and in just under three hours, we arrived at the ferry terminal in Langkawi. A 40 minute taxi ride took us to the resort, and we were just amazed at how beautiful this place was. As we only planned to stay for one night, we wanted to take advantage of everything the resort had to offer, which included a fantastic beach-side restaurant, an adults-only infinity pool, and a wonderful spa. The hotel had even left a bottle of sparkling wine and a piece of delicious chocolate cake in celebration of our anniversary. It was truly amazing and it was a little hard to leave the next day!
Our time is coming to an end in KL, and as I reflect over the past few months in Malaysia, I am so glad that we decided to take our time to explore this lovely country. The people we have encountered have been incredibly kind and generous, and the mix of so many ethnic groups has provided some amazing experiences, especially with the food, architecture, religion, and dress. It has certainly been a feast for the senses! Our next stop is Europe, and after a two-week tour of Ireland with my daughter, Pierre and I will be meeting in London to start the next leg of our journey. Stay tuned!