Senast uppdaterad: 2011-05-23
Itinerary
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Day 1
Arrival Kuala Lumpur. Take a Taxi from the airport to the hotel. You will meet your tour leader Ruslan there. The hotel is located in one of the bustling parts of the city and around the corner of the well known Jalan Masjid India and close to shopping centres and the railway station.
Good morning in Malaysia, but good night in Sweden. You will be tired unless you slept on the plane. We will try to have your rooms ready at your hotel. Use the day for taking rest and exploring the vicinities of your hotel. The shopping possibilities are excellent. Nowadays Kuala Lumpur is cheaper for many kind of goods compared to prices in Singapore and Hong Kong. Clothes, print- and slide film and electronic equipment are good buys here. Usually you can ask for a "discount" if you buy several items (like 5 rolls of slide film). Some of the highlights include the picturesque Chinatown with its many outdoor eateries, the night market at Jalan Petaling, there are many mosques and temples in the city centre or take the opportunity to snap some photos of the Petronas Twin Towers, currently the world's tallest building (452 meter, surpassing the Sears Tower in Chicago).
Day 2-4
In the afternoon you leave by minibus for Kuala Selangor not far from the big city. You will be able to walk around, partly on boardwalks. Usually there are plenty of water birds, monkeys (not always easy to see) and big lizards. After dark you will go by canoe along the river near Kampung Kuantan surrounded by thousands of fireflies. The fireflies' display, as you silently sit in the canoe surrounded by complete darkness, is a remarkable sight. Combined with a tiresome jet lag, the synchronic blinking of the fireflies in the dark night plays surrealistic games to your mind.
In the morning you will be visiting a development project in Kuala Selangor, inside the Nature Park, This is a reserve created to protect the mangrove forest where mangrove plants are replanted to protect the coast. Läs & Res are donating plants for the project and you will be allowed to help replanting. In the afternoon you go by bus to Fraser´s Hill. It is a fascinating winding road that climbs up the mountains in lush rainforest. Plenty of colonial buildings. Hike on trails in the wet cloud forest, 1300 meters above sea level.
Fraser's Hill is good for bird watching. Day four, after breakfast, there will be some two hours of bird watching. In the afternoon you will visit a nearby waterfall and in the evening there will be an opportunity to do some night walking - don't miss it! These two days do not have any set itinerary, but one opportunity is to go for a jungle trek. There are a few trails to choose from, they are well-marked and you do not need a guide. Binoculars could be a good idea during this part of the trip. This time we will engage a guide, Mr Durai, who is a bird specialist and famous in those circles. He will take you on a tour in the beautiful mountain forest, looking and listening to birds. Perhaps you want to split into two groups with Ruslan taking one group.
Day 5-6
By bus to the Tekam plantation in Jerantut district. On the way you will stop at Kuala Gandah with its elephant camp. Here are elephants kept, elephants which are left over from operations of moving wild elephants which have been trapped when natural forest has been cut. Mostly young ones, orphans. You can help in feeding these baby elephants, take a short ride and also swim and play with them in the water. Do not put on your best cloths this day! Although guards are with you when swimming with the elephants, you should still take care. These babies are big ones! The second day in the Tekam plantation you will make an excursion to Kota Gelangi Cave in Tekam Plantation Resort.
Day 7-9
After lunch you go to the village Kampung Gahai, Kuala Medang. Here you will stay family-wise in private families. In each of the families there will either be somebody who speaks English, or you will be provided with a local boy will act as an interpreter. As usual in Malaysia the standard of living is high in the countryside, as compared to neighbouring countries. There is electricity, beautiful gardens, (a small shop and rubber-plantations)n Of course you share the meals with the families so now you can be sure that you eat genuine Malaysian food. The children will have many playmates.You will visit a primary school, help the family in their household duties or play with your new friends. Fruits are plentiful in June, July. Help in picking bananas, durian, mangosten, rambutan, mango, salak… or just take some if you get hungry. The big river Jelai flows adjacent to the village. Try to go fishing with the locals.
Day 10-13
After breakfast is it time to say goodbye to your new friends. You gor to the small town Kuala Lipis. In Kuala Lipis you take the train to Gua Musang and there you catch a mini bus to the rain forest area in Kuala Koh. You will stay overnight in small basic chalets. There will be electricity run by a small generator between noon and 8 am. Basic Malaysian dishes will be served in the restaurant. Since there are no other guests at the station, the food is in basic Malaysian style.
In the morning you will walk through the jungle. One spectacular highlight is walking on the hanging bridge 30-40 meters above the ground. Flocks of monkeys may be heard in the trees, deer and tapirs have been sighted among the houses and signs of elephants and tiger have been found nearby. The trees lean over the water and big butterflies fly up from the beach. At night the sounds of the forest are overwhelming; frogs and cicadas together sound like a jet motor. If you are not afraid of the dark, you may camp in the forest, which is a real adventure. Ruslan will bring with him a few tents of good quality.
The chances of spotting deer, wild boars, monkeys and tapirs are good. Leopards, tigers, rhinos and elephants are also present, but very shy. Huge trees dominate the forest, but the variety is great with some 3000 species of trees only. The forest of the Malayan peninsula is regarded as the oldest and richest forest in the tropics. Here you may wander freely in lowland rainforest. The risk of being hurt by dangerous animals in the forests is minuscule as compared to the risk of traffic accidents.
Your days will be filled by adventure. Here you will find a world of its own with a specific fauna; bats, toads, snakes - all spices unique to the eternal darkness. Don't forget your torchlight! You may hike along trails. There are long ones involving overnight in tents as well as shorter treks.
There are excellent opportunities to swim in the river close to the camp. Some places are sandy and perfect for young non-swimmers. Shaded by huge trees these spots by the river may surpass your most romantic dreams. Fishing is possible in deeper pools and in the river.
Day 14
Bus to Gua Musang and from there train to Kota Bharu. The end station is Wakaf Bharu, a short distance across the big river by bus into the city. After check in at the hotel you will go to the night market with Ruslan. Here you can buy whatever food you like and then bring it to a stall where you sit down together and eat and enjoy.
Day 15
After lunch by local transport to the harbour in Kuala Besut where a boat is waiting for you. The crossing from Kuala Besut to Pulau Perhentian Kecil will take around two hours. This is a small island surrounded by coral reefs that have not been destroyed as in many other places. You will stay in a lodge with basic standard. This is an excellent place for snorkelling.
The restaurant serves local food and western food. Fish and chicken will certainly be served. Also egg, omelette, vegetables, rice, noodles and always fruit for dessert. Lemonade, cold drinks, coffee and tea, are drinks served.
There is a long sandy beach and a coral beach. The operator running the chalet, also have children and I think our children will have a good time. You can count on hiring a snorkel from the hotel.
Day 16-18
Stay on the island. The corals here are similar to well-known resorts on Pulau Tioman. Enjoy some lazy days on the island with a good book in one hand and a cold drink in the other. When the laziness is rubbed off, you can jump into the water and swim in the clear water or snorkel over corals only a few meters from the beach.
Adventures are guaranteed every day. First you explore the beaches, then the interior of this small island. One of the days you will have a boat for excursions and exciting descends on surrounding uninhabited small islands. Maybe a Robinson Crusoe adventure?
Day 19
In the morning you return to Kuala Besut and take a taxi to the hotel in Kota Bahru. Kota Bharu is a fascinating city with a pronounced Muslim influence. Spend the day exploring the many fascinating historical buildings or go for a shopping spree. Now you have the opportunity to visit the Night market one more time. Eat a lot of squid, prawns, fish or try some food with colours you thought existed only in cartoons - it's all there. Try it!
The afternoon is free and you can do whatever you prefere.
Day 20
The tour ends.
