Hello and welcome along to the latest instalment of the mrlukeniktravels blog. This week I have covered a good amount of ground, north from the Cameron Highlands to Penang and then south again to Melaka. There is so much of Malaysia to see. There have been plenty of bus journeys too. I write in the cool draft of a fan during the humid afternoon with traffic nosily passing by. Unfortunately the cool of the Highlands doesn’t extend down to sea level on the coast. However, this is the tropics so I suppose I shouldn’t complain!
Last week I mentioned that I was soon to be embarking on an organised tour. I can report that it was a success! I very much enjoyed seeing the tea plantations, tea manufacture and a few waterfalls on the way. The tour group was quite small so it didn’t feel like a military operation. With the sites being quite spread out and no car to drive a bus was much needed. There was also plenty of tea supplied to keep hydrated. I am not much of a tea drinker but it was flavoursome and very refreshing. Sampling the local strawberries was also a pleasure, plump and sweet. After a short hike we reached a viewpoint overlooking the valley, unfortunately for us the view was shrouded in cloud. That’s the fickle will of the hills for you. Overall it was a good tour and I didn’t feel too restricted in being able to explore my surroundings.
Leaving the Highlands I headed north and descended to Penang Island, on the peninsula’s west coast. Completing the journey first by bus and then ferry, I arrived in George Town. Protected by UNESCO World Heritage status, much of the colonial settlement remains preserved. Like so many places in Malaysia, the city incorporates Muslim, Indian, European and (two) Chinese areas. A gift to Portuguese colonialists from the local sultan, the city became important for the control of the Straits of Melaka. Fort Cornwallis protected the city and the strait out at sea. Given all of these influences and cultures, there was so much to see and take in. On the plus side there is little distance to cover between one and another. By foot was the best way for me to get around.
Having done a walking history tour I felt much more informed on the city’s colonial history, including its architecture. One quirk of George Town is that, despite its impressive size and facade, the train station has never served any trains! In the 19th Century the cost of building a bridge from the mainland was too high so passengers were ferried across the water to a station linked to the rail network. Crazy! I also learnt about Armenian history in the city, a population you might not expect to be there. A typical melting pot of ideas and culture found in this part of the world. Spending time doing some learning also helped me clock 26,000 steps that day. Not bad I thought.
The next day I spent exploring the west of the island and its National Park, one of the largest in Malaysia. Despite the oppressive heat some good hiking was done and compensated with good beaches. I particularly enjoyed watching the turtles in the surf. Quite a change from the beach at home! After a lunch of fried chicken and fish on the beach, me and my companions took a boat to Monkey Beach. On the day we visited there were no monkeys to be seen- thankfully. It has been a while since I’ve had some beach time so it was good to feel sand in between my toes. I felt a bit like I was on holiday, a nice change. A second boat ride brought us back to the edge of the park and back into the city. I don’t think I would have enjoyed the return hike all that much.
That is almost all for this week. I haven’t been able this time to post in my usual Monday slot, but I shall be back next week for tales of discovery in Melaka. As always, if you would like notification of when a new post goes up, please subscribe to my blog using the link below. Additionally, I have a Twitter account which can be found at @mrlukeniktravel. For photographic enjoyment, my Instagram is @mrlukeniktravels. From an increasingly rainy Melaka until next time, stay safe and travel on!