Malaysia DIY
A month spent in Peninsular Malaysia.
Change
1 Eu = 52 Thai Baht (THB) = 5 Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) = 2 Singapore Dollars (SGD) = 1.8 New Turkish Lira (YTL)
SYNTETIC TRAVEL ITINERARY
August 1-2, Milano – Istanbul – Bangkok
06.45 Malpensa – 10.30 Istanbul
23.35 Istanbul – 13.05 (+1) Bangkok
150 THB shuttle bus AE1 from Survarnabhumi Airport to Silom
Thonburi bus Service co. Ltd
Tel. 0-2134-8030 0-2622-3000
From Bangkok to Hat Yai, express train nr. 41 leaving at 22.50, cost 675 THB 2nd class seat, arrival to Hat Yai at 12.27
August 3-4-5, Hat Yai – Penang
300 THB from Hat Yai (Thailand) to Georgetown (Malaysia – Penang)
The International Passenger Ticket Agent Ltd Partnership
200 Chotivithyakul 5 Amphur Hat Yai Songkhla
Opposite Hat Yai Bus Terminal Office
Tel. 074-235586
SD Guesthouse 20 MYR
15 Love Lane
10200 Penang Tel. +60 (4) 264 3743 fax 2645043
28 Muntri Street
10200 Penang Tel. +60 (4) 261 6102 fax 263 5215
Bus from Penang to Kuala Lumpur 30 MYR
Sykt Abdul Karim Exspress Agent
August 5-6-7, Kuala Lumpur
Combo Guest House 80 MYR
69 Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang
50200 Kuala Lumpur tel.-fax 03-2144 2144
Comboguesthouse@)hotmail.com
Bus from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore 40 MYR Damai Express caught at the last moment at Puduraya
30A Jalan Padi Ria 13, Bandar Baru Uda
81200 Johor Baru Tel. 03 2142 8077
August 7-8-9, Singapore
Madras Hotel SGD 105 triple
28-32 Madras Street Singapore 208422 tel. 6392-7889 fax 6392-6188
www.madrassingapore.com
Mayo Inn SGD 45 single
9A Jalan Besar, Singapore 208786 Tel. 6295 6631 fax 6295 8218
2.40SGD Causeway Bay Link Bus to Johor Baru
8.80 MYR from Johor Baru to Mersing
International Express
Tel. Johor Baru 07-2226 246 Tel. Mersing 07-7992 246
70 MYR ferry Mersing-Tioman and return
Bluewater Express (Speed Ferry)
Counter n. 8 Jeti Pelabuhan Mersing
86800 Mersing Johor Tel. 07-7994811 7998518
August 10-11-12-13, Tioman
45MYR taxi from Tekek to Juara
40 MYR taxi from Juara to Tekek
30 MYR traghetto Blue Express from Tekek to Salang
Rainbow Bungalows, Juara 40 MYR Puteri Salang Inn 40 MYR
7 Jalan Mawar, Taman Sri Mersing, 86800 Mersing
tel. 07-799 3592
http://www.backpackingmalaysia.com/hostel/puteri-salang-inn-chalet/tioman
August 14, Mersing
Country Hotel
11 Jalan Sulaiman, 8600 Mersing tel. 07-799 1799
3MYR da Mersing a Endau
4.50 MYR from Pakan to Kuantan (Ben Huat Omnibus)
12.20 MYR from Kuantan to Jerantut (Ben Huat Omnibus)
August 15 agosto, Jerantut
50 MYR Town Inn in Jerantut
Lot 3748 Jalan Tahan, Bandar Baru, Jerantut Tel. 09-2666811
Email: [email protected]
www.towninnhotel.com
65 MYR bus + boat at Kuala Tahan
NKS travels
Jalan Besar 27000 Jerantut Tel. 09-2664499 09-2664488
www.taman-negara-nks.com
August 16-17 agosto, Tahan – Teman Negara National Park
Teresek Bungalows, 40 MYR
90MYR bus from Kuala Tahan to Kuala Besut + boat from Besut to Besar (Perhentians)
August 18-19-20-21-22-23, Pulau Besar (Perhentians)
70MYR Watercolour
http://www.watercoloursworld.com/accommodation.htm
90MYR direct boat from Besar to Redang
August 23-24-25-26, Pulau Redang
Beach Villa Holiday
http://www.redangholiday.com/
499 MYR 2 nights full board + excursions
60MYR boat from Redang to Merang
30MYR taxi from Merang to Kuala Terengganu
2MYR bus from Kuala Terengganu to Marang
SP Bumi
40MYR barca from Marang to Pulau Kapas
MGH Ferry Services
019-9618755 019-9618757
August 26-27-28, Pulau Kapas
Kapas Island Resort 130MYR superior garden view
T-009 Blok Teratai, Taman Sri Kolam,
Jalan Sultan Sulaiman, 2000 Kuala Terengganu Tel. 6 (09) 631 6448
August 28, Kota Bharu
60 MYR boat to Marang
30 MYR taxi from Marang to Kuala Terengganu
8.30 MYR bus SP Bumi to Jerteh
5.20 MYR bus MKSK Cityliner to Kota Bharu
Azam Hotel
1872 A & B Jalang Padang Garong 1500 Kota Bharu Tel. 609-747 8800
August 29 from Kota Bharu (Malaysia) to Sungai Kolok (Thailand)
Taxi to Pantan Panjang 40 MYR
10 MYR mototaxi to Sungai Kolok
August 30 agosto, Sungai Kolok
Hotel Merlin
40 MYR
Bus 1500 THb
Siam Transport co Ltd
August 31, Bangkok
Arrive in Bangkok at 5.00
200 THB taxi to Suvarnabhumi
Bangkok 14.40 – Istanbul 21.05
September 1, Istanbul
Ozel Sulanahmet Kiz Ogrenci Yurdu 10 Euro
Kucuk Ayasofya Mahallesi Ucler Hamami Sokak nr. 4/6
Sultanhamet Istanbul
Istanbul 20.30 – Milano 22.30
TRAVEL DIARY
I can say that, in terms of tourism, Bangkok can be considered the navel of South East Asia. A host of airlines connect it with Italy, competition keeps prices still within reasonable limits, compared to other locations. From the Thai capital then, thanks to the newly-born low cost Airlines, you can get everywhere, and same by land, with little cost and fairly little effort.
If I decide for vacation in the South East Asia, usually around January I fix a reservation to Bangkok, and then only long after, almost in summer, when I have better ideas, I start to focus on a specific goal.
This is exactly what happened in 2008.
Booked flight with Turkish Airlines, time limit set at the end of June (I do not think that now is no longer possible), starting August 1, returning September 1. At first I thought of Vietnam. Around June, because I feel quite tired, eager to relax, opt instead for Malaysia, and more specifically for the peninsular part, especially the beaches and the Eastern islands on the South China Sea. This, favoring my proverbial laziness and aversion to reservations, since I would reach every place by land.
Loop trail, down from the west side, up from the east. From Bangkok to Hat Yai, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Tioman, Mersing, Jerantut (Teman Negara), Perhentians, Redang, Pulau Kapas, Kota Baru, Sungai Kolok, and return to Bangkok.
Beautiful beaches and sea, fabulous snorkeling. I comment everything in due time; summarizing briefly for those who are in a hurry and can’t read all the diary: Redang and Perhentians are beautiful, but too crowded, and too built. Tioman in some places (Nipah, Juara) is still not contaminated, in Kapas (I precise that I’ve stayed there on weekdays) I reached the beaches where I was the only living being without feathers or gills!!
I read somewhere on the internet that Malaysia is the considered the easiest country to visit, as a first impact with Asia. In fact, in many ways it is a modern nation, the links are fast and efficient, good hygienic conditions. I was very much amazed about the cleanliness of public toilets, even at staging points in the highways. Affordable prices, although more expensive than Thailand. The climate on the islands is perfect, inland instead is quite muggy. Just eat light foods, and lots of water and fruit, to hold up well the impact. Good flying experience with Turkish Airlines.
August 1, Istanbul
Since the departure of my flight is at 6:45, I spend the night of July 31 at Malpensa airport, lying on the Mc Donald’s benches.
Arrival at Istanbul on time, and after having changed some money, I head downtown, with an economic combination metro + tram change at Zeytinburnu (+ 1.4 YTL 1.4 YTL). I get off at Sultanahmet.
www.turkeytravelplanner.com/Maps/ist_metro_map.html
I visit the Blue Mosque during the Friday function, I stop in the courtyard, under the arches, listening to the prayer chants
Later, I stroll in the neighborhood visiting various guesthouses, asking for prices. My connecting flight leaves tonight, but at the end of the holiday I will be obliged to stay overnight. Since I will land very late, I think it’s better to get organized in advance.
I must admit I am surprised about the rates, having expected a life cost similar to Morocco or Egypt. Almost everything in Sultanahmet is above 60 Eu, and if I find something cheaper it’s a real slum. In a secluded street I find a kind of hostel for female students, at present empty because of summer holidays. They show me a single room with bathroom, a balcony overlooking the rooftops, a mosque and the sea, cost is 10 Eu
I reserve it leaving a 5 Eu deposit. I spend a few hours sitting still in a tourist cafe, tasting the typical local snacks, and then take a walk around. Narrow streets downhill to the sea, are bordered with wooden coloured houses. I go back at the airport at dinner time. I note that, next to the “departures” entrance at the underground floor, near the subway exit, there is a supermarket where I buy food and drinks at much lower prices than at the airport, and they sell a lot of delicious sweets (there is also a fresh pastry counter). It is a great gift idea
August 2, Bangkok
International flights do not land any longer at Don Muang. At the time, it was simple, and cheap (only 10 THB) to reach the city center, also avoiding a lot of traffic. It was enough to pass the pedestrian bridge, reach the small railway station on the opposite side of the road, and jump on a third class seat on the first train directed to Hualamphong. From there, via metro you could go anywhere.
From the new Suvarnabhumi airport, however, the only options for the city are taxis, cost about 250 THB (but dishonest drivers ask for 400 or more), or the Airport Express, 4 lines, directed at Silom, Sukhumvit, Hualamphong, Banglamphu, the costs THB 150, in addition to public buses which I recommend only for short trips when you are already a bit accustomed to this chaotic city. They are always packed with people, it’s hard to understand where you have to get down, difficult to make your way among the mass to reach the doors when you finally understand where you have to get down, difficult to bear the humid heat during stops at traffic lights or in the perennial traffic jams.
The minivan for Hualamphong is very late, as if it had evaporated into the traffic. I spring then on the Silom one, asking to the driver to let me get off near a subway stop. He leaves me close to the Hotel Dusit Thani, from which, with a bit of difficulty, asking left and right, I can reach one of the many entrances to the subway. Two soldiers positioned right at the escalators search all the backpacks. In three seconds, and 17 THB, I arrive at Hualamphong.
http://www.thaiwaysmagazine.com/bangkok_map/bangkok_skytrain_metro_map.html
I leave my bags at the luggage storage. I could not book in advance the train. The Thai Railways customer care did not reply to me.
www.railway.co.th/English/index.asp
I know that now things have changed and you can book on line.
www.thairailwayticket.com/Default.aspx?language=1
There is a ticket office dedicated to foreigners, but also in the other ones the queues are never too long. Obviously all the berths are already booked, but fortunately I can find one of the last 2nd class seats on the train to Hat Yai which departs at 22.50, at a cost of 675 THB. I also book, for August 29, a second-class sleeper on the 14.20 express from Sungai Kolok to Bangkok. I dedicate the rest of the afternoon wandering around in the station area, which I know by heart, and eat a bad meal in the Hong Kong Noodles Restaurant, in the square in front of the lobby entrance.
As soon as possible, I sit on the train, the trip is ok, only a little bit late.
August 3, from Hat Yai (Thiland) to Georgetown (Malaysia)
I do not know if Hat Yai can be considered fascinating by a traveler. The streets grid which extends perpendicular to the station surroundings is frightfully ugly and shabby, as well as the few hotels in the area. The starting point of the minibuses to Penang according to Lonely Planet should not be far, but I can not find it. Finally a tuk tuk driver, with 40 THB, takes me to a small agency, while it bursts a storm of biblical proportions, the typical tropical downpour, with a prodigious flow of water, and thunders which tear the eardrums. I book my place on a minivan for 300 THB, leave my luggage in a closet and go in search of a place for lunch, getting completely soaked
I do not have time to dry before leaving, because it keeps on raining. Fortunately the driver does not turn on the air conditioner. The other occupants of the vehicle are all Malaysians, I do not know why they came in this sad corner of Thailand, probably for gambling, or for shopping, given the favorable exchange rate.
Crossing the border is not a big deal, the only problem is that being the only farang of the group my immigration procedure is longer. .
We arrive in Georgetown, capital of Penang, at dusk. The landscape that I see from the bridge that connects the Island to the mainland is not very attractive: smokestacks, factories, oil wells, however, it would be too late to go anywhere else.
The driver first takes home everybody else, and keeps me for the last. I tell him to take me to a place where there are cheap guesthouses. It’s 20.00. He leaves me in Chulia Street. There are several foreigners; I leave the main street and suddendly the environment becomes dark and completely quiet. I realize that the area is full of small hotels. The first where I stop is, frankly, shocking, and they want 20 USD !! A hot attic has been divided into dozens of cubicles, with plywood walls, small whirring fans on the bedside tables, and dingy linoleum on the floors. The occupants of a gloomy hall look depressed, and sweaty. I should be fool to pay 20 USD a similar shack .. I am more lucky at the second attempt, and thank goodness, because I’m tired, and hungry. Finally a decent place, the SD Guesthouse, 22 MYR. Also here there are “telephone box” rooms, but they are equipped with ceiling fan, they are freshly plastered and tiled, and the shared bathrooms are spotlessly clean. Really, I find it hard to find enough place to walk around the bed, which thankfully is double
In the small lobby there is an internet terminal, some foreigners sit on the porch to enjoy some fresh air, looking happy and relaxed. I ask for information for a place to dine, and I reach a food court nearby, a large open space, full of tables. The cuisine of the several stands represents every corner of Asia. The karaoke bars spread music. Dinner based on fish for 11 MYR.
On the street the temperature is fine, in my room is obviously warmer, but with the fan on I sleep very well.
August 4 – Georgetown (Penang)
I do not like particularly Penang, this is not the best season for swimming on the west side of the Malay Peninsula. In any case, even in winter, the stacks would be an excellent deterrent. However, I do not want to leave immediately… I go in the Indian district, not far away, to drink a tea, the classic sweet tea with milk which is popular in India, cost 80 cents. I notice in the area there are several restaurants, all very cheap, always managed by Indians, as well as other shops. Map of Lonely Planet at hand, I follow the recommended walking tour among the colonial style beauties, colorful wooden houses, tall buildings from the postmodern glass walls, a couple of museums, and some luxury hotels. I reach the seafront and I am disappointed to see there is no beach in the town, and the sea is a tremendous green swamp colour. It comforts me to remember that already Herman Hesse described the sea as “grim” green in his stories.
I take a lunch break at the crowded Blue Sky Restaurant, run by Chinese. Because the tables are already occupied, I sit next to an American lady. The daily menu consists of a single meal, and some variations: rice, chicken, not well identified vegetables, and a tasty garlic sauce, 6.60 MYR. My table companion is very nice; She has traveled halfway around the world, and lived a long time in China, where her kids grew up. Despite the difficulties, she managed to visit every corner of the country, including Tibet, with them. She speaks Chinese fluently, so she becomes the attraction of the place.
I dwell in pleasant conversation until mid-afternoon. Near Love Lane there are some Chinese temples, I wander a bit, and for dinner I go back in Little India; a delicious dinner in a dhaba costs me 3 MYR, and a papaya purchased 60 cents
Returned to SD GH, I stop to philosophize on the porch with a 61 year old New Zealand backpacker, who travels all the time. In his opinion, the weight of my luggage (12 kg) is excessive compared to mine (52 kg). According to his theory, the ideal backpack is what allows you to do at least 5 km walk, avoiding taxi and tuk tuk drivers. A purist, briefly ..
Agust 5, from Georgetown to Kuala Lumpur
The friendly owner of SD Guesthouse is generous in giving suggestions to everybody, not only about Penang but about Malaysia in general. When it’s my turn, he explains in detail how to get to the bus station, which is just across the bridge on the mainland, in Butterworth.
I go there by taxi.
My coach, beautiful, with huge and ultra-comfortable armchairs, leaves at noon. The price is 30 MYR. The curious thing, that I will experience often, is that the sales counter writes down the plate number on the ticket, and then it’s your problem to find it, scouring every inch of the entire bus terminal. We arrive in KL, at the delirious Puduraya Station, at around 16.30 / 17.
During the journey I flip my guide with detachment, try to figure out in which area I will go when I arrive in the capital, but can’t decide. Will it be better the exotic Chinatown, the futuristic Golden Triangle, the colorful Little India? Who knows, distracted by the scenery which flows in front of me, I think maybe it is not that important, as I am sure I will find something without effort.
As soon as I touch the ground at Puduraya and I retrieve my luggage, I am immediately assaulted by a group of taxi drivers; to escape, I walk away at random. A girl who was on my same bus stops me and asks me politely where I am going. I reply that I am directed to the monorail, realizing that in order to get there I will have to go through Chinatown. In fact, we cross Petaling, in an indescribable mess. I stop to see some guesthouses, the neighborhood is so exotic, but the budget accommodations are real hotels, so I decide to try with Bukit Bintang. Arrived to Maharajalela, I insist to offer to the young girl, a drink, an ice cream, a beer, a slice of cake, a cup of tea, anything to thank her, she politely declines and disappears.
www.johomaps.com/as/malaysia/kualalumpur/klmetro.html
Traumatized by thermal shock and the frozing aircon, I reach finally Bukit Bintang. The escalators lead me to the ground floor, while everything around me seems to belong to another planet
Tall buildings, an ocean of cars, fashionable clubs and their fauna with appropriate clothing, shopping centers, the Petronas towers in the background. I’m not used to frequent, as a tourist, so well developed urban contexts In my earlier past 18 months I have been to India and Cambodia…..
I had been in Kuala Lumpur a decade ago, a two-day stop waiting for a coincidence. It was my first real contact with Asia, and I was shocked. I thought of the Salgari’s novels, the Malays instead wore jeans, and listened to Living la vida loca.
I would like to reach a guesthouse that gets good reviews on internet, and asks informations to the passers-by. When I find it, in traffic and in the sticky heat, my attention is drawn to a sign on the opposite side of the street, Combo Guesthouse, nailed to a yellow building.
The building is being restored. I rush inside, and take a brand new back room. Here I discover the dark part of Bukit Bintang. The other side of the coin are the courtyards, fetid and filled with garbage. The landing outside my room, through a grating, borders with the one of the adjacent condominium. I hear their voices, their footsteps, and the smells of their cooking. About the room, however, nothing to complain, and it only costs 80 MYR!! Managers are Indian. Kind, friendly and just as curious as the Indians in India.
I go down for dinner in the street, in a side alley there are dozens of food stalls, they look the same and in fact I choose one at random, spending about 17 MYR for the same food already tasted in Georgetown Chinese restaurant.
To digest the meal, I decide to walk up to the Petronas, zigzagging between the tall buildings, the area seems quiet and I feel safe walking around. I arrive there when the department stores are closing, a quick tour inside, and go back to my hotel
August 6-7, Kuala Lumpur
The most pleasant moments are the edible intervals. I buy some cookies and yogurt in a Seven Eleven, and I sit for the tea ritual on the chairs of a kiosk in an alley nearby. It’s around 8.00, and the temperature is still pleasant. All customers are Chinese, very excited for the beginning of the Olympic Games. A glass of black tea costs 1 MYR. A girl sits at my table, and puts in front of my nose a newspaper written in Chinese (I think) and starts talking to me in Chinese (I think). The scene is surreal, I do not understand how she can’t realize I’m not able to grasp anything of what she says. A bit too simply could be the conclusion that she is a bit unscrewed without considering that often the desire to get in touch with those who seem different is stronger than any language barrier. Similarly, my mother poured rivers of italic words to poor ears of my former Finnish boyfriend, just to have a contact with him
I visited the Petronas towers 10 years ago, without any particular pleasure, the view is not that great, and I have no desire to repeat the experiment, looking at the big queues.
The first day is almost a waste of time, dedicated to some practical processes at the Singapore Embassy, which can rather easily reach by subway and a long walk, and in the search of an imaginary bus station, the Putra, indicated mistakenly by Lonely Planet an alternative to Puduraya as a departure terminal to the east coast. I still take this opportunity to test the efficiency of public transport, experiencing a problem that is not mentioned on the guides: connections at the interchange stations are not easy.They seem close, but in some cases you have to walk and get out. The subway reaches the outskirts of this vast capital, whose apartment blocks do not differ much from ours, traveling on the surface. There are no slums, and in the background limestone formations stand out, covered with vegetation. At Putra, instead of the bus station mentioned on the guide, I find little more than a parking lot, and tired and bored commuters eager to return home. So I go back to KLCC for a quick look at the skyline, and the mosque nearby
The store sells extra-luxury items. Among the prowling customers, many ladies (some Malays, others from the Gulf States) are completely covered by a black cloth. The billowing fabric leaves sometimes glimpse a few centimeters of what lies beneath, revealing fragments of sexy clothing that leaves me very surprised.
For the next day, however, I decided to follow one of the walking routes recommended by Lonely Planet in Chinese and Indian quarters.
The Petaling market is crowded with tourists, full of fake garments stalls. In the food area, butchery section, the smell of blood accentuated by the heat, and poor sanitation strike my fancy.
The Indian part consists of a series of low-rise buildings, some with porches, and a myriad of shops and restaurants.
In one of them, chosen at random, I consume a memorable lunch experience. The restaurant is located in open air, on the ground floor, I think the evening simply close down shutters, but there are no walls or doors or windows whatsoever. Cheap prices and full of customers. An attendant makes me sit at a table already occupied by teenagers in school uniform, delightful, who upon my arrival chuckle like mice in the “Babe” movie. It’s a self service, I point out what I want, I choose at random, and then the course is served to me on a banana leaf. Everybody is eating with their hands, but with the universal language I manage to get at least a spoon and fork
Walking, I reach Merdeka Square
and then, still walking, I head to the central market, globalized crafts, very expensive, some very pretty blouses in hippie-chic style, but I do not buy anything
August 8, from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
I get up early and, after consuming my last tea with the friendly Chinese people at the usual kiosk, I go to Puduraya station; the interior is huge, on one side kiosks sells tickets of various companies, on the other stalls sell snacks, toys and fruit. Few flights of stairs, marked by letters, lead to the various starting platforms.
Without really knowing what to do, I find myself outside, in the precise moment where an extra luxury bus with the sign “Singapore” is arriving. After checking the availability they welcome me on a huge armchair seat, at the price of 28 MYR.
Even in this case, immigration formalities are smooth, and the bus waits for all the occupants, who leave all their belongings on board, and then take again possession of their seats. I specify this because, leaving Singapore, with urban Causeway Bay Link bus, we will follow a different procedure, taking all our luggage with us, and then getting the next bus.
The bus stops in the Beach Street area, I ask information and a very nice guy, who even carries my backpack, takes me to the Lavender subway stop, which takes me to Bugis, in the Indian quarter, which is one of the cheapest to stay overnight (apart from the red light area, Geylang, which I would avoid like the plague) …
The city seems very tidy and clean. As I make my way among the various blocks, helped by caring passersby, here is the second downpour of the holiday worthy of note. I follow a guy with reddish hair until the Fragrance Guesthouse, one of several listed on the Lonely Planet, but they have not even beds in the dormitories. Same for other cheap places on Dunlop Street.
The stream of water that is spilling into the street holds back my impulses so, crawling against walls to get wet as little as possible, I reach the closet hotels, first the Perak Lodge, elegant and over budget, and then Madras Hotel, in front of it, 105 SGD, very popular too, but unfortunately still to expensive for me. In any case I do not have much choice, while a Chinese girl writes down my passport data, all my attention and my caresses are dedicated to a completely white cat who is lying lazily on the PC monitor.
The room is huge, silent, soft mattresses, the sheets smell of detergent. After some rest, I go out for dinner exploring the area. I relish in a Pakistani restaurant in Campbell Lane, just around the corner, do not remember the sign, price about 7 SGD
August 9 – Singapore
It becomes vitally important, after a frugal breakfast, tea sweetened milk at an Indian newspaper stand, to find a cheaper hotel. I go to the Jalan Besar, which is perpendicular to Dunlop Street, and search until I find the Mayo Inn, much more spartan. After viewing several rooms, I choose, at 45 SGD, a single at the back, very quiet compared to the bright ones overlooking the sunny and busy Jalan Besar. The room, from the carpeted floor, it is quite spacious, and has, in addition to a soft bed, a desk, and a shower cabin, instead of the bedside table. There is a fan, and fortunately also a nice window, already wide open. I perceive a little damp smell, and soon I will understand why. The shower silicone seals are not perfect, so the water overflows on the carpet. The toilet is located on the landing, and it’s clean.
I decide that the accommodation is fine, and, after depositing my stuff, and prepared a mini backpack with the minimum necessary for the day, I set off to explore the city.
I head, by subway, to the famous Orchard Road, the heart of the shopping in Singapore
After peering into a sex shop, which attacts me more than the luxurious shopping malls, I take a bus to the Botanical Gardens. The heat is considerable, though not overwhelming, and a walk in the nature is what it takes, plus a big supply of water. I suggest to bring always with you a sweater to wear when using public transport, to protect from the strong air conditioning system
Admission cost is 5 SGD.
The path in the park winds through meadows, ponds, waterfalls, and a series of greenhouses with different microclimates and flora, areas devoted to orchids, for which the gardens are famous
Always by bus, I get to the Esplanade area, and Boat Quay. Here are towering skyscrapers, shopping malls and offices banks, and on the riverfront instead a series of low buildings in pastel colors, which are home to restaurants, pubs and art exhibitions
Chinese junks carry tourists on cruise on the river. Crossing the Cavenagh Bridge I arrive at the Parliament House, and the Merlion Park, the lion shaped fountain symbol of the city
Lunch with 11 SGD on Circular Road Boat Quay, in a Japanese restaurant, Gyoza No. Osho. Great food, even if I can not identify it
By mid-afternoon, I decide to visit the Sentosa Island. If I could go back, I would not do it again.
The cheapest method is to get there by metro until the HarbourFront station. From here a bus leads to the island for 3 SGD (1SGD for transport and 2SGD as admission ticket). All attractions are extra. I only would be interested in the aquarium, but they sell it in combination with the dolphins show (SGD 22.90), which I attend reluctantly, a little because my seat is in full sun (I did not put the sunscreen) a little because I detest this kind of shows where animals are harassed. At the Underwater World there is an incredible crowd, dozens of turbulent brats and parents trying in vain to calm them down, a conveyor belt guides me under the water tunnel where several species of fishes swim
Back in the Boat Quay area. At the entrance of the shopping malls, open-air, a clearance sales of products offered at outlet prices takes places. Perfumes are very cheap, I buy a Versace fragrance and fresh Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden for a total of 16 SGD.
When it is already dark, back to Merlin to see the illuminated skyline. It ‘s beautiful, and also very romantic
I return to Little India and have dinner at a restaurant near my hotel, the Star Inn. A plate of rice and vegetables cost 3 SGD. I prefer to stay light, with this heat.
August 10, Singapore
After my usual frugal breakfast at the usual Indian newspaper stand, I decide today to go around the city using the classic tourist bus. Paying 12SGD I buy a ticket that lasts the entire day, and which allows me to get on and off at the various stops.
Back in Orchard Road, I jump on the SIA Hop-On Bus. I go to Serangoon Road, attracted by the colorful houses, without realizing that it is the opposite side of the Little India district where I usually hang out. I still take the opportunity to enjoy the lively atmosphere, admiring the merchandise in the shop windows with the day light, and take some pictures
I takes again the SIA Op On Bus towards Chinatown. The narrow streets of the neighborhood, characterized by lanterns and pagoda roofs are full of tourist shops, and an ocean of visitors
Back to the Clarke Quay I wander among the pastel buildings, and I stop for the classic 5 o’clock tea in a rather luxurious place, the Cofee Club. I decide to sit out because inside the temperature is really polar.
Taken the bus again, I would like at this point go to Marina Bay, to see the famous wheel that I admired from the distance all lit up last night. Left alone on the bus, the driver mutters an apology that I can not understand, and forces me to get down, telling me to wait for the next bus. I try to protest, but he is adamant and starts to scream. I do not want to argue, and agree to his will. I am not far from the Indian district, and I decide to go back on foot. I make a stop at Sim Lim Square, which should be a huge multi-storey shopping center, all dedicated to electronic items. I notice that, on the upper floors, most of the shops are closed. In any case, it’s entertaining, and the prices are much lower than in Europe. Before leaving I had taken note of the prices of some camera models. A Lumix DMZ18, 330 Eu in Italy, here costs about 250.. Very soon, among those lights, those voices, those cabinets full of stuff, and salesmen screaming behind me, I start to feel even a sense of confusion and dizziness, so I am happy to regain the exit.
Back to the very crode Tekka Mall for dinner, 2.50 SGD.
August 11 – Tioman (Juara)
Early in the morning, around 7.00, I walk to the Queen Street terminal, to take the 170 urban bus which will lead me to Johor Baru, at the cost of 2.40 SGD. The company’s name is Causaway Bay Link. Upon arrival at the border, as mentioned above, we must get off with all our belongings, fulfill the bureaucratic formalities, and then get on the next bus, preserving the ticket. The bus station in Johor Baru is “quite” chaotic; I could call it “definitely chaotic” if I had not seen the Indian ones. Here I have a proper breakfast, and rather easily I find the office of the bus company which goes to Mersing. Again I have to write down the bus plate on the ticket (MYR 8.80). Once at destination, other tourists (a Czech couple and Japanese guy) and I are practically “kidnapped” by the owner of a travel agency, who tries to sell us a return ticket to Tioman, together with accommodation. I stand him for a while because in the meantime outside a downpour suddenly bursts out, but as soon as the rain decreases, I walking away followed by his anathemas.
After a cash withdrawal at an ATM, I go to the jetty. The ticket for the journey costs 35 MYR. The return one proposed in agencies is exactly double, so it’s not they cheat you, the problem is only that you are tied to the same company even if the scheduled times do not suit your needs. Moreover, if by bad luck on the day of return the company for some reason cancels the ride that you need, you would lose the money, because another company would not accept your ticket, and you would have to pay it twice.
The rain stops, the ferry has only seats inside, but the crossing is rather nice, along with the Czech guys, and the Japanese, with whom I start a long and funny conversation on the matter “tips for Europeans on how to distinguish various Asian ethnic groups “.
The small ferry stops at all the main beaches. I decide to go down to Tekek, the main one, then head to Juara, the only seaside town in the western area. The others decide to go to ABC, the most “crowded” village.
Italians snob Tioman. I will stay in Salang and Juara. But since the ferries stop at all the beaches, I can say at the end to have a fairly complete picture.
Let’s say that perhaps, according to what I see from the boat, Genting and Nipah are the best places, the colors of the sea are very inviting, and there is opportunity to take long walks on the beach.
I think ABC has been too built up, and with an unattractive beach. Salang instead has a beautiful stretch of white sand and turquoise sea, but unfortunately very small, and the northern part is all rocky.
As for Juara: the beach is beautiful, golden color, long and spacious. There are a few guest houses, all of them are cheap
The environment is very peaceful and relaxing. This pro is also its con. The isolation makes it difficult to move around, there is no public ferry, taxi drivers and boatmen take advantage of the situation. The road from Tekek to Juara is very bad, steep, impossible to cross on foot with backpacks, as I initially imagined to do, but also without any luggage I would think twice before embarking in the enterprise
Perhentians and Redang are much busier. Therefore it depends on what one is looking for.
Landed in Tekek, with two young Dutch guys I share a taxi to Juara. My part is 45 MYR.
Here there is a single road that runs behind the beach, a shop, some small hotels, and nothing else.
I settle at Rainbow Bungalows, wooden huts painted in bright colors. 40 MYR. The hydraulic part of the bathroom is not perfect, sometimes I smell some unpleasant odors, perhaps due to some reflux into the siphon. There is no hot water.
It ‘s really a small paradise, few people around, an almost perfect silence.
Next to my bungalow there is a restaurant, the Bushman, where I will have all my breakfasts and dinners, since the other ones are more expensive. Lunch or dinner at 8-10 MYR, breakfast 5 MYR.
Sore point: the sand flies. Everyone is afflicted, in various sizes. Nothing is really effective to heal or prevent their bites. You just have to accept your destiny… Mosquitoes are not missing, but fortunately there are nets on the beds.
This is the price to pay, if you want to live away from the so-called civilization !!
An Indian boy met I meet on the beach, makes me desist from the brilliant idea to trek around the forest, alerting me about the presence of leeches which attacked him.
August 12-13 – Tioman (Salang)
After two days spent trying to escape the sand flies, I decide to move to Salang. I reach the meeting point where a taxi booked the day before is waiting for me (40 MYR), afflicted by fever and a strong sore throat. The Singapore subway air conditioning literally destroyed me, and unfortunately some antibiotics I have did not produce any effect. Since I am still able to walk on the sand carrying a backpack under a pouring rain without fainting, I think that for the moment I can go on without medicines, since on the Island there are no chemistries..
The jeep is shared with a family of Germans. Back to Tekek, I wait for the Blue Express ferry on the dock (MYR 35).
On the way to Salang, the last village in the far north, we stop at ABC, a rough jumble of shacks and wooden bungalows on a small beach, I am delighted with myself for not choosing to stay here. Once in Salang, overwhelmed by flu ailments, I give up with the capillary search for accommodation and I stop randomly at the first huts I see, on the south of the pier, where the beach is prettier, white and soft, fringed by lush vegetation and bordered by turquoise sea.
The place is shabby, the owner immediately decreases the price noticing my dissatisfaction while I test the consistency of mattresses, as hard as stones.
With the second group of bungalows, the Puteri Salang Inn, is much better, I take a discrete one (40 MYR) surrounded by a beautiful garden, with a golf course velvety lawn. A kind of palm leaves roof act as a reception, and then as a living room, with sofas and a good collection of DVDs and books, and then again as a common kitchen with kettle, fridge, tables and sinks. All around, guesthouses, restaurants and some small shops run along the beach, vegetation and palm trees behind them, and nothing else.
To the north the beach is rocky, especially at low tide. I wander into a big store that sells a bit of everything, including food and souvenirs, and then I settle into a veranda restaurant on the sea, the Salang Indah, crowded with sociable cats and lazy human beings, their nose glued to a television that broadcasts the first Olympic competitions.
The prices are fair. 19 MYR for a grilled fish. But even the Salang Sayang is not bad.
Given the exorbitant prices of excursions, taking into account the fact that I have no one to share the costs, I avoid any snorkeling tour, and I dedicate myself to swim in the turquoise bay, alternating sunbathing on the white beach
August 14, from Tioman to Mersing
After an excellent lunch at the Salang Sayang restaurant (14 MYR, curry vegetables + rice, and fruit salad), I embark on the last afternoon ferry (35 MYR), leaving Salang at 17.00 and arrivinng in Mersing when it’s already dark . I discover at my expense the second blunder of the holiday. The Lonely Planet resoundingly fails: the Plaza R & R near the pier does not host anylonger the main terminal of long-distance buses, and even the myriad eateries mentioned on the guide. Indeed, to tell the truth, it is a desert. A gentleman takes me with his car full of kids (otherwise I would not have trusted him) to the new terminal. Third mistake, my allergy to prebook. The rapid Transnasional bus to Kuantan which leaves the next day is full, I think there is a kind of festival, and so the Malaysians are on vacation. I am distraught when I listen to the ticket officer who, recommending me to leave not later than 7.30, meticulously lists a litany of connections to get to Jerantut, the starting point for the Teman Negara National Park.
Out of this essential formality, I can now devote myself to the satisfaction of bodily pleasures, in order: effective medicines for my illness, food for the stomach, a bed for the night.
I hesitantly get through the door of Farmasi Sutera, I do not know if I should trust the man behind the counter, then I think he definitely must have the necessary qualification, and anyway it’s just a sore throat. Fortunately he speaks understandable English, he wants to see the leaflet of the ineffectual antibiotic so far assumed, and gives me another one. Some tablets, taken from a jar, and delivered in a small plastic blister, on whose back he writes with a pen the active ingredient and the dosage. With a head full of question marks, I start looking for a hotel in the town center, surely there are beaches and charming bungalows out of town, but now I could not enjoy them, due to the late hour, and the very early departure perspective.
I choose a really dingy hotel, the Country Hotel, run by Chinese, a kind of white barracks illuminated by squalid neons. The room is infested with insects buzzing and crawling, luckily I have my mosquito net! I feel so much anger and frustration, for the missed bus, for the crap hotel where I am staying, that, maybe because of the fatigue and not perfect physical conditions, I am not hungry anymore, and I skip the dinner
August 15, from Mersing to Kuantan to Jerantut
A Via Crucis, practically. Very very early in the morning I walk to the terminal. The first wrecked bus for 3 MYR, in half an hour, brings me up to Endau. Here, I panic. The driver leaves me in a kind of dirt backyard, and tells me to wait. I wait at least an hour and a half, no one speaks English, all the people look at me as if I was a Martian. Finally, the second ride from Endau to Pekan, and then, with 4.50 MYR and Ben Huat Omnibus bus, I arrive to Kuantan, a rather pleasant little town built on the riverside. The road has now become so large and so well paved, bordered by well-kept gardens and interrupted here and there by roundabouts so well decorated and full of flowers, which seems to be in the arrival areas of an airport! The bus terminal is on the riverfront, all around, under sheds, kiosks that offer many varieties of food and beverages. It’s around 16.30. While I am wandering in the yard, already resigned to the perspective to sleep here losing 1 night, I step in front of a bus whose driver is shouting loudly the town of destination, a word very similar to Jerantut. I realize that the same name is written with a pen on a piece of cardboard stuck to the windshield. As further evidence, some backpackers on bus confirm. Among them I recognize the Czechs already met in Tioman.
The ticket, always with the Ben Huat Omnibus line, costs 12.20 MYR. This time there are no changes, the coach is not crowded, it even stops for a a pee break, in short, a fairy tale! We get to Jerantut for dinner, but it’s already dark. Some tourists, at the bus terminal, are met by some intermediary agents (or touts) who lead them to a popular guesthouse, I prefer to fend for myself, I wander a while, ask to passersby and reach a cubic block part of which is a hotel, run by Chinese, the Town Inn. Rooms, while simple, are really nice, and the bathroom clean.
I have dinner with 3 MYR in a shack in the street
August 16, Teman Negara National Park
I pay 65 MYR for a comination bus + boat to Tahan, the gateway to the Teman Negara.
The bus leaves from the Sri Emas Hotel, and leads us up to Kuala Tembeling. The crossing of the river takes a couple of hours, around us a rather monotonous rain forest landscape. Tahan is the village located in front of the park entrance, on the opposite bank, where a very luxury hotel has been built (Mutiara). Being a nature reserve, is rather chaotic and noisy. Tahan is home to many low budget options, including hostels. Almost all buildings, except a few restaurant-boat at river level, are a little bit up, and accessible via stairs or steep climbs. Going up in that heat carrying a backpack is not pleasant, but it’s still doable. I see it rather hard enough for trolleys and rigid plastics suitcases that, at Mutiara Hotel, are transported to the reception by crowds of porters. A myriad of motor boats connect the river banks, other boats dart along, it’s a real mess. Lonely Planet says that just outside the village there are some accommodation surrounded by nature, I glimpsed some of them from the boat, they look beautiful and peaceful compared to Tahan. I have an appointment here with another traveler, Antonio, guest of Mutiara Hotel, and his sister Elisabetta.
Arriving to Tahan without a reservation is quite risky. Already at noon I have a hard time to get my 40 MYR chalet at Teresek Bungalows. In the early afternoon I meet young backpackers desperately looking for accomodations which ask me if I there’s still something available. Antonio is engaged with some trips inside the park, which are included in his package, I am told by a receptionist in the elegant dark wooded atrium of the Mutiara Resor. So, I leave a note with the references of my guesthouse, hoping he won’t be frightened, when he sees it …
While I am there, I do a walk around. All around the Mutiara grows green forest with its intricate plant tangles. Obviously, to savor it in all its wild solitude you should participate to those tours where you walk for days.
I spend the rest of the afternoon to relax (as much as I can in a place like Tahan) and await the arrival of my friend, which materializes at 17.00. We eat together at the Family Restaurant, one of the barges anchored on the banks of the river . In itself it would not be bad, the problem is that the hateful longboat continue to commute in the evening too, polluting with their engines combustion, and breaking our eardrums.
August 17, Teman Negara National Park
After my breakfast at Family Restaurant, I go to book for the next day transport to Kuala Besut and Perhentians, 90 MYR.
I dedicate the whole day exploring the Teman Negara.
It’s very very hot. The queue to get on the Canopy Walkway is huge (apparently almost an hour), fee is 5 MYR. It is a walkway made of wood and ropes anchored to the trunks of trees, and that runs for approximately 500 meters at 40 meters of height from the ground. I do not see any monkeys or birds, I imagine that all this chaos bother them. It is not a Tibetan rope bridge, and it is nothing difficult. It’s quite impressive, (in some parts it’s possible to see the ground below), especially at half way and when shaked by heavy steps of some rough preceeding or following visitors. Some idiots, in fact, have fun jumping furiously and procuring vertigo, panic, nausea and insults by many others one
August 18, from Tahan to Kuala Besut to Perhantian Besar
This time we do not pass by the river. Journey rather monotonous, (only noteworthy landscape, the limestone formations at Gua Musang) under a rather insistent rain that stops only close to Kuala Besut, where we arrive in the late afternoon. We catch the last ferry to the Perhentians Islands. I ask to get off at the Coral View. The ferry does not touch the shore, there are small boats that approach it and carry passengers, with a 3 MYR surcharge. In reality they would ask more, but I refuse, given the short distance (50 meters). Here we go again, we are on an island and the vultures try to take advantage of the situation.
It would be best to book in advance, even in Besar. In fact, I struggle as well, in finding a place to sleep, taking into account that everything costs at least double than Tioman, with a very bad quality/price ratio among low-budget accommodations. The nicest place is the economic Mama’s Chalet, but unfortunately they have no vacancy. Their prices start from MYR 60 for garden bungalows up to 90MYR for sea front ones. I will eat there meals, and I really recommend it.
I find at 70 MYR, a garden view bungalow at Watercolour Resort, but compared to Mama’s is really crap. Fortunately, at least there are screens on the windows, but in the bathroom there is a real zoo, including a huge cockroach. I try also to bargain my accomodation at Coral View, the receptionists are really friendly, and they try to meet my needs as much as possible, but it is still too much. Not only the Watercolour sucks as a hotel, the restaurant is not any better. I eat a nasty meal, omelette, rice and fruit, 22 MYR, then, discouraged, go to bed.
August 20-21-22-23, Pulau Besar (Perhentian)
In the next few days I find out that thankfully, at Mama’s I eat well at the same prices as Watercolour, but there are also other small little bars that are cheaper, such as the Thai Corner and Perhentians Cafe, located next to each other. Here I always I spend about 15 MYR for a meal, and 7.5 MYR for breakfast.
I also buy, for 11 MYR, a “I talk” prepaid calling card, which allows me to talk to my boyfriend in Italy, and arrange reservations for next trip to Redang.
As written on the Lonely Planet, and on the web, I confirm on Redang there are not cheap hotels and it is compulsory to buy a package trip.
I meet again Antonio and Elisabetta, and some other friends, all Italians. At this point we form a good group with stronger bargaining power, to haggle with taxi boats to organize excursions. Snorkeling away from the shore is fabulous. The boatmen also leads us to some beautiful beaches, where we are alone.
We visit Kecil too. The beach here is great, and very clear water
While my friends settle in a little bar, I tour around. Here there are plenty of accommodations, but the prices are not much cheaper than Besar, and economic structures, just as in Besar, are not that great either. But there are some night cafés, and then some of us, after dinner, will come back here again to hear some music and for some social life. Besar, from this point of view, in fact, has nothing to offer.
After spending a couple of nights at Watercolour, I am generously hosted by Antonio and Elisabetta in their room at Coral View, which has an extra bed.
They are housed in one of the suites detached from the main building, real villas with two entrances, and double sea view. Per day, with half board, they pay about 100 Euros (in two), which is not much, since it is actually a small apartment, bedroom and a small living room, with bathroom and dressing room, all in wood and with huge glass windows
Other two guys, Mauro and Laura, disgusted by the Watercolour like me, move to Coral View as well. Others ones, however, stay at Abdul, on the next beach, which can be reached by taxi boat but also with a walk of about 10 minutes through a promontory covered with dense bush, and infested with mosquitoes. The beach at Abdul’s Chalet, close to Tuna Bay, is nice, but the best beach is the one at Perenthians Island Resort (PIR), the most luxurious resort on the island, (very crowded, though)
Me and the other guys, usually, settle into a small cove between the end of the Coral View and the PIR pier
Friends staying at Abdul’s report that, according to what they note, the laundry practice is apparently considered superfluous at every guests’ change. The sheets are only shaken vigorously and then sprayed with some deodorant.
To transfer to Redang, instead of mainland, wasting a lot of time, we find a direct taxi boat; the cost of the crossing is 450 MYR, to be share in 5 (me, Antonio, Elisabetta, Mauro and Laura).
August 23-24-25, Pulau Redang
The crossing from Besar, with good sea conditions, takes less than two hours; the resort I booked, the Beach Villa Holiday, is at the north end of the main beach, my room is on the second floor of a three buildings complex with horseshoe shape, around the garden, but there are also some chalets built on the promontory and embedded among the rocks. Here, the view is magnificent. The sand is beautiful, and the sea too
Some hotels at the southern part of the beach, more crowded, are a destination for Asian tourists of various nationalities. They contribute to create a lot of confusion when it comes to snorkeling close to the shore and around a cluster of rocks.
They are the perfect representatives of the “not sustainable eco tourist” category, and in a few minutes they manage to do everything which should never be done. They are not able to swim, and wear life jackets. They feed the fishes. They walk shamelessly on the corals.
The snorkeling is great, lots of fish can already be seen near the shore, near the small rocky agglomerate already mentioned.
In addition, there are a few day trips, organized by the resort and already included in the price. I am particularly impressed by Pulau Lima, which is a tiny rocky islet not very far. The boat stops close to the rocks, the water is crystal clear, and, beneath the surface, beautiful corals, and purple and yellow sea anemones. A dream. I do not remember unfortunately the name of the place we visit with the second excursion, however, is a place with a small beach, a kind of marine park office, and a campground, I think. The sea is full of fish already a few meters from the shore, the fathest you swim, the more you see, some have beautiful colors, and scales as shiny as silk
My room at the resort is simple but very clean. The food however is not that great, repetitive and canteen style. They have the courage to feed us with some kind of Findus frozen fish fingers. In any case, I can survive more than decently.
The ceiling beams of the restaurant, made entirely of dark wood, in quieter moments are populated by lively squirrels, attracted by the crumbs, which approach us until a few centimeters.
The time on the islands is always sunny during the day, some thunderstorm in the evening
August 25, from Pulau Redang to Pulau Kapas
I leave at 9.00 to Merang, here I wait on a road not far from the pier, in the hope that some bus will pass, as it had been indicated by some people in a café, but nothing arrives, so a taxi, with 30 MYR, takes me to Kuala Terengganu bus station. The terminal is quite large, there is even a building with two floors full of shops, but many of them seem shut. A bus takes me to Marang, 2 MYR. Since I have absolutely no idea where the exact point to go down is, I ask to the driver to be left at the jetty to Pulau Kapas. He nods reassuringly, but then forgets about it when the right time arrives. After some adventure, I eventually reach the pier.
It’s around 14.00. There is a kind of promenade, but no beach, only rocks. A market sell vegetables and fruits, including nauseating durians. I go to the ticket office and buy a one way for 40 MYR. They try to propose also an accommodation for the night, but I refuse. I wait on a bench, chatting with a Malaysian couple on holiday. After a while, with a taxi, a young Italian couple arrives, with voluminous plastic suitcases.
Arrived at Kapas, which is not far, I accompany the two Italians at the resort they have booked by phone, the Kapas Island Resort, I ask for prices, and look at their bungalow.
Then, accompanied by the girl, who kindly in some places also carries my backpack, I explore one by one all the accommodations at the coast, (not so many), except one which is further into the bush.
Pulau Kapas on weekends is literally assaulted by hordes of Malay tourists, but during the week days there are very few people, mostly foreigners.
The Duta Puri Island would not be bad, but the bathrooms are outside, and the girl at the front desk is surly. I am impressed by the Light House, which also has dorm rooms. It’s built as a long house in dark wood, and it’s cute.
To reach the farthest end, in front of Pulau Gemia, there is a series of step
In this area, there are beautiful beaches with nobody around
After all this affliction, I exactly scramble back from where I left, that is to say Kapas Island Resort, and take a bungalow for 130 MYR. The garden is beautiful, green and very well maintained, populated by cats and a couple of big lizards, as well as some monkeys which remain mostly at a safe distance, on the trees
August 26-27-28, Pulau Kapas
I eat lunches at a warung closed to the ferry dock, the average expense is about 12 MYR, for dinner instead I stop at the Duta Puri Island resort, which cooks better food than my resort, average 20 MYR.
The best snorkeling spot is the small beach in front of Pulau Gemia.
The first time I go, there are some Asian boats in day trip, but soon they go away, leaving me all alone.
I am a little bit scared, when I start snorkeling, only human being in the midst of thousands of fishes. These ones are already abundant a few meters from the shore, but swimming further, close to some corals, I really see a huge quantity of species.
Some of them, brown colour, I cannot say the size because the dimensions in the water are always a bit distorted, are quite aggressive. One of them, perhaps the leader, comes straightly close to me, I slap it off. While I think I’ve already won the game and go on undisturbed snorkeling, it attacks me from behind, hitting a thigh. Panic! It is not a real bite, but something that looks more like a blow, as if he had butted against me, but since I did not expect it, I get scared as if I’ve been attacked by a shark. Everybody laught at me, at the warung, when I tell them my adventure… 🙂
A place worth mentioning is the small group of bungalows that I did not inspect immediately after my arrival. I think it’s called Turtle Cove. I get there via a steep staircase in the vegetation, reaching a very small beach belonging to the complex, which is operated by Northern Europeans. The chalets are perched on the rocks, with large windows and white curtains, very clean, a true romantic paradise.
On the contrary, my bungalow is nothing special, there are lots of mosquitoes around, if I did not have my protective mosquito net it would have been a massacre.
In any case, I really loved Pulau Kapas, the sea is perhaps not as turquoise as Perhentians, but I really enjoyed the lack of concentration of human beings.
August 28, from Pulau Kapas to Kota Bharu
Today the count down starts, with approaching process to Bangkok. Boat for Marang, taxi to Kuala Terengganu, (30 MYR), SP Bumi bus with destination Jerteh (8.30 MYR). Here the connection with MKSK Cityliner (5.20 MYR) is almost immediate, and in the rush to grab a seat on the crowded bus, I can’t even take a pee break.
Arrived at Kota Bharu in the afternoon, I made my way through the crowd of the bus terminal, which is located next to a market, and, ignoring the pesky touts, I start looking for a hotel nearby.
The Hotel Azam (70 MYR) seems pretty decent, I tour in the neighborhood looking for a post office where to mail postcards (regularly arrived in Italy), I make dinner quite early (at 18.00) at the Golden Restaurant (22 MYR) mentioned on Lonely Planet, then I go to visit the famous night market.
August 29, from Kota Bharu (Malaysia) to Sungai Kolok (Thailand)
Today it will be a real tragedy, but I still do not know it, since I never watched the news on TV or read newspapers, so I do not have a clue of what’s going on in Thailand.
I get up pretty early, there is a wonderful sun, and go for a ride to the market near the bus terminal. My train from Sungai Kolok leaves at 14.20. The city is very close, and since I decided to use a taxi instead of public bus, which do exist anyway, I have plenty of time and I am not in a hurry at all.
I have breakfast in a wonderful bakery, a huge room tiled in white, crowded with Malaysians.
A taxi (40 MYR) leads me up to Pantai Panjang, at the border. Theoretically, from here, walking for about a couple of kilometers I should reach the Sungai Kolok station. Officiers at Thai Immigration Office inform me that today the country is blocked by a strike, and trains are no running. I start to sweat. It’s about noon, they tell me to hurry up, take a motorcycle taxi, and go straight to the bus station. Shit, just what I wanted to avoid. Before that, however, I want to go to the train station and try to understand what happens, or possibly book for the next day. Good thing I stll have a spare day, which should have been dedicated to shopping in Bangkok, a prospect that has now vanished, and this is already enough to make me sad.
The entrance to the station is guarded by soldiers, with weapons. I am a bit intimidated but determined to assert my reasons. At least, if I can not take the train, I want my money back. The ticket office clerk rudely slams on my face my 900 THB, with zero explanation.
I arrive at the bus terminal, which is nothing more than an alley with an agency that sells tickets. Too late: the last seats were sold 2 seconds ago to two Brits who I remember having seen at the border. This bus leaves at 13:30, and until the day after, at 12.00, there is nothing else. Resigned, I buy a ticket, 1300 THB. I should be in Bangkok at about 5.00, and then still have plenty of time to arrive to the airport. Except that, I’m told, the airport is blocked by rebels, likewise those in Phuket and Chiang Mai.
I start looking for an accomodation, and realize that Merlin Hotel, notwithstanding the mention on the Lonely Planet, is nothing more than a brothel. Even at this border, prostitution and gambling proliferate. Next to the reception there is a kind of “exposure” with beautiful girls, just like in certain areas of Bangkok. The clientele is 100% Asian. Even in the elevator that brings me to my room, (cost 40 MYR) there are two guys who are negotiating the performance price with young ladies.
My room is very bright, large windows and full of mirrors. On the other hand, being a brothel, it could not be otherwise … In any case it is very clean, the bathroom is perfect, comfortable mattress. I switch on the television and try to understand something from CNN, I send text msgs to Italy but my friends do not know much.
I go out for a walk, the city seems really bleak. There are a couple of small horrible hotels, where I see other Western tourists, but they look like toxic, so I start to appreciate the idea of being in a brothel with whores. In a side street I can find a convenience store, more like a wholesaler, where I find many kinds of souvenirs that I found, and not bought, in different regions of Malaysia.
I have lunch and dinner at some stalls, respectively 25 and 80 THB… On the landing near the hotel elevators I meet a girl of about 12 years, who knows some English, and I talk a bit with her . She is the daughter of one of the housekeepers. She is really very pretty, with sweet eyes. While waiting for her mother, she reads a book. I would like to tell her something like “study, and get the fuck out of this lousy place”, but do not think I have the courage nor the authority to do so.
August 30, Sungai Kolok
My bus leaves at 12.00, sank into a comfortable armchair I can’t wait to go away. Other Thai passengers prophesy that not only I won’t be able to get to my plane, but even in Bangkok, I cross my fingers and hope for good luck.
We make a stop of 20 minutes at Nathon Si Thammarat, in a kind of roadside restaurants with food court (25 THB for a soup with noodles and vegetables). Here I meet other foreigners, also headed to Bangkok in a private van, who tell me not to worry too much.
August 31, Bangkok
I arrive at 5.00 into a huge bus terminal. I really struggle to find a metered taxi. I will pay my ride 250 THB. Others would claim 400, bastards ..
Everything seems quiet around, I would still have time even for a shopping trip downtown, but do not want to risk and ask to be carried directly to Suvarnabhumi, no demonstrations or roadblocks, everything goes smoothly.
When boarding, I meet two Milanese girls who have spent the past two days in Bangkok, and did not even realize about the riots shown on TV.
We leave regularly at 14.40, and land in Istanbul at 21.00.
Our connecting flight to Milan leaves tomorrow at 20:30, we therefore have a whole day to spend in Turkey.
The two girls had already slept here, but they were not happy with their guesthouse, full of drunkards, so they follow me, hoping to find a room in my same place.
I discover with joy that the manager remembers about me, and the 5 Euro deposit I left. And will accommodate the girls too, they are so happy to sleep in a clean, quiet place.
September 1, Istanbul
I have breakfast in a nice little bar frequented only by Turks (7 YTL). I then pop in at the bazaar, but I remain pretty disappointed. Some places, especially the cafés, are gorgeous and maintain the atmoshphere of the past time, with their vaulted ceilings painted in blue, and stained glass lamps, but most of the shops are cubbyholes that sell junk at very expensive price. For instance, silver stuff, the same which could be found in India, costs 10 times more. Managers do not even think to bargain. What has become of this ancient art, the pride of the Arab people?
I have lunch at the entrance of the bazaar (10 YTL).
The hostel manager let me keep my stuff in my room, with no extra cost, up to 17.00.
A final tour of the colorful houses in Sultanahmet, and return to the airport (1.40 + 1.40 YTL). I buy some sweets at the supermarket located on the undergound.
The plane leaves on time, and lands on time