Malaysia

Malaysia

CAPITOL CITY

Kuala Lumpur

DATE

June 2024

CURRENCY

Malaysian Ringgit

FLIGHT DURATION

12 hours, 15 minutes

Have you heard the joke about the two Dutch women who went on a jungle trek?

I had booked a flight to Kuala Lumpur, planning to travel through Malaysia from there. For me, Asia is a comfortable continent to explore as a solo female traveler. I always feel at ease there, especially after my solo-reis door Nepal. Traveling is something I always love talking about, and I happened to mention it to a colleague. I often ask people I know well if they’d like to join me—not just because it’s fun, but also because I love inspiring others and living that joie de vivre feeling together. One evening, I got a message from my colleague Anne-ke (yes, that’s what I call her, even though her real name is Anneke), asking if I would seriously consider her joining me on the trip. Normally, I’d blurt out a big fat “YES!”—and I did feel that way—but this time, I decided to sleep on it. Only… I couldn’t sleep. The moment I read her message, I already saw the entire trip play out in my mind: Anne-ke and I strolling through Malaysian markets, trying all the street food, visiting beautiful temples, and just enjoying the joy of travel. The next morning, the feeling was still there. So I sent her a message saying I’d love it if she came with me to Malaysia. And so, we did…

Practical tips

  • Install the “Grab” app on your phone — it lets you book a taxi in no time and pay by credit card.
  • Take the day bus, not the night bus.
  • Avoid washed fruits and vegetables, and stick to vegetarian food whenever possible.
All Photos

After a long flight with a layover in Abu Dhabi, we finally arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The first thing we did was buy a SIM card and arrange a taxi. We were so exhausted from the trip that we let the taxi drop us off right at the hotel. Luckily, the driver brought us there safely. Once we arrived, we headed straight for food—we were starving! Our first hotel was in the KLCC district, a great area. Like most Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur is very busy and reminds me a bit of Manila. The big difference is that people in Kuala Lumpur are generally wealthier, which you can feel in the culture—they’re less pushy, and there are lots of fancy cars on the road.

My food & drink experiences

  • Khan Jee restaurant 2: This was the first restaurant we ate at (and again the next day), and the best of the whole trip! It’s a Pakistani restaurant, and the food is delicious. Everything is made in the tandoori oven. We had garlic naan with raita, palak paneer, potato curry with vegetables, and dahl. With a lassi on the side, it was perfect. Just a heads-up: there are two Khan Jee Restaurants (Khan Jee 1 and Khan Jee 2), right across from each other and owned by the same person.
  • Pertama complex: After a long walk, we were getting hungry. We sat down at a small spot inside the Pertama complex and ordered a vegetarian soup, full of veggies—delicious!
  • Light capture cafe by H.ö.n: After yet another long walk, it was time for coffee. This place turned out to be a bit overrated—I found it too fancy and not very authentic. You could also tell by the prices, which were almost as high as in the Netherlands.
  • Mee Tarik: I ordered Chao Ga (Vietnamese rice soup) here—something I’ve had many times in Vietnam and that always sits well with me.
  • Dolly Dim Sum: This restaurant is inside a mall (Nu Sentral) that’s packed with places to eat. We waited about 45 minutes for a table, but it was worth it. We had congee (with egg and chicken) and dim sum.
  • Ah Cheng Laksa: I’m usually not a fan of malls, unless they’re filled with food stalls—and this one (AEON Nilai Mall) luckily was. We ordered a ramen soup with chicken, but it didn’t quite look like the photo. I wouldn’t recommend this place.

Where I stayed 

  • Chamber suite KL: While searching for a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, it seemed like there were only high-rise towers to choose from—something I really don’t like. We finally found a hotel that looked decent in terms of price and location. But when we arrived, things got a bit tricky. First off, there was no reception, and after half an hour of waiting, someone finally showed up who barely spoke English. Eventually, he brought us to the room. The room itself was fine, with a little kitchen and a great view because of the height. There was also a pool, and after dinner we went for a nice swim, which was a great experience.
  • Nilai Springs Resort Hotel: This hotel was honestly a bit over the top. I remember when we walked in, Anneke and I looked at each other and she said, “I kind of feel embarrassed to be here.” It was super luxurious and felt a bit over-the-top (especially compared to the staff). The rooms were spacious and comfy, and the pool was great. There was even a golf course, but that day we decided to look for a manicure instead, which ended up being a fiasco…

What I saw and did 

  • Chinatown: It’s always a joy to wander around here. Lots of stalls with clothes, accessories, and food—and a few temples too.
  • Meditation: The great thing about meditation is that you can do it anywhere. That includes the beach. With the sound of waves in the background, it’s the perfect way to stay present.
 

You can take the ferry from Kuala Terengganu to Kapas. Now, Terengganu isn’t exactly the most charming town to spend a day in (yes, Anneke, you told me so), but we still had to kill quite a bit of time here. Especially when we were heading from Kuala Terengganu to George Town on the night bus—we had about 8 hours of adventure ahead of us. Luckily, we were able to store our backpacks at the Marang bus terminal.

My food & drink experiences

  • Kedai MakSu YAM Selera Kampung: Thankfully, we could leave our backpacks at the ferry terminal and find something to eat. We walked toward the center and soon spotted a truly authentic Malaysian spot, where we ordered a vegetarian soup and a salad, of course with a lassi on the side 😉
  • Kafe Madam RRA: We stumbled upon this place while looking for a beauty salon to get our nails done. The salon was closed, so we went here for some shade and a refreshing drink. We ordered a cappuccino and a freshly pressed carrot juice.
  • The Vinum Xchange: A quirky little bar where you could get drinks and small bites. We ordered a blueberry smoothie here and ended up sick for the next few days.
  • Syrup vs soda: Before hopping on the night bus, we wanted one last good bowl of soup. This was one of those tiny, hole-in-the-wall places you’d think wouldn’t be on the internet—but it was. The soup was really tasty and packed with flavor.

What I saw and did 

  • Batu Burok Beach: Lots of trash on the beach and pretty crowded. There were tons of food stalls, but none of them looked appealing. I did have a tasty grilled corn on the cob there, though.

We arrived by ferry on Kapas Island. As we approached, all our expectations were already exceeded. We chose Kapas Island because it’s peaceful and quiet. You can easily walk around the island—there are no cars or bikes. Aside from snorkeling, there’s absolutely NOTHING to do, so your daily activity is RELAXING.

My food & drink experiences

  • Aside from the restaurant of Kapas Turtle Valley, which served excellent food (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), there weren’t many other places to eat on the island. In total, there were only two restaurants, and one of them was closed during our stay. If you wanted to eat at the Kapas Turtle Valley restaurant, you had to let them know before noon so the chef could plan the shopping (the menu changed daily) and prep accordingly. We enjoyed dishes like fried eggplant with rice, grilled cauliflower with mashed potatoes, salmon, and stir-fried noodles. Breakfast was always plentiful, with typical Asian fruits like mangosteen, dragon fruit, guava, and langsat. There were also white slices of bread with Skippy ;-), a boiled egg, and a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.
  • At JT Cafe, I had a tasty fried noodle dish—char kway teow—for lunch and a fresh carrot juice.
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Where I stayed

  • Kapas Turtle Valley: This was honestly the perfect place! We had just come from the hustle of Kuala Lumpur, and this was the exact opposite: pure calm. There were just a few bungalows, all right on the beach. The bungalow was quite open and airy, so you could hear the wind blowing through it, which gave a very peaceful feeling. It had two beds, a bathroom, and a nice little porch where you could sit and relax with a sea view. There was also an outdoor restaurant where you could have breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

What I saw and did

  • The birth of baby turtles: This was probably one of the most special experiences so far. The sun had incubated the turtle eggs, and 164 of them hatched. We were allowed to be there when they were released. Magical! At first, the tiny turtles just lay still in a group, and then one by one, they began crawling toward the sea. In the ocean, they had to brave the first wave before they could swim off.
  • Jungle trekking: One afternoon, we wanted to go for a walk. The owner’s son showed us the trail and said we’d be back in about an hour, and that it’s basically impossible to get lost on an island… Well, there we were, nearly at dusk at a fork in the path. Anne-ke thought we should go left, and I felt right (or the other way around—classic). We couldn’t agree. I opened Google Maps, but I didn’t have a signal, so the map wouldn’t load. I started getting nervous—no snacks, barely any water left. Luckily, I still had phone reception, so I called the accommodation. They told us, “Just walk straight ahead.” And sure enough, soon we were back on familiar ground. The next day, we wanted to go for another walk. The owner looked at us funny.
  • Meditating on the beach: The great thing about meditation is that you can do it anywhere. So I did it on the beach, early in the morning with the sound of the waves in the background. Anne-ke even did a beach yoga session once.
  • Swimming in the South China Sea: The first day, swimming was excellent. But the next day, after a nice hike, we wanted to go in again. We noticed hardly anyone was in the water. Eventually, we ran into a Spanish couple who told us there were jellyfish that sting. I still wanted to go in, but it didn’t feel great. It was like little needles were pricking your skin. That same day, we also heard that someone had been stung by a stonefish. Yeah… go look that up.

After a very intense 8-hour night bus ride—with hardly any sleep and freezing air conditioning—we arrived in George Town at 6:30 a.m. To our surprise, the entire city was still asleep. Eventually, around 9 a.m., we were able to grab a coffee. We couldn’t check in until noon.

My food & drink experiences

  • Chulia court the Tavern: Since we had such amazing Indian food in Kuala Lumpur, we kept trying to recreate that experience. It didn’t quite live up to it, but the food here was still very tasty. We ordered paneer tikka, mixed vegetables, dal, mushroom matar, garlic naan, raita, kadai paneer, and of course a lassi. And, naturally, it was way too much food again.
  • Hunt & Hound: We had coffee here a couple of times. It’s a small, cozy place with good coffee and tasty sandwiches.
  • MEERA Briyani: This place is located in Little India, and you can get delicious Indian food here. We had flavorful dal with garlic naan (our favorite) and biryani.

Where I stayed

  • Palm Mansion Boutique Suites: We booked this apartment for two nights, and it was a really lovely spot. Very close to Little India and the apartment itself was beautifully decorated and comfortable.
  • Red-inn Court: This wasn’t really a proper overnight stay (emphasis on night), but because we arrived so early and had barely slept, I booked this hotel just until noon (when we could check into our next place) so I could at least get a little rest—because a stone bench wasn’t doing the trick. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. It smelled musty and felt old and worn out.

Mijn bezichtigingen en activiteiten

  • Cooking class at Tropical Spice Garden: And not just any cooking class—this one took place in a massive herb garden. We first got a tour and learned all kinds of fun facts about the plants and trees. Then we headed to the kitchen, where everyone had their own workstation. We made grilled tofu, eggplant, noodles, and a dessert.
  • Penang Street Art: Great streets to wander through, full of beautiful street art.

Our last destination before heading back to Kuala Lumpur was the Cameron Highlands. This time we took the day bus—way better! The whole vibe in this area was completely different; it really felt like a hiker’s place, and that’s precisely what it was. The weather was totally different too—it was cold, especially in the evenings.

My food & drink experiences

  • Scott’s Cafe: Since we were both pretty sick, we didn’t eat much—or at least, Anne-ke didn’t. She was craving scones (apparently a local specialty in the area). I stumbled across this café while walking past a row of other restaurants and cafés. The scones with butter to-go were delicious.
  • Cameron Valley Tea House: Our jungle trail led us to the Cameron Valley Tea House, perched on a mountaintop with a fantastic view! We had tea there, but didn’t eat anything because it was packed with tourists.
  • Rich Bake Cake & Coffe House: Anne-ke had read somewhere that the cake here is really good. We passed by during our trail. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any cake that day—but they did have bananas.

Where I stayed

  • Highlanders Garden Guesthouse: We stayed here for three nights, and it was a lovely stay. The exterior of the hotel—like many in the area—had a bit of an Austrian vibe. The hotel sits on a hill, close to the bus station and the street with all the restaurants and bars. We had a double room with a balcony.

What I saw and did

  • Hike Jungle trail: The cool temperatures in the Cameron Highlands were perfect for hiking. There are 14 hiking routes in the area, and we chose Jungle Trail 10: from Tanah Rata to Gunung Jasar. It’s about an hour up and an hour back. The trail leads you to the summit of Gunung Jasar, where you’re rewarded with a beautiful view! We followed a helpful guide to reach the starting point.
  • Palace Foot Reflexology Center: After a great hike, it’s time for a massage, of course. I had a wonderful foot massage here.