Townsville to Airlie Beach, Australia

December 11th –  December 17th 2011


We decided to drive to Townsville so we packed up and got on the road as it would take us three hours to get there. We filled the campervan up for the first time which was $70, not as expensive as we were expecting but still a huge chunk of our budget gone for the day. We drove on passing the crop fields and tree covered mountains in the distance before finding a campsite in Townsville and having a dip in the sites pool. The next day we drove to Reef HQ which is a huge living coral reef aquarium. We saw sharks, rays and various colourful reef fish as well as sea horses which were a highlight. The reef was good but for $26.50 we would have liked for it to have occupied a bit more of our time, you could easily see everything in well under an hour but we stretched it out as long as we could by watching sea life documentary films on the second floor.

Reef HQ

We had plenty of time left on our parking ticket so we walked along the Strand passing loads of amazing children’s play areas, my cousins Lily and Chase and Craig’s nephews Alfie and Aidan would absolutely love it here! The sea front was lovely; it was another beautiful day so the walk past the boats in the harbour was great. At the far end we found a free lagoon swimming area which we hope to take advantage of tomorrow.
As the sun was shining the following day we decided to spend the day at the lagoon in the sun. We parked up for free and found a grassy spot to sit and read. We went for a dip in the salt water pool and generally relaxed. It would be great if England had these types of free facilities although we don’t really have the hot weather to make the most of them. Even free parking in England is a rarity!

I had read about Charters Towers in the Lonely Planet and it sounded interesting so we drove the 90 minutes inland to see it. It began life as a gold rush town and has many interesting buildings and lots of history. We parked up in town and walked along the High Street. We got a walking tour map and walked by each of the architecturally significant buildings and saw some large murals too. We jumped back in the camper and went to Tower Hill.

Charters Towers

We drove to the top and saw amazing panoramic views over Charters Towers and the surrounding area. We did a little walk at the top and then went to see the old abandoned war bunkers which were very eerie and the old mines too. We saw a huge wild kangaroo watching us from a distance before it hopped away into the dry bushes. With the sun beating down on us it felt like we were in an old American town in the Wild West. In the late afternoon with the sun still very hot we found a campsite and jumped in the pool to cool off.

Views from Tower Hill

Abandoned war bunker

The next day we took one last look around town before driving back to Townsville along the highway. It was pouring with rain on the way back which was actually quite a relief from the usual intense heat. Once in Townsville we grabbed an umbrella and went to the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery where we saw an exhibition called Desert Country which included lots of colourful aboriginal paintings with fascinating narratives. We stopped at an internet café to catch up on news from home before driving our van to the top of Castle Hill. It was a bit of a misty and grey day but the views over Townsville were pretty.

Airlie Beach

After some shopping the following morning we drove to Airlie Beach which was roughly four hours away. On the journey we crossed a bridge which reminded me of my friend Sally’s beautiful paintings at our degree show. It’s on these long journeys that I think of home and my mind wanders back to what my friends and family are up to while I’m not there. Once in Airlie Beach we decided that it looks like a party town as there are backpackers, tourists and bars everywhere. We stayed at Flame Tree Tourist Park a few kilometres away which is lovely as it’s peaceful and the place is full of animals and amazing birds. After a relaxing day at Flame Tree we drove back to Airlie Beach and checked in at Base as we had a spot reserved with a voucher for just $5 a night which was too cheap to pass up! We went for a walk and to the Saturday market which was selling pretty handicrafts, sweets and food and drink, unfortunately we couldn't afford anything as we were planning to spend a good chunk of the budget taking a boat out to one of the Whitsunday Islands nearby the following day. We walked along the Bicentennial Walkway which runs along the coast and admired the pretty views and tropical flowers and mangroves en route. 

Cairns and North Queensland, Australia

December 1st – December 10th 2011

We arrived in Darwin and had a bit of a wait due to a delayed flight before we could get our connection to Cairns. We were very tired as it was a night time flight and as usual we didn’t manage to get very much sleep. Once we landed safely in Cairns we went through customs and immigration with no hiccups and proceeded with our bags to the shuttle bus which for $9 took us to Travellers Autobarn. After going through all the formalities, noting down scratches and signing contracts we were off! We were very tired and also very hungry so the first port of call was a supermarket. We found two and after price comparing Woolworths with Coles we found Coles to be slightly cheaper and had a bit more choice. We stocked up on eight jars of pasta sauce which was on offer, beans, spaghetti and the cheapest bread!

Campervan!

We drove to Barron Gorge National Park but the road ended up being a dead end, the views of the river and gorge were lovely though so we stopped to take some photos before going to Lake Placid campsite where the really friendly guy gave us a couple nights stay at a discounted rate. Craig tried to haggle some more off the price but he wasn’t having any of it! It’ll be strange not having to haggle everyday like you have to in Asia! We made pasta for dinner which was a nice change from what we have been eating in Asia for the past three months and we get an early night to recover from our lack of sleep.

Barron Gorge National Park

We woke up after a good night’s sleep and after breakfast strolled to the local shop to get bits and pieces and got chatting to the lady behind the counter. Our first impressions are that it’s very hot and humid (even the locals’ say it’s unusually hot!) and very friendly which is how I remember it from my trip to Cairns five years ago. The rest of the day was chilled out, we read magazines and got to grips with our campervan, ‘home’ for the next two months. It’s only little, a high top campervan with space at the top to put our big rucksacks and a little fridge, microwave, sink, two cupboards and two gas ring stoves. It’ll take some getting used to but it’s great to have the freedom to drive anywhere anytime and to be out of dorms too.

We decided to drive to the little town of Kuranda, somewhere that I have been before and loved. The roads were twisty and winding. We were also going uphill which the campervan struggled with a little bit; Craig’s taken to driving it very well though with no trouble at all. The views on the way up were great so we stopped for photos. We got some accommodation and chatted with the bloke behind the counter before walking along a railway line ‘shortcut’ to get to Kuranda. We had a look around the famous markets and went to the Fossil and Gemstone Museum which was free. The whole place was lovely and familiar and I found the stall that sold me my unique and beautiful didgeridoo five years ago which I have at home. After buying some banana flavoured vegan candy we went down to the Kuranda railway and did the river walk. We tried walking to the Barron Falls waterfall but got lost then got caught in a downpour. On our way back to town and absolutely drenched a lovely couple pulled over and gave us a lift saving us 15 minutes of walking in the rain, brilliant people.

Barron Falls

Craig and I at Barron Falls

The next morning we drove to Barron Falls and admired the breathtaking valley scenery and the cascading water. After watching the steam train come and go we left Barron Falls and drove to Palm Cove which is north of Kuranda. We found a campsite and strolled along the beautiful beach with the sun beating down on us. We had a relaxing following day in Palm Cove and enjoyed reading and being right by the beach.
After our laid back day at Palm Cove we drove back down south to Cairns where we popped in at the office to get a few things looked at on the campervan. We’ve only been in it for six days but already things seem to be falling apart! We parked up in town and had a walk around the harbour and lagoon and along the Esplanade. We booked a snorkelling tour of the Great Barrier Reef for in a few days time which was $129, our budget for each day in Australia is $40 so already we know we’ll need to pick our tours and activities wisely. We manage to pick up a brand new edition of Lonely Planet’s Australia guide for $45, way more than you’d pay in the U.K but hopefully it’ll be a good investment.

Palm Cove

After doing lots of reading and scouring the guidebook for free activities and places to go we went to Fleckers Botanical Gardens and wandered around all the pretty tropical plants and flowers. We crossed the road and did the rainforest boardwalk to Centenary Lakes and soaked up the very hot sunshine. After lunch we went to Crystal Cascades which was a half an hour’s drive away. We did the 1.5 km walk to the waterfall and back and watched as all the locals swam in the rivers many pools. After visiting the waterfall we had to go back to Travellers Autobarn yet again to get things fixed, not a good start to our two month road trip! Afterwards we went to the free Cairns lagoon and had a swim in the warm waters before having a look around the souvenirs in the night market.

Just over a week into our trip and it was time to do our snorkelling tour of the Great Barrier Reef which we had been really looking forward to. We got up early and parked up in the centre of town. After walking to the harbour we boarded our boat for the day and met the captain who was a British expat. We sailed out to the snorkelling spot and got suited up. It was a perfect day for snorkelling, blue skies and calm waters. We snorkelled with the guide who pointed to specific corals and fish and told us what they were, he also picked up a slimy sea cucumber and passed it to us. We were then left to swim around looking at all the varying types of fish which were a myriad of colours. We had a lovely buffet lunch and were out on the water again, this time in search of colourful clown fish which we managed to spot. We swam to the reefs edge where there was an eerie drop off point; it felt like a sea monster could rise up from the deep as the waters became so dark. At the end of the trip we were given complimentary cheeses, biscuits, fresh fruits and wine which was a lovely end to a really great day. The tour itself comprised of only 20 people and the three crew members so it felt really personal as we got to chat to each crew member and learn all about life on the reef throughout the trip.

Flippers up!

The day after our unforgettable Reef trip we decided to leave Cairns behind and drive the Millaa Millaa waterfall circuit. I had heard about Millaa Millaa from my friend Sarah who visited the waterfall and surrounding area on an organised tour but as we had our own wheels we decided to drive there and do it ourselves. The Lonely Planet guidebook also had a good bit of information on it so we set off using our rented sat nav to help us find the way. The views along the Gillies Highway were stunning so we stopped for a banana while we took in the fabulous views. Once at the Millaa Millaa waterfall we had lunch then got into our swimmers to go for a swim, We dipped our toe in and it was absolutely freezing! Craig was much braver than me and managed to get in with relatively no trouble but I was stood at the edge for ages while some Aussie’s spurred me on. Eventually we were both in; it took my breath away getting my whole body under as it was so cold! We did the obligatory Timotei hair flick as this is where the adverts had been filmed.

Craig's hair flick!

My hair flick!

We then swam to the waterfall itself and went under the water to the other side where it was surprisingly a bit warmer. We swam back to shore and dried off and then drove on to Zillie Falls the next waterfall in the circuit. This one was a view from the top and was slightly less impressive as we couldn’t really see it all in its entirety. The last fall was Ellinjaa Falls which we had to do a short walk through the forest to get to. It was very pretty and we passed a wild dingo on our way to it as well. After the pretty scenery of the waterfall circuit we decided to drive a couple of hours south to Mission Beach. The landscape went from rolling hills, rainforests and mountains to flat lands dominated by crops with railway lines seemingly unused running between fields.

Views from the road

Mission Beach was a pretty and quiet place with a massive beach. We stayed on a council run campsite which wasn’t as nice as what we had experienced but wasn’t too expensive either. While in Mission Beach we walked along the isolated beach and watched the little crabs scuttle into their holes in the golden sand.

Singapore

November 27th – November 30th 2011

We caught the train from KL Central train station and read magazines on the journey to Singapore. Once there we disembarked and realised yet again that we didn’t have a clue where we were in relation to the city! We really need to do a bit more research before we arrive at our destination! We spoke to an unhelpful and grumpy bus driver but undeterred spoke to another one who was much friendlier. We boarded his bus which took us to the train station; we boarded a train and waited a long time before getting off in Little India where our hostel was meant to be. We wandered around the bustling streets for ages with our big rucksacks on our backs and couldn’t find the address we were after. Luckily we found an internet cafe and tried to call the hostel manager to no avail as there was no answer. We were pointed to exactly the address that we were given on hostelbookers.com and realised that the hostel was no longer there even though we booked online just days before. After looking on another hostel booking website we noticed a note which stated how they had moved to another address in the last few days. With aching backs we walked to the underground train station, boarded and rode a few stops and then had another 15 minute walk to get the hostel which had no sign so we still had to ask a local if it was the right place! What a nightmare, we explained to the girl in the hostel but she was unsympathetic.

National Museum of Singapore

Not a very good start to the city but we decided to make the most of our few days here even though the new hostel was a lot further out of town than we wanted. For our first day we went to the National Museum of Singapore where I had read about an exhibition called Dreams and Reality involving paintings loaned from the Musée d’Orsay in Paris. We paid the $11 to get in and wandered around all the paintings and drawings which were mostly from the Impressionist period. Once we’d looked around the paintings we left the exhibition and went on to the History and Living Galleries which charted the history of Singapore. We had audio guides which were great and the place was filled with so much information, if we had listened to everything we would have been in there for days! After lunch we went to historic Raffles Hotel which was beautifully decorated for Christmas. We went inside and had a look around the free little museum which appealed to my love of the nostalgic and featured many items from the ‘Golden Age’ of travel.

Raffles Hotel

Unfortunately we couldn’t afford a famous Singapore Sling cocktail so we left and went to the Bugis Street night market which was very lively. Craig bought a hot dog from a stand which had unusual ketchup and mustard dispensers where you squeeze the tube like you would milk a cow, very strange! We bought an umbrella as we have noticed since being here that when it rains it pours and we don’t want to be caught in the rain again like we were today after lunch.

Unusual ketchup dispenser in Bugis Street Market

The following day we decided to go to famous Orchard Road. We strolled up and down the street making the most of the air conditioning as it was another very hot and humid day. It was rather bizarre as it was so hot but there were Christmas decorations everywhere as it’s just a few days till December. After Orchard Road we went to vibrant Chinatown and looked around the shops before wandering into an internet cafe to do some research and catch up on emails.

Orchard Road

Chinatown

It was our last day in Singapore and we were quite grateful for it, not because we don’t like the city but more because it is just too expensive for us! With Australia as our next country we realised that we need every penny that we can get so we weren’t able to really make the most of what Singapore has to offer. We decided to go to the Singapore Art Museum where we paid $10 to see an exhibition by Hyung Koo Kang called The Burning Gaze. The artist focuses on portraits of himself or of celebrities, some ultra realistic and some caricatures. We watched a documentary whilst in the gallery of the artist making his work which was really interesting and provided a great insight into his mind. Craig was especially impressed by how realistic the work was. Also showing in the galleries was the Signature Art Prize which involves work by many Asian and Pacific artists competing for the prize.  Some of the work exhibited was spectacular and ranged all different media from photograph to sculpture to installation to video. After the fascinating exhibitions we made our way back to the hostel to pick up our things and head to the airport to begin our three month Australian adventure.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

November 22^nd – November 27^th 2011

We got up early and proceeded to the office where we would be getting our coach to take us from the Cameron Highlands to Kuala Lumpur. Once on the coach we were pleasantly surprised by how nice it was. We settled in for the journey,  once we got to the bus station in Kuala Lumpur we realised we didn’t have a clue where we were in relation to the city or where our hostel was that we had booked online.We approached some taxi drivers but the amounts they were quoting seemed far too much so we walked around for a bit before finding a more reasonably priced taxi. I jumped in the back and Craig jumped in front. I quickly noticed that there were cockroaches in the taxi, climbing on to my rucksack and walking on the chairs and ceiling. I spent the entire journey watching and waiting for one to fall in my hair but luckily none did. Once at our hostel which even the taxi driver had trouble finding I jumped out and dusted myself down, paranoid that they were all over me!

 Once we settled in to our hostel we went out in search of food. We got lost in the market next door which had aisle upon aisle of fruit, vegetables, meat and fish as well as the usual clothes and ‘tat’.  The market was buzzing and busy with locals but I couldn’t help but feel like we were being stared at.

Colourful fruit stall

 It was our first full day in Kuala Lumpur, a brand new city to explore. After breakfast we caught the bus to the famous Petronus Towers.  We stood and admired the towers which were a true sight to behold. The building shimmered in the light and the towers spiralled high into the sky where the mist concealed the tips. After the obligatory photo stop we went inside and had a look in windows of Gucci, Versace and Tiffany. It’s safe to say that these shops are well out of our price range! Instead of shopping we decided to go to Petrosains Science Museum which is housed of one of the towers floors. After an interesting ride to get into the museum we made our way through each exhibit which were all well laid out and factual. Of course we had a go at pretty much all the interactive aspects of the museum which was good fun. 

Petronus Towers

We finished the museum just in time for a showing of Tin Tin at the cinema so we quickly bought tickets and lots of snacks and sat down to enjoy the film. Afterwards we made our way back to Hostel Cosmopolitan and had dinner at the Indian next door. For under £11 we went to a good museum, went to the cinema and had various snacks as well as popcorn and drinks and paid for dinner and our public transport around the city. It’s really satisfying having a fun and busy day and still come in under budget. 

We woke up early the next day and ventured on the monorail to the KL Central train station, one annoyance with Kuala Lumpur is that the different public transport systems don’t link up very well so we caught the monorail then got lost walking to the train station as signage is also terrible! Eventually we managed to book our train ticket to Singapore. After another battle with public transport we got to the Islamic Arts Museum which was very informative and housed a beautiful collection of Islamic artefacts. The Islamic writings with gold embellishments were exquisite and very inspirational too. The museum was also housing a temporary exhibition about the Indian people that went to Australia and helped set up the modern country as we know it today and their work with the camels. It was great learning about the stories of individual people that helped build Australia but are unfortunately forgotten about today. After the museum we walked to the Botanical Gardens and found some deer in an enclosure. We watched them until the sun became too hot so we walked into the shade of the gardens. We wandered around aimlessly enjoying the flowers and the warmth of the sun and cooled down with an ice lolly before the heavens decided to shower us with rain. It only lasted a few minutes but we started to head back anyway. 

Sign on our walk to the gardens

We decided to go to Batu Caves today under the recommendation of the hostel’s receptionist. We caught the bus there and Craig had sense to ask where the bus would pick up from and it was lucky he did as it wasn’t signposted and we never would have found it ourselves. We walked to the base of the steps and looked up; there were lots to climb in order to get to the caves! We started making our ascent and paused to watch the dozens of monkeys frolicking about pouncing on people’s shoulders if there was any sign of food.  Eventually we made it to the top and were rewarded with stunning views over the city and surrounding suburbs. We ventured into the vast cave and found a few shrines decorated with flower garlands. Unfortunately the monkeys seemed to have developed a taste for the flowers and began stealing them to eat whenever a garland was laid down. We took some photographs of the naughty monkeys, one of which was eating an ice lolly! We also noticed a snake which was climbing up the steep cave wall. Once we had seen all there was to be seen in the cave we ventured back down the steps and bought a coconut to try the coconut water, it wasn’t what we imagined as it was warm and tasted a bit off so we drank what we could and threw the rest away. 

Monkey in Batu Caves

Monkey enjoying an ice lolly

We waved goodbye to the giant golden statue that stands at the foot of the steps and caught the bus back into the city. We went to the Menara Tower and paid to go to the top observation deck. The views were absolutely breathtaking. We could see for absolute miles and could even see the golden statue outside the Batu Caves by telescope. Included in the price was admission to the animal zone. We went in but weren’t impressed with the enclosures that the animals were given which were small and cramped. There was an albino monkey, rabbits, snakes and spiders as well as a two headed turtle. 

Views from the top of the Menara Tower

On our last day in KL we took it easy and went souvenir shopping at Central Market. I managed to get some presents for my cousins Lily and Chase and sent them home in a parcel straight away. As we walked back to our hostel under a moody sky we could smell the distinct scent of durians wafting through the air from a market stall. 

Petronus Towers glowing at night

Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

November 18th - 22nd 2011

We left Penang by bus and made our way to the Cameron Highlands. The further along the journey we went the more twisted the roads were getting and the blue skies turned more misty and overcast like we were heading up into the clouds. We got to our final destination which was Tanah Rata one of the main towns in the Highlands. We looked around the town and tried to find some cheap accommodation but everywhere seemed a bit pricey. One hotel owner was lovely and pointed us in the direction of a really cheap place to stay so we headed there and booked a tiny attic room with shared bathroom facilities for 20 ringgit a night, one of the cheapest places we have stayed so far!It consists of a mattress on the floor and just enough space to put our big rucksacks, and that's it!

We went out and explored and found two cheap Indian restaurants next to each other competing for business so we ate in one of them. We also discovered that as Tanah Rata is so high up it actually gets pretty cold so for the first time in a long time I was back in my jeans the only trousers I have bought with me on the trip. We booked a morning tour of the surrounding area for the following day and settled into our tiny room for the night.

One of Craig's Indian dinners

We got up for our morning tour and met the guide and his 4X4. We picked up the other passengers and made our way up the hills to a 'BOH' tea plantation. The landscape was picture perfect and the guide explained to us the hard life that the tea pickers have. Most come from India for 5 years in order to support their families. They work 8 hours a day for 6 days a week and have to pick so much tea to make it worthwhile. We took some photo's of the landscape, tea plants rippling over the hills for acres and acres before moving on to the entrance to the mossy forest. The guide took a handful of common moss and tossed it in the air to show how light it is and then squeezed it tight to allow all of the water inside to gush out, it was unbelievable just how much water the moss holds and explains why it is so important in the ecosystem of the forest.

Tea plantations

The guide then led us into the forest and warned us about the mud and deep boggy patches, a British guy on the tour was wearing brand new white trainers and you could hear him moaning and cursing every time he got a speck of mud on it, bad choice of footwear! In some parts the mud was so deep and at one point I got caught out and my entire left converse got covered in dark composty mud, fortunately they've seen a lot worse on this trip so I wasn't fussed. We eventually came to the mossy forest part of the trip where the floor is bouncy due to the moss and it's growing on everything, the guide refers to the area as that of the world in the film Avatar.We climbed further and reached the highest peak and took in the views over the forest below.

Views over the forest

We then went to the BOH tea plantation headquarters and watched how the tea is turned from green leaf to drinkable tea leaves and sampled some cake from the on site cafe in the modern glass cube it is housed in with views out to the rows of tea plants. The last stop of the day was a butterfly farm. The butterflies were a little few and far between but it hardly cost anything to get in and we also saw turtles, snakes and insects. As we left the heavens opened and we dashed back to the car for a bumpy ride back to Tanah Rata.

Butterfly

Mossy forest

The following day we went to MARDI which houses plants, flowers, vegetables and strawberries one of the highlands most famous exports. We tried strawberry juice and ice cream and wondered around the farm taking in the beautiful orchids and roses on display.

On our last day we went for a walk and stopped at a nice cafe to sample the cream tea. The tea, scones and jam were nice but the cream was from can so we were disappointed having been used to traditional clotted cream at home! Dinner was at the Indian, the portions of naan breads are so big that I had been living off of them as they come with three dipping sauces, a lentil dahl, a minty sauce and something else which was a bit too spicy for me so I left well alone! We enjoyed our time in the highlands and it was lovely being somewhere a bit chilly for a change as we've had months of sun and humidity. The following day we were off to Kuala Lumpur.

Cream tea in Tanah Rata

Penang, Malaysia

November 12th - 17th 2011


We made the journey from Langkawi to Penang by ferry, once in Penang we got conned a little by a taxi driver who made out that our guesthouse was 20 minutes away when it turned out to be within walking distance so that was slightly annoying. The taxi driver's were all so lovely and reliable in Langkawi that we weren't expecting to be overcharged! Tim the manager at our Love Lane hotel/guesthouse was great and suggested a walking route to familiarise ourselves with the city of Georgetown which is the main hub of Penang. On our walk we saw the City Hall and Town Hall which due to the influence of the British and Europeans in this part of Malaysia were very familiar looking. We walked along the Esplanade and past Fort Corwallis and the Queen Victoria Memorial Clock Tower. After the grand architecture of one part of Georgetown we moved on to Little India  for dinner and to experience the sights and sounds of the bustling area.

For our first full day in Penang we ventured to the Botanical Garden's which was a bus ride away. The gardens were lovely and we enjoyed fresh pineapple on the lawn and watched the locals chasing the monkeys. After the gardens we caught the bus to 'The World's Largest Toy Museum'. It was actually a fairly small space but absolutely packed to the rafters with toys of all sorts from Barbie to Disney to horror movie memorabelia. Craig absolutely loved it and it definately entertained a few hours.

 

Toy Museum

The next day we went to the local art gallery and saw a retrospective on local artist Eric Quah. His work consisted mostly of painting and collage and reflected his life of travelling and connections to Penang and his family. After the exhibition we took the bus to the beautiful Kek Lok Si Temple. We climbed to the top through the dozens of souvenir shops and past the sacred turtles and finally reached the quiet and peaceful atmosphere of the temple. We climbed up some stairs and found candles quietly burning and incense sticks filling the air with fragrance. There was a colourful wishing tree where you can donate money to put a 'wish' on the tree which is a piece of coloured ribbon with messages on it like World Peace or Health or Success.
 

Candles burning in the Temple

 We paid to take the lift to the top of the hill where there was a huge golden statue of Buddha and a beautiful outlook over the surrounding area and town below. There were statues of the Chinese Zodiac which were interesting and a pond filled with Carp fish. We took the lift back down and visited the Kek Lok Si Pagoda which we climbed to the top of. At the bottom of the Pagoda there was a beautiful garden filled with every colour of flower imaginable. A class seemed to be taking place in the bottom room of the tower but we couldn't understand what was being taught, no doubt something on the teachings of Buddha. The White Pagoda is noted as one of Penang's 'most beautiful architectural wonders' and features a Chinese octagonal base, a Thai middle tier and a Burmese crown.


The White Pagoda



Wishing Tree ribbon

 We made another bus journey, this time to the North West side of the island where we went to the National Park followed by the Penang Butterfly Farm. The park was lovely, we used ropes to climb over some parts of the muddy path and other bits were an easy walk over wooden walkways. We saw a very long line of ants walk from the top of one tree along the floor and onto a concrete wall, it was like something from Attenborough! We walked to Monkey Beach so named because of the wild monkeys that live there! We sat peacefully on a rock watching the waves crash down below and turned round to see the monkeys all around us, Craig had visions that they were working on pushing us into the water but they slowly wandered off. We had lunch at a street stall and walked to the Penang Butterfly Farm which was lovely athough the turantula's that they also had on display were not. 


Monkey's in the National Park

On our last day in Penang we organised our travel to the Cameron Highlands the next stop on our trip and went to the Penang State Museum which was cheap to get into and was very informative although the fee was worth the air conditioning alone as it was an incredibly hot day.

All in all we loved Penang and everything it had to offer. We were able to travel easily all over the island and saw lots of sights and met great Malaysian people too. The only draw back for me was the food as there was a lack of vegetarian choice so I lived off big portions of fries with ketchup and mayonaise and buttered corn on the cob all week, not healthy but actually delicious!

Langkawi, Malaysia

November 9th - November 11th 2011

We left South Thailand and made an epic journey using buses (one of which broke down), ferries and a taxi to Langkawi, Malaysia. Crossing the border was no problem at all and we arrived on the lovely island. We shared a taxi with some girls we got chatting to on our trip from Thailand and Craig made conversation with the friendly taxi driver about everything from alcohol to Micheal Jackson (he was a big MJ fan!)

Once we had checked into our guesthouse we walked to the beach and watched the sun set over the sea and another island. Ladies were swimming in 'burkini's' and there were paragliders out in the distance, it's great exploring so many different countries and getting to see other cultures and people. The next day we walked in the baking heat to the aquarium 'Underwater World' where we enjoyed a morning walking around the exhibits and watching the penguins get fed. We walked some more and realised that this place is actually quite expensive and hard to get around as the only transport is a moped or taxi.

Watching the sun set in Langkawi



Underwater World Aquarium



The next day we debated what to do and decided to get a taxi to the Oriental Village and Cable Car. It was quite pricey but the trip in the cable car was fun though a bit nerve wracking if like me you're a tad scared of heights. The views were phenomonal and the clear bright day meant we could see for miles. After an ice cream at the top and a walk along the curved suspension bridge we descended and wandered around the Oriental Village which is purely for tourists it seems. We found a little area full of bunnies and fed them carrot sticks while they climbed all over you, so cute! We told off a couple that for amusement and photo's decided to hold up a bunny by the ears, it seems that some people aren't taught the importance of animal welfare and how to treat them. We seem to have encountered quite a lot of mistreatment of animals during our trip around Asia as I guess not everyone loves animals they way the English do!

View over Langkawi

We wanted to take the bunnies home!

After the Oriental Village we took a taxi to a night market which had an array of different foods. We had spring rolls and Craig tried some meat sticks and noodles. We had little pancake things which were delicious, the lovely man let us try them for free first and when we bought some he popped in another flavour for us to try too. Happy days!

Night food market

The next day we went to the ferry terminal and got tickets to Penang. Langkawi was very beautiful but much too expensive for us! The no public transport thing meant it was too difficult to get around and the prices of food were much more expensive than what we had been used to in other parts of Asia, street stalls just weren't common enough!