DAVID BOWDEN gets his motor running and heads out on the highway to Malaysia, looking for adventure.
Being Singapore's closest neighbour, it's easy to overlook the many exciting tourist destinations Malaysia has to offer - regardless of whether you're looking for a relaxing retreat or an exciting city experience. The best part is, most of Malaysia's best weekend getaways are accessible by road!
DESARU
Very popular in the 80s for a quick beach getaway because of its proximity to Singapore, Desaru fell off the radar for years and is only now regaining its popularity amongst tourists wishing for an authentic Malaysian resort experience, minus the touristy frills. There are no fancy restaurants, hip nightlife spots or stylish shopping areas - just 26 kilometres of unspoiled beaches.
Sights Famed for its clean, white sandy beaches fringed by swaying casuarinas and interrupted by rustic fishing villages, Desaru is perfect for travellers and families seeking fun under the sun and offers golf, horseback riding, canoeing, swimming, snorkelling, boating and trekking.
Away from the beach there are plenty of activities guaranteed to entertain kids for hours - visit fruit farms, crocodile farms, go on a firefly journey at dusk up the Lebam River or enjoy all sorts of motorised and non-motorised watersports just offshore. There are also 4x4 journeys into the rainforest, quad biking and you can even learn to fly an ultra-light aircraft. Kids will also enjoy the Desaru Explorer at the newly minted Lotus Desaru Resort - a fun water theme park with a lagoon, waterfall, river slides and a children's Oasis Adventure.
Eat Get the freshest seafood along the beaches and resorts. Lotus Desaru serves up good western, Malaysian and Indian cuisines. Enjoy basic Malay dishes such as fried rice and Ramly burger at Medan Selera Desa Food Court at Desaru Holiday Chalets.
Stay
$ Pulai Desaru Beach Resort (www.pulaisprings.com) has 193 rooms plus spa and sauna.
$$ Lotus Desaru Beach Resort (www.lotusdesaru.com) offers enticing promotional rates.
$$$ Desaru Golden Beach Hotel (www.desaruresort.com) is a well-established hotel with 220 villas, suites and rooms and a good Chinese seafood restaurant.
When to go Avoid the monsoon season between November and March as the sea is rough and rainfall increases.
Getting there Currently Desaru is a two hour, 15-minute drive from Singapore over 125 kilometres. On completion of the expressway between Senai, Johor Baru and Desaru - possibly by mid-2010 - travelling time is expected to be halved.There are also scheduled direct ferries from Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (www.singaporecruise.com) to Sebana Cove Ferry Terminal, Desaru, as well as on-demand bumboat services from Changi Point Ferry Terminal to the fishing village of Pengerang, from where you can catch a cab to Desaru.
CAMERON HIGHLANDS
Sights The highlands are famous for growing tea, flowers, vegetables and cool climate fruits - especially strawberries. One of the main tourist attractions is the Boh Tea Plantation (www.boh.com.my) which produces a Malaysian household favourite - Cameronian tea. Arguably the best cuppa in the mountains can be enjoyed at the Sungai Palas Plantation just out of the small settlement of Brinchang. Views from the road winding up the valley are as spectacular as the tea is tasty.
Take a walk through the montane forest, but be cautious as the weather can be temperamental. Some paths aren't clearly marked and maps are not accurate, so it's best to explore the jungle with an experienced guide. Other recreational activities include bird watching, cycling, tennis and teeing off on a sufficiently challenging 18-hole golf course. Partake in a Devonshire tea after a spot of golf, or perhaps a refreshing walk through the rose-lined lanes of the area.
Eat Steamboat for dinner on a cold highlands night is an experience not to be missed and many restaurants in Tanah Rata and Brinchang offer this. Since the English tradition of a Devonshire tea is still practised, locally grown tea and freshly baked scones are other must tries.
Stay
$$ The Lakehouse (www.lakehouse-cameron.com) offers 18 rooms and suites in a Tudor-styled mansion with an open fireplace in the bar, enjoy traditional Devonshire teas and port after beef served with Yorkshire puddings.
$$$ Cameron Highlands Resort (www.cameronhighlandsresort.com) has two restaurants and a Jim Thompson boutique selling fine Thai silks. Visit the resort's Spa Village for pampering treatments using local ingredients such as tea, roses, strawberries, chrysanthemums and various local Orang Asli (indigenous) herbs.
Getting there Drive four hours to Kuala Lumpur and another three hours on (200 kilometres) via the old road (turn off at Tapah), or the new road via Simpang Pulai just south of Ipoh. The travelling time along both roads is the same. The new road is longer in terms of distance, but less circuitous than the older route. If you prefer to let others do the driving, VIP Coach and Konsortium buses from Singapore's Golden Mile Complex take you directly to Tanah Rata Bus Station in the Cameron Highlands.
Formerly known as Bukit Tinggi, Berjaya Hills is set among rugged hills and majestic mountains - a mere 45 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur, up a very winding road. Relish in century old Alsace charm with its French and Japanese inspired infrastructures and partake in recreational, nature and cultural attractions.
Sights A first of its kind outside Japan, the Berjaya Hills Japanese Village resembles a picturesque Japanese garden complete with waterfall, koi pond, marble footpath and a Japanese Tea House - apparently the only one built in a tropical rainforest, 3500 feet above sea level. Take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony while enjoying scenic views and pamper yourself thereafter at the Tatami Spa.
Inspired by the original Colmar Village in Alsace, France, Colmar Tropicale is a French-themed resort that from a distance looks remotely like a Tudor-style castle rising from the rainforest. The cobblestone central courtyard is lined with boutiques and food outlets where you can enjoy outdoor dining and street performances by minstrels, clowns, acrobats and magicians.
Kids will have a field day at the Rabbit Park - feeding and playing with more than 200 bunnies, stroking gentle deer and riding donkeys. Or take them on a horse ride through undulating terrain, jungles, Aboriginal villages, creeks and mountain plains.
Eat Savor authentic French Alsace cuisine at La Cigogne, Colmar Tropicale. Choose Le Poulet Roti for a light meal - its roast chicken is a constant hit with kids. At Ryo Zan Tei Japanese Restaurant (Japanese Village), enjoy a wide menu offering everything from a bowl of udon to an authentic bento.
Stay
$ Berjaya Hills Colmar Tropicale (www.berjayahotel.com) has cosy rooms and suites decorated in a French provincial style.
$$ Ume Tatami Suite (www.berjayahotel.com) offers exclusive luxurious living in the solitude of a tropical rainforest.
Getting there Drive six hours from Singapore via Kuala Lumpur. Alternatively you can fly or drive to Kuala Lumpur and catch a shuttle bus from Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur direct to the resort.
KUANTAN
Located in the state of Pahang, Kuantan's serene atmosphere and rich culture are what attracts visitors from all over the world. It's also home to some of the nation's most popular beaches, in particular, Cherating, which is where Club Med is located. Club Med covers some 80 hectares of coastal rainforest and sprawls along a four kilometre-long beach, which the resort jealously guards as a private beach even though technically it is open to the public.
Sights Club Med maintains a welcoming ambience where staff ensure everybody is well looked after. There's a sense of participation so, if its solitude you're seeking, this may not be the destination for you. The Club Med concept is always a big hit with children who get to check into one of three kids' clubs - Petit Club (two to four years), Mini Club Med (four to 11 years) and Passworld (11 to 18 years). Well looked after by professionals, kids are kept busy all day with a range of challenging and fun, age-appropriate activities - freeing up your time to head to the open bar!
All meals are inclusive and served buffet style. Children can eat as a group so parents are given the freedom to settle back and have a relaxing meal or join activities with other parents. Nearby beaches such as Kampung Balok, enroute to Kuantan, are popular for kite and windsurfers, especially during monsoon months when the waves whip up into white tops.
Stay
$ Club Med, Cherating (www.clubmed.com.my) for all-inclusive packages.
$$ Swiss Garden Resort & Spa Kuantan (www.swissgardenkuantan.com) is very popular with families with kids who enjoy splashing in the pool and taking long walks along the beach.
Getting there Kuantan is a seven-hour drive from Singapore across the central range to north of Kuantan. It's then a short drive to Club Med or Swiss Garden.
Johor Bahru's (JB) archipelago of approximately 50 islands are some of Malaysia's most sparsely-settled, framed by beautiful beaches and boasting an underwater ecological system teeming with diverse marine life and colourful coral reefs.
Sights Mersing is a pleasant town, but it's usually used as a transit stop to the nearby islands with their clear waters and healthy corals, making their dive sites among the best in the world. Scuba divers and snorkellers regularly encounter charming sea creatures such as dugongs, turtles, whale sharks, manta rays and sea slugs. Some of the islands are uninhabited, however Pulau Aur, which is popular with divers, offers simple accommodation and several other islands host well-established resorts, though none are over-developed.
Stay Choose from a range of mid-priced resorts for a truly Robinson Crusoe experience - Rawa Safaris Islands Resort at Pulau Rawa (www.rawa.sfr.com), Aseania Resort Pulau Besar at Pulau Besar (www.aseaniaresortsgroup.com.my), Rimba Resort at Pulau Sibu Besar (www.resortmalaysia.com) and Sea Gypsy Village Resort at Pulau Sibu Besar (www.siburesort.com).
Getting there JB is approximately an hour's drive from Singapore, depending on traffic on the causeway. Many of these islands are serviced by ferries which depart from ports such as Mersing (Mersing Tourist Information Centre, Tel: +607 799 5212) and Tanjung Leman Jetty.
Note: The swell during the monsoon season from October to March limits access to some of the islands. Best to check before travelling.
KUALA LUMPUR
There are many reasons to visit the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur (KL) - prices are cheap, the shopping is good, it's a food paradise and there are a host of attractions.
While the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers are the world's tallest twin towers, visitors can only gain access to the skybridge linking them at the 41st and 42nd floors. Views of the surrounding parklands are superb, but only 1,700 visitors a day can enjoy the experience - the queue for free tickets starts as early as 5am.
A more accessible and enjoyable option is the SkyBar, situated on the 33rd floor of the adjoining Traders Hotel. This open-sided bar has dramatic and uninterrupted views of the twin towers so arrive around 6:30pm - just before the lights are switched on, turning them golden yellow against the purple sky of dusk. Skybar is popular for its lemongrass martinis as well as Sunday buffets.
KL has many fascinating streetscapes featuring eclectic architectural styles. A walk around Merdeka Square and the Royal Selangor Club provides the greatest variety. From here, take in the Sultan Abdul Samad next to the contrasting 35-storey Dayabumi Complex. Both are delightful at any time of the day but especially at night when fairylights on the former turn the street into a perfect backdrop for photo opportunities. Other landmark buildings in the vicinity include Masjid Jamek Mosque at the junction of the Gombak and Klang Rivers, the old Railway Station and the National Mosque.
Changkat Bukit Bintang is a lively downtown street with lots of small bars, cafés and restaurants. Arrive at happy hour to enjoy Anchor, Tiger, Heineken, Carlsberg, Guinness and Kilkenny beers at only S$3. Find more bars and clubs along Heritage Row and around the Jalan P Ramlee and Jalan Sultan Ismail intersection. For shopping, browse designer labels along Jalan Bukit Bintang and take in mega-mall experiences at MidValley Megamall, 1-Utama and Suria KLCC. For boutiques and restaurants, check out the expat-friendly enclave of Bangsar.
Eat Dining out in KL is a real gastronomic adventure with its diverse and rich variety of food set to excite your taste buds. For good seafood try Bangsar Seafood Garden Restaurant (www.bangsarseafood.com) - famous for its Butter Crabs. Chinatown Pavillion beckons hungry visitors looking for some good, street fare. And you'll find "kopitiam favourites" such as curry and prawn noodles, char kuay teow, wanton noodles, fried rice and beef noodles at great prices at the many hawker centres throughout town.
Stay
$ Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur (www.theroyalechulan.com.my) is one of KL's most recent deluxe hotels within walking distance of Bukit Bintang and Pavilion KL.
$$ Pacific Regency Suites (www.pacific-regency.com) this 153 all-suite hotel offers studios to two-bedroom family suites with kitchenettes and is within walking distance of KL Tower.
Getting there KL is a five-hour drive from Singapore.
Posted May 2010
