What can be done in the Cameron Highlands? Plant tea, strawberries and vegetables. And as a tourist? You can cool down from the heat of the rest of Malaysia and while hiking on one of 15 selected routes you can (not only) view these agricultural activities. Highlights among these are without doubt the enormous tea plantations in all shades of green, the long stretches of glass houses with strawberries in pots have less charm.

Jason, a local guide, leads in a five-hour hike over steep steps made of roots and through the undergrowth to a tea plantation and answers questions about fauna and Malayan styles of living on the way. Next to the “path” there are lots of flesh-eating (or rather deadly swimming pools offering) plants, wild orchids and beautiful views.

Best known in the area is Boh-Tea: during our extensive walk from the public bus to the factory we can watch the workers harvesting tea. But actually this represents only a more elaborate way of cutting hedges.

After taking a look at the goings-on in the factory and tea with scone on the viewing platform we are now well-informed about how tea is made – essential knowledge for the Brit in me 😉 – and ready again for the heat of the lowlands. Next stop: Kuala Lumpur.

Georgtown is located on the island of Penang in the north-west of Malysia. It was, like Melaka and Singapore, one of the first British settlements. Here the two big asian culturs of Indians and Chinese come together and the city in general feels like a melting pot of whole asia.

Because of this and other things, we especially liked Georgetown:

• the so far best night marked in New Lane
• interesting talksin the Pedal Inn with the Hosts Steven & Newton
• the very likable Nonya* with her Otak-Otak (creme of fish in banana leafs)
• the probably most easygoing rickshaw driver (which probably had something to do with his age)
• a very enthusiastic amateur dancer at the Japanese festival
• very good Char Koay Teow in the very busy Cafe Heng Huat
• the best Indian food in a long time
• locals at the fruit stand who give us mangosteens because they realize we don’t share their enthusiasm about the durians (the famous stinking fruit is in season right now).

Not even the Hello Kittys on the school busses can change anything about our positive feelings about Georgetown. We almost extended a second time but the cool of the Cameron Highlands managed to lure us in.

* Baba-Nonyas or Peranakans are the descendants of chinese settlers who married malayan women in the 16th century. Name and religion come from the chinesie fathers. Language, culture and clothing from the malayan mothers. Baba = man, Nonya = woman.

Peranakan Mansion

Night Market @ New Lane

Kek Lok Si Temple

Char Koay Teow

Japanese Festival

Indian Food

Khoo Kongsi

This city was only intended as a stop-over on our way west. That was a good decision.

Arriving from Kuala Besut was already quite tedious as no taxi driver really seemed like he wanted to take us. We had already observed this–let’s call it–apathy of the local population on the island.

Eventually a public bus arrived and one hour later we got out of the bus in pouring rain in the capital of the muslim-oriented state of Terengganu. The guy in the hostel didn’t even try to convince us otherwise: “The night market is here, another market is over there. Apart from that, there is nothing to see.” (to be fair: currently here is Ramadan)

Our travel guide was praising the night market as one of the best in Malaysia. Well. Not so much. We blame the rain. After all, the day had one culinary highlight in store for us: Coconut-ice cream:

Top to bottom: Breadcrumbs, peanuts, ice cream, rice.

As the first days were quite intense after all, we now take it easy on the island Perhentian Besar. In the warm, mostly crystall-clear water of beach Pauh there are plenty of fish to see and once in a while a turtle swims by. In the evening we have delicious grilled fish. Makes you want to stay 🙂