Our trip to Malaysia ended in Pulau Perhentian after few days trekking in Taman Negara National Park.
These Islands, only accessible by boat from Kuala Besut, are located in North East of Malaysia (40 km from the Thailand border). The 2 main islands, Perhentian Kecil and Perhentian Besar, are occupied and opened to tourism.
Our trip in Malaysia had two main goals, adventure and sunbathing. We moved to Taman Negara National Park after a short stop in KL, Malaysia capital.
This park is one of the biggest in Malaysia and a nature reserve for several wild animals: rhinoceros, Malayan tiger or Asian elephant. It is also known as the oldest rain forest in the World.
Reach Kuala Tahan, national park main entrance and our base camp for 2 nights, was already an adventure. We rode a minibus from KL to Jerantut during 4 hours then jumped in a tiny boat at Jerantut jetty to sail up Tahan River during more than 2 hours.
It allowed us to enjoy the scenery with an incredible mix of colors: blue from the sky, green from the jungle and yellow of the river water. However, wild animals were rare because our boat engine was really noisy. (more…)
I went to Kuala Lumpur this year during a trip to Malaysia. It was the second time that I visited this city after a first passage 4 years ago. My first feeling when I arrived for this trip was that no big changes had happened during this time.
I think that KL gets, like a coin, 2 opposite faces. This city is a successful mix between the Malaysian history and the Modern World. Moreover, this city is still on a human-scale compared to other megalopolis over the world. You can still explore it by foot.
This post is the last of the Philippines Trip that I did with 3 French friends from Beijing (published almost 4 months after we came back… sorry for the delay). After accumulating misfortunes at the beginning of the trip, enjoying the sea and beaches and riding motorbikes to explore the back-country, we ended our trip with a complete scuba-diving day in the Bacuit Archipelago.
Tough program for our scuba-divers’ team: full day on a boat with 2 dives in the morning, a picnic on a marvelous beach and a third dive in the afternoon.
I highly recommend Submariner Diving Center El Nido who provided us an amazing service: extremely detailed explanations for the beginners from the dive master, good quality equipment, only 2 additional Russian divers on the boat (6 in total)….
El Nido and the Bacuit Archipelago are well known for the clear water, marvelous beaches and the underwater ecosystem. The wildlife was spectacular with the usual exotic species in this part of the world: moray eel, blue-spotted ray, anemone, clown fish and even a turtle during last dive… (more…)
Our trip to Philippines was mainly focused on three topics: beach, sea and chill. We spent most of our time with our feet in the sand, on a boat, in the water or even underwater (post on scuba-diving is coming).
We decided to visit the back country of Palawan Island just for a pleasant change. We rent motorbikes to be able to move easily on our own.
First funny moment of this day: the motorbike rental lady asked us if we all got motorbike license; common answer was “of course no”. She said nothing and asked if we already ride a motorbike; same common answer “no, this is the first time today”. She said nothing again and showed us how to change gear and use brakes. At the end, she gave us bicycle helmets and said to pay attention to the motorbikes. (more…)
Our trip to Philippines was full of misfortunes but we also got unforgettable moments. We spent most of our time at El Nido on Palawan Island. This small town starts to develop tourism but it is still simple and authentic. Two concrete examples are that no ATM is available in town (only cash is accepted) and electricity is power off from 10am to 6pm to save energy.
It is a mandatory crossing point for travelers who want to discover surroundings and particularly, the Bacuit Archipelago.
This archipelago contains hundreds of small islands with incredible landscapes, beaches and underwater wildlife. Locals plan several tours from island to island to bring tourists to these amazing places. (more…)
Chinese New Year 2012 gave me the opportunity to travel again to my favorite destination for couple of years, South East Asia. I went with some French friends who lived in Beijing to Philippines, particularly Palawan Island.
This trip was a chance to rediscover the Backpacker spirit as this country is still under development and tourism is not comparable to countries like Thailand or Bali. We got really good time as we were all motivated to learn about a new culture and new environment.
Something important to highlight is that all Philippinos can speak English. It was an incredible change compared to our tourism experiences in Beijing or around China. I’d never realized it but speak the same language can facilitate lot of things.
It didn’t prevent us accumulating misfortunes. (more…)