Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur & Tioman Island

My recent travels (two weeks ago) took me to Malaysia to link up with my Aunt Ellen and her man Shayne, whom I like to refer to as my uncle. They have been traveling SE Aisa since March and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet up with them.

After exchanging several e-mails, we set a date and I booked my flight to Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Airlines was great. The staff were super friendly and I had a row entirely to myself (return as well). Ellen met me at the airport, took me to their accommodations and then we set out for a bite to eat.

Kuala Lumpur was hot and humid, as is the rest of SE Asia. We slept in and eventually got ready for the day. We visited the Menara KL Tower, which is the world's fifth tallest structure. The view of the city was incredible. We later went for a drink, or two, and devised a plan to venture to Tioman Island. We decided to take the overnight bus to Mersing to then catch the 7:00am ferry to Tioman Island. After a little research, we chose Salang as our beach destination. Prior to leaving KL, we went to the Batu Caves. The cave is a Hindu shrine, and to reach it you must climb 272 steps. Watch out when you make your ascent, there are sly monkeys waiting to snatch up your personal items. I read that they are looking for food but will grab anything. If it is not food, i.e. your phone, they will likely throw it over the edge.

The caves were cool and after exploring them I was ready for a nap. I now understand why hot countries take siestas. But, instead of napping we went to see Snow White and the Huntmans. It might not have been the best movie but it we were out of the heat. 11:00pm creeped up and before we knew it, we were on a five hour bus to Mersing. I think I have mentioned this before, but I don't sleep and travel well. This had to have been one of the worst overnight bus ride I have ever been on. I couldn't be happier to get off the bus. My aunt and uncle experienced sea sickness on their last ferry ride so we took the necessary precautions this time. The three of us passed out on the ferry ride.

Sorry Ellen, I couldn't resist. 

We finally arrive at Salang, around 9:30am. We didn't have accommodations sorted out before arriving so, that was our next task. Ella's Place was our final destination, literally. Her accommodations were the last on this beach. We couldn't check-in until noon, so we did what we do best, nap.
I am convinced that I sleeping in a hammock is the best way to take a nap. I can see a sleeping theme developing from this trip. My excuse is that I was on vacation. I don't know how the other two justified it, but that that was my reasoning :) Shayne was woken by his hunger and I continued to sleep. Eventually, my hunger kicked in and Ellen and I went on a hunt for something to eat. We ate delicious vegetable curry and prawns at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean.

The next day was a little more adventurous. We hopped on the boat and made our way around the entire island, stopping at different destinations along the way. I was really excited for this tour because included was snorkeling, which is something I have never tried before. Wow, the coral, fish and sea life was incredible. We even saw four blacktip reef sharks - yes, sharks! I was a bit taken back at first, but then I realized that it was possible that they would find Shayne more edible.

We visited several beaches, a fresh water waterfall and great areas for snorkeling. These may not have been the most spectacular reefs, but I have nothing to compare them to, so I thought it was AWESOME! We circled the island and finished the tour around dinner time. The logical next steps were to get cleaned up and find more scrumptious food. Success, delicious food is all over the place here. I liked it so much that I changed my flight could spend an extra day in Malaysia... right, that's the story. But seriously, I did unintentionally miss my ferry due to non-food related circumstances.

At 6:30am the ferry tooted its horn to say goodbye. How on earth did I miss the boat? Well, the ferry was scheduled to arrive at 7:00am. With my new found laid back attitude, I thought a 25 minute buffer would be sufficient - I was wrong. Due to the tides, the ferry came 40 minutes early. The next ferry was scheduled to arrive at 9:30am. Sure, a two and half hour delay shouldn't warrant a flight change, but I still had to catch a bus to the airport to make my 6:00pm flight. There was no way I could make it now. So, with a simple phone call, I spent an extra day with Ellen and Shayne. We took the opportunity to visit the Petronas Towers and Kuala Lumpur's aquarium.

I said my goodbyes at the railway station and boarded my 6:00pm plane. Malaysian Airlines were perfect. I was in the middle row with five seats to myself (again). The flight attendants allowed me to put the armrests up to lay down and watch T.V. The five hour flight flew by and I landed in Beijing shortly after midnight. I upside to a late arrival is the absence of queues, a rarity in China. I went through customs and grabbed a cab in no time.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Malaysia. I am thrilled that I was able to spend some time with Ellen and Shayne while they are on their adventure. I now have an itch to visit Thailand. Good luck with the remainder of your trip guys. I can't wait to see more pictures and hear all your crazy stories. Thanks for picking me up and showing me a great time in Malaysia.