Darius' Travel Blog: March 2007

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Cynics might say Singapore is one big shopping mall and they might have a point. I am not a big shopper so I focused on the other big attraction: food.

The skyline of Singapore

Statue of Raffles - the founder of Singapore

A very colorful police headquarter

Yes public toilets are pretty clean :-)

Monday, March 26, 2007

Mount Kinabalu is the highest mountain in Malaysia at 4,095 meters/13,435 feet. It can be easily (requires no mountaineering equipment) climbed and every day about 100 people make it to the peak. My group got very lucky with the weather and we arrived at the top just in time for the start of a beautiful sunrise: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13j6_uKmebU

Mount Kilabalu

Views from up here are stunning

Clouds are moving in

Hut we stayed the night at

Starting the ascend at 3am

At the peak at 530am

A beautiful sunrise

Peak of the next mountain

It's all granite up here

My group and guide

Friday, March 23, 2007

Gunung Mulu National Park is a Unesco protected site. It is mostly known for the Pinnacles, a forest of razor-sharp limestone peaks above the rainforest. It's a tough climb up the mountain to see them but it was well worth it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kDRy6m1GjI

Gunung Mulu National Park

Entrance to Lang's Cave

2-3 million bats leave the cave every night to hunt for food

On our way to the overnight camp

The path is pretty steep during the ascent

But then gets worse :-)

The Pinnacles

Cooling off after the descent

The trek back after a heavy downpour overnight

Friday, March 16, 2007

Bako National Park is my first stop in Malaysia Borneo. It is famous for its wildlilfe and especially the rare proboscis monkey which unfortunately I did not see.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Melaka used to be the greatest trading port in the 15th century attracting Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and finally British traders. Today these influences are still very visible and the city is known for its multicultural tradition.

Town Square and Fountain

Christ Church

Ruins of St. Paul's Church

Historic Building in Chinatown

Residences by the river

Monday, March 12, 2007

Georgetown, the capital city of Pilau Pinang, is a colourful city with a Chinatown, a Little India, and impressive colonial architecture. It is the oldest British settlement in Malaysia and used to be a major trading port.

Fort Cornwallis

Victoria Memorial Clock Tower

Colonial Town Hall

Cheong Fattze Mansion

Resorts on the other side of the island

Friday, March 09, 2007

Pulau Perenthian are two beautiful islands of the northeast coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Its white-sand beaches and crystalclear water make this a great location for some excellent scuba diving and snorkeling and it has become one of Malayia's prime tourist attractions.

Long Beach

The water is amazingly clear

Coral Beach

Relaxing after some scuba diving

Sunset over Coral Beach

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

The Taman Negara National Park's jungle is home to many of Malaysia's endangered species such as Elephants, Tigers, Leopards, and Rhinos but their numbers are low and sightings are rare. I went on a fantastic 3-day/2-night trek through the inner jungle and we didn't encounter any large animal but did see many insects.

Taman Negara National Park

Stream in the jungle

Path is not always easy

Crossing a stream "Tarzan-style"

Spending a night in a cave

Scorpion Spider

Friday, March 02, 2007

The Cameron Highlands are an area of rolling green hills, tea plantations, and forests. Due to its elevation (1,300 - 1,800 meters), the climate is much more moderate then in most other parts of Malaysia. As a result, it is the center of Malaysian tea production.