in Kuala Besut, we weren't totally sure of our next destination, so we decided to go to Kota Bharu for the night since it is a bigger city and was more likely to have better travel options. As we were leaving the pier area, we were bombarded by taxi drivers offering to take us to Kota Bharu for 50 Malaysian ringgit. That is a huge rip off so we kept walking and found a van offering the ride for 20 per person. So we were going to go with option B when a third option presented itself. We overheard some other travelers asking about the bus station. We followed them and ended up taking the local bus - which is pretty nice in Malaysia - for only 6 ringgit each! Yay us!
When we arrived in Kota Bharu, we had a recommendation for a place to stay, so we went straight there and then directly to Pizza Hut because we hadn't had any decent food in awhile. Pizza Hut has become our fall back restaurant when we get tired of noodles and rice. Our dining experience started out great until some "special" person let their child push his high chair around the restaurant, sending out a piercing screech very similar to the sound of fingernails being dragged across a chalkboard. This lasted at least 20 minutes. It was so annoying and the staff didn't say or do anything. We have found this to be the norm here is Malaysia. Everybody lets their kids run wild.
Once we had full bellies, we had to decide where our next destination would be. Since we had more time than we thought to spend in Malaysia, we decided to go to Kuala Lampur(KL), the capitol, and then on to Singapore from there. The drive to KL is pretty long so we decided to stop somewhere on the way. Julian wanted to go the Taman Negara, the national rainforest park, while Mattie wanted to go to the Cameron Highlands to see the tea plantations and strawberry farms. They are both right in the middle, but Julian, being the wonderful husband that he is, let Mattie choose. Julian wasn't too excited, but the next day we left for the Highlands.
We were excited to drive through the heart of Malaysia, as it is prime rain forest land. Unfortunately, vast patches of land alongside the road had been cleared for rubber and palm oil plantations.
Of course, there were still quite a few nice views
The Cameron Highlands, if you can't guess from the name, is at about 1500 meters elevation. At this elevation and latitude, the weather is perfect for growing things like tea and strawberries, as well as developing the world's oldest rainforest, which is habitat to myriad insects and animals. The rainforest part made Julian a bit happier, as well as the discovery of a golf course in town. The area is also known for it's excellent south Indian food. We found a good restaurant and ate every single meal there!
The highlands include an interesting mixture of people. Of course there are the local Malays, but there are also people of European, Indian, and Japanese descent. The British colonized the area and developed many of the tea plantations. This brought experienced workers from tea plantations in India. Over time, the area also became a popular retirement spot for Japanese due to it's year-round cool climate, low prices, and laid-back atmosphere. It really is a sort of Xanadu. Pretty trees, cool temperatures, Indian food, golf and even bird watching - sounds like a place my dad needs to check out!
The best way to see a lot of the tourist attractions is to just go on a tour. Ours started with a visit to the tea plantations to take in the views.
And we even did some farming ourselves!
We then went up to the top of the highest point in the area to have a look around. No more tea, just dense, mossy rainforest.
It was at this point that Julian fell in love with our 1958 Land Rover we were cruising around in.
There were lots of cool off-road vehicles around here
On the way back down the mountain we stopped and went for a trek in the mossy forest. It was really muddy and there was moss everywhere. Our guide was extremely informative and it was a great experience. He would just pluck leaves off of plants along the road, grind them up, and we would smell them and recognize them as household items such as citronella, cinnamon and tiger balm. We came out all dirty but we got to see some fun things. Deep in the forest it was like a Hobbits Den or something straight out of Avatar. Either way, a biologists dream.
This next plant deserves an explanation. It's a carnivore.
The cup part is partially filled with rain water mixed with a couple of drops of acid provided by the plant The leaf on top serves a couple of different functions. The first is that it prevents the cup from overflowing with rain water. The second, more interesting feature, is that the underside of the leaf has a scent that attracts insects. As they nibble away at it, it contains a sort of hallucinogenic that causes the insects to pass out. They fall into the cup of water and the acid kills and dissolves them until they are eventually consumed by the plant. These plants are all over the place, and they are all filled with a delicious insect soup!
After the mossy forest, we stopped at the BOH tea plantation to see how they make tea, have a cup, and do some shopping of course! All of the teas they make are only sold in Malaysia. They must drink lots and lots of tea over here, because it is a massive operation and just one of many!
Closer to town we went to visit the Butterfly and Insect Farm.
Snake, anyone?
This butterfly was Huge!
Leaf insect. The whole thing is part of it's body.
Can anyone find the Stick Insect?
It's the whole lower portion, hanging upside-down with bent arms and legs. They were well over a foot long.
And here's some not-so-smart person holding a scorpion.
And, of course, my husband decides to wear it!
The next morning we went to go golf! They wouldn't let Mattie go with Julian unless she rented clubs, and since that would be a total waste of money, she just sat on the balcony at the club house and enjoyed the views. In the meantime, Julian was learning Japanese and making many friends on the golf course!
I
Lots of the architecture is from the colonial times when the British were here. This next place is a popular hotel just off the golf course called The Smokehouse - it was a charming place complete with English breakfasts in the morning and tea throughout the day!
More golf course
After golf, we jumped on a bus that took us away to Kuala Lumpur, the Capitol of Malaysia.
- Mattie and Julian
Julian really is such a great husband to let Mattie get her pick-- maybe his reward was the golf day :~)---So did you ever get to the Strawberry Farms?
ReplyDelete