Home --- TRIP: Malaysia & Singapore 2010

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Following our pre-trip in Hong Kong (linked on home page) we began in the seldom travelled country of Bangladesh then moved up into the northern east states of India including Sikkim, at the foothills of the Himalayas, and West Bengal bordering Bhutan. This trip is made up of three sections, this one (Bangladesh and West Bengal), Bhutan and Kolkata in a separate album, and our pre and post trips to Hong Kong and Bangkok in a third album. We hope you enjoy this trip as much as we did!
We have just finished the first half of our trip in Indonesia (see Indonesia 2010 album). This second half of our trip begins in Penang, Malaysia, near the Thailand Malaysia border. We will head into the Cameron highlands, then to Taman Negara NP, then south to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. We end Malaysia with a stay on Tioman Island before crossing the straits for a few last few days in Singapore.

2 As we leave the KL airport I notice one of the largest building construction sights I have ever seen. The airport strip is in the background, all the reddish area in the foreground is being cleared for a huge airport expansion.

3 After checking into our hotel in Penang we head out to find dinner and find a wonderful food court where everything is offered. We decide to have hot pork ball soup, sliced pork on rice with sauce and assortment of veggies, and a bucket of beer. It all came to about ten dollars, the most we have spent in two weeks! It is a little more expensive here in Malaysia.

4 PLEASE WAIT, MOVIE LOADING. The food court is large and there are stalls offering any kind of food you could want. Food courts are a popular way to eat out in Malaysia, tourists and locals alike eat in them.

5 The food court is a fun way to eat if you are in the mood for large crowds and lots of noise.

6 The next morning it is a little overcast, but there is a good view of Penang from our hotel room. Notice the bridge off in the distance to the left, the longest bridge in South East Asia at a length of 13.5k.

7 PLEASE WAIT, MOVIE LOADING. It is evening again on our second day and we have been exploring the town. We see this very popular street stall and stand in line with everyone to find out what is offered there. The cook is using high intensity flame to make bowls of boiling hot soup to order with a variety of ingredients chosen by the customer.

8 The flames surround the pot used for making the boiling soup very quickly, the bowls of different ingredients are all around the cook.

9 After a big bowl of delicious soup we continue to explore the town and find this local store. The Malaysian flag hangs from the ceiling, it is almost Independence day here and flags decorate everything.

10 This poster indicates the various currencies the money exchanger will deal with. Money exhangers are found everywhere on the streets so you have to look for the best rates.

11 Durian fruit is very popular in Malaysia, but as it is extremely stinky you often see signs near malls, hotels and subways banning them from the premisis. Durian smells like stinky socks, the worst you can imagine, but if you can get past the smell, the custardy fruit inside is supposed to taste like vanilla pudding.

12 Up early the next day we hire one of the colorful trishaws to take a tour of the Colonial part of town.

13 It is a comfortable and relaxing way to view the sights, our trishaw goes right down the street with the cars.

14 PLEASE WAIT, MOVIE LOADING. The view from the trishaw.

15 As we make our way to the Colonial part of Georgetown, Penang, we pass the old court buildings that are now converted into schools.

16 When the English captain Francis Light landed here in 1786 folklore says he fired gold coins into the surrounding jungle to induce his men to clear the area. The port established here by the British is still in use and a cruise ship that is docked in the Straight of Malacca can be seen in the distance.

17 This modern sculpture recently erected right in the middle of the roundabout near the port represents a betel nut. Before Penang was known as the Pearl of the Orient, it was known as Pulau Pinang, literally translated as Isle of the Betel Nut.

18 Just past the modern sculpture is the Queen Victoria Clocktower. Bbuilt in 1897 by a millionaire Chinese businessman to commemorate the sixtieth year of the Queen Victorias reign. The 60 foot high building leans due to bombs dropped nearby during WWII to destroy the government buildings.

19 Proceeding on from our visit around the clock tower and the port we are headed out towards the Weld Quay to see the Clan Jetties, unique Chinese settlements built on piers that extend into the Penang Channel. On our way there we pass food hawker stands along the street, looks like satay is offered here.

20 We have arrived at the Chew Jetty, a waterfront settlement consisting entirely of families with the last name of Chew. There are many clan jetties lining the water front with the Chew Jetty being the largest. For over one hundred years members of the Chew clan have lived in the wooden houses built on the jetty.