Kuching was a surprise. Not only did this small city have amazing food, bustling markets and interesting ornate buildings but it was clean, tidy and not in the least chaotic. It was a wonderful break from the vehicular chaos from whence we had come. The first thing I noticed as we drove to our hotel was the tidy streets and beautiful green gardens. Our taxi driver told us that Kuching has been divided into North and South Kuching and if the mayor in one does something (e.g. put in a nice garden) the other mayor, not to be out done, will then follow suit. So gardens, tidy streets and up-kept buildings are everywhere!
Two nights and three days of awesomeness! Awesome place, awesome people, awesome animals, and an awesome experience! I would do this trip again in a heart beat if given the chance. I loved everything about it. The orangutans and other wildlife we saw, the delicious food, the wonderful crew, sleeping on an open boat under a mosquito net, the gorgeous sounds of night descending and the raucous awakening of birds, bugs and gibbons in the morning!
There is an abundance of things to see and do in Kuala Lumpur. We only brushed the surface with the things we did during our six days and nights. We stayed in Chinatown before moving to Hotel 99 in the Bukit Bintang area. Both these areas, within walking distance from each other, had good public transport and there was a lot to see and do. The public transport was easy to use… the trains more so than the buses. The many train lines have good, easy to read, timetables and a search on the web will deliver all the details you need beforehand to tell you the closest station to where you are and what train you need to get where you want to go.
Our trip to Kuala Lumpur was an unexpected and unwanted expense. However, as always, we are thrilled to be able to travel and see new places; so we wanted to make the most of it…. We’d just do Kuala Lumper on a shoestring! How to do KL on a shoestring? Firstly I got on the net and found cheap flights to KL and booked a hotel through Wotif that was close to public transport. The flights cost AUS $100 each return. These were the cheapest flight out of, and back into, Bali that we could find, hence going to KL. Then I googled what to do in KL and found some inexpensive and free places to visit…
After the relative peacefulness of Gili Air, Kuta during the holiday season appeared pandemonic. The chaotic cacophony was made worse by the heat in the un-air-conditioned van that slowly made its way through the congested convoluted streets. Upon arrival at the hotel we found there had been an error in the booking and three of us did not have a room. Following a long exhausting debate over what we should, could and would do, Dwayne, Alex and I went and found another hotel room for a couple of nights. The disorder at the next hotel would have been comedic had I not been so tired…
We arrived in Bali on the 12th of December 2014 and got a berth at Bali Marina in Benoa. My mum always told me if you have nothing nice to say about something, don’t say anything at all. So I just say it was convenient to leave the boat there while we stayed in a villa with the kids. The boat was safe. The AUS $35 per night was too expensive for what you get… or not get as the case may be. Electricity and water cost extra. We needed to stay in the marina to keep our freezer going…. which is something we may have to rethink. I have no photos to show you as there was a sign that prohibited taking photo of the marina…
… it was time to explore this beautiful town; best described as quaint. Port Fairy is so neat and tidy; no litter, no long untidy grass, no rundown houses. On the contrary the people here appear to be very house proud. The town is full of old building and cottages that all appear to be freshly painted! All the white paint at the wharf area appears to be freshly painted….. there is no bird poo on anything… yes there are lots of birds around, but where they defecated before Thorfinn arrive I do not know…