Air Malaysia has the best seat pitch in economy from London to Kuala Lumpur ~ a full 34 inches to BA’s 31! So my 13-hour journey was as comfortable as could be!

Kuala Lumpur is a clean and modern city and easy to get around by foot or by taxi or by the excellent monorail train.

Its most famous landmark is the Petronas Towers. You have to queue early for tickets up to the Skybridge, but the views are an amazing experience. My brief stay here explored Kuala Lumpur's shopping and night market, plus a visit to the Royal Palace, a local museum and the war monument, ~ a packed schedule, but all very do-able in a short space of time.

Leaving the city, I looked forward to the journey to the cooler Cameron Highlands, about 5 hours away. The winding roads, beautiful waterfalls and tea plantations kept me glued to the windows as we drove by.

While in the Cameron Highlands, we visited a tea plantation, the local fruit and vegetable markets and enjoyed a 2-hour jungle trek with a very knowledgeable guide ~ great fun! 

Continuing my journey through Malaysia and 4 hours further on, we arrived in Penang. We were treated to a Wok cookery demonstration for lunch before checking into the beautiful Shangri-La hotel. Penang was a pleasant surprise ~ it has a calm aura, a much more genteel night market, and lots of restaurants and shops.  The island and the beaches are picture postcards.

Saving the best to last was: Pangkor Laut Resort and Spa, a place I had dreamed of! The journey is 3 hours by road from KL or Penang, then a 45 minutes boat journey, and well worth the effort.

Spreading from the hillside and out over the water on stilts, it consists of villas and suites, an amazing Spa, 2 fabulous restaurants and Emerald Bay Beach. The villas are beautiful with spacious bathrooms, rain showers and all amenities. A perfect, and romantic haven! A lovely way to end my visit to Malaysia!

If you’d like to know more email me: charmaine@hallmarktravel.com