100% customisable travel idea
Malaysia - Kuching - Penang - Perhentian Islands
100% customisable for you
Night on board, arrival the next day.
Flight to Kuching. Upon arrival, private transfer and four-night stay on the right bank of the Sarawak River. On the opposite bank, you can spot the nine-pointed star of the New Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building. Your hotel meets the highest international standards. It combines functionality with comfort in its thoughtfully designed décor, featuring subtle, soothing tones. The rooms are equipped to a high standard. Expansive bay windows offer sweeping panoramic views. The restaurant serves Malaysian and international cuisine to a high standard. Meals are taken with a view of the Astana, the governor’s palace, and Fort Margherita, built in 1879 by Charles Brooke, the second White Rajah of Sarawak. To stay fit, , there is a very well equipped gym? To unwind, there is an indoor/outdoor rooftop pool with a bar
Scheduled - Annah Rais, a Bidayuh village. The Bidayuh are an indigenous people from west Sarawak. While they are no longer head-hunters, they still strive to preserve their traditional lifestyle. Since isolation leads nowhere, the smartest approach is likely to celebrate this Bidayuh way of life by opening up to travellers. They discover the longhouse in particular, a central feature of both housing and culture. It consists of a series of gallery houses joined together that provide a mix of private and communal spaces. This layout brings the various aspects of daily life into close proximity while maintaining harmony and order. Bamboo architecture and a subtle human balance. You visit with a private guide.
Scheduled - The orang-utans of Semenggoh Nature Reserve. You travel with a private guide-driver, for about 20 km (12 miles) from Kuching to a sanctuary dedicated to rescuing animals that have fallen victim to deforestation or trafficking. The work carried out with the orang-utans is particularly remarkable. This large, reddish, tree-dwelling ape may look unusual, yet there's something strangely familiar about it. Let’s say a hint of primate kinship. It's an intelligent animal, capable of creating and using tools. Usually, it moves quietly through the treetops to feed and build its nest for the night. This excursion offers a rare chance to observe it up close, in an environment that suits its needs. The survival of the Bornean orang-utan is under threat. Institutions like this invite awareness. Without it, Pongo pygmaeus will soon be just another regret.
Scheduled - Bako National Park, in private. About 40 km (25 miles) from Kuching, Bako National Park sits on the Muara Tebas peninsula. The final approach is only accessible by boat. Despite its narrow format, the park boasts landscapes sculpted by the sea - cliffs, peaks, headlands and beaches. And a very old and rich forest. Amid the rich plant life, orchids and carnivorous plants - nepenthes and sundews - stand out. Your guide leads you along well-tended paths. The luckiest visitors might catch a glimpse of the proboscis monkey or the bearded pig - two shy creatures. The macaque or the flying squirrel are more likely. More frequently spotted birds are the bronzed starling, the common myna and the collared kingfisher. And then there are unique creatures, like the Malayan monitor lizard, the leaf turtle and the giant mudskipper. And prehistoric ones, like the horseshoe crab.
Scheduled - Kayaking on the Semadang river. The Semadang Riveris, in fact, the upper course of the Sarawak. Led by a guide, you enter the jungle by water. The river at its source is peaceful, but the surrounding vegetation, trees leaning over the water, the cries and songs of the animals, and the intensity of the greens make each paddle stroke unique. And a completely fun experience. Technique is not a problem. A few instructions are enough to manoeuvre the boat properly. You're in good hands. Young people move faster - that’s normal. Dragonflies come aboard. If it's black with a rusty, banded tail, it's Agrionoptera insignis if it's bright red, it's a male Neurothemis terminata. Along the way, experience waterfalls, swimming and picnics.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Penang, on the peninsula. Transfer and three-night stay in George Town at a historic landmark, a magnificent Hakka merchant’s house dating from the late 19th century. With its indigo walls and refined interior ornamentation, combining traditional Chinese motifs, Art Nouveau stained glass, porcelain, MacFarlane & Co. cast ironwork, crystal and carved wood, everything about it is remarkable. A grand fusion of style and decor. The rooms are spacious, airy, comfortable and have a luxurious simplicity. The technical features are discreet but efficient. Several bars and restaurants offer their own take on the cosmopolitan, hedonistic spirit of Penang. It's just as sophisticated as the rest. Outdoor pool, massages, bike hire. The lotus pond preserves the serenity of the place.
Scheduled - Good food and street art culture, inprivate. With a guide, you set out to discover George Town and meet its people. Approach them through their cuisine. Fish head curry clearly shows its Indian roots;. Oyster omelette comes from the Guangdong cookbook. Neither Indonesians nor Malays would turn down ikan bakar grilled fish. Here you can see the institutions: the neo-Palladian building housing the High Court dates from the early 20th century; the Khoo clan house is a striking example of 19th-century Chinese architecture; the Kapitan Keling Mosque, from the same era, is built in the Indo-Moorish style; Wat Chaiyamangkalaram has welcomed Theravada Buddhists since 1845; the neoclassical Anglican cathedral was consecrated in 1819; and so on. The diversity and dynamism of humanity are reflected in the architecture. You travel on foot and by cycle rickshaw. As you move along, you discover the most exciting creations of Malaysian street art
Optional - Culinary getaway at Vespa.
Overlooking the Strait of Malacca, the state of Penang has a maritime part, Penang Island, where George Town is located, and a mainland part, Seberang Perai. The interior of the island is dotted with high hills covered in forests. These are primeval forests on Penang Hill, designated by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. The Penang Hill Railway, a funicular, takes you up to Flagstaff Hill, asthe British called it. The settlers arrived before you, turning these highlands into a haven for strawberry fields and a refuge from the coastal heat. Their cottages still stand. The island is bordered by narrow plains, while there are still dense mangroves along the west coast. The farming villages are located on the lower slopes. So there is still plenty to do once you have got to know George Town
Optional - Balik Pulau, cycling through Penang’s countryside.
Private transfer to the airport and flight to Kota Bharu. Transfer and four-night stay on Pulau Perhentian Kecil. Your villa overlooks a lush tropical garden. The hotel’s private beach is only a few steps away. You are guaranteed perfect privacy and easy access to sand and water. The accommodation is just as it should be in these circumstances: bright, comfortable and easy to live in. We're not here to complicate things. And while casualness would feel out of place, rigid formality would be equally unwelcome Cool elegance is called for. The estate’s restaurant is open to the sea breeze. Seafood and fish are served here, - prepared according to the chefs’ inspiration. In the evening, enjoy a barbecue on the beach. The bar serves colourful cocktails, without which paradise would feel incomplete. For total relaxation, the spa offers treatments designed to restore your balance
The Perhentian Islands are within the Pulau Redang National Marine Park. The jungle covering the islands, the coral reefs, and the aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and plants are therefore protected. Green and hawksbill turtles come here to lay their eggs, for example. Snorkel to watch an Annam clownfish frolic among sea anemones, see the cuttlefish change colour, spot the blue spots of the bluespotted stingray, the beak and colours of the parrotfish, count the scales of the checkerboard wrasse or the starry pufferfish, and more. With scuba tanks, you can access dive sites that are truly remarkable for their biological vitality. That said, you can just relax here. A quick swim or a ride on a banana boat — that big inflatable that brings laughter across generations — can easily coexist with wildlife watching This is also the place to spot forest creatures: Malayan monitor lizard, tokay gecko, painted frog of Malaysia and others. Explore all these options to fully enjoy the islands.
Optional- Picnic< on a secret beach.
Crossing to Kota Bharu, flight to Kuala Lumpur, then international return flight. Night on board, arrival the next day.
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