Up at 6:30, then into a taxi to the express bus for Melaka, across the border in Malaysia. After some of the dodgey transport we'd experienced in Asia in our p…
Since we arrived in Asia, Emily has consistently asked for one thing to eat – coconut. Unfortunately here, they don't tend to have the hardened brown coconuts…
Oh, to be in Asia, now that Valentine's here. Following on from the wedding anniversary spent on a Chinese hard-sleeper train, we managed to spend today on a b…
It's only a day late, but it was worth the wait. We've now reached Pangkor Island, just off the west coast of Malaysia, above Kuala Lumpur. The ferry across fr…
When you're in a tropical paradise, and you wake up and open the curtains onto the sea, then there's no alternative but to spend the day on the beach – so we d…
When we went for a walk this morning, we didn't have to get very far to see exotic wildlife. Sitting on the roadside opposite our room were three hornbills, wa…
One of the facts of travel is that over time you get used to tropical temperatures. When you first arrive somewhere like Asia the heat and the humidity hit yo…
We finally moved on from Pangkor Island, heading to Penang Island, 200km further north. Considering that's only 120 miles, its not quite believable that it too…
Some people regard eating in Asia as a game of Russian roulette, where you're always likely to get ill from a meal, but just don't know when. I'm sure that duri…
For the last few days I've had a sore, inflamed throat, probably caused by the dry air of an air-conditioned room. Yesterday it also became a really nasty hacki…
Time to head north – and to leave Malaysia for Thailand. After spending so long in other countries – 3 months in Oz, a month in the States, Canada and New Zeal…
Back to Kuala Lumpur International Airport again. It has got to be one of the swishest airports in the world, with the modern buildings, and quiet waiting area…
When we were planning our trip, before we left home, the girls had talked about wanting to see orangutans in the wild, as we'd talked about the fact that many…
When we arrived in Sepilok two days ago, we had a bit of a struggle to find good accommodation. The guidebooks raved about a guest house called Uncle Tan's, but…
After four weeks of frantic moving around through Asia, the pace has just started to take its toll. Both Emily and Sarah have got a nasty cough, and Sarah's su…
You know how it is. You're checking into your flight, after queuing up for half an hour to get to the desk, and the clerk says (very rapidly) "How many items…
The colds are still there for Emily and Sarah, so we're still spending our 'rainy day' money. On the Internet we managed to book a room on the Pan Pacific E…
In just over 2 weeks' time, we'll be arriving back at Heathrow. We're just short of our full year away, so we're only going back for a couple of weeks, and then…
After a night at Tuna Bay, we've moved now to Abdul's Chalets, where we originally stayed on the Perhentians ten years ago. Although they're basic (cold shower…
Charlotte and I have this theory that during this year, Sarah has turned into me. And this photo tells the whole story - Sarah, reading the paper over breakfas…
The classifieds section of the New Straits Times makes interesting reading. Alongside adverts from parents searching for wives for their sons ("Parents of Mala…
This has got to be the way to live life . For a week now, I haven't put my feet inside a pair of shoes or even flip-flops. We're living on the beach, with san…
We've now been here at Abdul's Chalets for a week, and we're definitely living life at a different pace. The simple wooden chalets, with shutters where ther…
Wherever you go in Asia, there's normally an internet café within a stone's throw. And despite their simplicity the Perhentian Islands are no exception. On our…
This is it - our last full day on the Perhentians. Tomorrow we'll spend the afternoon packing up, and then we'll be going to bed early to catch the 8am boat ba…
This is it. Last day on a beach for a very long time. The last 2 weeks have been idyllic, but at the back of our minds there's the thought that this isn't jus…
After a speedboat and flight, we've arrived back in Kuala Lumpur, and have installed ourselves back in the Pan Pacific hotel. Yes, I know it's a cop-out, and w…
There's not a lot that we can say about our time here in KL - we've been shopping, we've been to the cinema, we took the lift up the Petronas Towers (well, it…
