Malaysia is split between two land masses. West - or Peninsular - Malaysia is sandwiched between Thailand and Singapore. East Malaysia lies on the island of Borneo and shares that huge island with Indonesia and Brunei.
Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur on the peninsular, is regularly depicted by the iconic Petronas Towers.
All very dramatic, but let's travel east across the peninsular for a different view.
Now, let's cross the South China Sea to Borneo for another view -
and I'm not referring to Malaysia's most famous ape, the orang-utan. You can see my orang-utan photos from last April's A-Z Challenge: O is for Orang-utan.
Away from the sophistication of Kuala Lumpur, and the jungles of Borneo where a few wild orang-utans still survive lies a world of tiny islands, with white beaches the texture of talcum powder, shimmering under a hot sun.
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| Kota Kinabalu |
For me, the biggest attraction of East Malaysia's city of Kota Kinabalu was the wonderful, friendly locals.
I can almost taste those barbecued fish.
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| Kota Kinabalu |
Before you ask, I have to confess I can't tell you what they were grinding. If anyone knows, do tell!
Please let me know if you've enjoyed this post. I'll reply to all comments when I return from my travels in March.
Mention Kuala Lumpur and the iconic Petronas Towers spring to mind.
Although a visit to the towers is pretty much mandatory - I wanted to see some market life too. My time in KL was limited, but I managed to find time to explore Chinatown's Petaling Street.
I have to confess that these market stalls didn't excite me too much.
But the area had quite a vibe and seemed popular with the tourists.
Although there were plenty of locals too.
Ultimately I became more interested in the clash of old and new architecture than the market stalls.
Back near my hotel, close to the Petronas Towers, this covered eating area was full of locals with not a tourist in sight (which is a good indication of authentic food). I adore eating in simple eateries with the locals. People are almost always surprised and delighted when foreigners choose to eat in their establishments. It was a good decision because the unpretentious service was great and the food was utterly delicious!
I should have time to squeeze in one more post next week before I go on my travels in December.
