27.02.2017 Malaysia

After two incredibly hot days in Singapore, the five of us continued to Malaysia where we spent four days in paradise on the private island of Rawa Island. If you're looking for a beautiful secluded beach, delicious food, and excellent service, go to Rawa Island!

On Saturday, 18.02.2017, we left Singapore early in the morning and headed to Mersing. Unfortunately, the bus was fully booked, so we had to switch to the private transportation company 'One to Six travel', which turned out to be fortunate because we were able to switch to an earlier speedboat due to the weather conditions. In the end, we took all our transfers with the same company, so we didn't have to worry about a bus for the five of us. The prices were only slightly more expensive than five bus tickets, and the drivers were all very friendly and talkative. From Mersing, we took a speedboat to Rawa Island, which took about 30 minutes. The ride was quite turbulent and adventurous due to the inclement weather, but we all arrived safely on the island. That was the start of four incredible days!

The five of us stayed in the Waterfront Bungalow at the Rawa Island Resort (http://www.rawaislandresort.com) with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a living room. The bungalow, like the whole resort, was beautifully decorated and perfectly maintained. We booked the all-inclusive package, which is highly recommended since there are only two hotels on the island with accompanying restaurants. The buffet was delicious and varied, and there was always something tasty for us vegetarians. However, my personal highlight was diving with the Orcascuba diving school, which is also located on Rawa Island. Unfortunately, the days passed too quickly and soon we had to make our way to Kuala Lumpur.

Overall, we quite liked this city. The heat was a bit overwhelming, and it wasn't easy to efficiently occupy five people and see a lot in a city. We visited a great museum near Independence Square, where you can take a guided tour for only 5 Ringgit (about CHF 1.10). For this amount, you receive a voucher that can be redeemed in the museum shop or cafe. So, it's essentially free. The tour provides a wonderful insight into the past and planned future of Kuala Lumpur. As usual, the guides were extremely friendly and helpful. In hindsight, this was my absolute highlight in all of Malaysia: the people were open and incredibly nice everywhere!

Other than that, we spent our days in KL very leisurely. We visited the Petronas Towers and Chinatown, as well as the Aquaria. We also went to Berjaya Times Square, a shopping center with an integrated amusement park, cinema, and escape room (which we had to try, of course). It was quite unusual to see.

But my personal highlight in Kuala Lumpur was something completely different: our hotel was located near a mosque. Every evening, after it got dark, the call to prayer was sung. Kuala Lumpur at night and these chants were incredibly beautiful, it felt like something out of One Thousand and One Nights in the middle of Malaysia, absolutely amazing!

Afterwards, the five of us went to the Cameron Highlands, where we visited a tea plantation and enjoyed the beautiful landscape. If you go to the Cameron Highlands, don't miss the 'Barracks Cafe' in Tanah Rata. In addition to delicious food, the restaurant is known for its lovely owner who takes the time to chat and explain things.

Unfortunately, the two weeks flew by, and we had to say goodbye way too soon. But in less than two months, Isa and I will be going back home...