Malaysia in the Grand Manner
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Highlights:
Not enough people pay attention to the breathtaking beauty and the cultural diversity that Malaysia offers to intellectually curious travelers… but we do.
If you are looking for an extra special trip, consider this suggested program that combines the exotic atmosphere of Penang, and the tranquility of the tea plantations in the highlands with the sheer beauty of your exclusive resort on Langkawi.
Add in some excitement in Kuala Lumpur and you have an unbeatable combination of exotic adventure and sybaritic luxury. This would be ideal for a honeymoon or a really special anniversary.
Not enough people pay attention to the breathtaking beauty and the cultural diversity that Malaysia offers to intellectually curious travelers… but we do.
If you are looking for an extra special trip, consider this suggested program that combines the exotic atmosphere of Penang, and the tranquility of the tea plantations in the highlands with the sheer beauty of your exclusive resort on Langkawi.
Add in some excitement in Kuala Lumpur and you have an unbeatable combination of exotic adventure and sybaritic luxury. This would be ideal for a honeymoon or a really special anniversary.
SKU:
Explore: Malaysia
Customizable Itinerary - 14 Days (from $5,873 / person)
Day 1: Depart USA
Today is the day you depart for the Far East and the dynamic country of Malaysia.
Day 2: En Route
You will technically lose a day as you cross the International Date Line but will recover it on the way back.
Day 3: Arrival in Malaysia
You will probably arrive in Kuala Lumpur (or KL as the locals call it) in the afternoon and will be met by one of our representatives who will assist you in transferring to the flight to Langkawi, your island home for the next three nights. Langkawi is the name of a group of islands twenty miles in the Andaman Sea, off the coast of northwestern Malaysia. In total there are 99 islands but only a few are inhabited. You will land on the main island, known as Kuah Langkawi. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel which sits in a rain forest overlooking Datai Bay which National Geographic Traveler calls ‘ One of the top ten beaches of the Wold’.
Dinner
Day 4: Langkawi by Day and Night
We have left most of the day open for you to rejuvenate from the flight, enjoy the beach and get a nice massage at the spa. In the evening your guide will be waiting to take you the town of Kuah and the “pasar malam” or night market. After exploring the market you return to the resort for another excellent meal.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Exploring the Mangrove Forest
After breakfast, your guide and driver will be waiting to take you on an exploration of the wonders of nature in Langkawi’s mangrove forest. You will start with a visit to a local fishing village before boarding a boat that will take you through the thick mangrove forest fringed by limestone caves and hidden canyons where you can spot monkeys, kingfishers, monitor lizards and mud crabs. You will visit a fish farm where some of the fish that you eat at home, like Tilapia, may have come from. A highlight of the visit is the feeding of three different species of eagles. You have lunch at a restaurant located in the mangrove forest before returning to land and your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: The Ferry to Penang
This morning is left open until your driver comes to pick you up and supervise the loading of your luggage into the car. You then drive to town where you have lunch and then board a ferry for the ride to Penang. You dock at Penang’s Swettenham port where you disembark and your driver delivers you to your iconic hotel and your room overlooking Andaman Bay. Penang was the original British settlement, even before Singapore so there is still a certain colonial air to the town along with the exotic cultural mix. After all, the colonial administrators left a little more than sixty years ago. Take time to enjoy the view from your balcony.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Penang Island by Day, Georgetown by Night
Your morning will be devoted to exploring the diversity of the island from its sandy shores to quaint countryside. You will visit a factory where you will witness the traditional techniques of Batik painting, using waxes and dyes. You will then move to Balik Pulau to see rubber being tapped from the rubber trees. Until the creation of synthetic rubber, Malaysia was one of the principal sources of rubber and the reason for the British presence. You will also visit farms where exotic spices are cultivated. After stopping for lunch you return to your hotel for some relaxation. In the evening, Georgetown, Penang’s major city comes alive in a blaze of lights. With your guide, you enter the night market to savor the famous Penang dishes created in the open food stalls. Taste the popular ‘satay’, barbecued meat on skewers and ‘char koay toew’ which is fried rice noodles, among other popular dishes. , while watching how they are prepared. Relax after eating and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city by taking a trishaw ride through the heart of Georgetown. At your option you can be dropped off at one of the Upper Penang Road nightspots for some dancing.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: From the Sea to the Highlands
Today you will travel from sea level to 5,500 feet and from sultry breezes to refreshing country air. Your first adventure is to cross to the mainland via the Penang Bridge and then dive northwards to Ipoh, the city of tin mines. In addition to rubber, tin was, and still is, a major export. You will stop at Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple where, among the stalactites and stalagmites you will view extensive works of Buddha on display. After lunch you make your way to the Cameron Highlands. Discovered by the British in 1885, its situation at 5,500 feet allowed the colonial administrators to escape the coastal heat and eventually proved a natural environment for agriculture. On the way to your resort you will see waterfalls and gurgling mountain streams.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Nature’s Bounty in the Highlands
Start the morning with a visit to the fruit and vegetable farms that abound here in the highlands. Strawberries grow particularly well and are used to enhance the afternoon tea served at your hotel. You will visit a working tea plantation laid out in terrace upon terrace as far as the eye can see. Untouched, tea plants can grow up to sixty feet in height but are kept trimmed to a much lower level since the best tea leaves are picked by hand and taken at the top for freshness. You will see the entire process including picking, drying, blending and, best of all, tasting. After lunch you head back to the resort where you have the chance to relax, play golf or have afternoon tea.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Journey to Kuala Lumpur
In the morning your guide and driver will be waiting to drive you to the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. You arrive midday and check in and have lunch. Your guide will then take you on a tour of the city highlights. Despite the skyline of a modern metropolis, Kuala Lumpur has always been charming and you will see the contrast between the Indo-Moorish architecture of the past and the ultra-modern edifices of today. You’ll see the Royal Palace and the National Museum. A journey through the beautiful lake gardens brings you to the elegant Jamal mosque and ending at the Petronas Twin Towers, the symbol of modern Malaysia. In the evening your guide will pick you up and take you to Chinatown where the many restaurants have added outside cooking areas and stalls for the evening. Assisted by your guide you walk the stalls and select what you would like. Maybe roast duck or clay pot chicken? Followed by la-la Clams in a sweet and sour sauce? The choice is yours.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Culinary Traditions of Malaysia
Today you will be taken to the suburbs where you participate in a LaZat Malaysian Home Cooking Class. LaZat means delicious in the Malay language and you will learn to prepare fusion cooking of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Baba cooking. During the class you will create, and taste, favorites like Rendang, Nasi Lemak, Char Koay Teow, and Dhal among others. In the evening you dine in a restaurant featuring Malay food but with a modern twist.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Historical Malacca
After breakfast you meet your guide for a day excursion to Malacca, the oldest trading port in Malaysia with a strong influence of Portuguese, Dutch and English Heritage. Your guide will take you on a private tour of the city’s key sites starting at Stadhuys which was the main square during the Dutch era. You then walk up St. Paul’s hill for a panoramic view of the Malacca Straights and the old town of Bandar Hilir. At the top of the hill you will visit the Portuguese Fort de Santiago and the ruins of St. Paul’s Church lined with 17th Century Dutch tombstones. You will stop for a typical ‘Nonya’ lunch which started when Chinese immigrants came to Malaysia and married Malay women creating a fusion cuisine with Chinese techniques and Malay spices. After lunch you take a walk along Antiques’ Row on Jonker Street and end with a visit to Cheng Hoon Teng, the oldest Chinese Temple in Malaysia. Return to Kuala Lumpur and enjoy a quiet dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Return to USA
You will have a car and driver at your disposal in the morning in case you want to do some last minute shipping. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for an evening flight back to the USA. You regain the day you lost on your outbound journey.
Breakfast
Day 14: Arrive in USA
You arrive back home
Today is the day you depart for the Far East and the dynamic country of Malaysia.
Day 2: En Route
You will technically lose a day as you cross the International Date Line but will recover it on the way back.
Day 3: Arrival in Malaysia
You will probably arrive in Kuala Lumpur (or KL as the locals call it) in the afternoon and will be met by one of our representatives who will assist you in transferring to the flight to Langkawi, your island home for the next three nights. Langkawi is the name of a group of islands twenty miles in the Andaman Sea, off the coast of northwestern Malaysia. In total there are 99 islands but only a few are inhabited. You will land on the main island, known as Kuah Langkawi. Upon arrival you are met and transferred to your hotel which sits in a rain forest overlooking Datai Bay which National Geographic Traveler calls ‘ One of the top ten beaches of the Wold’.
Dinner
Day 4: Langkawi by Day and Night
We have left most of the day open for you to rejuvenate from the flight, enjoy the beach and get a nice massage at the spa. In the evening your guide will be waiting to take you the town of Kuah and the “pasar malam” or night market. After exploring the market you return to the resort for another excellent meal.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Exploring the Mangrove Forest
After breakfast, your guide and driver will be waiting to take you on an exploration of the wonders of nature in Langkawi’s mangrove forest. You will start with a visit to a local fishing village before boarding a boat that will take you through the thick mangrove forest fringed by limestone caves and hidden canyons where you can spot monkeys, kingfishers, monitor lizards and mud crabs. You will visit a fish farm where some of the fish that you eat at home, like Tilapia, may have come from. A highlight of the visit is the feeding of three different species of eagles. You have lunch at a restaurant located in the mangrove forest before returning to land and your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 6: The Ferry to Penang
This morning is left open until your driver comes to pick you up and supervise the loading of your luggage into the car. You then drive to town where you have lunch and then board a ferry for the ride to Penang. You dock at Penang’s Swettenham port where you disembark and your driver delivers you to your iconic hotel and your room overlooking Andaman Bay. Penang was the original British settlement, even before Singapore so there is still a certain colonial air to the town along with the exotic cultural mix. After all, the colonial administrators left a little more than sixty years ago. Take time to enjoy the view from your balcony.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 7: Penang Island by Day, Georgetown by Night
Your morning will be devoted to exploring the diversity of the island from its sandy shores to quaint countryside. You will visit a factory where you will witness the traditional techniques of Batik painting, using waxes and dyes. You will then move to Balik Pulau to see rubber being tapped from the rubber trees. Until the creation of synthetic rubber, Malaysia was one of the principal sources of rubber and the reason for the British presence. You will also visit farms where exotic spices are cultivated. After stopping for lunch you return to your hotel for some relaxation. In the evening, Georgetown, Penang’s major city comes alive in a blaze of lights. With your guide, you enter the night market to savor the famous Penang dishes created in the open food stalls. Taste the popular ‘satay’, barbecued meat on skewers and ‘char koay toew’ which is fried rice noodles, among other popular dishes. , while watching how they are prepared. Relax after eating and enjoy the sights and sounds of the city by taking a trishaw ride through the heart of Georgetown. At your option you can be dropped off at one of the Upper Penang Road nightspots for some dancing.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 8: From the Sea to the Highlands
Today you will travel from sea level to 5,500 feet and from sultry breezes to refreshing country air. Your first adventure is to cross to the mainland via the Penang Bridge and then dive northwards to Ipoh, the city of tin mines. In addition to rubber, tin was, and still is, a major export. You will stop at Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple where, among the stalactites and stalagmites you will view extensive works of Buddha on display. After lunch you make your way to the Cameron Highlands. Discovered by the British in 1885, its situation at 5,500 feet allowed the colonial administrators to escape the coastal heat and eventually proved a natural environment for agriculture. On the way to your resort you will see waterfalls and gurgling mountain streams.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 9: Nature’s Bounty in the Highlands
Start the morning with a visit to the fruit and vegetable farms that abound here in the highlands. Strawberries grow particularly well and are used to enhance the afternoon tea served at your hotel. You will visit a working tea plantation laid out in terrace upon terrace as far as the eye can see. Untouched, tea plants can grow up to sixty feet in height but are kept trimmed to a much lower level since the best tea leaves are picked by hand and taken at the top for freshness. You will see the entire process including picking, drying, blending and, best of all, tasting. After lunch you head back to the resort where you have the chance to relax, play golf or have afternoon tea.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 10: Journey to Kuala Lumpur
In the morning your guide and driver will be waiting to drive you to the country’s capital, Kuala Lumpur. You arrive midday and check in and have lunch. Your guide will then take you on a tour of the city highlights. Despite the skyline of a modern metropolis, Kuala Lumpur has always been charming and you will see the contrast between the Indo-Moorish architecture of the past and the ultra-modern edifices of today. You’ll see the Royal Palace and the National Museum. A journey through the beautiful lake gardens brings you to the elegant Jamal mosque and ending at the Petronas Twin Towers, the symbol of modern Malaysia. In the evening your guide will pick you up and take you to Chinatown where the many restaurants have added outside cooking areas and stalls for the evening. Assisted by your guide you walk the stalls and select what you would like. Maybe roast duck or clay pot chicken? Followed by la-la Clams in a sweet and sour sauce? The choice is yours.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 11: Culinary Traditions of Malaysia
Today you will be taken to the suburbs where you participate in a LaZat Malaysian Home Cooking Class. LaZat means delicious in the Malay language and you will learn to prepare fusion cooking of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Baba cooking. During the class you will create, and taste, favorites like Rendang, Nasi Lemak, Char Koay Teow, and Dhal among others. In the evening you dine in a restaurant featuring Malay food but with a modern twist.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Historical Malacca
After breakfast you meet your guide for a day excursion to Malacca, the oldest trading port in Malaysia with a strong influence of Portuguese, Dutch and English Heritage. Your guide will take you on a private tour of the city’s key sites starting at Stadhuys which was the main square during the Dutch era. You then walk up St. Paul’s hill for a panoramic view of the Malacca Straights and the old town of Bandar Hilir. At the top of the hill you will visit the Portuguese Fort de Santiago and the ruins of St. Paul’s Church lined with 17th Century Dutch tombstones. You will stop for a typical ‘Nonya’ lunch which started when Chinese immigrants came to Malaysia and married Malay women creating a fusion cuisine with Chinese techniques and Malay spices. After lunch you take a walk along Antiques’ Row on Jonker Street and end with a visit to Cheng Hoon Teng, the oldest Chinese Temple in Malaysia. Return to Kuala Lumpur and enjoy a quiet dinner at the hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Return to USA
You will have a car and driver at your disposal in the morning in case you want to do some last minute shipping. In the afternoon you will be transferred to the airport for an evening flight back to the USA. You regain the day you lost on your outbound journey.
Breakfast
Day 14: Arrive in USA
You arrive back home
