Travels

Kuala Lumpur to Tioman Island

Me and my hun when out on a trip to Tioman Island and stopped by some of the nicest places along the way. We drove, the stretch from KL to Mersing Jetty non-stop is approx 400km assuming you’re taking the way to Kluang and going in through the Nitar FELDA route. Southbound, that is.

For those who wish to head straight to Mersing, you can refer the maps below, courtesy of TravelMalaysiaGuide:

We took the Air Hitam > Kluang > FELDA Nitar > Mersing route, in the middle of the night. Can be scary if driving alone, advisable for day drive. Dark and no streetlights along the oil palm estates, so be very careful. Speeds can vary from 80km/h to 120km/h on some stretch during the day, but NOT at night. Caution advised.

First stop: PORT DICKSON

Driving to Port Dickson is too easy; follow along the roads to Seremban and as soon as you see the exits for PD then turn in, and follow along, i’d hate to say this but my narration here is totally unnecessary. There is another toll to pay tho, i think in the region of RM3.60 one way.

Anyway, PD still remains a pleasant town, cleaner compared to the last time i went. But the waters harmed cannot be undone i supposed. We stayed at the Avillion Admiral Cove. Decent business styled rooms, very new and clean, and comes with swimming pools and restaurant. Rooms are akin to a studio, a sink, day bed, LCD TV, work tables! and very comfortable bathroom.

It was a bargain. Was looking around at Legends Water Chalet and friends have said that’s good too, though more expensive.

Stay one night and moved on to the next destination; Malacca!

Second stop: MALACCA

Left Port Dickson for Malacca using the coastal trunk roads, and took longer than i expected, since they were all mostly single lanes until reaching near Malacca Town. Malacca was all food; Pork Satay, Wantan Mee, Cendol, Satay Celup, resting somewhere in between at Starbucks in Dataran Pahlawan that kinda ruined the rustic feel near Melaka Raya. But we needed net connections

Stocked up for cash and food and drinks before leaving Malacca close to midnight to head towards Mersing, since we decided against staying in Malacca. Jonker Street offers a few good places to stay from RM100-RM150, but we needed to get the ferry early next morning.

We took a slow drive to Mersing and reached the jetty at about 3.30am, a tad too early. 6 hours too early in fact. That we went around to Seri Malaysia to ask if there’s half price for rooms at this hour. We settled at Timotel at 40% discount, with breakfast. Clean, but that’s about it. Breakfast was, OK. The streets at night in Mersing town doesn’t exactly feel comfortable.

Expect the jetty to be packed on Public Holidays and school holidays. There are places to park around the jetty for about RM5 a day if memory serves me well. We booked this place Minang Cove which really was excellent as pictures below will tell you. At RM176 per person per night, including breakfast, tea and dinner you get clean, comfortable rooms with hints of Malay kampung feel and a seaview. Boat transfer is RM45 per person per way, which includes the ferry fees, the journey taking 1 hours 15 mins. The boats pick you up from another smaller jetty for a minute speedboat ride where you get to have a sneak view of other private resorts, such as the Japamala.

Beautiful. We were the only Malaysians, not to mention, the only Asians around there. And that was good cos everyone minded their own business. While you might want to do more than just relax, drifting in the sun, sand and water was all i ever needed to do. and a book for the late evening.

We left at noon after two nights, you get to sign off the guestbook where we tried to look for the last Malaysian who stayed there. We drove back from the jetty all the way home to KL, taking about 4 hours with a 15 mins stop at Seremban. If you have more time, you could always do JB and Spore.

Angkor Wat

Several things to note

• No visa is required for Malaysians, but departure tax of USD25 is applicable.
• Do not over-book accomodation, or your name will be everywhere at the entrance of the airport.
• Transport from airport to accomodation is usually free should you opt for further transportation services during your stay there
• Bootlegged travel guides are aplenty around the Old Market area (if you believe in it)
• Travel time from Old Market to Angkor Wat by tuk-tuk (2 passenger motor rickshaw) is about 30 mins
• Angkor Wat passes: 1 day pass at USD20, 3 days for USD 40 and 7 days for USD60, to be used in consecutive days
• Beware of pickpockets; a pouch covered by your shirt is ideal. Diversify where you put all your money.

Research on temples is encouraged to fully appreciate what you are seeing. Tales of Asia offers good guides, so does the Lonely Planet guides. After compiling information pertinent to avoid ‘temple overload’, these are among the best temples in our opinion to be spending time on. Tuk-tuk drivers will be happy to accomodate your travel requests, but charge mostly based on ‘circuits’ by which the temples are situated. I will list our budget for all our activities for your reference. Our travel itinerary is just slightly modified from most suggested itineraries from what we’ve looked through.

Accomodation should be arranged weeks prior to your arrival to avoid last minute hassles especially during peak seasons. Guesthouses are generally the norm for budget travellers, which provide clean, comfortable rooms. Notable guesthouses around Old Market area includes The Red Piano, Dead Fish Tower, Shadow of Angkor, Ivy Guesthouse and Bar, Molly Malones Irish Guesthouse. The owner of the Tales of Asia website operates a guesthouse in the Wat Bo area, northeast of the Old Market called Two Dragons. Look for more guesthouses here. Internet services can be found in some guesthouses, and there are some internet cafes within the Old Market area.

From Old Market an…

Brief Summary of Itinerary

• Day One – Rest, relax and research.

From Old Market an…

From Old Market an…

• Day Two – South gate of Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Phimeanakas, Terrace of the Leper King, Terrace of the Elephants, Victory Gate, Thommanom, Ta Phrom, Banteay Kdei

From Baphuon and P…

From Bayon

• Day Three – Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, Neak Pean, Ta Som, Pre Rup, Sras Srang, Angkor Wat again.

From Angkor Wat af…

From Angkor Wat af…

• Day Four – Banteay Srey, Banteay Samre, Phnom Bakheng

From Banteay Srey

From Banteay Srey

Day One (14/9/2006)

Depart Kuala Lumpur at 1005 via Air Asia, arrive in Siem Reap at 1110.

Cost: RM255.00, return inclusive.

Arrive and check-in at Shadow of Angkor guesthouse (formerly known as Rasmei Guesthouse) situated in the heart of Old Market area.

From Old Market an…

Cost: USD15 per night/per room with basic amenities (bed, toilet, hot water, air-cond, internet, restaurant and a bar just next door.)

Very clean and friendly. Run by a hospitable Cambodian family. Two and three bed rooms available. I believe Kim regularly checks the mail (shadowofangkor@hotmail.com) with very prompt replies. Tel: 063-964774, 012-968881 (check how to call to Cambodia here). while we were there, construction of some building was being done there, with some minor disturbances during the day, (but you wouldn’t be home anyway!) and they have a common area with a balcony overlooking Siem Reap river. Very good value.

Decided to relax on the first day before embarking on temple travel, exploring the areas around Old Market and got us some t-shirts and a good lunch at the Soup Dragon located on Pub Street.

From Old Market an…

From Old Market an…

Cost: USD2 for tees, USD3-5 for meals, USD1 for beer, USD2-4 for cocktails. Look out for happy hour.

***Optional***
Take a tour on the Tonle Sap and visit the floating villages. We decided against it, since we’re 2 blokes who aren’t very keen on this kind of sight-seeing with each other.

Instead, we spent the day drinking and eating, quite lavishly i might add. We had most of our meals along Pub Street which offers a variety of cuisines, Western, Italian, Indian, Thai and local Khmer cuisine. Our driver and guide, Mr. Sokphal encourages tourists to sample the local cuisine and support local establishments, but those with sensitive tummies might want to avoid roadside stalls in the Old Market. Cigs and booze are in abundance here, and very cheap too for those interested.

From Old Market an…

Massages are widely available around our guesthouse, 2 doors away you’ll find Bodytune, a rather upscale massage and spa. We declined offers from tuk-tuk drivers who will be delighted to take you somewhere for a massage or ‘more’. Body massages from USD6 at Be VIP Khmer Massage.

From Old Market an…

Dinner, drinks and some temple research.

From Old Market an…

Day Two (15/9/2006)

Journey started at 6.30am. First stop at the South Gate of Angkor Thom.

Breakfast at the foodstalls nearby Bayon temple. Proceeded towards Bayon around 8.00, with the morning sun barely up, and lighting not at its best. It is large and spectacular, we felt 2 hours was ample time and surely some would love to spend more time, but by 10am, the temple was flooded with large tour groups of Chinese, Koreans and Japanese!

Move along northwards, to Baphuon and Phimeanakas, mini-temples when compared to Bayon. Terrace of the Leper King and Terrace of the Elephant completes a circular tour and we reach back to the food stalls at around 11am. The Terraces boasts very beautiful carvings, and were it not for the blazing heat, we would have appreciated it more carefully.

Departed Angkor Thom area and headed eastwards, towards the Victory Gate which spots carvings and designs very similar to the South Gate, and proceeded towards Thommanom. At mid-day, lighting is much better, and this temple does boast some nice carvings, and it is easy to spot the defiling of the carvings of the deities.

Next, Ta Phrom is a unique temple, made famous by Tomb Raider. The sight of the trees growing on and around the temple is quite a sight. Restoration work remains in progress, but very fascinating to explore. Lunch at local restaurant just eastwards past Sras Srang, opposite a large lake. Those lacking stamina might find themselves exhausted at this point, partly due to the intense heat, that i just had to have 2 glasses of fruit shakes, a very tasty local drink made from blending various fruits (papaya, apple, mango, carrot, milk..).

Most temple areas close around 5.30, by the time we finished lunch it was only 2pm. Headed towards Banteay Kdei, a fairly large temple to explore and restoration of the ruins remain largely incomplete.

The heat was killing us, and we retreated back to our guesthouse, totally exhausted at about 3.15pm, taking a light nap before setting out with more drinks and food along Pub Street. The night life here is one to savour, with very diverse crowds and you generally feel safe in this area. Shadow of Angkor is only 2 blocks away, which makes it an ideal location if you’re going to spend alot of time around Pub Street.

Cost: Small circuit tour, USD10

Day Three (16/9/2006)

Sunrise at Angkor Wat is a mean feat since the sun rises at around 5.30-6.00. We skipped this, left for Angkor Wat at about 7.00am. The morning sun does not make it ideal for photos at Angkor Wat, since the sun rises behind the temple. You can compare the photos before mid-day and after mid-day to see just how much difference the lighting makes. It would be best to leave Angkor Wat til later, but we figured we were going to spend more time in Angkor Wat more than any temple, and that it would be worthwhile combining a trip late afternoon with the sunset view from Phnom Bakheng, slightly northwest of Angkor Wat.

Lots of food stalls, restaurants and souvenir traders flood the area just outside of Angkor Wat, swarms of children and guides alike. We combined Angkor Wat with a tour on the Grand Circuit, further north of Angkor Thom, starting with Preah Khan. Another explorable ruin, and photo worthy temple. Neak Phan is next, which is more like a shrine than a temple. Along the same route we find Ta Som, which is slightly smaller than Preah Khan, and completes a rather relaxing tour of the northern temples before rolling southwards towards East Mebon and Pre Rup. We entered and explored the latter, both are similar in that they are both mountain temples, with steep, small steps to its peak.

Lunch at stalls outside Angkor Wat, before setting out for Angkor Wat a 2nd time. The first round we ventured within the insides, going through each layer and the walls of its outer layers around extremely beautiful carving of Buddhist myths and tales of gods and the like. Eavesdropping on other people’s guide when they are around might give you some extra insight! The 2nd time round was exploring the outer walls, and taking better quality pictures with the aid of the now perfect sunlight. at around 2pm onwards, the sun shines directly at the temple, making it a beautiful sight for a shot on your camera.

Only trouble was, with the scorching sun, we found ourselves struggling to stay in the heat, and last til sunset. We left Phnom Bakheng for the next day.

Nap, drinks and good food and a foot massage complete the day.

Cost: Grand circuit tour, USD12

Day Four (17/9/2006)

This day is a much more relaxed day in terms of temple itinerary, only scheduling for 3 temples as we have already spend the best time of our days there at Bayon, religiously taking pics there, and at Angkor Wat. We looked forward to Banteay Srey ahead of Beng Melea which at 3 hours travel time, we found it not worth going. Banteay Srey is about 1 hour 15 minutes with our Mr. Sokphal, probably 10-15 mins more if it’s someone else. It’s a World Heritage Site, and upon our arrival we can see why.

Lighting is best before 10.30am and after 2.00pm. Obviously, hordes of tourists swarm the area at these hours. I took more pictures here, than any other single temple (partly because my camera battery died at Angkor Wat). With sunlight, without, the clouds, the change after 10.30am you’ll see it all!

We had a hearty big breakfast at our guesthouse before setting out on a picturesque journey to Banteay Srey, crossing several villages along the way. It then came upon us that hardly any living quarters existed within the town area, and most people lived in real poverty.

With ample time, we headed to Banteay Samre, by the time which, we were growing weary of temple viewing. Lunch at nearby Sras Srang, before heading out to Phnom Bakheng, another mountain temple. A short hike, or a USD15 elephant ride can get you to the top. From there, you can gaze afar at the Tonle Sap and Angkor Wat. Worth the effort even in phenomenal heat. Decided against sunset as the crowd grows wildly.

That concludes our temple viewing journey, and we retreated back to Old Market, got us souvenirs, taking pics with locals and the town area. Charming town which relies heavily on tourism. Local biscuits not as good as we hoped.

I thank God for 4 very sunny days, and the rain came by only late in the night, while i watched Liverpool get beat by Chelsea at Le Tigre.

Cost: Banteay Srey and Banteay Samre, USD20.

Day Five: (18/9/2006)

Final meal at Pub Street for an early breakfast, had one of the best pancakes, a Cambodian pancake with coconut milk and bananas, before making final arrangements to check out and head to the airport.

Depart Siem Reap at 1140 and arrive in Kuala Lumpur at 1445.

Cost: Airport transport, USD4 and Departure Tax, USD25

Budget Summary
Air tickets – RM255.00 (per person)
Meals – USD 15 per day, (per person)
Transportation – USD 10 + USD 12 + USD 20 + USD 4, approx USD 23 (per person)
Accomodation – USD 15 x 4, approx USD 30 (per person)
Angkor Wat 3 day pass – USD 40 (per person)
Misc (souvenir, tips,) – approx USD 20-30 (per person)
Massage – USD 6
Departure tax – USD 25

Approx amount spent USD 290 excluding air fare.