This summer we finally got to do a family holiday in Asia. We wanted the holiday challenge of going somewhere new and exotic: to eat spicy food and bright-coloured fruit, have adventures, and experience life in the Tropics.

PRACTICALITIES: before the trip

Long-haul destinations involve preparation, my friends.

This came down to two big holdalls of packing cubes organised for swimming, trekking and city life.

Plus a medi kit containing 100 euros worth of various items suggested by my local pharmacist for a holiday in Malaysia.

It stayed unopened for the first few days but in the end, we used almost everything it contained so it turned out to be absolutely the most important thing to bring with us.

We flew from Venice Marco Polo airport to Kuala Lumpur via Doha in Qatar.

PRACTICALITIES : on arrival

We activated the e-sim in the iPhone to have data when we were on the road.

We began using the local taxi and delivery service called ‘grab’. It’s super cheap and addictive. Too lazy to go out to a restaurant to eat? OK, let’s get a grab…

Kuala Lumpur City

Kuala Lumpur is a profusion of high-rise building and super skyscrapers. Some with rooftop bars and terraces with pools.

At ground level you can find the old simple stone buildings and shacks from time past.

And everywhere there is tropical vegetation sprouting out from the ground and reaching up to the sky. With larger than life leaves in every shade of green.

The Manor

We stayed in a apartment on the 19th floor of THE MANOR. Our bedroom had a floor to ceiling window with a fantastic view towards the Petronas Towers.

Just before sunset, we turned off the lights and gazed at this beautiful building. Silvery grey with lacy details which you can only appreciate close up, it is mesmerising.

On the 36th floor at THE MANOR, there’s an infinity pool. It was great for a refreshing dip and stretch after all that travelling. It gave us a chance to get our bearings and view the city from above.

Visit Petronas Towers

We took a morning visit to the Towers. You can walk along the Skybridge connecting the two and go up once more to an information deck.

Up there I saw one short cartoon video which was to stay with me for the rest of the trip. It highlighted one of the most striking aspects of Malaysia: it is a multiethnic nation (Malay, Chinese and Indian) and a multi religious nation.

And all these contrasting peoples and beliefs exist side by side in harmony.

In every moment you pass the houses and businesses of different communities. Mosques stand side by side with colourful temples.

Canopy Walk

If you want to experience the jungle in the city you can do this walk along swinging wooden footbridges and take up trails deep into the woods.

Our patience paid off and we had our first encounter with wild monkeys here.

Aperitivo with a View

We soon realised that drinking alcohol is not really the done thing in Malaysia but while we were still in our European state of mind, we enjoyed our g&t with the Towers lighting up the night sky.

Penang Island: Penang Hill

This uphill climb is probably demanding at the best of times. But with the heat and intense humidity, it was really difficult. I got through it by counting: One step, two steps, rest and repeat.

At the top, the change in altitude brought some cooler air. An Iced orange juice revived us. Then we took the little train back down.

The Cameron Highlands

We hired a car and drove to this unexpected fresher and cooler place. Around 1000-2000 metres in altitude.

This is where fruit and vegetables are grown. It’s home to tea plantations and strawberry farms.

The Rainforest of Taman Negara National Park

How can you describe this visit to one of the oldest forests in the world? They’re around 130 million years old! Dense with trees and foliage which sheltered us from the sun. The constant sound and chatter and croaking of birds and other animals. Like no other place we’ve visited so far.

We hiked with our group of other European travellers and two local guides deep into the jungle along muddy paths, over fallen tree trunks and crossing many streams.

We slipped on the mud and got scratched by trees with spiky trunks. Everyone got bitten by bloodsuckers. We all looked a mess.

But we were all pumped up on adrenaline and the craziness of being in a real jungle all by ourselves.

We did around 10 km like this and had almost arrived at the Bat Caves where we would spend the night wrapped in our sleeping bags, when I lost my balance walking across a log bridge and fell into the stream below.

Well, I was lucky that I didn’t land on the rocks, but on the muddy river bed instead. I slept in the cave while the guides made us all rice and chicken and after nightfall took some helpers to the stream to wash the dishes and show them some of the nocturnal animals like the dancing fireflies, purple gecko and giant toad.

I also made it through the 10 km hike back; the boat ride through the rapids and the seven-hour car journey to Penang airport and a 30’ flight to our next destination.

And then the pain started…

Langkawi Islands

Three days to relax and recover at Jasmine Villa. We were the only tourists there so we had the pool to ourselves…and a local giant lizard, a ridiculously long green snake, swarms of dragonflies and many birds.

Beyond the pool, lush yellow-green paddy fields. The constant croaking of frogs. Soft brown cows sitting alone in the grass. And we begin to pack for the journey home.

This is my light-hearted story of our adventures in Malaysia. If you want to know more practical information, you can DM me on IG.