 |
full country name |
|
Federation of Malaysia |
| capital |
|
Kuala Lumpur |
| population |
|
22.6 million (as of 2001) |
| surface area |
|
329800 sq km |
| currency |
|
Malaysian ringgit (RM) |
| exchange rate |
|
US$ 1 = RM 3.8 (as of November 2002) |
| language |
|
Malay |
| main religion |
|
52% Muslim |
| Internet users |
|
15% (as of 2000) |
|
| Trust: A Backpacker's Life |
| Backpacking. This magic word that stands for new experiences, making friends in foreign places, marveling at the wonders of the world, and getting closer to understanding the horrors of this ... (more) |
|
| In the Jungles of Malaysian Borneo |
| The Malaysian part of the island of Borneo is my first experience of being in the jungle. We spent 4 days around the Skrang and Arab rivers (east of Kuching), 7 days around Bario (east of ... (more) |
|
| Malaysian Borneo's Nature: Still There - Accessible, Effort Involved! |
| From the southwest of Sarawak to the northeast of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo's two states offer excellent opportunities for wildlife watching and other nature experiences. Even though logging ... (more) |
|
September 4th, 2002, we traveled from Singapore to Kuching in Malaysian Borneo, via Johor Bahru. We explored the states of Sarawak and Sabah in Malaysian Borneo for six weeks.
In Sarawak, we watched wildlife including proboscis monkeys, water monitors, and vipers at Bako National Park, visited Iban and Kelabit longhouses, went frog-hunting at night, and got acquainted with leeches in the jungle near Bario.
In Sabah, we snorkeled at islands off Kota Kinabalu, climbed steep Mt. Kinabalu, visited the wildlife-rich Kinabatangan river area where we had close encounters with orangutans, fish otters, bearded pigs, and crocodiles, and finally marvelled at schools of barracuda, green turtles, hawksbill turtles, leopard sharks, and much more at the divers' paradise of Pulau Sipadan.
October 14th, 2002, we flew from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, on Peninsular Malaysia. The Islamic Arts Museum, the National Art Gallery, and the Petronas Twin Towers are all worth a visit. After a few days, we continued on to Pulau Perhentian off the east coast for a week and a half of scuba diving and snorkeling. At the end of the season, we enjoyed far less crowded beaches and accommodation, but had only mediocre visibility when scuba diving. Nevertheless, the dive sites and snorkeling were excellent. November 3rd, 2002, we crossed the border into Thailand for the first time.
