Starting to plan this summer's family hols. Thinking of three weeks in Malaysia. Starting in Kuala Lumpur for a few days and then renting a car, driving to Cameron Highlands for a few days to cool down!, then into the central national park (can't remember name) then driving north to stop in Panang (Georgetown) for a while before driving down the coast back to KL.
I have never driven in Malaysia (or indeed ventured out of KL). Can anyone advise on general driving conditions please, and whether this trip is advisable?
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Visited this area of the World 4 years ago - great country.
KL, Pangkor, Penang, Singapore.
We flew KL, Pangkor (very small island), partly because I wanted to go on a Dash 7, 4 engine turbo prop and they are a rare beast now!
Ferry back to mainland then taxi to Penang - the taxi trip took 5 hours, the flight from KL to Pangkor was just short of an hour so the road trip Penang to KL will be a fair trip - Pangkor is about half way up the coast between KL and Penang. Google Earth is good to locate places.
Although I didn't drive the road network is excellent, modern dual carriageways throughout the country (IIRC some have tolls, but Malaysia is cheap) and apart from main centres there's not much traffic.
The bridge between the mainland and Penang is one of the longest in the World (8 miles) and it is spectacular.
You mention summer check the monsoon times. It is advised to go to this area of Malaysia October/November time as the monsoon will have passed, but you will still get amazing thunderstorms and very heavy rain which tends to arrive late afternoon.
As you are so close to Singpore it would be shame not to go there too.
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My experience is about 10 years old. Drove from Singapore to Mersing on the coast of Jahore. (to get a boat to Tioman)
It was a journey of about 120 miles, each way. (took about 3 hours) Mostly on a malaysian version of an A road. Generally it was a blacktop road about 1.5 lanes wide with dirt sides. Typical chaotic aderance to rules and regulations, cars overtaking on both sides, sometimes into the face of oncoming traffic. Plenty of fuel stops in small towns and villages, Maps not brilliant, road signs not good off the motorways.
I would not hesitate to do it again, and from what I know of you I dont see you having a problem.
I wouldnt bother to returnn to Sinagapore, apart from some of the markets, the shopping is dear and it has all character now of concrete car park. Raffles hotel has been ruined!
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When we were there, about 50 years ago, there was little or no mechanised traffic on the roads out of town. Downside: out of town standing orders were army personnel must be armed, in certain areas. Re-loading and firing a .303 was likely to be a bit tricky at the age of 11, but I was told to have a go if the old man was knocked out by an ambush. Added a little spice to trips out of Ipoh.
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Thanks for the info. I will be leaving the .303 at home though....
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Great road networks etc. Driving is like the UK but a little wilder at times. Careful in the hills, some idiots tend to overtake in bends. You'll be ok
Beware of the occasional fast and furious drivers in the modded Satria's and Civics. Do not recommend driving with the cities - KL and Georgetown (crowded and narrow/complex respectively), take a taxi.
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I drove a minibus for a couple of weeks around the Penang area a year ot so back. You won't have too many problems - and it helps they drive on the left like us. Generally driving conditions are fine. The main road from KL up to Penang is absolutely fine; not much different from a UK motorway. Road signs are reasonable too. I'd be happy to drive there again.
The main thing that you'll notice are the lunatic moped/small motor cycle riders who overtake any time, any side, ignore double white lines etc. They, and the occasional car driver, will sometimes treat red traffic lights as advisory, so keep your eyes open.
Another thing is the tendency for lane markings in towns to be a bit odd - you can find that the lane you're using is a suddenly tapering off to zero.
JS
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I am planning to do much the same in August. We intend to travel on the local buses and go from Singapore to Malacca north to KL, Cameron Highlands and maybe Penang. No advance bookings just lob up and look for digs. I backpacked round there in 1970 and would like to see it again. It will be totally different now but should be a lot of fun. We had a short stay in Singapore last year and that was very enjoyable.
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Plenty of time for a nice holiday. I expect all hire cars have aircon now (I left in 1969) and you will be very uncomfortable without it. Glare can be considerable. It is advisable to leave some cash visible in the boot to compensate the policeman who stops you, for his trouble. Main traffic hazard may be large, heavy timber lorries and their kamikaze drivers. Frasers' Hill another nice "hill station". Government Rest Houses usually cheap and adequate but generally have Muslim managers, so probably no pork products or booze. In all rented accomodation, watch out for Peeping Toms. Best beaches and most picturesque landscapes East Coast, which attracts fewer tourists. Take care in small villages where people tend to squat on the roadsides in the evenings: hit one and the whole kampong is likely to set on you. As you have probably found, a jolly lot of people, Malays predominating but many Chinese and a large minority Indian population. Learn and use about 100 common Malay words and use them: this tends to get lower prices than those applying to rawer tourists.
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A few years ago we hired a car in Singapore and drove across the causeway, heading for Malacca. Spent a very enjoyable day there, then drove on to KL. A waiter in Malacca advised us to avoid the motorway and drive across country as we would see more of Malaysian life. He even marked our map for us. It was a great drive. Spent another 24 hours in KL then headed off to the Cameron Highlands, where we spent several days. The climate up in the Highlands is perfect and we had a really great time, viewing the tea plantations, waterfalls, butterfly farms and agricultural areas. Leaving the CH we drove back down to sea level to Georgetown then across the fantastic bridge linking the mainland to Penang. Kept the car for another couple of days before handing it back.
Driving in Malaysia isn't difficult (they even drive on the left). Signs are clear and adequately posted. The other drivers seemed to behave reasonably. The only real problem we encountered was the occasional cloudburst which reduced visibility to a couple of yards. When this occurred we drove very, very slowly until we came to a place where it was safe to pull off the road. The downpours rarely last more than 20 minutes.
I'm sure you'll have a great time. Just stick to the speed limits, obey the signs and you shouldn't have any problems.
Have a good trip.
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This link might be of interest, Aprilia;malaysiaupclose.wordpress.com/category/map-ipoh/
More than just Ipoh: for instance there is something about the racial mixture: malaysiaupclose.wordpress.com/category/about-racia.../
Its a bit sanitised, as it omits the in-fighting that flared up from time to time.
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I spent nearly two years there in the 1950s in a County Regiment during the emergency period and thought it was one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Much of my time was spent in the jungle searching for terrorists which was quite an experience but at that period Penang had been declared free of them and was the Far East Land Forces leave centre. Nortones?We were based at Ipoh and Sungei Sipot for a period and used to enter the jungle from the huge pipeline beyond those huge caves North of Ipoh, and wonder if your dad was the kind rubber plantation owner who used to invite a section of us at a time to his home where he had a swimming pool and free bar for the lads.. Wonderful man..
Returned there in the 80s on our 25th wedding anniversary and stopped in the south of the country and then a week in Penang and hired cars visiting old British Army camps but finding they had virtually gone.. No problem whatsoever driving and the roads were excellent. Extreme friendliness from the Malays. Sadly they seem to have a subservient role in the country and much of the business side appeared to be ran by the Chinese and Indians but that was only an impression.
So many beautiful areas in Malay including the Cameron Highlands and Penang. The hotels there provide a guide to any group who want a walk ! in the jungle to show you the snakes etc and well worth a trip. The only mistake we made on our trip was when we drove from Penang up to Alor Star spelling ? which is right up near the Thailand border which in my time was accustomed to westerners with the Army. However times had moved on and my wife was wearing shorts. It took a little while to realise what the frowns of disapproval from the women was about. They were so unused to seeing westerners that in a café we went into, where I was having a conversation with the waitress who was a student who could speak English, that a crowd gathered round to listen even though they wouldn?t understand what we were saying. So if you go outside the tourist areas make sure your wife has a skirt with her. However I am talking about the eighties so times may have changed. A very safe country to travel in and the hospitality excellent.
wemyss
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Wemyss: Unfortunately Dad was not the generous planter you recall, but a Staff Sergeant in the Intelligence Corps, on Operation Ginger. He had led troops on an earlier bash, but in 56-59 was desk bound in Ipoh. As you say, beautiful place, lovely people, and as children we found it an adventure. However, reality intruded occasionally with 25 pounders hitting the hills around Ipoh, and the occasional aircraft delivering loudspeaker calls and propaganda to get the CTs to surrender, plus the necessary (and fulfilled) rewards for ammunition and info. Dads office had a macabre wall chart: photos of CT wanted, those still at large and those wiped out. Noticed the female Malays at the time were not encumbered by Arabic clothing proscriptions. Might be culturally and practically necessary in the swirling sands of Arabia, but an appalling imposition in the sweaty, humid tropics. Kinta swimming club mean anything?
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Nortones, Don?t recall Kinta swimming club. Your Dad would probably have been in Tapper camp Ipoh. Alor Star (or Alor Setar) was the only instance I saw in Malaya in the 80s of a step back in time and was probably due to it being out of tourist areas. Just googled it and now find it is accessible from several UK Airports and is probably now a tourist area so will have no hang ups over western dress style.
The Intelligence Corps did an amazing job and how they got the info I can?t imagine but we were always briefed before jungle bashing on the names and numbers in a particular area. Some of those photos of the CTs you mention could have been taken of heads only as some of the Ghurkas would apparently cut off the heads to bring back for identification. Much better jungle around Ipoh in contrast to Johore in the South which was very swampy.
To return to motoring before I got told off do you recall the Austin Champ similar to the Land Rover but with a R.R. engine. Had never realised just what incredible terrain both these vehicles would tackle until I saw them operating in conditions which seemed impossible. I imagine your dad would have given you a demonstration in them. Apparently the land Rover was even better than the Champ.
wemyss
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Not sure whether they had a Champ on the fleet, but I know they had Jeeps - low, open topped thing with single screen at front. Got ferried about from cinema occasionally - the Cathay I recall. Dad had a Rover 75 - black. Not a good colour choice in tropical sun with leather seats! S5756 was the registration. Look out for it Aprilia; he left it behind for sale on commission. Never heard any more:) Base for MI was an office in Ipoh, so camp was visited rarely, except to go to the mess, and church services. Troops lived in tents - good old Army!
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Couple of points here - Aprillia - you'll have no problems with the roads/driving in Malaysia in general, although I wouldn't fancy the idea of driving in KL if I was on holiday (likewise Georgetown). Driving standards are generally pretty good, but the bad ones are really bad, and no real aggression (road rage etc.).
HJ - The 'old' buildings in Georgetown - did you mean the E&O Hotel? If so, I'm pleased to say it has been tarted up, to 5 star + standard, and well worth a stay. If you can't stay Aprillia, at least try the 'Tiffin' for some top notch nosh.
S6 1SW
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A couple of buildings away from the E&O is a very nice restaraunt called 36. For excellent local food - Guerney drive
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Ah, yes, the E & O. Fabulous - worth a look. Managed to get a tour of some of the suites. 6000 (yes 6000) sq ft for one. For what you get, some of the smaller suites are not badly priced by UK standards, but I didn't get to stay there. Had lunch there though. I stayed in a friends flat at Batu Feringhi. Great country for a holiday.
Yes, KL is a bit busy, as is Georgetown, but I'd have no qualms about driving in either - in fact I have. I'd endorse the comments about the rain. When it strikes, it really is best to pull over and let it die down.
JS
Edited by John S on 21/01/2008 at 16:51
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the land Rover was even better than the Champ. wemyss
Armoured versions? My company provided ex-Army Jeeps and Landrovers which had been armoured, I think, in Singagpore. I much preferred the Jeeps, more nimble and with 4WD and low range you could engage in an emergency simply by dropping a hand on them. The Landrovers then had awkward, cranked gear levers and getting 4WD and low range entailed stopping dead and operating a plunger which, as often as not, did not engage. They were also very clumsy vehicles. I believe the Champ was developed according to Army specs but they didn't much like it when they got it.
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In the jungle in Malaya they tended to use silent leg power and counter-ambush, IIRC:) Of the armoured transport, saw the Scout Ferret, and Scammel, but I presume these were used to deal with urban problems.
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This may be old hat Wemyss, but I wasn't previously aware of the Military Vehicle Trust: www.mvt.org.uk/Windscreens/ws2006_autumn.htm Has an item in the magazine re Champs.
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I was there in November 2007 for a week and stayed in KL and commuted to Semenyih via a driver (highly recommend the Prince Hotel). The driving was crazy during rush 'hour' with no obvious rules or driving laws in place. That said, there was little road rage, beeping of horns etc. So, if you can make the transition into the local of way thinking and just go native, you might be OK. I personally couldn't have driven there - I like my rules too much!
The above is made even worse when there's a downpour with journey times doubling easily.
Although I was only there for a week, it is a super place and food to die for.
TT
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I'm sure driving around KL is fine, and reasonably well ordered. Singaporean friends however warn that there has been a significant increase in vehicle hijackings and thefts, hold-ups etc around Johore Baru in the south, in the last couple of years. They think the iron grip of Dr M has given way to a less controlled police, and an increase in lawlessness quite possibly from the same source. It has got so bad that many Singaporeans won't drive through JB, but take the next exit off the highway north.
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I'm surprised to hear this as it was a very orderly place on my tourist trip. I must also be well behind on the road network as it used to be impossible to avoid Johore Baru.
You crossed the causeway from Singapore and immediately came the Malayan customs barrier where you had to show passports. The road then went on through JB. and out to the North.
The Federation Police had a good reputation and the Army an excellent one.
I'm probably a little biased here as on my trip I wanted to visit Kota Tinggi which was a large British Army base about 40 miles North of JB.
Found a bus station in JB and went into the drivers tea room to ask which bus would take me there. One little fella who could speak a little English couldnt understand where Kota Tinggi was but after much consultaion with the others took me out to a bus and we sat among the locals and their chickens before setting out on our journey.
Near to me was a couple of smart young men who I took for Military and sure enough they were Ghurkas who were going to the same place. Got off the bus in the middle of nowhere but a little walking and we came to the camp which was now occupied by the Malayan Rangers. A little persuasion in the Guardroom and he let us wander off into the camp for some sightseeing. Further in we met a senior Officer who asked us if we needed any help. We explained it was a trip down memory lane and he turned out to be the Commanding Officer who took us off to the Orderly room and gave us refreshments and an invitation to walk freely round and meet his soldiers. The place hadnt changed at all, and I could have stopped there a week talking to his lads who could speak English and wanted to know all about the 50s Emergency when thousands of Commonwealth soldiers were in their country. Wonderful hospitality and I do have an affection for them and their country.
wemyss
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