*MELAKA- Melaka is a short 2 hour drive from KL, so you can go for the day or spend the night. It is the midpoint when driving from KL to Singapore. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and visiting this city is a unique experience with a rich historical and cultural background from previous Portuguese, Dutch and British rule
-Hotel: There are many places to stay but I would choose between CASA DEL RIO ( http://www.casadelrio-melaka.com/) or THE MAJESTIC (http://www.majesticmalacca.com/). I’ve only stayed at Casa del Rio (3 times!) but I’m a big fan of the majestic hotel in KL, so i’m sure it is wonderful. I love the pool at Casa Del Rio, it is on the roof and looks out over Melaka. There is also a great restaurant in the hotel and the location is perfect–you can walk straight into the city center for dining or shopping.
-There is so much to do in Melaka…..visiting the BaBa & Nyonya Heritage Museum, strolling down Jonker St., taking a river cruise, boarding a rickshaw (they are usually decorated in vibrant colors and tour through Red Square, Christ Church, Chinatown, Stadthuys and St. Paul Hill.
-As far as food goes, Melaka is famous for it’s international cuisine…..Try Jonker 88 for the famous chendol (shaved ice dessert) & coffee; Pak Putra for the best tandoori you will ever eat in your life (very rustic, local place); Baboon House for lunch (great little garden in the middle and beautiful menu); San Pedro for Portuguese food and for a fun roof top bar with live music, go to Alto Sky Lounge.
*LANGKAWI: This place has been one of my favorite places to visit while living in Malaysia. It has a bit of everything….the jungle, mountains, beautiful beaches, nature and beautiful hotels. It is an archipelago of islands in the Andaman Sea. You can go island hopping on a boat or visit the sky bridge and ride a cable car. The beaches are beautiful and there are so many hotels but we loved staying at The Andaman: http://www.theandaman.com/ . It has it all for families and you can use the facilities at the upscale Datai next door, they share the same beach. They have a kids club, a beautiful pool, kayaks and boats to rent, cooking classes and other off site activities. We celebrated my father’s 70th birthday here and the hotel was amazing in assisting with a beachfront dinner. It is a 1 hour flight from KL and both Malaysia Air and Air Asia operate flights direct from KL to Langkawi.
*REDANG ISLAND: I have to say outside of Boracay Island in the Philippines, Redang Island is the most beautiful beach i’ve seen, with white fine sand and crystal turquoise blue water. Unlike Langkawi, where there is more to do than just the beach, Redang is the place you want to go just for the beach, there isn’t much else to do there. The diving is incredible, famous for their giant sea turtles. I would recommend staying at The Taaras Resort (newly renovated). Berjaya Air offers direct flights from KL to Redang or you can take the new East Coast Expressway highway to Terranganu and then a boat to Langkawi (1 hour boat ride).
*THE CHATEAU SPA & WELLNESS RESORT: We visited here with a group of girls and it was fabulous!!! It is only a 45 min. drive from KL and it is in the Berjaya Hills, so the air is fresh and cooler at this higher elevation. The resort mimics a french Chateau and parts of it can be a bit cheezy but the service, the rooms, the pool, spa and food are all top quality, which is difficult to find in Malaysia. Beyond everything there is to do at the hotel, there is alot to do near the hotel. There is the Berjaya hills Golf & Country Club, you can also walk from the hotel to the Japanese Village and Botanical gardens and there is also an adventure park with a flying fox and canopy tours. At the hotel, you can enjoy a high quality spa experience with state of the art facilities, a beautiful pool with surrounding private cabanas, yoga, breakfast on the terrace and much more. It is a perfect weekend get away for adults (no kids allowed at the resort).
*KUALA GANDAH ELEPHANT ORPHANAGE SANCTUARY: If you would like an up close and personal experience with elephants, this is your place. Contact Zali at : jungletrekker69@gmail.com . He gives you the behind the scenes 6 hour experience with the elephants and includes lunch and drinks. You pay him a fee and he can drive you from KL or meet you there, if you are driving your own car. Once there, he teaches you about the elephants, allows you to feed them and the best part was bathing with the elephants in the river. The drive from KL is about 2 hours to Kuala Gandah.
* TAMAN NEGARA: This weekend get away was such a unique experience, the kids loved it!!! It’s a National Park with the worlds oldest rainforest said to be 130 million years old. Stay at the Mutiara Taman Negara…….http://www.mutiaratamannegara.com/ It is a bit of a trek to get to this rainforest, with two options: either drive all the way (takes about 3 1/2 hours –here is a website with more information on driving yourself there: http://www.tamannegara.asia/self-drive/ or drive 2 hours to Kuala Tahan and leave your car there at the jetty (there is secure parking) and then take a 3 hour pontoon/canoe boat. We were ready for an adventure so we went the pontoon boat route. It is a long and narrow, wooden 5 seater boat, with each individual in their own seat, one behind another–picture a canoe. The boat option is nice because it is very peaceful and every now and then you spot animals, including water buffalo, monkeys, fish, birds, etc.. As far as the hotel, the Mutiara is the best place to stay. The hotel is made up of jungle chalets that are basic and food is average but it is set in the rainforest and there are various activities from there. The hotel also has a giant tapir that lives close by and if you are lucky, you can spot it at dinner time. There are night safaris that I highly recommend, jungle treks, a visit an Orang Asli ( an aborigine settlement ) village, canopy tours, water rafting and my favorite–visiting Latah Berkoh–an area with small cascading falls and natural jacuzzis to swim in….. Again, think jungle, this is definitely for the more adventurous family not looking to get pampered but for being immersed in nature!!!
*CAMERON HIGHLANDS: This area is about 3 hours from Kuala Lumpur so I would recommend staying for a night or two. Our two favorite hotels are The Lakehouse and The Cameron Highlands Resort. There is beautiful tea country there, Boh being my favorite picturesque tea plantation! As far as activities, you can visit the mossy forest trail hike, a strawberry farm, the Cameron Bharat Tea Plantations, do a factory tour and most of all, enjoy high tea at one of the hotels.
*THE BANJARAN HOT SPRING RETREAT: I haven’t been here but it has been recommended by 2 friends. It is adults only, so no kids. The hotel is surrounded with hot springs and my friend recommended booking the dinner in a cave for one night.
*RAWA ISLAND RESORT: I also haven’t been here but if you are looking for a rustic beach vacation where you can stay beachfront for a low price–this seems to be the place. You need to drive from KL to Mersing which takes about 4 hours and then take a 30 minute speed boat or 1 hour ferry. It is a very relaxed, low key, basic place on a beautiful clear blue water beach…..
