Hotel Istana

73 Jalan Raja Chulan

Kuala Lumpur 50200

Malaysia

Tel:  +603 2141 9988

Kuala Lumpur. Our first day is a get together day, designed for you to meet all the other tour guests who will have come from different destinations around the world. if arriving on Day 1, an airport transfer is included, so please ensure that you have provided us with your flight arrival details. You will be met on arrival and transferred to the hotel.

The Pre Departure meeting will be in reception and will take place at 18.00pm with your local guide.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, has a lot to offer with a fascinating mix of the old and new. During the short-lived Malaysian economic boom of the 1990s, modern skyscrapers sprang up to change Kuala Lumpur’s skyline. It boasts two of the tallest buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers at 451m, and the Menara Tower, one of the world’s tallest telecommunications towers. But Kuala Lumpur has also kept its historic past and lots of character. There are old colonial buildings, mosques and temples, Chinese, Indian and Malay quarters.

Kuala Lumpur - Petronas Twin Towers, Pewter & Batik Factories, Batu Caves.  A photo stop at the world’s renowned Petronas Twin Towers will be the first highlight of today’s tour. We then continue on to visit the suburbs by driving along the outskirts of the city through the Ambassador Row. Our stop at the Royal Selangor Pewter will feature the largest and most modern pewter factory in the world, reputed internationally for its high quality and craftsmanship. You will be shown the different processes such as casting, filing, polishing, soldering, hammering and engraving during this factory tour.

Next we stop at a Batik Factory to see how Batik is designed and printed.

Our last stop will be at the limestone hills of Batu Caves that comprises of three caverns and several smaller caves. It is the shrine of Lord Murugah, a Hindu deity and a flight of 272 steps leads up to the temple cave. Enjoy a Banana Leaf lunch near to the temple in Batu Caves before returning to your hotel.

The rest of the day at leisure and for you to explore Kuala Lumpur further.   (B,L)

Homestay - Elephant Sanctuary - Taman Negara - Night Jungle Walk.   We leave our foster family’s home just after breakfast to visit the Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary. This elephant conservation project was established in 1989 by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks and is the base for the Elephant Relocation Team, which began the elephant relocation programme as early as 1974. The only one of its kind in Malaysia, the team is dedicated to locating and relocating problem elephants from areas where their habitats are constantly being encroached by plantations, to other suitable habitats throughout the Peninsular such as Taman Negara. Over the past 25 years the centre has helped prevent the further decline of the elephant population having successfully relocated more than 300 wild elephants.

The tour of the project includes an elephant ride, elephant feeding and for those who are brave enough the chance to swim and bathe the elephants in the river. 

After lunch we drive to Kuala Tahan, crossing its river, and check in to our chalets at Mutiara Taman Negara. After dinner you’ll take a guided night jungle walk.  (B,L,D)

Please note: During your visit to the elephant sanctuary some elephants will be secured by chains. This is for safety reasons whilst visitors are present.

Taman Negara - Cameron Highlands.   After breakfast we return by boat to Kuala Tembeling and continue overland to the Cameron Highlands, one of the most extensive hill stations, consisting of a series of villages strung along the main roads. Situated at an altitude of about 1800 metres the Cameron Highlands has managed to maintain its English character with its rolling green hills dotted with country cottages and farms. (B)

Cameron Highlands - Iskandar Waterfalls, Kuala Kangsar, Taiping - Perak Museum..  We descend out of the highlands and en route to Taiping stop at Iskandar Waterfalls where you can also see basket weaving.

The tour continues on to Kuala Kangsar, with its unique Ubudiah Mosque - a magnificent building with golden dome - and the former palace of the Sultan of Perak with its intricate woodcarving.

From Kuala Kangsar we drive up to Taiping and our first visit will be the oldest museum in Peninsula Malaysia, Perak Museum. Then we take a drive around Taiping’s breathtaking lake gardens and soak up a myriad spread of English colonial leftovers while your guide feeds you with behind-the-scene tales. Taiping’s best kept secret is a temple that is crowned by ornate roofing made entirely of porcelain culinary wares like saucers, cups, spoons, pots and plates. An old tale has it that the villagers were so poor they could not pay for decorative roofing works to complete the temple. In the end, everyone chipped in with whatever they could find in the kitchen and gave the temple its striking features today.  (B)

Pangkor Island. The next 3 days are free at leisure on Pangkor Island. 

Our resort is on the unspoilt tropical Pangkor Island on the west of Peninsular Malaysia. It is surrounded by 73 acres of lush tropical jungle, with exotic land and marine life. The tropical forest setting is complimented with white sandy beaches and pristine waters in a private bay making this the ideal tropical getaway destination. For outdoor lovers, the resort offers a wide selection of both land and water sports, motorised and non-motorised activities.   (B)

Kuala Lumpur.  The tour finishes after breakfast.  (B)

If you are flying out of Kuala Lumpur today, a departure transfer is included. Please ensure that you have provided us with your flight departure details. 

Travel insurance is compulsory for all tours. All clients MUST be insured to cover personal accident, medical expenses, cancellation, curtailment, repatriation, etc. Also, be aware that many activities such as trekking, bungy jumping or white water rafting may not be covered on your insurance policy. If you plan on doing any of these activities please purchase additional insurance. We recommend that you have a photocopy of this document, which you keep separate from the original. If you have not already arranged your own travel insurance then Kumuka can do this for you. Please visit http://www.kumuka.com/Travel-Insurance.aspx for more details or contact your nearest Kumuka office.

Please Note: You will not be permitted to join a Kumuka Tour without travel insurance.

It is important that you obtain the appropriate visas before you embark on your Asia trip. Country entry regulations change daily, www.kumuka.com providesvisa information. Please consult your relevant embassy for all details such as opening hours or costs. Certain visas cannot be obtained once you have started your tour, and during the peak summer months it can take longer than normal to get visas, please allow extra time to do this.

EACH CLIENT IS SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBTAINING ALL NECESSARY VISAS BEFORE JOINING A TOUR.

For detailed climate information see www.kumuka.com

Travel Tip: Always bring a lightweight, waterproof jacket and/or an umbrella even during the height of summer - this should prepare you for anything!

You might like to read up on the destinations that you are about to visit as these cities all have interesting sites and histories. We recommend a variety of guidebooks such as Lonely Planet, The Rough Guide and Insight Guides. All these publications have good general information as well as more specific country information that will help orientate you in the countries you visit.

Please use your discretion and be sensitive to cultural differences in the countries that you visit, in particular visits to religious buildings and when taking photographs. Your Tour Leader will advise you of any specific customs to observe. Dress discretely, especially if you are visiting religious sites. For women this means skirts or long pants with T-shirt. For men, this means long shorts or trousers with a T-shirt. Always take your shoes off when entering temples or any religious site.

Care should be taken to respect the conventions of Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other religious and ethnic groups, particularly in respect of clothing and footwear.

We suggest that you take into account the time of year you will be travelling, and pack accordingly to the season. Quick drying clothes are recommended, and at many hotels there are laundry facilities. Your tour leader will advise where laundry facilities are available.

Personal Effects:
Camera & film, Spare passport photos, Water bottle, Money belt, Torch, Sewing kit, Sunhat/ Sunglasses, Music cassettes /CDs, Books, Wet Ones, Soap to wash clothes, Writing materials, Swiss Army knife, Calculator, Personal toiletries, including tampons, Contraceptives, Insect Repellent, Sunscreen.

NOTE: If you wear glasses, it is advisable to bring a spare pair since opticians are uncommon. If you wear contact lenses you may find that climatic changes and dust can create visual irritation, therefore, it is advisable to bring a pair of glasses.

Malaysia is a multicultural society, with Malays, Chinese and Indians living side by side. The Malays are the largest community. They are Muslims, speak Bahasa and are largely responsible for the political fortunes of the country. The Chinese comprise about a third of the population. They are Buddhists and Taoists, speak Hokkein, Hakka and Cantonese, and are dominant in the business community. The Indians account for about 10% of the population and they are mainly Hindu Tamils from southern India, they speak Tamil, Malayalam, and some Hindi, and live mainly in the larger towns on the west coast of the peninsula. There is also a sizeable Sikh community. Eurasians and indigenous tribes make up the remaining population. Despite Bahasa Malaysia being the official language, when members of these different communities talk to each other, they generally speak English, which was recently reinstated as the language of instruction in higher education.

This language can be difficult for foreigners to grasp. The same word can have 6 different meanings depending on the tone used to pronounce it. However, we do try and encourage people to speak a few words of the local language, as the Malaysians will really appreciate the effort!

English is spoken in some of the places that we visit as is French, Russian and Chinese. English will be spoken in the larger cities. You might like to take the time before your trip to read up on the country you will be visiting and perhaps learn a few words of the language. Your effort will always be welcomed and will make your trip all the more enjoyable.

Food is one of the highlights of any trip.

It's not easy to find authentic Malay food in Malaysian restaurants, though you can take your pick of Chinese, Nyonya (a local variation on Chinese and Malay food - Chinese ingredients, local spices), Indian, Indonesian or (sometimes) Western cuisines. Satays (meat kebabs in spicy peanut sauce) are a Malaysian creation and they're found everywhere. Other dishes include fried soybean curd in peanut sauce, sour tamarind fish curry, fiery curry prawns and spiced curried meat in coconut marinade. Muslim Indian dishes have developed a distinctly Malaysian style. The variety of wonderful tropical fruits and fruit juices available is huge, and strange sweet concoctions include endol (sugar syrup, coconut milk and green noodles) and are kacang (beans and jellies topped with shaved ice, syrups and condensed milk).

Vegetarians or those with special dietary needs can also be catered for however in some countries the type of food may be limited. Please let the Reservations team know your special requirements as soon as possible so we can do all possible to assist your needs. We try to ensure that you get the most experience from your Kumuka trip and one of the ways to do this is by trying local cuisine.

We have put a lot of thought and effort into locating the most appropriate type of accommodation for each tour. It will always be clean, comfortable and of a very high standard. All accommodation is in comfortable tourist class accommodation. Depending on the tour, this ranges from overnight sleeper train or cruise boat through to delightful lodges and excellent hotels (generally 3 star or above).

If you wish to spend a few additional days in your start city before the departure of your tour, then we can arrange accommodation for you. If you would like to book accommodation to stay additional nights after the tour ends, we will be more than happy to arrange this for you as well. All our accommodation is carefully chosen, conveniently located, clean and comfortable.

In most of the hotels in Asia you may be required to deposit your passport at Reception. This is a perfectly normal practice and nothing to be concerned about. Just make sure that you retrieve it when you check out of the hotel.

Under no circumstances are any illegal drugs allowed on any part of the trip. Anyone discovered in possession of any such drugs, will be asked to leave the tour immediately without question or refund.

Whilst on tour you will probably want to stay in touch with family and friends. There are several ways of doing this:

Mobile Phone – Before departing your home country check with your phone supplier to see if it compatible with the mobile phone networks in the countries that you are traveling to, and how much will it cost to use abroad.

Email – Internet Cafes are very cheap and popular, and you are sure to come across several during your tour. If you haven’t done so already, set up a free Google Mail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account which you can then access from any computer. Internet Cafes will charge a nominal fee for using their computers. Within Europe some hotels charge a wifi connection fee and we cannot guarantee a wifi connection at all hotels we use.

Twitter – A method of communication that is rapidly gaining in popularity on the Internet especially amongst travelers. Twitter allows you to send short messages and update your friends and family with where you are on tour and what you are doing. Create your free account at http://twitter.com. Visit Kumuka’s page on Twitter at http://twitter.com/kumuka

Facebook – Very popular website that allows you to upload stories, get in touch with fellow travellers before and after your Kumuka tour, upload photos and videos to share with other travellers, your family and friends. To create a free account, go to www.facebook.com and then become a fan of Kumuka’s Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/pages/Kumuka-Worldwide/26617121087?ref=ts

Postcards – The good ol’ fashioned postcard. But you will probably get home before the postcard does!

KUMUKA WORLDWIDE

UK OFFICE

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Hillswood Drive Chertsey KT16 0RS
Tel: +4420 7937 8855 Fax: +442075043782

Email: sales@kumuka.com
www.kumuka.com

AUSTRALIAN OFFICE

Level 5, 387 George Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Tel: 02 9279 0491 Fax: 02 9279 0492
Email: sales@kumuka.com.au
www.kumuka.com.au