Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2863 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 660 pages

Synopsis
Including a Malaysian Borneo section with hikes and off-the-beaten-track destinations, this book focuses on sustainable travel and eco-friendly listings. It provides coverage of Malaysia's awesome adventure activities and in-depth information on city hot spots of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Customer Reviews

Excellent travel guide as usual
As travel guides go, this one combines three very different places... first there's Singapore with its very modern outlook. Then there's Malaysia bridging the vibrant outlook of Kuala Lumpur with the colonial history of Georgetown. Finally there's Brunei which is a whole lot more laid back.

In terms of contents, there's the usual details of history, etiquette, sights etc. There's also the usual combination of excellent maps with only the occassional mistake where a particular landmark has been put on the wrong side of the road. Restaurant and accomodation advice are as usual mixed (many are gone by the time you visit) but it certainly provides good ideas if you are struggling to find somewhere, and also tells you the general area to find stuff.

What stands out about this one is the combination of Singapore and Malaysia... Singapore's a great stop-over for Malaysia and using this book means a travel guide especially for Singapore is somewhat unneeded (although the map could be better).

Happy travelling!!!

A good companion
I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, but am originally from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
We visited Singapore and Malaysia in July 2007 and since our last visit to Malaysia was 3 years ago, we decided to buy Lonely Planet's 2007 edition on these countries. Information from the book definitely helped us in making decisions on where to go and what to see. My comments are mainly about our one-week visit to Sarawak, which was a great success.
In Sarawak, we spent 4 days at Gunung Mulu National Park, and 3 days in Kuching. Colourful banners at Mulu airport urge visitors to "Do Mulu", and after our visit there, we would certainly do Mulu again. The Mulu caves and their surroundings are awesome. The Park authorities should be given top marks for their upkeep and running of the whole area. For example, the fact that only authorized guides are allowed to take visitors into the caves, ensures that the place is not overrun by hordes of tourist groups, each with their own guide. Also, we were glad to see that the area was maintained as much as possible in its natural state, and that no local politician or developer had decided to build a "Malaysian Eye" or some other eyesore there.
We stayed at the Royal Mulu Resort. Our first impressions were very positive. Low sprawling buildings, connected by boardwalks, colourful gardens, a nice pool, a pleasant bar area overlooking the river and a large and clean deluxe room However, by the second day, we noticed a few problem areas e.g. the shower floor could have done with some chlorine to remove the mould in the grout, some support structures of many of the boardwalks showed signs of rotting and many of the staff had difficulty understanding English!
However, the food and how it was served was what we were not satisfied with. The food was boring and unimaginative, and resembled what you get at a holiday camp, and not at a resort. On two occasions, breakfast was served outdoors, close to the river. It all seemed rather idyllic and Somerset Maugham-like until hordes of tiny bees began to hover around the jams, honey, waffles, etc. many of us fled indoors to eat our breakfast in peace. Many dairy products were served unchilled, and therefore began to curdle in the heat! After many complaints, breakfast was served indoors, but the dairy products were still unchilled. I wonder where the F&B manager was.
The Resort had a very good offer which included all meals. I would definitely recommend this as the prices in the à la carte menu are exorbitant, and the selection is limited. Try the cafeteria at the National Park for à la carte meals. The food is good, but check if a dish is available, as the staff does not always tell you this.
Kuching was a breath of fresh air after chaotic and polluted Kuala Lumpur. The Kuching Hilton is a good place to stay at, and the shops along the waterfront had plenty to tempt us. There used to be a sight-seeing trolley bus, but that has gone out of business. This is not a problem, as most places are within walking distance, but the humid weather can be a limitation. We tried the Top Spot Food Court, and recommend the giant prawns in hot pepper sauce. We are definitely going back to Sarawak again.
All in all, the guide was indispensible, and we used it for many of the places we chose to visit. Reality, however, often presents a different picture.

A reader from the UK
I used this book as the only reference to plan a 2 week holiday and to drive around Western Malaysia. It is stuffed with valuable information and organised in the usual fashion for lonely planet books. After arriving in KL and exploring the city for several days my wife and I drove north to Penang. Then we drove east to Kota Bharu and south via Terengganu and Pahang to Malacca and subsequently further south to Singapore. It is a detailed enough guide and shows the major areas of interest and is suitable for the independent traveller. I recommend it without reservation. The only and minor criticism is that the book is slightly larger than the usual small size guides from Lonely Planet and therefore I had to carry it in a rucksack and not in my pocket. However perhaps this is inevitable due to the detailed information it offers.