On March 2nd, I embarked on my longest journey so far – a journey that took me through…
Times visited: 2
Cities visited: Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu
Towns and villages visited: Mersing, Salang, Juara, Kundasang, Labuan
UNESCO sites visited: 1/4
My first introduction to Malaysia came in February 2012, during my very first trip to East Asia with my dad. After a three-day stopover in the UAE, we based ourselves in Singapore – a tiny but bustling neighbour to Malaysia – and took a three-day trip across the border. Our mission? To track down the islands featured in Robinson Ekspeditionen, a Danish reality show we’d both been obsessed with for years (and still are…). So, we made our way to Mersing and hopped on a boat bound for Tioman Island, sailing past several of the iconic “Robinson” islands along the way. Tioman itself was paradise. We spent our days motorbiking through the jungle, lounging on sun-drenched beaches, hiking forest trails, and laughing at the antics of curious monkeys.
Fast forward four years to the spring of 2016, when I returned to Malaysia as part of a longer Asia trip. This time, I ventured to the Malaysian part of Borneo. I spent a week there, which in hindsight was nowhere near enough. Still, the time I did have in Borneo was packed with unforgettable, life-changing moments. I climbed Mt. Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia at 4,095 metres, which was my first mountain over 1,000 meters, and also my first ever multi-day trek. Beyond the mountain, I had close encounters with orangutans, bonded with fellow travellers over amazing vegetarian meals in Kota Kinabalu, and spent a day soaking up the sun on a tranquil island.