The End of the Adventure

After the indulgence of the Eastern and Oriental in Georgetown it was a bit of a come-down to arrive at the Holiday Inn Batu Ferringhi which is on the northern end of Penang Island. Nevertheless, the Holiday Inn was pretty spectacular in it's own way... we've been spoiled.

Jan and Alan had checked out of Ali's Guest House as it was a bit rough even for them. Jan ventured aloft in one of the Para-Sails towed by a speedboat but the most adventurous we could manage was a foot massage. In the evening we hit the crowded and noisy Long Beach Food Market for a sampling of the local fare. The Malaysians love their food and after our few weeks of enforced spartan eating we felt like cutting loose so we ordered large bottles of Tiger beer and an assortment of local dishes. Nothing too rich and it all went down well.

Next day Jan and Alan left early for their Sarawak Trek and we hung around the main beach and got in a bit of shopping (Liz reckons she hasn't enough junk already and wanted to support the local traders) and sightseeing.

It all becomes a bit of a blur when one day blends into the next but we managed a visit to a genuine Malay Fishing Village where we found a seafood restaurant for lunch. It was run by a Chinese-Malay man who proudly showed us the fresh prawns and crabs, still swimming in tanks, and guided us as to the local delicacies bought that morning from the local fishermen. No risk is saying the best seafood we've ever tasted and as it was quiet, we had a chance to talk to the chef and the locals, always a nice experience.

Then it was up into the hills of Penang to Batik Pualau and the durian plantations. Durian, the "King of Fruit" which smells like a toilet, grow on large trees in the mountains and fall to the ground when ripe. It was Durian season so our driver stopped at a roadside stall in the cool of the hills and we (well Liz and I anyway) cracked open a durian and tasted the heavely pods which taste a little like custard apples but a lot sweeter. Truly the "King of Fruit" despite the smell.

Charlie and I finished our last full day with some stunning photos of the small coves and fishing villages around the island and to top it off the sunset was something to behold. As the big red ball of the sun sank to the horizon of the Straits of Melacca, we clicked away madly hoping to catch the perfect shot.

Then it was off to our favourite Penang eatery, the Sunset Bistro, complete with pet monkey and Sulphur-Crested Cockatoo, to indulge in some good old fish and chips and watch the remains of the day at Batu Ferringhi.

Our last day and a short drive to Penang Airport with a stop at Penang White Coffee on the way but we check in and find our Air Asia flight is delayed by 90 minutes. Not happy campers as our gate is the last one and a long walk. Then when we arrive at the LCCT (Low Cost Carrier Terminal) at KL, our A320 parks miles from the arrivals hall and yes, another long walk! Liz asks about a taxi to out hotel and is quoted 67 ringits (about $25) but I opt for a bus which costs only 4 ringit! Taxi drivers are the same the world over!

We finally arrived at KL International and the Pan Pacific Hotel which is right at the International airport. God knows how, but we are upgraded to a Deluxe Room complete with Lounge with free drinks and snacks ... and still Charlie wanted to go to dinner ... and it's all very swish. Liz has gone off to explore the Pearl shops in the hotel ... she is addicted to shopping I am convinced ... while we guys check our email and finalise things before we head of tomorrow morning.

We are up tomorrow (Sunday) at 5:30am and then check-in at 7am for our flight MH141 which departs KL at 9:00am. Our expected arrival in Sydney is 6:50pm so Tip and Heidi will be there to pick us up. Liz has chartered an Airbus A380 (larger than a jumbo) to carry all her shopping stuff!

Anyway, it's been an interesting 3 weeks and all to suddenly it will be back to the grind and we'll wonder where it all went. We'll post the last set of photos shortly.

To all who've followed our travels, thanks for coming along for the ride.