You know what they say about waiting for buses and three coming along at once? That’s how I feel about my far-flung adventure in Malaysia – aplace I have longed to visit and am lucky enough to explore in extraordinary style with not one but three hotels along the way. With tropical landscapes, lively multiculturalism and mouthwatering cuisine, this country in the heart of Southeast Asia has so much to offer.
First up is The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur, which is all marble floors, opulent chandeliers and pink flowers everywhere. I’m booked in an Executive Deluxe King room, with Ritz-monogrammed bed linen and Asprey toiletries. My 17-hour flight is soothed away with a Malay massage, which ends with a masseuse tapping me firmly on my back with two bamboo brushes – apractice that is good for blood circulation, releasing tension and re-energising the body. Dinner – golden prawns and a cold, sweet soup dessert – at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Li Yen, is the perfect end to a long day. On the way to our second destination, we stop off at the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and Batu Caves, which feature a Hindu shrine and a vast statue of Lord Murugan.
Travelling four hours north-west, we follow the winding roads to Pahang’s Cameron Highlands. Surveyed by the British in 1885, they are said to be a little slice of England in Asia, and it’s quite a surprise to look out over vast swathes of eucalyptus and pine trees when I’m so far from home. Our next few nights are spent at the Cameron Highlands Resort, a colonial-style hotel with just 56 rooms. I get better acquainted with my surroundings during a tour with the hotel’s resident naturalist, Madi, whose passion for nature is evident as he explains the history of the Highlands and the Scottish influence. Unlike the landscape, the food here is undeniably Malaysian – each table at one of the hotel’s restaurants, Gonbei, has its own heated hotpot with fresh fish, meat, noodles and dumplings to dip into the spicy broth. I join Madi again the following day for a jungle trek, and we listen to the cicadas call as we learn about the surrounding wildlife and towering trees that enclose us.
The final leg of my Malaysian tour sees me travelling to the west coast on a speedboat to Pangkor Laut Resort on Marina Island. The resort
