http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33600 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33384 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33384 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32855 Stay at the Parkroyal hotel in Bukit Bintang where you have about three big malls within walking distance.
Pavillion KL is a glitzy mall where you can get the latest and high end fashion. Sungei Wang Plaza is right opposite Parkroyal hotel and this is where you will find 500 retail outlets selling everything from food to clothes and score a bargain!
Behind Parkroyal hotel,there is a Low Yat Plaza which is THE malls for electronics and IT products. I have bought cameras and computer accessories from here at half the price!
At the end of a long shopping day, hang out at one of the big food courts in the mall for really good hawker food in a comfortable air conditioned surrounding. Lot 10 (Starhill Gallery) in Bukit Bintang is known for it's fantastic and tasty food court.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32855 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31439 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31439 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29482 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29482 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29438 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29438 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29427 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/29427 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27663 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27663 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27649 That South East Asia is littered with beautiful islands is unquestionable, but many are well en route to being trashed by the carnage their economy depends upon. However, few that register on the backpacker's radar, remain as untouched and in rude health as this pint-sized paradise, located 50km off the Eastern Coast of northern Malaysia, a stone's through from the Thai border.
Though Malaysia is far from synonymous with beach life, whip out your weary-limbed backpacker's checklist upon arrival and you'll be able to tick off translucent, turquoise waters, white sandy beaches and abundant palm trees. There are shacks aplenty to house you, few of which it is even possible to find evidence of, let alone book, online. These range from the rather basic mattress in a beach hut to the more opulent mattress in a beach hut, with air con, electricity and an en suite bathroom. For an added luxury, the island folk have mastered the art of the flushing toilet, so you won't find yourself staring at your own emissions as you desperately try to sink them with a bucket like you will in Thailand. Prices range from around 20RM (£4) to 80RM (£16) a night making these eminently affordable and worth every penny thanks to the surrounding beauty.
Well-priced and friendly options include Panorama Huts, located centrally on Long Beach, and Moonlight Chalets, tucked away at the periphery, among the palm trees at the beach's edge. Both house their own restaurants, serving up sizeable portions of pan-Asian and western cuisine at great prices and offer a host of options when it comes to entertainment.
Rather unique to Kecil is the complete absence of roads linking the backpackers' paradise of Long Beach with anywhere else on the island. The only way to circumnavigate this drop in the ocean and its various enclaves is by boat or on foot. With some of the best priced and most stunning diving you'll find anywhere in the world ... or so the divers in my midst assured me, you'll be able to plunge to coral-addled depths, offering twenty-metre visibility, for as little as 60RM. For the uninitiated, the snorkelling trips offered around the island also prove mind-blowing in themselves. The prevalence of incredibly vibrant coral, makes for a psychedelic underwater experience for all, without the need to team up, tank up and drop to new depths. With sea turtles, sharks and sting-ray among the marine life promised to the average day tripper, these certainly prove a rewarding experience. But it doesn't end there. If you haven't heard one of more considered and more erudite of your party yelling “awww, look it's Nemo” before the end of the day, then your trip will not have been complete.
Kecil, as stated, means small, thus it should come as little surprise that the island is also rather quiet. Those seeking the kind of intensity of nightlife a full moon party can serve up need not apply. Neon pink body paint, glow sticks, Samsong buckets and hoards of beered up geezers grappling you in sweaty hugs couldn't be further your mind as you negotiate Long Beach's four bars, none of which ever seem to fill up. If a dancefloor does emerge, it invariably boasts little more than a few bar tenders busting a groove, a barely cognisant European guy or two with far more confidence than their ape-being-elecricuted-esque dance moves deserve and a couple of ladies who defences will inevitably be broken down by either/or before the night is out. For most, however, candlelight and a shisha become the order of the evening, accompanied by the odd slug on a bottle of the local rum. With relaxation the ambient vibe, it isn't long before most of the island's visitors slip away for a relatively early night in order to make the most of the next day on one of the continent's most stunning destinations. And whether they'll be found soaking up the sun, lost in a book, kicking a ball over a net with some uber-flexible locals or several metres under the ocean chasing a shark around a wreck, there can be little doubt they'll be having the time of their life. Perhentian Kecil is a mission to get to, it was even harder to get away from, but I for one will definitely be heading back.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27649 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27642 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27642 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27612
Despite Penang’s UNESCO protection, too many of the old buildings outside the central area are falling derelict, so it was a pleasure to see one which had been so lovingly restored. The owner has a history of renovating old buildings to their former splendour, another of his projects being the celebrated Galle Fort Hotel in Sri Lanka.

Clove Hall is still newly opened and feels like a bit of a secret, but I don’t think it will be long before the travel and design magazine editors take note and its popularity grows - go now!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27612 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27565 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27565 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27330 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27330 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27237 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27237 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27185 While the hotel gives itself the rather grandiose title of 'Premier Boutique Hotel in Sabah' it is really no boutique by European standards, but is definately a cut above the majority of options in the centre of town. It might not have the majestic views of the Hyatt or Meridien on the waterfront, but has a charm more akin to finding yourself turning up in a small hotel in Paris or London. The rooms are spacious and the green outlook over the trees is welcoming amidst the searing heat of Borneo. Downsides are no balconies and breakfast is very expensive and not worth the trouble - but hey, Gaya Street is choc a bloc with super tasty Chinese and Malay cafes where you can set yourself up for the day with an excellent roti canai, laksa and a teh tarik!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/27185 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26900 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26900 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26899
It's tricky to find but so, so worth it.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26899 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26898 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26898 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26595 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26595 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26558 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/26558