Being from the often-cool Pacific NW of the U.S., I'm pretty sure I couldn’t live very well in a hot muggy equatorial climate for long. But for a week+ vacation visit, East Malaysia and Singapore were fantastic to experience! Here’s a (very) brief description of what Josh and I were lucky to experience, which was just part of the overall Brower Family visit.
East Malaysia – North End of Borneo island
Following a series of planes, buses and boats, we reached our destination places of stay in two semi-jungle locations full of interesting vegetation and exotic animals.
The first location, Sepilok, had preservation centers (a bit like small zoos) that displayed two endangered species – orangutans and sun bears – in natural settings viewable from observation rooms or overlooks. Both were adorable animals that had everyone (tourists from all over the world) snapping hundreds of photos.
The second location, Sukau, was an outpost along the Kinabatangan river from which we were able to do jungle walks and “river safaris”. The river safaris were thoroughly interesting, as amongst the beautiful flowers, bushes and trees along the riverbanks we also encountered crocodiles, brightly colored tropical birds including rare hornbills, and monkeys of several types. A couple of the monkeys were daring enough to come within 10 feet or our boat and study us as we studied them! It so happened that the Sukau Rainforest River Lodge where we stayed had on display a small river boat that Sir David Attenborough and BBC crew had used to film a wildlife documentary there.
Many of our group listed these encounters with exotic wildlife as the highlights of their whole trip.
Singapore
An acquaintance of mine recently remarked that travel to Singapore is “a glimpse into the future”. After taking in the wide splay of modern buildings, ample gardens and green spaces throughout, the sparking clean sidewalks and roads, the absence of anything at all run-down, the efficient transportation etc. etc., I agree with this assessment.
Besides being modern and clean, it’s also a very deliberately courteous place. There are signs all over town requesting that citizens be kind by not littering, by giving up seats on buses and trains to those who most need them, etc. This campaign is just one aspect of Singapore’s centrally planned government, an approach that seems to work much more harmoniously on this island nation than could be implemented in larger, more sprawling countries such as the U.S.
Another thing we noticed about Singapore is the extraordinary variety of places to eat. Because it’s a very international culture, any of the dozens of downtown malls and open air “hawker” food stands offer favorites from around the world. Additionally, there is no lack of American fast food. McDonald’s, Starbucks, Burger King, and Shake Shack to name just a few occupy many of the prime locations. One tour guide jokingly referred to McDonald’s and Starbucks as “US Embassy” locations.
One of the most refreshing things (besides the ample air conditioning in every building) is how safe Singapore feels. Perhaps this is due to stringent (almost extraordinary) penalties for even minor crimes. I left my backpack in a mall and immediately felt panic when I realized I’d left my pack, which also had my passport in it! Not to worry, I was told: “Nobody will take it”. Sure enough, I found it safe and sound a few minutes later. Unusual to be in very large city and not worry about crime or panhandling or anything of the sort.
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