Cherating is the only real backpacker hub at the east coast of the peninsula on the mainland. Offering plenty of affordable chalets and a relaxed atmosphere, it is good place to stop for a night or two on the way up or down the east coast. The beach itself is not that spectacular and misses the palm directly at the beach. But it has a good vibe and few things you can do like taking a tour or renting a kayak up the river into the mangroves. There is also an active surfer scene when the waves are right. Cherating is located about 30km or 1h by local bus north of Kuantan.

Kota Kinabalu is the capital of the state of Sabah on Borneo. With an estimated population of 532,129 in the city and 700,000 in the urban area, it is the largest urban centre in Sabah and the sixth largest in Malaysia. It is located close to Mount Kinabalu, the highest mountain in South-East Asia.

A Famosa

Massive fortress that was built by the portuguese in the 16th Century.

The fortress was built because Commander Albuquerque of the Portuguese fleet believed that Melaka would become an important port linking Portugal and the spice trade from China. At this time other Portuguese were establishing outposts in Macau (China) and Goa (India).
Now there is only one gate left. The fort changed hands in 1641 when the Dutch beat the Portuguese. The dutch renovated the gate in 1670 which the logo “anno 1670” inscribed on the gate’s arch. The fortress changed hands again in the early 19th century when the Dutch handed it over to the British to prevent it from falling into the hands of Napoleon’s expansionist France. The English then distroyed the fortress in 1806, only because of the Intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles (the founder of Singapore) a small part could be saved.

The government announced in 2007 that A Famosa will be rebuilt. A Famosa rebuilt