but I only saw the mainland of Malaysia briefly (industrial Butterworth!). I was in KL merely in transit, but I spent a couple of weeks on Penang Island in '83. I remember taking the funicular railway to the top of a small mountain then hiking down without a soul in sight on a muddy track where I spotted a coiled snake that frightened the life out of me! There was also a "private zoo" near the hotels on Batu Ferringhi where a wonderfully eccentric Aussie cancer survivor showed me his motley collection of animals and regaled amazing stories of his life in Penang. I have friends who plan to retire there in a year or two, so I guess it must still be beautiful.
but I only saw the mainland of Malaysia briefly (industrial Butterworth!). I was in KL merely in transit, but I spent a couple of weeks on Penang Island in '83. I remember taking the funicular railway to the top of a small mountain then hiking down without a soul in sight on a muddy track where I spotted a coiled snake that frightened the life out of me! There was also a "private zoo" near the hotels on Batu Ferringhi where a wonderfully eccentric Aussie cancer survivor showed me his motley collection of animals and regaled amazing stories of his life in Penang. I have friends who plan to retire there in a year or two, so I guess it must still be beautiful.