ROUND-TRIP

Your tour designer Steffanie Tan |E: stan@destinationservices.com | T: (+60) 4 376 1101

Live Malaysia

Country: Malaysia Duration: 9 days / 8 nights

Route: Round-trip from Kuala Lumpur to Penang Type of tour: Sports/activities and educational for 13 to 18-year-old students

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TOUR OVERVIEW

Join us for a fun and educational journey through Malaysia with this action-packed nine-day programme featuring sporting and cultural activities in Kuala Lumpur and the beautiful island of Penang. Discover an exciting vision of the future in the cosmopolitan capital and then journey to the past in Penang, where East meets West and modernity and old world charm combine harmoniously in its capital, George Town. Penang is regarded as a foodie’s heaven and you will be tempted to savour the best of Malaysian cuisine almost at every turn.

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS

Kuala Lumpur: Ascend the PETRONAS Twin Towers and enjoy 360° panoramic views of the capital from 360 metres up KL Bird Park: Come face to face with some of the planet’s most colourful and beautiful creatures in this amazing aviary Aquaria KLCC: Meet the thousands of denizens of the deep who call this world-class aquarium home Sunway Lagoon: Go wild and get wet during a full day at this fantastic theme park with five different areas Penang: Visit a house museum and see the lavish opulence in which a Chinese merchant family lived during Victorian times George Town: Cycle through the historic inner city of this UNESCO World Heritage Site for a street art and heritage trail

DON’T MISS!

Kuala Lumpur: Drop by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia and stroll along the 30 metre forest canopy walkway

Chinatown: Take a gander in the colourful Petaling Street to experience the hustle and bustle of this shopper’s paradise

Penang: Head to Penang Hill and enjoy stunning panoramic views of George Town from 823 metres above sea level

DAY BY DAY

D1 KUALA LUMPUR Upon arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, you will be met at the arrivals hall by a representative and transferred to what will be your accommodation for the next four nights, the Swiss-Inn. Located in the heart of Chinatown, the inn is also close to most of the capital’s cultural and architectural landmarks. The inn has two cafés and a Japanese Food Counter, and boasts contemporary, comfortable rooms with all the mod cons. To step outside is a feast of the senses, with a never-ending selection of shops selling everything from textiles to Chinese herbal medicines. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur.

D2 KUALA LUMPUR After a leisurely breakfast at the inn, start your day on a high with a visit to Malaysia’s tallest building, the iconic PETRONAS Twin Towers. This futuristic 88-storey structure rises to a dizzying height of 452 metres above the city and was the world’s highest building when it was built. Begin your tour with interactive displays that showcase its construction, from concept to completion. Scale 170 metres in a lift with a futuristic edge and hold your breath as the doors open at the double-decker sky bridge, which connects the towers. The sky bridge holds a record of its own as the world’s highest two-story bridge! Continue the ascent to the 86th floor, which is at 360 metres, where the story of modern Malaysia’s vision unfolds before your very eyes as you take in the awe-inspiring views of Kuala Lumpur and the hills in the horizon. Having seen Kuala Lumpur from the top, now it’s time to see what lies beneath with an amazing underwater experience at Aquaria KLCC. This magical aquarium showcases animals and marine life from all over the country and around the world. Explore exotic tropical waters and wade through steamy rainforests during a spellbinding journey of discovery. Explore exhibits such as the Malaysian Flooded Forest and the Rocky Shore Touch Pool among others. The oceanarium features more than 5,000 examples of aquatic and land-bound creatures in a vast, sprawling complex located in the concourse level of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. There’s a break for lunch (exclusive of drinks) at the Food Republic food court at the Suria KLCC shopping centre. After lunch, challenge a local secondary school team for a friendly game of basketball and enjoy the cultural exchange, priceless bonding and camaraderie which makes for a truly enriching and memorable experience. Return to the hotel after the game. The evening is at your own leisure. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur.

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D3 KUALA LUMPUR Fill up with a big breakfast to power your way through a morning exploring two of Kuala Lumpur’s most colourful attractions. The KL Bird Park is just a 10-minute drive from the city centre but it feels like another planet. Located in the lush, landscaped Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens, it is the home to more than 3,000 birds from some 200 species, both native and foreign. This serene and scenic natural retreat is divided into four aviary zones, with the birds free to fly in three of them, which encourages them to breed naturally. Observe the courtship ritual of the Indian blue peacock with its magnificent, colourful, 150cm train. Be amazed by the sheer size of the crowned pigeon, the largest pigeon species in the world, which has a body the size of a turkey. Catch a glimpse of doves, egrets and ibises feeding. Head over to the Flamingo Pond, and watch pelicans and flamingos frolic in the shimmering waters. At the Hornbill Park, visit a true tropical Malaysian rainforest, with its towering evergreen trees, some soaring up to the height of a 10-storey building, and see the magnificent rhinoceros hornbill, with its shiny ebony plumage, huge bill and upward-curved casque of vermilion, orange and yellow hues. Break for lunch at one of the many local coffee shops before catching the scheduled Bird Show. Later, proceed for another fun and friendly basketball game with a local school team. Return to the hotel after the game. Rest of the day at your leisure. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur.

D4 KUALA LUMPUR The action comes thick and fast today, with eight hours spent in the sensational Sunway Lagoon theme park. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the south-western outskirts of Kuala Lumpur for what promises to be a day full of thrills and spills. There are more than 80 attractions to keep you occupied from water, amusement, wildlife, extreme and scream parks. At Waters of Africa, make a splash at one of the largest manmade surf beaches in the world. Over in the Amusement Park, shriek your way into the Lost City of Gold Scream Coaster. Explore the Jungle Trail, Aviary, Tiger Land and more at the Wildlife Park. In the Extreme area, you can ride ATVs and go-karts or load up for a game of paintball while in the Scream Park, Kuala Lumpur becomes the ground zero of World War Z Live. Whatever you’re up for, you’ll find it at Sunway Lagoon! Purchase an e-wallet for lunch (at own expense) in the theme park. Please bring your own towel and a change of clothes. Return to hotel in the afternoon. The evening is at your own leisure. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Kuala Lumpur.

D5 KUALA LUMPUR – PENANG (360km – 4.5 hrs) Bid farewell to KL after breakfast with pick-up from the inn at 09:00 hours for departure to Penang. Enjoy a pleasant drive towards Malaysia’s north-western coast. Pass through beautiful, pastoral countryside with palm oil and rubber plantations and the dramatic Cameron Highlands on the horizon to the right. Stop along the way for lunch (exclusive of drinks). Cross the Selatan Strait to Penang via the 13.5km-long Penang Bridge, an awe-inspiring feat of engineering, and continue to the north of the island to the resort area of Tanjung Bungah for check-in at the Flamingo Hotel by the Beach, your accommodation for the next four nights. It is located just a few kilometres away from George Town, the capital of Penang. Facilities include an outdoor swimming pool and Jacuzzi, a spa and children’s play areas. The rest of the day is all to yourself. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Tanjung Bungah.

D6 PENANG Enjoy your first breakfast in Penang before heading to George Town for an alternative take on this historic city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Begin the fun at the 3D Gallery, where three-dimensional exhibitions will have you feeling like an integral part of the murals on display. Your eyes will deceive you more than once before heading to the popular Camera Museum. Nowadays, a camera has become an extension of our hands but just a few generations ago, it was a source of wonderment – a revolutionary device that allowed our ancestors to record and portray a disappearing world. Here you’ll find out who invented photography, who made the first camera and much, much more. There are also displays of classic cameras, which you will have the opportunity to handle. Break for lunch for some local favourites, quell your growling stomach by tucking into Penang’s ‘national dish’, char koay teow (flat noodles fried with bean sprouts and prawns), and other delectable hawker fare (exclusive of drinks). After lunch, enjoy a friendly game of basketball with a local secondary team, have fun interacting with the local kids. Return to the hotel after the game. The evening is at your own leisure. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Tanjung Bungah.

D7 PENANG Breakfast at the hotel is followed by a short hop down the road to visit Malaysia’s oldest toy museum. Admire the more than 100,000 toys and over 100 life-sized figures as well as a wide range of exhibits of dolls and miniatures, collectables from famous movies and much, much more. Then it’s time for some hands-on action at Break The Code, where you experience a real-life version of the popular point-and-click escape-the-room computer game. It requires quick, analytical thinking, strong observation skills, logic and plenty of imagination. You are locked in a dark room with other players and given a number of clues and puzzles to solve, armed with only a torchlight and your wits. There are four themes to choose from and you have one hour to escape – or else... you could be trapped

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inside forever! Break for a tasty hawker’s lunch at a local food court (exclusive of drinks). Later, go for one last round of friendly match with the local school team, just make the most of the moment, have fun, make new friends. Return to hotel after the game. The evening is at your own leisure. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Tanjung Bungah.

D8 PENANG Another day of activity awaits after a leisurely breakfast in the hotel. Pick up your bike for the day and cycle into town for an open-air, almost impromptu, art exhibition and a heritage trail of George Town’s historic core. Every now and then, you’ll happen upon evocative and eye-catching – and often three-dimensional – murals painted on walls and street furniture such as phone booths. It’s not graffiti but rather a ground-breaking and thought-provoking project, known as Mirrors of George Town, which was part of the 2012 George Town Festival. The murals, which depict humorous paintings of subjects such as children at play, toys, animals and other surreal images, are the handiwork of young Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic. Many feel his work has added a new dimension to the inner city and now you can judge for yourself if he is deserving of such plaudits. More Zacharevic creations can also be seen at the next destination, Chew Jetty, though here the attraction is actually the homes themselves, which are built on stilts and hover over the sea. Drop the bikes back to the shop and proceed for local Indian lunch, try the tandoori chicken, roti canai (Indian flat bread) or mee goreng (fried noodles). The lunch is exclusive of drinks. Later, you will get the chance to savour popular local desserts: chendol, a cold dessert made from shaved ice with coconut milk, red beans and green starch jelly noodles, or ais kacang, which is made from shaved ice with sweet corn, jelly, peanuts and red beans, all drenched in syrup and milk. Return to hotel after eating and enjoy a free afternoon and evening. Overnight on a bed-and-breakfast basis in Tanjung Bungah.

D9 PENANG Savour one last breakfast in the resort before being transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Breakfast included.

*****END OF SERVICES*****

INCLUDED

Tour guide: Operated with English-speaking driver-guide Accommodation: Four nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation in a Deluxe room at Swiss-Inn, Kuala Lumpur Four nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation in a Deluxe Hillview room at the Flamingo Hotel by the Beach, Penang Meals: Meals as stated in the itinerary (six lunches) Transport: Air-conditioned transportation, transfers as stated in the programme Entrance fees and activities: All entrance fees as indicated: PETRONAS Twin Towers sky bridge, Aquaria, KL Bird Park, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park (five-parks

ticket to Amusement Park, Water Park, Wildlife Park, Scream Park and Extreme Park, excludes the G-Force X and bungee jump), 3D Gallery, Camera Museum, Penang Toy Museum and Heritage Garden, Break The Code, bike hire for George Town street art and heritage trail

NOT INCLUDED

Expenditures of a personal nature, drinks and meals if not stated explicitly in the programme Gratuity for driver and guide Optional tours Activities during free time on Day 2, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6 and Day 8 Compulsory festival/peak season surcharges if stated separately International or domestic flight tickets and airport taxes or visa fees

RECOMMENDATIONS

Comfortable and light clothing is the most suitable for travelling in Malaysia. Visitors should not wear sleeveless shirts, shorts, short skirts or skimpy clothing when visiting places of worship, religious or official buildings. Shoes should be removed before entering a temple or private house. Sun protection, sun glasses, a hat and mosquito repellent can be very useful during your stay