A Tale of Two Cities; Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

We had a month off from our journey around the world due to the passing of my Grandma June. I wanted to be at home the moment I got the call so after a brief discussion at 3am, we had a flight booked. It was a difficult month full of a lot of sadness, stress and sleeping from that pesky jet lag, but we also got to do some lovely things like cuddle our dogs, say a proper goodbye to a beloved family member and most importantly welcome my nephew Dexter into the world. I know she would have been overjoyed with the family coming together, as well as us exploring the world and seeing animals, so through all the sadness there are silver linings.

Take two: we thought we'd start off with a bang and go to the gorgeous city of Singapore. The towering city landscape was beautiful from the moment we arrived, made all the better by the easy to use public transport. On our first day, delirious from lack of sleep, we ventured into the Botanical Gardens grabbing our raincoats on the way out, just in case. The moment we stepped into the green paradise it began to pour with rain but we're British, there's no rain we can't handle. We learnt that actually there is and that out limit is a monsoon thunder storm, so we sheltered under a pagoda with some swans until it eased up and we were able to take a stroll through this perfectly landscaped park. From monitor lizards to flawless orchid gardens, it was a joy to walk around and even see a primary rainforest in the centre of the city.

For our next day we decided to see the modern sights, with a few more cocktails, and of course that included the colossal Marina Bay Sands Hotel. We must have taken around 100 photos of this giant, especially at the top in the Cé la Vi bar. The cocktails didn't stop there as we had an infamous Singapore Sling in the gorgeous Raffles hotel, thanks to my beautiful BFF Chloe. We couldn't leave without seeing Gardens by the Bay which was absolutely spectacular and completely free to stroll around. The Supertrees were a work of art and the gardens were even better to visit at night when everything begins to glow. One of our highlights was watching the brilliant light displays from the 3D marvel on the waterfront to the musical spectacle by the Supertrees which were captivating shows that left us in awe. All in all we had a wonderful and relatively cheap few days in Singapore and we'll definitely be back soon.

Now let's talk about the bad side of Singapore; for us this was staying at pillow talk hostel. It was the worst experience we've had so far regarding a place we've stayed and we're talking rats, bed bugs, snoring, dirty sheets and hair filled showers. One night, through ear plugs and not sleeping for 30 hours, we were both woken up by a rumbling squeak of two snorers which didn't stop until 6am. We got through our stay here by laughing about how absurd it all was, but we're happy to never return. It was a shame as we enjoyed our time in the city, but next time we'll definitely stay somewhere else.  

We decided to treat ourselves in Kuala Lumpur after our long coach journey from Singapore with an airbnb. It was a beautiful apartment with views of the Petronus Towers and a pool. This was probably the highlight of our trip, especially after the last hostel, and we spent a lot of time just chilling and watching the city landscape change from light to dark. We stayed right next to Jalan Alor street which was like being back in Khaosan Road, with more frog porridge and less scorpions on a stick. 

This was technically our second time in KL as we flew back to London from this city, so we had our bearings. We went to see the Petronus Towers in all their glistening glory, and laughed at how bad the fountain light show was compared to Singapore's magic. On one afternoon we were lucky to visit the Buddhist Monastery where they serve a vegan buffet fit for a King. It was delicious and we got to eat with all the locals who take advantage of this inexpensive delight. We walked and walked and walked around this difficult to navigate city seeing beautiful Mosques, bustling markets and hidden temples, but in all honesty we felt like we'd seen everything we could here. 

What great timing for heading back into KL as it was the Malaysian Grand Prix, the last Grand Prix in Sepang for the foreseeable future. We excitedly made our way to the stadium, full of hope that we'd bask in the sun and at least meet Lewis Hamilton. In true KL style, the transport there was frustrating and there was only one food stall in our entire section which led to a queue hours long for nothing more than dried up samosas. We sat down on the grass ready for the exciting display of speed, after the driver's welcome lap. Initially I was pretty disappointed as the cars didn't seem like they were going that fast, then the safety car left and the sounds got louder whilst the speed got faster. We were lucky to see a corner and a straight so we could enjoy a mixture of the action. It was incredibly exciting and a perfect end to our time in Malaysia. Our next stop is the elusive Indonesian Island of Sumatra.

"These are the memories of those we have loved and lost. And if we hold their stories deep in our hearts, then you can never take them away from us"