Hi Craig, yes, Malaysia has a lot to offer. I have to admit that KL is not my favorite city... I find it rather dull. I certainly respect your wish to slow it down this trip - your India trip meant you were on the move every minute.

I'd recommend you think about either all Malaysian Borneo - Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and BRL if you're up for it - or all peninsular Malaysia - Penang, maybe Lankawi, maybe a spot in the Cameron Highlands (where Jim Thompson disappeared).

I do prefer Singapore to KL.

i looked at brunei a while ago and did not see any reason to ever go there...

we have been langkawi and loved it....its has a remote feeling, some lovely resorts: bon ton and datai come to mind and a four seasons...

we look forward to penang this fall and take a look at clove hall as a place to stay... it has jeane written all over it...

remember malaysia is perhaps the most developed economically of all the SEA countries except singapore and as such tends to be a bit more modern despite its muslim backbone... i find it the least interesting also... I have not been to see the apes and am not sure its worth the effort when time is of the essence... shopping is ok but not fabulous...K/L is like singapore with huge malls but few interesting little shops...

btw...no future planning is allowed until pics of the last trip are available for general consumption!!!

I think we are looking for a more relaxed, slower paced trip with more outdoorsy stuff without worrying about tourist infrastructure...

I have to agree with Bob (!). Because peninsular Malaysia is so developed economically, I found it less interesting. I would go with Kathie's suggestion and consider spending more time on Borneo than on the peninsula.

I thought KL was ok, it holds the same level of interest for me that Singapore does (2 nights is plenty).

Have you thought about going to the basement of the AL East? I know it's been quite a while since you've been there and things may have changed.

Right now the entire AL East is in the basement. See you April 4th when the good guys from the Bronx arrive in Bean-town...

"Good guys from the Bronx"? An oxymoron of the first order. Do you ever see a sign that says"Go Home Red Sox?" Nope. Did the owner of the Red Sox ever get convicted for a felony? Nope. Did the OP root for Darth Vader in the Styar Wars movies? Yep!

Craig,

Does Bean-town meet your requirement for your next destination? Quote "diversified experience - some history, some city, some beach, some country/villages, history, moderate hiking, wildlife(Gpanda), snorkeling and local tribal culture (photo ops)". If I'm not wrong the only thing they don't have there is snorkeling.

Pook-while the snorkeling is not great up here, there are lots of scuba divers and many dive shops. Two weeks in Boston in February would be a dream vacation for a Yankee fan that lives in Hartford. The village of Cambridge is particularly quaint.

Pook and Gpanda, unfortunately Bean-town cannot be reached by traveling half-way around the world via airports that are affected unpredictably by bad weather. Also, the political atmosphere in Cambridge, while much improved as a result of the recent senatorial election is still rather depressing. So I'm afraid I have to rule out a trip to the area next February.

wise decision craig....

OK, this thread has lost its direction. Back to Malaysia and the OP's questions concerning 12-13 days of travel. Singapore is defnitely worth 2-3 days, if you have not been there.

Also interested in Malaysia just after Christmas. We were there at that time of year four years ago-Langkawi, Penang and KL. My husband is particularly keen on staying in Bon Ton where we ate. I loved Langkawi but was ready to leave after five days and don't feel I want to return for a week. Is there anywhere else similar in Malaysia but to which we haven't been?
Sorry Craig but I think that the answers to this will be very much what you are looking for too!

Langkawi is a beach resort area. Are you just looking for another beach resort in Malaysia or was there something else about Langkawi you are looking for, Frances?

Malaysia has lots of beautiful coastline.

Kathie, I am looking at Kuching and the unique experience you had there with Hornbill - not sure if this should be a priority. We see a trip that involves Singapore, Georgetown (Penang), some place on Sabah (maybe BRL, maybe not) plus either Langkawi or Kuching. I'm pretty clear on what Langkawi is about but for Kuching, I don't have a clue. Can you provide some insight? I should mention that we are going to Kuaui (one of your favorite destinations) in October so we don't need to OD on beach destinations unless Langkawi is really unique.

Craig, we loved Kuching, and not just because of Hornbill, though she was wonderful.

It's a charming small city. Situated on the banks of a river, there is a lovely river walk along the waterfront. Chinese shophouses across from the river hold an interesting variety of businesses including small stores selling crafts, traditional weavings, even the local rice and peppercorns. (If you go, I might ask you to bring back some locally-cured peppercorns. We've run out!) There is a "Little India" area that we enjoyed wandering through and shopping a bit and a local cultural museum.

From Kuching, you can get to Bako (it's on our list for next trip) and Sepilok. You can also drive to to Damai (20-30 minutes), a beach resort area that also has great seafood places.

Kuching is the kind of place where we immediately thought "We could live here!"

The food is excellent. Lots of fresh seafood, and the local foods are an interesting ethnic mix. Kuching Laksa is wonderful. We also ate some interesting jungle foods, midrin and ferns that were excellent (rather like eating fiddleheads).

We also visited the nursery of the "Orchid King" (if you or Jeane have read the Orchid Thief).

Let me know if you need restaurant recs for Kauai.

Sorry Craig I'm hijacking again!
We are coming from the U.K. and so I would love time in the sun and to swim but I can't do that for a week. I enjoyed what there was to see in Langkawi(and Penang which I think was just about THE most interesting place I've ever been)I want to see culture at leisure and good local food-not necessarily haute cuisine.We may only have a week and so it needs to be accessible from an airport. Hotel full of character and I would be a really happy bunny! (The character and hotel bit and food is why my husband wants to go to Bon Ton!

So kathy ..is Kuching similar to Malacca on the main peninsula? We had a lovely laid back/leisurely 3-4 days just walking around the town. I am looking at my Eyewitness travel guide for Malaysia and it looks like a few days in town and a few doing things in the surrounding area would make a nice stop.

No, Kuching is different. Everything in Sabah and Sarawak is culturally different from the rest of Malaysia. The traditional tribal cultures (especially in Sarawak) are still present.

Karen, Kuching is a difficult "stop" on a longer trip unless you are spending time in Sabah and Sarawak. You can fly to Kuching from KL or Singapore; likewise you can fly to Kota Kinabalu from KL or Singapore. And you can fly between Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Sounds like an itinerary consisting of Singapore, Penang/Georgetown, Kuching and a rain-forest resort on Sabah would be ideal.

Bob, In Georgetown, Clove Hall looks great - look forward to hearing about it. How much time do you think we need on the island?

If we were doing Langkawi, we would choose Bon Ton for sure - wish we had time.

Kathie, there is a new place in Kuching, an Accor hotel - the Pullman, that looks great. The side trips you mentioned all look worthwhile - could spend at least 3-4 days here.

In Sabah, top choice at the moment is the Last Frontier Boutique Resort near Sandankan out of many, many options.

Any reco's for Singapore? I have always thought the Ritz Carlton was the best place for views and atmosphere but maybe there is a better situated, better value some where else?

Craig, you have lots of wonderful options! I'm also looking forward to hearing about Clove Hall. We loved the E&O, but Clove Hall looks like a great experience. I'd want 3-4 days in Georgetown; we had 5 full days.

I looked at the Pullman Hotel in Kuching. While I'm sure the hotel is very nice, I have to say that I don't like the location as well as the Hilton. Now, I'm not a Hilton person (I usually find Hilton Hotels to be disappointing) but the Hilton in Kuching was both lovely and well-located. Being just across the street from the river was great! It meant we were a short stroll from the most interesting shopping in town. We had a suite on a Club floor.

My favorite hotel in SIngapore is the Fairmont. Great hotel, great location atop a shopping complex (Raffles City) and an MRT station. I'm of the opinion that one can't go wrong with the Ritz-Carlton, but I find the location not as convenient in terms of the MRT.

This sounds like a great trip, Craig.

Oh, I forgot to mention that I googled the place you are thinking about in Sabah. Some of the website is still under construction so the only thing I could find about getting to see the denizens of the rainforest was the boat ride. Do they give you a guide and two or three walks a day? For us, that was a really special part of staying at the BRL. We talked with a couple at the BRL who had been in the area of the place you are thinking about and they enjoyed the boat ride, but where they were staying, the boat was the only way to view the wildlife.

I forgot to mention that you can visit longhouse villages from Kuching. We didn't get a chance to do it, but I would want to go next time.

Kathie, this will probably tell you what you need to know - at least it has convinced me:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303997-d1181005-Reviews-The_Last_Frontier_Boutique_Resort-Sandakan_Sabah.html

According to the reviews and the website, there are a couple of boat rides and one very hot morning walk which is about all we are willing to deal with - the amount of wildlife seen was significant in all reviews.

We would want to visit a longhouse village but not stay in one overnight as many tourists seem to do.

our plan is to stay 3 nites in georgetown....maybe not quite enough but it fits with our schedule and leaves us time for singapore....

in sin we are staying at the intercontinental....lcuy sings its praises....we got a good rate with friends and family-- i have that link if you need it...

Craig, the reviews sound good. I was surprised at the complaints about the walk being so hot. Perhaps the Danum Valley is at higher altitude or maybe it's the amount of shade. But the only time I complained of the heat was on the hike where we went straight up the mountain.

Frances, take a look at Cicerone's comments about Malaysian beaches on this thread:
www.fodors.com/community/asia/best-beaches-in-malaysia-and-vietnam-in-august.cfm

Thank you. I think though that the weather on the East coast is not going to be good in december / Jan which is why I was looking at the West. I really fancied what you said about Kuching until I read what the average rainfall was in Jan!

Craig - did you decided if you were going to Langkawi or not? I see you mentioned Bon Ton, we stayed there a couple of years ago and LOVED it (best food too of the trip). However do you like cats and creaky old houses????

Nicky, we will likely skip Langkawi and Bon Ton on this trip. There is just not enough time to do that and the other things we want to accomplish. Also, we plan on getting our tropical island resort fix this October with a week on Kauai.