MY14 Pre-trip warm up

It is just under a week until Tight Arse Travel is off again, this time for a two-week sojourn in Malaysia. We have stayed a few nights in Kuala Lumpur over the past 3 years; poor flight connections with cheap airlines, and the opportunity for a quick look whetted our appetite. We liked what we saw, and on the recommendation of other travellers decided that the time was ripe for a proper investigation of another of our South-East Asian neighbours. That and an extraordinarily cheap return ticket!

 Image: Man Vs World - http://www.manversusworld.com/for-the-best-view-of-the-petronas-towers/

This time we are upping the ante – Tight Arse goes Light Arse; we are attempting our first trip without checked baggage.

Since the big Bali mountain biking extravaganza of 2013, we have been reading about one-bag travel and think we are ready to attempt a one-bag trip. That said, we two tight arses have paid for one checked bag between us just in case we go crazy buying wooden dolphins or there is run-out sale of Tiger Balm. We will be taking one bag each on the outward leg, but if we need extra capacity, we will buy a cheap bag for the dolphins and Tiger Balm and check it in for the homeward leg.

The aim is to not only keep costs down, but decrease the time and hassle spent checking in and picking up bags from the carousel. Travelling in the tropics makes this proposal easier as there is no need to pack bulky or warm clothes; it may be a tougher gig trying it in a colder clime.

On previous trips we have tried to keep the stuff we pack to a minimum; especially clothes, but invariably we always take things we do not use, prompting us to cut down even more this time. Hopefully we have not forgotten anything, but if we have, we will have fun trying to find it in Malaysia. It feels quite liberating knowing that the only bag you have to worry about, is the one on your back.

We have both purchased Kathmandu Shuttle cargo 40l bags. They are designed to be the maximum size airlines allow as carry-on, and after a test pack, we have both come in around the 5kg mark, well under the 7kg airline limit for carry-on - look out for a bag review later.

Image: Kathmandu - http://www.kathmandu.com.au/packs-and-bags/hybrids/shuttle-cargo-v4-black-1.html

        

The plan so far is to spend the first few days in KL exploring the delights of the capital, then fly to Johor Bahru (JB) and check out the house and street I lived in when my Father was posted to Singapore in the British Navy. We were going to take the Jungle Railway to Tumpat in the far northeast near the Thai border and spend some time beach bumming. KTM, the Malay railways put paid to that idea as they have shut down day-time trips for two years while they work on the line during the day; that journey will have to wait for another trip.

So now the plan is to bus it from JB to Melaka and check out the heritage listed trading port for a few days, then head further north to Pulau Pangkor, a small island about halfway between KL and Penang on the west coast for some coastal relaxing. Pangkor does not have the pulling power of the more well known Penang or Langkawi, but it also lacks the crowds of drunk westerners looking for a good time. We are looking forward to some beach time and hopefully some snorkelling, maybe a jungle trek, and a cycle or scooter around the island.

Then it is back to KL for the last two days for a significant birthday dinner before heading home.

We are looking forward to some warmth after a particularly bitter Southern Australian winter, some tasty food, and maybe a few cold beverages! But most of all we are looking forward to being in a foreign country, interacting with the locals, and enjoying whatever comes our way.