A last minute decision took us to Malaysia, a brief stopover between South East Asia and India. It felt as though we'd been skipping through countries at a fast pace, so we didn't plan to see too much of the country during our 8 days here, just enough to prevent travel boredom to set in!

We lolled around in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, enjoying the freezing jets of air-con in the flashy shopping centres, and visiting swanky bars with sweeping views of the KL metropolis. Being a cosmopolitan city, we enjoyed the mix of cultures and resulting food, Chinese, Malaysian, Indian, Thai - something different for breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Feeling lethargic from the heat we'd endured over the past umpteen months, we headed north to the Cameron Highlands, renowned for the tea plantations. Due to the altitude this place was cold, wet and damp, quite a relief to wear a coat and be cosy in bed with a blanket - simple things we've been missing! A trip out to the tea plantations and mossy forest was interesting and beautiful, the countryside reminiscent of the Postman Pat TV show, rolling green hills look like a cartoon or film set.

A few days passed and after a few walks in the countryside and developing colds, we took a bus across land to visit the Perhentian Islands. Claimed to be a tropical paradise, we were keen to spend a few days on a beach, diving and enjoy our final taste of sun, sea and sand on the trip. The two islands are still relatively relaxed, with calm waters and wonderful snorkeling and diving spots. We spent a few days diving in the waters, swimming besides a giant hawk-bill turtle while he munched his lunch, and going deep inside a sunken wreck, quite an experience as you couldn't even see your hand in front of your face due to the heavy current and sandy bottom!

We didn't fully explore Malaysia, it is deceivingly large and holds an abundance of sights and activities, much more than we could squeeze into 8 days. It was a welcome week of relaxation before we hit the madness of 'Incredible India'.