Crossing the border into Malaysia the difference in people and attitudes was instant. People suddenly werent trying to sell us things, but were simply happy to say Hello. And even though we had travelled on just an overnight train the faces grinning at us were completely different, a mixture of Chinese, Indian and Malay faces, many adorned with headscarves with not an inch of skin on show. Kates wardrobe suddenly became very limited in an attempt to not offend anyone - we arent in Thailand anymore!

Our first destination in Malaysia was the Perhentian islands off the east coast. A speedboat whisked us across the sea at an alarming speed leaving rather shaky when we disembarked at a little cove called Coral Bay. Within minutes we were so chilled out we were horizontal. After being slightly dissapointed with the overdevelopment of Thailands islands, this was perfect, just a string of tiny wooden beachuts and cafes with tables in the water. The snorkelling too was incredible; we thought it wise to test the policy of our boat driver Jeffery's claim "No see turtle, no pay", thinking it likely we would have a potentially free trip. Obviously we were glad to pay up when he found us three enourmous ones, but would have happily parted with the cash anyway as he took us to Shark bay where we swam above and along with five hefty Blacktip reef sharks. Although we saw bigger in the GBR, this time we could actually follow the sharks around watching their morning hunt, truly showing us what incredibly graceful yet deadly beasts they are.

A 5am start, a very long and a very much not air conditioned 11 hour train ride later we made it to the gateway to Taman Negara - Malaysia's mainland jungle National Park. Ignoring the tourist board recommended boat ride to the park did save us a lot of time and money, but brought us face to face with the reality of what used to be Malaysia's jungle, and is now, for miles upon miles upon miles, Palm Oil plantations. These soulless rows of boring palms are here (in place of what was obviously once beautiful primary rainforest) due to global demand for Palm Oil (largely for soap and 'Biofuel'). I cant profess to be an expert on the subject, far from it, but what I do know is this; how can Biofuel possibly be green if it is the major cause of habitat loss to endangered (and now almost extinct) species such as the once numerous Asian Tigers, Elephants and Rhinocerous? Ive signed petitions encouraging the British Government to enforce correct labelling of our cleaning products, meaning people will know whether their soap contains Palm Oil or not, but if Im honest, until i saw the destruction of a supposedly protected piece of land first hand, I really wasnt aware of what a major problem it was. Obviously if we had taken the tourism board recommended boat we would have been spared this disgusting sight, as the riverbank itself remains untouched and so provides the illusion that you are journeying into the heart of darkness in Taman Negara, but this really isnt the case. It goes without saying that we didnt really see very much wildlife in Taman Negara, as the trekking trails, leech infested though they were (surely the most disgusting of all earth's creatures?!), never strayed far from the sounds of logging and industry. The forests themselves were great, and Im sure if we had the time to venture further into the depths of the park we would have been rewarded with a more authentic jungle experience. Bit as it was, I am still glad we went, if only to raise our own (and hopefully anyone reading this) awareness of the destruction caused by Palm Oil.

We are now in Kuala Lumpur, an intensely vibrant and busy city, and one we already really like. Easy to explore both on foot and by the brilliant Monorail, its cleaner and a lot more interesting than the smog of Bangkok. The main reason we have instantly fallen for KL's charms however, is the food. Because so many different communities and cultures are so close and mingled together, walking the streets of Chinatown and Little India has led to some seriously satisfying snacking! Curry for breakfast? Yes please. This morning we have feasted on Roti Canai - a kind of puff pastry based pancake filled with egg and banana, with a bowl of curry to dip it in. On paper surely a disaster, but in practice its another story entirely!