Before officially setting off, we went to Kuala Lumpur to rent a car. We wanted a Sedan model so the trunk could hold things, but not as massive as an SUV. The main reason was still the price, as a Myvi wasn’t suitable for our luggage needs, in the end we chose the Bezza. This cheap choice planted a “mine” for this trip; read on and you’ll know what the price of this cheapness was.

The plan was to start from Sekinchan and travel clockwise back to Sekinchan .

We departed from Sekinchan for Teluk Intan at noon. Our first stop was the Leaning Tower of Teluk Intan . Our first stop of the journey felt unfamiliar, not like traveling, but more like going somewhere far away for a meal. The weather was very hot, and the tower wasn’t open yet, so we had lunch first. Teluk Intan ’s city center has many one-way streets, especially during lunch hour when there are many cars, making it extremely difficult to find a parking space. Jayden had originally intended to use a GoPro to record things along the way, but constant recording didn’t allow his brain to rest, plus charging opportunities were rare. For the rest of the trip, the GoPro rarely turned on. After the afternoon itinerary, we went to tonight’s campsite.

After waking up, we first went to play in the river next to the campsite. The water was certainly cold, but on a misty morning, we needed this cold water to start the new day. Leaving the camp, we set off for Taiping . We passed through Ipoh without staying long because it’s too close to our daily life; we are too familiar with the place and it’s a tourist attraction.

In the morning, we went to ride a FlyTrike , an open-propeller aircraft. This perspective isn’t something you can experience in an enclosed plane; the entire town is at your feet, like Monopoly houses. For early morning flights, the upgrade package even allows you to fly near the port to see a beautiful sunrise. I suggest everyone get to know the map of Taiping before flying, because once you’re up there, the pilot introduces things and keeps pointing, but Jayden had no idea where he was pointing and couldn’t see it.

At noon, we visited the Telegraph Museum and Perak Museum . Taiping ’s museums are what we consider the best-managed museums in Malaysia; they are rich in humanities and history. Many “firsts” in Malaysia happened here, and historical sites are everywhere. The prison here is still operational, so it cannot be visited.

Just as we were finishing our museum visit and preparing to back out the car, the first collision occurred. Jayden didn’t trust the reverse radar, and an accident happened—hitting a fire hydrant that was lower than the trunk, a complete blind spot. Jayden was super nervous at the time; if it were his own car, his emotions would have calmed down quickly, but because it was a rental, ten thousand alpacas were galloping through his brain, wondering if he’d be ripped off big time. We left the museum in a very bad mood, and then at a very chaotic intersection, something else happened. The road markings weren’t clear, leading us to turn directly into the opposite lane to wait for a red light. As a result, oncoming traffic arrived, and there was nowhere to go but back, waiting for the lane to give us a space to squeeze in so the original road could function normally. Jayden was that “plug,” blocking the entire road. The first vehicle coming toward us was a very ill-tempered truck driver, gesturing at us. This was originally a simple matter, but because of the initial collision, Jayden ‘s thinking became increasingly confused, leading to more and more mistakes.

We left Taiping in the afternoon and arrived in Penang . With yesterday’s experience, we had to arrive at the campsite earlier to handle things, set up the tent while there was sunlight, and then leave the campsite earlier the next day to travel.

We chose a patch of grass and began setting up. Camping on grass means praying for no rain; once it rains, it turns into mud. As luck would have it, on only our second day of camping, a violent wind and rainstorm hit, and the tent began to leak. Even though it was a new tent, because it was a winter tent, the chimney area was held together by Velcro, so once the rain got heavy, it still leaked. Encountering such a situation for the first time was very panic-inducing, not knowing what to do or not do. Fortunately, we had a small backup tent, so we opened the small tent and slept inside—double leak protection. The rain got heavier, and underfoot began to be all mud; it was a slope, but luckily we were at a high point, so the water didn’t gather where we were.

The biggest concern while camping is power. Our power source was charging in the car, and then hoping for a place to charge at the campsite. Usually, you can bring an extension cord; we brought a five-meter one. Were we living too comfortably in our daily lives, thinking this length would be enough? Our suggestion is to bring at least a 30-meter to 50-meter extension cord before setting off, and ideally, it should have waterproof treatment.

In the morning, we departed from Penang for Kedah . We arrived at Alor Setar Tower at noon and found a nearby parking lot, which seemed to be private because an Indian man was sitting in a small hut at the exit. Strangely, when we prepared to drive away, he didn’t proactively come over to collect money; instead, we walked to the hut and gave him the money, thanking him for watching the car.

In the afternoon, we went to the Paddy Museum . We walked to a central pillar and went up, where we saw a 360-degree landscape, which was the scenery of the entire Kedah . At first glance, Jayden truly thought it was real; only when he got closer did he realize it was a painting. From afar, that panorama looked very realistic.

We visited UUM . Ahpey was very happy to return to his university. There weren’t many students as it was a school holiday; we only saw a school bus carrying some students passing us. We parked at the parking lot closest to the horse stable and walked over, but there was nothing inside; the horses had been moved, and the stable was being demolished. Then we drove a circle around the school, passing the gymnasium, grand hall, camel field, deer field, and dormitories to see if the monkeys were still stealing underwear.

In the morning, we went to the birthplace of Tun Dr. Mahathir to see what kind of home he lived in before. However, this place was moved from its original location rather than being at the original spot.

We also did laundry at a nearby laundromat before heading from Kedah to the Perlis campsite.

After finishing packing and leaving the campsite in the morning, we first went to Wang Kelian to see Malaysia from north to south. That’s one of the checkpoints on the Thai-Malaysian border . The tourist area is very exaggerated, with a lot of rainbow-colored things appearing, along with snack stalls and shuttle buses. Of course, we wouldn’t spend money on a shuttle bus; we definitely walked up. At the top, there were many tourists taking photos, and the sun was very harsh, so you could only hide in the snack stalls. It’s still suggested to go there super early; the time of the harsh sun is best spent traveling in the car.

In the morning, we went to Timah Tasoh Lake to see what was actually there. We went to the ticket office to see what services were available; there was a boating activity, but we didn’t have enough people. As it happened, a family came and asked if we wanted to share a boat, so we agreed and went on board. It was basically just looking at the scenery, with no special historical significance. During the process, Jayden even swapped places with the boatman; Jayden drove the boat while the boatman took photos.

At noon, we went to Titik Terpanas . Perlis is the hottest place in Malaysia ; there’s a thermometer here where you can see how many degrees it is. Getting to this thermometer was a bit difficult because it’s at a roundabout, so we had to pass it several times before knowing where to park on the roadside.

In the afternoon, we prepared to head to Danok , Thailand . Because Jayden had never experienced walking into a country, we chose to spend a night in Danok . This was also to cut down some of the journey to Kelantan , because the entire next section of the road has no place to stay overnight.

In the morning, we left Danok and began the long drive to Kelantan . The entire 400-kilometer road has no place to stay overnight; the only place to rest in the middle is a rest stop at a mountain top. Along the way, we were actually very expectant of seeing elephants, yet very afraid of actually seeing them. Jayden had been to Kelantan before for a friend’s wedding and had traveled here for a period of time, so we were quite familiar with the place.

In the evening, we went for dinner. We just randomly went to a highly-rated restaurant on Google Maps called Seam Dora Western Food . This shop had no menu; the owner just asked how many portions you wanted. I said one each. Then five minutes later, two portions of chicken chop arrived—it was just that simple.

In the morning, we first went to K4 Horse Riding Club for horseback riding.

Before leaving Kelantan at noon, we went to Nasi Kerabu Panji ; still had to eat the blue pea rice. After eating, we set off for Besut .

In the afternoon, we went to Bukit Bubus for paragliding (Besut Paragliding Tandem ). Jayden had tried many times, while Ahpey was trying paragliding for the first time; the feeling is very special, the sensation of both feet suspended in the sky. After it ended, we set off for Terengganu .

In the morning, preparing to leave the camp, we exchanged a few words with the owner. As it turned out, we were careless and didn’t check our equipment carefully, leaving our tent poles there. The owner called us to come back and get them, even carrying the item out to us.

In the morning, we went to eat NASI DAGANG ATAS TOL-BANDAR , which is also a famous rice to try. After eating, we went to the TG state museum at noon, which is acknowledged as the most beautiful museum.

In the afternoon, we went to Pusat Sains . Jayden has loved going to science museums since he was a child; this science museum has many categories and several floors, making it a good way to pass time. When entering, we had to register information; Jayden filled in a Hotmail address, and the staff member smiled at Jayden , wondering if it triggered her memories.

In the evening, we went out to find a street for dinner. After eating, we went to the fruit shop next door to buy a watermelon. After buying it, we went to the grocery store next door for some supplies and started chatting with the owner’s wife. We were there for about two hours. The owner was busy and would come over to say a few words from time to time; one of his sons was also helping out elsewhere. The owner’s wife sat by a table. At first, we were leaning against the entrance chatting with her for about an hour. The owner then asked if we wanted to sit down, and we sat and continued chatting for a long time. We shared the journey of these past few days, plus our future plans for New Zealand , and so on. Because the owner’s wife felt that these two young people pitching tents everywhere was beyond her understanding; her family is a large one, and every time they go out, there are many people.

The weather was very good in the morning, so we brought out yesterday’s watermelon to eat. What we couldn’t finish, we put into a thermos. Originally, we wanted to go to Cherating to surf, but it was the wrong season and we couldn’t find any place to learn surfing. We found a small path into a certain beach and sat down to eat the watermelon we prepared in the morning.

In the afternoon, we departed from Cherating for Sungai Lembing . It was only because the journey to the National Park was relatively far and we wanted to camp that we went into Sungai Lembing , which wasn’t on the direct route.

In the morning, we departed from Sungai Lembing for Taman Negara (National Park). We didn’t have much of a concept for our first trip to the National Park, only knowing that you couldn’t just enter. What we could do was choose an accommodation package. This package included accommodation, a boat trip to a primitive tribe, a night Safari , and mountain climbing and the canopy walk the next morning.

We arrived at noon. After eating, the first activity was taking a boat to visit a primitive tribe in the National Park . Although it’s a primitive tribe, because the government provides relief and aid, they have simple technology, like solar street lights; they also have ID cards and use mobile phones. I worry that their lives will deteriorate because of many tourists, as they become NPCs of a scenic spot. There, they showed us fire-making and blowpipe poison arrows, and we could buy their handmade products. Then we left by boat. The boat leaving was the same as the one coming, but the experience was different; your guide would find ways to get all of you wet. At first, you’d carefully avoid it, until you were soaked through and would join in.

The evening activity was a Safari . It wasn’t the most primitive trekking, but was on the trail next to Mutiara Resort —relatively safe, but actually not safe at all. Because although there’s a trail, you don’t know what’s beside it. Even when the lights were on, we didn’t necessarily see the animals there; for example, scorpions. You had to turn off the lights and use UV light to see that scorpions fluoresce. You’d see many, many giant versions of animals appearing before your eyes.

In the morning, we set off for mountain climbing and the canopy walk (Taman Negara Canopy Walk ). You have to take a boat across the National Park boundary (which is this river) to reach the port, unless you are staying in the Mutiara five-star resort inside; otherwise, every entry and exit from the National Park is by boat.

Taman Negara Canopy Walk

The world's longest canopy bridge at around 550 meters. Experience the rainforest from 45 meters above the ground in Malaysia's premier national park.

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There is a record here for once being the highest suspension bridge, currently in a semi-open state and often closed for maintenance. Because we had a guide who helped us queue for tickets, we didn’t know if it cost money; anyway, we didn’t pay anything. We climbed the mountain, and the guide waited for us at the suspension bridge halfway down. After a short wait, we could get on the bridge.

Because today was the last day, we were actually ready to leave, but because the package included a lunch, we intended to skip it and leave early. Ahpey went to ask if it was being prepared; if not, it wouldn’t be needed. As it turned out, they were almost ready and pleaded for us to stay and eat. It was truly interesting; we don’t quite like this feeling, too awkward, not wanting to be the focus. After finishing lunch, we left the National Park for Jerantut .

In the afternoon, after leaving the National Park , Jayden went to find a friend for a meal. Living in a remote place like Jerantut , it’s not somewhere you just visit on a whim, and it had been many years since we last met. After finishing at two, we continued driving toward Kuantan .

In the afternoon, we arrived in Kuantan to find teachers and friends. Having been to this place several times, we didn’t have plans to go anywhere specific, just to find friends and teachers for a meal. We ate dinner very late, and even if there were campsites, we didn’t have time to set up the tent, so we stayed at a teacher’s house.

After eating breakfast, we went to look around the Kuantan 188 Tower , although we didn’t buy tickets to go up. Then we set off for the next place. In the morning, we stopped at Muzium Sultan Abu Bakar (Muzium Pahang ). Unfortunately, it was under renovation and not open. Then we went to the nearby railway cafe, Gerabak Kopi . This is a cafe inside a train, a standard place for tourists.

At noon, we set off for Mersing , then drove toward Desaru . This stretch of the drive from Kuantan encountered a hilly road section after rain. After the uphill came a downhill with an immediate right turn. Normally there shouldn’t be any problem, but the car went airborne for a moment, and since the car didn’t have ABS, it skidded—spinning to the right first and then to the left, finally stopping on the grass on the left. It almost hit the roadside guardrail. Jayden experienced a real 360-degree car spin.

In the afternoon, we went to a place called Hidden Viewpoint Penyabong . This was a place we thought was on the way and turned into, only to find it was a dead end. But we still opened our chairs at a certain beach and spent time eating snacks there.

In the morning, we left Desaru for Johor Bahru . Johor was the first time this trip felt like driving into a city; in other places, we basically didn’t go to their city centers, but Johor was unavoidable.

In the afternoon, we went to the Go Kart place Jayden had been longing for (Plentong Karting ). This is the longest go-kart track, and high-end cars can reach a top speed of 160kph. The road into this place was also very rugged, having to cross an oil palm plantation; the road wasn’t good, and the overall facilities weren’t great, but it didn’t affect Jayden ‘s passion for racing. Not having a timer was indeed difficult because Jayden had no idea about his speed or time. Jayden experienced two sessions and then left.

At three in the afternoon, we went to find friends who were Jayden ‘s university friends from when he studied in Taiwan . We first visited the Starwish Parenting Academy opened by a friend, chatting and catching up. By evening, we went for dinner together.

In the morning, we originally wanted to go to Legoland . A friend had an annual pass, and we could have cheated the system to save a big sum of money, but our time didn’t allow it, so we cancelled the plan. It sounded exciting but wasn’t put into practice.

In the morning, we set off for Forest City . We went to see the mega project, and it truly looked like a ghost town—nothing there. Some shops were still operating, but there was no foot traffic. There was a park open to everyone for free water play, which Jayden liked. Around noon, we went to Putuo Village . In the afternoon, we went to Kluang ‘s Rail Coffee .

By dinner time, we ate at a very terrible and expensive place called Liong Kee Steamboat . Jayden truly doesn’t understand hotpot; it’s just a way of eating that hands the chef’s job to you. You can’t blame the chef for being bad because you are the chef, but when Jayden believes in his culinary skills, the poor ingredients will be magnified. Jayden says this having grown up eating seafood; he can’t name every fish, but he knows if it’s fresh or not. What KL people call fresh is unqualified in my book, so don’t use the same standard. Spending RM160 at a Hawker store left me with much regret; there were more choices, the chicken rice next door could provide 15 plates.

In the morning, we set off to participate in SKYTREX Adventure . This activity was much simpler than imagined; the money felt a bit wasted.

We booked this activity, but we booked the wrong date, so we had to bypass Muar and go to Melaka for this activity, then return to explore Muar . In the afternoon, we drove constantly, from Melaka back to Muar at noon, and from Muar back to Melaka in the afternoon, driving back and forth crazily between these two places.

At nine in the morning, we visited the Melaka Prison Museum (Prison Museum ). Although there wasn’t anything particularly special, you could see the contraband made by prisoners at the time—truly mind-opening. Seeing the execution place from back then, they only left a small window for you to look through, to avoid you losing sleep at night.

At noon, we went to the Museum Customs . While visiting, officials also came in to visit. Visiting this kind of museum, with all the contraband inside, felt like doing something bad. It was mainly seeing various things people smuggled—everything was there.

In the afternoon, we went to the Malacca Submarine Museum . This was the first time entering the interior of a submarine; it was truly oppressive. Jayden found a selfie stick inside the submarine; this selfie stick accompanied us for a long time afterward, eventually remaining in New Zealand . In the afternoon, we left Melaka for Negeri Sembilan .

After waking up, we didn’t pack the tent but went mountain climbing first, which was the famous Tanjung Tuan (Cape Rachado). It has the oldest lighthouse in Malaysia and is a great place to see the sea. We had a meal before returning to pack.

Cape Rachado Lighthouse

A historical lighthouse offering panoramic views of the Malacca Strait.

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In the morning at the Negeri Sembilan campsite, we knew this was the last time we’d set up a tent this trip. We weren’t in a hurry and slowly organized the photos, also rarely opening the GoPro to record our tent packing a few times.

Leaving the camp and entering the city, what Jayden disliked most was traffic congestion. The only places with congestion the entire trip were Kuala Lumpur and Johor . This feeling of congestion is the kind where you have cars in front, behind, left, and right; anywhere you go is wrong, and only by being more aggressive than others will there be a road. Jayden truly doesn’t understand this concept of traffic; if everyone followed the same set of rules, this kind of terrible traffic wouldn’t appear. Everyone is too selfish, and the result is everyone being slow together.

Then we went to Putrajaya Challenge Park . Unfortunately, there were no bicycle rentals or similar services. There were many things to play with but no equipment. The off-road bike trails here are very rich, with all levels of difficulty. The climbing gym was the only one providing rental services, with a speed climbing module. The most exciting was certainly the ultra-high Lead sport climbing . Unfortunately, we didn’t have a license, and we weren’t very interested in Top rope , so we just visited.

Finally, we went home. We had to return to Sekinchan first to unload all the luggage, then return to KL to return the car. This road home felt like everything was accepted. What left the deepest impression was the heavy rain while passing through the Toll . Passing through this place and returning to my familiar roads, I would be home in two hours, finally able to have a good sleep.