Take The Path Less Ordinary

“MAPS encourage boldness. They’re like cryptic love letters. They make anything seem possible” - Mark Jenkins, in To Timbuktu
We know beginners to Malaysia usually pop aspirins before attempting to decipher maps provided by the internet or guidebooks. Don’t blame them. These maps are usually linked with too many names and irrelevant routes, all done in [...]

The jungle holds nothing back, neither do these ladies.
Recently we played host to an awesome group of intrepid ladies and they certainly showed the jungle what they are made of.
All were mommies with families living in KL. It was a female bonding trip planned weeks ahead to escape the shackles of city life.
Armed with “anything [...]

Rugged places, flower patches and a whole lot of leeches. “Now I know why you asked for our weight, height and fitness when we signed up for this trek”, quipped Kasey between huffing and puffing on the gruesome uphill trail.
We recently hosted a lovely couple, Kasey and Michele from New Jersey US, into raw [...]

Everyone loves doing something different on weekends.
Organized by OO, the normally dull jungle villages of Orang Asli ignited with excitement when four Danish families arrived on a balmy Saturday overflowing with the spirit of charity. Driving all the way from Kuala Lumpur, expatriate family members generously gave away cargoes of toys, food, cooking oil and [...]

“Hi, my name is Firas and I am travelling solo in Malaysia and will be in Ipoh between 22nd and 26th Dec. I am looking for people to do a local trip with Outskirt Outreach near Ipoh. Ideally, I am looking to do a jungle trip, 1 day or overnight trip, but am open to [...]

The Tokeley siblings family memoir reads like a Malaysian history book.

When their father first set foot on the shores of Penang, he was only a kid. Malaya, then it was known, became home since. The Englishman toiled together with the multi-ethnic population in nation building and even suffered the brunt of Japanese invasion that saw [...]

Named after the rainforest’s most poisonous tree, in contrast, Ipoh has all the antidote a traveler ever need.
Ipoh is roughly 200 km north (1.5 - 2 hrs drive) capital Kuala Lumpur and 140 km south (1.5 hrs drive) from Penang island. Hence, Ipoh is a convenient pitstop and a good base if one is [...]

The show must go on.
There’s no providence for bad weather - or even bad hair day. This is the mantra that is indoctrinated into everyone who plays a role, no matter how small. There are cues for meals, prayers, sleep, act, sing and the day goes by almost like clockwork. Every move is thoroughly scripted [...]

Thaipusam hurts. Like hell.
As the cacophony of chants and chaos intensifies, the priest stabs a 20cm rod across a man’s cheeks, sending him wild into deep trance. He trembles, grunts and suddenly stares coldly at us. Gosh, did we do something wrong? We could hear our heart throb.
The next moment, the possessed man turns away [...]

Ipoh is a town smacked in between capital Kuala Lumpur and Penang. So, if you’re thinking of winging any interesting sites in this region, Medan Gopeng bus station should be the epicenter of your public transport muse. The first thing that strikes one about Medan Gopeng is its locality which is slightly on the outskirt [...]