{"id":9654,"date":"2025-12-28T06:37:13","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T06:37:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/?p=9654"},"modified":"2026-01-06T03:45:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T03:45:15","slug":"a-very-merry-christmas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/2025\/12\/a-very-merry-christmas\/","title":{"rendered":"A Very Merry Christmas…!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A Christmas display at our hotel in Penang.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Our first week away got off to a great start, with cantilevered swimming pools, death-defying walks around the tops of buildings, and more: one week down, 11 to go. We should start settling into a bit of a routine now…?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week we are flying to Kuala Lumpur, where we begin a 4 week stay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Week 2 – Sunday<\/em><\/strong> 21st December – Saturday 27th December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunday 21st December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a bad night’s sleep, H wakes up with a cold. A couple of days before, Del had been fighting one off for a few days, but now H has fallen victim to it. She stays in bed and tries to sleep while Del goes out for breakfast. He goes to the coffee shop around the corner, one we have already been to, and he has another Sandos<\/em>. <\/p>\n\n\n

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A typical Nasi Kandar<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

By lunchtime, H is feeling a little less tired, so we go to a nearby Nasi Kandar<\/a> <\/em>vendor. Nasi Kandar is a local dish of fried chicken on rice with okra and lashings of spicy sauce on top. There is a big queue of locals, A good sign, and we can see why. It\u2019s delicious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We take it easy today and sit by the pool, reading. For dinner tonight, we start with some satay chicken near our hotel, which is the best ever; a fantastic peanut sauce with big chunks of onion. We move on to a street food area to have a highly rated Char Kway Teow<\/a><\/em>, a stir-fry dish of noodles and prawns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The best satay. So far.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Typical Penang street food stalls. There are hundreds of these everywhere.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We walk around the dozens of pretty streets afterwards, looking at all the cute art galleries and bars. <\/p>\n\n\n

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H tries a Durian Ice Cream. Read on dear reader to find out more about durian…<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Monday 22nd December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Breakfast number 1 (Chinese style)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Today it’s Del\u2019s birthday<\/strong>. To save weight, he had his gifts before we left, so he just has his cards to open. (Thanks to all of you for your cards and best wishes…). We go out for breakfast to a place recommended by the hotel and have a light breakfast of kaya<\/a><\/em>, a rich coconut-flavour spread popular in Malaysia, toast and eggs. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Breakfast number 2 (Indian style)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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While walking around after breakfast number 1, we find a place that does roti<\/a><\/em>, we\u2019ve been trying to find this for a while, so we decide to go in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Del goes a bit mad and has roti and chicken curry, H just has roti with an egg. The place is full of locals, we are the only ‘westerners’, and it’s a bit rustic, shall we say, but the food is delicious. The indian guy who runs it is always grinning. He spends a bit of time with us, grinning and chatting away. Nice chap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After breakfast number 2, we wander around taking in the sights and the street art that the area is famous for. Georgetown is a lovely place, and somewhere we\u2019d like to return to. The food here is some of the best we have had. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On our walk we pass a Mosque that encourages visits, so we go in. Today is swelteringly hot and Del is given a shawl to cover his legs and H is gven a full length robe with hood. <\/p>\n\n\n

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It’s very interesting as we are taken around the different areas and have everything explained by the friendly guide. It’s not long though until H starts feeling light headed due to the heat and has to sit down and be given water. She recovers and after half an hour we leave, our guide has failed to convert us but we have learnt things and it’s all very friendly with Del getting a hug off our guide before we leave. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tonight we will visit Batu Ferrenghi<\/em>, which is a popular beach area north of us, about 45 minutes away in a cab (which costs \u00a34.50). <\/p>\n\n\n

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Happy Birthday Del…!<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

First, we have a cocktail on the roof at our hotel to toast Del\u2019s birthday. There is a house on fire down below, and huge flames are coming from the roof. 5 fire engines rush to it, but not before the top floor has been destroyed. We hope everyone is ok…<\/p>\n\n\n

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“Burning down the house…”<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

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Batu Ferrenghi is very, very busy, a complete contrast to Georgetown, with beach bars playing loud music. We walk to the end of the beach, where we are trying to find a Middle Eastern restaurant that is highly recommended. The only spot left is on bean bags on the beach with a small table, so we take them. A fire show starts right in front of us, and we can feel the heat from the flames as we eat, as a dozen young guys juggle with fire and spit flames out of their mouths. You know what they say about playing with fire…! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The food is delicious. Dinner done, we walk around the night market and have a last drink on the beach, before catching a cab back to our hotel. A good day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tuesday 23rd December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Goodbye Penang.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We are leaving today to fly to Kuala Lumpur. Somehow our packing has expanded. How does it do that? We bought a bigger bag a couple of days ago, and we manage to fill that very quickly and very easily. We had been travelling with a very small second bag, so it was needed. We will leave the small bag behind; someone will use it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a short flight to Kuala Lumpur; in fact, the taxi ride from the airport to the city centre of Kuala Lumpur is longer, even though our cab driver drives like a maniac. 140km\/h in a 90, tailgating, stomping on the brakes hard, all that kind of thing. We meet with our Airbnb host and get the keys for the flat we are renting for 4 weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flat is fantastic, modern and well designed with a balcony and a view of the Petronas Towers, and the whole of the city from our 21st floor apartment<\/a>. Amazing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The whole building staggers us with large, beautiful public areas, 2 pools and 2 gyms. There\u2019s even a grand piano, drum kit and guitar room you can reserve. It’s quite a place built above a huge modern shopping mall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have dinner in one of the restaurants in the mall as it\u2019s raining heavily. They are offering a birthday week free cake, so H arranges it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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More satay…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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More cake…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They play happy birthday and bring the cake over with a candle. Sweet. We shop for some basics for the flat and then go back and admire the view as the city starts to light up. We watch Jurassic Park tonight. Turns out Del has never seen it, and after seeing the dinosaur attraction last week at The Top in Penang, he’s keen now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Wednesday 24th December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we are going to explore some malls. In Malaysia, malls are a big thing, more so at Christmas when they put on some amazing displays at the entrances. The Pavilion Mall<\/em><\/a> is a high-end designer mall with spectacular Christmas displays. It\u2019s Christmas Eve, so it\u2019s very busy. There are more people just looking at the displays than actually buying things, though. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Malaysian malls are just something else…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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We have lunch in a nearby local place, the Capitol Cafe<\/a><\/em>. They do the best Nasi Lemak<\/a><\/em> in Malaysia, so we give it a go. It’s true, it is very good. For 2 meals and 2 drinks, the bill is \u00a34.50. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, we move on to Berjaya Times Square<\/a>,<\/em> a huge mall with 9 floors, and it has a theme park inside it, complete with Malaysia\u2019s biggest coaster<\/em><\/a>. We can actually see it from our balcony, which makes H beam… We will come back another day when we\u2019re not so full of Malaysian food. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An indoor roller coaster<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We make our way to our local mall, where we do a bit of grocery shopping and buy some Christmas treats. We\u2019re not too hungry, so we get a takeaway of noodles and eat it on our balcony with a glass of wine, admiring the Kuala Lumpur skyline. Excellent<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cheers…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Welcome to our new home…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Thursday 25th December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy Christmas, everyone<\/em><\/strong>. We did our Christmas presents back home before we left, so we just exchange christmas cards and then go to the gym. To cool off, we go to our swimming pool 35 floors up, which has amazing views with a see-through section in the shape of a circle allowing you to look down all 35 floors!. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What’s this…?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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H floating 35 flloors up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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We brought your cards with us….<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Cheers, and merry Christmas to you all…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We have a nice, relaxed day. H pops to the shops and gets caught in a rainstorm, while Del does the ironing (on Christmas Day!). Later, we enjoy a very nice glass of fizz on the balcony and watch the city light up. Then, we go out for a delicious Japanese dinner at a restaurant next door to us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fried chicken set<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Okonomiyaki<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A glass, or two of chilled sake<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Our Japanese “Christmas dinner”<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Friday 26th December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We slept very well last night, finally. Today is very humid, and our windows all have condensation on them, but on the outside! <\/p>\n\n\n

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Looking for a bag or watch. You’ll get it here.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Today, we are heading out to Chinatown and the markets. This is the place to get all your fake watches, bags and clothes. There are also lots of very good and interesting food stalls. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

H has lost her sunglasses in Penang, so she needs to get another pair but just a basic pair; the markets are full of the usual fake designer goods; it\u2019s a big thing in Asia, and no one ever seems to crack down on it. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Cendol. A Malay dessert.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

We walk around for a while, but it\u2019s very hot and humid, so we try a local sweet dish called Cendol<\/a><\/em>, which is shaved ice coated with coconut juice served with red beans, sweetcorn and pandan jelly. We\u2019re not sure about the beans and corn taste; it\u2019s rather weird. At least we\u2019ve tried it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We move on to the KLCC mall and outdoor park right next to the Petronas Towers. The towers are huge when you get close up. Inside the mall, it\u2019s crazy busy. It\u2019s too much for us, so we grab a sushi lunch from a rather good supermarket and some exotic fruits that H wants to try. We find a place to sit outside to eat our sushi and watch the world go by. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The famous Petronas Towers and park.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n
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Back at the flat, H tries her fruits, mangosteens and rambutans, both delicious. The rambutans are like firmer lychees, and the mangosteens are sweet and tropical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For dinner, we go to a local mall and have a Malaysian curry. As we have said already, malls are a big thing here for the locals. They are nothing like malls in the UK or the US; they are a way of life here in Malaysia. The locals do like to shop and eat, and these malls are just vibrant and alive, full of colour and sound. Have you ever been in a US mall…? They are like libraries! People just shuffling around, sucking on king-sized fizzy drinks or shakes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The food courts are not full of chain stores selling the same old stuff, there are local resturants and the one we are heading for is cheap, clean and highly rated. It doesn’t disappoint…!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Saturday 27th December 2025<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a session at the gym, we head over to a nearby escape room that we have booked. We\u2019ve done a few of these in different countries, and the ones here are very good value. We are deposited into a prison cell and given 45 minutes to escape. We do ok, we miss a couple of things and need a couple of hints, but we work through the 3 rooms and eventually figure it out. It\u2019s good fun, and we will definitely do another one; there are quite a few available within walking distance of the flat.<\/p>\n\n\n

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7 floors of shiny new joy!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Del has spotted a mall nearby that has 7 floors of tech stuff, computers, phones, all that kind of stuff. H leaves him to it and goes back to the flat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By now it\u2019s getting on for dinner time, and we try an Indian restaurant called the Indian Empire<\/a><\/em> that has excellent reviews. It doesn\u2019t disappoint, we have pani poori<\/em><\/a>, little pastry balls of spice and chick peas that you pour a spicy sauce into and pop in your mouth (H gets reprimanded for cutting one up<\/em>!). This is followed by butter chicken and chicken tikka masala, which are both delicious; we soak up every last drop with our chapatis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Pani Poori how to…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Step 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Step 2…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After an excellent dinner, we visit one of the famous food streets on Jalan Alor, which is absolute chaos, hordes of people and food stalls, people eating whole fish, crabs, squid, skewers of meat, durian fruit, ice cream and everything in-between. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The street is just crammed packed with colour, smells and noise like nothing else. Some of the smells are unusual, and some are a bit challenging, like durian. Durian is a spiky-looking fruit that is very common in Asia; most hotels and public transport ban you from having it as the smell is so pungent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A durian fruit stall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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…more durian fruit!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Jalan Alor street food street…<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

H has tasted it before and couldn\u2019t cope with more than one mouthful. The smell is described as gym socks, onions and sewage, but the taste for some people is a pleasant custard, vanilla and caramel. H thought it tasted worse than it smelled. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We walk around the madness for a while and make our way to the hub of Bukit Bintang, which is just as crazy…! We are worn out, time to head back…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new “Come to Malaysia” mascot<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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An amazing 3D effect screen in the centre of Bukit Bintang<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another great week of new experiences and discoveries, which, as usual, has included food and drink. Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant, busy place which never seems to stop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our first week away got off to a great start, with cantilevered swimming pools, death-defying walks around the tops of buildings, and more: one week down, 11 to go. We should start settling into a bit of a routine now…? This week we are flying to Kuala Lumpur, where we begin a 4 week stay. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9654","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9654"}],"version-history":[{"count":77,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10070,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9654\/revisions\/10070"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9654"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9654"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vantours.co.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9654"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}