Gardens of Malaysia
Gardens of Malaysia
Gardens of Malaysia
12 Days Starting and ending in London, UK
Visiting: London, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Chinese Cemetery, Dutch Square (Red Square) Melaka, St. Peter's Church, Jonker Street Night Market, Portuguese Settlement, Melaka, Church of Saint Paul, Malacca, Putrajaya, Taman Warisan Pertanian Putrajaya, Orchid & Hibiscus Gardens, Perdana Botanical Gardens, Petronas Twin Towers, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Cameron Highlands, Lata Iskandar Waterfall Tapah, Perak, Tapah, Orang Asli One Stop Centre (OAOSC) Bawong, Tan's Camellia Garden, Boh Tea Plantation, Sam Poh Tong Temple, Penang, Taiping Lake Gardens, Kuala Kangsar, Fort Cornwallis, Penang Botanic Gardens, Tropical Spice Garden | Events Venue | Cooking Classes | Spice Store
Tour operator:
Tour code:
BMAY
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
6 - 25
Age range:
1-99
Special diets catered:
Meat, Vegetarians, Vegans
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
Peninsular Malaysia, the long finger of land that extends south from Asia and points towards the equator, is a multi-cultural and contrasting country of tropical jungle and palm-fringed beaches, high-rise cities and aboriginal villages. Our journey takes us from the steamy heat of Malacca in the south to the ultra-modern capital city of Kuala Lumpur; up into the cool, tea-growing valleys of the Cameron Highlands and on to Penang with its colourful mixture of colonial architecture and Chinese culture.
Beginning in Malacca, a historic port which was at the centre of the spice trade, we will visit the Botanic Garden and the Garden of a Thousand Flowers, while enjoying the alluring aromas of the distinctive local cuisine. Moving on to Kuala Lumpur, we see one of the rubber plantations that used to dominate the local economy and the enormous Petronas Towers, the iconic symbol of modern Malaysia. We also visit the tranquil Lake Gardens here before we move into the Cameron Highlands, whose cool slopes are covered with tea plantations. Intriguing gardens featuring cacti, camellias and roses are visited here, along with an aboriginal Malaysian village which provides a glimpse into a way of life that has almost disappeared. We move on to Penang, stopping en route at the beautiful Taiping Lake Gardens, which retain much of the charm of the colonial era. Our tour concludes on a fragrant and colourful note with visits to Penang Botanic Gardens, the Tropical Spice Gardens and an Orchid and Hibiscus Farm, along with a full day to enjoy the sights of Penang.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : London To Kuala Lumpur
Location: London, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Accommodation: Overnight Flight
We depart from London on an overnight flight to Kuala Lumpur. Free airport lounge access is available prior to departure. Please note that regional flight connections, flight upgrades and/or overnight accommodation before or after the tour are available on request.
Day 2 : Arrival At Kuala Lumpur
Location: Malacca, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Malacca
Meals Included: Dinner, In-flight
On arrival at Kuala Lumpur airport this morning we transfer by coach to our hotel in Malacca. The rest of the day is free to relax after our flight. A welcome dinner is served in our hotel this evening.
Day 3 : Tour Of Malacca
Location: Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, Chinese Cemetery, Dutch Square (Red Square) Melaka, St. Peter's Church, Jonker Street Night Market, Portuguese Settlement, Melaka, Church of Saint Paul, Malacca, Malacca
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Malacca
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast we depart on a full day guided coach tour of Malacca, beginning with visits to the Botanic Garden and Garden of a Thousand Flowers. The Botanic Garden has a lush and tranquil setting, surrounded by indigenous forest, and is divided up into five distinct gardens; taro/yam; bamboo; orchids; herbs and heliconias. There is also a Canopy Walk, Forestry Museum and a Dinosaur Park, featuring giant stone carvings of prehistoric animals that were indigenous to this area. As the name suggests, the beautifully landscaped Garden of a Thousand Flowers contains a wide range of flowering plants, including the orchid ‘Jeanne Abdullah’, wife of the fifth President of Malaysia.
Following an opportunity for lunch (not included) and stroll along Malacca’s famous Jonker Street, we enjoy a tour of the city. For centuries Malacca was an important trading post for spices and other goods, and its colonial era architecture reflects its Portuguese, Dutch, British and Chinese heritage. Among the sights are St. Peter’s Church (1710), the oldest Christian Church still in use in Malaysia; the 17th century Chinese cemetery; the Portuguese Settlement and the ruins of St. Paul’s Church lined with 17th century Dutch tombstones. We will also see “Red Square”, the salmon pink Dutch administrative buildings which today house the Malacca Museum and government offices, and visit the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, where the three major doctrines of Chinese belief are followed under the same roof. Evening at leisure.
Day 4 : En Route At Putrajaya
Location: Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Taman Warisan Pertanian Putrajaya
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Following breakfast we check out of our hotel and transfer by coach to Kuala Lumpur, stopping en route at Putrajaya, where we visit the Agricultural Heritage Park. There is a viewing deck, a ‘herbs and spices’ trail and an area which has been planted with 170 different types of agricultural trees and plants like rubber, cocoa, oil palm, pepper, coffee, fruits, herbs and spices. We will see how these trees and plants are germinated, grown, nursed and later harvested and processed into useful products, edible or otherwise.
After a look at some of the sights of Putrajaya such as the pink-tinged Putra Mosque and the Prime Minister’s office (the executive government moved here from Kuala Lumpur in 1999) we will visit the charming public botanic garden, which features both indigenous and exotic species, including African and South American flora.
After lunch (included), we continue our journey north to Kuala Lumpur, where on arrival we will visit the ‘secret garden’ on top of the Utama Shopping Centre. Around 500 species of both tropical and cool-climate plants have been laid out in the 30,000sq feet space, making this one of the largest roof-top gardens in the country.
Later in the afternoon we check in to our hotel. Evening at leisure.
Day 5 : Visit To Frim (Forest Research Institute Malaysia)
Location: Orchid & Hibiscus Gardens, Perdana Botanical Gardens, Petronas Twin Towers, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning, after breakfast, we depart for a visit to FRIM (Forest Research Institute Malaysia) forest reserve at Kepong, which features a canopy walkway system suspended from the trees at about 30m above ground level. The walkway was constructed in 1992 for the scientific study of indigenous flora and fauna and provides a unique perspective of life in the trees as well as panoramic views.
Returning to Kuala Lumpur we will have free time for lunch (not included), followed by a visit to Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens (Taman Tasik Perdana) which dates back to the 1880s. Built round an artificial lake it encompasses undulating greenery interspersed with shady trees and flowering shrubs, including a small terraced garden which provides a strikingly colourful panorama of countless varieties of hibiscus. We will also visit the Orchid Garden here, which contains over 800 species from Malaysia alone, some of which are for sale.
We will round off the day with a guided coach tour of Kuala Lumpur, the federal capital of Malaysia and a relatively young city, having its origins as a trading post and frontier town in the 1850s. Today it represents the modern face of Malaysia, epitomised by the iconic Petronas Towers which provide an unmissable photo opportunity. Further sights include the King's Palace, the National Monument, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Independence Square and Masjid Jamek.
Day 6 : Depart For Cameron Highlands
Location: Cameron Highlands, Lata Iskandar Waterfall Tapah, Perak, Tapah, Cameron Highlands, Orang Asli One Stop Centre (OAOSC) Bawong
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Pahang
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Enjoy your breakfast. This morning we check out of our hotel and depart by coach for Cameron Highlands. The scenic, winding route takes us via Tapah, where a few families make their livelihood by weaving bamboo baskets; the Lata Iskander Waterfall and the Orang Asli huts, a glimpse into the lives of the aboriginal Malay people who have all but vanished. At some 1500m above sea level, marked by a noticeable drop in temperature, we reach the plateau where the rolling hillsides are given over to vast plantations and we should spot gangs of workers picking the tender leaves of the flowering shrub Camellia sinensis – better known as tea. The hill station of Cameron Highlands was developed by the British in the 1920s and was originally intended as a “sanatorium, health resort and open farmland”. When the road was completed in 1931 tea planters moved in, finding the fertile soil and cool climate ideal for growing their valuable crop, which played such a vital part in lubricating the machinery of the British Empire!
We will check into our resort hotel, where dinner is served in the evening.
Day 7 : The Countryside Of The Cameron Highlands
Location: Cameron Highlands, Tan's Camellia Garden, Boh Tea Plantation
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Pahang
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast we enjoy a full-day guided coach tour of the countryside of the Cameron Highlands which is packed full of local colour and variety. Our tour begins with a visit to one of the Tea Plantations and continues to a local fruit and vegetable market, an apiary where delicious honey is produced, a butterfly garden, a Chinese Buddhist temple, cactus and flower gardens, a strawberry farm and finally Tan’s Camellia Garden, where the passionate and enthusiastic Mr Tan grows a wide range of anthuriums, amaryllis and camellias. Lunch is included in a local restaurant today.
Day 8 : Depart For Penang
Location: Sam Poh Tong Temple, Penang, Penang, Taiping Lake Gardens, Kuala Kangsar
Accommodation: Overnight in Penang
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Following breakfast we check out of our hotel and depart for Penang, breaking our journey with visits to Sam Poh Tong Cave Temple, a Chinese Buddhist temple built into a limestone hillside, which features a beautifully decorated pavilion and a landscaped garden and fish pool. We continue our journey via Kuala Kangsar, where we see the Ubudiah Mosque and Iskandariah Palace before reaching the Taiping Lake Gardens. Created on the site of an abandoned tin mine, the gardens were established as a public park in 1880. Ten scenic lakes and ponds highlight the beauty of this tranquil park, along with mature trees and a host of other plants. Lunch is included today.
We continue to Penang, often referred to as the Pearl of the Orient for its natural beauty and exotic heritage. Evening at leisure.
Day 9 : Visit To The Tropical Spice Gardens
Location: Fort Cornwallis, Penang Botanic Gardens, Penang, Tropical Spice Garden | Events Venue | Cooking Classes | Spice Store
Accommodation: Overnight in Penang
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast this morning we depart for a visit to the Tropical Spice Gardens, which contains over 500 varieties of tropical flora from all over the world. These can be viewed from three differently themed trails, landscaped on natural jungle terrain. There are also a number of different Garden Rooms featuring special plant collections such as spices and herbs, aquatic plants, bamboos, crotons, cycads, ferns, gingers, heliconias, jungle plants, orchids and rare palms, with educational signage displaying the names and uses for each plant.
We continue with a guided coach tour of Penang, in particular the capital city of Georgetown, named for King George III, with its intriguing blend of old and new. We will see Fort Cornwallis, one of the largest colonial buildings in SE Asia, dating from 1808; Chew Jetty, a waterfront settlement with houses on stilts, created by Chinese immigrants in the mid-19th century; Harmony Street, home to an Anglican church, Chinese and Indian temples and a mosque; Little India and bustling Chinatown. We will also visit Penang Botanic Gardens, which were founded in 1884 and restored to their former glory after the depredations of the Second World War. Perhaps the most conspicuous plants are the Cannon Ball Tree and the large buttress roots of the Sengkuang Tree; look out too for the Pinang Palm that lent its name to the island of Penang, and the Black Lily with its unique purplish-black coloured flowers. Macaques, Dusky Leaf Monkeys and Black Giant Squirrels can be seen flitting through the trees.
Day 10 : The Day Is Free To Relax
Location: Penang
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Hotel in Penang
Meals Included: Breakfast
Enjoy your breakfast. The day is free to relax in the hotel or go shopping or sightseeing on your own.
Day 11 : Penang, Kuala Lumpur, London
Location: London, Penang, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur
Accommodation: Overnight flight
Meals Included: Breakfast, In-flight
After breakfast we check out of our hotel and transfer by coach to the local airport in Penang for an internal flight to Kuala Lumpur, where we connect with our overnight flight to London.
Day 12 : Arrive London
Location: London
Meals Included: In-flight
We arrive London, where the group will disperse or make onward connections.
What's Included
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Accommodation
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All visits as outlined in the itinerary
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Comfortable coach travel throughout
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Meals - as per the itinerary
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Services of a professional tour manager
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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Are children permitted to take part in the tour?
Yes
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Are airport transfers included in this tour?
No
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Are flights included in this tour?
No
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Will I receive more details of the holiday before I travel?
You will receive detailed joining instructions around 10 days prior to you departure, but you are of course welcome to contact us at any time should you have any queries.
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What facilities do your coaches have?
Generally, our coaches have reclining seats, air-conditioning and toilets, however this cannot always be guaranteed as sometimes we have to use smaller vehicles. Toilets are recommended for emergency use only and regular comfort stops will be made throughout your holiday while travelling around.
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Do I have to go on the included excursions?
Absolutely not. You are more than welcome to spend the day at your hotel or exploring independently should you wish. All we ask is that you inform your Tour Manager, so they are not left waiting for you to join the group.
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Is there time to relax?
Although our itineraries may seem jam-packed, boasting access to some of the most exclusive sites across the UK and beyond, a Brightwater Holiday is just that: a holiday. Each trip will counter in more than enough free-time for you to explore places at your own leisure. And with most nights and the majority of meals being included in our tour prices, you can relax in hand-picked accommodation.
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Do I need to be an expert?
Absolutely not! Although some of our tours are specifically focused on one thing, all you need to enjoy a Brightwater holiday is interest and bags of enthusiasm! Even on our most specialist tours, we take travellers from all skill levels, from experts to beginners.
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How fit or active do I need to be for one of your holidays?
You need to be able to get on and off the coach unassisted, and most – but not all – coaches have a kneel facility that lowers the front step for ease of boarding
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Do you have self-drive holidays?
Yes, we do – tailored to your exact requirements!
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What’s the luggage allowance on your coaches?
There’s no fixed limit, but we generally say one large suitcase to go in the luggage compartment and a smaller bag that you can take onto the coach with you. For flight-inclusive holidays, we include a luggage allowance of at least 20kg.
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Where are your departure points?
UK garden holidays generally depart from London, with additional pick-ups depending on the route of the coach, while holidays to Scotland depart from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Perth, with Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen sometimes included. All Eurostar holidays depart from London St. Pancras and flight-inclusive holidays depart from one or more of the main London airports, with regional flights .
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What about the company that will be kept?
For single travellers, those with a companion or even those travelling in a larger group, you'll find that the signature of any Brightwater Holiday is the company. You won't ever be travelling with a group of strangers, instead, you'll find yourself surrounded by like-minded people with a strong shared interest who will soon become your firm friends.
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What is a Brightwater Holiday?
Bursting with enthralling, educational and enlightening itineraries, a Brightwater Holiday, by its very nature, is packed with bucket-list-worthy destinations, behind the scenes passes and expert-led experiences. From creating bespoke quality garden and special interest tours for groups and individuals alike, we have made it our business to make our guests' travel dreams come true.
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Why is there a single supplement?
Unfortunately, single room supplements are charges that are often imposed on us as a company when we book rooms for group holidays. However, most hotels do charge less for single occupancy, and we always pass this saving on to our solo travellers in the form of a modest single supplement.
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How much are your optional excursions?
Prices start from as little as £20, but please contact our friendly team for questions about specific itineraries or excursions.
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Can I pre-book my coach seats?
Yes, you can. In the case of front seats, guests with limited mobility are given priority. Please get in touch with our friendly team to discuss any requirements you may have.
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How to get there? Easy!
With a Brightwater Holiday, the journey is just as important as the destination and we make getting you to your tour start point easy. From organising group flights and individual travel plans, to offering accessible local departure and pick-up points, we go out of our way to ensure that your journey is as convenient and hassle-free as it can be.
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Do I need to have travel insurance?
Travel insurance is required for all overseas holidays and is also strongly recommended for UK holidays – primarily to protect yourself against cancellation charges should you be unable to travel.
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