Melaka, Malaysia - November 2009

Local Transport

Two full day sails and we have arrived at Melaka. The marina is brand new, in fact, not even open yet but we are welcome. I think this is somewhere we are going to enjoy. It is a 15 minute walk to town or Chinatown. The place reeks of history and is a mixture of both old and new architecture. It also has a mixture of culture, each distinctly separate but seemingly in harmony. I find talking to taxi drivers a great way to gain insights into the culture and politics of an area.

Sadly we say goodbye to Dave who needs to get back to Australia where new job opportunities await his attention. We hope he and Anne will come and join us again next year.

While here we have time to start researching for a good haulout facility. We find that the one on the top of the list, while having impressive pamphlets doesn’t actually exist yet!!! Friends at another yard are not getting the service they were promised. And our other option is Langkawi, which is rumoured to be full. So it looks like we can’t haul out until next year.

With that decision made we relax and enjoy the opportunity to slow down a bit. Daryl decides to get some long overdue dentistry done. With bridging involved we know we will be here for a few weeks. I am happy to begin the Christmas shopping and the big air conditioned malls are soooo comfortable.

We took a bus to Kuala Lumpur, two hours drive away, for all of $4 each staying a couple of nights at a nice hotel in the centre of town. On the way I asked Daryl what he was looking forward to – watching TY – poor deprived man. We’ve become right yuppies, taking the laptop along, so we don’t miss out on any internet opportunities.

Water Islands........................................ Leaving Melacca

Time soon passes filled with café lunches, wandering the night markets, high teas, museums, mosques and churches and $1 DVDS to watch. By now it is the wet season and Melaka seems to be in a storm belt. Outings are planned around dodging the thunder and lightening storms with some inevitable cancellations.

Daryl is very pleased with the dentistry results and gone is his toothless grin. The cost was also a fraction of the cost in NZ. Prescription glasses are something else that seems very cheap. I got some single vision prescription lenses and a frame of my choice for $40.

We decided that the safest option for leaving the boat was to sail back to Puteri Harbour. This was done simply enough and we are currently securely tied up in a berth that will be ours for the next three months.

The marina boat is taking us to Danga Bay in Johor Baru on Saturday. It travels at 24 knots so the 5 miles is covered in less than 15 minutes. It beats taking our dinghy!!!

On Monday we are going to pop back to Singapore for the night as we have heard that the Christmas lights in Orchard Rd are a sight to be seen.

There’s only one more week of sight seeing, shopping and boat preparation before we wing our way back to NZ on Dec. 10th.

Johore Baru, Malaysia - November 2009

It is great to be in Malaysia – the end of one adventure and the beginning of another. We have joined the Sail Malaysia rally but we’re not sure how far we will follow it for. So, on a rally means more…….. free tee-shirts, souvenirs, dinners, shows, tours and socializing. The first week was a whirlwind of organised and voluntary activities. Fantastic to be able to visit a mall with a well stocked supermarket. And the shopping….. I’m going to love this place. In general things are so cheap.


New Govt. office at Puteri................................... Some people like local food ????



Danga Bay welcome dinner .................................I do not know her


Some of the local dancers that entertained us.


Puteri Marina is luxury living at a budget price. Air conditioning, a hose at our doorstep, plug in power and wifi internet - all luxuries we no longer take for granted. The only down side to this marina is that it is in a very new development and is quite isolated by its distance from shops, restaurants etc. The staff however bend over backwards to bridge this gap. We have been amazed at their willingness to shuttle folk to wherever they need to be.



Puteri Marina.............................................. Yes We think Cool Bananas suits this marina


Home for Cool Bananas....................................... Time to relax after the checkin

A group of us got a bus over to Singapore for a night. Wow, an hour down the road and we’re in another country. High on Daryl list of ‘must do’s was Lim Sim Square, seven floors of wall to wall electronics. It’s not often Daryl is keener than me to go shopping!!!! The coffee time discussion was lively and well over my head most of the time. Under the table were bags bulging with boxes of various sizes and shapes. The group then split, some heading for the marine stores while others of us devised our own cultural tour – Raffles, museums and general wandering to enjoy the architecture.

Singapore -Highrise garden


Merlion protecting Singapore harbour (I think they will have to move it again)


The famous Raffles Hotel .........................When in Singapore You must have a Singapore sling

We took a cruise up the river and wandered Little India and Chinatown. We were planning to go to the night safari but we were so tired we opted for a local bar and a complimentary Singapore sling instead.

City life is great but we were ready to sail back down the waterway, under the causeway and head up the west coast of Malaysia. First stop Melaka.