Crossroads of the East Multi-Cultural Malaysia
March 19 - 31, 2011
MALAYSIA, TRULY ASIA!
The country of Malaysia occupies a crucial spot in
South-East Asia. It borders Thailand in the north and Indonesia to
the south
and west, and it has the port city-state of Singapore immediately
to its south at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is this strategic
location
that has made Malaysia such a crossroad in Asia – roughly the
midway point on the semi-circular sea trade route between India and
China.
Naturally, colonial occupiers and
conquerors swept in—first the Portuguese, then the Dutch and
finally the British. Each of these
imperial regimes brought
something different to Malaysia, and they played a key role in defining the country’s
character for all time. Add to the mix migrants from India, Chinese workers,
centuries of trade
with
foreigners
in close interaction with native Malay people, and the result is one of
the most ethnically diverse nations in the
world.
Despite the country’s role in colonial
history, Malaysia was little known to the outside world until recently. Once
the Petronas Towers in the capital
Kuala Lumpur gained the title for a brief time of “the world’s tallest
buildings,” the
world began to wonder about this little known South-East Asian paradise. They
discovered a place with a landscape almost as diverse as the people
who
populate it. Forested mountain ranges run north to south along
the country’s spine,
surrounded on either side by low-lying coastal plains, mangrove swamps, mudflats
and dense jungles. Because it is a peninsula with water on three sides, Malaysia
has more than 1,200 miles of coastline, dotted offshore by hundreds of small
islands with pristine, tranquil beaches.
The tropical islands and world class dive sites
provide a little bit of paradise. The oldest rainforest in the world and extreme
wildlife offer a lot of nature.
Gleaming city skyscrapers and majestic mosques and temples combine for a touch
of the old and the new. The Board of Tourism’s campaign proclaims that
Malaysia is “Truly Asia” – but you may decide that it is actually
out of this world.
ITINERARY
Saturday, March 19, 2011 Leave Home / Flight to Malaysia
Arrange to leave your home city today
on an international flight bound for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Use
the airport code KUL when searching the internet for your best flight
options. It is important to note that we have allowed two days for
travel in
this itinerary, recognizing that travel to Kuala Lumpur often takes
two intermediate stops. If you leave your home city in the evening
today, you will most likely arrive in Kuala Lumpur sometime on March
21st. Tour services do not commence in Kuala Lumpur until Monday, March
21, 2011. (No
Meals)
Sunday, March 20, 2011 Travel Day
If you have excellent connections and your flight arrives
in Kuala Lumpur today, you will need to pay for an extra night at
our hotel. We will invoice you for this additional night once the tour
is guaranteed and your flights have been finalized. (No
Meals)
Monday, March 21, 2011 Arrival in Kuala Lumpur / Welcome Dinner
Most international flights will
arrive in Kuala Lumpur today. Because Toto Tours does not arrange
group airfare and participants will be arriving at widely varying times,
we have not included a group transfer from the airport to the hotel
in
the
tour
cost. If you wish, we can arrange private meet-and-greet
transfer
services and invoice you accordingly, however it will be much less
expensive to take a taxi to our hotel upon arrival. We will provide
more information about transportation options prior to departure.
After checking in, relax and explore
hotel’s amenities and its environs. We meet in the hotel’s bar this
evening for a welcome cocktail and introductions. Later we transfer
to the Seri
Melayu Restaurant in the heart of the city for
our Welcome
Dinner and
a cultural music and dance
show. (Welcome Dinner)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011 Kuala Lumpur Sightseeing
After breakfast at our hotel, embark on a full day sightseeing
tour of Kuala Lumpur, known simply as KL to its friends, a monument
to Malaysian
ingenuity and determination. Originally a shanty town supporting the
tin mining industry, KL has evolved into a 21st century metropolis
with some of the tallest skyscrapers in Southeast Asia. Above all,
the city is a cultural melting pot, where historic temples and mosques
coexist with gleaming modern architecture and the country’s ethnic
mix is most apparent. On our tour today, we enjoy views of the
Petronas Towers, the neo-colonial Anglo-Moor style Railway Station
in the Old Town, and the hyper-modern Masjid Negara Mosque. Lunch is
included,
and the
evening
is free for
shopping in the markets or malls or exploring on your own. (Breakfast
/ Lunch)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011 Taman Negara National Park / Jungle River Cruise by Long-Boat
After a hot buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart the
big city and head into the jungle. We board a motorcoach,
driving through
the countryside to a jetty at Kuala Tembeling. There we board a long
boat for a journey of several hours on the Sungai Tembeling River,
with amazing views of the dense jungle overgrowth along the river banks.
Arriving
at our
beautiful resort in mid-afternoon, we check in and
enjoy free time to explore the area. Dinner is included at our resort. (Breakfast
/ Dinner)
Thursday, March 24, 2011 Taman Negara National Park Adventures
After a leisurely breakfast at our resort, enjoy a day
of adventuresome activities. We begin with a jungle walk and a
canopy tour in the rainforest. Our jungle
guide
explains
the flora and
fauna we see along the way. The canopy tour involves walking on a suspended
track that winds through the treetops. We gain a completely different
perspective
of the rainforest from 30 feet in the air. We return to the resort
for a break from activity during the midday heat and humidityy.
Later
this afternoon we
visit a nearby village of the Orang Asli people, considered the earliest
inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. Slave raids by colonial occupiers were quite
common
in the 18th and 19th centuries, so the Orang Asli people fled deep
into
the jungles where they lived off the land.
Return to our resort for dinner and a free
evening. Each day at 8pm there is a night walk from the resort into the jungle
with a guide to view, in the cover of darkness, the animals and plants that only
come
out
at
night. (Breakfast
/ Dinner)
Friday, March 25, 2011 Transfer to the Cameron Highlands
After breakfast, we check out of our resort and board
the longboat for our journey back through the jungle to the pier
at Kuala Tembeling. Here we board a motorcoach and commence our drive
into the hills. You will notice a marked difference as the
temperature
changes from warm and humid to dry and cool as we climb
up to 5,000 ft. above sea level. The Cameron Highlands are Malaysia’s
most extensive hill station, and nicknamed the country’s “Green
Bowl.” The Highlands are a vast area of rolling green hills,
manicured tea plantations and dense forests. Stopping en route for
lunch (on
your own), we arrive at our hotel—one of the most luxurious
colonial estates in the Cameron Highlands—by early evening. The
remainder of the day is free at leisure. (Breakfast)
Saturday, March 26, 2011 Boh Tea Plantation / Mossy Forest / Butterfly Garden
After breakfast, we spend the day doing sightseeing
in the Highlands. Our first stop is the Boh Tea Plantation Estate,
the country’s
largest acreage of tea gardens and crops. We learn something about
this industry and the methods by which tea is grown, cared for, harvested
and prepared. Afterward, we explore a region known as Mossy Forest,
learning how the climate conditions,
altitude
and
remote
location sustain
the local flora and fauna. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Boh Plantation’s
Sungei Palas Tea Garden, sampling some of their finest products in
a lovely outdoor setting. Our final stop is at the Butterfly Garden,
home to a fluttering collection
of
tropical
butterflies
that
occupy
literally every square inch of the reserve. Returning to our hotel,
the evening is free. (Breakfast)
Sunday, March 27, 2011 Pulau Pangkor Island Paradise
After breakfast this morning, we depart the Cameron
Highlands and descend toward the western coast, driving to the port
of Lumut. Here we catch
a ferry taking us to Pangkor Island, our home for the next three
nights. Because of its easy accessibility to the mainland, the larger
Pangkor Island has become a tourist mecca and over-crowded as a result.
We will be staying on its smaller sister island, Pangkor Laut, equally
beautiful and tranquil, but far less bustling in terms of crowds. It
is a private island and home to one of the country’s nicest resorts.
It is the perfect getaway for rest, relaxation and recreation. After
arrival, the afternoon and evening are at leisure. (Breakfast)
Monday, March 28, 2011 Pangkor Island Exploratory Hike
After breakfast, we take a water taxi and hop to the main
island for a full-day sightseeing tour. We go for a hike, starting
at Pasir Bogak Beach,
climbing to Tortoise Hill for an amazing view across Turtle Bay.
Our trail winds down to the town of Sungai Pinang, where we take
a break for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit
a few small fishing villages built on stilts along the shore, each
unique in its own
way. Finally we arrive at a Dutch fort, dating back to 1670, and the
remnants of a Dutch settlement. A small museum here details the Dutch
colonial occupation of the Malay
Peninsula.
We return to our beautiful resort and the
evening is free. (Breakfast)
Tuesday, March 29, 2011 Free Day in Paradise
Today is completely free to do as you please. This is a perfect
opportunity to enjoy an optional spa treatment or massage, go snorkeling
or scuba diving, or simply relax on the beach. Overnight at our beach
resort. (Breakfast)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 Return to Kuala Lumpur / Farewell Dinner
After breakfast, we check out
of our resort and make our way to the local pier to board the ferry
headed back to the mainland. We board
our motorcoach for the drive to Kuala Lumpur. After checking in at
our hotel, the afternoon is free for last-minute sightseeing or souvenir
shopping. This evening Toto Tours hosts a Farewell Dinner at a local
restaurant. (Breakfast / Dinner)
Thursay, March 31, 2011 Departure
The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. Arrange your
return flight home for any convenient time today. We will provide one
group transfer
to the airport this morning, timed to accommodate the greatest number
of departing tour participants. We will be happy to assist with your
hotel reservations if you wish to extend your stay in Kuala Lumpur. (Breakfast)
ACCOMMODATIONS (Click hotel name to read description)
Price: $3,495 double occupancy hotel accommodations
Private Accommodations: $1,200 additional,
if available, for a total price of $4,695.
(Paying a single supplement is not required. Toto Tours will try to match you
with a roommate if you are traveling alone and prefer to share a room throughout
the tour. If we are unable to find a roommate for you prior to the time when
the tour is closed to new registrations, the single supplement will apply.)
Deposit: $600 (Due at time of registration
for the tour. May be paid with a credit card.)
Remaining Balance: $2,895 double / $4,095 single
(Assumes $600 deposit has already been made)
Remaining Balance Due: December 29, 2010
(Full payment required with reservation form if enrolling after this date.
Registrations will be accepted after this date subject to hotel availability.)
Included: Ten
nights hotel accommodations; meals, activities
and transfers as listed in the itinerary; ground transportation
in air conditioned vehicles; one group transfer to the airport at the
conclusion of the tour, timed to accommodate the greatest number of
departing passengers; fully guided and escorted tour.
Not Included: Round trip airfare to/from Kuala
Lumpur; airport taxes and departure fees; transfer from airport to
hotel at the beginning of the tour; ground transportation
for sightseeing
on your own (taxis, local guides, etc.);
meals and
optional activities not specifically listed in the itinerary; tips
to local guides and drivers, gratuities for meals; bottled water; alcoholic
beverages; insurance; laundry; telephone calls; faxes; or any other
expenses of
a personal nature.
To reserve a place on this tour, click on the “Reservations” link
above. Type in the information requested in each field, print the form,
then sign and mail it to Toto Tours with your $600 deposit check. You
also have the option to pay for your tour deposit with a Visa or MasterCard.
The remaining balance is due 80 days prior to departure (by December
29, 2010). Tour registration is not complete until we have received
both the form and your deposit check.
Toto Tours does not accept credit cards as a form
of payment except for the amount of the tour deposit ($600 maximum can be charged
per tour). An installment plan is possible. Our mailing address is: Toto Tours,
1326 W. Albion Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60626-4753. Make checks payable to: Toto
Tours, Ltd.
The country of Malaysia occupies a crucial spot in
South-East Asia. It borders Thailand in the north and Indonesia to
the south
and west, and it has the port city-state of Singapore immediately
to its south at the tip of the Malay Peninsula. It is this strategic
location
that has made Malaysia such a crossroad in Asia – roughly the
midway point on the semi-circular sea trade route between India and
China. 
Forested mountain ranges run north to south along
the country’s spine,
surrounded on either side by low-lying coastal plains, mangrove swamps, mudflats
and dense jungles. Because it is a peninsula with water on three sides, Malaysia
has more than 1,200 miles of coastline, dotted offshore by hundreds of small
islands with pristine, tranquil beaches. 
Sunday, March 20, 2011
greet
transfer
services and invoice you accordingly, however it will be much less
expensive to take a taxi to our hotel upon arrival. We will provide
more information about transportation options prior to departure.
After breakfast at our hotel, embark on a full day sightseeing
tour of Kuala Lumpur, known simply as KL to its friends, a monument
to Malaysian
ingenuity and determination. Originally a shanty town supporting the
tin mining industry, KL has evolved into a 21st century metropolis
with some of the tallest skyscrapers in Southeast Asia. Above all,
the city is a cultural melting pot, where historic temples and mosques
coexist with gleaming modern architecture and the country’s ethnic
mix is most apparent. On our tour today, we enjoy views of the
Petronas Towers, the neo-colonial Anglo-Moor style Railway Station
in the Old Town, and the hyper-modern Masjid Negara Mosque. Lunch is
included,
and the
evening
is free for
shopping in the markets or malls or exploring on your own. (Breakfast
/ Lunch)
After a hot buffet breakfast at our hotel, we depart the
big city and head into the jungle. We board a motorcoach,
driving through
the countryside to a jetty at Kuala Tembeling. There we board a long
boat for a journey of several hours on the Sungai Tembeling River,
with amazing views of the dense jungle overgrowth along the river banks.
Arriving
at our
beautiful resort in mid-afternoon, we check in and
enjoy free time to explore the area. Dinner is included at our resort. (Breakfast
/ Dinner)
Thursday, March 24, 2011
We return to the resort
for a break from activity during the midday heat and humidityy.
Later
this afternoon we
visit a nearby village of the Orang Asli people, considered the earliest
inhabitants of the Malay Peninsula. Slave raids by colonial occupiers were quite
common
in the 18th and 19th centuries, so the Orang Asli people fled deep
into
the jungles where they lived off the land.
You will notice a marked difference as the
temperature
changes from warm and humid to dry and cool as we climb
up to 5,000 ft. above sea level. The Cameron Highlands are Malaysia’s
most extensive hill station, and nicknamed the country’s “Green
Bowl.” The Highlands are a vast area of rolling green hills,
manicured tea plantations and dense forests. Stopping en route for
lunch (on
your own), we arrive at our hotel—one of the most luxurious
colonial estates in the Cameron Highlands—by early evening. The
remainder of the day is free at leisure. (Breakfast) 
After breakfast, we spend the day doing sightseeing
in the Highlands. Our first stop is the Boh Tea Plantation Estate,
the country’s
largest acreage of tea gardens and crops. We learn something about
this industry and the methods by which tea is grown, cared for, harvested
and prepared. Afterward, we explore a region known as Mossy Forest,
learning how the climate conditions,
altitude
and
remote
location sustain
the local flora and fauna. Enjoy afternoon tea at the Boh Plantation’s
Sungei Palas Tea Garden, sampling some of their finest products in
a lovely outdoor setting. Our final stop is at the Butterfly Garden,
home to a fluttering collection
of
tropical
butterflies
that
occupy
literally every square inch of the reserve. Returning to our hotel,
the evening is free. (Breakfast)
After breakfast this morning, we depart the Cameron
Highlands and descend toward the western coast, driving to the port
of Lumut. Here we catch
a ferry taking us to Pangkor Island, our home for the next three
nights. Because of its easy accessibility to the mainland, the larger
Pangkor Island has become a tourist mecca and over-crowded as a result.
We will be staying on its smaller sister island, Pangkor Laut, equally
beautiful and tranquil, but far less bustling in terms of crowds. It
is a private island and home to one of the country’s nicest resorts.
It is the perfect getaway for rest, relaxation and recreation. After
arrival, the afternoon and evening are at leisure. (Breakfast)
After breakfast, we take a water taxi and hop to the main
island for a full-day sightseeing tour. We go for a hike, starting
at Pasir Bogak Beach,
climbing to Tortoise Hill for an amazing view across Turtle Bay.
Our trail winds down to the town of Sungai Pinang, where we take
a break for lunch. In the afternoon, we visit
a few small fishing villages built on stilts along the shore, each
unique in its own
way. Finally we arrive at a Dutch fort, dating back to 1670, and the
remnants of a Dutch settlement. A small museum here details the Dutch
colonial occupation of the Malay
Peninsula.
We return to our beautiful resort and the
evening is free. (Breakfast) 
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
After breakfast, we check out
of our resort and make our way to the local pier to board the ferry
headed back to the mainland. We board
our motorcoach for the drive to Kuala Lumpur. After checking in at
our hotel, the afternoon is free for last-minute sightseeing or souvenir
shopping. This evening Toto Tours hosts a Farewell Dinner at a local
restaurant. (Breakfast / Dinner)
The tour officially ends after breakfast this morning. Arrange your
return flight home for any convenient time today. We will provide one
group transfer
to the airport this morning, timed to accommodate the greatest number
of departing tour participants. We will be happy to assist with your
hotel reservations if you wish to extend your stay in Kuala Lumpur. (Breakfast)
Kuala Lumpur: