After our friends’ wedding in Bali, we flew to Singapore to enjoy my late birthday present – 2 nights at Marina Bay Sands Hotel!!!! It was a crazy experience, even more after spending two months sleeping with cockroaches and rats at the 7-pound hostels. It was going from one end of the spectrum to the opposite.

Our amazing hotel – obrigada tio Miguel!!!!

Of course that, apart from sleeping and enjoying all the included facilities the hotel had to offer, we had to spend our remaining time back at the low-end! (Which has been suiting us just fine :))

For a smoother transition we went to a Michelin star restaurant!!!

Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle – did I say it’s the cheapest Michelin star restaurant in the World?

We had the signature dish, the delicious soya sauce chicken rice for just under 2 pounds!

The restaurant was in China Town so we took the opportunity to explore the area.

Walking around China Town!

Food Stalls everywhere.

Of course it was hard to stay out for long…

Relaxing back at the hotel’s infinity pool.

Marina Bay Gardens – view from the 57th floor jacuzzi.

That night we decided to treat ourselves and have dinner at the skybar just next to the pool with amazing views to the city.

Next day we woke up so relaxed and with so much energy that we had a cocktail for breakfast at the Raffles Hotel.

Raffles Hotel

Sharing the famous (and expensive) Singapore Sling, eating peanuts and sticking to the rite of throwing the shells on the floor.

A visit to Marina Bay Sands…

… and to the colourful Little India!

With our batteries recharged, we said goodbye to Singapore (and to Marina Bay Sands) and hopped on the bus to Malaysia.

The reason behind this posts’ title was our short stay in Malaysia. This time the weather wasn’t on our side so we didn’t get to see and explore the country as much as we would have liked. This said, we still had that little taste that left the feeling of wanting to go back!

Just a bus ride away from Singapore was the historical city of Malacca, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Malacca historical centre

For two days we immersed ourselves in its rich culture, visiting the numerous heritage buildings, walking around the vibrant night market and trying the mouth-watering Nyonya cuisine.

A’Famosa Fort – now only a lone gate (Porta de Santiago) built by the Portuguese to protect Malacca from the armies of the Malacca Sultanate.

St Paul’s church – the oldest church in SEA, built by a Portuguese nobleman, Duarte Coelho, as an act of gratitude following his escape from a storm in the South China Sea.

Carlos giving an interview for University students – he kept being asked throughout the day, I guess it was the moustache…

Christ Church, built by the Dutch when they took possession of Malacca from the Portuguese.

Malacca has a strong Chinese influence, in fact, a noticeable culture is the Peranakan, aka ‘Baba Nyonya’ which is a significant symbolism of interracial mix between Chinese and Malay.

Baba & Nyonya heritage museum, a house museum exploring the history of local Chinese-Malays in a large, elegant home.

Chinese Temple

Beautiful chinese temple colours

Jonker walk with the famous trishaws

Malacca’s rickshaws, or ‘trishaws’ as they are known there, are no ordinary vehicle: Drivers compete to decorate their trishaws in the most outlandish fashion, using garlands of flowers, fairy lights, tinsel and even Pikachu dolls to create these wacky, tacky cycles. For added effect, some even come equipped with a stereo system, which is turned up full blast as the drivers pedal their passengers around town.

After Malacca, it was time for the modern, bustling and vibrant multi-cultural capital of Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur.

View of Jamek Mosque at the confluence of Gombak and Klang rivers

Beautiful street art in the hidden corners of KL

Splurge of the week: a cocktail at this amazing helicopter pad rooftop bar

Killer views of the city skyline

We spent some days wandering the city – not an easy task under those humid 35 or so degrees – jumping from stall to stall, restaurant to restaurant, hawker market to hawker market. It was a great way to get to know KL’s mix of ethnically Malay, Chinese and Indian residents and the fascinating, messy food culture they’ve created.

Dumplings and more dumplings

Each stick had a different colour which represented a specific price. Choose, barbecue it and add up your sticks at the end! Delicious!

Aaaaaand of course… the Petronas Towers!

Despite the bad weather we still managed to visit the touristy but iconic Batu caves.

Batu Caves entrance

Ans we said goodbye to Malaysia – it was an express visit but a sure return!