Category Archives: Malaysia

After the disappointment of a literally fruitless Perhentian Kecil island, I set off for Kapas Island well prepared:

I knew that arriving on Kapas Island on an August Friday afternoon – the peak of the holiday season – was a dangerous move, and after scouring the entire beach for the best beachfront accommodation Kapas Island could offer, I unfortunately ended up in the only place available: the 40 ringitt rooms in Mak Cik Gemuk’s backpacker ghetto.

Spending time in KL after backpacking through the rest of South East Asia is comparatively expensive. Of course, nothing compares to Singapore, but food, accommodation and entertainment in the Malaysian capital are likely to leave a dent in your wallet if you are not careful. That is precisely what started to happen to me. I intended to spend only a few days in KL with a friend to try some vegan restaurants before moving on – but life had different plans for me and I found myself stranded in Kuala Lumpur for nearly three weeks with a rather empty bank account. I had to be crafty and come up with ways to make my stay cheaper. Turns out, it’s absolutely doable to stay in KL on the cheap! And turns out also, there’s a vibrant gay scene in Kuala Lumpur! Here are a few things I discovered.

I came to volunteer at a guesthouse in Malaysia as part of my rehabilitation into the single people club. I needed some time to pick up the pieces and to decide what my next move would be before starting to travel again. Things seemed like they were lining up for me without having to ask, so I took the opportunity that was presenting itself – all I had to do was to hit the reply button, say “I’m on my way”, pack my bags, and go start this brand new chapter of my adventure. Opportunities to volunteer at guesthouses like this are usually found through work exchange websites, but I was actually poached by a previous guesthouse owner where I had stayed a few months prior – so in my case it was just a matter of good timing. And as unable as I was to decide what was best for me – it was indeed the perfect timing.