Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
203
7 SAFETY
Malaysia has been having an unfor tunate
problem with thiev ery. “S natch thiev es”
are becoming bolder and bolder, riding on
motorcycles thr ough heavily populated
areas in KL, Johor Bahru, and other cities,
snatching handbags fr om women's shoul-
ders. Some victims have been dragged and
seriously injur ed. When y ou're out, don 't
wear your handbag on your side that's fac-
ing the str eet, or better y et, don't carr y a
handbag at all.
The first thing I do when I check into a
hotel is put my passpor t, international
tickets, extra cash, and trav eler's checks,
plus any credit or ATM card I do not have
immediate plans to use, straight into the
safe, either in my r
oom or behind the
hotel's front desk.
Be careful when trav eling on o vernight
trains and buses wher e there are opportu-
nities for theft. K eep your valuables close
to you as you sleep.
8 SPECIALIZED TRAVEL RESOURCES
TRAVELERS WITH
DISABILITIES
Traveling in dev eloping countries is a
daunting task for disabled people, and
Malaysia is no ex ception. While airlines
and most luxur y hotels hav e facilities for
guests in wheelchairs, most ev ery attrac-
tion, shopping mall, restaurant, and mode
of public transportation provide no acces-
sibility at all. I n urban centers, side walks
are nonexistent, buckled, or clutter ed. At
the time of writing, there were no inbound
tour operators specializing in tours for
travelers with disabilities.
Two organizations that can offer assis-
tance ar e the Malaysian A ssociation for
the B lind (www .mab.org.my) and the
Society of the O rthopaedically H andi-
capped Malaysia (www.pocam.org).
lesbians is usually fr owned upon. As in
many countries, the rural areas of Malaysia
tend to be more conservative than the cit-
ies and, therefore, gay and lesbian travelers
will have to respect the values and customs
of their hosts. The east coast of the penin-
sula is another conservative area.
In the big cities, there are clubs and bars
where visitors of all persuasion ar e w el-
come. By asking around, it usually doesn't
take long to find out those locations that
are most w elcoming of gay and lesbian
patrons.
11
SENIOR TRAVELERS
Seniors hav e fe w discounts in M alaysia,
except at some attractions, wher e they
might pay a bit less—but it 's usually such
a small discount that it 's har dly wor th
pulling out y our passpor t. H owever,
Malaysia offers gr eat incentiv es to lur e
potential r etirees to the countr y under a
program called Malaysia M y S econd
Home; check out www .mm2h.com for
incentives on purchasing a house, car, and
education, as well as details on tax br eaks.
GAY & LESBIAN
TRAVELERS
Malaysia is a tolerant society that rar ely
criticizes others in public, so gay and les-
bian trav elers tend to be w elcomed and
treated like other trav elers, although pub-
lic affection for straights or gays and
 
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