Some familiar faces in KL

We had been looking forward to arriving in Malaysia's capital for a couple of reasons. The reputation of the city's diverse and top notch street food had our mouths' watering on the bus from Malacca, but also we were meeting up with Trent's sister Deb and her family. It had been a while since we'd caught up with some familiar faces, so we were excited to have some company!

The view from our window - we hadn't caught up with Deb and the family yet but it turned out their hotel was directly across from ours (left of frame)

Catching up with the family in front of KL's most famous landmark, the Petronas Towers (Mel, Jord, Maddi, Deb, Sam and Bruce)

The design of the towers is modern but pays tribute to Asian style

Maddi using the sloped windows of the KL Tower to freak out her Mum

Taking on some street food in KL's steamy Chinatown

Everyone trying to keep entertained waiting for the skytrain home

Maddi found the best way to escape the Malaysian humidity

The inside of a shopping centre near our hotel contained a fully fledged amusement park, including a rollercoaster!

The retina-burning lights of the Petronas Towers at night

Dutch Malaysia

From Singapore, we headed north of the border to Malacca and our first taste of Malaysia. We could tell straight away this was a country we were going to like - buzzing streets, an interesting mix of cultures and sensational food. Bring it on!

The old Chinese neighbourhoods are a fascinating walk back in time

The town square and European architecture are relics of the Dutch colonial era

...but plenty of China still remains

As the sun went down, the laneways rose to life with the classic Asian recipe of markets and food vendors

A new world

From the museums and cobbled lanes of old Europe, we took a flight via Qatar to the gleaming glass and stainless steel world of Singapore. We hit an obstacle early on when it emerged that someone had made off with Mel's bag at the airport, leaving her with literally just the clothes on her back. But hitting the noodle stands in our not-so-gleaming part of the city reminded us of what we love about Asia - the buzz of life on the street. It was good to be back!

After filling up on the local delights and checking out the nightlife, we arrived back at the hostel to find that Mel's bag was waiting for us, with an apologetic note from a fellow Aussie who had picked it up by mistake...

Singapore's shiny skyline

In a strange way getting back to Asia felt a bit like coming home

This hospital themed bar of questionable taste had wheelchair seats and cocktails dispensed by IV.

A very Chinese lantern display long the river