Comparison DR and Malaysia

Voyager · #1 02-10-2005, 12:20 AM

Some weeks ago, AZB wrote a travel report from Pakistan (!?), so I guess I can submit this little comparison between DR and Malaysia.

It's all about comparisons, isn't it? Isn't that what people do when they write on dr1 that Dominicans are the friendliest on the planet and the beaches are the best?

Any prices below have been converted from Malaysian Ringit to Dominican Pesos.

At the moment, I am in Cherating, a small village on the east coast of Malaysia. The flight here is 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur.

Accommodation

Bungalow on the beach, with h/c shower and own toilet: 350 pesos per night
Suite in resort style place: 1000 pesos per night (but not AI)

Dinner

Three dishes with water to drink, is 200 pesos.

Large beer in beach bar is 75 pesos. (And I do prefer Tiger or Chang beer to the boozy-tasting Presidente. My personal opinion!)

Food is typically steamed fish with soysauce, woked vegetables (kaulan is soooo good!) and fried rice or noodles. I kind of prefer that to mangoo...

Roads

Excellent quality. I still have to try and find even one pothole. People seem to drive a little more sensibly than in DR. (This is my third visit to Malaysia, and this impression is only more reinforced on each visit)

Safety

I have a hunch that criminality is lower than in DR. Can not prove it by statistics but this is my gut feeling.

Language

Everybody (I mean EVERYBODY!) speaks English, which is great for me. Some people also speak German. In DR, as everybody know, very, very few people speak foreign languages.

Media

There are newspapers in English. In DR, I find it difficult to stay informed, unless I use internet.

The book shop at the airport in Kuala Lumpur has a better selection of English language books that Thesaurus in Santo Domingo... Weird, isn't it?

Friendliness

Low and behold and would you believe it? Also in Malysia people actually smile! From reading dr1, I sometimes get the impression that DR has the world wide licence for smiling... Wherever I go here, I meet tremendous friendliness.

Location

Well, travelling from Middle East, it is certainly easier for me to go to Asia than to Caribbean. Using Kuala Lumpur as starting point, I also find more variation in other destinations than using Santo Domingo as starting point.
This is my very personal opinion, so please don't kill me for having it.

(I exlude USA as destination from DR, and that is for political reasons. I refuse to go there during the present administration.)

Well, depending on where you live and what you want to do and what your requirements are etc, maybe Malaysia is a good alternative to DR? I certainly like it a lot!

Stephan · #2 02-10-2005, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Voyager

Some weeks ago, AZB wrote a travel report from Pakistan (!?), so I guess I can submit this little comparison between DR and Malaysia.

It's all about comparisons, isn't it? Isn't that what people do when they write on dr1 that Dominicans are the friendliest on the planet and the beaches are the best?

Any prices below have been converted from Malaysian Ringit to Dominican Pesos.

At the moment, I am in Cherating, a small village on the east coast of Malaysia. The flight here is 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur.

Accommodation

Bungalow on the beach, with h/c shower and own toilet: 350 pesos per night
Suite in resort style place: 1000 pesos per night (but not AI)

Dinner

Three dishes with water to drink, is 200 pesos.

Large beer in beach bar is 75 pesos. (And I do prefer Tiger or Chang beer to the boozy-tasting Presidente. My personal opinion!)

Food is typically steamed fish with soysauce, woked vegetables (kaulan is soooo good!) and fried rice or noodles. I kind of prefer that to mangoo...

Roads

Excellent quality. I still have to try and find even one pothole. People seem to drive a little more sensibly than in DR. (This is my third visit to Malaysia, and this impression is only more reinforced on each visit)

Safety

I have a hunch that criminality is lower than in DR. Can not prove it by statistics but this is my gut feeling.

Language

Everybody (I mean EVERYBODY!) speaks English, which is great for me. Some people also speak German. In DR, as everybody know, very, very few people speak foreign languages.

Media

There are newspapers in English. In DR, I find it difficult to stay informed, unless I use internet.

The book shop at the airport in Kuala Lumpur has a better selection of English language books that Thesaurus in Santo Domingo... Weird, isn't it?

Friendliness

Low and behold and would you believe it? Also in Malysia people actually smile! From reading dr1, I sometimes get the impression that DR has the world wide licence for smiling... Wherever I go here, I meet tremendous friendliness.

Location

Well, travelling from Middle East, it is certainly easier for me to go to Asia than to Caribbean. Using Kuala Lumpur as starting point, I also find more variation in other destinations than using Santo Domingo as starting point.
This is my very personal opinion, so please don't kill me for having it.

(I exlude USA as destination from DR, and that is for political reasons. I refuse to go there during the present administration.)

Well, depending on where you live and what you want to do and what your requirements are etc, maybe Malaysia is a good alternative to DR? I certainly like it a lot!

Having been in Malaysia pretty often,KL, West Coast/East Coast, islands like Perhentian,Penang, Rawa etc., I can agree with most of your description.

On the other hand, the cultural differences to a,- lets say "european influenced tropical catholic society" are pretty obvious.
There cannot be found the sort of life/night life most visitors of both sexes to DR and South America are looking for.

ricktoronto · #3 02-10-2005, 09:11 AM

The 20 hour plus flight for 3 times the cost of a three or four hour flight for 99.9% of the non living int he middle east DR1 members, does not seem to have been taken into the cost/benefit calcuation and makes such comparisons sort of a waste of time.

Staying in the barrios of Haiti might even be cheaper if you live.

Robert · #4 02-10-2005, 09:43 AM

Malaysia has put together a very good product and done a very good job of collectivley marketing that product.

They have a coherent focused strategy that is supported by the government and backed by tourism industry. Unlike the DR, which is all over the place.

stallion · #5 02-10-2005, 09:46 AM

What is the currency value of malaysia to the dollar. You forgot to compare flight times. It only takes me 3 1/2 hours to get to the DR.

Hlywud · #6 02-10-2005, 12:28 PM

Comparison to the DR:

This would be a fun thing to do also, had a wonderfull vacation a little further south.

St. Lucia has also put together a very good product and are doing a very good job of collectively marketing that product.

Robert · #7 02-10-2005, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hlywud

Comparison to the DR:

This would be a fun thing to do also, had a wonderfull vacation a little further south.

St. Lucia has also put together a very good product and are doing a very good job of collectively marketing that product.

Yes, please compare...

Larry · #8 02-10-2005, 02:21 PM

Interesting report but from the US the plane ticket would cost too much and the flight is too long.

You did not compare climates......

Larry

Voyager · #9 02-10-2005, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry

Interesting report but from the US the plane ticket would cost too much and the flight is too long.

You did not compare climates......

Larry

Well, let me quote myself: "Well, depending on where you live and what you want to do and what your requirements are etc, maybe Malaysia is a good alternative to DR?"

If you look at package tours from Europe to Malaysia, you can find reasonably priced flights. Keep in mind that you can find very cheap flights to Thailand and then go from there. Travel in South East Asia is very cheap.

I was actually also writing this report with a view to Malaysia as alternative to DR for relocation. And in such case, the cost of flying here is not that important, is it?

Climate is very similar to DR.

To Stallion:
For currency, check www.oanda.com

To Stephan:
Kuala Lumpur offer a much more varied night life than you can ever find in Santo Domingo. When is the last time you where there ? Generally, Malaysia is culturally very mixed. I see that as a great advantage, making it more exciting than DR. And personally, I don't go to Malaysia for the night life.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that the electricity is working here!

Stephan · #10 02-11-2005, 03:30 AM

Voyager wrote:

Quote:

To Stephan:
Kuala Lumpur offer a much more varied night life than you can ever find in Santo Domingo. When is the last time you where there ? Generally, Malaysia is culturally very mixed. I see that as a great advantage, making it more exciting than DR. And personally, I don't go to Malaysia for the night life.

Ok, lets talk business then:
Quite a lot of DR - Travellers are after the sort of Night Life you wont find in abundance in Malaysia.
Especially the ladies wont be pleased by the animation staff day and night, the Gentlemen would not get the "bang for the buck" they are used to in DR.
When comparing the two countries on a DR message board, the needs of a big part of the DR clientel should be taken into consideration