Red Dot cricket tours | Malaysia cricket tour

Malaysia Cricket Tour

Introduction

Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, easy-going destinations in south-east Asia: optimistic, wealthy and with a varied mix of cultures. Kuala Lumpur is an example of how enthusiastically Malaysia has adopted Western-style commercialism, but it also possesses an attractive, hilly interior and excellent sandy beaches. Cricket is thriving in a modest fashion in Malaysia: it hosted a tri-nations tournament in 2006 between Australia, the West Indies and India and staged the 2007 U19 World Cup. Malaysia also featured cricket in the 1998 Commonwealth Games (which is more than Manchester did). Cricket's history stretches back to 1884 when British planters founded the Royal Selengor club. But it is the variety of extensions that give Red Dot’s Malaysia tour a special flavour – with the choice ranging from from the jungles of Borneo to the golf and beaches of Langkawi and the cultural or hedonistic delights of Thailand. Malaysia tours can be run from January to September. When planning your tour please recognize that midweek cricket matches can be difficult to arrange in Malaysia, so it is best to concentrate cricket at the weekend.

The following sample itinerary has four matches in 12 days with a two-day extension in Penang or Singapore, a three-day extension in Langkawi, Thailand or Sri Lanka, or a four-day extension in Borneo, but Red Dot’s itineraries are totally flexible

Fly Malaysian Airlines on the 12-hour flight from Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur, one of south-east Asia’s most ambitious and exciting cities.

(Note: If you opt for a tour combining Sri Lanka and Malaysia, we recommend that you opt for SriLankan Airlines).

Holiday Highlights

	Kuala Lumpur – A modern and cosmopolitan capital city with great shopping and nightlife and endless smiles.
	Cameron Highlands – A cooler hill-country resort offering tranquil hills and good golf.
	Penang – Rich in culture, heritage and beache


Day 1Arrive Kuala Lumpur - Arrive early morning at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. We recommend that you catch the fast express train service which whizzes you in 25 minutes from the airport to KL’s Sentral Station, where you are met by a Red Dot representative and transferred to your hotel. An eight-hour time difference from the UK insists that you use the rest of the day to relax and unwind before exploring a dynamic yet compact city. Recommended hotels: Shangri-la, a sophisticated and elegant 5-star; The Renaissance, with 5-star and 4-star alternatives; or Park Royal, a relaxed, good-value 4-star in the heart of the city.
Day 2Kuala Lumpur - After breakfast, we take you on a tour of Kuala Lumpur where you see how a city of humble beginnings became a modern cosmopolitan city. Highlights: National Monument, Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Independence Square, the Selangor Club – once a popular cricket ground – and the King’s Palace. Enjoy a breathtaking view of the city from the KL Tower. The afternoon is free, although we can arrange cricket nets on request. To help you settle in to Malaysian way of life, in the evening we can arrange a tour welcome with dinner at a KL restaurant – perhaps Bijan, a fine-dining restaurant with traditional Malay cuisine. After dinner, visit Chinatown. This is a bustling night market, which offers tourist and locals alike a diverse selection of shopping items like clothes, 'branded' watches and shoes.
Day 3Kuala Lumpur - MATCH 1: Midweek cricket is not easy to obtain in Malaysia, but Kelawar CC provide excellent initial opposition. Don’t be put off by their artificial surface. This team, made up of Australian, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Indian and English ex-pats, with a sprinkling of Malays, plays decent social cricket and can give you the advice you need about the best watering holes for the approaching weekend.
Day 4Kuala Lumpur - Take a full day’s tour to the southern state of Malacca. Malacca, forged during a tumultuous and intricate history, epitomizes the spirit of the nation. See the Dutch Stadthuys, St Paul’s Church and Porta De Santiago, remnants of Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule. Jonker Street is popular with visitors - a street of old shophouses famous for antique items and peranakan handicraft. The oldest Chinese Temple - Cheng Hoong Teng's Temple – was built in 1646 and retains fine craftsmanship in the form of mythological figures, carvings and lacquer work. Enjoy lunch in a Peranakan Restaurant. Peranakan or Nyonya Cuisine is a blend of Malay & Chinese cuisine.
Day 5Saturday: Kuala Lumpur - MATCH 2: Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia hosted an ICC international tournament in 2006, proof the country’s respectable cricket tradition. Discover more about one of the capital’s leading grounds. After the match, you have a final chance to sample KL’s nightlife. Day 6 Kuala Lumpur - MATCH 3: Kuala Lumpur. This is your last day in KL. We think the city will have surprised many of you.
Day 7Kuala Lumpur to Cameron Highlands (4 hrs). Travel to the cooler hill country of the Cameron Highlands via the highway with a rest stop at Tapah. This is the town leading to Cameron Highlands. On the way up to the mountain resort, we will stop at a small aborigine village and a teahouse. Accommodation: Once you reach the main town of Tanah Rata, we recommend that you settle in at the luxurious Cameron Highlands Resort – a wonderful resort facing the Golf Course. More budget alternatives are also available.
Day 8Cameron Highlands Morning tee off at the golf course otherwise relax & enjoy the facilities of the resort This golf course is the only one in the highlands. The 18-holes, par-71 Cameron Highlands Golf Course is quite challenging with tricky greens, undulating fairways, thick rough, meandering streams and fine sand bunkers
Day 9Wednesday - Cameron Highlands to Penang (6 hrs) Visit one of the tea plantations owned by the Boh Plantations to watch the processing of black tea and later to sample various kind of tea in the teahouse. Also visit the Rose Garden and Butterfly Farm. Depart the Cameron Highlands via the Simpang Pulai Highway to Bukit Merah Laketown. Visit the Orang Utan Island and see this extraordinary animal and the in-house infant care unit. Continue to Penang and cross the Penang Bridge into the island of Penang. Accommodation: We propose that you spend the next four nights at a beach hotel. However, if you wish to avoid 45-minute trips between the beach area and Georgetown, then consider the Eastern and Oriental Hotel in the town itself. Or mix and match.
Day 10Thursday: Penang - Today you can explore Penang - the Pearl of the Orient and the oldest British settlement in Malaysia. Visits include the Khoo Kongsi (Dragon Mountain Hall) clan house, which attempts to capture the splendour of an Imperial palace, the historical Fort Cornwallis and the Thai temple of Wat Chayamangkalaram, which houses a 32 metres reclining Buddha. About 30 minutes drive from the city is the military fortress built on Penang Island in the 1930's by the British. British Royal Engineers and local labourers blasted into the hill to create a fort with underground military tunnels, an intelligence and logistics centre, halls, ventilation shafts, canon firing, sleeping quarters, as well as a medical infirmary. This is a memorable visit to one of the significant battle scenes in Malaya during World War 2.
Day 11Friday: Penang - At leisure. You may wish to explore George Town, most happily surveyed on foot or by trishaw, which enables you to appreciate the old-world charm of the old shops and coffeeshops. The cultural diversity of the place is expressed in the minute details of architecture and lifestyle, which normally escape those who only see the city from the tour bus. If you are in search of more activity, consider cycling along the quieter back routes on Penang Island. Day 12Saturday - MATCH 4: Penang Sunday: Depart for Penang airport for a flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport on onward to Heathrow. Example of extensions: The possibility of extensions on our Malaysia tours are rich and varied. If your time is limited, and you wish to allow more time for these extensions, consider removing the trip to Cameron Islands from the Malaysia section of your itinerary. Red Dot’s cricket tours are tailored to your exact requirements.
BorneoA haven for adventurers and naturalists, Borneo must be one of the most enchanting choices for a cricket tour group. Two regions – Serawak and Sabah – belong to Malaysia. We use one of Borneo’s most knowledgeable and imaginative ground agents. Adventure activities include jungle and mountain trekking, mountain biking, rafting and diving and visits to underground caves. Employees are fully-trained and licensed adventure, birding and wildlife local guides.
PenangThis is the simplest and most economical option. Spend two additional nights in Penang before departing by flight to Kuala Lumpur International Airport and onward connection to London. Penang Island is a melting pot of cultures and traditions. You could stay in Georgetown, studded with temples, churches and old colonial buildings, and convenient for Penang Cricket Club. Or travel 45 minutes to the north-eastern coast to Batu Ferranghi, for a selection of budget and luxury beach hotels, and a host of watersports.
Sri LankaWhy not use Sri Lanka to warm up for your tour? You could practice in Colombo and play your opening match in the capital before moving on to KL. Or you could just chill at a Negombo beach hotel, near to the airport, before heading off for KL. Alternatively, opt for a Malaysia / Sri Lanka combo with a week or so in each country. You could then combine Colombo and Galle beaches in Sri Lanka, before adding Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia.
LangkawiDepart by flight from Penang to Langkawi. The Datao or Andaman resort is a luxury choice, with a prized isolated beach front. We recommend Pelangi Beach resort as a medium-range choice in a livelier beach area. The outstanding landscape of the Langkawi Islands proclaims a true tropical paradise. White sands, clear tropical waters and lovely island sunsets. Located off the northern most tip of Peninsular Malaysia, Langkawi is a group of 104 islands where only three are inhabited. Golfers could enjoy a round at the Datai Bay golf course, which has established itself as one of the leading courses in Malaysia. This 72-par course, surrounded by towering tropical trees, nestles on the edge of the rainforest, with spectacular views across the ocean. Small islands dot the horizon while in the distance, stretching across the bay you can see Thailand. Return flight from Langkawi to KLIA and back to Heathrow.
BangkokThe chances of cricket in Thailand are slim – if not impossible – but a final three days exploring the hedonistic delights of the capital, Bangkok, might suit a younger and more energetic tour group. But there is more to Bangkok than non-stop nightlife. This frantic and fascinating city offers ancient temples, floating markets and river cruises. And after such an assault on the senses, why not consider a traditional Thai massage or spa treatment?
PhuketPhuket is Thailand’s most famous beach destination, a land of warm, blue seas and tropical sunsets. Consider golf, diving, speedboat trips and cruises -- as well as the pulsating Patong nightlife, where more than 100 bars vie for your attention.

Package price includes:

	Return flight with SriLankan Airlines (inclusive of all taxes)
	From 12 night’s accommodation on twin-sharing basis
	Breakfast at all hotels
	Air-conditioned coach for duration of the tour
	Match costs including venue hire, umpires, packed lunches and water
	Full-time cricket liaison officer for tour duration
	Cricket assistant for organizing dressing room, kit, drinks and assistance during practices/warm-ups
	Notes:
	Buffet lunches at games can be organized on request
	Accommodation can be booked on half or full board, cost on request
	5 litres of water per player will be purchased per game
	Venues are subject to change at the last-minute due to first class and international commitments
	Tour clothing can be organized, on request