Amir (second from left) plogging with other UPM students at Pantai Kelanang. He also makes time to visit local tourist attractions like Batu Caves.
JUST as many are taking advantage of the relaxed pandemic restrictions to travel, international students are making the most of their time in Malaysia by exploring the country.
Marketing student from Iran, Arman Poureisa, 34, of University Putra Malaysia (UPM) has been living in Malaysia for four years.
“Recently, I went to the Pavilion mall in Bukit Bintang during the holidays and saw wondrous Iranian motifs.
“This year’s festive decorations in the mall reflected the beauty of Persian culture.
Arman has explored most of Kuala Lumpur.
“I watched live Persian carpet weaving, ate pistachio cake and also listened to the traditional Iranian music in the mall,” said the doctoral candidate.
“Previously, I visited the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park with my brother but it was very hot outside.
“We could see different types of birds there at a very close distance and fed them from our hands.
“I took a few pictures with the birds, which was so thrilling,” he added.
Arman said he wanted to visit Cameron Highlands during Christmas as the place had cooler climate than other places in Malaysia.
UPM electronic engineering student from Pakistan, Amir Murad, 32, loves to travel in his spare time.
He said, “I went to Malacca and Batu Caves with my friends during the holidays.
“We had to climb 272 steps to reach the temple located at the top of Batu Caves.
“We also visited the art gallery and museum where we saw statues of Hindu deities.
“In Malacca, we visited the Malacca Straits Mosque and the A Famosa fortress.
“At night, we rode on a trishaw which was an amazing experience,” he added.
Amir highlighted another tourist attraction in Malaysia that stood out for him.
“Last year, I had the opportunity to explore the Chin Swee Caves Temple in Genting Highlands, which has a nine-storey pagoda.
“Within the temple grounds, I saw a giant Buddha statue.
“Travelling to these places in my leisure time has eased the stress of my studies,” said the doctoral candidate.
This year, Amir devoted part of his weekends to participating in charitable activities.
He said, “In January, I volunteered in Bentong, Pahang, to help the flood victims.
“I also did plogging at Pantai Kelanang, Selangor, in March.”
Applied and computational statistics student from Nigeria, Mohammed Baba Ali, 42, is mostly busy with his research work but in his leisure time, he likes doing community service.
“I joined a volunteer group helping flood victims in Pahang. It gave me immense satisfaction,” he said.
Mohammed Baba says when he’s stressed, he takes a break from his research to go sightseeing with his wife and child. He has also spent time volunteering to help Bentong flood victims (above).
The doctoral candidate said when he felt stressed, he would take a break from his research work and go sightseeing or shopping.
Mohammed Baba said he went to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park to spend some time with friends during the recent festive break.
“We saw people from diverse cultures at the park.
“We also visited the Petronas Twin Towers and shopped at the mall,” he added.
Mohammed Baba said he had previously visited other Malaysian states and was keen to explore more of the country.
“I went to a coconut farm in Perak with my friends and drank fresh coconut water there.
“I rode on the cable car in Genting Highlands with my family, which was really exciting.
“If I get the chance, I would like to visit my friends’ houses in Johor Baru and Penang,” he said.
Every year, a large number of international students enrol at UPM and they are keen travellers.
Zhang (second from right) likes shopping with her friends.
Environmental science and technology student from China, Zhang Xiaoqin, 23, never misses a chance to explore Malaysia.
“I visited Cameron Highlands with my sisters and their boyfriends during the holidays.
“We ate hotpot there and partied together until late into the night.
“I also visited a strawberry farm and ate the juicy fruits there,” she said.
Zhang said she liked watching movies, shopping and eating at various restaurants in her leisure time.
“We also go to theatres and shop together, which is so much fun.
“I feel very happy when I get to spend my leisure time with my friends like this,” she added.
Zhang has also been to Putrajaya and Port Dickson.
She is planning a long vacation to Sabah for her next holiday.
“Sabah has so many beautiful places, such as Kundasang town and Mount Kinabalu, which I have seen on the Internet.
“I would love to go there with my future husband for a romantic holiday,” she said.
Mobility student from France, Luiza Garrigues, 21, is maximising her time in Malaysia by seeing as many places as she can since she is here only for six months.
Recently, she went to Sabah with friends.
Garrigues recalled, “After arriving in Sabah, we went to Sandakan.
“The next day, we visited the orang utan sanctuary to experience the tropical jungle.
“On our last day in Sandakan, we visited Turtle Island where we witness a baby turtle hatching.”
During her Sabah trip, Garrigues said she also visited Kota Kinabalu and from there, she went to the Manukan, Mamutik and Gaya islands.
“In the evenings, I enjoyed sunsets by the beach,” she said, adding that she had fun snorkelling and swimming.
The Kota Kinabalu National Park was in Garrigues’ travel itinerary too during the same trip.
“Previously, I visited Pangkor Island, Ipoh and Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary.
“Before I return to my country, I want to see more of Malaysia’s lovely sights,” she added.
Engineering and manufacturing student from Iraq, Taghreed Kadhim Sarhan, 40, made her first solo journey to Pangkor Island for two days during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri break in May.
Taghreed said, “I took a ferry to Pangkor and then hired a car to explore the island.
“I ate scrumptious local cuisine at a restaurant there. The food was really delicious.
“At night, while I was walking along the shores, I saw blue lights glowing on the seawater and it was breathtakingly beautiful,” she reminisced.
Taghreed visited the famous floating mosque on the island as well.
On getting souvenirs, she said, “I bought some hand-made fish-scale collagen soaps from a neighbourhood store because I found it very interesting.”
“Even though I travelled alone to Pangkor, I had a great time,” the doctoral candidate added.
