I had no idea that I would like Malaysia. I even thought I might just fly through Kuala Lumpur and only see the airport. Life had other plans. As I travelled around South East Asia, I would keep coming back; each time I would see a new side of Malaysia and I would see Kuala Lumpur differently—after all, each time I was a different person.

From the rooftop pool in Kuala Lumpur to the ancient cloud forest in The Cameron Highlands, from orangutans and sun bears in Kuching on one side of Borneo to the sacred mountain Kota Kinabalu on the other, as well as discovering Sucimurni, the ancient principle of wellbeing at Tanjung Jara along the way.

Although I started writing these mini-guides to share the hotel, spa and the rest, the retreat in a box I dreamt of when I first began Pearl Escapes, they are also just stories…

…for the unadventurous adventurer, as well as the keen explorer, we each have our own way of experiencing life.

"To me, you are a hero... You have learned to take something negative in your life and make it a positive... a gift to others. It doesn't get any better than that. Don't doubt that you are capable of helping others... in terms of other of life's difficulties... What an adventure!"

Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., author of "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway"