Overall I've been enjoying sober travels by train through rural eastern Malaysia. Visiting Terengganu by bus is next on the list. Main gripe, hotels pricier than I like to pay while also being inferior in quality to Thailand and Laos. High taxes, strong ringgit, and absentee owners who couldn't care less if their guests aren't 100% satisfied. I'd say rooms here are still better value on average than the Philippines, though there are outliers in both countries. Malaysian cities are MUCH less crowded and more civilized than Filipino cities by a long shot.