I am Darren, a guy of Chinese heritage but born and raised in Penang, Malaysia.

I have been working and living in a few different places within and outside Malaysia from 2001 til 2016, but I have been taking a break from my work since 2016, so that I can spend more time with my family and friends, and also to travel a little bit to nearby destinations when I am able to.

I feel most at ease when I am out in the nature... Love hiking, jungle trekking, SCUBA diving, parks, rivers and lakes... and I enjoy exploring other cultures, traditions, and foods too.
My motto: "Wherever I go, I always go where the locals go, do what the locals do, and eat what the locals eat!"

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

In short: Would love to show people the beautiful city that I am living in... And explore the foreign cities with the input and guidance on a local there too.

I have signed up for CouchSurfing a long time ago, and was active only for a short while and stopped due to busy work schedule. And I have just revived my account and I am hoping to be able to meet more people, know them better and share their exciting life experiences.

Interests

Nature, home stay, outdoors, cultures, wildlife etc. I am the kind of guy that can be very happy just strolling the park for the whole day even by myself... LOL.

I have done many things and I have listed down a few:
SCUBA Diving in Dakak (Philippines), Rajah Ampat, Pulau Weh (Indonesia) and Pulau Perhentian, Kota Kinabalu, Sipadan (Malaysia) for amazing corals and underwater world.
Hiked Mount Kinabalu (claimed to be highest peak in South East Asia) for 5 times.
Sky Dived in Malaysia
Hiked to see Mulu Pinnacles in Malaysia
Hiked Preikestolen and Kjeragbolten (both in Norway) countless times.
Hiked Mount Tahan (The highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia)
Travelled in China for 7 weeks
Road trip in Thailand, from Southern Thailand (Hatyai) all the way to Saraburi (North of Bangkok)

• wildlife
• culture
• folklore
• street art
• dining
• folk music
• jazz
• outdoor activities
• camping
• scuba diving
• road trips
• nature
• street food
• wild animals
• mountain hiking

Music, Movies, and Books

My Favorite Music: many, depending on my mood :D
My Favorite Movies: Generally movies that are inspiring, also enjoy horror movies and action movies.
My Favorite Books: Mostly reading Chinese books, novels and books about nature and animals.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Even with a bit of back ache due to a minor sky diving accident, I have managed to hike through a distance of 62 km in Mount Tahan (The highest peak in Peninsular Malaysia), carrying 17 km of equipment and rations throughout the period of 5 days.

Teach, Learn, Share

We all have something to share and something to learn.
I am more than happy to share with people about my culture, both my heritage (Chinese) and my national (Malaysian) cultures.

What I Can Share with Hosts

Friendship, stories, experiences (both in life and when I am travelling).
I can teach them Mandarin, Malay and some English :p

Countries I’ve Visited

Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Viet Nam

Countries I’ve Lived In

Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Norway, United States