The Air Up There in Genting Highlands

Some time ago, when my wife was pregnant with our son, she thought it’d be a good idea for us to take a break and enjoy ourselves. So we thought, why not head up to Genting Highlands? It’s a good place to have fun, and we haven’t been there in a while. Genting Highlands is a mountain top resort and holiday retreat, about 45 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur. After battling through the traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur, the road starts to clear up, and soon we’re enjoying the view on our way up. Steadily, the temperature outside lowers, and soon it gets rather foggy.

The very colourful First World Hotel where we stayed.

Upon arriving to the top, we made our way to the hotel that we’re going to spend our weekend, the First World Hotel. There are several hotels up in Genting Highlands, all are run by Resorts World Genting, and cater to different themes. I picked the First World Hotel because I find it to be reasonably priced, and, okay I’ll admit it… it was the most colourful building there. Being the weekend at a popular tourist spot, the lines of people checking in were long. After that, we’re off to the room, which I must say is rather Spartan. Nothing fancy, just a room where you could sleep in. That doesn’t really bug me, because for the most part we’re going to be out and about anyway.

An aerial view of the park from one of the rides.

Genting Highlands is most popular for two reasons, its theme parks and its casinos. Since I’m not a gambling man, we headed for the theme park. The theme park has many rides that can make the heart beat that much faster, and some calmer rides as well. So if you’re planning to go crazy with the rides, try not to eat a heavy lunch. First up for me was The Corkscrew, which is a fun double-loop roller coaster. Its fun to be childish again and scream at the top of your lungs on a roller coaster, no? Then if you want to get flipped and turned inside out, I’d recommend you try out the Flying Coaster. The main idea is, you get strapped in a hang-gliding position on the ride and “fly” through the bends, twists and dips. This ride is brought to you by the cool guys at Zamperla of Italy.

Get turned upside down in the Corkscrew.

One of my favourite rides has to be the Space Shot. From the top of the ride at 185 feet, you get an amazing view of the entire theme park and hotels. Funny thing, before I strapped up for the ride, it was very foggy. I thought to myself “great, I couldn’t see anything from up there”. But lo and behold, as the machined cranked its way up, the fog cleared and I was smiling again. I was talking to my friend next to me about the nice view and how small people looked from up here, when suddenly the horn blared and next thing I know, we were pretty much free falling. Upon reaching the bottom, we were catapulted back up to experience pulling g-forces, and the process repeats itself a couple of times. After it was all done,I had butterflies in my stomach, and if you are so inclined, you can buy a copy of a picture of yourself wetting your pants while on the ride.

This is how my kidneys escaped my body... through my nose!

Pottering around on the bumper boat ride...

Taking a ride on the Skyway Cable Cars is also recommended. Riding on the Skyway gives you the opportunity to admire the beautiful views of the mountain and its surroundings, all in a relaxed pace. It doesn’t cost much, but do check out their schedules in advance. Within the course of the day, we tried out pretty much all the rides and games, and had a lot of fun. The indoor theme park was more laid back, as mostly were relaxing rides for you to check out the building. You can also do some shopping for souvenirs and trinkets while inside, and try out some shooting simulators or even bowling if you’re so inclined. Every so often, there will be some interesting events going on at the Arena of Stars. Many events have been hosted there such as concerts by highly acclaimed acts such as Deep Purple, Air Supply, Kitaro, Englebert Humperdinck and Andy Lau.

Another view of the park from one of the rides.

London Bus lost in Genting Highlands.

Taking the slow train ride to enjoy the cool air and nice views of the park...

After a day of enjoying the rides, we were starving. Thankfully there are plenty of choices when it comes to food. From proper meals to fast food, you can take your pick. But do keep in mind, food costs more up in Genting Highlands. I guess they have to factor in transportation costs to get it up there. Also, if you go there during the weekends, be ready to face big crowds at the hotel breakfast. You were warned.

Indoor theme park from above...

Don't mess with us!

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Genting Highlands. Feeling like kids again at the theme park, enjoying the lovely mountain view and fresh air. Though many people say its warmer up there now (I guess global warming is to blame), I felt it was cooler than the last time I was there. So we went home feeling good and cheerful. Back to being grown-ups now.

Parting shot...

Our Weekend at Felda Residence Tanjung Leman

With the rather long Wesak Day weekend nearing, my family and I thought it would be nice for us to take a break somewhere. Most other destinations are booked solid for the holidays, and I’m rather fortunate to secure a reservation at Felda Residence Tanjung Leman. I have been here before, though it was for work purposes, so I didn’t have the luxury to enjoy all the fun stuff the last time. So this time, I’m determined to make the best of it.

From Johor Bahru, it takes close to two hours driving to get you to Felda Residence Tanjung Leman. You’ll have to take the Kota Tinggi-Mersing road, and there’ll be signboards to lead you there. Upon reaching to my holiday destination, checking in was promptly processed and I was soon in the comfort of my room. There are various types of rooms offered here, such as the superior room with two single beds, priced at RM150 per night, the deluxe room which I stayed in, costs RM180 per night, as well as the suite at RM300 per night, and the executive suite, which will set you back a cool RM400 per night. These are promotional rates however, so you might as well grab this chance to enjoy your stay here.

Pic: The beach is just a short walk away...

My room was quite spacious, and it has what I need, and at a good price to, so I have no complaints. The resort itself is breezy and well kept, and from what I understand, is rather new. My room has a good view of the beach, which was only a short walking distance away. Inviting as it was, taking a swim at the beach will have to wait as it was the middle of the afternoon and the sun is scorching. Going to lunch was a better option, so I took my car and drove around, taking in the sights while looking for lunch. My drive took me to the Tanjung Leman jetty, and there was a KFC outlet there, and chicken doesn’t seem too bad at all. The KFC restaurant itself had a good view of the boats going in and out of the Tanjung Leman jetty, ferrying people to nearby islands such as Sibu Island. It was a rather nice and fancy setting for a KFC restaurant, a pleasant change.

Pic: The KFC outlet at Tanjung Leman Jetty

Pic: The room is rather nice for the price.

After lunch and taking a break from the drive to the resort, its time to hit the beach! The waves were quite strong here, and the waters were rather warm. Its just fun to splash around at the beach, no? Some people tried their luck fishing, since Tanjung Leman and the nearby islands are popular fishing destinations, though I’m not the fishing type myself. You can also play some beach volleyball or beach soccer if you’re into it.

Pic: Taking a splash at the beach.

Taking a walk along the beach and you’ll be rewarded with a great view of the surroundings. The Tanjung Leman jetty is just a short walk away, as is the original, old jetty, which is no longer used, but a good place to hang out and enjoy the sea breeze and view. Nearby are dense forest areas on the hills by the beach. There was a trail leading up the hills, but I didn’t think it was a suitable jaunt to take my little boy along.

Pic: The old Tabjung Leman jetty from a distance...

After our little stroll by the beach is done, we returned to our suite and got some rest. Night soon is upon us and all is quiet and serene, with only the sound of the waves and crickets to be heard. It’s a nice setting to rest and unwind. The rooms did have the Astro satellite TV service, so we watched a movie before we went out for dinner. At the coffee house, we had dinner. There were numerous local and western dishes available, so dining wasn’t an issue. Prices are quite reasonable too.

Next day, we went driving around without any particular destination in mind. So next thing we knew, we were crossing the bridge leading to Sedili, a small town nearby. From there, we passed by other quiet little places such as Kampung Singapura, then on to Mawai, and then we went on to head to Kota Tinggi town. There, we had lunch at the famous Basir Chicken Rice place, before we headed back to Felda Residence.

At the end of our stay there, we agreed that Felda Residence Tanjung Leman is a perfect place to get away and unwind from all the stresses of work and city life, and that we’d definitely give it another go sometime. Just make sure to bring with you sunblock and bathing suits!

Pic: View of the Tanjung Leman Jetty.

My Trip to Tioman Island

First of all, let me start by apologizing for not posting in this blog sooner. Believe me, I have so many stories to tell, so many cool places to share, but haven’t got the time to really sit down and write. Oh well, let me make it all up by sharing to all of you about one of my latest traveling experience.

On 30th June 2008, I went to the Tioman Island for my honeymoon. Ops, did I say ‘honeymoon’? Yes, I did! I got married on the 28th June 2008. Anyway, after a thorough research, my wife and I decided to stay at the Panuba Inn. Keep in mind that Tioman has plenty of resorts and hotels for you to choose, depending on your preferences. There were the Genting group, Berjaya group which is the most expensive and luxurious one there I might add. And there was the Tekek Village and Salang beach. We happened to choose Panuba which we later found out is a lone small resort with its own jetty and private beach. Cool, eh?

The reservation process was a breeze. We simply called the Panuba Inn office and they helped us with the ferry tickets and other details, which is very good for amateurs like us when it comes to going to an island. The ferry return ticket cost RM70 per person and our room cost RM110 per night. We stayed for 2 nights. So, mainly our 3 days 2 nights honeymoon trip only costs us RM350!

View from the jetty

The ferry ride took about 2 hours and it stopped at each jetty in the Tioman Island. Panuba Inn was the second last stop. Our arrival at the Panuba jetty was greeted by turquoise colored sea water, SOOoo clear that you can see little tiny fishes swimming around the coral. There and then we already felt like we’re in heaven and we just couldn’t wait to jump into the water.

View from our room. This picture was taken after the rain.

We checked in to our Durian Room. At Panuba, there are Anggur Room which is the cheapest rooms, Belimbing Room which are the second cheap ones, Durian Room which are the second best and Super Durian Room which are the best rooms there. We took the Durian Room since the only different from our room with the Super Durian Room is the coffee and tea maker, and we decided that we could live without it for a few days.

After settling down, we went for a quick bite at the restaurant, which is the only restaurant available there. Thankfully they have almost everything from eastern to western foods with very reasonable price too. For our very first meal there, we ordered plain rice, Panuba cheese omelets and a bowl of chicken Tom Yam. Ok, honestly, the food wasn’t that impressive but it wasn’t bad either. And the view was a huge bonus because it was right in front of the beach. Believe me any meal would taste a thousand times better than it actually is if you’re eating it facing such lovely scenery.

The beach. It's almost like having your own private beach, I tell 'ya!

After our meal, we changed into our swimming attire and hit the beach. The water was a little cold since it rained a little bit while we changed. And there were a lot of corals and sea shells that we kept stepping on. Soon we realized that this isn’t the beach for light swim. Since it was already late by then, we decided to go back to our room and hit the beach again the next day with some gears. Still, we had a good time.

The next day we were prepared. We brought gear… Snorkeling gear! And boy, it was incredible. It was another world down there in the water. The fishes were so calm they don’t really care about you. They simply go about their businesses and once a while swim pass you. Good luck trying to touch them though because they have this subtle tactic to keep themselves out of reach. And stay alert I must say because it’s easy to lost track looking at the fishes and the coral, suddenly you’re miles away from the beach. Too bad we don't owned any underwater camera.

Breakfast by the beach with my lovely wife.

Waiting for the ferry. Going home.

Anyway, all and all our stay at the Panuba Inn was heavenly. Tioman Island was magnificent. The water was crystal like and the underwater world was enchanting. Before I forgot, don’t ever miss breakfast there because that’s when the high tide is in and the water almost reached the restaurant. Oh well, what am I saying, I can go on and on and on about how wonderful it was there be it breakfast time, lunch time or dinner time. It was just wonderful, period.

Goodbye mister crab!

My wife and I were so sad that we have to leave on the third day, we wish we could’ve stayed longer. But life must go on and we can’t possibly just drop everything and live there, can’t we? Maybe one day. But for now we promised each other to come back again, real soon. And up until today, weeks since we get back, we still have Panuba Inn so dearly in our heart.

My Trip to Teluk Sengat and Sungai Rengit

Since it's been awhile since the last time I went for a road trip. Well, the last time was about a month ago, which for me, that’s awhile! Anyway, I wanted to go to Kota Tinggi for lunch. Yeah… Breakfast in Skudai, lunch in Kota Tinggi, dinner in Perlis. Then in the future when I get to own a private jet, maybe I could actually do that outside Malaysia. Wouldn’t that be cool?

Ok, back to Kota Tinggi. At first I wanted to eat at the famous Kedai Basir for their delicious and unforgettable chicken rice. Situated in the middle of Kota Tinggi’s town, this is the specialty of Restoran Basir. Their chicken rice is well-known all over Johor, maybe even Malaysia. I’ve been there about three times and I could never get enough of it. But then, at the very last minute I decided to skip Kedai Basir to check out a Seafood Restaurant in Teluk Sengat which was recommended by a friend of my dad.

I didn’t know what expect in Teluk Sengat. I never had been there before. But when I reached the town, it was like being in a whole different state. I was so used to busy and noisy city, even the Kota Tinggi town wasn’t as cute as this one. Notice that I used the word ‘cute’. Teluk Sengat was a sleepy small town overseeing the calm, blue and windy sea. The seafood restaurant was easy to find, and after one a half hour of driving, I was starving. So, I get down to ordering as soon as I set my ass on the chair.

Imagine this, an open air restaurant, situated at the higher part of the town. Cooling sea breeze blowing softly on your hair. You could smell the ocean. It was incredible. And when the food arrived, I forgot all about the chicken rice during the first bite. Everything was perfect! The fish was soft, the squid was tasty and you could simply tell that everything was cooked with fresh ingredients. I ordered a meal that was enough to feed a whole family, but the two of us simply finished it all. And then, we washed it all down with herbal Chinese tea. Don’t get me wrong, Restoran Basir’s chicken rice will always have a place in my heart, but this seafood restaurant is simply make me feel like I was in heaven.

I even keep the receipt to show you how much it cost me. Ok, I admit it cost a lot, but it wasn't a surprise because seafood usually are a bit costly. And it's definitely worth every single cent too.

After exploring the Teluk Sengat’s town, which only took about 5 minutes (seriously, the town was micro) I decided to continue driving to the Sungai Rengit to check out the beach. At the Sugai Rengit town, I was greeted by a mutant metal lobster. I was so amazed by this lobster. It reminds me of Doctor Octopus from Spiderman 2. Quite an imposing structure.

I drove around aimlessly trying to find a nice beach to park and take pictures. A bolt turn brings me to heaven. Well, the seafood restaurant was a different kind of heaven, but this place is just drop dead gorgeous. I never thought my plan to skip Restoran Basir’s chicken rice today was actually the best plan I ever made in months!

The place is called Tanjung Kapal Beach Resort. It’s a very neat nicely designed and meticulously maintained resort. I don’t know how else to describe it except it’s the most cute and beautiful resort I ever seen. It wasn’t big, just nice for those who are looking for a quite escape from the busy city life.


This is the view from Tajung Kapal overseeing the ocean. I just love the fact that they build a nice chair and swings so you sit there and enjoy the sea. And below is the picture of the rooms. The rooms are facing the ocean. Just perfect.

I’m definitely in love with the place. Took a bunch of pictures and I would like to share some with everybody. I wish I could stay overnight and simply experience of waking up to the sound of the sea wave. How I wish I didn’t have to leave the place so soon. But I didn’t leave without asking for more information and contact numbers. And what I found is this resort offers standard rooms and the executive rooms. They’re all air-conditioned, complete with colored tv and water heater. For those who want to camp instead, they have the place for that too. Actually, Tanjung Kapal Beach Resort is pretty complete.

I promise I will come back soon and spend the night there. Then I will write to brag about how much fun I have. I bet my stay will be terrific! Oh, how I can’t wait!

Marché Restaurant vs the Norway Bakery Moments Café

My favourite activity whenever I go to Kuala Lumpur is to drive around and look for places to eat. And this time, there are 2 eating places that I want to talk about. One is called Marché and another one is the Norway Bakery Moments Café.

Marché Mövenpick Restaurant

Marché Mövenpick Restaurant is situated in the Curve, one of the newest shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. From a friend's recommendation, I went there to check it out. Upon arriving, I was greeted by their two friendly staffs, handing me a piece of paper, which they called a passport. They explained that whenever I made an order inside, they will stamp the passport and I will have to hand the passport to the cashier after I finish dining. Sounds reasonable, so I took it and when inside to embrace my dining adventure!

Marché was more like a combination of a market and a buffet. Marché, which means market in French consists many stalls with variety of choices. There's home made pizza's stall, the deserts' stall, the steak and grill food's stall, the pasta's stall and many more. You can place your order in any of these stalls, get your passport stamped, and bring the food to the table.

I love the concept and it certainly is different from any other restaurant that I've been to. However, I'm extremely disappointed with the price. I do understand that western foods could be a little bit more expensive, but Marché was totally over charging it foods. I could get the same thing somewhere else with half their price!

Norway Bakery Moments Café

Let's move on to the Norway Bakery Moments Café which is on the third floor of the Berjaya Time Square Mall. Actually, this is my second visit to this café. I came here before, fell in love with the sandwiches that they offered and I came back. Anyway, I added the word Norway because they put a Norway flag on their signboard. It is actually a Norwegian bakery chain. Here, this is an article from the star that will explain it all.

Unlike Marché, here things are more straight forward. You pick, you pay, and you eat. No passport, no stamps. Norway Bakery Moments however does not sell any heavy cuisine such as pizza or pasta, but they do have many choices of sandwiches, puffs and buns. The sandwiches are juicy, the buns are chocolaty and the puffs are yummy! Not to mention that the price is right! It was a bakery heaven!

Some of their heavenly selections

Their delicious looking sandwich

This café also offers variety of delicious coffees. I'm a big fan of coffee, so any café that has good coffee will surely see me again and again. Too bad they don't have this café back in Johor Bahru, because it will definitely be my favourite hang out.

Go to Marché if you're looking for a different environment as long you don't mind being overcharge. Like I said, the concept was lovely if you can look past the price. The Norway Bakery Moments however was more laid back and down to earth with heavenly choices of foods!

Crystal Crown Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

This time during my visit to Kuala Lumpur, I stayed at the new Crystal Crown Hotel. Situated in Kepong, they're a bit far from the city so it will take a while if you want to go to the main shopping complexes. Actually, I didn't realize that it was a new hotel until I read the brochure when I checked in. The reason I choose this hotel on the first place is because of the internet promotion rate, which claimed that if you make your reservation through the net you'll get the RM115 per night, compare to the real rate which is RM145 per night.

I wasn't really happy during my check in process because they mixed up my stay period. I made reservation for 2 nights, instead they only booked me for one night. Typical Malaysia online system, they always screw up. And the front desk staffs need attitude training. Not that they were rude, just need to be improve. But they redeemed themselves by working out the mixed up.

The room however was decent, clean and comfortable. There was a glitch with the wiring but it was solved quickly by the maintenance crew. It wasn't an exactly smooth 'settling down' process but they are new, so I cut them some slack.

The rest of my stay was fine, not terrific, but fine. The breakfast buffet was average and the room service was helpful. There's always room for improvement however. The checking out process was slow, because they screwed up with another costumer's bill, which doesn't concern me, but they left me hanging there for 10 minutes to work on the matter. And, despite the promotional rate that they offered, they charged me RM135 per night anyway.

I've come to conclusion that this hotel offers a nice and comfortable place to accommodate your stay, sure, if that's all you're looking for. But if you want a nice, warm and cozy staffs, go somewhere else. However, I give them all credit for at least being generous with their smiles.

Looking down from Kuala Lumpur Tower…

Another place that I got a chance to visit while I was in Kuala Lumpur is the Kuala Lumpur Tower. When I first thought about going there, I thought this wasn’t going to be too hard. But for me, that wasn’t the case. You know, you’d think finding a tower 421 metres high would be intuitive, but boy it was not! I had to make many turns and going around the same place over and over again. There weren’t many signboards, and when you actually follow those few signboards, it has a tendency to disappear just when you need them the most! Many of Kuala Lumpur’s signboards are like that, so beware! I’m obviously not from Kuala Lumpur, so I was fuming trying to find the way. And finally when I did get to the entrance, the signboard there was small too and nothing to look at.

Pic: The Kuala Lumpur Tower looks beautiful and imposing from down here.

Enough of that. Finally, I found my way to the Kuala Lumpur Tower. I am told that the 421 metre tower is the highest communications tower in Southeast Asia, and apparently, the top of the tower had its design inspired from a pineapple, due to the tower’s location in Bukit Nanas or “Pineapple Hill” (literally translated). Yes, the tower looks more imposing in real life. The staff working there are very helpful, and they lead me to the counter where we can buy tickets to get up the tower. After getting my ticket, I boarded the elevator which will take me to the viewing area. The elevator ride took about a minute or so, and soon we were at the viewing area.

Pic: (Top) We're having a good time at the Observation Deck.
(Bottom) What a hazy day huh? We were at the Eye on Malaysia earlier!

Just my luck, when I got up the tower, I realized that today is one of those hazy days. But I still got the best out of my trip. You can really see the entire town from here, this is one of the best places to absorb the view of Kuala Lumpur (wonder how things look like on the top of KLCC). You can make use of the binoculars up on the viewing area to take a closer look at places or even people, and there are also souvenir shops there. If you’re feeling hungry, there’s also a fancy restaurant at the top floor of the tower. What a very cool and romantic setting to have a dinner there. I didn’t go there though, because the price is also rather “fancy” for my tastes, haha. Before leaving, the staff gave me a survey form for me to fill, gauging my whole experience. Generally, I’m very happy and satisfied with the whole experience, I only wish it was easier to find the tower in the first place! After that, I took some more pictures and left with a smile on my face. Many more places to go.