Malaysia Travel

Yesterday I went to Aquaria in KLCC .

It was a nice trip and with the good time that my daughter have when she is there… the RM35 entrance fees is worth the money. (well since it is the only one avaiable and nice one in Kuala Lumpur area ).

Waiting for the Aquaria to open

For yesterday trip, I went there since very early in the morning… and I reach the Kuala Lumpur Conventional Center (the Aquaria is there…) since about 10.15am..

Based on the Aquaria website, during the weekend, it will start to open since 10.30am… but I think yesterday, we all go in at around 11.00am. There are lots of people queuing up to buy ticket yesterday, but luckily since I am early I am in front of many other people.

Aquaria Ticket counter

The entrance fees is as below

Adult  : RM35 (With MYKAD) and RM45(without)

Children: RM25 (With KYKID) and RM35 (without)

Senior : RM25 (With KYKID) and RM35 (without)

How to go there:

I went there by car. I drive directly to Kuala Lumpur Convention Center parking… then from there I can take lift to the floor (If I am not mistake it was ground floor). It was very convenience if you drive (and know the place). If you are not very sure about the location, you can go to KLCC and walk to the Aquaria. There are lots of signage from KLCC that you can follow.

Activities:

In the entrant, they have photo taking service. I take it and the cost (for one pakage) is RM35. there are few photo that they give with that package.

Star Fish at Aquaria KLCC... in the first section where visitor can touch them

Once we go in, there is a section to touch some of the fish (and sea creature there). When I went there, I manage to touch the star fish …

Watching fish feeding activity. At 12pm, there will be 2 diver that will go down to the tank and feed the fish (and turtle inside the tank of course). I think that is actually the main attraction of Aquaria.

Other than that, in the way out, they have some shop to buy souvenir.

The first section. Visitor can touch the fish

Electric cat fish

Electric Eel

Water rat

Last October I drive around Banting and then go to Pantai Morib (Morib beach)… this is the first time I visit it… not many people when I visit that place.

Even if this is a beach, but if you are used to long and white sandy beach near the sea… I think you will be disappointed. You will not able to find it here.

In my opinion, it is a good place for picnic as there are lots of facilities…  here is some of the photo that I take when I visit it.

Pantai Morib

Last weekend, I bring my family to visit Port Dickson. We went with some other friends.

The journey from Kuala Lumpur to Port Dickson take about 2 hour drive (depending on how fast you drive too). I am not sure if there are conveniance if take public transport, or if public transport is available (directly the beach) or not… If you decide to take public transport, I guess most probably you will need to take bus from Kuala Lumpur to Seremban, then from Seremban to Port Dickson.

Since we went there in a group, we decide to rent an apartment. The cost is RM350 per night. It is located next to Coral Beach Resort, Port Dickson. The apartment located just next to the beach and have a very nice view.

We also rent a barbeque set from the agent and have some barbeque as dinner and supper. Not a very bad activity for the night.

Some activity that you can do when you visit Port Dickson is walking at the beach, sight seeing, sun bath, kayaking, ride banana boat and also motorboat.

Riding banana Boat

Since I have visit few other beach from East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia before, what I can say is that the beach here is different! In Port Dickson, the beach is very wide during low tide. However, the sand is not as beautiful as beach from East Coast like Pantai Seri Tujuh in Kelantan. The wind here is not very strong and the sea is not as ‘blue’.

Manage to get some photo of the trip. Hope you like it.

The right is Coral Resort, the left one is the Apartment that I rent

The beach become very wide when the tide is low

This Building make me think of a Korean Movie 'Il Mare'

Anoter view when the tide is higher

The visitor can shop for some goodies from the stall near the road

Today I bring my family to the Putrajaya Flora Festival.

The weather is not hot, but when I was there is was rain for a moment… so the trip is a little rush… I plan to visit them again to see the rest that I missed today…

Manage to take some photo when I was there…

Last Saturday I somehow have a trip around Padang Terap and Sik, in Kedah state. When I pass through a newly build road to ‘Durian Burung’, I saw a signboard to ‘Pedu Lake Resort”… the signboard seem new (since the road itself is still very new)

Out of curiosity I drive inside the road… it was a small road…in the first few kilometers… the road seem nice… both side have tress and the road seem clean.

However, after I drive for a while, somehow I feel different… reason? there are lots of dry leaf on the road… the branch of the tree hanging very low and I think some of them nearly reach the top of the car that I drive… still there are no signboard or anything (the only sign board that I can see from time to time is stated that the area is a forest reserved)…

I keep on driving…

At one time I see few jungle fowl on the road… some monitor lizards (Varanus salvator species) crawling on the road slowly while watching me… seem like it is ‘tame’, maybe didn’t see anyone for a while… well, this is in the middle of the reserve forest and it is only 5 KM from the Thailand border… it was a place deep in the jungle with no mobile phone line and I think not many people go inside!!

On a second thought, actually the view is not bad, there are ‘fog’ coming out of the bitumen road (even it is 2 pm)…

I drive up many kilometer inside… the more the faster I drive ( I eagerly want to pass the area to go to the other place)… and finally I reach a ‘resort’… It was the “Perkampungan Utara Resort”… it is just an abandon place that look ‘scary’… I feel uneasy at that time… well, from outside, no signboard mention that this is just an abandon place.. and I have drive in so far… I hope I can go out from the other side so I don’t need to pass by the earlier place.

I drive another 3 KM inside… and to my shock it is the end of the road!!! there are no way out from there except I drive back using the same way!!! I think you may think that I am afraid of the spooky thing… but actually at that time, the only things that I remember is the safety of my family (I drive in with my family)… what happen if I meet with some one that have bad intention? this is very deep in the jungle with no way out and if something happen no one may come inside and found us!!!

I never have a good look at the end of the road (it was actually the gate of another resort).. that place is used to be “Mutiara Pedu Lake Resort” I think… I immediately make u turn and drive out as fast as I can.

We didn’t really talk anything on the way out… both of us worries… I drive out very fast even the road is very small and it is very risky if someone drive from the apposite site!

On the way out, I saw many birds which stay on the roadside and fly when my car come near them… there are one wildboar which again seem ‘tame’ and not really run away when my car pass by (even I drive very fast)…

The luck is still with me, all of us safely come out and we didn’t meet with anyone one the way out… I really feel relief… when we reach the main road, we still can see few car but I am quiet sure that not many of them will try to go in…

What I want to highlight here is that, the area is a very risky area!!!… without any signboard outside mentioning that the place has been abandon and it is only a dead end!!! what happen if someone like me go drive inside and meet with some robber?? there are no other way out and there are no way to call for help!!

Out of many trip that I make (I normally like to have a ‘quick’ trip everywhere to and take photo)… this is the most ‘risky’ trip that I ever make… I am glad nothing happen to us on that trip.

If you pass by the area, I am sure you will still see the ‘nice’ and sign board that ‘still look very new’ from the main road stated “Pedu Lake Resort”… please take my advice, if you are alone or didn’t go in large group or with someone which very good in escaping or live in a jungle… do not enter into that path

During my visit to Sarawak earlier of the month, I actually bough an album by Tuyang Tan Ngan… title “Solo Sape”…

since then it become my favorite music, even when I write this blog, it is on…

I like music in this style… last time when I visit to Thailand, in Jatujak I found one shop that sell their traditional music CDs I bought one … I think it is very nice also… however, my wife said that it is ‘stressful’ compared to sape music…

Anyone like music which is very peaceful and relax, I highly recommend Solo Sape by Tuyang Tan Ngan.

I found one video upload by someone in youtube… it is played by Tuyang Tan Ngan as well… maybe this can give you some idea how his Sape sound like.

In case you like this music and want to buy one, I am not aware of where you can get it (other than sarawak)… I bought mine in a shop near the ‘riverside’… there are one shop which sell lots of craft and this shop have few CDs on Sape… The seller is quite nice, he can recommend some for you.

Talking about Sape, I just know that actually lots of people like their music… here is one article from local paper..

Sape goes global
By STEPHEN THEN

MIRI: The Baram Regatta 2008 will take on an international flavour for the first time in its century-old history.

The event will feature sape players from England, Kalimantan in Indonesia, Brunei and local Chinese and Malays who have become experts in playing this Orang Ulu guitar-like musical instrument.

The Baram Regatta, as the name implies, will be held along the mighty Baram River in the interior town of Marudi, 200km inland from Miri, on Aug 16 and 17.

This historical event marks a peace accord reached by warring Orang Ulu tribes in 1899 that ended the ancient practice of head hunting.
Versatile: File photo of Emma Ruran Raja of the Kelabit folk band Kan’id playing the sape at the recent Rainforest World Music Festival in Santubong, Sarawak.

The Orang Ulu, made up of the Kenyah, Kayan, Kelabit and other minority groups, beheaded their enemies as a sign of bravery and conquest.

In 1899, the Brooke rulers helped seal a pact among the tribes to end this gruesome practice.

To mark the pact, they staged the Baram Regatta to engage each other in water sports like longboat rowing, rafting and swimming.

In later years, sape competitions were held to test each others’ cabilities in playing the musical instrument.

Telang Usan assemblyman Lihan Jok said this year’s sape competition will be held simultaneously with the water sports.

I actually just come back from Kuching, sarawak. The trip was very nice and there are lots of interesting things that I want to share with all of you here…

However, since I am still a little tired and now it is late at night, I will make another posting again soon about the trip and of course some photo…

In Malaysia, the ceremony is still intact even now there are few modern element have been absorb to the ‘Thai hungry ghost ceremony’. Recently I have a chances to visit the ceremony in Wat Lamdin in Kedah.

In Thai or siamese community in Malaysia, they believed that in certain days in the year, the hungry ghost (or preta) is released from hell and they visit the human world. During this time, they will have a ceremony which basically offer food for donation to the monk with the hope that any of their relative or ancestors which may get into the hungry ghost realms to get some food from them.

In wiki, hungry ghost or preta is describe as below:

In Buddhist Psychology at least, Hungry Ghosts are ghosts only in the sense of not being fully alive; not fully capable of living and appreciating what the moment has to offer. Although the Eastern terminology and metaphor is very different, the concept has strong parallels with similar concepts in Western Psychology.

In his book Thoughts Without a Thinker, Mark Epstein paints a picture connecting these two viewpoints:

The Hungry Ghosts are probably the most vividly drawn metaphors in the Wheel of Life. Phantomlike creatures with withered limbs, grossly bloated bellies, and long thin necks, the Hungry Ghosts in many ways represent a fusion of rage and desire. Tormented by unfulfilled cravings and insatiably demanding of impossible satisfactions, the Hungry Ghosts are searching for gratification for old unfulfilled needs whose time has passed. They are beings who have uncovered a terrible emptiness within themselves, who cannot see the impossibility of correcting something that has already happened. Their ghostlike state represents their attachment to the past

This ceremony can be seen every year in any siamese temple in Malaysia. Some of you might think that it is very ‘old believed’ and it is not even practices in many location even in Thailand, however I think it is an interesting and ‘exotic’ culture which is hard to be seen in other places.

Here is some photo that I take during the visit.

Monk chanting in the ceremony – the ceremony start with the chanting.

The money for donation is stick to the ‘tree’.

The buddhist believed that if they do good things, they can transfer part of the merit to the death.

Paying respect to their ancestor.

Having lunch. Each ‘family’ normally will bring their own lunch then eat together.

After pray, they will bring food to a ‘stage’. This is to symbolise that they offer the food to the preta – hungry ghost.

closer view for the stage

Another view

Some family will make a wish and transfer merit near the stage.

Every food that is presented, will have jostick stick to it.

In Kedah, they will have someone dress as hungry ghost – preta, coming to the stage to take the food. This is to symbolise it.

another view

Normally kids will come and take the food offered at the stage in the end of the ceremony.

There are teenager which place some music to entertain the visitor to the ceremony. This is new things which has been added to the ceremony. Not all temple will have this.

Since there are many peoples, some take the opportunity to sell some goods in a ‘temporary stall’.

A food stall.

This is a unique culture in Malaysia. Not many Malaysian that even know about it. If you visit Malaysia and have a chances to see it, do not missed it.

Today I passed by Shah Alam so I drive around the city for the dinner. Lately I heard lots of people talk about I City – Shah Alam – The city of the light, so I drive around the location to see what is it about.

It is not too bad, the place is very beautiful from outside (I didn’t went inside due to the time constraint – no dinner yet at that time )

I think I will make some more trip there to see more detail. In the mean time, here is some ‘over view’ on how it look like from the road side.

From my observation, there are few entry to this location. One of it is here:

Here is the ‘trees’. The place is surround by these trees.

You can see that the traffic is bad. Lots of people going there… btw the parking fees is RM10 per entries even the entries to that place is free.

These taller trees is located inside the place, but still can be seen from the road side.

Another view

The view from other entrance… trees that surround the place.

Zoom of one of the trees

This is the second entries (less traffic jam, compared to the other one..) Possibly not many people aware of it.

I think I will visit this place again in the future, to have more detail inside of this location.

By the way, here is some detail from star newspaper about this location.

Shah Alam’s i-City comes alive with a burst of colour for CNY

TOURISTS and locals alike will be delighted by a dazzling light showcase at i-City in Shah Alam this Chinese New Year.
Nicely done: Heng (centre) being briefed on the decorations by Eu (left) as i-Berhad deputy executive chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong looks on.

The i-City, a retail and commercial hub with advanced information-communication infrastructure in Section 8, has installed millions of LED lights to brighten up the night.

“It will be a convergence of an oriental flavour with a digital twist this Chinese New Year,” i-Berhad chief executive officer Eu Hong Chew said.

“Visitors are welcome to an auspiciously themed park to take a breath of fresh air and enjoy the aura of a pure vision of peace, prosperity and good health,” he said.

Eu added that the showcase promised to be an ideal family tourism destination in Shah Alam.
Lighting up the night: Visitors can expect a visual treat at i-City this festive season.

The high-tech township’s CityPark and CityWalk will boast the most lights.

Dozens of digital maple and pine light trees make for a colourful forest that delights the eyes.

At one end of CityPark, visitors will walk between rows of Chinese cherry blossoms and spot LED peacocks and other creatures of the forest at a nearby pond shrouded by the digital lights.

Walking under the CityWalk section, visitors will be wowed by rows upon rows of red lanterns lending the place a traditional Chinese New Year atmosphere with a modern twist.

Deputy Information, Communi-cation and Culture Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie said RTM’s Galeri Perdana documentary show will be running a 15-minute segment on i-City’s digital lights showcase.

“i-City is providing a new experience for all Malaysians. Now, we can feel that new technologies can not only be used for multimedia and communications but also for celebrating our various festivals and holidays in Malaysia,” she said.

Visitors will also be treated to other exciting activities lined up by i-Berhad throughout February.

>From Feb 6 to 8, the Million Lights, Million Hearts photography competition will be held at i-City followed by a Get to know i-City Dinner for SMEs organised by the Klang Hokkien Association. The Selangor state Chap Goh Mei festival celebration will be held on Feb 27 while the Klang Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be holding a charity dinner to raise funds for the Haiti earthquake victims.

Source: Star newspaper

Kuala Selangor is famous for many reason. One of them is because of the beautiful nature. Some going to Kuala Selangor for the parks, some will go there for their infamous ‘Kelip-Kelip Kampung Kuantan”. I want to highlight one more interesting interesting places that you can go when you visit Kuala Selangor. The place that I intent to share today is their ‘Seafood restaurant’.

There are lots of seafood restaurant located in Kuala Selangor. However, my favorite one is the one located next to the river. The view is very nice and the price is not very expensive. You can enjoy the nice view while waiting for your food. The afternoon breeze is refreshing and the dusk view is very very nice from the river.

Other than getting seafood, there are lots of shop selling seafood products and the price is cheaper compared, say in Kuala Lumpur. In the morning, the fisherman will coming back from the sea and you can get some good bargain at the fresh fish there.

Here is some photo that I manage to take during my last visit.

p/s: All the sunset photo is taken inside the restaurant itself… nice view is it