I’m back in Malaysia to attend the Nuffnang Asia Pacific Blog Awards 2011. The event is only happening tomorrow, but I requested to fly in early so I can meet with my brother and his family who are also in KL this week.

KL must-do: chicken rice.

On the flight over, I realized this is the first time I’m traveling solo this year. I love my friends and I also love the opportunities I got to travel to places I never would have thought to visit, but traveling solo is something that I equally love.

This is also the first time that I’m in KL with lots of time to veg. I had nothing planned for this trip, except to eat some char kway teow, go to Kinokuniya and maybe head out to Ikea. I’ve done all but for Ikea, as the rain is making me want to just burrow under the covers all day.

I’m staying at Bukit Bintang – right smack in the middle of the shopping district and just a couple of steps from the foodie paradise of Jalan Alor. Tourists and locals alike come here to shop and dine. This place is so alive and there seem to be a never ending stream of people walking in the streets. Cars also fills its streets, but there’s a monorail to help you get to other parts of Kuala Lumpur easily.

Tomorrow I pack my bags once more to head to Putrajaya, where I’ll join the rest of the group for the weekend.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org

One of the reasons why I was having second thoughts about going to Sabah was money. I had some unexpected expenses last January and I have several trips lined up in the coming weeks, so I figured it’d be better to cut my losses at Php 1,289 (my airfare) instead of spending so much more on the trip. However, in the end I threw caution to the wind and went to have an awesome trip.

Kota Kinabalu is pretty cheap compared to other Malaysian cities. Sure, the taxi drivers are averse to using the meter, but KK is so small you can just walk anywhere (except to the Mount Kinabalu Park and other attractions because it’s FAR). I’ve had a couple of expensive meals over the weekend, and I was surprised that my end total is just Php 1,337. Shopping in Kota Kinabalu is not too exciting, except if there are sales I suppose. Some of the items sold in Peninsular Malaysia is also available in Sabah, but there are also a number of brands and products that are locally produced like teas and cigarettes.

There are a number of souvenir shops in the shopping centers, but if you’re looking to buy Sabah tea, it’s best to check the supermarket, as the prices are much cheaper. There’s also the handicraft market, or the former Pasar Filipino (Filipino market), where local souvenirs are sold (batik, wood carvings, anything and everything made with sea shells).

A final note on Sabah: if you’re bringing US dollars, make sure that they are series 2006 or more recent. Money changers do not accept dollars from earlier years, which is a real pain. There are plenty of ATMs that accept VISA and Mastercards, so you can make a cash advance if needed (some hostels, like the Lavender Lodge does not accept credit card payments).

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

I’m writing this from the dining area of the Lavender Lodge in downtown Kota Kinabalu. I’ve been here since Saturday, and if it weren’t the start of the week, I probably wouldn’t be blogging this early.

I meant to write a day to day update, as I did for previous trips, but I figured I owe it to myself to have a break from blogging and to travel just for the love of it, and not because it’s a great material for my blog. The daily recaps of my travels take a lot of discipline and energy and somehow made it seem as if everyday should be interesting just so I would have something to write about. I’ve done a lot of interesting things this weekend, though I wouldn’t write about it until the coming days or weeks.

The past months have been stressful in all aspects and I haven’t really taken the time to address the issues that has been bothering me. As a wise man pointed out, the more you avoid issues, the more it is highlighted. In my case, it everything came out all at once and I was forced to face the problems I’ve been trying to shrug off. These problems are partly the reason why I’ve been having second thoughts about taking this trip. Up until the day of my flight, I contemplate whether to push through, even when I’m already packing my things.

As soon as my feet hit the tarmac at Kota Kinabalu International Airport, my mind cleared and the heavy feeling was lifted. I was welcomed in Sabah with gorgeous colors in the sky as the sun sets, and I found comfort in the sounds of stamps pounding away on desks as immigration officials stamp people into their country.

The weekend that I have been dreading turned out to be one of the best weekends ever. Save for replying to some e-mails, I have done zero work on my blog and it felt good. I know this is going to add another couple of posts in my already too-long back log of posts, but I needed this break from everything.

Regular travel blogging will resume sometime this week. Expect a post on proboscis monkeys and island hopping at the Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. I did not go anywhere near Mount Kinabalu.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

I honestly wasn’t looking forward to tallying up my expenses for my last trip, yet at the same time, I was eager to see just how much damage I did. And if I really spent enough to buy the 50mm f1.4 lens I wanted. I didn’t, but a couple more thousands and I could’ve bought the 35mm f1.8. I’m just consoling myself that at least I’ve finished my Christmas shopping in one go and bought some things I really wanted for myself.

Also, I realized how relatively cheap Malacca is for a daytrip from Singapore. The drive from the island to the heritage town is more than double the time it takes to drive down from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca, but it’s a better alternative to Johor Bahru, where most Filipinos go for a visa run. For about Php 2,000, you can do this day trip from Singapore. That already include the bus (public bus from Singapore to Johor Bahru, domestic bus from Larkin Terminal to Malacca), admission fees, meals and transport within Malacca. Melaka is compact enough that you can just walk to see the main attractions. I’m definitely heading back there when I go to Singapore.

Oh, I’ve omitted my personal shopping expenses from this travel budget. It’s certainly not for public consumption.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Like most blog posts, I started writing my birthday entry in my head. However, I was in such a state earlier that everything came out sounding like a eulogy.

Rui at the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum

I suppose it is something like a parting — me parting with my much loved youth and heading towards a new phase in life. Eeew.

The sunrise found me buried under the covers in Melaka, while the sunset caught me walking towards my brother’s flat in Singapore. This is a novelty that I particularly love about these two countries, that I can just hop on a bus and be in a different country. Having lived in the Philippines all this time, going overseas has always been associated with airplanes, not buses.

This trip to Malacca is in some ways a huge relief. I’ve been so stressed and exhausted in the days leading up to my trip, that the only thing I was looking forward to was sleep. And sleep I did. It was goooooood. Of course, the town is lovely and all, but the sleep was the highlight of the trip.

The trip home, however, was something else. I was so engrossed watching Queer as Folk in my laptop, that when the bus stopped and everybody started piling out with their luggages, I followed suit. I only realized when I’ve walked away from the bus that I got off at the Larkin bus station, and not at the immigration check point. *facepalm* Never thought I could lose a bus. Then again, a lot of things that happen are never what you expect.

That woke me up from my reverie. The short and sweet bus ride back to Singapore became the hop on and hop off tour of Johor, Woodlands and Sengkang. I guess the birthday lesson for this year is that even when you think you’ve lost your way (or your bus), you’d still find a way to get back home.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

I’m writing this from my room at the Twenty Guesthouse in Malacca. Marvin highly recommends this place, so when I was making my reservations for this trip, I didn’t bother checking other places. It costs much more than other guesthouses I’ve stayed in, but it’s right smack in the middle of Jonker Walk, and the place is gorgeous. Its nondescript facade gives no clue to the homey guesthouse inside. They even have a resident cat.

I’m in Melaka again for the next couple of days. My previous post about missing Malacca was actually a prelude to this trip. Similar to my second trip to Penang, I’ve come back to see what I missed the first time and savor my time exploring this Unesco World Heritage town.

I arrived this morning on the 8am bus from Singapore. The trip took four hours and thirty minutes, including the immigration and rest stops. I was only able to sleep for two hours out of four, and I was already tired when I got off the bus. I was revived when I saw the historic city again, specially when I found out just how central Twenty’s location was. I passed the time in my room, waiting for the sun to go down. The weather was gorgeous — it was bright and sunny, with gentle breeze wafting from the sea.

It was a joy walking around Malacca. Since it’s a weekday, the streets aren’t as congested with tourists. In between walks, I rediscovered a skill I acquired in Luang Prabang: watching the world go by. However, Malacca has a much faster pace than Laos, and soon I was back on my feet, walking away lest the man with a huge snake draped around his shoulders get too close.

Our four hours in Malacca before was too little a time to be spent in this charming town. You can actually see most of the important tourist spots between the time the first bus from Singapore arrives until the last one leaves. I’ve gone up and down St. Paul’s Hill, got lost and found Capitol Satay Celup and cruised through the Malacca River. I’ve no clue what else to do tomorrow, but I’m not bothered. I’m quite happy just sitting down and watching the world go by.

** Pictures to follow. I’m too pooped to edit and upload.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

I missed going to Malacca when I went to Malaysia last June. When were able to convince the Tourism Malaysia people to let us go to this Unesco World Heritage City, we rejoiced but at the same time, saddened that we missed a lot of places. You can see how fitting my title is for this quaint little town.

The clock tower and the Christ Church

Melaka, as it is called in Malay, is situated in a very strategic location along the spice trade in the Straits of Malacca. European colonizers coveted this port, with the Portuguese, Dutch and the English staking their claim. The Malays, Chinese and Indians who populate the land makes Malacca a veritable melting pot of cultures. Not to mention the stunning architecture and array of textures.

Bukit Cina

Marie, our tour guide, made sure we did not miss the highlights of a trip to Malacca: Bukit Cina, the biggest Chinese cemetery outside China; Christ Church, the oldest and functioning Protestant church in Malaysia, Stadthuys or the Red Square, owing to the predominantly red color of the administrative buildings built by the Dutch; St. Paul’s Church on St. Paul’s hill, with its stunning views of the town and the river flowing out to sea; A Famosa, an old Portuguese fort at the foot of St. Paul’s hill; Kampung Kling Mosque and the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple, both on Jalan Tokong, two of the three houses of worship in the same street, and; Jonker’s Walk, the lively market street lined with Peranakan shop houses selling all kinds of wares. Marie even made sure we sampled some great Nyonya cuisine for lunch.

Venison. Tastes like beef, not chicken.

Still, it feels as if we were only able to scratch the surface. There’s still more to see and discover in this small heritage town. Unfortunately, one of the places we missed was Hang Li Poh’s well. It is said that whoever throws a coin in the well (for it has long been converted into a wishing well) will return to Malacca. I’ll just have to make sure I am able to go back then!

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

The Manila office of Tourism Malaysia is holding a contest for Filipino members of the Tara Na Sa Malaysia Facebook Group. The contest is very easy, actually. Just post a picture of you with the Petronas Towers in the background, and set it as your profile photo on Facebook. Don’t have a photo? You can just photoshop yourself using the group’s profile photo of the twin towers. WOW, I do not know how to read *facepalm* Martin clarifies that if you do not have a photo, you can just use the profile photo of the group featuring the twin towers.

Dolls don’t qualify. Booo.

The contest runs from November 9 – December 6, 2009. You can join anytime during the contest duration, but you must retain your profile photo until December 9, when the winner will be drawn. Goodie bags will be given to 8 weekly winners. Only these 8 weekly winners are qualified for the grand draw. What’s in store for the grand prize winner? A Malaysia Airlines ASEAN Pass!

The ASEAN Pass makes the contest all the more appealing, since you can visit other countries in Southeast Asia with the pass, not just Malaysia. Too bad I love my current Facebook profile photo too much :P

For more details and complete contest mechanics, visit (and join!) the Tara na sa Malaysia Facebook Group.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

You know I’m out of topics to blog about when I start posting my travel budget. This one is from my one-week trip to Thailand and Malaysia at the beginning of the month. The main purpose of the trip was for the tennis, but we ended up dollie shopping in Bangkok instead. I extended my trip to include a week in Penang, just because.

This trip is expensive, compared to my month-long trip back in June spanning five countries. However, it still came out cheaper than the budget I drew up when I was still planning for the trip. And this is the moment when I admit that I really cannot be a hardcore backpacker (that sounds sooo wrong). Haggling will never be my forte, and I will splurge whenever I can. And I will never stop buying doll clothes and books.

Shopping aside, the biggest expense in this trip was my 4-day stay at the Sunway Hotel in Georgetown. I needed to work during those four days, so I splurged on a hotel to ensure that I have a stable Internet connection. Ironically, the Internet at the guesthouse where I transfered to was much better. Hmp.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

I’ve been back in Manila since Monday morning, and I’m now waiting for another flight out. I’ll just be gone for the weekend, to attend the Visayas leg of the Philippine Blog Awards, since I missed the main event in Manila. But this post is not about this trip, it’s about my last weekend in Penang.

Sayuri at Penang Hill

On Friday night, I met up with Wei and his friends and we went up Penang Hill. It has the highest peaks in Penang and it can be reached by riding the funicular train or if you’re looking for some exercise, you can do a 3-hour hike to the top. The train station is usually filled with people queuing to get in the trains, but that night, the station was deserted. We arrived just in time to catch the last train up, and have about 15 minutes at the peak before catching the last train back.

I don’t know how the hill and the view look during the day, but at night it was gorgeous. Of course, the empty train and the cool temperature greatly helped. Still, the twinkling lights of the island, the Penang Bridge and Butterworth was breathtaking.

Georgetown, the Penang Bridge and Butterworth as seen from Penang Hill

From Penang Hill, we went down to Gurney drive for dinner. We had asam laksa, and they had me try the Chinese herbal jelly, a black jelly that had a slightly bitter after taste. It was oddly addicting and it eased the burning sensation the laksa left in my mouth.

The night apparently still wasn’t over, and we drove to Batu Ferringhi to check out the night market and the beach. The market was meh, but the beach seemed nice. Well, as nice as a beach would look under the glare of powerful flood lights.

Penang Botanic Gardens

On Saturday we went to the Penang Botanic Garden, on the way to the waterfalls in between Balik Pulau and Teluk Bahang. The gardens was pretty, and the weather was perfect (though a bit too warm for my liking). Still, the sun was out, the sky is blue and there was a cool breeze flowing through the trees.

Not the actual waterfall

The waterfall, called Air Terjun Titi Kerawang (Filipinos, please stop snickering). The entrance is right beside Route 6 in Jalan Teluk Bahang. From the road, you have to walk through a path that takes you to the foot of the waterfalls. It was a lovely and relaxing place, and after walking around Georgetown, it was great to be surrounded by nature.

From the waterfall, we headed to Balik Pulau, which translates to “back of the island.” We drove up to this lookout point, where you can get a gorgeous view of the town below and the sea beyond. It also faces West, so it should be lovely during sunset. From the lookout point we drove down to the seaside, in Kampung Nelayan, a fishing village in Teluk Kumbar for dinner. We feasted on fresh seafood, including fried mantis shrimp, which interestingly is neither a shrimp nor mantis (which explains why it doesn’t taste like shrimp).

After dinner, they took me to Queensbay Mall in Bayan Lepas to look for gifts for friends who celebrated their birthdays last week. From there we drove and drove and drove until we got lost and ended up in this place that serves David Beckham. They have this selection of fruit and vegetable coolers named after celebrities, and I picked mine purely because…well, it’s David Beckham. He was made with orange, carrot, celery and some other vegetable. It sounds pretty weird on paper, but it was actually pretty good. David Beckham tasted like celery, if you want to know.

David Beckham was so thick I can hardly wrap my hands around him. He was big and hard and tasted like celery.

My flight back to Bangkok was on Sunday afternoon, and much to my consternation, Wei wouldn’t let me leave Penang without going to the Snake Temple. The name alone should give you an idea of what to expect in the temple. The temple was built in honor of Chor Soo Kong, a Buddhist monk who is revered as a deity. He was also a healer and said to have given shelter to snakes in the jungle. Story goes that when the temple was built, snakes flocked to the temple in their own accord and never left.

Pit vipers at the Snake Temple

From the outside, the temple looks like your typical Chinese temple. Inside, it maintains the same architecture and features the same elements found inside other temples with one stark difference: the snakes. The venomous pit vipers are resting on wooden… things at the altar. They don’t seem to be moving, which was fine with me. The venom has been removed, but visitors are still advised against picking, prodding, poking and uh, provoking the snakes.

After the Snake Temple, we killed some time doing something so utterly local: we went to the supermarket. It was the Giant Hypermarket, actually. Though it may seem weird to be going there, it was a pretty good choice. Apart from the fact that it’s airconditioned, I was able to buy a pack of Horlicks (the only place where I can get Horlicks ais in Manila is Toast Box and it’s ridiculously expensive at Php89 or MYR 6.40) and much to Rotch’s glee, a Liverpool FC cellphone charm bearing Fernando Torres’ number (to match the number 8 Steven Gerrard charm I got her from Cameron Highlands).

Sunset at Kampung Nelayan

I was able to check into my flight two hours before departure and had plenty of time to kill before boarding. Much to Wei’s dismay, I chose to have my last meal in Penang at McDonald’s. I love Malaysian food and the food in Penang is just wonderful, but after a week, I’m quite content to have something relatively bland in comparison.

My week in Penang has been awesome. I was happy with my decision to go back and take my time exploring Georgetown. I quite lucky to have the chance to explore the other side of the island, luckier still to know Wei (and to get to know his friends who were nothing but hospitable). I love how there was no need to rush things and cramming everything in just a couple of days. Future trips should all be like this, I think.

I finally finished writing this entry 12 hours after starting it. Some parts of the entry were written on the plane, and it was finally finished in Cebu.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

My work week has ended at 6am this morning, so I checked out of Sunway to move to a more budget friendly accommodation. I’m now in my room at the Hutton Lodge, a beautifully restored colonial-style house. Ironically, despite the huge price difference, my Internet connection here at Hutton (wireless, very low reception) is heaps better than my Internet connection at Sunway (wired).

Still, rather than regret the amount I spent, I just tell myself that here at Hutton, I don’t have this view outside my window.

Sunrise in Georgetown

I had plans to go walking around the area today, to head to the places I missed earlier this week, but I opted to stay inside instead. Despite the ominous clouds that threatened to pour buckets of rain this morning, the skies cleared and I finally have the blue skies I’ve been hoping for. Unfortunately, that meant sunshine, and lots of it. I’m not opposed to getting some much needed vitamin D, but walking under the heat is just not right. Besides, I was able to get a lot of walking done the past two days, when it was overcast (and very pleasant to walk around town).

On Wednesday I walked from Jalan Macalister all the way to Lebuh Farquhar, where the Penang Museum is. I never really intended to walk the entire distance, but there’s plenty to see around Georgetown that you find yourself wanting to walk just a little bit further to see what the next corner brings. There was still 15 minutes before the clock strikes 5pm, but the guys inside the museum has already closed shop for the day.

Masjid Kapitan Keling

I just continued walking, turning down Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, passing St. George’s Church, Kuan Yin Temple, and of course, the Kapitan Keling Mosque.

The following day, I went back to check out the other places that I missed. There are several other attractions in the area, like the Sri Mariamman temple, Teochew temple and the Cheah Kongsi, but it was the Khoo Kongsi that I was aiming for, since it was highly recommended.

Khoo Kongsi Clanhouse

Like the day before, I arrived a quarter till five, but this time, the guards still let me in. The clan house is set away from the street, requiring you to go down a small street to enter. It’s also not visible from the main street (Lebuh Cannon), so people often miss this magnificent treasure. The upside to this is that it’s not as crowded as the others (or maybe it’s just because I arrived just before closing). There was only one group inside the temple when I arrived, and to avoid them, I went to the museum first. True enough, by the time I was done with the exhibit, I had the place all to myself.

I still have two more days in Penang, and there are still places that I wasn’t able to visit. I don’t feel the need to see and tick off all these places from the list though. Frankly, I’m happy enough just being able to come back and take my time exploring this beautiful city.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

Penang was shrouded in gray when I looked out the window. I went back to my book, resigned to the fact that there’s nothing I can do to change the weather. The plane’s descent seemed to take forever, the landing bumpy and for lack of better term, swerve-y. Soon enough, I was stamped back into Malaysia and driving through highways and streets made familiar by my previous trip.

KOMTAR from my window

The rain poured in earnest as we were driving towards Georgetown, where I’ll be staying for the next couple of days. I decided to go back to Penang because I felt I missed a lot when I hurriedly left the island last June. This time, I’m taking my time to get to know the city.

The rain didn’t let up throughout the night, easing up a little for a couple of hours, then pouring again. The rain has stopped by the time I woke up around noon, but the sky was still filled with gray clouds. Suffice to day that put a damper to my desire to explore, but when my growling stomach had me running to the nearby hawker stalls, I made sure to bring my camera and the Penang Heritage Trail maps.

Sri Kamatchi Amman Temple

I wanted to get started on the buildings I missed during my first trip here, but I decided to just explore the neighborhood. I’m staying at the Sunway Hotel Georgetown, just off MacAlister street. It’s a far cry from the places I usually stay at when I travel, but since I need to be online to work, I figured I’d shell out the extra money for a stable Internet connection. So far, Sunway’s broadband Internet hasn’t failed me. Yet.* I booked based on Martin’s (the Tourism Malaysia guy) recommendation, the promise of Internet, the price (admittedly, not as cheap as I would like), and the location. I just knew that the hotel is near Komtar, and that’s central enough for me. Much to my delight, New Lane is pretty much hawker street at night so I don’t have to go far for food.

Somehow, I ended up at Prangin Mall instead of the museum. I wandered around aimlessly, ducking into random stores and stopping myself from buying more useless knick-knacks. When I emerged from the mall, the gray clouds have started to clear, and blue skies emerged. I walked back to Jalan MacAlister to see what else is in the vicinity. In my short walk, I came across Hindu temples, churches and a mosque. The interesting thing about the chuch was that at the gate, it says that there’s a Filipino service every Sunday, which makes me wonder if there’s a Filipino community in Penang.

Masjid Pakistan

In the course of my walk, I ended up in front of the the Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Centre. I was deciding whether to go in or to continue walking, when I turned around and saw the Nasi Kandar Pelita right across the street. It’s the same restaurant as the one we had dinner at in Kuala Lumpur last September, and I was looking forward to having murtabak again. I went straight to the counter where the rotis are being cooked and placed my order. The restaurant was almost empty, as it was still too early for dinner. I settled for a table outside, enjoying the light breeze and marveling at the gorgeous blue sky. The table was right beside a busy street, filled with the rush hour traffic. Sitting there amidst all the noise and car exhaust, I felt surprisingly at peace.

* Once in a while, connection with Gmail and Gtalk falters and I’m left unable to access my mail. But other than that, the Internet’s peachy.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

“Oh wow,” we exclaimed, almost in unison. We were 185 feet off the ground, riding the Space Shot, one of Genting Highlands’ most popular rides. Genting Highlands sits approximately 1,850 meters above sea level, so we were really high up. We marveled at the scene before us: Kuala Lumpur in the distance, the Petronas Twin Towers looking like tiny cellphone charms rising above the clouds that shroud the city. Majestic blue mountains surround the sprawling metropolis, making the view much more breath taking.

Genting Highland outdoor theme park

“Damn, we should have brought our camer–WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGGHHH!!!”

Without warning, we plummeted back down to the ground at speeds reaching up to 67 km/hour. For a second or two, we were displaced from our seats — there was nothing solid underneath our bottoms, the safety bars are the only ones keeping us from flying off. The ride really was intense, and exceeded all our expectations. Back in solid ground, all of us were talking all the the same time, chattering about our exhilarating experience. This trip to Genting was certainly one of the highlights of our Megafamiliarization Tour of Kuala Lumpur.

Our day started with a train ride on the Kelana Jaya line. Marie, our tour guide, had us start late today to let the rush hour pass so the trains aren’t as crowded. From Impiana KLCC, we walked to the KLCC station, and from KLCC, we rode all the way to Terminal Purtra (Gombak), where we waited for Azizi and the van. Marie said that taking the train is one of the cheapest and fastest way to go to Genting. At Terminal Putra, there are buses that would take you all the up to the First World Hotel.

Genting Highland cable car

However, our stop wasn’t First World Hotel. Azizi, our driver, dropped us off at Genting Skyway Station at Gohtong Jaya. The Genting Skyway cable car is one of the world’s fastest, and Southeast Asia’s longest, stretching 3.38 kilometers. It was a spectacular ride up the mountain and in no time, we were disembarking at the Genting Highlands Resort.

As soon as we stepped out of the gondola, we were enveloped with the cool mountain air. The wind at this elevation was brisk, and fog swirls all around us. We walked all the way from the skyway station to the theme park, hurrying to make the most of our short stay in the park. As Marie sorts out our ticket, we check out the ride right beside the ticket booth, the Flying Coaster. Like most roller coasters, this ride had its fair share of twists and turns, but with one stark difference: you ride lying down on your belly, going through the ride as if flying.

The Genting outdoor theme park has an all-access pass, the Genting Signature attractions, like the Flying Coaster, Snow World and Sky Venture require a separate ticket. With our passes around our wrists and clutching tickets to the other rides, we eagerly made our way to the Flying Coaster entrance, only to be told that the ride is not operating. Genting is prone to rains, and the changing weather conditions affect the performance and safety of the rides, hence the need to close. However, we got lucky because as soon as we stepped out of the ride’s ticket booth, the attendants calls us back, saying that the Flying Coaster is operational again.

Martin and I at the Flying Coaster. Thank you Ferdz for taking this photo!

We divided into two, so we can take photos of each other — Ferdz and Ivan going first, me and Martin taking our turn after them. We watch with anticipation as Ivan and Ferdz climb the capsule, our fingers poised to click the shutter of their cameras. Their capsule eased out of the starting and end point of the ride, going up a spiral path up to one of the ride’s peaks. There were no sounds coming from their capsule all this time, but as soon as they started descending and zooming through the tracks, the air was filled with two sets of (very) low-pitched screams. Martin and I clicked away, thinking that in a couple of minutes, it was going to to be us up there.

Ferdz and Ivan met us back on solid ground in high spirits. This gets us both excited and terrified at the same time: it’s our turn now. We handed them our bags and camera and I masked my dread with excitement as we make our way up to the platform. Securely fastened in our capsule, Martin and I joked nervously as worst case scenarios flashed through my head. I was momentarily soothed by the beautiful scenery afforded by this unique vantage point — the views around Genting Highlands is spectacular, where ever you turn. The calm did not last long though, for within minutes we were “flying” through the tracks, screaming all the way (although there were some curses hurled at certain points of the ride).

Adrenalin was still coursing through our veins when we got off the capsule, and it made us forget all about the chilly weather. We had thirty minutes before we had to meet Marie for lunch, so we discussed where to go. All of us wanted to try the Sky Venture, but we remembered Marie’s warning that it usually rains in Genting in the afternoons. We opted to stay in the outdoor theme park, making the most of the clear weather for photos. It was then that we saw the Space Shot towering above everything in the park. We were lucky; there was only four available seats in the ride when we got there so we didn’t have to wait. We were luckier still that the seats we got were the ones facing the capital city.

My Penang asam laksa and Martin’s kuay teow soup in the background

On a high from the two thrill rides, we met Marie at the other entrance to the theme park, the one fronting the Theme Park Hotel. She led us to the Penang Food Village, where we feasted on asam laksa, char kuay teow, rojak while enjoying the views from inside the restaurant.

It started drizzling as soon as we stepped out of the Theme Park Hotel after lunch, just as Marie told us. We headed to the indoor park, towards Snow World. Like the other attractions, Snow World can only accommodate a certain number of people inside, so you would have to book for your turn inside. Luckily, the Sports Unlimited team was inside, and thanks to Ivan’s incredible powers of persuasion, we were allowed to join them, as we were (technically) part of the media team (just not their media team). Before heading inside, we were given thick jackets to keep us warm and gloves to keep our fingers from falling off freezing.

We step inside the -5C Snow World, and Ivan quickly got into a snowball fight with Marc Nelson, one of Sports Unlimited’s hosts. It was great to meet up again with the show’s crew, whom we met at the press conference and gathering of all the participants of this fam tour. We were all looking forward to try out the Sky Venture, a skydiving wind tunnel that simulates free fall skydiving, but were told that it was closed for the day, given the strong wind and rain Genting is experiencing that afternoon.

Sky Venture with the Sports Unlimited team

Dejected, we parted ways from the TV crew and went off to console ourselves at the bumper cars. Bump cars are always fun. Of course, it’s more fun when you have a target. Ferdz, Ivan and I agreed to target Martin, the guy from Tourism Malaysia. Of course, like most evil plans, it was bound to backfire. Karma’s a bitch — in exchange for my hatching this evil deed, I got a car that stalled at the most inopportune moments, until it eventually died. Boo.

We had time to kill before we had to go back to KL, so we ventured back to the outdoor theme park for another ride or two. We ran into Jake, Sports Unlimited’s head writer, looking lost. She got separated from the crew when we went to the toilets and could not contact them because her phone’s battery is dead. They were supposed to go to the Space Shot, so we accompanied her, only to find out later on that the crew was granted access to the Sky Venture. We hurried back to the indoor park, excited by this new development. Unfortunately, it turns out that while we were allowed into the attraction, only the show’s two hosts are given permission to try it out since the ride was technically closed. Still, it was interesting watching them, specially when their Body Fly instructor showed off her prowess inside the wind tunnel.

It was time to leave, but Marie let us have a couple more minutes for some souvenir shopping. We ended up at Diadora, where some items are marked up to 70% off. There plenty of other retailers scattered throughout Genting Highlands (Esprit, Adidas, Nike, Converse, Giordano and even a Mango outlet store, among others) so it’s hard to leave Genting without buying something. True enough, we all walked back to Genting Highlands Resort toting Diadora shopping bags.

Genting Highlands is a great day trip destination from Kuala Lumpur. It is 45 minutes away, and offers a cool respite from the heat and humidity of the city below. There are plenty of things to do, whether you’re a child of 5 or 50.

Genting Highlands offer a Go Genting package, where for RM35, you get bus transfers from different pick up points in Kuala Lumpur, round trip tickets on the Genting Skyway, Outdoor Theme Park Ride Pass OR a buffet lunch at the Coffee Terrace. For more information about the Go Genting Package, visit the Genting Highlands website.

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

One of the things that was presented during the press conference we attended in Malaysia was the ASEAN Pass. The ASEAN Pass is a set of four prepaid vouchers that would let you travel to up to four Southeast Asian cities served by Malaysia Airlines for as low as US$229 in economy class or US$729 in business class.

Malaysia Airlines’ Airbus A330 that we rode from KL to Manila. Forgot to take a photo before another plane parked right beside it. Pfft.

Of course, the big question is, what’s the asterisk?

You know how those promos always have this asterisk beside the price or the item name with a teeny tiny print at the bottom of the page? The asterisk here is that the US$229 price tag is just the fare — taxes charged by each country is excluded.

So say you’re traveling from Manila to Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur and back to Manila. Your total fare computation will be something like this:

US$229 ASEAN Pass + US$33.50 Philippine Travel Tax + US$14.50 Malaysia departure tax (KUL to CGK) + US$14.50 Malaysia departure tax (KUL to MNL) = US$291.50

This excludes the tax you would have to pay at the airport in Indonesia. You would also need to pay the Php 750 airport tax when leaving Manila. A rough conversion of the total amount to peso comes to Php 14,000, which isn’t bad considering that this is for four flights on Malaysia Airlines, and not on a budget airline.

With flights from Kuala Lumpur to the following Southeast Asian cities: Manila, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh, Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Yangon, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Medan, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya and Bali, the ASEAN Pass is definitely a tempting deal. Of course, there are other conditions: the first segment of the trip must be confirmed upon booking, while the other three can be open dated. However, if you have settled on a date already and want to have your ticket reissued, a fee of US$25 will be charged for each reissuance. The pass is valid for up to three months, which is especially good for those who want to take their time traveling around Southeast Asia.

The Malaysia Airlines ASEAN Pass is available through the airline’s ticketing offices and appointed travel agents both in Malaysia and in Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia and Vietnam. For more information about the ASEAN Pass, you can contact the Malaysia Airlines’ booking and reservations hotline at (02) 8873215 (Metro Manila) or (032) 238 1554/1502 (Cebu). You can also visit the Malaysia Airlines website for information and online booking.

Malaysia Airlines Manila
23rd Floor LKG Tower
6801 Ayala Avenue
Makati City
+632 887-3215

Malaysia Airlines Cebu
Bigfoot Center, 2/F-Annex,
F. Ramos Street,
Cogon Central (Ramos),
Cebu City 6000
Philippines
+6332 238-1554/1502

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!

First off, a disclaimer: this is not meant to be an end all and be all of Malaysian food. The food and restaurants featured in this post are a small sampling of Malaysian cuisine. And of course, these are my favorites. I have to admit that I have never really been adventurous when it comes to food. Sure, I’ll try the weird stuff, but not when I’m alone. So when I’m off wandering solo, I’d usually stick to the familiar, and steer clear of anything that looks spicy, which is a hindrance since a lot of Southeast Asian nations have a penchant for chili. Thanks to Marie, our tour guide, we were enlightened to the wonders of Malaysian food. Now I know what to order next time I find myself back in Malaysia.

Sun Fong Bak Kut Teh

After our first full day in Malaysia, Marie, our tour guide asked us where we want to have dinner. Ivan was quick to request for bak kut teh. Bak kut teh is a hearty soup made with pork ribs and intestine swimming in herbed clear broth. Marie took us to Sun Fong Bak Kut Teh near Jalan Imbi. Like most soups, it’s a perfect for a rainy day or a comfort food after a long and tiring day. We also had the stewed pork, shrimp omelet, some sort of steamed fish and this yummy iceberg lettuce blanched and drizzled with yummy light sauce and topped with garlic.

Nam Heong Restaurant’s Hailam Chicken Rice

The following day, we had lunch at Nam Heong Restaurant inside Sungei Wang Mall. We had their specialty Hailam chicken rice, which was really oh so good. Chicken rice never cease to make me happy, but their other dishes made me happy as well: pork sandwich with yam, stewed pork (they cook it with vinegar, which makes it very reminiscent of humba), steamed bean curd with oyster sauce and bean sprouts with garlic.

Mutton murtabak with pickled onion from Nasi Kandar Pelita

On our last night in Kuala Lumpur, we went to meet with the Tourism Malaysia people for dinner at Nasi Kandar Pelita. Just a stone’s throw away from the Petronas Twin Towers, this restaurant is a great food stop if you’re in KL. Nasi kandar is basically rice served with different dishes. In short, kanin at ulam. Several kinds of dishes are laid out and you pick whatever you want to go with your rice. Not into rice? Try their garlic naan, which comes with three different dips. Or go for the murtabak, which you have to eat with the gravy and picked onion. Yum.

Outside Kuala Lumpur, we had some memorable food stops as well.

Penang Food Village’s Rojak

In Genting Highlands, we had lunch at the Penang Food Village at the Theme Park Hotel. Serving up dishes Penang is known for, I was able to have the asam laksa that I have been craving for. Marie also ordered a plate of fruit rojak for the group to share. It is made with fresh fruits and topped with a “dressing” made with a mix of water, belacan (shrimp paste), sugar, chili and lime juice. Ingredients of the rojak differ depending on where you have it or on the chef’s or hawker’s own recipe.

Cendol from Seroni Restaurant

When we spent Merdeka day in Malacca, we had a late lunch at the Seroni Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant. Nyonya or peranakan cuisine is the mixing of Chinese and Malay influences resulting in rich and flavorful dishes. We had lemak prawns, ginger venison, chicken tempra, anchovies with cili garam, fish fillet in tamarind sauce and the best stir fried okra we’ve ever had to go with the fried kampung rice. For dessert, we had the cendol, which was perfect match for the hot afternoon.

Sun Fong Bak Kut Teh
No.35, 37, 39, Medan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur
Telephone: (03) 214-14064, (03) 214-80905
Hours: 5:00am – 12:00am

Nam Heong Restaurant
CHF-2, Sungei Wang Plaza, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Nasi Kandar Pelita
Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur
Website: www.pelita.com.my

Penang Food Village
Theme Park Hotel, Genting Highlands

Seroni Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant
60 & 62 Taman Melaka Raja 1, Jalan Melaka Raya 24, Melaka
Telephone: (06) 281-4848
E-mail: seroni4848@yahoo.com
Hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm (lunch), 6:00pm – 10:00pm (dinner)

Copyright 2006-2011 Nina Fuentes | Justwandering.org | Let’s build the Blogger House with Habitat for Humanity!