 Awana Genting (click HERE) is about 45 minutes from Kuala Lumpur north eastward along the Karak Highway. Genting is a popular getaway for both locals and tourists because of the cooling weather and fresh mountain air. Two days ago I took my family up for a one night stay to break from our routine. Since we stay in Seremban, the total journey took about 2 hours but it was relaxing. Awana is primarily a golfing resort but the room layout and ambience fits families as well. This is especially for those who do not wish to drive all the way up to the top of Genting where the theme parks, casino and a cluster of hotels crowd each other on a small piece of land. The resort provide free shuttle service so it is a good balance plus a pure joy to be driven up. Our double deluxe rooms have 2 queen size beds that face the hills and overlook the pool. Night time with the sliding door and windows ajar the rooms are cooling without the air conditioning. Unfortunately they were a few floors above the noisy ventilator fan on top the main building below us (we stayed on the 16th floor of the Tower Hotel) so we could here the hum at night. However it was not very intrusive. The following day we rode the cable cars up to the theme parks and let the kids enjoy the fun rides. The adults enjoyed the monorail ride at RM8 per person. If you are adventurous go buy a day pass with unlimited rides inside the outdoor theme park.
Genting is the only hill entertainment resort in Malaysia with a casino and be it on weekdays or weekends there are bound to be a good crowd. Come this weekend when the 7 weeks long year end school holiday starts, the crowds are bound to increase, especially school children in school buses.
 
I just returned from a short free and easy holiday in Bangkok just to see for myself what it has to offer. Plus a birthday gift for my wife! Here are the impressions I got. Bangkok is a tourist friendly city. From the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport to the city 50 minutes away, depending on the condition of the traffic snarl, you will be able to find lots of taxis that run on meters. In the city you can also use the tuk tuks but be aware of not being fleeced. For a cheap ride they will taken you to retail outlets to buy Thai silk or gems. There are lots of places to see and visit but the weather can be very hot and humid, much like Kuala Lumpur. The city is quite disorganized and ill-laid out. The adventurous will find it a fun place to be in. Signage is mainly Thai so you can get lost in unfamiliar places. Cost of living quite high although taxi fare still cheap at average of under 100 THB within the city. Compared to Malaysia, my impression is we enjoy a better living standard, better traffic (our jams are a lot less frustrating too) and places of visit of equivalent standard. Malaysians are as friendly as Thais. We have a better standard of English which is certainly a big plus to foreign travelers. Admittedly Bangkok has the river cruises that we lack, and some excellent cultural shows, like the Siam Niramit, worth going to. What we lack we make up in other ways. Overall impression? A nice place to go. Other than that Kuala Lumpur can stand up to Bangkok anytime.
 
I was soo.. impressed by an aerial pix of Miri - the clean and orderly layout, that I want to make it my next local destination. Having enjoyed Kuching I am sure I will not be let down by Miri. While Kuching 'guards' the southern part of Sarawak, Miri is the northern entry into the state. Located near to the border of Brunei, Miri is also the launching pad to the Mulu National Park, 45 minutes away by air. Let me share some of the hot spots I would like to visit when I am there. Miri is a modest city without many high rise buildings. She faces the South China Sea and has nice clean air. I am already falling in love with its city life, with the walk by the riverfront.
I remember Miri as a boy as being an oil town where crude oil was drilled. I would like to go see the 1st oil well in the country that was bored here. Right in the city there are a number of attractions I would like to explore:
The urban park, the Islamic garden, the Taman Bunga (lake garden), the Chinese garden, the public park, the bulatan park and the crocodile farm. All these suggest Miri to be a very nature oriented town. There is also the Luak Bay Esplanade just outside the town where I can enjoy the sunsets and the sea breeze. Fancy a swim? I understand there is the Hawaii Beach here as well. The Bungai Beach at Bekenu nearby is another popular place to sunbath and wet oneself.
The Mirians are known to be fun loving as their activities can attest to it. There is the City Parade, the Raft Race, the May Fest, the Weekend Markets and Taman Selera (open air food court) where people gather to relax and enjoy life. There are malls, heritage centres as well as a taoist temple, claimed the largest in S.E. Asia, to visit.
All these are in Miri or its immediate vicinity and I think will take at least 2 full days to experience. Learning from my Kuching experience, spending extra 2-3 days is certainly no regret in places like Miri.
My next blog will write about what's attractive and fun outside of Miri.
  
 
To the uninitiated, Sibu may just be another town in Sarawak. But to the Foochow community it is the 'New Hock Chew' or 'New Foochow'. Sibu was the place where the foochow immigrants from the Fujian province in China came to settle in the early 20th century.The first batch were Methodist Christian immigrants led by Rev. Wong Nai Siong. Foochows all over the world gather here for conferences. If you don't understand their dialect, it can be very bewildering. Here in Sibu you will enjoy authentic foochow food and culture that are rather unique. Ranked the second larget town in Sarawak after Kuching, it is where you can take a Rejang River ride to enjoy the scenic riverbank views as well as visit some longhouses.
Situated in central Sarawak north east of Kuching and along the Rejang River (the longest river in Malaysia at 770 kilometers), Sibu is accessible by road, air and boat. In Sibu you can experience a myriad of diverse culture, food and natural wonders. And if you wish to bring home handicraft souvenirs you can find a good variety here. There are a wide range of hotels available, restaurants, pubs and karaoke lounges to relax. Some of the attractions are the central market, the esplanade, the night market, the Borneo cultural festival (an annual event in July), the Chinese tua pek kong temple and the floating markets.
 
Help me to be a little more focussed in my blog contents. If you have visited Malaysia, which are your favorite destinations? If you are considering visiting which destinations are you planning to visit? Your feedbacks are most welcomed.
 
If you are into orangutans, the place to go is the Semenggoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre situated half an hour south of the city.The SWRC is where various endangered species are brought in and later released to their natural habitat. Those with little hope of surviving in the wild will be kept and nurtured in the centre. Here the wardens train orangutans rescued from captivity how to survive in the wild before they are freed. Capture souvenir pictures with the orangutans for remembrance.
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Blog Owner: Peter Yew
Blog Added: June 20, 2008 10:04:22 AM
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