 I've had a great time doing this blog. It was one of my earliest blogs that I thought I can sustain, but time decided to disagree so after I discover I am unable to travel as much as I like, I feel it is not doing justice to this blog since visitors will only get to read old posts which are still relevant though if you should be visiting Malaysia. No country is perfect but here in Malaysia you will discover enchantments amidst a multicultural environment and a crazy choice of foods and goods you can savor and buy home.
This is my last post. It has being worthwhile writing here, and great to have you visiting. If you like to read more of what I write please visit my currently most active blog at Mrs Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter Blog.
Have a nice day.
 
 My visit to Pangkor in December was incomplete and frustrated by my grand-daughter's sudden high fever. However, the great impression I got from the Pangkor Island Beach Resort kept the desire to revisit it alive. So when my son Julian and wife Winnie came back for a visit, we decided that we should try PIBR again. We booked for a 2 night stay from April 16 to 19. As before we boarded the ferry at 1.45pm from the Lumut Ferry. It cost us RM19 each two ways for the ferry ride. This time the weather was great. It was cloudy and the seas were calm. The ride took just 25 minutes and baby Grace, my grand-daughter was more fun this time around.
We got to stay in the Pacific Wing again, this time on the highest floor overlooking the Pacific Pool and the beach. Since we have been to Bali just a week earlier, and stayed at the fantastic Le Meridien Nirwana Golf and Spa Resort at Tanah Lot, we tend to make an unfair comparison between the two resorts.
 Unlike Bali where there are many places to sightsee, Pangkor is more limiting so we decided to swim more in the resort's Pacific Pool with its standard 3.9 ft depth. As the resort faces west we have the chance to watch the sunset. The first evening's sunset was not spectacular, much like Bali's which fizzled out in its dwindling minutes. But on our second evening both Julian and I were able to capture the fiercer moments before the ball of fire dipped down the horizon. I guess this sight made up for what we did not see in Tanah Lot, Uluwatu or Jimbaran in Bali.
 On the second day we decided to take a 2 hours island tour using a private taxi that charges RM50 for a party of 4. We had lunch in Pangkor town and bought some dried seafood. The experiences were disappointing as Pangkor cannot compare with Bali in every aspect. However, the buffet breakfasts and dinners we ate at the resorts's Hornbill restaurant were of good quality but below Cendana's standard at Le Meridien in Bali. Still it is not fair to compare two resorts of different rankings. But Pangkor Island Beach Resort boast of a clean private beach, hornbill birds and a peacock and several peahen that roam the grounds.
 We left Pangkor at noon and made our next stop at the James' Cendol Stall located in front of the Hindu Temple next to the Store supermarket in Sitiawan. If you want to taste a great bowl of mouth watering cendol, you must not miss Jame's which opens daily from 11.30am (except when it rains lah!). For my Bali and other holiday blogs, please visit Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter Blog.
 Over the past weekend my family decided to check out this resort for a family gathering next year. We discover the resort to be as described in its website, very private and clean. We took the 1.45pm ferry to the private jetty of the resort. Check in service was personal and good. A porter load our bags into the ferry and at the dot we left for the island, arriving 30 minutes later. A drizzle began to fall during the ride and it was rather windy. The ferry was equipped with life jackets neatly packed but we saw no reason to don any as the ferry was sturdy and of a reasonable size.
Upon arrival at the small private jetty attendants with bright yellow umbrellas were awaiting the guests to shelter us from the boat to the shuttle bus, while our bags were loaded onto another lorry. The resort is just 5 minutes away and upon arrival we were welcomed by a Filipino band and a welcome drink.
The resort has 3 wings : Garden, Ocean and Pacific. There are also villas by the beach. We took 2 rooms in the Pacific Wing that face the pool and the beach. We immediately liked what we were provided, service, cleanliness and nice views. Because the drizzle came on and off we decided not to swim but we saw some youths and 2 expatriate families enjoying themselves in the pool. Later at 5pm when the drizzle stopped we took a stroll to the vast and clean beach. It was a refreshing and peaceful place to be in. Being a private property there were only resort guests using it so it was not crowded. The beachfront was about a kilometer long and just walking it took some time.
As the sun sets (the resort faces west but because of the weather we did not manage to see a spectacular sunset) we adjourned to the Pacific Terrace Restaurant for a romantic and nice meal of seafood. The following morning we had our complimentary breakfast at the Hornbill Restaurant. Here are some pix I took.
 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.
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Blog Description: My personal blog sharing family, personal thoughts, reflections on life issues and occasional humour and commentaries on politics, society, religion and where we are heading to in this tough world.
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Blog Owner: Peter Yew
Blog Added: June 20, 2008 09:04:22 AM
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