Travel Travel & Holiday Holiday: September 2014

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Eat, pray, love... and run!

NST Press: While Zalina Mohd Som does not quite recreate Elizabeth Gilbert’s adventure, she joins a marathon which changes her perception of Bali

BALI was not my favourite holiday destination. The Indonesian island was, to me, too touristy, over-commercialised and packed with foreigners playing the role of beach-loving party-going tourists.

But that was then. The village of Gianyar Regency, a hilly at the south-eastern part of the island, changed my perception.

I spent the early hours of a Sunday morning — running and walking, okay, mostly walking — along the half marathon route of the third BII Maybank Bali Marathon, held recently.

Not only did the run give me a fresh perspective of Bali but I also had the best run of my life — though the three hours and 40 minutes record was not my best time.

While it confirms that the Bali Marathon is the most beautiful run in the region, if not the world, it also proved the island still has its natural, unpretentious beauty and charms. One just need to go beyond the tourist spots.

As runners went inland towards the villages, the scene changed from busy morning traffic to scenic countryside of paddy fields, charming houses and a mist — blanketed mountain in the background.

While the sight took away my mind from my aching muscles, the friendly smiles and cheers from the villagers — old and young who lined the narrow road — warmed my heart.

Some villagers were already at the starting line near the entrance to Bali Marine & Safari Park, before the full marathon runners were flagged off at 5am.

Dressed in pyjamas or beautiful traditional costumes, they waited outside their homes to cheer the runners. Others put up cultural shows.

“These shows are voluntarily organised by schools along the route as they want to showcase the island’s artistic and cultural heritage,” said race director Thila Nadason who is also BII finance director at a Press conference after a grant presentation to schools in Gianyar held a day prior to the race.

But Bali Marathon was not just beauty without its purpose. For the sake of competitive runners, its route which has been the same for the past two years has enough challenges and difficulties.

“One, there’s the heat factor as we’re on an island and then the undulating terrain that reaches as high as 120m above sea level,” said Thila.

The run has been included in the official race directory of the Boston Marathon which means runners who finish in the minimum qualifying time can register for the prestigious US event.

Maintaining its Push Your Limit theme, the Bali Marathon has three categories — full marathon (about 42km), half marathon (about 21km) and 10km run. A wheelchair runner from Belgium took part in the full marathon this year.

There was also Children’s Sprint, which had two age-based sub-categories of 100m and 450m, for children up to 5 and 12 years of age respectively.

A specific category for disabled participants is introduced this year. Forty wheelchair runners competed in the 5K run.

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Jackie Chan, Indonesia's tourism ambassador!

TheStar Press:Hong Kong actions star enlisted to promote Indonesian tourism.

INDONESIA has tapped action star Jackie Chan to serve as the country’s tourism ambassador in a bid to attract more Chinese travellers.

Indonesia’s tourism office is hoping that Chan’s untouchable status as “the most popular movie star in Asia” will help the country boost its visitor numbers with one of the most coveted travel markets in the world, reported The Jakarta Post.

In the United States, Richard Gere serves a similar role as Indonesia’s ambassador to prospective American tourists.

The move is part of an aggressive marketing campaign and expands on the Indonesia-China Tourism Year initiative launched last year, which is hoping to build on the 10% rise in visits from 2012 to 2013 (from 680,000 tourist arrivals to 750,000).

This year, the government is aiming to boost that figure to one million Chinese tourists. – AFP Relaxnews

Boracay island: Asia’s best beach

TheStar Press:Boracay island offers all kinds of adventure, from cliff jumping and snorkelling to kitesurfing and horse riding. Or why not ride a Flying Fish?

If Indonesia has Bali and Thailand has Phuket, the Philippines has Boracay.

This tiny island is considered the crown jewel of Filipino tourism even though it’s just 7km long and 1km wide, a dainty dot compared with other larger South-East Asian island destinations.

Despite its modest size, Boracay has not one but two entries on Trip Advisor’s list of Top Beaches in Asia 2014.

Its powdery white sand beaches and tantalising aquamarine waters are a perfect setting to chillax on lounge chairs with some coconut juice and a book. But those who want to do more will find lots of adventure action.

A four-hour Air Asia flight from Kuala Lumpur takes my travel buddies and I to Kalibo city, on the large island of Panay.

There are hordes of people offering immediate transfers to Boracay and after hopping into a van, we are soon on our way past classic Filipino scenery: padi fields and motorelas (large motorised three-wheeled trishaws) way overloaded with passengers.

It’s a massive zipline or flying fox ride from the slopes of Mount Luho to the beach.

After another short boat transfer, we reach the fabled island just in time for sunset. The epicentre of tourist action is on a postcard-perfect, 4km-long stretch of powdered-sugary soft sands known as White Beach, listed at No.1 in TripAdvisor’s list of best Asian beaches.

Unlike other seaside destinations in South-East Asia where the “happening” stuff happens on tarred roads in a town setting (near but not on a beach), in Boracay the shopping, eating, partying and café-ing happens along a sandy pedestrian walk known as the White Beach path. I mean, where else can you have your Starbucks coffee and Shakey’s pizza beneath coconut trees?

After a scary ride down a very long flying fox, you end up at this gorgeous beach.

After dinner, we take a stroll here. White Beach is divided into three “stations”, named after former boat mooring points. We are staying at Station 2, the most lively area of the three filled with bustling nightclubs, restaurants and beachside shopping centres. But luckily our Boracay Garden Hotel lies further back from the beach away from the hubbub.

The areas around Station 1 are quieter, with lots of top-end accommodation whereas Station 3 has a more bohemian feel (and more budget lodges). The beach is also the best place to choose what adventure action you want to do the next day as numerous agents have boards displaying the options available.

Aquatic adventures

Our first full day starts with a bang. Or rather, a splash.

We are going to bungee jump – minus the safety cord! Well, sort of ... We cruise out to Ariel’s Point to vault into the sea off a cliff.

There are three options here – exciting, are-you-sure? and oh-my-Gawd-you-gotta-be-crazy – which are about 5, 10 and 15 metres high respectively.

I opt for the lowest one but even then, walking out on the gangplank and looking down at the sea is heart stopping ... but the adrenalin rush when you are free falling is out of this world!

Fire dancers entertaining guests up close and personal.

Try to ensure you enter the water feet first, rather than painfully on your back or stomach (wear a T-shirt to cushion any possible slap impact). One daredevil does the highest jump and twists his back when he hits the water at an awkward angle.

After being pumped up, I am glad for the ice box filled with beer and fruits back in the confortable bangka, the classic outrigger boat of the Philippines. It’s time now to relax, as we head for some snorkelling near Crocodile island.

The neat thing about a bangka is that you can easily walk down wooden steps into the water – which helps novice swimmers. The water is clear and schools of small fish greet me underwater.

Having worked up an appetite with all these activities, we tuck into a lunch of grilled seafood at Puka Shell Beach. This is rated at No.6 in TripAdvisor’s beach list and it gets its name from the thousands of broken-up shells which create the coarse sand here, which feels different from the ultra-fine powdery stuff at White Beach. Yes, shells and corals which have been grinded by countless waves create beach sands, so do think twice about collecting or buying these as souvenirs.

Our island hopping then continues at Crystal Cove island, which has two sea caves that glitter when the sun and tides are at the right angle.

We access one by gingerly stepping down a spiral staircase, and soon we are transported to a subterranean world where the sound of waves is amplified in a rocky chamber. Elsewhere on the island, there are lots of rugged sea cliffs and some coves where you can swim.

Flying Fish!

Just as energy levels begin to drop later in the afternoon, we decide to jumpstart our batteries by tackling the fast and furious Flying Fish. Thus is a banana boat on steroids, pulled along at high speeds while you hang on for dear life onto a jiggling mass of rubberised plastic.

One tip for surviving on this contraption is to lie down on your bosom to lower your centre of gravity. But believe me, that’s no easy feat when the Flying Fish goes so fast that it actually flies in the air ... But no worries, getting dunked into the water if part of the fun!

Bangkas or outrigger boats like these are used for transport around Boracay.

There are loads of other aquatic activities that we are tempted to try, if only we have the time.

Some of the girls are curious about doing the “mermaid swimming course” – it’s like living out fantasies of becoming a sultry sea siren. This involves a two-hour course on how to wear, and swim with, a mermaid tail. Plus, of course, the all important photo session!

If you’ve ever wondered what diving feels like, try a “discover scuba” session, or perhaps diving with a helmet. If you don’t want to get wet to see real life fish, hop onto a glass bottom boat. Plus there are also the usual jet skis, banana boats and paragliding.

Boracay is famous for kitesurfing (and windsurfing) as it has shallow waters and consistent winds, especially during the northeast monsoon, which runs from December to March.

Or for something more relaxing, try sailing. And do it Filipino style: a romantic sunset ride on a paraw, a small traditional boat with two sails.

At night, we check out D*Mall, a seaside shopping area at Station 2, to load up on souvenirs. If you have overactive kids, you can unleash them here to do indoor rock climbing.

Or how about that Filipino passion for basketball? Try shooting some hoops for 35 pesos (RM2.50) per 40 second session!

Land adventures

On our second day in Boracay, we turn towards land-based activities. First up: horse riding.

Ever since Christopher Reeve (who played Superman) became paralysed after falling from a horse, I have had fears of this. But the good thing about the Boracay version is that we aren’t going to gallop at abandon.

Rather, every horse has a guide who walks (or jogs) along to control the animal as it trots along slowly through the green interior of the island – a hat is invaluable under the hot sun.

Next, we switch from four legs to four wheels. We jump onto several quad bikes (aka ATV’s, all terrain vehicles) and roarrr (the engines are loud!) through some dirt tracks. Here’s a tip – wrap a bandanna around your face if you don’t want too much dust on your face.

Get ready to be flipped into the sea when riding the high-speed Flying Fish.

We then roll onto a tar road towards Mount Luho, the highest point of the island. From the viewing deck here, the views of Boracay are glorious – and you get a sense of just how small, yet amazing, this place is. After lunch, it’s time to enjoy the seaside – at high speed! We return to the lower slopes of Mount Luho to see a jaw-dropping zipline (or flying fox) that runs waaaay down to the beach.

It looks scary (or spectacular, depending on how brave you are) but there are extra safety lines that secure you to the main line (just don’t hold on to that and get your hands lacerated).

All you need to do is, let go, and let yourself flyyy away – screaming as you zoom down is optional.

After all this exertion, we are starving. We go to Discovery Shores, a lovely boutique hotel in the Station 1 area, to enjoy a beachside dinner accompanied by a splendid sunset.

The icing on the cake is something hot: fire dancers who twirl flaming pots all over their bodies. Talk about a sizzling way to end our trip.

Practical details

Getting there

AirAsia flies direct to Kalibo from Kuala Lumpur. From there, it takes about 90 minutes by bus or van to Caticlan Jetty, where you catch a boat (20 minutes) to Boracay.

Accommodation

There’s something for everyone. Hotels range from the very top end Shangri La to cheaper places (mostly around White Beach Station 3) like the Ocean Breeze Inn (about PHP1000 or RM72 per night). Those who fancy boutique hotels near the action at Station 2 can look at options like The District.

Prices of adventure activities:

These are estimates given in Philippine pesos (PHP) and ringgit which may be higher/ lower depending on market demand and bargaining skills.

·Full day island-hopping package (including snorkelling): rates depend on group size, expect to pay PHP4500 (RM328) for up to 16 pax.

·Crystal Cove entry: PHP200 (RM14.50).

·Flying Fish: PHP800 (RM58), minimum three in a group.

·Ariel’s Point is an extra half-day excursion costing PHP1800 (RM131) on top of the normal island-hopping package.

·Kitesurfing: PHP 3000 (RM220) for a one hour introductory lesson, or about US$450 (RM1460) for a 12-hour certification course. The centre for this is Bulabog Beach on the east side of the island.

·Windsurfing: PHP800 (RM58) per hour for board rental, and about P1300 (RM95) per hour for lessons. Also at Bulabog.

·Paraw sailing: PHP 700 (RM51) per hour for up to five people.

·Mermaid Swimming: PHP 1500 (RM110) for a two-hour introductory lesson.

·Helmet diving or glass bottom boat: PHP800 (RM58)

·Horseback ride: PHP 900 (RM65) for one hour.

·Quad bikes: PHP 800 (RM58) for one hour.

·Zipline: PHP 600 (RM44) per pop.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

World Tourism Day comes to Malaysia

TheStar Press: Visitors can expect a festive atmosphere at the country’s celebration of tourism.

THE national level celebration of World Tourism Day (WTD2014) will be held in Johor this year. Taking place from Sept 26 to 28, the event takes on the theme of “Tourism And Community Development” this year.

During the three-day festivities, numerous activities will be held at the Mall of Medini in Nusajaya, Johor. The lineup at the venue include interactive traditional games, cultural performances, one-of-a-kind exhibition of ancient manuscripts and a special display of the prehistoric Perak Man.

The WTD2014 Treasure Hunt – which brings participants to places of attractions around Johor – will also take place. In addition to that, state-level celebrations will also take place in Kedah and Pahang.

Introduced in 1980 by the World Tourism Organisation, World Tourism Day is celebrated on Sept 27 every year to commemorate the contribution and importance of tourism in shaping and influencing social values, culture, politics and the world economy. The global celebration for this year will be held in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Malaysia hosted the global celebration of World Tourism Day in 2004.

To create awareness and increase participation from the public, MOTAC has launched a hashtag campaign – #MYWorldTourismDay – which encourages public to upload photos of their visits to tourist destinations in the country into their social websites to show their support for the tourism industry.

The celebration in Johor is open to the public and admission is free.

Monday, September 15, 2014

Who steals from hotel rooms?

TheStarPress:A recent survey looks at the severity of hotel room pilfering by the nationality of the guests.

WHILE most travelers leave their hotel room with a few complimentary souvenirs – soaps, pens or maybe a notepad – others succumb to the temptation to take home a little more. According to a survey carried out by Hotels.com, Colombia is the nation with the highest percentage of hotel room thieves: 57% of the Colombians surveyed admitted to taking something extra.

In particular, Colombians are fond of packing up the magazines and books that may have been left in hotel rooms for their perusal. Mexicans, who came in second in this ranking (40%), enjoy taking the same items.

Third place went to Indians, 38% of whom said they had stolen from their hotel rooms, only slightly more than Spanish respondents (36%).

Among the Swedes (35%) who admitted to hotel pilfering, some have no qualms about filling their suitcases with towels and robes, while among Chinese respondents (34%) who take part in the practice, some go as far as taking small items of furniture such as lamps, clocks and decorative objects.

Towels were also the most commonly filched item among Americans, 34% of whom said they take a little something from their hotel room.

Carried out by Hotels.com, the study included a survey of 8,600 participants in 28 countries. – AFP Relaxnews

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Family fun at i-City

TheStar: Visitors now have a good reason to spend a day of quality time with their loved ones with new additions at the City of Digital Lights.

Exciting edutainment attractions for families with young children are set to provide visitors to FunWorld, i-City with an enriching experience. The novel attractions are the Itsy Bitsy, Jungle Adventure and Fun Drive.

“i-City has now introduced a dedicated zone especially to the young ones, giving another good reason for family to spend ample with their loved ones at i-City to have an experiential and "edu-taining" day,” said i-City information manager Tang Soke Cheng.

Itsy Bitsy is a park where parents can relive their childhood memories while Jungle Adventure is a soft play adventure centre that allows the young ones to embark on the Jungle Rider with their parents to discover more about wildlife creatures.

Meanwhile, Fun Drive is a mini township where kids can go behind the wheels and explore the tiny city. It is touted as “a fun and educational introduction to road safety” as kids will receive a driver’s registration card and get a briefing on the basic safety rules and regulations while on the road.

“We ensure that our new attractions bring some sort of benefits to the visitors here. For instance, with the opening of Itsy Bitsy at Theme Park C, we are actually promoting the family bond and allowing the family members to share laughter, joy and fun together,” said Tang.

To further enhance one’s experience in City of Digital Lights, there are another two new attractions which are the Dancing Water and Mist Fountain.

FunWorld@i-City opens from 10am onwards. As for Dancing Water, performaces are at 9pm and 10pm from Mondays to Thursdays and for Fridays to Sundays, it is at 8pm, 9pm, 10pm and 11pm.

Modern perks to heritage enclave

NSTPress: Tiong Bahru is a fascinating neighbourhood which harmonises old and new Singapore, writes Alan Teh Leam Seng

WHEN Tiong Bahru came up as one of the “must go” places I should visit while in Singapore, I was apprehensive.

From the deepest recesses of my mind, images started to resurface, of a place “accidentally” visited when, by mistake, I pressed the bell on a public bus enroute to Orchard Road.

Although the incident happened some 30 years ago, I still remember the moment vividly. However, looking on the bright side, I would have not stepped foot in Tiong Bahru on that fateful day otherwise.

At that time, I alighted from the bus and while waiting for the next one to come along, I took a quick stroll around. I saw numerous pre-war shop houses and lots of mum-and-pop businesses such as hardware and sundry shops. I also recall seeing rows and rows of bird cages suspended from the ceiling in a coffee shop across the road.

There were elderly men enjoying a morning cuppa while listening to the melodious shrills of sharmas and magpie robins. I remember this scene best as I had never encountered anything like this anywhere else. To me, it captured the very essence of Tiong Bahru at that time — homely and laidback.

TIONG BAHRU TODAY

Fast forward. Tiong Bahru today is no different from the place I used to know back in the 1980s. The art deco buildings are still around but as I take a closer look, I realise that many of the old-time establishments and sundry shops have closed. In their place are modern cafes, restaurants and boutique hotels.

The fresh coat of paint, remodelled interiors and modern fixtures have changed the neighbourhood which, in the past, was notoriously labelled Mei Ren Wo (Den of Beauties) or Er Nai Chun (Mistress Village).

In the 1950s, Tiong Bahru was where successful and wealthy businessmen and tycoons housed their mistresses. Its proximity to the cabarets of the Great World Amusement Park also meant the flats here were the lodgings of choice for the pipa girls and their majie (minders). Locals referred to these low rise flats as puay kee chu or “aeroplane houses” in Hokkien dialect.

During my walk, I must say that these houses did resemble aeroplane wings from a distance. Many of them, built by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the 1930s, are still around today. I am glad that these historic structures have withstood the test of time and are so well preserved.

The main landmark here must be the Tiong Bahru Market and Hawker Centre. It boasts the highest concentration of “old” and established hawker stalls in any estate in Singapore. Previously known as the Seng Poh Road Market, it underwent a total makeover at a cost of S$16.8 million (RM42.64 million) and was reopened in 2006.

Today many people from all over Singapore come here to shop and dine. The wet market is located on the ground floor while hawker stalls are just a level above. Among the many established names are Yong Seng Coffee Powder which has been here for over 50 years. The owner tells me that although many things have changed, he feels that Tiong Bahru is still the best place to do business as well as raise a family.

The hawker stalls enjoy brisk business, especially during the lunch hour. There is so much variety to choose from but unfortunately, the dark clouds gathering are a sign that I should continue with my walk as it may start to pour soon. I console myself thinking that I can always return to sample the delicious food should it start to rain heavily.

TAKING THE STREETS

Walking along Seng Poh Road, I soon come to a quiet little open area bedecked with colourful buntings. It is here that I come across the Dancing Girl sculpture by Sarawak-born Lim Nang Seng. This metre-high piece of art depicts a maiden performing a joyful harvest dance. This concrete sculpture was unveiled in 1972 at a cost of S$2,000, just in time for National Day celebrations that year.

I continue my walk until I arrive at the junction with Tiong Bahru Road. A quick survey of the area and it’s all coming back to me.

The bird cages and the coffee shop were located right there. Sadly both are now gone. I can only see a small rectangle of land bordered by yellow painted poles.

The caged birds are no longer a daily feature. The white cage and birds painted on a brown wall is as close as I can get to seeing those feathered creatures.

Ironically, the two-dimensional birds on the wall of the Nostalgia Hotel, seem to be flying towards the very spot where the original bird corner used to be.

Interested to delve deeper into the history of Tiong Bahru, I head for Outram Road. At a pedestrian bridge, I walk up a short flight of stairs and turn into a small clearing where I see a large well- kept tomb guarded by four stone mythical lions.

This is the resting place of Chua Seah Neo and Wuing Neo who both passed away in 1882. Chua was the wife of Tan Tock Seng’s son, Tan Kim Ching. Wuing Neo was the daughter-in-law of Tan Kim Ching. Tan Tock Seng’s grave is located a short distance away.

Malacca-born Tan Tock Seng arrived in Singapore the very same year as Stamford Raffles in 1819. At that time he was only 21. He quickly learnt English and endeared himself to the British. Tan speculated in land and became immensely wealthy. He is best remembered for his large contribution of S$7,000 in 1844 to build a Chinese Pauper’s Hospital on top of Pearl’s Hill to take care the “diseased of all nations”.

I return to Tiong Bahru Road and walk past two traffic lights before turning into Tiong Poh Road. At the junction, I reach the Tiong Bahru Qi Tian Gong or Monkey God Temple.

Although there are many new establishments offering gourmet dining experiences for younger couples who have made Tiong Bahru their home, some older businesses and places of worship have stayed put.

The temple was founded in 1920 in a small attap hut in a taro garden just across Eng Hoon Street. It moved to this current location in 1938 and was dedicated to Sun Wu Kong, the Monkey King.

I made a note to return here on the 16th day of the eighth lunar month for the Monkey God’s birthday celebration. Some devotees tell me that on that auspicious day, mediums go into a trance and start whipping themselves while climbing up ladders of swords and blessing the devotees.

FULL CIRCLE

The Tiong Bahru Community Centre at Eu Chin Street is just a short walk from Tiong Poh Road. Most of Eu Chin Street is taken up by this community centre, which is the first to be built in Singapore.

Visitors are encouraged to walk inside and see the stand-alone air-raid shelter which used to be the original structure of this place.

It is now the lunch hour. I retrace my steps to Seng Poh Road where I saw a few coffee shops earlier.

A few metres down the road I spot a long queue, so I decide to check it out. It seems that many are making a beeline for Loo’s Hainanese Curry Rice. A large advertisement in front of the stall displays snippets of promotional newspaper cuttings.

Apparently the curry takes three days to make, from preparing the spices to the actual cooking. This stall was started in 1946, when most cooks in colonial and wealthy Peranakan housholds in Singapore were Hainanese. At that time, the Hainanese were considered the best cooks around.

Unwilling to spend precious time waiting in the long queue, I walk further until I reach the famous Tiong Bahru Bakery. The large single swing door is a bit peculiar and visitors may want to exercise caution so as not to hit someone from the opposite direction.

The interior has a comfortable feel and the smell of freshly baked pastries is heavenly. I have a weakness for berries and I find one bedecked with raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

It is a feast for the eyes as well as the tastebuds. As for drinks, I have mixed fruit juice with mint which is supposed to be very good for the liver and complexion.

Next door is another cafe and what attracts me to it is the art display on its walls. The Orange Thimble allows local artists to display their work on a rotational monthly basis. I am fortunate that all the paintings this time are abstract representations of famous roads in the vicinity of Tiong Bahru. I spend a good half an hour trying to identify the places.

My visit is nearing its end. Although the caged singing birds are gone, Tiong Bahru today is like a phoenix rising. The last few years have seen a phenomenal transformation of this place from a sleepy, old-timer hangout to a modern enclave bursting with trendy cafes and boutique hotels.

Just as I am about to board a taxi, a bright orange Lamborghini purrs to a stop nearby. A young couple, decked in designer clothing, alight and make their way into an upmarket restaurant.

Perhaps this is a sign of the times. I can foresee how this place, located so close to Orchard Road, has embraced modernity, blending it harmoniously with its rich and diverse heritage.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

This way to Sunway Lagoon

TheStar Press

It pays (you don’t) to have a birthday, be a senior citizen or just be at Sunway Lagoon on a certain discounted Tuesday.

Itching to visit Sunway Lagoon with friends and family? There’s some promotions from Malaysia’s premier theme park to last till the end of the year. Raise your hand if you’re a senior citizen, a visitor celebrating your birthday or simply anybody visiting the park on the first Tuesday of the month.

Those celebrating their birthdays can enjoy free admission into Sunway Lagoon for a period of a week from their birthday, along with a meal voucher worth RM10 which will be redeemable at F&B outlets within the park. Sunway Pals members also get a free use of a locker (worth RM15) to keep their belongings. Since no celebration is complete without a party, Sunway Lagoon will also offer a 30% discount off the entrance fee for up to four accompanying guests of the birthday boy or girl.

The birthday promotion can be enjoyed by Malaysians and non-Malaysian tourists alike. However, a valid identity card, passport, Sunway Pals membership card and other related documents have to be presented at the ticketing counter for verification purpose in order to validate the offer.

Age is no reason to stop having fun and Sunway Lagoon is the first theme park in Malaysia to prove this right by rewarding Malaysian senior citizens over the age of 60 with free entrance into Sunway Lagoon! All they need to do is present their valid MyKad at the ticketing counter to gain entrance.

Fret not others get to enjoy great deals with Sunway Lagoon’s Quack-tastic Tuesday promotion. On the first Tuesday of every month, Malaysians can enjoy all the thrills and spills at the attraction for only RM 40 per person. The offer is limited to four tickets per transaction.

Tickets can be pre-purchased via sunwaylagoon.com or alternatively guests can walk in on that particular day to purchase it. Guests are then required to show their MyKad for verification upon redemption of wristbands at the ticketing counter.

The above promotions are valid until Dec 31.

Monday, September 8, 2014

Riverine charm

NSTPress: Take a cruise along Sungai Kuantan to see much of what the city has to offer, writes

Zalina Mohd Som

IT may not have colourful, quaint 16th Century buildings lining the river bank but the Kuantan River Cruise has something that puts everyone onboard at the edge of their seats — crocodiles!

Sungai Kuantan, the peninsula’s longest river, runs through Kuantan and is known for estuarine crocodiles which put the capital city and the river in the limelight.

According to the State Wildlife and National Parks Department, there are dozens of crocodiles in the river, based on the number of sightings and reports lodged.

But don’t worry. Only if Lady Luck is on your side will you spot the elusive reptile.

ANCIENT BEAUTY

The crocodile is not all Sungai Kuantan has to offer. Take the sunset or night cruise and you get to see more as the riverine wildlife make their way back to their nests or come out to hunt.

When the sun paints the sky with twilight colours, the sky is filled with birds such as sea eagles and herons as well as insects such as bugs and fireflies. If it’s low tide, you may even see otters at the water edge. But life along the river changes as the sun moves from east to west.

For those who prefer to see activities in mid-morning, the first cruise is the perfect way to start the day.

The 11am cruise is the best time for photography. Along the route, there are colourful fishing boats, picturesque village houses and the 500-year-old mangrove forest.

Home to varieties of estuarine plants, birds and fish, the mangrove forest reserve spreads along Sungai Kuantan, covering 340 hectares.

There was a boardwalk that allowed visitors to walk in the swamp for a closer look at its eco-system but unfortunately it was shut down.

OUT TO SEA

From the jetty, the cruise moves 10km upstream to the fishing port of Lembaga Kemajuan Ikan Malaysia (Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia), passing through Kampung Peramu before making a U-turn and then heading for open sea.

On its way back, the catamaran cruises close to the mangrove forest, moving under the majestic Tanjung Lumpur Bridge to the mouth of Sungai Kuantan which is lined with fishing villages.

As the catamaran cruises downstream, one cam see the city of Kuantan. Though it doesn’t have historic buildings like heritage Malacca or the skyscrapers of Penang and Kuala Lumpur, Kuantan is not lacking in charm.

Even from the boat, one can feel the bustling vibe of the city, yet it is also laid-back and composed.

Once you’re back at Shahbandar Jetty, don’t drive off just yet. Take a stroll along the Esplanade Benteng Kuantan or, better still, if you’re there during the weekend, join the crowd at the waterfront where a 2km-long night market offers everything from street food to souvenirs and curios.

FAST FACTS

Kuantan River Cruise

Shahbandar Jetty, Jalan Tanah Putih Baru, Kuantan, Pahang

Tel: 011-2575 8033, 09-548 8000 (Bukit Gambang Resort City), 03-8941 9898 (KL Office)

Website: www.bgrc.com.my/bgrc-kuantan-river-cruise

Email: enquiry@bgrc.com.myv

HOW TO GET THERE

Kuantan River Cruise starts from Shahbandar Jetty on the bank of Sungai Kuantan. The jetty is located just beside the modern Kuantan Municipal Council Building opposite Hospital Tengku Ampuan Afzan.

PRICE

RM28 (adult), RM18 (child) for Esplanade, Sunset and Night cruises. RM88 (adult), RM68 (child) for Firefly Cruise. Foreigners pay different prices.

Operation hours: Esplanade Cruise (11am, 1pm and 3pm). Sunset Cruise (6pm), Night and Firefly Cruises (8pm). Friday only has two Esplanade Cruises at 11am and 3pm. Closed on Wednesday except during school and public holidays.