~Kuala Lumpur Craft Centre~

A visit to the Kuala Lumpur Craft Cultural Complex at Jalan Conlay, is a wonderful hidden gem. Tucked away from the busy traffic, this craft centre is situated in an open-concept building, with traditional motifs and intricate wooden carvings.

The complex houses several different sections comprising a craft museum, artists’ colony and craft village as well as batik gallery and souvenir shop.

Stepping into the complex, one is greeted with the latest cultural exhibits. On display are local handicrafts such as batik, rattan baskets, pottery, and other crafty knick-knacks.

Make your way to the artists’ colony to try your hand at batik painting. Visitors are encouraged to participate and leave their prints behind.

~Borneo Escapade~

Whenever the word “apple” springs out, among the first things that come to my mind are usually, “Washington”, “Pies” or “Snow White”. Well, that’s just me being random. But all that has definitely changed. Say apple to me now and it’ll take me straight to Ba’kelalan.

Some may go “say what?” in response (like I did the first time), and some may go, “oohh, where’s that?” and only a few would say, “been there done that”. It is so remote and you have to take 2 flights to get there. First to Miri, then to Ba’kelalan by taking the Twin-Otter 15 seater MASwing aircraft (www.maswings.com.my). It is located near the Indonesian Kalimantan border and you could see a hell of a view on your way there. Cameras flashed like no one’s business even though the journey was bumpy, with the pilots trying to maneuver our cute little plane from hitting any thick clouds. All of us just wanted to eternalize the bird’s view of the greenery, the Mount Murud, the neat structured palm oil farm and the incredible unpolluted blue sky that looked like a painting.

We landed after 55 minutes of flying and were warmly greeted by a big group of the Lun Bawang tribe, whistling flutes to the local tunes. All were clad in black and yellow traditional attire which starkly stood out against the mountains and the sky. The name Ba’kelalan brings the word Ba’ which means wet lands in the Lun Bawang language and Kelalan is derived from the Kelalan River.

We checked ourselves in the lodge which only took us 30 steps away from the airway. Convenient indeed! The Apple Lodge homestay consists of a vast dining area, a hall with a set of TV in it, a kitchen, private and shared bathrooms, and rows of rooms that only includes the necessities; beds and a table. Yes, that is all. We gon’ go back to basic yo! And that’s Ba’kelalan way! But fret not because you wouldn’t be staying in the room that much anyway when there’s so much to see outside!

The beautiful Ba’kelalan ladies donning their traditional attire.

The main and a must-go place is of course its apple farm. Thanks to the cooling climate, it is now the first apple farm in Malaysia to grow the fruit on a commercial scale. The apple orchard is harvested twice a year and has two thousand apple trees. It is run by a 75-year old former pastor Tagal Paran, whom we refer to as Pak Tagal, a man who is always with his smile on. Anyhow, back to the apples, they’ve got about seven varieties of apples which are the ‘Ba Kelalan Apple’ or famously known as Manalagi, Rome Beauty, Tropical Beauty, Lady Williams, Anna, Kwanglin and Jonathan.

The famous Manalagi Ba’kelalan apples.

Pak Tagal and his Rome Beauty Apple.

Among other activities we managed to see was the processing of the salt. After scooping the salty water out from the well, they cook the water for exactly 24 hours until it dries out and…

VOILA!

We also stopped by three villages to mingle around, eating the unique delicacies such as rice tea, rice crackers, manok pansoh (chicken cooked in bamboo) and so much more. The journey we took to go from one village to another was breathtakingly magnificent. We sauntered along the immense rice fields against the towering hills with a clear blue sky as a background. I know I mentioned the skies one too many times here but it was really that mesmerizing. My neck even hurt from looking up so much. Along the passage, we stopped over for food which was prepared by the villagers while listening to their stories and watching them perform dance rituals of their cultures and traditions.

Some of the dishes that were cooked in bamboo.

Rice delicacies.

Rice tea stored and served in bamboo

Look at the sky!

Local folks dancing.

We stayed there for 4 days and each day was filled with activities that I personally think are special. It was simple yet rare and that’s the whole idea because sometimes simplicity has its own way in bringing out such beauty that lies within. Ba’kelalan truly is the Heart of Borneo Escapade.

~Langkawi~

Has Langkawi become an annual pilgrimage destination for me? It seems that way since the past few years, I have never failed to visit the isle of legends at least once a year!

But who can blame me. After all, I think it’s one of the destinations in Malaysia that is perfect for any occasion or anyone. I’ve been to Langkawi for work and for leisure; been there as a single woman and as a married couple (for my honeymoon, in fact), and have also enjoyed it as a mom with extended family in tow!

Each visit has been different, yet all were equally wonderful. Besides Penang, Langkawi is the only other island in Malaysia that has well-developed infrastructure with good road systems, a thriving town, yacht/harbour facilities, plenty of accommodation to suit various budgets, etc. By comparison, other islands on Malaysia are small and maintain the “secluded island” feeling that some holiday-makers equally treasure.

I believe Langkawi’s attraction is in the fact that it offers such diversity. On one hand, you have the beautiful beaches, the exciting beach-front scene, the scenic river cruise, the thick jungles, the majestic mountains; on the other hand, you have the quiet kampong/village scenes, the buffaloes and cows roaming the pasture, the paddy fields, the rustic ambience.

My most recent visit to Langkawi was right after the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri holidays, which meant that everything was more or less on “low season” prices. Yay! for me because this time around, there were nine of us in the group, comprising two adults, four teens, two “tweens,” and one toddler.

Our choice of accommodation was the Sunset Beach Resort at Pantai Tengah, adjacent to the ever famous Pantai Cenang. The location was perfect because everything – restaurants, convenience stores, some attractions, beach, night entertainment, souvenir shops, automated teller machines, duty free shops — was within walking distance.

Although not super luxurious, Sunset Beach Resort was beautifully-landscaped, and their rooms were simple and clean with a touch of the owner’s personal taste in South-East Asian décor. It has its own private beach (although at the time of travel, the waves at Pantai Tengah were really huge and intimidating) and a breakfast-only café. The down sides to the resort were the mosquitoes and lack of swimming pool (for the children’s benefit). So make sure to slather on lots of mosquito repellant and forget fantasies of pool-side lounging!

With such a diverse age group to please during this trip, I was rather nervous about the programme I had thought up. Fortunately, everyone was kept happy with the various things to do in Langkawi.

The tweens loved the fact that the Pantai Tengah-Pantai Cenang main road was one long stretch of shopping. With a little pocket money, they were on their way to purchase duty-free chocolates, hand-made jewellery, t-shirts, beach sarongs, etc.

The older children enjoyed the night-time action and indulged in listening to live music and playing pool as they took in the sunset and night breezes. There are lots of restaurants lining the beach-front and it’s just a matter of personal choice where you want to park yourselves for the night. Pantai Cenang at sunset is awesome because there’s lots of activities going on – paragliding, beach football, jet-skiing – plus the beautiful evening sky is a real treat! You can also make arrangements with the beach-side restaurants to do a private bbq for your party; be prepared to pay anything from a very basic spread of RM15 per person to RM40 for a more extravagant spread.

Our days were filled with picnics by the beach at Pantai Pasir Tengkorak (less touristy, but no less beautiful than Pantai Cenang) and the beautiful Tanjung Rhu beach, feasting at the roadside kampong restaurants (where you get a full, authentic kampong meal for a fraction of the price at more commercial areas of the island), and cruises down the Kilim River.

That last bit was the highlight of the trip because we chartered a whole boat to ourselves at Tanjung Rhu and began the almost surreal journey along an area of Langkawi that’s reported to be about 500 million years old – it put a whole new twist to the expression “down memory lane”!

The cruise took us along the mangrove shoreline, right through caves and caverns, and past huge limestone formations through which the river cut through. As we cruised by these beautiful walls of rock, I couldn’t help but recall Frodo’s (Lord of the Rings) journey down the Great River. Okay, maybe it wasn’t as cinematic, but the Kilim River was a pretty awesome sight in its own right.

We saw a huge group of brahminy kites and sea eagles at one point flying overhead (apparently they were being “lured” to the area with promise of food by some of the boat operators – a practice that some eco-warriors frown at) swooping down for their lunch. It was quite a majestic sight.

We also made a stop at a fish farm where they made a whole show out of feeding the spitting fish and some large varieties of fish including stingrays and barracudas. I was amazed at the spitting fish – they actually shoot water at you from under the surface of their enclosed “pond” and with great accuracy, too! So watch out, lest they target you as their lunchtime grub! The whole fish farm experience was a like a mini marine circus being put on show for tourists, and something I think kids will find rather entertaining.

As a family holiday destination, Langkawi is a good choice. We chose to spend our days lazing around by the beach and enjoying the natural landscapes that Langkawi had to offer. But if you are really into the whole touristy tour thing, then there’s plenty more to see (and many websites are dedicated to listing the many attractions ranging from the hot water pools, to the legendary Mahsuri tomb, to the Underwater World and bird and crocodile parks). But if you want something a little different, here’s my list of some of the things not to miss:

1. 1. The cable car ride up to the Machincang Mountain – breath-taking trip to a point about 708 metres above sea level, where you get commanding views of the rainforests, the sea, and southern Thailand.
2. Friendly Farms (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/12/27/nation/2898286&sec=nation) – a local deli/farm/cheese producer run by a Malaysian-Italian couple where, if you’re lucky and they haven’t run out of their highly-demanded stock, you can get fresh mozzarella, ricotta and goat cheese. Also worth a visit is the Buffalo Park (http://buffaloparklangkawi.com/) next door where you can also purchase fresh ice-cream, yoghurt and milk produced locally, besides seeing some local and imported beasts nuzzling up-close!
3. Go for a Herb Walk with Dr. Ghani at his home and garden filled with various species of medicinal local plants whose collection is considered to be impressive with the inclusion of some 15 species of basil, more than 50 varieties of fragrant plants, 18 types of pepper plants, and a collection of plants known for their healing properties for common male and female health problems. ( http://herbwalk-langkawi.com/index.html)
4. Since Langkawi is made up of some 99 islands, it’s a great idea to jump on a boat and do some island hopping. A nice spot for a family picnic and swimming is the Beras Basah island. For a real treat, you can charter a private yacht and sail the beautiful waters around the island or squeeze in a romantic sunset cruise.

~Kluang Rail Coffee Station~

‘Tap, tap, tap…’.

Several gentle taps on the half-boiled egg with a spoon, and the warm egg cracked open landing with a splash into a small, orange plastic dish. Adding just a dash of white pepper and soy sauce, it was ready to be eaten.

Accompanying it, I had ordered two slices of kaya toast and bubbly teh tarik. Sinking my teeth greedily into the soft toast, I could taste the thick slice of butter melting away in the mouth.

Tastes excellent!

Even the loud chatter of patrons at the small, unique canteen at the Kluang Rail Coffee Shop (Railway Canteen Kluang as it also known) couldn’t distract me from appreciating this meal.

Sitting timidly on the wooden stool, I looked around me and smiled. This is really a great place!

It is such a relief to get away from the hectic city to enjoy the simple breakfast. Listening to the trains passing by seems a different world away, from listening to cars and smog in the city centre.

The Kluang Rail Coffee has been operating since 1938. It is situated in Kluang, about an hour’s drive from the Johor city centre, Johor Bahru.

Kluang town was founded in 1915, is also the administrative capital for central Johor. A railway line was built here during the early years it was established which aided in the growth of the town.

Later on, roads were built to link Kluang with other places in Johor, including Batu Pahat in the north-west and Mersing in the east.

The railway canteen became a popular eating place for locals and traveller’s frequenting the Kluang train station. They would come over for a good, cup of strong brew and kaya toast, with half-boiled eggs.

Simple but great menu

The canteen has a simple menu, such as nasi lemak, curry puff, noodles, wholemeal bread and popular drinks such as coffee and tea.

It is the coffee, charcoal roasted bread and great old world ambience that keeps pulling the crowd to the canteen which opens daily from 7.00 am to 12.00 noon (breakfast) and from 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm (afternoon tea).

Do, while away the times, listening to the trains passing as it rattle the canteen walls, lightly.

I can almost imagine back in those days, when the station was full with people rushing to get on the train; peddlers would sit by the side gawking their wares, while mothers would tug along their children gently. They would stop at this quaint railway canteen to quench their thirst and quell their hunger for the long journey.

Chat with the one of its friendly proprietors, busy preparing coffee for customers. His skilled hands would constantly mix drinks (not even looking!) while chatting up customers who sit by the window.

Workers are hurriedly preparing toast, eggs and such while others take down orders on small thin strips of coloured-paper. The orders are then hung daintily on the window sill while it is prepared. It does not take long for the orders to arrive. Even then, there would be customer’s queuing up to get into the shop.

By noon, the crowd dwindles. This is because, at noon, the shop closes for a rest. The hardworking workers’ take their much needed break, before continuing on again at 2.30 pm for afternoon tea.

This authentic ‘kedai kopi’ is really a wonder to have survived the years. It still retains its taste and flavour, especially for its popular coffee beans which are 100 % locally grown and hand roasted to perfection. It is available in dark coffee (Kopi O) or coffee with milk (Kopi). It is even mixed with a bit of tea for a unique tasting drink on its own (known as ‘cham’).

There are even conveniently packed coffee bags and coffee powder, as well as delicious homemade kaya (coconut jam), and the Kluang Rail Coffee T-shirts at the shop.

As a testimony to its’ endless accolades by travellers throughout the world, make sure to look over its simple, wired walls as there are pasted articles, knick-knacks and keepsakes from travellers’ whom have frequented the coffee shop.

Visitors to Kluang should definitely stop by Kluang Rail Coffee for a slice of great food and good ambience!

Further enquiries contact:

Stesen Keretapi

86000 Kluang, Johor

Getting there:

From the North South Expressway (NSE), take the Ayer Hitam exit (Interchange 244) onto Highway 50 headed to Kluang, about 23km from the exit.

Satria Bus (Tel: +607-7223348) provides hourly bus service from Kuala Lumpur to Kluang.

Additional information:

The Kluang Rail Station Coffee shop now has several branches throughout the country managed by Mr. Phun Jun Jee (JJ). Known as Kluang station, it serves authentic Hainanese fare.

~Short stroll in Chinatown-Guan Di Temple~

The Taoist God of War, Guan Di, watches defensively over the temple entrance. Standing majestically in his resplendent uniform, his eyes fixes fiercely upon you.

Known as one of China’s greatest warriors, Guan Yu, also known as Guan Di or General Kwan is also worshipped widely outside China.

If you take happen to take a stroll along Jalan Tun H.S. Lee in Chinatown, Kuala Lumpur you will find a quaint temple built in the great warrior’s honour.

The Guan Di temple, built in 1888, makes it one of the oldest temples in Chinatown and is housed in the premises of the Kwong Siew Association.

Dragons and fishes adorn the rooftop and gateway of the temple symbolising power and wealth. The fiery golden dragon coils the temple pillars, standing alongside Guan Di and his counterpart, Skanda, clad in armour and headgear of a Chinese general with a vajra staff in his right hand.

The bright red walls of the temple symbolise abundance and happiness; it is also protected by two fearsome stone lions, scaring evil spirits away.

Worshippers and visitors, however,have nothing to fear as they are welcomed to visit the temple.

The heady smell of incense greets one as they walk through the large temple doors. Hanging symmetrically from the ceiling are coils of spiral incense. Burnt in tandem, its fragrant odour permeates the sacred temple courtyard.

Worshippers’ are seen carrying fruits, flowers and incense sticks, placing them on the table in front of the Guan Di statue. He is sitting resplendently in a green robe with a smile on his golden face. Incense sticks burn slowly in front of him.

The temple is a buzz of activity as some are seen burning paper offerings’ at the brick kiln at the side, while other’s mutter a silent prayer with a burning joss stick clasped firmly in their hands.

Most who come here, seek protection from Guan Dian, others’ to make wishes of prosperity and general well-being.

Other important deities in the temple are Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy), Choy Sun (God of Prosperity), and Wen Chong (God of Education and Learning).

Anyone can enter the premise, and take photographs of the beautiful temple walls. There are also benches by the side to sit and observe the intensity of it all.

The Guan Di Temple opens daily from 7 am till 5 pm. Admission is free.

Further enquiries, contact:

Contact the Malaysia Tourist Centre (MaTIC) at 109 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur. Tel:+603-9235 4848 / 9235 4900 or the Tourism Infoline : 1-300-88-5776

Alternatively, check out the EarthGuide at www.earthguide.com.my. They have a useful map of Kuala Lumpur city especially suitable for walks!

Getting there:

To get to Chinatown (Petaling Street), board the Putra LRT train and stop at the Central Market (Pasar Seni) station. It is only roughly a 10 – 15 minutes’ walk to the temple. Follow the signposts along the way.

~Tanjung Piai National Park~

“Congratulations! You are now standing at the Southern Most Tip of Mainland Asia.”

The signboard beamed widely at me as I peered towards the vast landscape. As winds blew gently over the confluence of the Strait of Malacca and Strait of Johore, the sun beat wildly upon the skin.

Whew! Despite the intense heat, the view of huge tankers docking in international waters was a sight to behold.

Row upon row of ships anchored symmetrically, and all I could hear was the silence of the howling winds. It is an astounding scene, to face one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Its shallow seaway is used by thousands of tankers daily.

Is this really the tip of Southern Most Tip of Mainland Asia?

Its unique geographical position at the southern tip of mainland Asia, at 1° 16.00’ North and 103° 30.46’ East coordinates, is the reason the park is proudly referred to as the Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia.

The journey to Tanjung Piai National Park in Pontian, located 75 kilometres from Johor Bahru city centre is about an hour and a half away by car.

Upon entering the park, take note of the gargantuan obelisk at the entrance of the Tanjung Piai Johor National Park. Pictured on the stone, is a map of the world, pin-pointing the park as the Southernmost Tip of Mainland Asia.

Covering an area of over 926 hectares, the national park consists of coastal mangroves and intertidal mudflats. Almost 526 hectares of land here is mangrove while the rest is inter- tidal mudflats.

According to Wetlands International, Johor holds 28.7% of mangrove forest in Peninsular Malaysia (27,733 ha) or 4.7% of total mangrove forest covers in Malaysia. Gazetted as a RAMSAR site in Januari 2003, the park is managed by the Johor National Parks Corporation*. (* source: Johor National Parks)

Its 8 kilometres shoreline borders the Straits of Malacca. The park also supports a wide variety of flora and fauna.

The Long-tailed Macaque peered cautiously as we sauntered across the boardwalk. It’s mischievous grin plastered all over its face. Be wary of the monkeys, sometimes peering from the treetops and sometimes following you about the park, probably in search of food. Just don’t get too friendly with them.

There are also other species of monkeys here such as the Dusky leaf monkey, shy and elusive to see. There are however sea gulls roaming the skies above the park, and other migratory birds.

Look too, for the mischievous hermit crab sliding in the muddy soil; little molluscs like creature scamper about looking for food while the tide recedes. There are lizards, cockles, and the jumpy mudskipper – the mangrove is indeed, an amazing ecological haven!

Park rangers are frequently roaming around the park on their trusty bicycles, ensuring the safety of visitors’ to the park.

Spending a day at the park is certainly a refreshing experience. The soothing calm of the waves and the endless greenery is spot on for nature enthusiasts. Do remember to read the following tips, and you’re set for a wonderful mangrove experience!