Colmar Tropicale

Recently, my business partner and his parents flew in from Middle East to visit Malaysia. After sending his parents to Langkawi and tour around KL for a week since I have to work, we decided to be good hosts and bring them to the Berjaya Hills on a hot Saturday.

Berjaya Hills have been opened for more than 10 years and every time we plan to there, we always end up in Genting Highland instead which is practically next door. Well you know, same amount of travelling, same effort in climbing up the hill, why not go to the one that has more to offer. But since my guests are from Middle East in their way past middle age, I think they would not appreciate Genting Highland which offers either gambling or theme park experience. So, here we come Berjaya Hills.

The drive from downtown KL to Berjaya Hill took about 45 mins. As we are about the reach the entrance, we realised that we have to pay an entrance fee and it is MYR10 per pax. For what, really I don't know. Anyway, we pay the fee and park our car and with such excitement, make our way to the Colmar Tropicale.

The entrance to Colmar TropicaleYou see, when you're ask to pay for an entrance fee, you expect to have some sort of fun or awe-inspiring experience. But nope, this so-called French Village really is a resort / hotel that is built with French inspired architectural. That's all? Yes, that's all. 

This so called French Village is build with a moat surrounding it. OK, I'll give them 2 points for efforts of putting some swans on the moat.

These are actually real swans and they are about 5 times bigger than normal ducks.

And they have Koi fish as well. Do you have Koi fish in France? Doubt it.

Location : Berjaya Hills, Peninsular Malaysia

Next, Japanese Village on the hill

 

Crispy cool Cameron Highland

You know, when you're actually living in the country and travelling in the same country, it is very difficult to feel like you're travelling and seeing something new and have something to talk about and rave about and excited about. It always as though you need to have a stamp on your passport to verify that you're in fact travelling and going to experience something new.

I guess that is the reason why Genting Highland and Cameron Highland in Malaysia are regarded highly as a vacation spot among our fellow countrymen. No, we do not need to stamp our passport to come here but both these two places are located on mountain top and offers a cool weather like 20-ish degrees on day time which is highly unlikely in a tropical country unless we have torrential rain fall for 10 hours or something. Some locals even prep up themselves as though they are going to a winter wonderland ... lame, yes I know.

While I was working in the hospitality line, part of my job is to organised press tour and bring groups and groups of journalist to our resort at various places in the country. During these press tours, I also need to churn out programmes as though I'm working for Ministry of Tourism in Malaysia. Its hard but somehow it seems easier when it comes to Cameron Highland.

So here are the top 10 experiences in Cameron Highland and don't mind doing it over and over again.

1. I love to go to the farmers market and buy the freshest vegetables, the sweetest strawberries or the cheapest flowers I can ever find in the whole country.

2. Somehow, steam boat tastes the best in Cameron Highlands. Maybe because its cool weather makes the boiling hot meal simply yummy.

3. I'm not like a flower freak or anything but I just can't help being sentimental when I'm here with all the flowers blooming in rainbow colours for you to touch and smell and see.

4. As Malaysians we don't walk but I can walk around the highland and walk as I've never walk before and never really sweat!

5. I've seen fishes but the Koi fishes seems to be more beautiful and vibrant and peaceful.

6. Sometimes, I actually thought I'm in another country with most of the surrounding building in Tudor style not to mention coupled with the cool breeze constantly sweeping my face. The Ye Olde Smokehouse in Cameron Highland is like an icon of Cameron Highland. If you are not staying here, at least come here for an afternoon tea of scone and tea. 7. I can pose and pose and have my pictures taken because this place is just very scenic and beautiful.

8. I don't fancy cactus, in fact I thought they are very ugly but in Cameron's Cactus Valley, I can't help but be amazed with so many types of cactuses that I've never seen before.

9. We have a very reputable tea plantation here. Although the idea is to have the experience of sipping the tea right here at the plantation in the highland, I'm always more interested to run in the tea plantation itself and get myself lost in the acres and acres of greens!

10. If you are lucky, you might get to meet some of our aborigines right here, showcasing their art of hunting!

Location : Cameron Highland, Peninsular Malaysia

Putrajaya Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Just before the turn of the millennium, the entire Malaysian government's administration has shift to a brand new city that is build out of nowhere and from scratch. They named the new city, Putrajaya. Billions of dollars has been spent to build this city. Nothing is spared even the street lights are custom made with kite motifs of whatever. While you're in Malaysia and have the time, you must come here to take a look. See how a so-called 'third world country' can have such a beautiful city just to house the government.

Well, Malaysians or specifically KLites don't give a damn. Many people will only go there because they have no choice. If we can, we will apply our passport or IC or whatever in town. Since the 10 years has passed, I have probably been to Putrajaya myself for at most 5 times. So they need to do something to make people go to the new city and one of it is to organised an international hot air balloon fiesta and boy, people really flocked to Putrajaya for this. I mean, how often do you get to see 20 hot air balloons taking off at the same time right? Told you we KLites are a boring lot that will drive anyway within 30 mins to see anything that is new.

OK, so let's talk about the hot air balloon fiesta. This year is actually the 3rd instalment and it will be an annual event which probably will take place at about March every year. This year, the fiesta was held for 4 days during school holidays and everyday, they will be two take offs, one in the morning and one in the evening.

So we get to see for example, how to blow up a balloon.

Or pay MYR10 to take a tethered ride. I mean MYR10 and get the experience of taking a ride in a hot air balloon, that is mighty cheap. Of course if you don't mind the queue.

For those of us who mind the queue, we proceed to the main ground where the 20 balloons from all over the world will take off. I mean the sight of having to see so many hot air balloons 'waking up' from sleep is quite fascinating.

Balloons taking off!

See the awesome expression of my 5 year-old son, priceless right?

Ok, I don't think my pictures do justice to the whole event but here's a tip. If you can and have a professional camera like the humongous DSLR, bring them along. This will earn you the right to walk right to the hot air balloons because they also have photography competition. So people like us who hold a automatic compact camera, sorry, behind the barricades please.

Location : Putrajaya, Malaysia

I-City, fairy land at night

So after the KLites got bored with the endless mall-ing, dining, shopping or partying in the city, what do you think excites us and makes us drives to a suburb about 45 mins away from the city?

I've heard of I-city for many months now. It started with our Ministry of Tourism having her photos taken there and then the gorgeous superstar Simon Yam from Hong Kong went there for a Canon event and has loads of his photos taken there. It then follows with countless Asian celebrities who went there for photoshoot as well. It makes me wonder how come a few digital light trees can garner so much hype and publicity. I figured I should pay a visit myself since it is hardly 20 mins drive from where I stay. I guess I can drive that 20 mins on a boring Saturday evening and see what's the big hoo haa is all about.

I'm in for a surprise because the I-City park looks like a fairy land at night. No words could actually describe the atmosphere there except to be there yourself. I hope some of my pictures will help to give an idea what it is. At some point, it looks like Christmas, at some point, it looks like the beautiful Pandora forest.

Star light star bright
They light up the sky.

Blue, orange, green and white

Seems like fairy land comes alive.

Location : I City, Peninsular Malaysia

Mall-ing in Kuala Lumpur

As I am trying to blog about my home country or city and think about what is there to do here, I can't help but think of 'mall-ing'. Yeah, this is a new vocabulary I'm introducing for things to do in KL. Well, the basic word is Mall. I'm trying very hard to count how many malls are there situated within KL and I really couldn't. I don't think I'm exagerating by saying we probably have close to 100 malls in KL and greater KL.

You see, it is our national pastime during the weekend to go mall-ing. Here in KL, malls give you totally different experience compared to malls (commonly known as shopping malls) elsewhere. The reasons we KLites go mall-ing is because the malls offers an escape from our hot and humid weather and we can spend the whole day inside a mall from dawn to dusk. We don't only shop in the mall. We also eat from brunch to afternoon tea to dinner to supper, watch movie (midnite show is also available), catch a musical or orchestra performing, skating, have coffee tea or even get drunk at clubs, have facial mani-pedi done, have massages, have haircut, exercise in the gym, pay our bills, bring ours kids to indoor playground or themepark, and of course people watching. Do all this without having to get out of the mall. In fact, while we're mall-ing, we can have our car wash too.

As a typical KLite, I of course, will not fail to go mall-ing at least once a week, if not more. So, if you are thinking of coming over to KL for the crazy shopping, here's a few malls that you shouldn't missed.

Suria KLCC

Why am I showing a picture of Petronas Twin Tower? Well, after all my explanations, you wouldn't dare think we don't build a mall here right? In fact Suria KLCC is sandwich between the two towers, cool eh? Well apart from having very huge shopping and dining choices, Suria KLCC also houses the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, the Petronas Science Centre, the Aquaria (a huge aquarium showcase) and KL largest convention centre. Its not like we wanna come mall-ing here, it's really we don't have a choice. Of course, as you walk out of the mall, you can have a very good view of the world's tallest twin tower right at the foot of it and if you want to visit the Central Park of KL, it is right here, the KLCC Park complete with musical fountain. In fact, the above picture is taken from the park.

Pavillion

You can find the most prestigious brand around the world all house in one single mall and it is in Pavillion. Come and be mesmerized by actually how cheap the same thing can be compared to Singapore or Hong Kong.

Mid Valley Megamall & The Gardens

You saw the word Mega right? It is really Mega and to top it off, now you it is connected to The Gardens as well. So you can find anything from middle class to high end labels. This mall is also full of tourists from Singapore. They drive to KL, stay in Cititel or Boulevard hotel which is connected to the mall and just shop and shop. In fact, the Singaporeans met each other here more often than in Singapore itself. OK, I'm saying this based on the few times I accompanied some Singapore guests here and they happened to meet someone everytime. Funny? No, it's just that this is a must-come mall!

One Utama

This is a scary mall, scarily huge mall. Even though I've been here for many times, I still get lost and unless I make it a point to write down exactly where I park my car and which wing I exit from the carpark to the mall, I will never be able to find my car. You see, I don't live in this part of the town and so I don't frequent the mall unless I'm here meeting my friend but I have been told by many visitors that they were so awe-struck and couldn't seems to be able to finish covering the mall at all. So, come here and be lost!

Sunway Pyramid

Located in a suburb called Sunway, this mall is one of the largest suburb mall. Well a close call with One Utama. However, I don't get lost here because I stay 15 mins away and is here every other week. Here, you can find the only ice-skating rink in KL and a lot of popular high street fashion labels. Mostly it is a mall designed for younger crowd as most of the city campus such as Monash and Taylors are located here. Originally the mall is build to resembles the Sphinx Pyramid but maybe due to copyright reason, they changed the structure to a lion instead.

So Happy Mall-ing in KL if you have the chance. And YES, come in December for our YES ... the Year End Sale.

Location : Kuala Lumpur, Peninsular Malaysia