Saturday, August 16, 2008

Kuala Lumpur Short Stopovers

Kuala Lumpur is a perfect pit stop when you’re on your way to somewhere else. The city offers a handful of things to see and do from breathtaking sights, to leisure trip, to gastronomic delight. Kuala Lumpur indeed lets you make the most out of your stopover.


Whether you’re in Kuala Lumpur for just a day or two, you sure don’t want to miss visiting one of the world’s tallest building, The Petronas Twin Towers. Famous for its architectural structure, the towers are undoubtedly among the must things to see in the city.


While in Petronas Twin Towers, bargain hunters can take advantage of their time and take a tour at the Suria for a little shopping—or shop till you drop, perhaps? The place is takes pride of being a house to posh items from designer label clothes, to bags and shoes, to accessories and cosmetics. It truly is a world-class, must-visit destination for every shopaholic.


Be one with nature and head to the Lake Gardens for a leisure walk or for a visit to Butterfly Farm and Bird Park where a fun learning experience awaits you. In this Kuala Lumpur Nature Trip, you can see rare species of birds and butterflies in varied sizes, patterns and colours.


Food trip is something you would like to experience while on a short visit to Kuala Lumpur. A food haven indeed, Kuala Lumpur brings you wide array of choices of entrees from authentic Malaysian dishes to delectable international cuisines that you will absolutely enjoying savouring. Here, whether you are in for a fine dining or simply a walk while finding pleasure with street food, you’re sure to satisfy your cravings and thirst for gastronomic delight.


Finding an accommodation in Kuala Lumpur is definitely a no difficult task. Many quality hotels that are affordable can be found in the city. Olympic Hotel, for instance, brings comfort and convenience at a price that fits your budget. It also offers online reservation so you can have your room booked while planning your trip.


So whether you want to enjoy the nature, experience something educational, or just maximizing your time finding great bargains, you’re sure to have a worthwhile experience in Kuala Lumpur even in a day or two stay.

Friday, August 15, 2008

You don’t have to suffer from inflated hotel rates in Singapore to watch the 2008 Formula1 Grand Prix

With less than two months to go before the historic 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, Formula1 fans and tourists alike are beginning to swamp Singapore hotels with room reservations.


So swamped with room reservations are the Singapore hotels, in fact, that rates have gone up and tourists brimmed over the island and turned their attention to nearby Malaysia for their hotel reservations.


Malaysia, a country that borders Singapore to the south, is connected to the Grand Prix host via the Johor-Singapore Causeway. With approximately 30 minutes travel time to Singapore, the Malaysian southernmost city of Johor Bahru gives visitors an alternative to the inflated rates of Singapore hotels.


Singapore-based newspaper The Business Times reports that a fraction of the country’s visitors are booking five-star hotels in Johor Bahru where prices work out to a mere fraction of what is being charged in Singapore.


At the five-star Puteri Pacific Hotel, bookings have started to come in recently from both individuals and groups. Rooms are going at RM500++ (S$209) per night, with a minimum of three nights, which is still vastly cheaper than the rates charged by some of the local hotels.


At this point, the Puteri Pan Pacific has 300 rooms taken up—an occupancy rate of about 60 percent. Other hotels in the area are getting their share of reservations as well. Below is a list of hotels in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, worth checking out for the Formula Grand Prix on Sept.28:



Of the reservations received by Johor Bahru hotels in Malaysia, over 60 percent of the bookings are from Europe, while close to 30 percent are from Australia. Some of the hotels are planning to offer chartered private buses via the Tuas Link to ferry its guests.


Thursday, August 14, 2008

Putrajaya’s Concert in the Sky: Fire, Lights, and Music


This August, witness a concert in the sky in Putrajaya, Malaysia, as the Malaysia International Fireworks Competition takes place. One of the highly anticipated events of the year, it will feature world-class fireworks team from across the globe, competing for the “Golden Merdeka Trophy”.

The participating countries—China, Spain, Canada, and Malaysia—will mesmerize everyone watching as they paint the sky with bright hues in breathtaking patterns. For nearly half an hour on each competition night, the organizers and contestants promise viewers and awesome panorama that involves fire, lights, and music.

Hosted by the country’s Ministry of tourism, the event is open to everyone that is excited to watch it. This wonderful festivity is free for all and will happen for two weeks in August. Don’t let this event pass you by. Visit Putrajaya, Malaysia and experience a colorful and vibrant night of a lifetime.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

How to counter bad luck this month of Hungry Ghosts

Do you need to travel but are afraid to because August is the month of Hungry Ghosts? Counter the bad luck that it brings with these charms and tips from feng shui experts.


Hungry Ghosts Festival in Malaysia


The Chinese in Malaysia and across the region believe that during the seventh lunar month the gates of Hell are opened and souls are left to wander Earth. That lunar month is the equivalent of August—a month that Chinese folklore says is the time of year when myriad spirits roam around the Earth trying to fulfill past needs, wants, and desires.


These spirits are called Hungry Ghosts by the Chinese, and are often held responsible for tragedies and disasters that happen in August. For the Chinese, these Hungry Ghosts need to be satisfied in order that fortune instead of bad luck will come to them.


One tradition that Chinese in Malaysia do to appease the spirits during the Hungry Ghosts Month is to prepare a lavish meal for the wandering spirits. Some say prayers to their deceased relatives and burn joss (luck) sticks. At the Chinatown district in Malaysia, the Chinese stage street operas and paper effigies of daily items are burned for the spirits to use in the afterlife.


The Chinatown in Malaysia is located at the city of Georgetown in Pulau Penang. A resort island northwest of capital Kuala Lumpur, Pulau Penang in Malaysia is a favorite destination among tourists because of its storied cultural heritage sites, beaches, and architectural gems.


Despite the supposed dangers that the Hungry Ghosts Month brings, however, there remains tourists that visit Pulau Penang and locals that instead try to counter bad luck with charms and tips from feng shui experts.


Accommodation providers in Malaysia, from budget to five-star hotels, often enjoin their guests to do certain practices meant to counter the bad luck of the Hungry Ghosts Month. When staying at a hotel in Malaysia like the Century Bay Service Suites, Chinese guests place a bowl of rock salt beside their bed. Others believed that wearing bright-hued clothing will help fend off the negative energy.


Old practices, on the other hand, include wearing sandalwood and using pomelo as incense and perfume during the Hungry Ghost Month. Nowadays, these scents are readily available in spray bottles. Charms are also believed to be effective, like ruby with Kwan Yin and cinnabar charm, dragon crystal quartz with the No. 8, and lotus with mantra dzi beads.


Instead of shutting in the house or living a normal life for the whole month of August, the Chinese in Malaysia use these charms and tips to counter the bad luck of August. A lot more are put into practice in the Chinatown district during the Hungry Ghosts Festival.


Most hotels in Malaysia, especially in this part of Pulau Penang where the Chinatown is located, practice a keen observance of the Hungry Ghosts Month. Century Bay, a hotel in Malaysia located in Georgetown, Pulau Penang, is 30 minutes away from Chinatown provide a convenient jump-off point to the annual Hungry Ghosts Festival.