Cititel Penang

Fast, attentive service
By Putri Zanina

It’s two different worlds inside and outside Cititel Penang, writes Putri Zanina

IT’S just a few steps away from the busy stretch of Penang Road where sidewalk hawkers sell food and newspapers, and honking vehicles fight pedestrians for space. But it’s a different world inside Cititel Penang.

With gleaming tiled floors in the cool, spacious lobby and a passage lined with a convenience store, café and restaurants for in-house dining, there is much distinguishing this hotel from other cramped and old-looking properties along George Town’s most famous road.

Expect deluxe accommodation and fast, attentive service. The deluxe superior room on the 16th floor is elegant and uncluttered, with a writing cum dressing table, comfy king-sized bed, mini bar, flat screen TV, closet and lounge chairs all cleverly arranged even in some tight corners, giving a sense of chic sensibility.

Even the small bathroom is a perfectly economical use of space. It has a shower stall that’s big enough for two, a long bath and vanity with mirror and sink.

It’s the room colour scheme that truly enchants. Everything matches — from the crispy white bedspread, creamy-white walls to pale yellow curtains and dark brown floor and furniture. The soft lighting that glows along the baseboard lends a zen-like feel.

And the view? On one side is the panoramic view of the north and south sea channels, including the iconic Penang Bridge. And on the other — the concrete jungle that’s a blend of the new and old architecture, including that within the enclave declared as Unesco world heritage sites.

Now, that’s another plus point of the hotel — its location within the perimeter of the heritage enclave.

Just a few minutes’ walk or a ride on a trishaw and you’d enter a time warp that reeks of an era of a charming hybrid of Chinese, Peranakan, Malay, Indian and western culture as well as an ambience of laissez-faire that dates back centuries.

Return to the hotel and you’d be immediately transported to a world of modern conveniences where you’d also want to linger and enjoy its cooling and
calming embrace.

FAST FACTS

HOTEL:
Cititel Penang
66, Jalan Penang, 10000 Penang
Tel: 04-370 1188 Fax: 04-370 2288
Email: resvn@cititelpenang.com
Website: www.cititelpenang.com

GETTING THERE:
The hotel is located within
upper Penang Road in the heart of Unesco-certified heritage enclave of George Town. You can approach the area from Jalan Farquhar, Jalan Lebuh Light or Lebuh Chulia, all about 10 minutes’ away from Penang ferry jetty.

MAIN ATTRACTIONS:
Its location in the main thoroughfare of George Town, heritage areas in its surroundings and some of Penang’s best eating, shopping and tourist spots.

FIRST IMPRESSION:
Spacious, airy lobby and busy, busy city hotel.

RATING:
Four-star.

ROOMS:
451 rooms from Standard, Superior to Studio and Executive Suite. Superior rooms have recently been spruced up with warm colours and better amenities.

RATES:
Current promotional rate of RM215 nett per room per night in Superior Room includes a breakfast while RM245 nett per room per night throws in breakfast for two in a twin-sharing room. Upgrade to the Pinnacle Room (Executive Floor) costs RM260 nett per person per night to enjoy extra privileges, including the use of the exclusive Pinnacle Lounge with free drinks and snacks at specified hours and free Internet access.

F&B OUTLETS:
Twenty-four-hour Main Street Café for local and international food, Zhonghua Gourmet Restaurant for Chinese food including dim sum, Kirishima Japanese Restaurant and Pinnacle Lounge for Executive Floor guests only.

FACILITIES:
These include wireless Internet access, business centre, jacuzzi pool, health centre with gymnasium, function rooms and pillarless ballroom for up to 500 persons.

OVERALL SERVICE:
Fast and efficient with friendly smiles.

PLACES WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE:
All kinds of eateries including hawker stalls offering famous Penang food. All other Penang Road attractions like bazaars, markets and shopping malls.
Many heritage-listed buildings are within walking distance too, such as Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, Kapitan Kling Mosque, Goddess of Mercy Temple and Khoo Kongsi. Love Lane, Stewart Lane and other nooks and crannies within the heritage sites are fascinating to discover on foot, and the hotel makes a good point to start your walk.

Cititel Penang -- NST

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Kuala Selangor Tourism

Latar Expressway acts as window on wonders of Kuala Selangor
Monday August 29, 2011

WITH the Hari Raya break around the corner, some people may prefer to go sight-seeing. Interesting places abound for the family to explore when on the new Latar Expressway — a 33km dual carriageway stretch of easy driving — and a whole array of travel gateways opens up for the entire family. And it is toll-free until Aug 31.

If your idea is to spend time watching birds in a Nature Park, trace the historical sights of Bukit Malawati or feast your eyes on fireflies by night in Kampung Kuantan in Kuala Selangor, then take the Latar Expressway and be there in less than an hour.

Homely: Rustic scenery and homestay can be found
in Sungai Sireh along the Latar Expressway.

Working closely with the Kuala Selangor District Council (MDKS), Latar Expressway is promoting the tourist spots that one can access through its expressway and four interchanges.

"Local tourism here in Kuala Selangor will see a big boom given that one can reach Ijok in Kuala Selangor in 18 minutes using the expressway.

"In fact, interest has mounted for these tourist spots as many have discovered from our Facebook promotions,” said KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway Berhad chief executive officer Amran Amir.

Green View: Latar Expressway takes you past the
refreshing padi fields of Sekinchan"

Opened to the public since June 23, the Latar Expressway has charted all the places of interest that are accessible from the expressway by the motoring public.

Said Shahrein Zainal, a father of four: "We had such a fabulous time at the bird sanctuary in Kuala Selangor Nature Park. We exited at Ijok and were at the bird park within minutes.”

Another local tourist, Maniam Selvadurai, 28, said getting to the firefly colony in Kampung Kuantan with his family was a breeze.

"My family and I were travelling from Rawang to Kuala Selangor. We took the Latar Expressway at the Taman Rimba Templer Interchange and from there on, it was a straight route in the direction of Kuala Selangor to watch the fireflies. What a treat it was for my younger siblings,” said Maniam. -- The Star Metro

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Aquaria KLCC New Attractions

Mischievous baby otters and octopus star attractions at Aquaria KLCC
By S. Puspadevi
Friday August 26, 2011

IT WAS absolutely sheer enjoyment to watch baby otters playing with one another in a tank specially built to fit its habitat.

Children, particularly, were amazed to watch these mammals actively teasing and playing with animal trainers of Aquaria KLCC. If you are one who loves marine and wildlife, you simply should not miss this opportunity and worthwhile experience as Aquaria takes you on a journey through water to discover the fascinating nature of equatic life as well as exploring the individual behaviour of animals and crawly creatures.

Aquaria KLCC now has four baby otters and an octopus as its main attraction. Its managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Simon Foong took the writer on a personal tour of this marine and wildlife adventure focusing on the introduction of new baby otters and the pacific octopus.

Hello there: Foong introducing a baby otter at Aquaria KLCC.

Parents of baby otters, five-year-old Cinta (male) and three-year-old Manja (female) were given to Aquaria KLCC by Zoo Negara a few years ago. Another friend of Cinta and Manja is Olly, a male otter, aged one. It has also learnt mischevious tricks from the other two.

These baby webbed pawed mammals were delivered five months ago and have been the main attraction as they charm the crowd with their mischevious behaviour.

Foong said the baby otters, two females and two males, have not been given names yet and visitors are welcome to name them by dropping their suggestions in a box located in front of the exhibit area.

"The baby otters were taught how to swim by our animal trainers when they were four months old and they were fed with milk formula in the beginning. Now they are able to consume solids," he said, adding that the otters are fed twice a day.

Another interesting feature of Aquaria is the new pacific octopus, which originates from Japan.

New addition: The Pacific octopus is a new exhibit at Aquaria KLCC.

Foong said the octopus was brought in a month and a half ago since the existing one had died just after four weeks after laying eggs. He said the eggs too did not survive.

The two-year-old octopus, which originates from the Northern Pacific ocean, was shy as it did not submerge when it was time to feed it. It was hiding beneath the rocks and the animal trainer had to get into the tank to lift it out.

Foong said the octopus can grow up to five metres in length and weigh up to 60kg. Known as Enteroctopus Dofleim, it hides easily in different surroundings to avoid predators.

Foong also mentioned about a new exhibit which will showcase the Malaysian rainforests, which is expected to be ready just before Chinese New Year.

"The exhibit themed ‘Rimba Ria’ will feature the rainforests of Endau Rompin, Taman Negara and Belum," he said, adding that the built-up area for this exhibit was about 4.500sq ft.

"Renovation work for the proposed RM2.5mil exhibit will start in November," Foong said,

He also said it was pertinent for the public to realise the significance of rainforests and its role in our lives as 30% of oxygen comes from trees.

"Therefore, it is vital to create this awareness, especially among the younger generation," he added.

Aquaria KLCC is located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur and is well known for its state-of-the art aquarium, which showcases over 5,000 different species.

For those who want to experience feeding sharks and do not have a Padi card to dive, Aquaria has come up with "Cage Rage", which started operations in March 2011. Tickets for this whole new adventure is priced at RM199.

Aquaria is open daily from Monday to Sunday from 11am to 8pm and during public holidays and school holidays, it is open from 10.30am to 8pm. -- The StarMetro

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Ulu Muda, Kedah

How about hiking adventure in Ulu Muda, Kedah?

Wild escapade in Ulu Muda
By Tan Cheng Li
Saturday August 20, 2011

The hidden realm of Ulu Muda astounds a group of nature-lovers.

WE must go. The place is really wild. People have seen tigers there!" exclaimed Lai Choy one evening in May, when we were on a birding trip at Taman Negara Merapoh and were mulling over where to go next.

The mere mention of the word "tiger" had us sold on the idea. So one sunny morning in July, the six of us – Lai Choy, Tuck Kong, LK, Mei, Captain and myself – found ourselves loading our backpacks into three narrow sampan on the shore of Muda Lake near Baling, Kedah.

Our destination was Ulu Muda forest, and leading us into the wilderness tucked away in the north-eastern corner of the state was eco-guide Hymeir Kamarudin. Some six hours earlier, we had set off from Kuala Lumpur for the drive which took us along the North-South Expressway to Gurun, then Sik, Gulai and finally, the lake.

Sight to behold: Wearing of water on limestone has created
impressive formations in Gua Labua, in Ulu Muda forest.
-- Photos by Chou KS

The last leg of the journey was a scenic one as we passed idyllic kampung with plenty of durian and rambutan stalls. Just as our boats set off, a group of sea otters showed up on the lake shore – a promising sign of better things to come, we all declared.

Traversing the lake, we passed forlorn-looking tree trunks that emerge from the depths, the only hint that a forest once sprawled beneath the water body which was formed when Muda River was dammed in 1969 for the irrigation of paddy fields.

The impoundment of the dam, coupled with past logging, have altered the natural landscape here. Nowhere is this more evident than along Muda River as there is none of the huge trees that hang over the river – the type of riverine scenery typical of untouched areas such as seen in Taman Negara, Pahang.

Nevertheless, wild dwellers are still there. Rounding a bend of the river, we startled a herd of wild boars and their striped juveniles. They promptly disappeared into thick foliage. Monitor lizards lumbered on muddy banks while birds darted past us, moving too fast for us to identify them. Trampled riverbanks marked spots where elephants had crossed the stream.

A relaxing moment beside Muda River.

At times, the river turned shallow and boatman Emi had to slowly manoeuvre the boat, so it was almost two hours before we reached Earth Lodge in Kuala Labua. Completed only in April, the state government-built chalets have back balconies that open into the forest. Towering trees, fortunately not felled during the construction, shade the area and provide wild habitat.

From the steps of our chalets, we saw birds (monarch, woodpecker and drongo) and the black bearded gliding lizard flit from tree to tree. Hanging out by the riverside in the evening, we spotted the first of what would be many, many sightings of Ulu Muda's renowned flocks of plain-pouched hornbills. There were some 15 of them, feeding on juicy-looking round fruits (probably figs) on a tree on the opposite bank.

The hornbills were to become the staple of our trip. They showed up every morning and evening, in flocks of threes to 20s. Most times, we saw them fly overhead in V-formation. Ulu Muda is one of only two known sites (the other is Belum-Temenggor forest) where the species gather in huge numbers.

Several forest reserves collectively make up the 160,000ha Ulu Muda forest which stretches into the Malaysian-Thai border.

Forest giants amaze a trekker in Ulu Muda forest.

The ecological wealth of Ulu Muda has long been known. It was proposed as a wildlife reserve and national park as early as the 1960s and 70s. These failed to materialise, and instead, parts of the forest were logged.

In 2002, Kedah wanted to helicopter-log the area but shelved the plan following public outcry.

In 2009, the state government revealed plans for a 27,196ha Ulu Muda state park but this has yet to happen.

Caving delights

The next morning, we awoke to a symphony of forest calls, the loudest of which came from the gibbons. Ulu Muda harbours the agile and white-handed gibbons but these shy primates remain elusive and are not commonly sighted. That morning, we headed into the jungle towards Labua Caves, suitably garbed in leech socks. The blood-suckers literally smothered the trail!

We deduced that the leeches were drawn to the smell of cow hide – how else would you explain why, 10 minutes into the trek, Tuck Kong, who wore leather boat shoes instead of trekking boots, already had some 10 wrigglies crowding around his ankles?

Hidden treasure: Lush greenery surrounds the
chalets of Earth Lodge in Ulu Muda forest.

The trail initially followed an old logging road. Ulu Muda was logged between the 1960s and 80s but the Communist insurgency prevented loggers from advancing deeper into the forest. The years of isolation have allowed logged areas to regenerate, and the small trees ignored by chainsaws have since matured into soaring giants. We could not resist stopping for photographs each time we came across a huge buttress. So it was well over two hours later before we reached the caves.

Hymeir, a speleologist who has explored caves for over 20 years, had earlier told us that Gua Labua was among the best he had ever seen, and he did not lie. Where the cliff wall had caved in, there were skylights that brought the sun into hidden chambers, creating dramatic cave scenes. We gawked and gaped at impressive cave formations shaped over millions of years.

Back on the trail later, we heard the calls of the crested argus pheasant ring through the forest, and soon enough, we reached its "dancing ground" right in the middle of the path. To attract the female, the male would clear a spot of all debris to create a "stage" for it to perform by way of displaying its gorgeous plumage. A few dropped feathers hint at the show we had just missed.

Calls of the banded pitta joined the cacophony of forest sounds as we made out way back to our chalets. To nurse our tired limbs, we soaked ourselves in the "jungle jacuzzi" of Sungai Labua which flows just beside the lodge, letting the gurgling ice-cold water massage our aches away.

Night stake-out

That night, three of us opted to spend the night in the hide beside the salt lick. Sira Air Hangat is a rare combination of a hot spring and a salt lick. As hot water bubbles up from the ground, it fills the air with steam. We bravely waded into the stream – the water was scalding hot!

Dusk and dawn are the best times to see animals at salt licks. Unfortunately, it was already dark when we reached the hide; the animals would have gotten their dose of much-needed soil minerals and left. With little chance of seeing animals, Captain and I decided to sleep.

Lai Choy decided to keep vigil – well, kind of. He woke up every half hour or so to scan the salt lick with his torch. But he spotted nothing. At dawn, we scrutinised the area from our high perch but still saw nothing. When we made our way pass the salt lick to reach our boat, we saw the tracks of frequent visitors – tapirs, deer, pigs and elephants. Some prints looked fresh. Guess we were heavy sleepers.

Next up was a shot at "tubing". The riverine vegetation grew more dense, and the river a lot clearer, the further upriver we went. We had entered pristine territory which had eluded loggers. We got down to push the boat several times when it became grounded in shallow waters. Hymeir said the river used to be deeper, with pebbled beds. Now, it had a sandy bottom which he suspected was caused by upstream land-clearing.

The tubing was good fun. Wedged inside over-sized inner tubes of tyres, we slowly floated downriver. The two rapids we passed created some excitement. Otters, monitor lizards, hornbills, pigeons, a falconet, hill mynahs and doves kept us company during the slow cruise.

Arriving at the lodge, a familiar, welcoming scent greeted us – durian! LK, the undisputed durian queen amongst us, had that morning shrewdly given RM50 to the boatman who was sending three other visitors back to the jetty, asking him to buy some durian. And so it was durian for dessert for the next three meals.

On our last evening at Ulu Muda, we parked ourselves on boats moored by the riverbank – "You must build a viewing platform here," we told Hymeir – to wait for hornbills.

The birds did not disappoint us. Across the river, dusky leaf monkeys jumped about in bamboo clumps, and beside us, butterflies and dragonflies danced among the reeds. One red-and-black broadbill showed up in the canopy above. As dusk crept in, the now-familiar jungle orchestra filled the air. It was a tranquil forest moment which I secretly wished would go on forever.

So, never mind that there was no tiger to be sighted (seriously, does anyone know of anyone who has seen, or even heard, a tiger in the forest?). Just being in the pristine wilderness left us with smiles as we drove away from Muda Lake the next morning. We told ourselves that we would be back – same time next year, of course, to coincide with the durian season.

For more on Ulu Muda, go to earthlodgemalaysia.webs.com or e-mail hymeir@gmail.com. -- The Star Lifestyle

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Caving in Lost World of Tambun

How about caving in lost world of Tambun? Give spelunking adventure a try!

Travel into the Lost World Valley
Story and photos by Revathi Murugappan
Saturday August 20, 2011

You have to wade through a water-filled tunnel and brave a variety of insects and slithering creatures to get to the Lost World Valley, nestled in the Lost World of Tambun theme park in Perak.

EXPLORING caves is a popular recreational activity among outdoor enthusiasts. Crawling through narrow passages, wading knee-deep in mud or guano, and looking at magnificent limestone formations inside a cave can be both gripping and rewarding.

Perak probably has more caves and limestone hills than any other state in Peninsular Malaysia – and many remain uncharted. And so, to the Lost World of Tambun (LWT) in Perak, did my buddy Brian and I go for a caving expedition.

Yes, Tambun offers more than just its famous Tambun biscuits.

Welcome to a fun-packed adventure:
Calvin Ho leading the way
in the 6th Mile Tunnel.

Since the RM60mil LWT theme park opened in 2004, it has garnered numerous awards and been drawing in the crowds. On weekends, it is packed with thrill-seekers. Lately, to cater for a wider category of tourists, more adventure activities have been added for those seeking a bit of challenge. You can take your pick from caving to hiking, rock climbing to camping.

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Contemporary Glass Batik Exhibition

Contemporary Glass Batik Exhibition by Bowie and Kimi

Visit the Island Gallery in Penang to view some unique art exhibition. Art with glass!

Glass artists, Bowie and Kimi will showcase their masterpieces. Their unique artwork - "batik painting on glass" has been well acknowledged by the public.

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Tanjung Sepat, Selangor

Fishing village with much to offer - Selangor Tourism
By Sam Cheong
Saturday August 13, 2011

TANJUNG SEPAT is one of the most prosperous districts in Selangor.

Located southwest of Klang, this fishing village is known for two things — fresh seafood and Bak Kut Teh.

It is also a popular destination for wedding shoots and one of the locations here called the 'Lover's bridge' is the village's main draw.

Quaint sight: In-shore fishing boats
moored along the river in Tanjung Sepat.

Apart from that, there is also a fungi farm that offers homestay services for tourists who prefer an overnight stay here.

You can find an array of products from mushrooms to the black fungus that are harvested daily for consumption in the Klang Valley.

The Mushroom farm in Tanjung Sepat
where a homestay option is available for out-of-towners

In Tanjung Sepat village alone, there are several noteworthy places of interest such as the pau factory and seafood steamboat restaurant that caters mainly to visitors.

Highly recommended is a trip to the Hai Yew Hin coffeeshop (non-halal) which serves the best char siew pau and kopi-O peng (iced black coffee) in the village.

The Tanjung Sepat village sees more
traffic on a Saturday morning

This is a popular haunt for day-trippers and is also perpetually packed. You can also take a look at how the pastry is made at a bakery opposite the coffeeshop.

For the adventurous type, the best way to see this fishing village is by cycling from Banting to Tanjung Sepat covering a distance of 29.1km.

Tourists seeing the area on their bicycles.

Along the way, you can see some tourists on bicycles plying this route to access cities in the far South like Malacca and Johor.

The drive from Kuala Lumpur's city centre to this location is 88.3km via the Kesas highway.

Tanjung Sepat waterfront dwelling,
a fisherman's wharf in the village

For the tech savvy person, the GPS coordinates to Tanjung Sepat are: N 02 39 762, E 101 33 460.

On the social media front, this village has a facebook account and on twitter, you can find them at http://twitter.com/tanjung_sepat and a blog in Chinese: http://www.tanjung-sepat.blogspot.com

A popular site, the Tanjung Sepat lover's bridge.

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Wayang Kulit Shadow Play

Watching wayang kulit or shadow play may be an entertainment of yesteryears but it made an impressive comeback during a one-day workshop in Taiping.

Wayang kulit makes impressive comeback at one-day workshop in Taiping
By Raslan Haharom
Tuesday August 9, 2011

Organised by Muzium Perak recently, the workshop drew about 50 people, including 30 students who were tasked with the job of making traditional wayang kulit characters.

Fascinating story: A tourist (left) being greeted by a local woman as part of the wayang kulit characters.

On hand to brief and assist them was Abdul Majid Mohd Noh, popularly known as "Pak Majid Etong", who also owns a wayang kulit troupe called Kumpulan Wayang Kulit Seri Asun from Kubang Pasu, Jitra, Kedah.

The participants were given photocopies of traditional wayang kulit characters to be reproduced onto a manila card.

They were then required to use a small hammer and a chisel to make miniature holes, enabling light to pass through during the presentation and later to give them a coat of paint.

The delicate task took the participants about eight hours to complete.

A participant Chan Say Lynn, a Sixth Former from SM King Edward, Taiping said she wanted to gain more knowledge about the old art form.

Her classmate Mohd Basrudin Burhanuddin said he loved indulging in artistic activities and planned to participate in future workshops.

Intricate: A student busy making holes onto a wayang kulit character during the workshop.

Both Chan and Mohd Basrudin emerged second runner-up and first runner-up respectively while Aznil Haniady from SM Taman Tasik was declared the winner.

All three received their prizes from museum curator Nor Hanisah Ahmad.

Earlier, museum staff had to scout for mats to enable the audience to watch the shadow play as the turnout was more than expected.

Backed by six musicians playing traditional instruments such as gedombak (hand-held drums), geduk (drums), canang (percussion) and flute, Pak Majid enthralled the crowd with his wits and humour.

In one of the slots, a local woman greeted a "Mat Salleh" (Western) tourist with broken English and he responded in broken Malay, which left the audience especially the children in stitches.

Winning entry: Chan showing her wayang kulit character.

Two other characters also belted out evergreen Hindi songs, drawing applause from the crowd.

As the shadow play drew to an end, Pak Majid apologised over his impromptu dialogues which might have offended some in the crowd.

Later, Pak Majid told MetroPerak that wayang kulit characters were mainly made from dried cow hide as it was more durable.

Shadow play, he said, had evolved over the years to make it more relevant to today's audience.

"In the earlier days, it was mostly mystical stuff sourced from Siam but since 1989, I dwell in current issues," said Pak Majid, father of eight children.

Pak Majid said he took up the art of wayang kulit from his late father Mohd Noh Mahmud.

His shadow play troupe was set up in 1970 and performed mostly in Kedah, Perlis and Perak on invitation.

Currently, three of his children Mohd Firhan 15, Sahwan, 18, and Azman, 28, had joined his wayang kulit troupe as musicians. -- Star Metro Perak

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Sabah Tourism

More to Sabah tourism than Mount Kinabalu
Tanjung Simpang Mengayau, northernmost tip of Borneo, a place like no other
By Joshua Hendry
Friday August 5, 2011

Mention Sabah and most people will immediately think of Mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in Malaysia.

Not many are familiar with the name Tanjung Simpang Mengayau.

The name refers to the location of the northernmost tip of Borneo, in the district of Kudat, Sabah.

Located about 215km from Kota Kinabalu, it takes three to four hours to get there by car.

The tip of Borneo: This is the northernmost point of Borneo where the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea meet.

The roads leading up to the point are fully sealed. However, being rural roads mostly used by villagers and plantation vehicles, some stretches are quite uneven with potholes here and there so care must be taken while driving.

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