WOW! Culture , Travel, Heritage
w w w. w o w m a g a z i n e. c o m
Content /////////////////////////////////// Foods Heaven
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The Mamak Culture ............................................................................................................. 3 - 4 .....................................................................................................
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Simply Enak Experience Shoopers Paradise
Top 10 Day Trips Around Kuala Lumpur Royal Belum
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Krisakti Aerobic Team
Food’s Heaven ...........................................................................................................................................
If shopping is the national pastime in Malaysia, then food is the national obsession. It is not uncommon to be greeted by the phrase ‘Sudah Makan?’ which translates to ‘Have you already eaten?’. Eating is more than an exercise in nourishment; it is an all round social experience as you chat over a spicy, local rice dish or gossip over a warm drink. ........................................................................................................................................... If shopping is the national pastime in Malaysia, then food is the national obsession. It is not uncommon to be greeted by the phrase ‘Sudah makan?’ (Have you eaten already?). Everything in Malaysia revolves around great food. Pleasant social get-togethers are always combined with having a nice meal. In Malaysia, more people blog about food than about anything else. Locals usually never eat at home; unless it is with family. Everybody eats outdoors every night; Malaysia is all about food! Eating out is very common in Malaysia. The biggest part of the population seldom cooks at home. The main reason is that eating out is generally cheaper than buying ingredients at the supermarket and cooking your own
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dishes. Another reason is that eating outside is part of the Malaysian (and other Asian) culture, there is no better place to get in touch with friends and relatives than during a delicious meal. Most dishes in Malaysia are either based on rice or mee. Malay dishes often contains beef, chicken, mutton or fish; but never pork as Malay food needs to be halal. Chinese dishes often contains pork. Indian dishes are often vegetarian; and they never contain beef (though Indians do eat chicken, mutton and fish). Most dishes will be served with some vegetables; either mixed through the dish or served as a side dish.
Many varieties of ethnic dishes make up Malaysian cuisine
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The mamak stall culture
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Not so much al fresco dining as it is a sidewalk hangout spot, the mamak stall has become a permanent fixture in many parts of Malaysia, especially within the state of Selangor, particularly in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. it is exceptionally popular among young adults and teenagers who look at these stalls as a clean (arguably so) and safe place to gather with friends to while the night away. One can call it an option to clubs and discos, or rather the only option after the clubs and discos close. One thing’s for sure, it has brought about a new city trend, a uniquely Malaysian culture, one that demonstrates the fact that cities like Kuala Lumpur, never really go to sleep. The term “mamak” is widely used, though it is not considered a polite term, to describe Indian Muslims. However, the term “mamak stalls” is not exclusively used to describe food stalls owned by members of that community. Rather, it has taken a wider meaning, due to its popularity, describing outdoor stalls of similar fashion that remain open till the wee hours of the morning. Most mamak stalls open for business at about 5pm and remain open till way after midnight. The cafe-type mamak stalls commonly operate 24 hours a day. It’s not uncommon to see a row of stalls taking up more than just the allocated sidewalk space, with plastic chairs and tables covering a portion of the adjoining lanes or road. Examples of food served at mamak stalls include roti canai, nasi lemak, murtabak, mee goreng, nasi kandar and of course, the ever-popular teh tarik. ...................................................................................................................................................... .....
Top 5: Best Mamak Restaurants in KL Nasi Kandar Pelita, 149 Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, 03 2162 5532 Yes, Nasi Kandar Pelita is very well known for their nasi kandar, but it is still considered a mamak, (Nasi kandar is an Indian Muslim dish!) as they do serve all the usual delicious food you get at other mamaks; roti canai, Maggie goreng, soup kambing and so on. The founders of Pelita were the first to introduce “kuah campur” which means mixed gravy, a speciality at Pelita. Ordering kuah campur means the waiter will add a little of all the gravy on display to your rice. Sounds weird, but the taste is exceptional! Pelita is so wellknown that it even has a branch in India!
Restoran SS2 Murni, Jalan SS2/75, Petaling Jaya This hugely popular restaurant has tables and chairs set up all over the street that you wonder if it is easy to catch the waiter’s attention – it is! SS2 Murni is famous for their delicious beverages served in cute little jars, like the Ribena Longan Nata de Coco and Mango Special Longan Nata de Coco. These drinks come with chewy jelly bits in them (you can get full with just one drink if you end up eating everything inside!). Keep in mind that portions here are HUGE, so it’s best to share if you’re a small eater.
Steven’s Corner, 18 & 18A, Jalan Hujan Rahmat Dua, OUG Jalan Kelang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, 03 7781 9762
Restoran Mosin, 27, Jalan Wan Kadir 2, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, 03 7726 2553
Steven’s Corner first emerged in 1977 as a stall run by a husband and wife team. But now, it is a popular mamak hang-out spot with outlets in Pandan Indah, Setapak and Old Klang Road (OUG). The one thing (among others) that Steven’s Corner is famous for is its Naan Chicken Pizza. Yes, you read that right. This famous dish consists of the usual naan bread, filled with layers of cheese and chicken, and folded over to look like a slice of pizza. Amazingly delicious!
Mosin is THE mamak to go to for everyone in the Taman Tun area. The restaurant is packed at all hours of the day. Weekends are especially crowded when late night clubbers are seen sobering up with a plate of steaming nasi lemak or Maggie goreng ayam. The favourite at this outlet is the Roti Mumtaj, which is naan topped with carrots, chillis, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream. An odd combination, but the taste is divine.
Devi’s Corner, 69 Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar Baru, 03 2282 7591 Devi’s has been a popular mamak around Bangsar for many years. Besides the usual mamak food, one can also order Indian food such as appam and banana leaf rice. If you are having banana leaf rice, then make sure you try the delicious Kerala fish curry, if not, the roti’s and nasi kandar (yes there’s one here too) are really good.
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Mamak stalls have become an integral part of urban life in Malaysia.
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‘Shop till you drop’
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Shoppers Paradise
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Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. Over 8 million people live within the greater KL area which is clearly noticeable by the huge and vast amounts of traffic that goes into the city every morning, and slowly leaves the city in the evening. Kuala Lumpur has many interesting attractions; like Merdeka Square, Chinatown, Petronas Twin Towers and much more. KL is also known as a shoppers paradise; there are are numerous huge shopping malls where you can literally shop til you drop. .........................................................................................................
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Most popular shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur The most popular tourist mall within the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ area is Suria KLCC, which lies directly beneath the famous Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is very well known in Malaysia, and besides locals the place is always crowded with tourists. Almost every shop imaginable can be found within this mall. Here the famous slogan ‘Shop till you drop’
really is applicable. Another very popular mall is Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Pavilion KL is our personal favorite mall. It is located at the end of Jalan Bukit Bintang, opposite of Starhill. From Pavilion you can walk to the KLCC Convention Center in 5 minutes. From there you will reach Suria KLCC in another 5 minutes (underground). Pavilion has a great selection
of shops and also a huge Parkson and a huge Tangs. There are many fashion shops, mostly of famous international brands. Pavilion also has some great bars and restaurants, and also a huge cineplex.
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Top 10 Day Trips Around Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is vast – there is just so much to see, do and explore. Take a day trip around the bustling city of Kuala Lumpur to see a unique mesh of historical heritage sites and modern architectural structures and to discover the various enchanting cultures in Malaysia.
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1. Petronas Twin Towers Standing at 452 m tall, the Petronas Twin Towers are among the tallest buildings in the world. The twin towers can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The most prestigious shopping centre in the country, Suria KLCC, is located at the foot of the towers
2. Menara KL Tower The KL Tower also holds a record of its own, ranking as the 4th tallest telecommunications towers in the world at 421 m tall. Dine in the clouds while enjoying a magnificent view of the entire city at the revolving restaurant located at Level Two of the Tower Head.
3. Lake Gardens & FRIM he jungle is not all concrete in Kuala Lumpur; there is a peaceful haven of 91.6 hectares of parks and gardens for a relaxing day among nature. The KL Lake Gardens incorporate the National Monument, Carcosa Seri Negara, a deer park, a butterfly park, a bird park, an orchid garden, a hibiscus garden and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) which is a forest reserve and research institute (has an amazing canopy walkway)
4. Batu Caves 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur stands Batu Caves, a massive limestone outcrop home to Hindu deities. Consisting of three main caves and a number of smaller ones, the magnificent sacred place for Hindus in Malaysia is situated atop 272 steps of stairs along which visitors can see and feed a lot of long-tailed macaque monkeys. ////// 7
5. Putrajaya Standing at 452 m tall, the Petronas Twin Towers are among the tallest buildings in the world. The twin towers can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The most prestigious shopping centre in the country, Suria KLCC, is located at the foot of the towers
6. Istana Negara The majestic King’s Palace or Istana Negara is the residence for the Yang diPertuan Agong, the King of Malaysia. The area is fenced up with two guard posts at the front of the gate where members of the Royal Calvary stand guard. Witness the changing of guard ceremony, similar to that of Buckingham Palace in London. Although the palace is not opened to the public, visitors can capture memorable photographs of their visit to the Istana at the front entrance.
7. Dataran Merdeka Situated at the heart of the city is the Independence Square or Dataran Merdeka where the Malayan flag was hoisted for the first time in the country’s history on August 31, 1957, signifying the independence of the country from British rule. As a remembrance of this event, a 100 m high flagpole, which is the world’s tallest, was erected at the very same spot. Every year on the anniversary of the Independence Day,
8. National Mosque The National Mosque, which is reputed to be one of the most beautiful mosques in Southeast Asia, This uniquely designed mosque embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamic art, calligraphy and ornamentation. Its most striking features are the umbrella-shaped dome, with 18 points representing the 13 states of Malaysia and the five pillars of Islam, and a sleek minaret which stands 73 m tall.
9. Central Market Central Market, also known as Pasar Seni, is a well-renowned heritage site which serves as the Centre for Malaysian Culture, Arts and Handicrafts. It houses numerous stalls that retail traditional goods and an Annex Gallery where local contemporary arts are exhibited. Colorful Malaysian traditional cultural and arts events as well as cultural performances also take place at the Central Market’s outdoor stage on weekends.
10. Petaling Street Last but not least is another popular tourist attraction, Petaling Street, which is located just a few minutes away from Central Market. Petaling Street is Kuala Lumpur’s very own Chinatown. With its distinctly oriental atmosphere, Chinatown is the central place for great bargains, scrumptious food and the soaking up of all things Oriental in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Enjoy your life with Nature
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The Royal Belum State Park is a huge park in the northern parts of Peninsular Malaysia . Together with Taman Negara National Park it is one of the oldest rainforest in world, dating back over 130 million years . Within the state park you can do wonderful nature tours (mainly boat cruises) to spot wildlife like elephants, deer, wild boars, birds, insects and many tropical trees and plants. There are also quite a few endangered animal species that live within the state park; Malaysian tigers, Sumatran rhinoceros, Malaysian sunbear, tapirs and the white-handed gibbon. Chances on an encounter with these great animals are however very slim. It is said to be the only place in Malaysia where you are able to spot all species of the hornbills.
Royal Belum
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Orang Asli (Original inhabitants) There is also another population that finds residence in Malaysia; the Orang Asli. The meaning of the name Orang Asli is: original inhabitants. There are about 60.000 Orang Asli left, of whom 60% live in the jungle and 40% in inhabited areas. The Orang Asli can be subdivided in three groups: the Senoi, the Proto-Malay and the Negrito. Among these subgroups are many differences. The Negritos live in the north and northeastern part of Malaysia and still mostly live in the jungle. It is suspected that this group immigrated into Malaysia about 10.000 years ago. Their ancestors were hunters and lived
in caves. The majority of the Senoi live in the Cameron highlands. Most of the Senoi work as day-workers on tea plantations. Originally, they are from Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand. That was probably about 6000 to 8000 years ago. When you rent a car yourself, and cover the route Kuala Lumpur - Penang, it is nice to visit an ‘authentic’ Orang Asli village besides visiting the Cameron highlands. You will find a few of these villages just a few miles past the city of Ipoh.
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Within the state park you can do wonderful nature tours (mainly boat cruises) to spot wildlife like elephants, deer, wild boars, birds, insects and many tropical trees and plants. There are also quite a few endangered animal species that live
within the state park; Malaysian tigers, Sumatran rhinoceros, Malaysian sunbear, tapirs and the white-handed gibbon. Chances on an encounter with these great animals are however very slim. It is said to be the only place in Malaysia where you
are able to spot all species of the hornbills. Besides, this is also one of the places to visit if you want ‘experience’ the rafflesia as there are three species of this enormous flower.
........................................................................ There’s much to see and do around Belum State Park. As many of the attractions are located along Lake Temenggor, you will often make use of a boat to venture out to these places. Among the attractions and activities are; numerous jungle trails and river cruises ,the Pulau Tujuh waterfalls (or any of the other beautiful waterfalls in the area), the Pulau Talikail Lookout Tower (amazing views), Temenggor Dam, the White Rocks (Batu Puteh), the search for the rafflesia, a visit to Kampung Chuweh (authentic Orang Asli village), trek to the salt licks (Sira Gajah) with the chance to spot wildlife.
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Attractions
Perfect place to spot wildlife
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Lake Temenggor Within the Royal Belum State Park lies Lake Temenggor, the second largest lake in Peninsular Malaysia after Lake Kenyir. Lake Temenggor is, just like Lake Kenyir, a manmade lake used for water catchment. The lake has a variety of freshwater fish species including the Kelah, Toman, Sebarau, Tenggalan and Baung, which makes it the perfect destination for anglers. As it used to be a forest area, the place is full with small islands (actually peaks of mountains and hills) that can be visited. The main resorts are also located on these islands. ////// 13
Accommodation There are quite a few decent resorts nearby Royal Belum State Park, the resorts are usually located at the shores of Lake Temenggoh. As most resorts are at a distance apart it is not easy to stay at one resort and eat at another resort, you are basicly limited to what the resort has to offer. Rule of thumb is that locals meals are of much better quality than western styled meals. Most popular resorts around Royal Belum State Park are; Belum Rainforest Resort (offers free WIFI in public areas), Belum Eco Resort and the Banding Lake Side Inn. The great thing about the resorts at Belum is that you can easily book a package deal that includes a 3D/2N or 4D/3N stay, breakfast and also all daily activities and tours. This means no difficulties finding a suitable tour up front (which is somewhat of a problem at Lake Kenyir, as there you can only participate in tours if there are enough people that are interested in that tour).
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How to get to Royal Belum State Park Travel to Belum by rental car Probably the best way to travel to Belum is by rental car as this means you are flexible during the trip but also at the state park itself. For example Hawk Malaysia has a drop-off point at Penang and also at Kota Bharu. This means you can easily combine a trip to Belum with either Penang or Kota Bharu as your final destination. Kota Bharu lies nearby Kuala Besut which is the starting point for a visit to Perhentian Island. From Kuala Lumpur it is roughly a 5 to 6 hour drive to get to Belum. From KL you will drive on the North-South Expressway to Ipoh. Once you’ve passed Ipoh you exit at Kuala Kangsar (exit 143). From there you follow the signs to Kuala Kangsar, Sauk, Lenggong and Gerik. Once you’ve passed Gerik you will be driving on the East-West Expressway that goes all the way to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia (to Kota Bharu). Gerik is also the last place to fill up your fuel tank as there are no petrol stations along the East-West Expressway. Soon you will see the signs leading to Royal Belum State Park. The boats to the resorts depart from Pulau Banding Jetty, here you can also park your car. Another option is to fly to Kota Bharu first, and pick up a rental car at the airport (Hawk Malaysia has an office at Kota Bharu airport); from there you can drive to Belum in about three hours time. Afterwards you can either drop the car off in Penang, or drive to Kuala Lumpur via Cameron Highlands.
Travel to Belum by train aking the train to Belum is the most adventurous way to get to the state park. Trains however only go until Ipoh train station, so from there you need to get to the bus station to get the bus that leads to Pulau Banding. Another way is to take the train to Kuala Kangsar (few stops after Ipoh train station) and take a bus from there. Do know that busses don’t depart that frequent, so leave early from KL.
Travel to Belum by bus There are a few daily busses that depart from Hentian Duta bus station in Kuala Lumpur. They go all the way to Gerik bus station, a 40km taxi drive away from Pulau Banding; gateway to Belum State Park. Note: bus operators sometimes change these routes, so there is no guarantee that the bus will take you all the way to Belum; you might need to rely on taxi at certain parts.
Belum is located northeast of Ipoh, Malaysia’s third biggest city. There are many ways to get to Belum. You can travel by (rental ) car, by bus and by train. Gateway to Royal Belum State Park is the small village of Pulau Bindang. Here you have a jetty point where you can take the boat to your resort. ............................................................................................................................................................................................
Checklist trip to Royal Belum State Park • First aid travel kit with personal medicine • Tripod for your camera (to make pictures in low light conditions) • Mosquito repellent •Rain coat, poncho and/or umbrella • Headlamp or flashlight • Dry clothes in an aqua bag • Comfortable walking shoes • Fishing rod (for those that plan to fish) 16 //////
Krisakti Aerobatic Team
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// “KRISAKTI” was named after a Malaysian traditional weapon, asymmetrical dagger being empowered with sacred force, power & energy. This team, which comprises pilots from different ethnic groups uniquely, portrays sovereign unity while putting complex flying maneuvers in one spirit, bearing the pride of 1 Malaysia as they yield to brand Malaysia in aviation in the region. Flying one of the world’s most extreme maneuverable aircraft, the acclaimed Extra 300/ 330, KRISAKTI aspires to be a world-class team using 6 Extra 300L/330.
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The pioneers of this team are seven very experienced Malaysian pilots ( Halim ‘TooGoo’, Ghazali ‘Goorooh’, John Sam ‘Scratch’, Samsul ‘BooTank’, Rahim ‘Blade’, Goh ‘PacMan’, Indrashah ‘Fobey’ mostly active frontlines from the Royal Malaysian Air Force who were specially selected from various aircraft background underwent intensive aerobatic display training in the United Kingdom by The Blades, a reputable world-class aerobatic team who were all former famed Red Arrows.
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History ///////////////////////////// The idea of this “1 Malaysia Aerial Display Team” started in 2009 by the Minister of Defense, YAB Dato’ Seri Zahid Hamidi which soon bloomed into reality in December 2010 when a reputable local aviation services company AEROTREE, with the consensus of the Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, collaborated with the Ministry Of Defense and supported by the Royal Malaysian Air Force finalised the formation of KRISAKTI. KRISAKTI took delivery of the first EXTRA 300L in June 2011 after which six frontline pilots from the Royal Malaysian Air Force started their aircraft type conversion conducted Toogoo, GooRooh
and BooTank In November 2011 these pilots were sent to the United Kingdom to be trained by The Blades aerobatic team in Sywell Aerodrome, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom. After completing their training the team returned to Malaysia and continued their precision training more intensely and meticulously to perform their inaugural aerial display in LIMA 2011 from the 6th to 11th December 2011. The team currently operates from the RMAF Butterworth Air Base which will also be their home base.
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