GTN 10.1 by Chandi Media Group & Media MNC Nusantara

PUBLISHER SURI MEDIA SDN BHD | KUMPULAN MEDIA CHANDI | SIRRON GALERIA SDN BHD | TRINITY DESIGNWORKS ADVISOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER MANAGING DIRECTOR SGSB PROGRAMMES, OPERATIONS & RELATIONS DIRECTOR GENERAL MANAGER KTSB FINANCE DIRECTOR KTSB FINANCE & ACCOUNTING KTSB PRODUCTION MANAGER DISTRIBUTION MANAGER SPECIAL PROJECT MANAGER TRAFFIC MANAGER GOVERNMENT RELATIONS MANAGERS ADVERTISING MANAGERS PUBLIC RELATIONS & EVENTS EXECUTIVE

Editorial PHOTOGRAPHERS Amierah Noor Ibrahim Tiera Aziz Shaker Hanaﬁ Ministry of Tourism & Culture Malaysia Tourism Malaysia

EDITOR-IN-CHEIF Juhan Kamaruddin @ Jeremy Khalil CREATIVE EDITOR Irina Norris Dato’ Ishak CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Irnee Norris Dato’ Ishak WEB CONTENT EDITOR Ed Junaidi Abu Bakar WRITERS Shahida Sakeri | Raihan Fozian | Furqaan Hod | Mohamad Khairul Akil | Syaza Adilah CORRESPONDENT WRITER (INDIA) Midhun Shibu Pandala CORRESPONDENT WRITER (GERMANY) Anne Bechler CORRESPONDENT WRITERS (PHILIPPINES) Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap | Vittorio Lloyd GRAPHIC DESIGNER Imaya Abdul Rahim ILLUSTRATOR Emila Yusof CONTRIBUTORS Zura Ahmad | Reena Azmi | Naeila Kahn | Tourism Malaysia

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Contents issue 10.1

Departments Editor’s Note 12 Calendar of Events 16-17 Bulletin 24

Destinations Romance in the Old Quarters 70 Chiang Mai The Rose of the North 76 Magical Krabi 82 How to ‘Do’ Japan in Six Days! Part 2 - Kanagawa 86 Lugano in Ticino Canton, Switzerland 92 An Osaka Affair 98 Kunming The City of Eternal Spring 108 Flying High at the 5th Asian Bird Fair in Langkawi 116 Let’s Beremba in Perlis 118

Gaya Dive Mabul and Sipadan Island 122 010

160

Shades of

Gaya Travel Magazine

Page 34

Gaya Interview 30

Gaya Traveller 45

Emâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Illustrated Travelling Diary 56

Gaya Coffee Culture 66

Hotels & Resorts

Gaya Travel 10.1: Cover Illustration by Emila Yusof www.emilayusof.com

Bagasta, Kampung Baru 142 The Royale Bintang, Penang 148 Ascott Sentral, Kuala Lumpur 154 M Boutique Hotel, Ipoh 160 011

The year 2015 marks two major things for us: the Malaysia Year of Festivals (MyFest) and Gaya Travel Magazine’s ten years anniversary. Though the launch of MyFest 2015 is cancelled to respect those who have suffered from the recent floods that engulfed many parts of Malaysia in late 2014 and early 2015, Malaysia is still brimming with festivities that are sure to excite travellers. We are also highlighting Penang (page 70) and Mabul plus Sipadan (page 122) as places worth checking out by travellers when they are in Malaysia, besides staying at efficient and even evocative properties like Bagasta Boutique Guest House (page 142), Royale Bintang Penang (page 148), Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur (page 154) and M Boutique Hotel (page 160). Reminiscing to the time when Gaya Travel Magazine first began, our intention was simple: to share with the increasingly sophisticated travelling public on where to go, where to stay and what to do during their domestic or international travels. Having to face various limitations and challenges from the start, we were not quite sure how far we could go – for all we knew, a decade has gone by!

It has indeed been an enriching and educational 10 years – we have learned and experienced so much, not only in terms of travel but also in terms of destination promotion and branding. And for that we are totally grateful to allah and everybody who have crossed paths with us, bought and/or read our magazine, taught us, guided us and supported us. Thank you very much to everybody who have trust and faith in us; who have hosted and treated us with kindness and generosity; who have been willing to take us in as part of their family; who have criticised and offered constructive views on what needed to be improved; who gave us strength; and who encouraged us to stay positive no matter what. We would not be where we are today if it not for Allah’s permission and everyone’s support throughout our ten-year journey. Here’s looking ahead for Gaya Travel Magazine’s next ten eventful years, and more…

JUHAN KAMARUDDIN@JEREMY KHALIL Email your comments to editor@gayatravel.com.my or jeremy@gayatravel.com.my

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TIOMAN INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC SURFING

THAIPUSAM

This is an exciting surfing competition held for the first time in Pulau Tioman. Its location in the South China Sea makes it ideal for surfers to show their skills due since it possesses excellent waves.

A truly spectacular event, Thaipusam is an annual Hindu festival where devotees perform various rituals as acts of devotion and penance. The main venue is the world-renowned Batu Caves temple.

29 - 31 January 2015

VENUE : TEL : EMail :

Kg. Juara, Pulau Tioman, Pahang +6013-717 6677 tiomanboardriders@gmail. com

VENUE : TEL : WEB :

1 February 2015

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Batu Caves, Selangor +6 03 6189 6284 batu_caves@yahoo.com

WORLD KITE FESTIVAL (PASIR GUDANG)

TROPFEST SOUTH EAST ASIA

Tropfest is the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest short film festival. It started more than 20 years ago in a small cafe in Sydney, to a very small but passionate audience. Today, it commands a live audience of 150,000 viewers in a single night and receives an average of 700 entries annually. Internationally, the festival has been supported and judged by distinguished industry professionals like George Miller, Naomi Watts, Elijah Wood,

3 February 2015

11 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 15 February 2015 Salma Hayek, Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Will Smith and many others.

The World Kite Festival is an annual event that features numerous kite players participating in unique activities involving sports, culture, tourism, recreation and leisure. With the participation of 30 countries, the festival will be a showcase of diversity with a common passion for kite flying.

VENUE : Georgetown, Penang TEL : +6 04 261 3061 WEB : www.www.tropfest.com/sea

VENUE : TEL : WEB :

Bukit Layang-layang, Pasir Gudang, Johor +6 07 254 7777 mppg@johor.gov.my

PORT DICKSON 4X4 INTERNATIONAL SAND CHALLENGE 27 February - 1 March, 2015

Launched in 2010, this event draws both local enthusiasts and international participants from Thailand, Myanmar and Singapore in a gruelling competition along the coastal fronts of the ASEAN region. The skills and knowledge of drivers and navigators are tested to the

brim on four-wheel drive techniques ranging from winching, obstacles and handling.ral performances!

2015 CHINGAY PARADE

MALAYSIA CHINESE NEW YEAR OPEN HOUSE CELEBRATION

EAST WIND FESTIVAL

Chingay is a street parade that is part of the Chinese New Year celebration. The parade brings together nearly 145 groups along a 15-kilometre route around the city. Johor Bahru will be abuzz with the sounds of gongs and drums, lion dances, acrobatic performances and beautifully decorated floats.

The Chinese usher in the Lunar New Year with lion dances and mandarin oranges. Experience the festivities in an open house celebration, a programme that brings people together to celebrate the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s various festivals in line with the spirit of 1Malaysia. Guests will be enthralled by cultural performances and traditional delicacies.

This festival features an assortment of activities following the paddyharvesting season in northern Peninsular Malaysia. These include the display of fish traps, public performances and traditional games.

VENUE :

VENUE : TEL : WEB :

TEL :

26 February 2015

TEL :

Johor Bahru, Johor Merdeka +6 07 278 8999

VENUE : TEL : WEB :

Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan +6 06 765 9725 / +6 06 765 9734 www.motac.gov.my

28 February 2015

Teluk Intan, Perak +6 03 8000 8000 www.motac.gov.my

28 February â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1 March 2015

VENUE :

EMail :

Kg. Permatang Keriang Sanglang, Perlis +6 03 2614 8200 / 8283 / 8316 noraliza@jkkn.gov.my 017

<bulletin@gayatravel.com.my>

The Grand Launch of Malaysia Year of Festivals (MYFEST) 2015 is Postponed Last 29 December 2014, The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, announced that The Grand Launch of the Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015 or MyFest 2015, scheduled for 10 January 2015, has been postponed to a later date. The Minister said it was due to the unexpected circumstances such as the heavy flood that hit several states in Malaysia and the missing Air Asia Indonesia airplane. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture (MOTAC) had also expressed sympathy for the flood victims and the family members of passengers on board the airplane that was reported missing. “The Ministry of Tourism and Culture had earlier cancelled its Christmas Open House celebration that was scheduled for

27 December 2014 at Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur. The event was instead replaced with 1MOTAC Flood Relief Charity Event which managed to raise donations totalling RM22,000 and other essential items for flood victims,” he added. The tourism industry had also been affected as Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Kedah, Johor and Negeri Sembilan were among the states that recorded the highest number of tourist arrivals in 2013. However, Dato’ Nazri remained optimistic that the states affected by the flood would recover and had pledged that the Ministry and its agencies would increase tourism promotion on these states overseas.

MyFest 2015 is a national mission that was announced by the Prime Minister of Malaysia YAB Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak in his 2015 budget speech. The campaign is a follow up to Visit Malaysia Year 2014 and aims to maintain Malaysia’s position as a major destination of choice for tourists worldwide and attract 29.4 million tourist arrivals with tourism receipts of RM89 billion. Themed “Endless Celebrations”, MyFest 2015 focusses on promoting the country’s diverse cultures, heritage, festivals and attractions. For more information, please contact Corporate Communications Unit, Ministry of Tourism and Culture at 03-8000 8000 or email info@motac.gov.my.

Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur Flood Relief Donation Drive as instant noodles, biscuits and canned food. The response towards the drive was overwhelming as the hotel associates and guests donated generously. After the drive, the donated items were sorted out by the associates and handed over to St. John’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur on 7 January 2015. The collected items to be channelled to the most affected areas according to needs in the coming days. As part of the organisation’s monthly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur kicked-off an East Coast Flood Relief Donation Drive. This project is aimed at assisting the flood victims in the East Coast and other affected areas in the country. The flood was one of the worst in Malaysia’s history. The East Coast of Malaysia experienced a non-stop downpour of monsoon rain since December last year, causing severe flash flooding that destroyed roads, houses and buildings in Terenggganu, Kelantan and Pahang. Moreover, the floods in the three states also claimed several lives. Staying true to the organisation’s tradition of giving back to those in need, the hotel and its associates in solidarity put forth a programme to 020

collect donations in cash and kind to be channelled to the most affected areas as relief to the flood victims. The Front Office department of the hotel collaborated with St. John’s Cathedral, Kuala Lumpur to give a helping hand to the families impacted by the floods. “We are concerned with the well-being of the families that are affected by the floods and hope that our effort will alleviate their hardship,” expressed Ismail Mohamed Ramli, Front Office Manager of Berjaya Times Square Hotel. A Flood Relief Donation Drive was set up at Bronx 6, Level 14 of Berjaya Times Square Hotel on 5 and 6 January 2015. With the objective of alleviating grief and distress of the affected victims, the donation drive collected useful items like clothing, blankets, drinking water, school items and dry food such

Mondi Mecja, General Manager of Berjaya Times Square Hotel concluded, “We will continue to stand with the flood victims and do our best to ease their burden. Our hearts go out to everyone affected. In doing what we can, we also pray for the safety and wellbeing of those struggling in the calamity, and we thank everyone for their contributions.” Firmly committed to the organisation’s passionate and caring philosophy, Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur and the Berjaya Group will continue to serve the community and extend a helping hand in times of need. Established in 1883, St. John’s Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. For donation activities, please visit them at St. John’s Cathedral, 5 Jalan Bukit Nanas, 50250 Kuala Lumpur or contact +603-2078 1876 / +603-2026 2813.

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Tripadvisor Names Malaysia’s Best Hotels In 2015 Travellers’ Choice Awards The Danna Langkawi named Top Hotel in Malaysia

The Danna Langkawi offers an elite holiday experience, allowing one to find supreme comfort amidst an inviting ambience while admiring the unrivalled views of the white sandy beach, marina bay, sea and verdant green hills of Langkawi.

“The customer service and friendliness of staff was beyond amazing, the location was paradise and the facilities were luxurious. The staff went beyond the call of duty to make us feel welcome and everyone always had a smile on their face. If you’re going to Langkawi this is the only hotel you should want to stay at,” a TripAdvisor reviewer commented.

TOP 10 TRAVELLERS’ CHOICE HOTELS IN MALAYSIA : As part of the organisation’s monthly – TripAdvisor™, the world’s largest travel site, today announced the winners of its Travellers’ Choice™ awards for Hotels. The 13th annual awards showcase more than 8,151 winning properties worldwide, covering eight regions around the globe. Travellers’ Choice award winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travellers worldwide. The hallmarks of Travellers’ Choice winners are remarkable service, quality and value. “TripAdvisor’s community of millions of travellers has helped us highlight some of very best hotels from around the world,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “The Travellers’ Choice list of thousands of award-winning properties is perfect to inspire travellers as they think about their 2015 travel plans. From opulent luxury hotels to budget-friendly B&Bs, those looking for an accommodation can research, compare prices and book a Travellers’ Choice property on TripAdvisor, or any other hotel that meets their travel needs.” Travellers’ Choice awards take into account the quality and quantity of traveller reviews and opinions and traveller ratings specific to each award category. The average nightly rate1 of Travellers’ Choice award-winning Top Hotels on TripAdvisor is RM1,292.34; Bargain is RM329.42; B&Bs and Inns is RM492.32; Family is RM905; Luxury is RM1,744.84; Romance is RM1,951.18; Service is RM1,690.54 and Small Hotels is RM2,038.06. The Danna Langkawi has emerged as the number one hotel in the Top Hotels and Top Luxury Hotels categories in Malaysia, as well as number two in the Best Hotels for Service category and number three in the Best Hotels for Romance category in Malaysia. Pascal Masse, General Manager of The Danna Langkawi said, “This is the third consecutive year The Danna Langkawi won in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice since we opened in December 2010. We want to thank our guests who rated us highly and shared their experience on TripAdvisor, making us the winner once again. We look forward to welcoming more Malaysian guests to The Danna Langkawi.” A recent survey2 of TripAdvisor travellers revealed 79 percent of respondents in Southeast Asia feel Travellers’ Choice award recognition is important when considering a hotel.

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1. THE DANNA LANGKAWI, LANGKAWI – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM1,230.80. Least expensive month to visit: November (RM1,049.80) – 1,548 reviews

6. TRADERS HOTEL, KUALA LUMPUR – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM524.90. Least expensive month to visit: December (RM474.22) – 6,629 reviews

2. CASA DEL MAR, LANGKAWI – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM1,028.08. Least expensive month to visit: November (RM941.20) – 1,639 reviews

7. MANDARIN ORIENTAL, KUALA LUMPUR – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM843.46. Least expensive month to visit: February (RM720.38) – 2,646 reviews

3. THE DATAI LANGKAWI, LANGKAWI – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM2,251.64. Least expensive month to visit: November (RM1,451.62) – 1,278 reviews

8. SAMA-SAMA HOTEL, SEPANG – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM1,009.98. Least expensive month to visit: May (RM506.80) – 944 reviews

4. SHANGRI-LA HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR, KUALA LUMPUR – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM553.86. Least expensive month to visit: June (RM528.52) – 4,370 reviews

9. FOUR SEASONS RESORT, LANGKAWI – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM2,667.94. Least expensive month to visit: September (RM2,309.56) – 803 reviews

5. SHANGRI-LA’S RASA RIA RESORT, KOTA KINABALU – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM977.40. Least expensive month to visit: January (RM915.86) – 3,895 reviews

10. THE MAJESTIC MALACCA, MELAKA – 2015 average nightly rate on TripAdvisor: RM532.14. Least expensive month to visit: March (RM492.32) – 797 reviews

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Visit Bohol Tourism Campaign for 2015 Launched

The province of Bohol shows how it defiantly rose from the rubble as it introduces “Visit Bohol 2015,” a year-round tourism campaign that aims to revitalize its image and entice more visitors to come to Bohol. Launched under the leadership of Gov. Edgar Chatto, “Visit Bohol 2015” seeks to position the province as a top-notch tourist destination with its amazing natural attractions and its friendly and honest people. The tourism campaign kicked off via a three-day Bohol Travel Fair at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City, starting today until January 11, 2015. Organized by the Bohol Provincial Tourism Council Inc. under Atty. Lucas Nunag, the travel fair gathered together all major players in the Bohol tourism sector with a single-minded objective of providing a strong bost to Bohol’s tourism industry. “For years, Bohol has always been in the hearts of every Filipino, not only as an eco-cultural tourism landmark but as a home to a number of our country’s pride. As we felt how our kababayans share our grief during the devastating catastrophe that hit our province, we now feel the surge of support as we pave the road to recovery and come back in the tourism map. With Visit Bohol 2015, expect a much better and bolder Bohol – ready to welcome all of you to our beautiful province. We invite you to visit and be awed not just by the wonderful

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sites Bohol has to offer, but also by the endearing graciousness, hospitality and trustworthiness of Boholanos,” says Governor Chatto during the opening ceremonies of the Bohol Travel Fair. The launch event, which was supposed to be held on December 8 to 10, 2014, was rescheduled due to super typhoon Ruby that slammed parts of the country. Now the campaign is going full blast and ready to entice residents and tourists to visit Bohol. Other partners for “Visit Bohol 2015” include the United States Agency for International Development through its Advancing Philippine Competitiveness Project (USAID-COMPETE), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the United Nations-World Tourism Organization (UN-WTO) and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), plus local tourism businesses. Ms. Gloria Steele, USAID Mission Director for the Philippines, and DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr., who is also one of the keynote speakers, are among the many dignitaries at the event. For the Bohol Travel Fair, Bohol also partnered with AirAsia, the leading budget airline in the region, as its exclusive airline partner. AirAsia, awarded by Skytrax, the world’s most prestigious airline and airport review and ranking site, as the world’s Best Low-Cost Carrier for six consecutive years, offers unbelievable, year-round low fares for its Manila-Tagbilaran and

Manila-Cebu flights to attract more visitors to the province. Aside from the low seat prices, also up for grabs at the “Visit Bohol 2015” travel fair are at least 60 percent discount in accommodations, tour packages and other travel essentials, plus various indigenous Boholano products. To provide entertainment, travel fair visitors will be serenaded by the heavenly voices of the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir, who will sing popular and classic music via a mini concert every night for the duration of the three-day event. Bohol is known for its awe-inspiring “Chocolate Hills,” rustic and centuriesold churches in Baclayon and Loboc, the ever-lovable “tarsier,” and of course, the never-ending smiles and hospitable culture of its people. Aside from that, Bohol boasts of having some of the best white-sand beaches in the world like those in Panglao and Anda, and is fast gaining ground as a top ecocultural tourism spot because of its numerous mystical cave sites, serene rivers, enchanting waterfalls and mangroves, spellbinding marine sanctuaries and diving sites, and adventure-oriented attractions. “Our dream is to make Bohol a tourism superpower and top holiday destination. With the help of our partners and other significant stakeholders from the public and private sectors, we believe this is achievable,” adds Governor Chatto.

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UiTM Students Raised More Than Rm5,000.00 To Help Rehabilitate Orangutans In Borneo the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA Shah Alam. Care4Utans project is an initiative to support environmental and conservation projects especially the wildlife. It is hoped that the one-day volunteering event in SORC would be an exemplary effort for the Malaysian youth to be more involved in volunteering works and to care for the environment..

Care4Utans FACT SHEET : Care4Utans is a project organized by UiTM Final Year Public Relations students of class 5C. Care4utans will take place on 5-7 December 2014 at Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC), Sandakan, Sabah.

Care4Utans, a program organized by the final year Public Relations students from the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Shah Alam in collaboration with Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre (SORC), Sandakan, Sabah ended today with great success. With contributions and support from CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad as the platinum sponsor, the team of 17 students are here in Sepilok volunteering and beginning what is to be a great endeavour to save the Orangutans of Borneo. Officiated by Miss Siti Nur’ain Ampuan Acheh, Sabah Wildlife Education and Public Awareness Officer, this one day event proves that youth’s involvement in activities like this can bring about change and leave a great impact for the environment. Initially aimed to raise at least RM5000.00 to rehabilitate one Orangutan in SORC for one year, Care4Utans break its own expectation when that figure was breached. With endless pre-event fundraising activities from food sales to movie screening to collecting donations on foot around the campus, Care4utans managed to raise

026

RM5518.00. “I believe that this project is able to act as a stimulant for other organizations and society to help us to ensure the survival of the orangutans,” says Miss Siti Nur’ain Ampuan Acheh, Sabah Wildlife Education and Public Awareness Officer. Miss Nur’ain added that it is exemplary efforts just like this from UiTM Masscomm students that show youth of Malaysia care for the environment and wildlife. The department is ever willing to accept similar collaborations in future. Apart from handing the donation cheque to SORC, the student-volunteers help assemble the playground equipment and hammock for the orangutans, kept SORC’s surrounding clean, visited the nursery for the babies orangutan and attended a conservation talk to enrich themselves with knowledge on wildlife conservation as well as their responsibility as youth in helping build a sustainable habitat for the endangered orangutans. All these done in effort to ensure the survival of the orangutans . Care4Utans team is a group of 17 Final Year Public Relations students from

The objective of this project is to raise at least RM 5000 to help in rehabilitating an orangutan in SORC for a year. ln addition, this project aims to create awareness and give more exposure of orangutan conservation in SORC to the general public and at the same time help recruit volunteers to serve SORC. Activities carried out to collect funds are Care4Utans Movie Night Fundraising, food sale at the faculty cafeteria UiTM Shah Alam, sale of Care4Utans bracelets and postcards. Donations box are also mobilized around the campus. This project will help to spread the news on wildlife preservation so that the future generations will live to see orangutans in its natural habitat. For more information, kindly visit Care4Utans Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @Care4Utans.

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Bulletin

KUALA LUMPUR TOURISM MASTER PLAN 2015-2025

“It is a blueprint to grow the industry, an articulate 10 years strategic agenda and action, which was prepared by the experts in both public and private sectors,” said Y.Bhg. Datuk Seri Hj. Ahmad Phesal b. Talib, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall launched a comprehensive Tourism Master Plan for Kuala Lumpur, which focuses on giving guidance to tourism players and various relevant parties on where KL tourism is heading over the next 10 years and identify the kinds of assistance required to turn the plan into reality. “It is a blueprint to grow the industry, an articulate 10 years strategic agenda and action, which was prepared by the experts in both public and private sectors,” said Y.Bhg. Datuk Seri Hj. Ahmad Phesal b. Talib, the Mayor of Kuala Lumpur. A structured approach was undertaken by Roland Berger to formulate the Master Plan. Inputs and comments from more than 150 stakeholders were obtained through workshops and interviews. Issues, challenges, new opportunities and 200 ideas were identified. Although the Kuala Lumpur Tourism 028

master plan was completed in December 2013, Kuala Lumpur City Hall decided not to launch it. Instead, they walked through the plan to ensure that it is workable. Throughout 2014, they launched eight quick-win initiatives: ‘Mud: Our Story of Kuala Lumpur’ Musical Show; Guided Walk through Kampong Bharu; KL MICE Book; MyTeksi Taxi Booking Terminals; KL Tourism Ambassador Programme; KL Food Trails; KL Tourist Guidebook; and the appointment of Visit KL Marketing representatives for France and Spain markets, which are proven to be huge successes. As Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur serves as the main gateway for tourists into the country. Kuala Lumpur recorded approximately 9 million international tourist arrivals in 2013 with tourists recording the average length of stay amounting to three days.

The implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan is expected to quadruple Kuala Lumpur’s international tourism receipts from RM19 billion in 2013 to RM 79 billion in 2025. Also, the average length of stay per visitor and the average spend per night are expected to reach 5.5 nights and RM900 respectively in 2025. Driven by improved destination marketing, enhanced connectivity, development of luxury products and focussed efforts by key target sectors, international tourist arrivals are expected to reach 16 million by 2025, with the tourist mix shifting to a higher proportion of high spenders driven by luxury and MICE segments growth.

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TOMAS LABOUTKA TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Tomas Laboutka

The best things in life are often unplanned and unexpected. And the same goes for travelling. There’s nothing more thrilling and rewarding than surviving spontaneous trips. But like all good things in life, spontaneous travelling unfortunately does not come cheap. The plane tickets and hotel rates are especially expensive if travellers decide to book at the last minute. Thankfully, this is where HotelQuickly comes in. Promoting last-minute hotel booking, HotelQuickly helps spontaneous travellers by offering them decent hotel options at amazing discounts. HotelQuickly is founded by five incredible talents, including a serial entrepreneur named Mr. Tomas Laboutka. Often described as focussed, driven and intelligent young man, Tomas inspires his colleagues and others to keep on innovating and shaking up industries. With three successful ventures under his belt, Tomas currently acts as the Managing Partner of FL Ventures (a specialist in advising start-ups on how to scale), besides being the Chief Executive Officer of HotelQuickly. In these pages, Tomas shares the story behind his inspiration in launching the app and how keeps himself motivated. 030

What inspired you to start HotelQuickly? Is it based on your own personal experience?

Can you share the promotional strategy that is being planned/ implemented?

We believe spontaneous travel enriches people’s lives, and wanted to find a way to make hotel booking fast and rewarding. We wanted to bring people last-minute, high- quality hotels with great deals to help bring the spontaneous travel experience to anyone with a smartphone. HotelQuickly does not only benefit travellers and businessmen, it also settles the problem of occupancy in many hotels. My partners and I researched that on average, 25% of the hotel rooms in Asia are empty and wasted every night, so they decided to establish HotelQuickly to improve the situation. Users can start booking hotel rooms at noon until 4am in with their smart phones and enjoy jaw-dropping discounts - with rates on average 30% cheaper than anywhere else.

Travellers tend to use the app, get excited about it, and tell their friends. We reach a lot of our audience through referrals. We’re also fans of executing promotions with partners that travellers value, and we reach new users using cross promotional strategies as well.

Who do you see as your target audience? Who do you think would benefit from this app? With their smart phones, HotelQuickly customers start booking hotel rooms as early as 8am and book all the way until 4am and enjoy a jaw-dropping discount. We see that in Malaysia, the customers are fairly balanced between male 51% and female 49%. The majority of users are between 25 to 34 years old, followed by 21 to 24 years old. A large share of the HotelQuickly customers in Malaysia consist of business travellers who travel last minute, may need to extend their stay or have just experienced a missed or delayed flights. We also see a solid portion of travellers, who may just want to go on a spontaneous trip during the weekend with friends or family to take their mind of their busy business schedule and aren’t bothered to spend hours researching for the “right” choice. We get countless emails from customers who are sharing their experiences with us – of splendid getaways they were able to enjoy thanks to our app.

And how are you reaching to them?

How long did it take to put together HotelQuickly? Travel is different than it was ten years ago. People can check into flights online. Backpackers can navigate the globe with Google maps. Anyone with a smartphone has the freedom to just go. This exciting new world of spontaneous travel is more accessible than ever before. One way people can experience the life enriching experience of spur of the moment travel is through AsiaPacific’s leading last-minute hotel booking app, HotelQuickly. The free app isn’t another online travel agent; it’s a way of making your travel dreams a reality. Booking a hotel is usually a hassle, but HotelQuickly has simplified the process and made it possible for last-minute travellers to score the best deals on highly rated hotels, quickly. Great hotels are only a few taps away, letting travellers book hotels faster than it takes to cross the street. HotelQuickly features only the top deals from handpicked hotels so that you don’t have to spend ages deciding where to stay. But hotel booking with HotelQuickly isn’t just painless, it’s affordable too. The app offers rates on average 30% lower than the best prices online. The app makes booking affordable and easy so you can spend more time and money on things that matter, like traveling. So how did this app start? As busy entrepreneurs are traveling constantly around Asia, the HotelQuickly founders were frustrated. Even if they wanted to just go, things weren’t simple. Their spontaneous travel was held back

by the clunky, overly complicated hotel booking process. Why couldn’t last-minute travel be easier in Asia? My co-founder and former classmate is Christian Mischler. He’s a Swiss entrepreneur and he was splitting his time between Bangkok and Singapore spending countless nights in hotels while working for Rocket Internet’s FoodPanda. He noticed that he wasn’t alone in wanting a quick fix for his hotel needs; the world seemed to have a growing interest in last-minute booking. Around the world, services were sprouting up to support the trend, so Christian started building a company to support the needs of spontaneous travellers in AsiaPacific. In 2012, I became the fledgling company’s CEO, Raphael Cohen the CSO, Mario Peng the CFO, and Michal Juhas the CTO. In March 2013, HotelQuickly was officially born.

What are the challenges in starting up HotelQuickly? One of the challenges HotelQuickly faces is that we are operating in an extremely diverse region. Asia-Pacific is made up with many intricate cultures, and we have to work hard to connect with users in every distinct market. One of the ways we tackle this challenge is to hire people on the ground throughout the region so we can listen to our customers better, and deliver the best app for spontaneous hotel booking possible.

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are from a range of countries. How would you describe the team? Is the diversity of your team the defining factor of HotelQuickly’s success to further expand internationally?

How do you differentiate HotelQuickly from other hotelbooking apps/sites? Mobile is at the very heart of our business and as the first provider in Asia Pacific we excel in this segment bringing guaranteed best deals to our customers. This results in: on average 30% better rates than what our customers can find online at that moment. Recently we expanded to two other destinations, Myanmar & Laos. We added a substantial number of hotels, now up to 4,000 in 120+ destinations. We are focussing on making our app more useful for the travellers across Asia Pacific, especially for business travellers, staycation travellers and spontaneous leisure. Close to 500,000 who downloaded our app find that booking a hotel with HotelQuickly app is convenient, fast and simple. Each day, we offer top 10 handpicked hotels for each city to ease the booking selection process. Thanks to this, HotelQuickly customers can book an amazing curated hotel in 3 simple steps or in less than 20 seconds. I personally managed to select and book a hotel with our app faster than crossing a street just a few days ago.

What about the hotels featured in the app? Are there any specific 032

criteria of hotels that HotelQuickly looks for? We are looking for quality hotels that fit the needs of our target audience. We feature three to five star hotels that are going to give our users great discounts. We’re always looking for hotels with features guests would value, like free WiFi. We also don’t pick one type of hotel, so that we can give our travellers a varied, careful curation of options to fit their needs.

How has the response been so far towards HotelQuickly by the market? We’ve had great reception from the market. Since we launched in 2013, we’ve raised USD 5.56m from top investors which speaks for itself. But the app didn’t happen by accident. We saw the need of last-minute travellers in Asia-Pacific and delivered a tool for them. People needed someone to help facilitate rewarding, spontaneous travel, and that’s where we came in. We get so much positive feedback from our users regularly, which keeps us motivated to continue growing and improving for them.

We notice that your employees

Our team is fun, supportive, and driven. Even though we all come from different parts of the world, our energy and passion for travel brings us together naturally. The diversity of our team is a critical part of HotelQuickly’s success. We set up teams in different markets to better listen to our users across cultures. We wouldn’t be where we are today if it weren’t for our international staff. We all learn from each other and build off each other’s cultural experiences. This global mind-set has made it possible to make HotelQuickly a versatile app that flows well throughout cultures in AsiaPacific.

Where do you see HotelQuickly in five years’ time? As someone whose travel schedule changes constantly, it’s hard to say where we will be in five years. What I do know is that wherever we are, we will still be helping travellers experience the spontaneous travel we believe would enriches lives. We believe people can and should enjoy these rewarding lastminute travel moments, so we will be continuing to help make that happen.

How about the trends in travelling innovation? Where do you see it heading? Do you think people would be very dependent on apps? We’ve seen a huge amount of research pointing at the growth of mobile. We see travel planning and execution moving more and more toward mobile-first or mobile-only. Apps play a big role in that. People are able to easily tap their way to their dream vacations faster than ever before, and we see that trend continuing for the benefit of the lastminute traveller specifically.

key part to staying motivated; the right diet and exercise is a major part of sustaining the energy to keep working at full capacity.

When do your best ideas come to you? How do you bring those ideas to life? I get a lot of productive thinking done when I’m on a plane. It’s one of the rare times that I can disconnect from daily life and focus on clearing my head. It helps to keep my smartphone handy - on airplane mode - so that I can jot down ideas for later. Once I land, I can execute plans via smartphone as easily as I can book a hotel in seconds with HotelQuickly.

What is the one current trend that excites you?

Can you share briefly about your background? I was born and raised in Prague, and have always been drawn to travel and adventure. My father was an entrepreneur, and I was inspired to get into business at an early age. The culmination of my passions led me to Southeast Asia in 2012 after working in Europe on a few different ventures.

I’m excited about the rising popularity of Southeast Asian travel. More and more people from around the world are coming to see the beauty and mystery of the region. This trend goes hand in hand with the rise of discount airlines, making travel more accessible to a larger audience.

Who do you admire the most in your industry? I really admire many of the travel bloggers we come in contact with through the app. It’s inspiring to read their stories of

quitting jobs they weren’t passionate about, and making the leap to just go. These people demonstrate an amazing courage to go after their dreams.

What is the best advice you have ever received? My father told me that you have the freedom to build your own future. Watching him create his own businesses - I was inspired by his advice to take control of my life and become an entrepreneur as well.

With that said, what is the one piece of advice would you give to someone who is starting up with a new business, and being young at that? Just start. Even if you don’t know exactly what you are doing or how to make it happen, take the first steps now. There is so much to entrepreneurship that you can only learn by doing, so it’s never going to help you to wait around. If you believe in what you’re doing, make it happen. Have a goal, then work tirelessly until you reach it. That being said - don’t let your health take a back seat. Taking care of yourself is just as important as finding the right business partners. The healthier you are, the better you’ll be at standing up to the gruelling journey of chasing your dreams.

You seem pretty young for someone who has achieved so much success. Can you share what drives you to go for what you want and how you stay motivated? I’m driven by the idea of helping travellers and by our great team at HotelQuickly. Seeing how driven everyone is to work on a common goal keeps me motivated every day. I also believe that staying physically strong keeps me mentally strong. I am dedicated to maintaining a healthy lifestyle so my body can keep up with the rigorous demands of startup life. Staying active is a 033

Shades of

Gaya Travel Magazine

In line with our 10th year anniversary, Gaya Travel Magazine has decided to ask our own team members about their own travel preferences, experiences and where do they plan to go in 2015 through the following six questions:

Which Malaysian festival do you like most? Why?

What is your idea of travelling or holidaying? What do you like to do when you travel?

3. What is your favourite Malaysian destination that you have been? Why? 4. What is your favourite global destination that you have been? Why? 5. Where do you want to go in 2015? 6.

What was your most memorable moment when travelling?

Read on about what Gaya Travel Magazine team members have to say - hope our inputs would be able to inspire readers to travel more...

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Name : Nuar Mohd Diah Position : Chief Executive Officer 1.

The Malaysia International Gourmet Festival as you can witness and have taste special gastronomic creations specially crafted by local and international top name chefs. Besides, you can never disassociate travel with food!

Comfortable accommodation is a must for me. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mind staying indoor most of the time as long as the hotel is well-facilitated. But when I do go out, I will head straight to the shopping malls.

Langkawi Island, the only UNESCO inscribed Geopark in South East Asia where I can do both relaxing and shopping at my own pace.

London as it symbolises the idea of dominant global stature, influence, progress and well-being. Contrary to what people belief, London is not a too expensive city because you can still dine, shop and stay at reasonable prices.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to embark on an eye-opening journey, probably to Monaco, India, Alaska, Vatican City and Barcelona.

When I was involved in the clean-up programme with the local community at a village in Kathmandu. Not only it was fun and rewarding, but I also genuinely believe it was an investment to a betterment of tourism industry.

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Name : Juhan Kamaruddin @ Jeremy Khalil Position : Editor-in-Chief

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I do not have one preferred Malaysian festival â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I just simply admire all of them because they merrily involve the spirit of family, camaraderie and harmony, which I think is what Malaysia is all about.

To explore places that are built in human scale that feel cosy and intimate with a welcoming community while possessing strong heritage like Georgetown in Penang; Bhaktapur in Kathmandu Valley; Fatih in Istanbul; Prague Old Town in Czech Republic; and Zermatt in Switzerland. I love walking around those areas every morning and evening to soak in their atmosphere. Since I also love looking at sunrise, sunset, trees and lush forests, my ideal destination is the one that possesses natural landscapes like rainforests, highlands and mountains.

Sandakan, because it seems to have everything rolled into one: rainforest vegetation; wildlife along the Kinabatangan River and marine life around the Turtle islands; compact and walkable waterfront city centre; vestiges of colonial history; and seafood.

Switzerland, since it possesses one of the most efficient public transportation in the world (I love taking rapid transit systems). I also find the country environmentally savvy, pristine, clean, pragmatic, functional, punctual, diplomatic and built in human scale.

Luang Prabang, Laos; and probably Alila Jabal Akhdar in Oman.

Witnessing the dramatic sunrise conveniently from my room in Nagarkot, Nepal.

Name : Irina Norris Position : Creative Editor 1.

I love Eid festival the most. The best part of all is when you can be with your families, neighbours and friends. It is the only time of the year when I can eat ketupat with rendang and pineapple tarts without worrying about calories. Lovely!

My style of traveling is rather simple; free and easy with a twist of “spontaneous adventure”. Take some time off and get smitten by the culture, beautiful landscapes and simply enjoy the company. Travelling is all about doing what you love in a different environment. After all, ‘To travel is to take a journey into yourself.’

I hunt for places with the best food outlets! Malaysians love to travel for food: I’m included. Johor Bahru, Johor Darul Ta’zim is my favourite for its Mee Rebus, Mee Bandung, Laksa Johor, Satay, Otak-otak and Epokepok.

My favourite global destination is definitely ‘The Land of Frankincense’; Salalah, Oman. It has everything – historical places, archaeological sites, deserts, greenery mountains, beaches and friendly people.

“2015: My Malaysia Trip” is what I’m planning for this year which will include Danum Valley and Sibuan Island. Other than that, I am aiming to complete the last five ASEAN countries that I have not been to (Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Philippines & Brunei).

One of the most memorable moments for me was when I saw a flock of migrating camels on top of the green mountain in Salalah, Oman.

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Name : Irnee Norris Position : Contributing Editor

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Hands down, Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Throughout the years my family have developed this tradition of cooking soto ayam, which we pack nicely and distribute to our neighbours on the eve of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Travelling or holidaying for me is when we get to do things out of the norm. New sights excite me. I am an observer, so I do enjoy looking at people and reflect on life when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m on holiday.

Johor Bahru, because it is home. My family still lives in the house I grew up in, so it is nice to go back to familiar surroundings and eat good traditional Johorean fare.

New York City. The city is a melting pot of cultures, so it is an interesting place for people watching. Besides the great bakeries and restaurants, the arts scene attracted me too.

I would like to go to the remaining ASEAN countries that I have not had the chance to visit: Philippines, Brunei, Myanmar and Vietnam.

The hotel we were staying in Jaipur, India suddenly had a blackout a fter some explosion sounds. I thought there had been a bomb attack, and was prepared for the worst. It turned out the sounds came from fireworks at a nearby wedding, and had nothing to do with the blackout! What a relief!

Name : Shamsul Bahrin Zainuzzaman Position : Programmes, Operations & Relations Director 1.

Sarawak Rainforest World Music Festival. I have been a big fan of this festival for a long time because it introduces world music and many exotic cultures around the world.

I enjoy visiting the museum and historical sites just to know the history of each place, meet the locals to understand their culture, tasting their delicacies and of course, shopping!

My own hometown Sarawak! I might sound biased by saying this but Sarawak has a lot to offer from nature (Mulu and Baâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;kelalan) to delectable cuisines such as mee kolok, bubur pedas Sarawak and kek lapis.

I have been to 27 countries so far and I would proudly say Mecca is my ultimate favourite global destination. There is no other place in the world that made me feel so serene except in front of Kaabah.

Bhutan, the happiest place in the World!

I had the most romantic experience while cruising in the floating city, Venice. It is such an amazing way to see the beauty of the island, almost too surreal!

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Name : Ed Junaidi Position : Online Editor 1.

Rainforest World Music Festival. Nature, culture, music and fun people – what else do you need, right?

Backpacking. It gives you a great opportunity to meet many people and treasure new experiences. I usually love hiking, trekking or simply wandering around, observing the differences and uniqueness.

I must say my trips to most parts of Borneo are eye-opening and overwhelming, especially Sampoerna and Tawau. It is intriguing to see how a simple laid back town has a distinctive persona and charisma than other parts of Malaysia.

By the end of 2012, I had the opportunity to do a solo backpacking trip to South America for the whole three months and a half. I must say that the highlight of the trip was to Patagonia, where it was like exploring the Middle Earth from JRR Tolkien’s Lord of The Rings.

Philippines, China and India. However, I have been longing to travel to Europe for several years already, though there were no opportunity yet. The Scandinavian countries are also waiting for me!

When I was in Punta del Este, Uruguay, I took a bus to my hostel without entirely sure which stop to take. So I ended up arriving at a village far from Punta del Este where nobody speaks English. But luckily, I knew Spanish and later managed to seek help to get back to the town. It was 14c cold at night and I was left waiting for two hours for the next bus to town wearing only a t-shirt and a board-short. Next time, I’ll make sure to really take note where I should be going. Lesson learned!

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Name : Furqaan Hod Position : Special Project Manager 1.

Malaysia Year End Sale. Let’s shop, shop and shop!!!

The excitement of exploring new places, culture and be inspired by novel surroundings. Besides, I’m really into photography, thus, capturing those beautiful moments along the way gives me pleasure.

Tanah Aina. The beauty of its nature and variety of accommodation offered.

United Kingdom. I like the way the city is structured, civilised citizens and shopping opportunities!

The Philippines.

When I was in Europe, I saw a Lamborghini coming right at me while I was about to cross a road. But instead of speeding faster, the driver stopped and gave me a way – and that impressed me. A CIVILIZED country that RESPECTS the community and even makes tourists like me feel SAFE.

Name : Shad Sakeri Position : Journalist

Name : Anas Abas Position : PR & Events Executive 1.

Water festival! It is a festival that combines two of my interests – water and sports. And to think that it is usually held at the beach – perfect! I’m the type of person who goes with the flow during traveling in hoping that I will discover places that is untouched or discovered by many. Trying out local traditional food and drink is also a must! Perhentian Island. I just love the smell of the ocean and enjoy spending the whole day on the beach by listening to music or reading books with drinks on my side.

Osaka. It is very clean and the people are generally nice, polite and respectful. And not to forget, its sense of culture is still strong amidst modernisation that’s going on.

All around the world? Haha. Okay I know I can’t do that in a year. As for now, I think I really want to set my foot in Switzerland, Maldives and Miami.

The most memorable moment that I have experienced so far is when I witnessed a beautiful scenery of the Japanese Garden located in the Expo’ 70 Commemorative Park, Japan during Autumn.

Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix. I love speed and the After Race Concerts are often fantastic!

Travelling is a way for me to get my adrenaline fix and disconnect from the world I left at home. So, I love to see every bits of the country, from local gigs, architecture, bazaars to extreme sports. Yes, you can picture me skydiving in Abu Dhabi if you want…

Kota Kinabalu as the city has a complete package – beautiful islands, fun water sports, decent shopping malls, interesting culture and good food.

Tashkent, Uzbekistan as it has opened my eyes to a whole new world and Yokohama, Japan for its cleanliness and strong sense of urban culture. I genuinely believe these cities are some of the underrated destinations that travellers should visit sometime in their lives.

A solo trip to Spain and Puerto Rico. The vibrancy of the states just tempts me so deeply. Nunca es tarde cuando la dicha es buena!

The best moment I’ve had was when I went to an Australian road trip with Chris Hemsworth…which sadly, didn’t really happen.

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Name : Raihan Fozian Position : Journalist 1.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the festival that I love the most in Malaysia. Celebrating Raya is exhilarating not just because the whole family are back in the hometown but also because of the food. Nothing beats ketupat jagung with rendang in the morning of Eid!

I am a nature lover, hence, my idea of travelling or holidaying is to be close with nature. I enjoy hiking, camping, cave tubing and white water-rafting.

Name : Emila Yusof Position : Illustrator/Picture Book Author-Illustrator 1.

Floria. I like flowers.

Travelling is a way to get inspired, to enjoy the nature. I like to take the trunk road instead of highway.

I like Penang for the old buildings.

I must say Frankfurt, Germany. Been there every year for the last 3 years. I know good places to eat, how to travel around and where to go. Feels like home.

Kelantan has always been my favourite destination in Malaysia. I just love the people’s dialect and performances such as wayang kulit and dikir barat. Also, the food in Kelantan is beyond words.

Without doubt, Indonesia is my favourite global destination. I have been to Indonesia a few times and yet none of the visit feels enough. Indonesia has the best nature and is rich in culture, which is perfect for a girl like me!

I foresee that I’ll be making a few more trips to Indonesia in the next few years. I am overly attached to Indonesia and I can’t seem to get enough from any of my last visits.

When I was in Bandung, my friend and I took an ‘angkot’ (a mini bus). The normal charge was 2000RP, but the driver asked for 3000RP instead. So there was a kind lady who was in the angkot as well told us to pay only 2000RP which we later obeyed. That got the driver pissed and yelled at us. We ended up running into the crowd with the lady and left the driver clueless and mad as hell. Though 1000RP is only around RM 0.30, we were really on tight budget at the time so it did mean a lot to us. I will never forget that incidence and of course, that kind angel who helped me saved my 1000rp.

Places I never been.

Walking down the clean streets of Cape Town. Local people would actually bend down to pick up rubbish and put it in the bin. That led me to do the same without regret.

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Name : Imaya Rahim Position : Graphic Designer Name : Amierah Noor Position : Photographer 1.

Malaysian Food Festival - I love to eat and it is hard to say no to Malaysian food comprising various kinds of snacks, dishes and desserts. On top of that, each Malaysian state has its own unique cuisine, thus strongly appeal to local and international foodies. I love nature, culture and new experiences. Since I am adventurous, I am open to trying out extreme sports such as skydiving, scuba-diving, bungee-jumping, 4x4, extreme cycling, motorcross, mountain-climbing, waterrafting and more. I never get bored of Melaka and Penang even though I have been to both places countless times because of their old world charm, heritage buildings and unique culinary offerings. I also adore the interesting mix of cultures that both places possess.

Bangkok - I went there with close friends and we explored the city on our own without local knowledge. The journey was indeed educational since it taught us first-hand about Thai culture.

God willing, if given the chance, anywhere else that I have never been to.

My first scuba-diving experience as my birthday present during Gaya Travel’s recent trip to Mabul, Sabah. This unforgettable experience made me nervous at first but turned out exhilarating and eye-opening. Another one that I will never forget is the chance to search for turtles swimming in the waters with Bajau Laut (sea gypsy) children in their own dugout canoes, also in Mabul.

I like all major festivals celebrated in Malaysia (Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali & Christmas) because I love the diversity of culture and religion that Malaysia is blessed with. What is life without celebration?

Hmm... A-superstar-treatment-kindof-holiday! Ok kidding, I believe an ideal travelling should be able to open up my mind and soul. Just for the record, be it shoestring or mega-bucks budget, any kind of travelling will be more meaningful if you can experience it with your loved ones. Relax and savour the moment. Carpe diem!

I would say Sabah, Penang and Perhentian Island as I enjoy the sun and beach. Plus, it brings back good old memories.

I can’t tell you. Other countries might get jealous.

I have no idea. However, I would love to witness Aurora Borealis someday, inshaa Allah.

The first time I experienced an earthquake in Bali early in the morning. It shook us up from our sleep (my sister and I). The funny thing is, we just looked at each other, hold our hands and went back to sleep. Up until now, I don’t know why we weren’t in a panic mode (seriously).

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IMAGES BY : IRINA, IRNEE , IRMA NORRIS & HAJI AZEMAN SAARIN

+ SAUD I ARAB IA +

JOURNEY OF T H E H UJ JA J

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PLACES MAKKAH

SAUDI ARABIA

Being Muslims, there is one journey that each one of must make at least once in a lifetime: to make Hajj (major pilgrimage) and Umrah (minor pilgrimage) to the city of Makkah al-Mukaramah and Madinah al-Munawarah, both cities located in the Kingdom of Saudi

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Arabia.

out at Masjidil Haram, the Grand Holy Mosque in Makkah.

Gaya Travellers recently performed our hajj. Although it was not our first Hajj, each and every journey we make to this sacred land is unique and special in its own way. We truly felt blessed and humbled for the opportunity to set foot on the land where the last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad and his companions walked on. May we be blessed with more opportunities to return time and again. Makkah and Madinah are definitely destinations that we will always look forward to going.

Our first hajj was back in 2005, when we had opted to perform our pilgrimage using muassassah, which is the basic no frills way fully organised by Malaysia’s own Lembaga Tabung Haji (Pilgrim Funds Board). And what an incredible experience it was! We had such an unforgettable experience, so much so that we quickly re-registered with Lembaga Tabung Haji as soon as we recovered from jetlag after return.

For this year’s Hajj, we were among the 22,320 hujjaj (pilgrims) from Malaysia. There has been a cut in the quota for the number of Malaysian pilgrims performing Hajj due to the expansion and construction works being carried

So here we were, nine years later, ready for our second round of hajj! We knew we were not as fit and agile as we were then, so this time we had opted to go with one of Lembaga Tabung Haji’s approved private

By GAYA TRAVELler - IRNEE & IRINA NORRIS Escape + Explore + Experience Journey of the Hujjaj

package operators. There are many operators offering various packages for us to choose from. We had decided to go with Rayhar Travels Sdn Bhd, based on its stellar 25-year track record and value-for-money packages. Although our whole trip lasted for 43 days (yes!), the actual hajj only lasted 5 days: from 9 Dzulhijjah to 13 Dzulhijjah. During these five days, we get to see the whole world coming together with only one common goal: to seek the mercy of Allah. The journey of the hujjaj is indeed a beautiful one. It is not all rosy; just imagine, over two million Muslims from 183 countries gather in one place! Hajj is of course is a test of faith, love and devotion. This is the time when being patient is the only option you have.

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8 Dzulhijjah 1435 2 October 2014 THURSDAY Our journey to Arafah starts on the eve of the most important part of Hajj. Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Hajj is Arafah.” This means that the validity of one’s hajj depends on the actual day of Arafah. Hajj becomes valid only when the day of Arafah is observed and witnessed by those who undertake the journey. It took us about half an hour to reach Arafah for that 24-kilometre journey.

There is no day better in the sight of Allah than the Day of Arafah. We spent the whole day with prayers and supplications until sunset, with minimal rest. We did not want to miss the opportunity to seek Allah’s mercy and forgiveness. Once the day came to an end, we boarded the bus to Muzdalifah, before continuing our journey to Makkah. Being in Muzdalifah within a stated time frame is another important requirement for Hajj. Unfortunately, there were too many people sleeping on the roads that there was nowhere for our bus to park, so we proceeded our journey to Makkah without setting foot on Muzdalifah soil. However that was still acceptable since we were already present in Muzdalifah.

IMAGE BY : HAJI AZEMAN SAARIN

“Hajj is Arafah.”

This year, the day of Arafah fell on Friday, which is known as Haji Akbar (Great Hajj). Many believe that Haji Akbar it extra special and those perform Hajj during that special day will be handsomely rewarded in the afterlife.

9 Dzulhijjah 1435 3 October 2014 FRIDAY

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By GAYA TRAVELler - IRNEE & IRINA NORRIS Escape + Explore + Experience Journey of the Hujjaj

10 Dzulhijjah 1435 4 October 2014 SATURDAY Traffic was horrible! We only reached our hotel in Makkah at around 3:00 a.m. No time to rest, which was quite alright, as we have had plenty of sleep during the seven-hour bus ride! As soon as we arrived, we quickly freshened up before we headed to Masjidil Haram. It was Eid-ul-Adha today (the festival marking the culmination of the annual pilgrimage to Mecca and commemorating the sacrifice of Abraham) and our first mission today was to perform Tawaf Ifadah (circumambulation of the Kaabah seven times). We left Makkah for Mina in the afternoon. Mina was to be our home for the next four days. We then proceeded to our second mission for the day, which was to cast seven pebbles at Jamrah Aqabah (large pillar that represents Satan). It was a 2.3-kilometre walk from our camp to the jamrah site and back.

11 Dzulhijjah 1435 5 October 2014 SUNDAY We experienced scorching heat throughout our stay in Mina. The daily temperature averaged at 45 degrees Celsius. The situation truly did test our patience. The air-conditioner on our side of the camp did not work properly, but we remained calm. Having a small towel in hand, we kept it wet and wiped off our sweat with it to keep ourselves comfortable and cool. One needs to learn to be grateful with the little things that we have in Mina and we certainly did! Today we repeated our trip to the jamrah site. This time, we threw seven pebbles at each of the other three jamrah. Pilgrims must remember to wear proper walking shoes, since casting stones at jamrah involves a lot of walking, so they need to keep their feet well protected.

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12 Dzulhijjah 1435 6 October 2014 MONDAY Fellow pilgrims who decided to do Nafar Awal (which means leaving Mina on 12 Dzulhijjah with neither intending to stay overnight nor planning to cast pebbles the next day) left the camp and went back to Mina today. We decided to do Nafar Thani instead, which required us to stay another extra day in Mina. We had done Nafar Awal during our first hajj and thought that we should do it differently this time. We did not go to the jamrah site today â&#x20AC;&#x201C; time to save some energy!

13 Dzulhijjah 1435 7 October 2014 TUESDAY We woke up early, before the Subuh (dawn) prayer. We threw the pebbles at all three jamrah that were initially meant for 12 Dzulhijjah. After we performed our prayer, we went back to the three jamrah again to cast our final pebbles to each one of them. Thus that was the end of our Hajj rituals.

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By GAYA TRAVELler - IRNEE & IRINA NORRIS Escape + Explore + Experience Journey of the Hujjaj

On our way back to the camp, we stopped by at Masjid Aqabah, a historic mosque that is only open during Hajj, which is only five days in a year. Truly that was an incredibly rare opportunity that should not be missed by anyone when they perform Hajj. This mosque commemorates the spot where the Ansar tribe of Madinah pledged their allegiance to Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be on him). We left Mina after breakfast and headed back to Makkah. We chose to do Hajj Ifrad, which means we have to complete our hajj rituals first, then followed by umrah rituals. We had been in the state of ihram (a sacred and pure state that a Muslim must enter in order to perform the Hajj or Umrah,) for the past two weeks (it began when we reached the borders of the holy land). Being in ihram meant that we needed to observe the 13 restrictions that came with it. Not an easy feat to fight temptations, but definitely achievable.

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PLACES MADINAH

SAUDI ARABIA

For more amazing photos, follow : @gayatraveller on Instagram. #gayatraveller

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By GAYA TRAVELler - IRNEE & IRINA NORRIS Escape + Explore + Experience Journey of the Hujjaj

All in all, Hajj is indeed an interesting and deeply spiritual journey that all Muslims need to experience. For Malaysians, if you have not registered yourself with Lembaga Tabung Haji, it is best that you start doing so. Though there is a long waiting list and take years before your turn comes to perform Hajj, should the divine invitation suddenly arrives earlier than expected, there is nothing to stop you from going. We met a couple of pilgrims in our group who have not at all thought of going for Hajj this year, yet they were there. On that note, we pray that we could perform Hajj at least once again in the future, God willing. We also pray that all our Muslim readers will get to perform Hajj and Umrah, which we deem as the journey of a lifetime that should never be missed if they can afford itâ&#x20AC;Ś

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A Unique Fabric Of Nature

Emerald of the East

Food Paradise By the Sea

Where Legacies Are Made Of Art and Heart

Historical

Handicraft

Tourism Terengganu | Terengganu State Secretary Office | 9TH Floor Wisma Darul Darul Iman, 20503 Kuala Terengganu. TEL : +609 623 1957 FAX : +609 622 1957

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Shanghai; where the

East meets

West “So how do we get to our hotel from here?”, asked my niece, Wanda, upon arriving at the Shanghai Pudong International Airport last November. Wanda had always wanted to follow me overseas and I said she could follow me to Shanghai under few conditions: by having her pay partly for her flight tickets and have her own pocket-money since I was broke. Luckily she works to support her study, allowing her to buy what she wants. “I have no idea! I thought you did the research on how to get there?” I asked back. “I did not. Been busy with my exam, remember?” was her reply. The truth was, she just got back from Thailand a day before. We apparently had not done any research on the ground transportation in Shanghai. So both of us went around the airport looking for a way to get to our accommodation at Zhizaoju Road, Luwan District, downtown Shanghai. We saw that the Maglev train would cost us ¥50 each, so I thought if the fare would be ¥100 for both of us, we might as well take a cab. The other reason: I was lazy to go through the hassle to get on the train and then get on a bus to a place that is unknown to me – how would I know where to get off? Taking a cab is much easier as all I need to do is just get in the cab, hand over the printed address to the driver, sit back, relax and enjoy the view. We arrived at the hotel about an hour later paying an extra ¥40 of the predicted amount of fare, which we still considered fair. If we were to take the Maglev (¥100),

we would still have to take a cab from the nearest station to our accommodation. I found out few days after on the way back to the airport that the cab fare from the hotel to the nearest Maglev Station at Longyang Road Station costs about ¥30. Add coffee for two at ¥56, I say we saved a bit. We were both very tired but our room was not ready even when I requested for an early check-in. On top of that, they could not speak English well – imagine my predicament! No wonder they did not process my request. After much ado with all sorts of hand-gesture language and facial expressions, they asked us to wait (this was in the form of showing both hand palms back and forth which could also mean ‘talk to the hands’). We had to wait for about half an hour for the hotel to clean a room for us and when we got to the room, it was not even like what was shown on the internet. Talk about ‘for illustration’ purposes only – I should have known better because I was once a master at it when working at a graphic unit many years ago. I could see the disappointment on Wanda’s face but I told her that we wouldn’t be spending much time in the room as we

would be out the whole day for the next five days. We just need a place to dump our things and throw ourselves in bed at night. The main reason for the trip was for me to attend the Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF) for three days and another two days for us to explore Shanghai. After a few hours of good sleep, we were off to find lunch at three in the afternoon. It was cool and windy, like any Autumn weather would be. Our walk lay close to the main road of Zhizaoju Road, then turned and went round parks, flats, shophouses that led to a commercial highway, Xujiahui Road, where Madang Road Station is situated. It was around 4:00 p.m. but it was getting dark because the daylight hours get shorter during autumn. We thought of taking the train to Shanghai City Centre but then scrapped the idea as we would be having the same problem of finding a place to eat at the city since we did not have a map or guide of places to eat, especially in finding halal places. So, we just walked aimlessly out of the station to Huangpi S Road. We walked about 10 minutes before we saw Christine Bakery and a sushi restaurant a few doors away. We bought some breads for later and had Udon noodles, Shrimp Spring Rolls and Chinese tea at the sushi restaurant. 057

We did not even know the name of the restaurant; we asked but the waitress replied back in Chinese. Luckily the menu was in English and Chinese, so we knew what to eat. The place seemed to have Wi-Fi but we first had problem connecting and getting the password. I just handed the phone to the cook (who went out of the kitchen to help us as the waitress had no idea what we were asking for) to choose the network (it was MingQuan Wu, perhaps that was the name of the restaurant but then again it could be the owner’s name) and type the password. Voila! We were connected back to the world known to us: Instagram for me and WeChat/ Whatsapp for Wanda. I posted some photos while eating. One must be wondering how on earth did I get Instagram since it was blocked a month earlier following a protest in Hong Kong – a ‘little bird’ told me to install an app from Google Play before I leave for Shanghai and so I did. That led me to share photos of beautiful Shanghai with Instagram friends. On the second day, we went to the CCBF located at Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center, Guo Zhan Road by cab. For ¥33 fare, we were taken from one highway to another, round tall buildings and across HuangPu River then right to the book fair location. We had coffee and sandwich at the book fair that cost us ¥150! Expensive than the cab fare from airport! The second edition of the CCBF was held from 20 to 22 November 2014, a feast of children’s publications for industry professionals and young readers to enjoy. Supported by the official Chinese publishing-related bodies, the 2014 CCBF offered a rich agenda of activities and opportunities to meet key players at all levels of the publishing industry with the aim of stimulating international rights trading, opening up new sales and distribution channels for children’s publications and, ultimately, expanding partnerships in the global market. I met with a Chinese publisher to show some of the work done for their future books and quickly got the deal. It will be launched in Singapore around May 2015.

After the book fair we went to the River Mall located across the road. We thought of looking for a place to eat but could not find any suitable ones, so we headed back to the hotel. After taking shower, we walked around the hotel to look for something to eat. We were always hungry as we walked a lot and that the weather was cold. We found Carrefour Express few blocks away from the hotel and guess what we found? Mamee Chef! We looked at each other and laughed. We were like cows jumping over the moon to find something from home selling there. It was the same routine the next day; we went to the book fair. I did some side income there by drawing for people besides meeting publishers. I managed to sell some of my painted bags as well. After a few hours of drawing, I became ¥500 richer. “Let’s go do some shopping,” I told Wanda. We went back to our room to keep my art stuff and then took a cab to the Old City of Shanghai and paid ¥14 only since the old town is situated in the same downtown area. Our main transportation here was by taxi since we do not want to get lost and spend our time finding our way around. Therefore taking the cab was the ideal choice for an old aunt and her niece. The Old City is the area inside the ancient walled city of Shanghai; it is one of the most picturesque areas of the city, with many buildings in traditional Chinese style. The city began as a walled medieval town dating at least 1,000 years ago. The walls, built mainly for protection against Japanese pirates, ringed the city around what are today Remin and Zhonghua Roads. The walls, however, have been demolished. We bought something for our family back home as well as something four ourselves; cheongsams to wear on the last day of the book fair. It costs me ¥340 for both cheongsams! Then we had kebab for dinner, bought some teas and souvenirs. And I was broke again. I therefore made the same plan again for the last day of the book fair and thought I could be rich again if I drew more. Come the last day of the book fair, I made ¥1,200!! It was a gruelling sweaty seven hours of work with 3 intervals. It was a great experience as I had never done that before. I should be doing that a lot to cover my travel costs, right? But seriously, it was tiring. Even during my supposed break times, I could not even walk around the book fair hall as I would see someone (in every corner) who had wanted me to draw and who queued before I went for a break, reminding me that they are waiting for me to draw. With a bit of extra money in hand, we visited Tianzifang and The Bund on our last day.

Tianzifang is a renovated residential area in the French Concession area of Shanghai, China. Also known for small craft stores, coffee shops, trendy art studios and narrow alleys, the place has become a popular tourist destination in Shanghai, and an example of preservation of local Shikumen architecture. Tianzifang is largely hidden from the neighbouring streets, as it grew from the inside of the block outwards and has more than 200 diverse small businesses such as cafes, bars, restaurants, art galleries, craft stores, design houses and studios, including French bistros. We love it there; this is what we thought as the very place that best describes the phrase ‘East meets West’. The Bund is a waterfront area in central Shanghai. The area centres on a section of Zhongshan Road (East-1 Zhongshan Road) within the former Shanghai International Settlement, which runs along the western bank of the Huangpu River, facing Pudong, in the eastern part of Huangpu District. The word “bund” means an embankment or an embanked quay. The word comes from the Persian word band, through Hindustani, meaning an embankment, levee or dam (a cognate of English terms “bind”, “bond” and “band”, and the German word “Bund”. The Bund houses 52 buildings of various architectural styles, generally Eclecticist, but with some buildings displaying predominantly Romanesque Revival, Gothic Revival, Renaissance Revival, Baroque Revival, Neo-Classical or Beaux-Arts styles, and a number in Art Deco style. We were both tired from walking and decided to go back to the hotel around 5:00 p.m. as we were out since morning. We had a rest and decided to return to the sushi restaurant where we dined on the first day we arrived. We spent the time walking back to the hotel slowly since that would be our last night in Shanghai. The next day, we took a cab to the nearest Maglev station, had coffee, paid ¥100 for the Maglev ride, reached the airport in 10 minutes, checked-in, had lunch and coffee again, and walked to the security check area. The three lighters (that works like match) embellished with interesting art that I bought for the guys back home were confiscated. Apparently, lighters or matches are not allowed to be carried in hand luggage. My bad. On previous travels, I had bought some and kept them in my checked-in luggage but it was different this time since I was travelling light (well, not really THAT light as I had bought some picture books for my collection to bring home). ~EY

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Gaya Travel’s Top 10 Choices of Colonial Heritage

Inspired Accommodations

The presence of colonial power and European mercantile in South East Asia started when the Portuguese came to Malacca in 1511. Since then, other colonial powers and merchants like the Dutch, Spanish, French and British followed suit and left indelible marks throughout the region that still can be seen today. Below is the list of our choice of colonial heritage inspired accommodations in the region that bring back romance into travel:

TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Product Owners

01 | Eastern & Oriental Hotel

04 | Ye Olde Smokehouse

Penang (www.eohotels.com)

Fraser’s Hill (www.thesmokehouse.com.my/fh.htm)

The Eastern & Oriental (E&O) Hotel represents the true essence of colonial history, especially when it is located in Pulau Pinang. Built in 1885, the property marks the beginning of the world’s greatest hotels in the East that up to this day still embody luxury and style. The hotel has seen two World Wars, the waning of the British Empire and even the birth of Malaysia. Some of its notable guests belonged to the literary and entertainment worlds including Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Noel Coward.

Since 1937, Ye Olde Smokehouse has been inviting people to retreat amidst greenery and peaceful surroundings while reliving the old English era. It is rather different from the other colonial properties in Malaysia due to its much homier ambiance. The food offerings served here, especially scones for high tea, including its roasts, stews and steaks for dinner, are legendary. Besides its serenity, this property also attracts birdwatching aficionados since Fraser’s Hill is well-known for its diverse bird species.

02 | The Majestic Hotel

05 | Quayside Hotel Melaka (www.quaysidehotel.com.my)

Kuala Lumpur (www.majestickl.com) Quintessential, luxurious, elegant – those are some of the common words used to describe the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. The 51-room hotel is equipped with custom designed furniture, silverware and furnishings specially imported from England. To add to its already high-profile reputation, the hotel received the ‘Iconic Best Brands Award in Hospitality’ during the Brandlaureate 2015 Best Brands Awards.

03 | The Lakehouse Cameron Highlands (www.lakehouse-cameron.com)

Situated within the UNESCO World Heritage site, the building that currently houses Quayside Hotel Melaka is steep in history because during the colonial times, it used to be a customs warehouse where mangrove logs, palm kernels, black pepper and multitudes of other goods were exported to the rest of Asia and Europe. Today, the building houses 39 smart contemporary design rooms, which appeals to the media and creative types. Gaya Travel recommends travellers to experience staying in any of the 18 rooms that have balconies facing the Melaka River.

06 | Raffles Hotel Singapore (www.raffles.com/singapore)

Recognised as a Top Performing Hotel by TripAdvisor, the Tudor-style boutique resort called The Lakehouse Cameron Highlands allures guests with its surrounding natural beauty as it sits on top of a hill overlooking a tea plantation and verdant woodlands. Here, guests can expect to be treated like royalty and experience high-tea, fine dining and unobtrusive turn down service.

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Travellers keen on experiencing colonial British atmosphere must stay at the Raffles Hotel – one of the oldest colonial properties in South East Asia. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by liveried Sikh doormen and charming lobby that immediately transports them to a different era. The hotel also has a shopping arcade that houses over 35 international and regional designer stores such as Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co., including a personalised tour programme led by the hotel’s own Resident Historian.

07 | Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar

Philippines (www.lascasasfilipinas.com) Being an authentic living museum of Filipino colonial history, guests of Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar are guaranteed with unforgettable experience as they get to relive the Filipino lifestyle from the 18th to early 20th century. The resort’s theme – “Pride in the past, hope for the future” – truly represents the notion, which can be seen through its 27 heritage structures set on 400 hectares of land, each with distinctive history and personality.

08 | Majapahit Hotel Indonesia (hotel-majapahit.com) Hotel Majapahit is popular, not only because it was built by the well-known Sarkies Brothers (also the founders of E&O Hotel in Penang) but also because of the historical ‘Yamato Hotel Incident’ (the name of the hotel during Japanese occupation) when a young Javanese resistance fighter tore off the lower blue segment of the Dutch flag to create what would become the red and white flag of the Republic of Indonesia today, making the property a classic landmark and source of national pride. This five-star deluxe hotel has won the ‘Favourite Hotel in Indonesia’ during the Tourism Awards in 2012.

09 | Belmond Governor’s Residence Myanmar Located in a quiet residential neighbourhood amid embassy houses and colonial residences, Belmond Governor’s Residence looks more of a country home. This teak mansion actually used to serve as the official home of the governors of the British Crown Colony of Burma. The building then has been beautifully restored - the rooms and common areas are designed with authentic Burmese furnishings yet contemporary in style.

10 | Mandarin-Oriental Hotel Thailand (www.mandarinoriental.com/bangkok) This multi award winner needs a little introduction since it epitomises impeccable service standards, strategic location and sumptuous dining experience. Being a constant favourite among the A-List and influential figures including David Beckham, Mel Gibson and Audrey Hepburn, it is near impossible not to be impressed with the property. The hotel even has special suites named after their famous former guests and most walls in the building are decorated with photos of all the great writers in the world.

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Bringing Back THE RETRO TEXT | FURQAAN HOD

IMAGES | FURQAAN HOD & NIKON MALAYSIA

• •

For more info

http://www.nikon.com.my/en_MY/product/digital-slr-cameras/df 062

Body with AF-S 50mm f/1.8G - RM9,688 Body Only - RM8,888

Nikon Df, the latest Digital SLR Camera by Nikon Nikon recently introduced in Malaysia the Nikon Df, which is the latest addition of Nikon Digital SLR Cameras. It comes with a smallersized full frame DSLR equipped with full mechanical dials for setting shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, exposure mode and independent release mode to give photographers the pleasure of full manual control. Despite carrying the latest Nikon Imaging technology that support all DX and FX NIKKOR lenses, Nikon Df comes in a compact design with a full frame sensor, perfect for traveller seeking portability without compromising on image quality. The iconic design of the camera captures the photographer’s heart through its luxurious styling, modern metallic ﬁnish with synthetic leather texture that is weather-resistant. Nikon Df comes in two colours, black and silver, but we strongly admire the silver edition for its nostalgic look. The total weight, which is less than 1 kilogram (camera body + NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens) makes this DSLR a compact yet light camera. To make it convenient for the photo-traveller, Nikon Df is also fully supported by wireless accessories, GPS unit and HDMI output, including Nikon Creative Lighting System. During our review, we tested the camera and captured the images using FlashAir memory Card, which made photo-sharing easier. This camera also supports Eye-Fi cards too. Talking about the image quality, this 16.2-megapixel camera gives uncompromising photographic performance during low-light, HDR and Active D-lighting to capture images in various situations. The special edition NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens also creates phenomenal bokeh with sharp rendering images. We never had any issue with this ﬁxed focal length lens due to its full frame image-processing sensor. The fully manual mechanical dials allow photographers to capture incredible images with the sense of analog style and nostalgia.

Traveller’s App Well prepared adventurous travellers always do their research – where to stay, where to eat, what interesting places to visit and and how to get there. In this issue, we would like to share apps that are useful to obtain information or guidelines when visiting new places. GuideWithMe app is an offline travel guide that provides users with information on their current travel location or destination. In line with the developers’ motto – developed by travellers, for travellers – this convenient app gives essential information related to the places that we visit and saves our roaming data cost. Covering half of Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania (totalling 27 countries), this app tells you the history, traditions and legends of the places you visit, besides recommendations on nearby restaurants and hotels. For those who rely on TripAdvisor or Wikipedia, this app gives you reliable resources too since the data are merged from Wikivoyage (regularly updated by travellers). Images are also vividly illustrated, allowing users to identify places easily or crosscheck their must-visit places. And since it is crucial to have a map during travelling, GuideWithMe comes with a practical offline map (maps. me) as well that can be downloaded by users before they start off their journey. These apps are available for all kind of operating system (iOs, Android, Windows, Blackberry) and it’s free! However, point to note: we found that both apps are easier to be used on tablets compared to smartphones.

• Images are captured using Nikon Df Camera 063

Urban FLEA MARKET in Malaysia To Follow

Being among the top 10 best shopping destinations in the world, the Malaysian shopping experience is not only limited to malls and specialty shops, but also include flea markets where travellers can find interesting and unique items, especially Malaysian vintage and antiques. The following are some markets that travellers can try checking out in Malaysia.

COMPILED BY | SYAZA ADILAH IMAGES | RANDOM GOOGLE IMAGES

Amcorp Mall, Petaling Jaya

Lorong Kulit, George Town Penang

Considered as the first flea market in Malaysia, Amcorp mall is definitely more than just a mall – it keeps the slices of history ‘alive’! Selling weird and wonderful merchandise from old records and antique collectibles, the market also carries second-hand musical instruments (colourful collection of guitars, cellos, turntables, CDs and cassettes) and nostalgic childhood storybooks. The flea market is located on the ground floor of the indoor complex and most of the merchandise are bizarre enough to be owned by loyal collectors. Amcorp mall will take you back into 90s and there are hundreds of products that are sure to grab your attention under its roof.

The only one flea market that operates daily, Lorong Kulit has gathered many traders to ply their wares and an everyday haven for those who seek peculiar items, including vintage clothes and handbags. There is no guarantee what you will come across there, but it promises a lot of exclusive things as long as you are willing to plow over the mountains of merchandises. The Lorong Kulit is located on the open ground between the entrance to the City Stadium and Rapid Penang bus depot. Up until now, it’s been said that Lorong Kulit is moving places again, as they are heading towards the Penang General Hospital. If you are lucky, you can drop by at Acheen Street Flea Market (a smaller flea market version of Lorong Kulit) too. There are mountains of junks to sieve with the occasional gem waiting for travellers to unearth.

Getting there: Amcorp Mall, 18 Jalan Persiaran Barat, Off Jalan Timur, Petaling Jaya. Open on Saturday and Sunday (10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.)

Getting there: George Town, Penang. Opens daily – try to get there by 9:00 a.m. since the vendors start to pack up by noon.

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The Vendeur Festival

FUYOH Art Bazaar, Publika

Street Market at The Curve, Damansara

Similar to Femes Bazaar, Vendeur Festival too has the same concept of retailing everything under one roof. Selling from the cheapest price of garage-sale and car-boot kind of goods, Vendeur Festival also provided spaces for local celebrity to sell their range of products from shoes, make ups and trending fashion clothes to the public. Vendeur Festival gathers over 400 vendors at one time and held at different places. It sells anything that you have seen on the social networks (mostly Instagram) and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the chance to shop for everything at bargained prices! To know when is the next Vendeur Festival, check out its Instagram for latest updates on its next venue.

Come rain or shine, being completely sheltered under the natural skylight ceiling of the Publika Mall means that this is a market where vendors and customers can have no fear of our perennially shifting weather. Fuyoh Art Bazaar is housed on the crest of the sunlit floor of the Publika Mall. It has made its mark as the place where well heeled shoppers purchase upmarket baby wears, handcrafted jewellery, handmade plush toys and homemade cakes, among others. The bazaar not only attracts shoppers but also artists, art-lovers and crafters as well.

If flea markets, hipster bazaars, funky and vintage fashion markets are your thing, you really should head to the street market at The Curve, Damansara. This place may be one of the top flea markets around the nearby malls (Ikea, One Utama, etc.) since it retails almost everything possible at their open-air alley known as The Street. It opens every Saturday and Sunday under rows of abundant marquees along the street with vendors selling a variety of items from clothes, accessories, artwork, handicrafts and other knick-knacks. Various fancy restaurants are also situated along the streets therefore shoppers can conveniently do their shopping and dining there.

For latest updates:

Getting there: For latest updates:

hello.thevendeur@gmail.com

1, Jalan Dutamas 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

instagram.com/ vendeurfestival

+6 03 6207 9732 Last weekend of every month.

For latest updates: The Curve, Mutiara Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Open on Saturday & Sunday (10:30 a.m. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 10.00 p.m.)

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Delving Deeper Into Coffee at

Coffee Olle TEXT | Emila Yusof IMAGES | Atiera

When I was offered to write for this coffee column, I was a bit skeptical. Yes, coffee dominates my morning hours but no, I am not a coffee snob; I don’t brew coffee at home nor own a cupping spoon. But I know that I am becoming one because I started to prefer going to smaller cafés that serve specialty coffees. I like to experience difference taste of coffee blend or mixture while trying different side dish varieties. I am still delving deeper into coffee but nonetheless, I took the challenge. And here I am. Kuala Lumpur saw the rise of specialty coffee shops in the past couple of years and I suspect that there will be more popping up soon (I know a friend is in the middle of setting up one). *Coffee has been around since 15th century. Being only second to oil, coffee is the most valuable legally traded commodity in the world and it is estimated that 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide. Coffee is ubiquitous and is not going anywhere anytime soon. Knowing the potential in coffee business, Gilbert Kim - a Seoulite who has been living and working in Kuala Lumpur since 2003 - opened up a specialty coffee shop called Coffee Olle in December 2013. I first tasted Coffee Olle’s cappucino last year. The taste was somewhat different from the other coffees that I had; it was

excellent. When I came for my second coffee here for this article, I got to ask why it was so.

omelette, pastas, cakes, Bulgogi rice and salad that ranges from RM10 to RM16.

“My coffee is made up of four different kind of best selected Arabica that I bought from Brazil, Guatemala, Mandheling and Sidamo. I bought Arabica green coffee beans and do the roasting in-house,” replied Gilbert. I gave my ah-no-wonder look and shook my head.

Having listed down the range of prices, I think the pricing is really reasonable. Coffee Olle may appear quite small from the outside, but it is actually quite spacious and has adjoining tables depending on the size of your friends in tow. It offers free Wi-Fi at a very good speed, perfect for Instagramming whatever is on your table.

I have never seen green beans before and asked to see it firsthand. My wish was quickly granted and Gilbert took out some of the green beans. Gilbert told me that the green beans were not ready to be roasted until he sorted the defected ones by hand. To do this, Gilbert pour a fair amount of the beans on a tray, divided them into sections and start sorting. And that was just a tray of beans that makes up two cups of coffee in my estimation. There’s more in the storage.

After I wrapped the interview with Gilbert Kim, it was already lunch time. I had Shrimp Linguine with Mushroom sauce (served with cucumber pickles) and Iced Citron Americano. Pasta served with pickles may sound a bit strange but it was deliciously refreshing. As for the drink, I thought that it is very inventive of Coffee Olle to add orange cuts into the iced Americano. The taste was superb. Definitely a must try for coffee lovers out there.

To me that’s a lot of work, but to Gilbert, who has an extensive coffee training background, it is essential for a serious coffee-lover (or should I say coffeeconnoisseur?) like him to make sure that his coffees are of top quality. “One bad bean can spoil the whole taste,” he said while picking the defected ones out and showed me what peaberry looks like.

If you are planning on visiting, you will find Coffee Olle at 26, Jalan 24/70a, Desa Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. It opens daily from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. Kitchen closes at 9:00 p.m.

“Each step requires education and attention to detail,” he added while explaining the whole process of coffee, right from the bean to the cup. Talk about delving deeper into coffee from a coffee maestro. It was hard to chew all the information at once but I think I got the basic parts covered. Coffee Olle - of which Olle derives from Jeju dialect that means ‘a narrow pathway that is connected from street to the front gate of a house’, serves coffee drinks like Espresso, Cappucino, Flat White, Macchiato, Affogato, Americano, all sort of lattes, iced Citron Americano and Bamboo Salt Caramel Latte that are priced from RM7 to RM13. Other than that, they also serve dishes that include Panini sandwiches (Wheat/Ciabatta/Focaccia),

*Research source:

http://www.ico.org/coffee_story. asp?section=About_Coffee http://www.pbs.org/food/the-historykitchen/history-coffee/

Gilbert Kim.

Romance in the

Old Quarters TEXT & IMAGES | Ena Ramli

Ena Ramli explores the old quarters of Penang’s George Town and discovers a romantic past and enduring charm.

The founding of Penang reads like a period novel filled with treachery, romance and tragedy (see The Penang Promise). The narrow lanes, back alleys, buildings and landmarks of George Town – Penang’s capital city and the setting for all the drama – have long buried these tales under the accumulation and passing of years. Fortunately, since receiving the UNESCO World Heritage recognition in 2008, George Town’s past is slowly and carefully being unearthed, restored and retold. With 2015 being Visit Penang Year, it’s 070

the perfect time to celebrate the revival of old George Town, considered as one of the most romantic cities in Malaysia. Whether you’re a historian, culture buff, art lover, food critic, or great romantic, this waterfront city, like a magnificent lover you can’t seem to forget, will always have you pining for it long after the final goodbye. Relive the romance of the Far East with this guide to the old charms and new facets of George Town.

Romantic Crossing In the late 18th century, English Captain Francis Light made the island crossing by riding the waves across the Malacca Strait and was smitten by what he saw. Visitors to Penang can make that same journey on the iconic Penang ferry from Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim. Recreate the 15-minute romance of water travel in this classic mode of transport as you take in the view of the approaching city and the mountains rising up in the back.

Tip: Motorised vehicles are allowed on board, but the best views are from the upper passenger deck where you can sit on the original pivot-backed benches of the ferry.

Pedal-Power Going around George Town on a trishaw is probably the romantic equivalent of a horse-drawn carriage ride around Central Park, New York! Passengers disembarking the ferry at the Raja Tun Uda Terminal at Weld Quay on the island side can easily hail one â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best to agree on the fare before hopping aboard. Once you do, the ride offers a unique street-level perspective of the old quarters of the town as the driver wheels around the narrow alleys and back lanes of the heritage areas that motorised vehicles would find difficult to manoeuvre.

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basically three themed routes to choose from: the Colonial Heritage Walk covers Fort Cornwallis and the sea-fronting areas; the Street of Harmony Walk spans a one-kilometre stroll from the Church of the Assumption on Church Street (Lebuh Gereja) to the houses of worship of various religions on Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling; and lastly the Historic Enclave Walk takes in the southern part of the core zone around Armenian, Acheen and Cannon Streets where much of Penang’s old trading communities from Arab, Armenia and China were based. Other museums highly recommended for the great detail in information and exhibits on old Penang life are the Pinang Peranakan Mansion (pinangperanakanmansion.com.my), an elaborately-decorated mansion and visual feast that depicts the lifestyle of Penang’s wealthy mixed-marriage families known as the Baba Nyonya, and the House of Yeap Chor Ee (houseyce.com) that gives a wellpresented audio and visual perspective of Penang’s social history from the eyes of one of the island’s successful young Chinese immigrant.

History Lessons The Penang State Museum on Farquhar Street (penangmuseum.gov.my) will help any Penang newbie put George Town’s history into context. This well-curated museum documents the old and modern life of Penang from several aspects – history, art, anthropology and architecture, among others. Armed with this knowledge, your subsequent explorations of George Town will take on greater meaning. Alternatively, sign up for a guided walking tour of George Town’s World Heritage 072

Core and Buffer Zones to enhance your appreciation for the historic city. Penang Heritage Trust (pht.org.my) and Penang Global Tourism both run guided tours of the old quarters; the latter’s programme is only RM25 per person for a 90-minute tour (call to register at +6 04 263 1166). If you’re feeling a bit adventurous and don’t mind getting lost with your partner in the maze of streets of old George Town, there are plenty of free maps around to chart your own route (download free PDF maps from visitpenang.gov.my or tourismpenang.net.my). There are

A little out of the way, but worth the trip for a glimpse of the estate where Francis Light and his wife, Martina Rozells, supposedly lived on, is Suffolk House (suffolkhouse.com.my) on Jalan Air Itam. A guided tour of this grand Anglo-Indian mansion will bring visions of ballroom dances and garden parties enjoyed by the British bourgeois.

Sweet Slumber Ever since George Town was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, it has really celebrated the unique heritage and built architecture left behind by British rule since the late 18th century. One of the most obvious changes to the area since then is the conservation and restoration work on many of the city’s old buildings, turning them into a re-adapted café, museum or boutique accommodation, made possible by grants and incentives offered by the Federal and State Governments. At 23 Love Lane (23lovelane.com), the 150-year old mansion within a walled garden has been given a second lease of life as a cosy 10-suite boutique hotel. The antique furniture, beautiful local art pieces, warm but discreet service and not least, a three-year conservation effort, has transformed a ruin into a refuge. Looking at this green oasis now, it’s hard to imagine that before conservation work began, it was just a rundown building overgrown with creepers and vines – an eyesore at best, unnoticed at worst. Other equally charming boutique accommodations within the George Town heritage enclave include Seven Terraces (seventerraces.com), a handsome 18-suite hotel occupying what was once a row of crumbling 19th-century Anglo Chinese terraces and which has since won the UNESCO award for its heritage conservation work; Clove Hall (clovehall. com), an Edwardian Anglo-Malay bungalow within a tropical garden setting offering a tranquil retreat with a choice of six unique suites; and Penaga Hotel (hotelpenaga.com), a collection of pre-war terrace and shop houses that has been lovingly restored surrounding a lush garden that used to be the common alley between the main streets occupied by the hotel. 073

Café Culture George Town has also opened its doors to a new café culture, without sacrificing the old kopitiams that still remain a popular hangout for the older generation. Modern cafes housed in pre-war buildings seem to attract a younger, hipper crowd looking for French-pressed coffees to go with their local tau sar pneah (Penang’s delicate mung bean pastries), as they chat amid the invisible, swirling history surrounding them. Some of the cafes in George Town have cultivated such a reputation that getting a table would not be easy. Come early to secure a seat at the highly popular hangout, China House Café & Bar (chinahouse. com.my) on Beach Street. Part of a larger complex of three heritage buildings connected to an open-air courtyard, the café shares the premises with art galleries, theatre space, retail outlets, a live music bar, restaurants and a bakery. Its Sydneyesque vibe has proven to be a hit, as does its long dessert table where you will find patrons lingering about undecided over the choice of mouth-watering desserts such as salted caramel and apple pie, pear and ginger upside down cake and Kahlua crème caramel. Other places to tuck into for a nice breakfast or afternoon tea (or coffee, if you prefer) are Ete Café (25 Lebuh Carnarvon) where a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef whips up some delightful French pastries and desserts to go along with its siphon coffees and teas; Moon Tree 47 (47, Jalan Muntri) for perfect Italian coffee and a walk down memory lane among its collection of paraphernalia from the past. For a late night supper, drop by at Behind 50 (50 Love Lane), a tiny café that opens only at 6:00 p.m. until midnight for some simple soup, pizzas and pastas, offering great people-watching opportunity from the street-side bar table. 074

Strolling In The Park Being a waterfront city just adds to the romance of being in George Town. The esplanade at Padang Kota Lama is ideal for breezy evening walks as you imagine island life during its time as a British Far East trading post. Cross the road to Fort Cornwallis and absorb the air of thick history within the walled fort as you draw your own conclusions of the man who supposedly founded George Town. Several pocket parks nearby – the Koh Seang Tat Park with the 160-year old fountain from Britain near the Penang Town Hall and the Friendship Park at Farquhar Street with its shady trees and clipped lawn – offer respite from the Penang heat as well.

Local Eats While the street side stalls and large open-air food courts are slowly dying out in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur, they are still alive and thriving in Penang. You’ll never go wrong by choosing establishments frequented by locals – just head to Padang Brown (at junctions of Perak and Anson Roads), Padang Kota Lama (Jalan Tun Syed Barakbah) and Gurney Drive food courts where various stalls open around a common dining area lined with plastic chairs and tables. Typical Penang dishes that travellers need to try include mee goreng mamak, prawn mee, mee rebus, pasembor, and kway teow. Elsewhere, you may want to try the famous Penang nasi kandar – rice with a variety of curry-based dishes. Every Penangite has his own opinion of the best nasi kandar, the popular ones being Nasi Kandar Beratur, Hameediyah, Tajuddin Hussain, Pokok Ketapang, and Kassim Mustafa (so famous that no addresses are needed – just ask any Penangite and they will show you the way!). The street side stall selling Nasi Dalcha Rahim on Queen Street opposite the Sri Maha Mariamman temple is also excellent, as are the fish head curry at Jalan Kelawei, the roti canai at Jalan Argyll and the thick, warm chicken broths of Sup Hameed on Penang Road. The biryani rice at Restoran Kapitan, Chulia Street, is also something that must be tried. Be prepared to sweat it out as you dine in cramped restaurants, and often, in alleyways!

The Penang Promise At first sparsely populated in the 18th century, Penang, the island on the northern part of Peninsula Malaysia, grew rapidly after the arrival of English merchant Francis Light. He saw the island for what it was – a promising and profitable trading port, and his ambitions to amass great fortunes in the Far East led to his somewhat questionable means of occupying the island belonging to the Sultan of Kedah. The Sultan had offered Penang to Light on the condition that the Kedah empire would receive British protection, but Light had failed to commit – though historians still debate this point. If it had been a betrayal, then it was one of the highest degree because Light had by then established a close friendship with the Sultan, and was also married to Martina Rozells who is said to be a member of the Sultan’s royal family. Visionary leader, heartless traitor, powerless mediator or greedy businessman, Light’s character has been described in many ways, flattering and otherwise. Nevertheless, Penang’s trade – along with piracy and slavery – picked up a brisk pace during this time and soon, many hopeful traders, merchants and labourers from all across the seas who dreamt of making their riches arrived. From then on, the island became the port of call and home to a diverse and cosmopolitan community that brought the city to its peak in trade. Over many years, Chinese clans were established, Armenian traders called in on their way to Batavia, and so did the Tamils, the Chulias, the Chettiars, the Achenese, the Malays, the Siamese and the Burmese. Their presence those many decades ago had effectively blended into a cultural legacy that still lives on today on the island.

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Chiang Mai

The

Rose of

The

North

TEXT & IMAGES | Naiela Kahn

Location & Intro Away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok and Hat Yaai, up north of Thailand is the city of Chiang Mai. Nestled snugly at the foothill, surrounded by a ring of mountains, Chiang Mai offers a more picturesque and panoramic view of Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suburban living. The pace of life in Chiang Mai is refreshingly slower than Bangkok, giving it a sleepy ambience that adds to its charm. Chiang Mai province was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom (1296 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1768). During the decline of the kingdom, Chiang Mai was occupied by the Burmese in 1556. Chiang Mai only became part of Siam in 1775 after the Thai King Taksin succeeded in driving out the Burmese. Hence, the cultural development in Chiang Mai are mostly attributed to the Lanna era. There are over 300 wat (temples) in Chiang Mai, mostly with architectural features influenced by the Lanna Kingdom.

Why Come To Chiang Mai? Chiang Mai arguably has more historical and cultural experience to offer than Bangkok, making the city a perfect fit for travellers who wish to experience 076

a suburb that celebrates its unique tradition and cultural heritage. For nature enthusiasts, 70% of Chiang Mai is covered by mountains and vegetation. So, do explore the national parks nearby such as Doi Inthanon National Park.

What To Do? Climb up Wat Doi Suthep On the must-do list for every traveller to Chiang Mai is the visit to the Wat Doi Suthep, a famous temple that stands on Doi Suthep hill. The temple is 15 kilometres away from the city centre. It dates back to 1383 and is one of the most sacred sites to the Thais. It takes about half an hour to the mountain top by bus. For thrill seekers, feel free to break a sweat by taking a more scenic route on foot or by cycling. Take the time to catch your breath when you reach the mountain top. There are another 309 steps to climb before you reach the pagodas. Alternatively, spare some energy by taking the elevator or the tram uphill. Entry to the temple using the tram costs 30 Thai baht for foreigners (or 50 baht if you would like a two-way tram ticket included). Do expect crowd during peak hours. The view of the glistening dome amidst the clear blue sky appears to be the welcoming gesture of Wat Doi Suthep. The gleaming beauty of the temple was resplendent that it draws you away from all the murmurs of devotees around you. The temple is surrounded by large bells that are rung by pilgrims to bring good luck. This is also the best place to get a birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of Chiang Mai. Every visitor, Buddhist or otherwise, gets the chance to perform their own prayers and to make offerings. Monks can be seen offering help to the pilgrims and devotees to perform their religious duties. There are also visitors who seeks the service of several different monks to offer their prayers, advice and consultation. 077

Visit Wat Phra Singh Woramahaviharn One of Chiang Mai’s most revered temples is Wat Phra Singh Woramahaviharn. The temple was named after the Buddha image it housed in 1367, the Phra Singh (Lion Buddha). With its statuesque Buddha and its classic and artistic Lanna style buildings, it explains why this temple garners interest from local and international tourists. Despite Phra Singh’s exalted stature, not many seem to know of its origin nor the Buddha image details. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful Lanna religious art attributed to its humanlike texture and lotus-shaped top knot. The Phra Singh is honoured during the annual Songkran Festival when its image is carried through the streets of Chiang Mai and the locals sprinkle water over it.

Visit Wat Chedi Luang Wat Chedi Luang is another famous temple on the list of must-visit temples in Thailand. The most prominent feature of the temple is the massive staircase in the middle. Once the tallest structure in ancient Chiang Mai, Wat Chedi Luang was built around a crumbling Lanna-styled chedi (pagoda) in the 14th century. The massive staircase structure originally lead to one of Buddha’s statues at its highest peak. Pilgrims and devotees take turns climbing up the stairs with buckets full of water to shower the statue whilst offering prayers and wishes. Damaged during an earthquake in 1545, the chedi’s height is reduced to nearly half of its original size, yet remained impressive. Restoration works were carried out but it was never quite complete, leaving it in its present state. 078

Getting Around Getting around the city is easy. Besides renting a bike, the most popular would be to take the red cab, which costs 20 Baht for a city tour.

Shop, Shop, Shop Take your time to explore the Chiang Night Market, or Night Bazaar. This is the place to buy souvenirs, amulet, Thai silk and jewelleries at reasonable prices. Do not hesitate to bargain. The Night Bazaar, on the east side of the old-walled city, is approximately a kilometre long on Thanon Chang Khlan .The Night Bazaar is open every day of the year regardless of the weather from dusk until close to midnight.

In A Nutshell Chiang Mai, the province, with all its historical splendour, religious tolerance and agro-based community, promises as the perfect hideaway for travellers seeking a more laidback and meditative ambiance and amidst gentle culture and heritage.

Embrace religious tolerance Despite Thailand being predominantly populated by Buddhists, the openness and tolerance of its religious community towards the foreign visitors are evident. Those of other religions were greeted with open arms into their sacred places with big smiles and warm gestures, shutting out any feeling of awkwardness. As a sign of respect, visitors should dress decently before entering any temple. This is part of the courtesy in which most visitors will gladly observe. In return, tthe visitors will get an upclose experience of how the monks and the devotees perform certain religious rites and pay their respect to the deities. For the monks, it is in this way that the teachings of Buddha can be understood and appreciated. The temples are more than as places of

worship â&#x20AC;&#x201C; they also host communitybased activities. On Sundays, the temples are set up to hold bazaars, amulet markets and different types of community classes. This is the place where religion and society meld. Check out the coffee culture Some say that seven out of ten Thais who reside in Bangkok prefer Chiang Mai as a temporary escapade from the city. The reason could be due to coffee. Artisan local coffee joints are growing rapidly in Chiang Mai and and this does not come as a surprise since Chiang Mai is home to Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own coffee plantation. Coffee culture also seems to be synonymous with youth. This has drawn in young, hipster and new age travellers to the city. These new breed of travellers gradually make the city more vibrant. 079

Magical Krabi TEXT | Khairul Akil IMAGES | Khairul Akil

Krabi is one of the world famous tourist destinations and attractions. The currency in Thailand is in Thai Baht. For those interested to travel backpack when visiting Krabi for three days and two nights, RM500 (more or less equivalent to 5,000 Baht) would be enough to cover accommodation, meals and transport. From Krabi town to Ao Nang, it costs 50 Baht per person by songthaew, more or less similar to the jeepney in Manila. From Ao Nang to the airport, it costs 500 Baht per taxi ride but it costs more from the airport to Ao Nang.

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Krabi’s Trivia The 132 islands offshore Thailand in the Andaman Sea fall under Krabi’s jurisdiction. The province covers a total area of 4,709 square of kilometres. Several of those islands such as the Lanta Islands, Ko Phi Phi Don and Ko Jum, are actually inhabited. The province itself is split into eight administrative districts, called ampur in Thai: Ao Luk; Plai Praya; Muang (covering Ao Nang, Railay, Krabi Town, Klong Muang and the Phi Phi Islands); Neua Klong; Klong Thom; Khao Phanom; Lam Tup and Koh Lanta. Krabi’s population is currently around 395,000 people, of which the majority are Muslims. Weather-wise, the ideal time to visit Krabi is in late January and February, when you will enjoy nearby perfect conditions: calm glassy seas, clear blue skies, moderate temperatures and only a tiny chance of shower burst. By visiting during this period, you also avoid the peak season, thus not having to contend with throngs of people and higher accommodation prices, unlike in November and December. As a matter of fact, some people prefer to visit Krabi during rainy season, despite the risk of having to deal with the rain and tropical storms because it is cooler, cheaper and less crowded – it is even possible that you may have the whole island to yourself! Essentially, travellers are recommended to slow down to get the real feel of this region in Southern Thailand. If you are going to Krabi for the very first time, it is recommended that you stay in Ao Nang, about an hour’s drive from Krabi town, which in itself has nothing much to offer except for the night market. Ao Nang on the other hand is situated by the beach and has easy access to Railay Beach, famous for its rock climbing activities.

Getting To Krabi From Malaysia By Plane Krabi International Airport (KBV) is about 10 kilometres from the city limit and 15 kilometres from the city centre. It is 40 kilometres from Ao Nang, the busiest part of Krabi, which is the jump-off points for tourists to go for the island-hopping excursions off coasts. Firefly flies three times daily to and from Penang, taking approximately an hour. We definitely recommend this mode of transport to Krabi, which is more timesaving even cheaper than boarding the bus if you book at the right time!

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Best Chilling Ride Around Krabi Tuk-tuk is the most convenient way to get around Krabi. They cost 20 Baht per person and are easily available by the roadside. But if you really good at bargaining, then you might get yourself lucky! It is fun to travel with the tuk-tuk.

What To Do? Frolic around Ao Nang Ao Nang is considered as Krabi’s centre for water-based activities and nightlife. Rent a bike or car and simply zip around, stopping in small villages and local markets. Dinner in Ao Nang ranges from pizza to sushi. Its friendly nightlife, which is worth checking out, begins from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Visit the famous Wat Tham Suea, Tiger Cave Temple One of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the province, it is well known for the tiger paw prints in the cave, tall Buddha statues

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and the strenous 1,237 flight of stairs to reach the summit. At the same time, enjoy the views of nature and other creatures there – truly breathtaking! Embrace yourself with the hot spring experience at Waree Raksa To complete a perfect Krabi holiday experience, the day spa at Waree Raksa should not be missed. This is definitely the place where travellers can soak their cares and worries away by dipping into the perfectly healthy natural mineral-enhanced spring water straight from the source. Travellers can also enjoy a full relaxation massage and practice Thai yoga, besides savouring healthy lunch accompanied by herbal tea. The clear and odourless water – which naturally hovers around 38°Celsius to 42°Celsius, possesses the pH value of 6.9 and rich in beneficial minerals – was discovered by chance in 1989. Follow the 4-island tour Book the 4-island tour with a tour agent (to

get snorkelling equipment and lunch) or do it independently (to experience the tour according to your own time). Most local companies offer this tour – simply go to the local tour companies (most of them speak English) and ask for the Four Islands tour, which includes visit to Tup Island, Chicken Island, Poda Island and Phra Nang Cave. The tour will take travellers to visit spectacular beaches and a

hidden lagoon. The cheapest rate is around 1,200 Baht (RM120) per person. Travel by speedboat is more expensive. Visit Railay Island for its beautiful tropical island views Located 25 kilometres northwest of Ao Nang. It is one of the most beautiful islands near the Krabi coast with towering limestone cliffs that shelter incredible beaches. Isolated from the mainland, the peninsula of Railay is surrounded by the warm Andaman Sea, lush jungle, and twisted rock. The island offers various activities for the most adventurous, including those who just want to simply chill out. Take time out to do some shopping Trawl the hundreds of souvenir shops by strolling around a local market to hunt for

the usual souvenirs such as fridge magnets, miniatures, collectible soda cans, cute sculptures of elephants and Buddhist icons, including Muslim-related items like prayer mats and womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s praying veil.

Where To Stay? Aonang Villa Resort is a stimulating accommodation that is situated in the centre of Ao Nang, just minutes away from lively shops and restaurants, unspoiled nature and lush tropical environment, including soaring limestone cliffs. The resort delivers commendable service to all of its guests and help make their stay memorable.

Last Thoughts Travellers should keep their stress level at all-time low by spending their time on the deserted beaches and enjoy the view of magical Krabi, which offers a great escape!

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How to ‘Do’ Japan in Six Days! Part 2 - Kanagawa TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Shad Sakeri, Idham Aisha & Product Owners

Continuing from the previous issue, Gaya Travel this time explores another part of the Kanto region called Kanagawa. While there are a number of great cities and interesting towns in the area, we only managed to cover a few of them such as Yokohama, Hakone, Jogashima Island and Kawasaki.

high-end gifts. And just like many other Japan’s leading department store retailers, the company started with a humble beginning when the founder, Shinshichi Iida, opened the first store in 1831 at the tender age of 27 with the sole intention of providing good tailored kimono to his community in Kyoto.

Yokohama

But today, it is the symbol of luxury and elegance, almost like the Japanese version of the prestigious Saks Fifth Avenue in New York (as a matter of fact, Takashimaya used to have a branch at the Big Apple as well but already closed). Yes, the products sold can be quite pricey, but the experience to shop here is priceless. Customers will be treated by an utmost attentive and courteous customer service in true Japanese grace. Besides, the merchandise bought here will be presented so well as if gift wrapping is an art form in Takashimaya (and even the whole of Tokyo), making it a perfect souvenir for your loved one! Also, enjoy tax refund when you spend more than 3,000 JPY here.

Takashimaya Attention, ladies! Takashimaya is one of Japan’s most famous department chain store specialising in classic and contemporary clothing, housewares, designer makeup and elegant

Hara Model Railway Museum The idea of opening Hara Model Railway Museum was triggered over the undying love of Nabutaro Hara towards railways and trains. His passion that began since he was in the sixth grade later grew bigger 086

as he travelled around the world to collect railway models and publications. From time to time, he was approached by several companies that showed a huge interest in exhibiting his collections, but he gently refused with the reason that he could not live without his trains. It was only after his wife’s persuasion that he finally agreed. The Hara Railway Museum, now managed by Mitsui Fudosan, has eight exhibition rooms, including one with an impressive 310 square metres railway diorama, said to be one of the largest in the world. The diorama represents the Lyon Station in France, decorated with European streets and landscapes and lighted up with romantic illumination. The museum opens from Wednesday to Monday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The entrance fee is 1,000 JPY per adult or 500 JPY per child.

Cup Noodle Museum Yes, you read it right. There is a museum in this city that is solely dedicated to the instant noodle. But before you raise an eyebrow over the idea, this museum is apparently not the only noodle museum in the world. The museum impresses visitors with the exhibition of 3,000 kinds of cup noodle packages collected from around the world. The entrance fee to this museum is 500 JPY per person but with an additional 300 JPY, visitors will be able to create the Cup Noodles of their dream by selecting 5,460 available ingredients and later design the cup themselves. Another must-do activity while you are here is to watch the interesting computer graphic animated film on the history of Cup Noodle and Momofuku Ando at the Momofuku Theatre, and be prepared to walk out of the theatre feeling inspired and creative. So if there is one thing I can say about this facility, it is its remarkability that surpasses my expectations. Hakkeijima Sea Paradise Hakkeijima Sea Paradise consists of distinct areas namely Aqua Resorts and Pleasure Land. Aqua Resorts comprises Aqua Museum, Dolphin Fantasy and Fureai Lagoon where visitors can witness Japan’s largest collections of marine life with more than 500 species and over 100,000 creatures. There is also Japan’s first ‘Aqua Escalator’ that takes visitors from the surface of the park, right to the very heart of the three-storey aquarium, giving the effect as it they are walking under water.

Occasionally, there will also be special shows involving the marine animals held at the Aqua Museum. When I was there, we managed to watch a spectacular musical presentation featuring a school of sardines dancing to the beat. Do check their official website (www.seaparadise.co.jp/english/ introduction.html) for a full list of events held there. While it is completely free for visitors to enter the park and take a stroll along the promenades or dine at the restaurants, there is a fee that needs to be paid in order to enjoy the attractions available here: 3,000 JPY for each facility. Visitors could also opt for an all-inclusive one day pass worth 5,000 JPY if they want to enter it all at a discounted price. 087

Sankeien Garden If travellers yearn for an escape amidst the city away from tall buildings and bustling port, they should consider visiting Sankeien Garden, which is a charming oasis filled with lush greenery and strong history. The place is so quiet that visitors could easily forget that they are actually in one of the most populated areas in Japan. But, what makes this century-aged garden more interesting is that it exhibits 17 historic buildings from across Japan, some even dated back to the Edo period (16031868). Plus, visitors may experience an authentic tea ceremony with matcha (green tea) being prepared by a tea ceremony master at the fee of 400 JPY. Sankeien opens every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed only during the last three days of December each year. Red Brick Warehouses Planned by Yorinaka Tsumaki, an architect extraordinaire whose famous work often characterised by fusion of classic Western European and Japanese elements, Red Brick Warehouse is indeed a worthy attraction to be visited in Yokohama. It is artsy, earthy and slightly quirky. There are two main buildings running parallel to each other, with an open space in between. The first building, or the cultural facility as some called, features hall for theatre performances and concerts, a space for galleries and events, and various craft shops.

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The second one on the other hand, houses chic boutiques, cafés and restaurants with local favourite being the restaurant called ‘Bills’, said to be serving the best breakfast in the world! Interestingly, the façade of Red Brick Warehouse changes every season throughout the year, for example, ‘Flower Garden’ during spring and ‘Art Rink’ during winter. Do note that retail hours and holidays may vary depending on store. Yamate Seiyokan (Western-style Houses) Yamate is an elite area in Yokohama. It is where foreigners built their homes and reside temporarily during the massive influx in the 1860s. However, the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 destroyed most of the houses and those that survived had been replicated and relocated, including the Diplomat’s House and the Barrack House. The Diplomat’s House was built for the Japanese Diplomat called Uchida Sadatsuchi but was planned by an American architect, which explains the combination of American and Japanese influences in its design. There is a huge wooden door at the entrance that is engraved with the name of the family, a tradition widely practiced at that era. In contrast, The Barrack House features Spanish Colonial Revival Style that can be traced from the floral motifs, decorative iron trim and the use of smooth plaster stucco wall. The architect for The Barrack House was also responsible for Yamate No. 111 and the Marunouchi building in Tokyo.

Orbi Yokohama Orbi is a joint venture between BBC Earth and Sega aiming to draw visitors into the heart of the natural world by using both Sega’s cutting-edge technology and BBC’s popular nature contents that are presented in all of their visual, sonic, sensational and aromatic glory – as can be seen in the Theatre 23.4, where the films are projected on a huge 8x40 metres curved main screen and two rear 5x3 metres screens, accompanied with equipment that generates wind, fog, vibrations and even odours.

Hakone

Sight Seeing Cruise

Hakone Sekisho

Go on board one of Hakone Sightseeing Cruise ships and enjoy picturesque views of Hakone including Mount Fuji as the pirate-style ships cruise the Lake Ashinoko, a 3,000-year old lake formed after the volcano’s last eruption in the area. Today, this prominent natural site has become the symbol of Hakone. There are three models of ship used altogether named Royal, Victory and Visa, which are inspired by France’s Royal Louise, England’s HMS Victory and the Sweden’s Vasa respectively. The fare depends on which port you depart from, but roughly costs from 360 JPY to 1,840 JPY per way. Hakone Sightseeing Cruise operates every day from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

During the Edo period, Hakone used to be an important post town where Sekisho acted as its checkpoint to control traffic along the Tokaido highway linking Tokyo with Kyoto, as well as to inspect travellers and loads. Today, this place has been restored after 140 years and now features components similar to the original site including gates, fence, housing for officers and foot soldiers, a prison chamber and a lookout tower. Hakone Sekisho opens every day from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Then entrance fee is 500 JPY.

Orbi is described as immersive and interactive in nature, making it different from the typical one-way visual presentation experience. Another exhilarating installation that should be experienced is the Arctic Room where visitors can be in a minus 20 degrees room and feel the wind chilled through an industrial refrigeration system pummelled into them at 20 metres per second. Orbi opens every day from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and the entrance fee is 2,600 JPY.

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Owakudani No matter how you call it – Owakudani, Great Boling Alley or even Great Hell – this place is without a doubt a very popular tourist site for its remarkable views and hot springs. It is also well-known for the Kuro-tamago – blackened chicken eggs after being boiled in the thermal pools. Apparently, the eggshells react to the sulphur and minerals in the water, causing it to change colour. More interestingly, legend has it that eating a Kuro-tamago will prolong your life by seven years. Interested visitors could get their hands on these magical black eggs at the shops there; a paper bag containing five eggs (equal to 35 years) will cost you 500 JPY. Access to Ōwakudani is via Hakone Ropeway, Hakone Tozan Railway and Hakone Cable Car. On clear days, Owakudani offers a great view of the majestic Mount Fuji.

Express Romancecar Train Embark on a luxurious journey to Japan’s popular holiday spots like Hakone, Enoshima and Kamakura by riding on a ‘Romancecar’ train and enjoy spectacular country site views along the way. ‘Romancecar’ is Odakyu’s limited express train; limited here means that every seat should be reserved prior to the journey. When it started in 1957, the train broke the world speed record for a narrow gauge train by having the ability to go 145km per hour. To go to Hakone, it took approximately 85 minutes to reach from Shinjuku. The ticket for a ride on Romancecar starts at 1,210 JPY. 090

Jogashima Island Cooking Class Japanese cuisine has been an international favourite around the world. This can be seen from the growing number of Japanese restaurants across the globe. But when in Japan, rather than eating the cuisine at a typical restaurant, travellers who may want to have a slightly different experience can make the dishes themselves with the assistance of the actual experts: the locals. This kind of cooking class can be made possible if travellers contact their local travel agents directly. However, if you are a free independent traveller (FIT), do head to any Japanese tourist information centre for a list of available cooking classes near to your place of stay. During this familiarisation trip, we had the honour of attending a cooking class led by the well-respected chef from Kanagawa named Mrs. Haramisako, who taught us how to properly make sushi roll and Japanese vegetable soup. At the age of 72, Mrs. Harasako claims the title as the number one chef in the district, specialising in traditional Japanese homecooked meals.

Urari Fish Market Misaki fishing harbour is known as one of the Japan’s premier tuna landing port. Near to this harbour is one of most popular fish markets in the area called Urari, a place where both locals and foreigners come to buy fresh produce of the sea at reasonable prices. A reliable source even told me that the sellers usually give a bigger discount to foreigners compared to the locals as a courteous gesture towards guests.

Toshiba Science Museum

Kawasaki Lazona Kawasaki Plaza

At Toshiba, the organisation is committed to spreading knowledge while continuing to develop smarter technology for a sustainable society. The opening of Toshiba Science Museum therefore is one of the efforts that lead to such direction. The museum was initially opened in 1961 but closed in September 2013 for relocation. On 31 January 2014, the new Toshiba Science Museum was reopened in the Kawasaki Lazona area. There are three zones in the museum including the History Zone that focuses on the journey of Toshiba from 1900s to the modern age (and see the first washing machine and TV models in the world); the Science Zone where visitors can learn

science and technology; and finally the Future Zone that allows visitors to come into contact with the future idea of ‘smart communities’. But, my personal favourite part of the museum was the demonstration of the ‘Principles of Superconducting Maglev System’, a method that uses magnetic levitation to move objects without touching the ground. Admission to the museum is free. It opens every day except Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and 7:00 p.m. on weekends. Gaya Travel extends our heartfelt gratitude to the Kanto Transport Bureau and Relation Japan Inc. for this unforgettable, eye-opening and educational six-day experience.

Attention, ladies! (again) I love shopping. And I believe most Malaysians are too. This is why I suggest travellers who happen to be in Kawasaki make a quick (or long!) trip to Lazona Kawasaki Plaza. Known as the ‘land of anything you could ask for’ – be it fashion, dining and entertainment options – Lazona impresses shoppers with its 300 specialty stores. The concept of this mall is based on “an entire town under a single roof” idea, featuring semi-circular architecture and a large glass self-supporting roof that allows natural ventilation. The roof was designed by Ricardo Bofill who is a famous Spanish architect. Lazona Kawasaki Plaza is open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Where To Eat? • Hana Sagami • Hokkaido • Khazanah • Port Café Terrace • Sappori Ginrin

Where To Stay? • Hakone Hotel Kowakien • New Grand Hotel • Yokohama Bay Hotel Tokyu

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After savouring the delights of Zermatt, Gaya Travel team continued its journey in Switzerland by travelling to Lugano, located in the canton of Ticino, close to the Italian border.

From Zermatt To Lugano To reach Lugano from Zermatt, travellers are required to take the three-hour train ride to Andermatt on the train service called the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, which carriages are fitted with large panoramic windows. The service is also known as the Glacier Express, consisting of mountain trains that run on rack rails (railway tracks with toothed rails located between the bearing rails that engage with a cogwheel under the locomotive to help the train climb steep slopes). The Glacier Express plies the route that starts from Zermatt and ends at either Davos or St. Moritz – with stops at designated stations along the way – taking approximately eight hours in total to arrive at either destination. As the train pulled out of Zermatt to head to Andermatt, travellers are able to savour the wonderful mountainous sceneries that Switzerland is so renowned for.

Lugano, Switzerland

TEXT & IMAGES | Jeremy Khalil

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Once we arrived at Andermatt, we took a different train to Groschenen, located 20 minutes’ ride away. From Groschenen, we took another different train to Bellinzona (capital of Ticino region and UNESCO World Heritage site since the year 2000), which took about another hour. We noticed that the train enters a socio-linguistically different territory as we reached Airolo – the houses henceforth are more of Italian and Mediterranean style compared to the typical Swiss chalet fashion. From Bellinzona, we took the final 30-minute train ride to Lugano.

Million-Franc Views Whoever loves travelling on trains (like the Gaya Travel Magazine Editor) and admiring sweeping vistas will definitely love the experience. Throughout the journey, we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stop reiterating the fact that we did not know how beautiful Switzerland is until we saw it with our own eyes. Gaya Travel strongly believes that all travellers who explore Switzerland must experience riding on the Glacier Express since the journey is full of breathtaking views that attest to the fact that the country is one of the most picture-postcard perfect destinations in the world. During the journey from Zermatt to Lugano, we realised that around 60% of Swiss territory are mountainous, rendering space and arable land as premium. Besides snowcapped mountains and glaciers, Switzerland is also blessed with pristine rivers, waterfalls and gorges, natural elements conducive for the construction of hydropower plants that produces 56% of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy, making it the most important domestic source of renewable energy. This is followed by nuclear power plants (producing 39% of energy), thermal and other types of power plants (5%).

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Ticino Ticino is the Italian-speaking canton located in south of Switzerland, bordering with Italy. The area used to be under the rule of the Duchy of Milan from 1100 A.D. until the 15th and 16th centuries, when the Old Swiss Confederacy (a loose confederation of valley communities and independent small states located in the Central Alps that shared common interest, considered as the pre-cursor to Switzerland) began annexing the territory during the Transalpine Campaign (military expeditions that resulted in the conquest of territories south of the Alps). Ticino boasts 160 kilometres of lake shores, including 3,600 kilometres of hiking trails and 737 kilometres of cycling paths. The factsheet by Ticino Turismo also claims that the canton is home to 130 lakes that are ideal for swimming and fishing. Due to the cantonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mild climate, we were informed that travellers could hike at any day of the year, especially during spring through autumn. The canton is dubbed as the sunnier side of Switzerland, clocking 2,302 hours of sun in a year. It receives many Swiss German tourists who prefer to come here for its warmer weather compared to the other areas in Switzerland, especially during weekends. The best time to visit Ticino is in September to October, but we were told that May onwards should already be lovely. Ticino is also home to two UNESCO Sites: one located in Ticinoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s capital, Bellinzona, which contains three castles that possess unique military architecture from the medieval times; and the other is in Monte San Giorgio, located right at the border of Italy, which is home to the best fossil record of marine life from the Triassic Period (between 245 and 230 million years ago).

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Soon we stopped for a quick lunch on the grounds of a scenic Baroque church called Madonna d’Ongero that was built in 1624. We then proceeded down to the aged yet elegant Torello (an old farmhouse surrounded by meadows) and finally arrived at the quaintly mediaeval Morcote, a remarkably scenic lakeshore town with edifices made of stone and wood that are neatly packed, forming narrow alleyways in between.

Hiking In Lugano Lugano - Monte San Salvatore - Ciona - Carona - Church of Madonna d’Ongero Torello - Morcote

After resting our tired feet and imbibing refreshing beverages while absorbing the atmosphere, we took the ferry back to Lugano, which afforded us great views of other lakeshore towns along Lugano Lake and surrounding mountain chains from the water. Once in Lugano, travellers could leisurely amble along the promenade by the lakeshore to take in the view, besides checking out Lugano’s Old Town Mediterranean-style squares and arcades.

Lugano is a conurbation within Ticino that is home to around 70,000 people. Though not being the capital of Ticino, Lugano pulses with excitement during summer as it hosts Estival Jazz in July, art shows and concerts. It is Switzerland’s third largest financial centre, which is why it is brimming with businesses, meetings and fairs. Travellers to Lugano should take advantage of the area’s wonderful hiking trails that come in various levels of difficulty, but mostly are easy, which we experienced first-hand. From the centre of Lugano, we first took the funicular train up to Monte San Salvatore (912 metres above sea level) to admire the fantastic views of Lugano area, Lugano Lake and Melide causeway, including the plains of Lombardy and the chain of Swiss and Savoy Alps. Travellers are encouraged to climb to the top of the San Salvatore Church and enjoy the arresting 360-degree view of the surrounding panoramic expanse. We then hiked down through the woods that are full of chestnut trees, besides oak and hornbeam, and subsequently reached the paved road leading further down to the delightful Mediterranean hamlets of Ciano and Carona. 095

Interested To Discover Switzerland? Here Are Some Pointers: • Travellers are recommended to refer to the website www.MySwitzerland.com, which is one of the best sources for researching and obtaining up-to-date information on Switzerland, including suggestions on what to do and see. • To the Gaya Travel team, Switzerland is about liveability – travellers should take time to absorb Switzerland’s fresh air, exceedingly beautiful natural landscapes and high quality of life. Swiss cities such as Zurich and Geneva tend to score high on the world global cities index when it comes to liveability. Visiting Switzerland offers international travellers the real understanding of what ‘liveability’ actually means.

Where To Stay When Visiting Lugano Gaya Travel team stayed at Kurhaus Cademario (www.kurhauscademario. com), a marvellous spa and wellness resort situated 850 metres above sea level that splendidly serves up the awesome views of Lake Lugano. Each of the resort’s 82 rooms is equipped with strong Wi-Fi connectivity for up to 10 devices. Opened in 2013, the resort keeps a multi-lingual reception team who are knowledgeable on what is currently happening in Lugano. For guests who love hiking, there are around 320 kilometres of trails located close to Kurhaus Cademario, for example the Chestnut Trail in Malcantone. At the heart of Kurhaus Cademario is the 2,200-square-metre spa and wellness area named DOT.Spa, characterised by sharply designed treatment rooms and efficacious treatments, including refreshing salt pool and external pool that are heated during winter, sauna, Turkish steam bath, fitness room and incredibly cosy relaxation spaces.DOT.Spa not only caters for guests who stay at Kurhaus Cademario but also walk-ins. 096

• In Switzerland, it seems that the philosophy of their public transport design and planning is strictly bent towards making life easy. Be sure to purchase the handy and allencompassing Swiss pass online at www.swiss-pass.ch prior to visiting Switzerland. The pass allows travellers to easily use railways, trams, buses and boats throughout the country. Travellers will also be able to get more travelling information from swisstravelsystem.com. • To know what time and what mode of public transport to take to travel from one point to another when being in Switzerland – for example from Cademario in Lugano to Zurich Old Town – simply download the ZVV Fahrplan mobile app onto your mobile device. The app precisely calculates the time and schedule of the relevant mode of transport that travellers can take from one point to another. It also suggests various possibilities and alternative options for travellers to get to their destinations from respective points of departure. • Yes, Switzerland is no doubt expensive and travellers sometimes can’t help but compare the prices of goods here to those back home. However, we feel that embracing this reality is part of the travelling experience since prices are also exorbitant at other European countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Luxembourg. The chance to travel through one of the world’s most beautiful and most liveable countries on the planet far outweighs the cost. • When Malaysians budget for their trip to Switzerland, the rule of thumb is to anticipate their expenditure to be similar to shopping and dining at Suria KLCC’s retail outlets and restaurants (not food court), especially those located on the Concourse and Ground Floor levels. Travellers must be comfortable with the idea that one meal might cost them RM50 to RM75 per person. But of course, if travellers consume less and opt for merely sandwiches, pastries and fruits, the cost of meals can be considerably reduced.

An Af fair TEXT | Anas Abas IMAGES | Sharm

Gaya Travel team, together with other Malaysian journalists, recently had the opportunity to join a four-day familiarisation trip to Osaka by the invitation of Osaka Government Tourism Bureau (OGTB), Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Airlines. This trip was part of the media exchange programme between Kuala Lumpur and Osaka. Earlier in 2014, selected Japanese journalists were brought to Kuala Lumpur for them to write up about Malaysia’s capital in their respective media channels.

The purpose of Osaka Government Tourism Bureau (OGTB) inviting the Malaysian media is to help the organisation achieve the target of 74,000 tourist arrivals into Osaka by the end of 2014. The bureau, including other Japanese offices and organisations related to tourism, have been heavily promoting Japanese destinations to the Malaysian and Indonesian markets. As a result, OGTB is now enjoying tremendous increase in terms of tourist arrivals from both markets, particularly among Muslim travellers from both countries. We travelled to Osaka from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines, which provided a notably pleasant return journey. Malaysia Airlines has continuously been flying to Kansai International Airport (the international gateway to Osaka) ever since it opened in 1994. Before we boarded the aircraft at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, our delegation were ushered to the Malaysia Airlines Golden Lounge, an efficient space that allowed us to finish our work since it is equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity, including refreshments to fill

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In its quest to further enrich Economy Class passengers’ experience, Malaysia Airlines recently introduced MH Gourmet comprising Western, Japanese and Malaysian cuisine as part of its in-flight meal selections for flights from Kuala Lumpur to selected international destinations (www. malaysiaairlines.com). At RM70 per meal, passengers can order the meal 24 hours before flight departure by calling 1 300 88 3000 (within Malaysia) or +6 03 7843 3000 (outside Malaysia).

up our tummies when hungry. Upon arrival at the Kansai International Airport, we were greeted by Tourism Malaysia, OGTB and Malaysia Airlines representatives. We were then taken on a short tour around Kansai airport – this was when we found out about the existence of a prayer room that can be used by Muslims to perform solat (prayers), complete with facilities to take wudhu (ablution) and direction towards Makkah. For the convenience of Muslim travellers, the authorities thoughtfully provide prayer rooms not only at the airport but also Osaka Station and Nambi Station. Since the Japanese are major consumers of seafood in the world, getting halal meals in Japan, especially in Osaka, is not difficult since Muslim travellers can easily opt for seafood, besides vegetarian meals. When we finally set foot in Osaka city after a 45-minute train ride from Kansai International Airport, Gaya Travel team found the city to be lively and vibrant with tonnes of shopping opportunities. We also find it clean, organised and resided by people who are polite and efficient. Despite its modernity and residents in Western clothing walking speedily while constantly talking or checking on their smartphones, Japanese heritage and culture remain visible. The four-day trip was filled with eye-opening experience for us to learn about Japanese culture and lifestyle while

savouring the delights of what Osaka has to offer.

Must Visit! Umeda Floating Garden Observatory Situated on a skyscraper 173 metres above ground with 360 degrees panoramic sky view, this garden is an excellent spot for a romantic city and sunset viewing. Originated from the concept of ‘city in the sky’, travellers need to access the garden using the see-through elevator and escalator just to reach the lobby, which is also the main entrance. The see-through elevator and escalator bring travellers up to the 39th floor where the ticketing counter is located. There are also a shop and a luxurious sky lounge on the same floor. Going up to the 40th floor, travellers can sit back, relax, and enjoy the stunning city view in the ‘escargot cabin’ while enjoying a cup of coffee purchased at Café Sky 40. Travellers will be able to witness not only the view of the city but also the Yodogawa River at the River View section. For the experience of breathing in fresher

air with the wind blowing in travellers’ hair similar to a scene in a romantic movie, just head up to the next level, which is the rooftop with an open air Sky Walk affording travellers’ 360-degree panoramic view. The place is also voted as one of Japan’s top 100 places to view the sunset. Couples should not miss the chance to attach their one of a kind “heart lock” at the Fence of Vows. Website: www.luchu-teien.com Telephone: +81 6 6440 3855 Direction: If you are driving on the Hanshin Expressway, it is approximately 3 minutes from the Umeda exit. If you are travelling using the train, stop at Osaka Station and take the central north exit of JR Osaka Station. From there it would be approximately 9 minutes of walking. 099

The Japanese Garden Located within the Expo’ 70 Commemorative Park, travellers are bound to be mesmerised by the Japanese Garden’s natural beauty. Since we visited the place during autumn, the place was blazing with glorious colours of the foliage turning red, yellow ad gold, accompanied by the soothing sounds of birds chirping and river flowing.

Yamamoto Noh Theater Located in the middle of Osaka city and two minutes away from Tanimachi 4-chome station of Osaka metro, the historic Yamamoto Noh Theater was established in 1921 but then was destroyed by the war and rebuilt in 1950. After 80 years, it is still renowned for staging traditional noh performances. The theatre is listed as a Japanese Tangible Heritage since 2006. Noh performance is the oldest existing theatrical performance started 650 years ago. Noh or nohgaku originated as a performing art derived from sarugaku (pantomime, acrobatics and magic), which later separated into noh and kyogen that are full off emotive drama and musical background. The noh performance takes place on a stage constructed in traditional Japanese method known as miyadaiku, which uses elaborate wooden joints. Underneath the stage are 12 empty pots to enhance the performances’ acoustics. Website: www.noh-theater.com Telephone: +81 06 6846 3369 Direction: From Umeda, take the Osaka subway Tanimachi-line from Higashi-Umeda station and disembark at Tanimachi-4-chome. From the point you stopped, it would take approximately two minutes’ walk to get to the theatre. 100

This garden is a unified garden consisting of three major garden styles representing three periods: the ancient time (Heian Period, 8th century – 12th century); the medieval times (Kamakura and Muromachi Period, 12th century – 16th century); and the modern times (Edo Period, 17th century – 19th century). Website: www.expo70.or.jp Telephone: +81 6 6877 7387 Direction: From Umeda Station you need to take the subway (Midosuji Line) to Senri-Chuo Station. Then take Osaka monorail to Bampaku-Kinen-Koen Station. From that station, it takes approximately 5 minutes to walk to the park.

Taking River Cruise to Osaka Castle One morning, after breakfast at the Imperial Hotel Osaka, we were brought to cruise along the Okawa River via AquaLiner, heading towards the Osaka Castle. The journey was refreshing since travellers get to enjoy the mixed views of the city and nature along the way. Not just that, Aqua-Liner also offers four types of boat according to the season. When we reached the grounds of the iconic and picturesque Osaka Castle, we were greeted with myriads of maple leaves turning yellow. For travellers who are into outdoor photography, this is definitely one of the places they must visit when travelling to Osaka since the castle’s exterior and remarkably landscaped grounds offer excellent photographic opportunities. Osaka Castle Website: www.osakacastle.net Telephone: +81 6 6941 3044 Direction: From Osaka Station, take the train (JR Osaka Loop Line) to the Osakajo Koen Station. It would take approximately 9 minutes to reach the station. From there, you can walk to Osaka Castle. For a different experience, travellers should take the Aqua-Liner cruise along the Okawa River. Aqua-Liner Website: suijo-bus.jp Telephone: +81 0570 03 5551

Universal Studios Japan (The Wizarding World of Harry Potter & Universal Wonder Christmas) Magical – that would be the one word we would describe about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios Japan! From the moment we stepped into it, we instantly felt that we were part of the Hogwarts fraternity. The entire experience was totally outlandish and spectacular at the same time since it gives the chance for travellers to physically explore the Hogwarts Castle, its classrooms and corridors. Don’t be surprised when the portraits hanging on the wall begin talking to you, similar to the movies. For the adventurous, they may also opt for the exciting ride on the broomstick, besides savouring the magical brew, the hot ‘Butterbeer’, which is a non-alcoholic beverage. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is definitely recommended for any hardcore Harry Potter fans, including travellers who love to venture into the realm of fantasy and magic.

coincided with the early stages of winter, the time when the incredibly festive Christmas show was held next to The World’s Most Illuminated Tree (certified by Guinness World Records by having the most lights on an artificial Christmas tree). With all that singing and dancing, it managed to get everybody into holiday mood. This experience is strongly recommended for families who want to be immersed in festive winter holiday. However, since Universal Studios Japan is open all year round, travellers are bound to be enthralled by the theme park’s various rides and attractions that guarantees excitement for all ages. Website: www.usj.co.jp Telephone: +81 5 7020 0606 Direction: From Osaka Station, take the JR Osaka Loop Line and disembark at Nishikujo Station. From there, take the JR Yumesaki Line and stop at the Universal City Station. If you travel directly from Kansai International Airport, take the JR Hanwa Line or Kansai International Airport Express Line and stop at Nishikujo Station, then proceed to Universal City Station via JR Yumesaki Line.

Our trip to the Universal Studios Japan

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Osaka Housing and Living Museum To really understand Old Osaka, travellers should visit the Osaka Housing and Living Museum, where they will be transported back to the Edo period of Japan, when it was ruled by merchants. The museum is located in a village called Osaka 3 Chome. Moreover, there are also kimono and yukata for rent should travellers want to experience being part of the village. Website: konjyakukan.com Telephone: +81 6 6242 1170 Direction: Take the Tanimachi Subway or the Sakaisuji Subway to Tenjinbahisuji 6-Chome Station. At the station, take the number 3 exit. From there, it is approximately a seven minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; walk. 102

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Shop Till You Drop!

Fuel Up!

Shopaholics, you will surely be fascinated when walking along the 600-metre street in Shinsaibashi that is filled with trendy boutiques, retail chains and luxury department stores like Daimaru, H&M, Bulgari and Zara. No wonder the Japanese are fashionable!

Osaka is famous for its food and it is said that takoyaki (a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger and green onion cooked in a special takoyaki pan) originated from Osaka.

Adding to the shopping list, Uniqlo recently opened a new four-storey store in north Osaka. Uniqlo is considered as the leading department store in Japan, offering practical yet stylish clothes sold according to seasons.

After becoming tired from all of the shopping done at Shinsaibashi, travellers can simply head to nearby Dotonbori, the place that serves a dizzying array of delicious food. Another option is the Travel Café at Hankyu Umeda Station. Interestingly, during our visit, the café together with OGTB and Tourism Malaysia Japan, was running a campaign called ‘Sudah Makan?’ (which means ‘Have You Eaten?”) to promote Malaysian food and beverages such as roti canai, mee goreng, nasi goreng, laksa and teh tarik to the Japanese market.

Direction to Shinsaibashi: From ShinOsaka station, take the subway Midosuji line and stop at Shinsaibashi station. Use exit number 6 and walk straight to the Shinsaibashi’s shopping street. Direction to Uniqlo: Uniqlo is located right in front of Travel Café, near to the Hankyu Umeda Station. To get to that station, you can also take either the JR Line or the Subway Midosuji Line from Shin-Osaka Station. From there, it takes about five minutes to reach the store.

For travellers craving for Western dishes, the Hardrock Café Honmachi located near to Shinsaibashi is a viable option, with its classic atmosphere and its legendary musttry 10-ounce burger. Direction to Dotonbori: Dotonbori is just next to Shinsaibaishi. The landmark of Dotonbori is the Kani Doraku mechanised crab. Direction to Travel Café Hankyu Umeda Station: From the Shin-Osaka Station, you can either take the JR Line or Subway Midosuji Line to reach the Hankyu Umeda Station. From there, it is only a five minutes’ walk. Direction to Hardrock Café Honmachi: Hardrock Café Honmachi is also located near Shinsaibashi, taking about 15 minutes of walking.

Stay At The Imperial Hotel Osaka Offering the taste of luxury with distinctive Japanese hospitality, the Imperial Hotel Osaka is located in central downtown area overlooking a picturesque river. Its guest rooms consist of regular floors and

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Tips: • Travelling by train through the Kansai region is cheaper and faster. It is suggested that travellers buy a train ticket that lasts for a few days. Make sure that you keep the ticket in a safe place since it is costly. Making reservations for train rides might be necessary during peak periods since many people travel this way. There is an additional charge of 500 yen for such reservations. Besides trains, buses and taxis in Osaka are also efﬁcient. • Osaka, as in all of Japan, is clean and tidy. So are the toilets. However, the amenities in Osaka are a tad more modern than what can be found at the outskirts of Osaka. • There is a no smoking rule in Osaka in public areas like hotels and restaurants. In hotels and restaurants, should one wishes to smoke, special rooms will be allocated for that. In public, there are booths provided everywhere for smoking purposes. • Trains in Japan are efﬁcient and punctual. There are many varieties of trains that travellers may choose such as the normal ones, the semi express and express trains. • Vending machines selling hot and cold beverages of all assortments ranging from coffee and juices to isotonic drinks can be found on almost every corner of the street, thus remaining hydrated has never been simpler. • Food for Muslims are aplenty in Osaka since there are all kinds of seafood options available. The Japanese government is also trying to make choices more Muslim friendly to promote and cultivate tourism.

imperial floors. The former comes in three types (suite, superior room and standard room) while the latter comes in four types (suite, junior suite, deluxe room and superior room). Built in 1996, this hotel provides top notch facilities such as fitness centre, pool and sauna, business centre, music room and kid’s room. Right in front of the hotel is a convenience store that operates 24 hours for guests to stock up on their supplies during their stay. Website: www.imperialhotel.co.jp Telephone: +81 6 6881 1111 Direction: From Kansai International Airport, take the JR Kansai Airport Rapid bound for Osaka Station and disembark at Sakuranomiya Station. From there, take the West Exit and walk towards the Imperial Hotel Osaka. The walk takes approximately 10 minutes. 106

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Kunming The City of Eternal Spring

Part 1 TEXT & IMAGES | Raihan Fozian

Being the world’s most populated country, China is definitely leading the world in every aspect. Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are China’s three famous cities that need no introduction to the world. These cities’ roles in the growth of China’s economy are impressive and undeniable. Progressive development, skyscrapers, shopping paradise, happening nightlife are some of the reasons why these cities never stop receiving tourists. However, apart from these never-sleep

cities, China has a lot more to offer. This includes the more laid-back Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province. Located at an altitude of 1,900 metres above sea level in the middle of Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, Kunming’s annual average temperature is 15oC, hence its nickname the ‘City of Eternal Spring’. Gaya Travel was invited by Malaysia’s very own low-cost airline, AirAsia, to join their Media Familiarisation Trip to Kunming for six days and five nights,

from the 5th until 10th of December 2014. Interestingly, Air Asia now provides inflight Wi-Fi for only RM5 (promo price) for 3Mb. Although the Wi-Fi service is limited to instant messaging services like WeChat, Whatsapp and Line, at least it keeps us connected with our loved ones during the journey on the airline. Who could imagine that we could get connected with our loved ones 10,000 feet in the air? Our flight from KLIA2 to Kunming took about four hours.

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Day 1 Upon arrival, we had a very pleasant introduction of Kunming when we were greeted by the 14oC temperature and the bluest sky we have ever seen! The good weather definitely makes us more excited to explore Kunming. If you intend to visit Kunming during winter like we did, we highly recommend that travellers bring thick clothes, winter jacket, gloves or anything that can warm you up. On some days, temperatures could be as high as 23oC; however, because of the wind chill factor, you definitely want to wrap every inch of your skin. As we arrived late in the evening, we went straight to check in at the Kunming Hotel on Dongfeng East Road, Panglong District. Kunming Hotel is a 3.5-star hotel that is strategically located, about 10 minutes of walking to the city centre. Since we were free on the first night, Gaya Travel decided to take a peek at Kunmingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s city nightlife. 110

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The roads were packed with cars and motorcycles, people walked from all directions, colourful neon lights illuminate the night, Christmas sales everywhere and buskers performing. International designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; boutiques can be seen on almost every street. We also stumbled into street sellers selling socks, shawls, street food and more at reasonable prices. Gaya Travel assures that walking in Kunming, especially at night, is absolutely safe. However, since some motorcyclists tend to use the pedestrian way to avoid heavy traffic on the main road, do be extra careful when walking. Other than that, travellers are sure to enjoy walking through the crowd and be mesmerised with Kunmingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nightlife. 112

Day 2 The second day began with a ninetyminute drive from the city centre to the must-visit destination in Kunming, the Stone Forest. Located about 120km from Kunming, the Stone Forest is one of UNESCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s World Heritage Sites that is indeed a must-visit place. Stepping into the Stone Forest is like being in one of the sci-fi movie sets, surrounded by huge stones that stand tall like trees, hence the name Stone Forest. The feeling of being able to witness this typical example of karst topography, which has been in existence over 270 million years, is indescribable. The intricate formation of the natural stones is unbelievably gorgeous. Although science can logically explain the occurrence of the stones, we simply praised God for creating such beauty. Gaya Travel suggests that travellers spend at least two hours exploring the Stone Forest. We spent almost three hours here, which we still felt like it was not enough. Covering an area of 400 square kilometres, make sure you wear comfortable footwear when visiting the Stone Forest since it involves lots of walking and climbing steep and narrow stairs.

After we were done admiring the Stone Forest, we then headed to Jiuxiang Scenic Region to visit the famous karst caves. Located in the Yilliang County, Jiuxiang Scenic Region offers amazing landscape consisting mountains, rivers, valley, caves and more that will leave travellers breathless. To begin our exploration in Jiuxiang Scenic Region, we were brought down to the lower part of the mountain by an elevator and the long walk started from the moment we stepped out of it. The sound of the waterfall seduced us to quickly enter the cave as we were excited to see what holds inside this mountain. We were fascinated by the limestone formation, rivers flowing in the caves, accentuated by lighting effects that left us in awe. Travellers should take all the time in the world and feast their eyes with the beautifully unique caves. Expect lots of walking and climbing stairs; however, travellers can also opt to be manually carried on sedan chairs to traverse the caves. After walking through the caves, going through bridges and climbing numerous stairs, we finally reached the point where there were gondolas that took us to the exit point, completing the journey. Riding the gondolas was a good end to the long walk through the caves since it offered us the birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye view of Jiuxiang Scenic Region landscape.

Gaya Travel spent almost three hours exploring this magnificient landscape. Although we were exhausted from the long walks at the Stone Forest and the Jiuxiang Scenic Region, we were glad we did it as the experience was priceless. Before we headed back to central Kunming, we stopped by at a halal restaurant that served up vegetables and chicken, including goat cheese, which tasted like fried tofu albeit with a thicker texture. We managed to offset the burned calories by enjoying dinner that was fit for a king. 113

Day 3 Since the previous day was tiring, the third day in Kunming was more relaxed. We visited Yongning Mosque, a well-known house of worship in Kunming located at the West Section of Jinbi Road. The mosque is a three-storey building with complete facilities. The mosqueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s humble entrance made us feel like we were walking inside our own house with a huge courtyard, hinting that the venue is not only used for praying but the social centre for Kunmingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Muslim community. Since Muslims are the minority in Kunming, it is important to have a mosque that functions as a house of worship as well as the provider of social support, the place where communal activities take place. The ground floor of the mosque is a quadrangle courtyard with a row of stalls selling variety of halal food, including a large dining area for people to dine in. These food stalls not only attract Muslims but also non-Muslims to have their meals here. The spacious prayer hall of Yongning Mosque is located on the first floor of the building. The prayer hall is well maintained and spotless. Many copies of the Quran and other religious books are made available to worshippers. The second and third floors of the building are reserved for religious classes, events and functions such as wedding ceremonies or family gatherings. 114

Two minutesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; walk in the opposite direction of the Yongning Mosque brought us to the landmark of Kunming, the Jinma Biji Square. The area takes its name from the two gateways, Jinma and Biji, which means golden horse and jade rooster respectively, standing imposingly in the center of the square. We were lucky to stumble upon a group of oldies singing and dancing in one corner of the square. They were friendly and even invited some of us to join in the dance. Jinma Biji Square is strategically located in the middle of Kunming city and is surrounded by multitudes of shops. If you want to spend your Yuan, this is one of the areas that you would want to visit.

After a short stop at the city, we then headed 250km to the northern part of Kunming, the Dongchuan Red Land. It was a four-hour drive from the city, situated at an altitude between 1,800 and 2,600 metres. Dongchuan Red Land is located in an area where facilities are limited. We did not manage to find a decent toilet along the way thus had to wait until we reached our guesthouse to use the bathroom. However, in order to reach Dongchuan Red Land, we had to pass by several villages and farms that offer amazing sights of the landscapes. Upon arrival at the guesthouse, we were surprised and pleased to find that all rooms are equipped with heaters and the bathroom come with water-heaters. Due to the altitude and winter season, the temperature could get as low as 0oC at night. We were already freezing at 3oC temperature and we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t imagine what 0oC would be like. Although the guesthouse is located in a rural area, it still offer good Wi-Fi connectivity. We definitely enjoyed the serenity and spent the rest of the night stargazing with cups of hot tea and instant noodles in our hands. Be sure to catch Part 2 of this story in the next issue... 115

Flying High at the 5th Asian Bird Fair in Langkawi

TEXT & IMAGES | Khairul Akil

Last 29th until 30th November 2014, Langkawi hosted the 5th Asian Bird Fair with the theme Flying High Island Style. This was the first time that Malaysia hosted the Asian Bird Fair (ABF). Tours, talks and fun-filled nature inspired activities were organised during the event to increase awareness, knowledge and appreciation amongst nature lovers, who hail from many part of Malaysia. The event was also joined by media and delegates not only from Malaysia but also Thailand, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, England, Australia, China, Nepal, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Indonesia. The Asian Bird Fair in Langkawi was organised by the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and hosted by Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA) with invaluable support from Tourism Malaysia. The event was held at the Oriental Village due to its lush tropical landscape. The fair aims to showcase Langkawi’s potential as a birdwatching hotspot by drawing in regional and international visitors.

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Langkawi makes the perfect location for the fair as the island is home to 221 different species of birds, possesses coastal areas consisting of limestone ridges with an extensive surface area of forest covered mountains, hills and natural vegetation. The ABF was launched by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of LADA, YB Tan Sri Khalid Ramli. During the opening ceremony, he announced that Langkawi can be dubbed as “The Hornbill Island of the World” since the birdwatching community has recorded the presence of three species of hornbills with the national record of the highest number of Great Hornbills sighted in a single site in Malaysia, totalling 102 individuals. The ABF is founded by six organisations from Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia with the aim to highlight and showcase different bird fairs across Asia, to promote the protection of birds and their habitats, encourage birdwatching and promote various ecotourism activities. The six founding organisations took turns in hosting the ABF starting with the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, followed by the Chinese Wild Bird Federation, the Bird Conservation Society of Thailand and The Wild Bird Society of Taipei.

MNS maintains that events like the Asian Bird fair create better awareness towards Malaysia’s precious natural heritage and rich biodiversity. Langkawi examplifies sustainability since it offers potentially lucrative livelihood for the island’s residents as players of ecotourism. It is therefore imperative for the island’s natural ecosystem and environment to remain protected since they are the reason why tourists all over the world flock to the islandnot just for birdwatching but also for its precious tropical rainforest, mangroves and marine life. Besides birdwatching, the media and delegates also experienced exciting activities such as guided walks, nature talks, participating in an international forum on eco-tourism, taking photographs of the events and wildlife, poster-colouring and story-telling competitions. They also experienced Langkawi to learn more about nature by riding on cable cars to Gunung Matchinchang. Once they arrived at the top, they witnessed the majestic granites that form the Matchinchang Range, believed to be Langkawi’s origin or birthplace. It is also considered among the world’s oldest granites. The media and delegates then were brought to the Seven Wells waterfalls for birdwatching amisdt splendid tropical vegetation. The media and delegates were also taken on a mangrove tour around Kilim River where several types of birds can be observed. The mangrove tour is considered as one of the highlights whenever travellers visit Langkawi since the tour offers them the chance to closely understand the importance of the mangroves its ecosystem – a must for all nature lovers. All in all, the trip to Langkawi, in conjunction with the 5th Asian Bird Fair, organised by Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Lembaga Pembangunan Langkawi (LADA), opened the eyes of many to Langkawi’s allure as a veritable ecotourism hotspot that should never be overlooked by travellers.

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Let’s

Beremba in Perlis TEXT & IMAGES | Shad Saker

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On 27 until 29 December 2014, Gaya Travel team was invited to Perlis by Tourism Malaysia Perlis Office for a familiarisation trip called ‘Jom Beremba’ MyFest Perlis 2015. The main objective of the programme was to raise awareness among industry players and the public on the MyFest 2015 campaign, which is a continuation of last year’s ‘Visit Malaysia Year 2014’ campaign, besides putting spotlight on Perlis’ tourism attractions. As the name suggests, the trip brought participants consisting of local media and Perlis Bike Club members to beremba (which means ‘sightseeing’ in local dialect) around the state while distributing MyFest 2015 banners, buntings and stickers to the tourism stakeholders and the public.

Wang Kelian: Cross-border Shopping Experience Wang Kelian is a town on the Malaysia– Thailand border, well-recognised for the huge market held across Wang Kelian to Wang Prachan in Satun, Southern Thailand. This market is famous for its cheap products including football jerseys, household goods and crafts. Interestingly, Sundays are when this market is mostly packed as visitors are allowed to cross the border without passport. Visitors are advised to come early as the parking spaces are limited. Plus, should the visitors get tired of walking, they may use the motorcycle taxi service, available at the cost of RM 2 per ride.

Kota Kayang Museum – A Taste of Perlis History Built on an area that was previously the site of the former palace and residence of the Kedah-Perlis royal family, Kota Kayang Museum tells the story of the state through its 300 collections of archaeological and cultural artefacts that include archaeological findings, agricultural implements, musical instruments, crafts and also chronicle of Perlis rulers. The museum opens from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily and admission is free. Should visitors have extra time, they may proceed to the tomb of Sultan Dhiauddin Al-Mukarram Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Muhyiddin Mansur Shah (the Sultan of Kedah who ruled from 1662-1688 when Perlis was still part of Kedah), located close to the museum.

Snake Farm Sungai Batu Pahat – The Reptile Hub This research centre was initially operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 1978 with the sole purpose of producing snake venom antidotes. However, realising that the centre has commercial value, Perlis State Economic Development

Corporation took it over in 1995 and transformed it into a tourist attraction. Snake farm Sungai Batu Pahat is the largest snake centre in Malaysia that houses over 34 species of snakes, found in Malaysia and overseas. Also, it features other kinds of reptiles such as monitor lizards, iguanas and crocodiles. This centre operates from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day except Sunday. The entrance fee is RM5 per adult and RM3 per child.

Homestay Kampung Ujung Bukit – A Serene Getaway Those who seek for an escapade may choose to stay in this village, for its tranquil ambience and authentic kampung lifestyle. It is also because of its beauty that the village has been chosen to be the set for local movies many times. The homestay is in the vicinity of popular local attractions such as Thale Ban National Park, Bird Farm and Snake Farm. However, do take note that there is no reception desk – interested guests need to make reservation by calling +6 019 443 0775 (Mr Saad) prior to arrival. Room rates start at RM 80.

Putra Palace Hotel – Perlis’ Most Established Hotel Putra Palace Hotel is a smart choice for travellers due to its strategic location in the heart of Kangar, close to various places of interests such as Bukit Ayer Waterfall, Gua Kelam Recreational Park, Herb Garden and Snake Farm. It offers 145 rooms that meet business travellers’ expectations. Besides business facilities for example meeting rooms, the hotel also comes with a gymnasium, swimming pool and four food and beverage outlets that offer northern Malay, Asian and Continental cuisines respectively. Room rates start at RM165. Gaya Travel Magazine extends our heartfelt gratitude to Tourism Malaysia and Tourism Malaysia Perlis Office for making our trip to Perlis a reality. 119

MABUL and SIPADAN Island IMAGES | Scuba Jeff & Iqbal Shamsudin

Mabul Island Mention Mabul Island and visions of swaying coconut trees, idyllic water villages and fascinating marine life come to mind. And thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just above the water. Located around 15 minutes by speedboat from the world famous Sipadan Island, Mabul is recognised as one of the best muck-diving (a term used to describe limited visibility dives at shallow sites with usually sandy bottoms) sites in the world. 122

Mabul is a small oval shaped island fringed by sandy beaches and perched on the northwest corner of a larger 200-hectare reef. The reef is on the edge of the continental shelf and the seabed surrounding the reef slopes out to 25–30 metres deep. Mabul is also renowned for its amazing array of macrolife, making it an underwater photographer’s dream location to capture some of the rarest ecological species on film. Flamboyant cuttlefish, blue-ringed octopus, spike-fin gobies, frogfish and moray eels are just some of the spectacular critters you will encounter beneath the waters of Mabul. Although all the excitement is underwater, you can always set your scuba gear aside for a day to laze on Mabul’s soft sand to work on your tan.

Tips for Divers

Be a Bouyancy Expert

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Tips for Divers

Agents to Contact: Scuba Jeff Sipadan Sdn Bhd +60 889 781 566 scubajeffsipadan@gmail.com Friendstar (MM2H) Travel Services Sdn Bhd +60 88 702 771 travelfriendstar@gmail.com Sensational Holidays (Borneo) Sdn Bhd +60 88 386 691 sensationalholidays@gmail.com Borneo Authentic Adventure Sdn Bhd +60 88 773 066 info@borneo-authentic.com WB Tours & Travel Sdn Bhd +60 88 318 833 enquiry@wb-tours.com Super Sightseeing Holidays Sdn Bhd +60 88 233 638 monicacvc@hotmail.com

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Take Only Photos Leave Only Bubbles

Sipadan Island The internationally famous island of Sipadan lies five degrees north of the equator in the Sulawesi Sea (Celebes Sea). More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this richest of ecosystems. Sipadan is well known for its unusually large numbers of green and hawksbill turtles that gather there to mate and nest â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is not unusual for a diver to see over 20 turtles during each dive. There is a total of 12 dive sites in Sipadan with the most popularly recommended dive sites include Turtle Cavern, Barracuda Point, South Point and Hanging Gardens.

Attention! In an effort to preserve the island, there is a permit system limiting the maximum numbers of divers to 120 per day. Please check with your respective resort/dive operator with regard to the permit. Since 1 January 2005, in order to protect the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preciously fragile marine ecosystem, all resorts on Sipadan have been moved to Mabul and Kapalai. Sipadan island is open for divers and visitors from 6am to 4pm. For more info, visit www.sipadan.com

Tips for Divers

Protect Underwater Life Source: Sabah Tourism Board 125

Tips for Divers

Be an Eco-Tourist

Getting to Mabul and Sipadan

TOP 10 DIVE SITES IN SABAH

From your location, fly to Tawau, Sabah, the nearest town to Mabul Island where your resort is located. You can fly to Tawau either from Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.

Barracuda Point, Sipadan

02 03 04

South Point, Sipadan

05 06 07

Lobster Wall, Mabul

08 09 10

Paradise, Mabul

When you arrive Tawau, your resort will transfer you to Semporna. From Semporna, you will take the resort speed boat to Mabul Island. The transfer from Tawau to Semporna takes 90 minutes while the boat ride will take another 45 minutes. Please arrange with your respective resort/dive operator with regard to your transfers from Tawau to Semporna and Mabul. If you prefer a leisurely pace, you can spend a night either in Tawau or Semporna. Tawau is the bigger town compared to Semporna. But both offer unique experiences and excellent fresh seafood.

Turtle Cave, Sipadan West Ridge, Sipadan

Froggieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lair, Mabul Seaventure, Mabul

The Jetty, Kapalai Mid Reef, Kapalai

Sabah Tourism Board, 51 Gaya Street, 88000 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah Malaysia. T +6088 212 121 F +6088 212 075 E info@sabahtourism.com W http://www.sabahtourism.com/

Agents to Contact:

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Borneo Sandakan Tours Sdn Bhd +60 89 215 754 info@borneosandakan.com

Good Vacations Travel Agency Sdn Bhd +60 88 233 709 dannybki3@gmail.com

Excellence Eco-Tours Services Sdn Bhd +60 88 710 702 excellence_tour@hotmail.com

Classic Holidays Sdn Bhd +60 88 231 887 info@classicholidays.com.my

Moreasia Travel Sdn Bhd +60 88 728 631 info@moreasiatours.com

Find out more info www.asiadivingvacation.com

2015

2014

SYNERGISTIC PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP STRATEGY KEY TO MYFEST 2015 SUCCESS

Theme: Endless celebrations PANTONE 2758C C100 M090 Y000 K045 R011 G021 B081 PANTONE 0293C C100 M070 Y000 K000 R000 G072 B156 PANTONE 290C C025 M000 Y005 K000 R187 G229 B238 PANTONE 185C C000 M090 Y085 K000 R240 G065 B054 PANTONE 123C C000 M015 Y085 K000 R255 G204 B037

C100 M070 Y000 K000 R000 G072 B156

C100 M090 Y000 K045 R011 G021 B081

Logo with white outline (on coloured background)

Logo with white text (on coloured background)

MyFest 2015 heralds the country’s biggest ever fiesta of celebrations, events and happenings all year long; encompassing all genre including culture, shopping, festivals, destination marketing, food and other themed events. MyFest 2015 branding

Preffered Logo

Logo in reverse white

Logo in black and white

Following the momentum of Visit Malaysia Year 2014, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, has designated next year as Malaysia Year of Festivals 2015, or MyFest 2015.

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MyFest 2015’s logo was launched in Kelantan on 18 September 2014 by YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia. The logo personifies the elements of 1Malaysia with Visit Malaysia Year 2014 logo and festivals, to depict an amalgamation of colours, flavours, sounds and sights of Asia, all in 1Malaysia, the result of its multi-racial heritage. This new branding showcases Malaysian warmth and hospitality; echoing the “We are the host” philosophy. The iconic Rebana Ubi drum in the logo, represents the common use of drums during festivals by the various races in Malaysia.

New events, new attractions, new insights Working together with industry players and stakeholders, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia has identified key events, attractions, focus products and marketing strategies. Destination marketing strategies include Putrajaya’s upcoming year-long Skyride Festival which is a hot air balloon theme park and Marina Putrajaya’s musical fountain. New events include Asian Symphonies, International Festival of Shadow Plays, Truly Asian Street Food Festival, Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens Festival, BBKLCC World Fiesta MYOF 2015 and the 1st Craft International Festival. Other strategies include participation in the World Travel Mart London in November 2014, MyFest travel packages and the Countdown to MyFest 2015 and the Grand Launch event.

A national mission MyFest 2015 is a key driver and national mission to achieve the National Key Economic Areas goal of 36 million tourist arrivals and RM168 billion in tourist receipts by 2020. The target set for MyFest 2015 is 29.4 million tourist arrivals and RM89 billion in tourist receipts. The success of this tourism campaign banks upon an integrated public-private partnership strategy that nurtures stakeholder engagement, support and participation. The symbiosis empowers market competitive strengths while enabling industry players to generate jobs and revenue. Opportunities can be found in domestic industries such as hospitality services, food and beverage industries, transportation services, handicrafts and tourism support services. The YB Minister has urged, “It is my sincere hope that industry players and stakeholders can all work together with the ministry to make MyFest 2015 a success. This is part of the government’s National Blue Ocean Strategy to create value innovation through public-private partnership collaboration”.

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Moving forward Budget 2015’s RM316 million allocation for various tourism promotion programmes has set a positive outlook for the industry. Malaysia’s strong positioning as the 10th Most Visited Country in the world in 2012, 2nd Most Visited Country in Asia Pacific and listing by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 destinations to visit in 2014 are all factors that add value to MyFest 2015. To promote MyFest 2015 and create strong engagement with industry players and stakeholders, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia is organising a series of nationwide meeting sessions from October 2014 to January 2015. The events will disseminate the vision, targets and branding guidelines of MyFest 2015 for effective implementation; while providing the opportunity to meet up to share ideas and garner feedback. With so many strategies, partnerships and incentives in place, it is envisaged that government agencies, the private sector, non-government agencies and industry players are in for a great start to MyFest 2015. MyFest 2015 Mascot Given Malaysia’s regional prominence as the guardian of some of Asia’s rarest and most endangered species, the selection of such an animal mascot to symbolically represent the MyFEST 2015 campaign weighs of utmost importance. For this, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia has decided upon one of the most endangered of animals listed in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Red List of Threatened Species - the Proboscis Monkey as the official mascot for MyFEST 2015. A native to the heartland of Borneo (East Malaysia), this very distinctive species of mammal has some of the most unique qualities that set its biological and physical features apart from other primates. According to YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, the Minister of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, “The proboscis monkey mascot resembles everything we want to tell the world – our rich biodiversity, our enchanting wildlife, our environmental conservation efforts and what makes our country unique and fascinating. In short, the natural beauty of Malaysia Truly Asia’s is right here for your discovery during MyFEST 2015.” 130

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TOP 15 EXPERIENCES

Home to prehistoric rainforests and a melting pot of culture, Malaysia is an amazing country to discover. Here are our Top 15 picks of what to see, do and experience in Malaysia.

WORLD’S TALLEST TWIN TOWERS – PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, KUALA LUMPUR Towering at 451.9m above street level, this world-renowned icon is currently the world’s tallest twin structure and fifth tallest skyscraper. The sky bridge that links the two towers is also the world’s highest two-storey bridge, doubling up as a superb viewing platform. The 88-storey building features glass and steel on the outside, and a traditionally-inspired interior, reflecting Malaysia’s aspirations in moving forward while maintaining its national identity.

SHOP TILL YOU DROP – BBKLCC, KUALA LUMPUR Featured as the world’s fourth best shopping city in CNNGo, Kuala Lumpur is indeed a shopper’s paradise. Case in point: Three of the world’s 10 largest malls are in KL, while year-round sales offer the best bang for your buck. The BBKLCC stretch from Bukit Bintang to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, in particular, will leave you spoilt for choice with its abundant fashion, food and entertainment options. Lose yourself in the huge selection of local and international brands available across nine signature malls within the area. The shopping district is also well-connected via a covered pedestrian walkway and an efficient network of public transportation.

A KALEIDOSCOPE OF CULTURE – CENTRAL MARKET, CHINATOWN AND LITTLE INDIA, KUALA LUMPUR Kuala Lumpur’s cultural enclaves are some of the city’s most popular tourist hotspots. Central Market, a prominent heritage landmark with its 1930s Art Deco style, is a great place to find local arts and crafts. Just down the road, Chinatown is a bustling cultural and shopping spot, with a number of heritage buildings, clan houses and temples. Meanwhile, the lively Little India in Brickfields offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of the Indian community, from its colourful clothing to fiery curries.

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LUXURIOUS UNDERWATER LIVING – TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN MARINE PARK, SABAH Named after Malaysia’s first Prime Minister, this cluster of five islands – Gaya, Manukan, Mamutik, Sapi and Sulug – was gazetted as Sabah’s second national park in 1974. Popular among divers and ecotourists, the park’s relatively shallow waters are filled with an abundance of corals and aquatic species – perfect for snorkelling and diving for beginners. Each island features a different collection of flora and fauna, with Pulau Gaya being the largest and most colourful of the five.

HERITAGE TRAILS AND HAWKER FOOD – GEORGE TOWN, PENANG Awarded the prestigious title of UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, the lively capital of Penang has over 200 years of history and cultural heritage under its belt. Well-preserved colonial buildings and historical architecture draw in the art buffs, while traditional trades, handed down from generation to generation, ensure that age-old culture remains intact. George Town is also renowned for its mouth-watering food, attracting steady streams of foodies from around the world to its warm shores.

MYSTERY, MYTH, LEGEND – LANGKAWI, KEDAH Part of an archipelago of 99 tropical islands just off the coast of Kedah, Langkawi Island is as much shrouded in age-old myths and legends as it is filled with natural beauty. It was accorded the Global Geopark status by UNESCO in 2007 for its diverse and astounding geological heritage, which dates back to more than 500 million years. Langkawi is also a popular duty-free destination.

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SCALE NEW HEIGHTS – KINABALU PARK, SABAH A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinabalu Park is home to Malaysia’s highest mountain and one of Southeast Asia’s highest peaks, Mount Kinabalu. A favourite destination among adventurous souls keen to scale its heights, the view from Mount Kinabalu’s summit is often described as second to none. The park is also a wonderland of ecological treasures filled with thousands of plant and animal species, including a large number of endemic species.

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DROP OFF TO AN UNDERWATER UNIVERSE – SIPADAN ISLAND, SABAH Rated as one of the world’s top diving sites, Sipadan Island boasts a truly magical and breathtaking underwater experience. Situated at the heart of the Indo-Pacific Basin, the centre of the world’s richest marine habitat, the oceanic island is surrounded by several exciting dive spots such as the Hanging Gardens, Barracuda Point and the Turtle Cavern. One of its most thrilling features (and certainly not for the faint-hearted) is the Drop Off, where knee-high water suddenly gives way to a 600m drop.

MANGROVE SWAMPS AND ORANG UTANS – KABILISEPILOK NATURE RESERVE, SABAH Named after two rivers that flow through it, the Kabili-Sepilok Nature Reserve is home to an interesting and diverse array of wildlife and vegetation, consisting mainly of Dipterocarp and mangrove forests. There are several nature trails that lead through the forest, taking you from tropical highland forest to lowland mangrove swamps. The reserve is also home to the world-famous Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre, where you get to see this endearing species up close and learn more about them.

10 A WALK THROUGH PREHISTORIC RAINFORESTS – TAMAN NEGARA, PAHANG Estimated to be over 130 million years old, Taman Negara is Malaysia’s premier national park and one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Home to a vast diversity of flora and fauna, as well as amazing natural landscapes, this virgin rainforest is also the location of Mount Tahan, the highest mountain in Peninsular Malaysia. Get an overhead view of the forest via the world’s longest canopy walkway, or take part in the different activities and attractions available at each of the park’s four entry points.

11 WORLD’S LARGEST CAVE CHAMBER – MULU NATIONAL PARK, SARAWAK Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, Mulu National Park is home to an impressive collection of natural treasures, including razor-sharp limestone spikes called The Pinnacles, and Sarawak Chamber, the world’s largest cave chamber capable of accommodating 40 Boeing 747 aircraft. Meanwhile, the Deer Cave has the world’s largest cave passage as well as a unique rock formation with a silhouette that resembles the side profile of Abraham Lincoln, America’s 16th President.

12 SEAFARING TALES, OLD WORLD CHARM – MELAKA CITY, MELAKA Once an important international trading port, Melaka is now one of the country’s most popular destinations. A UNESCO World Heritage City, Melaka is deemed the birthplace of the nation’s historical and cultural heritage, with over 600 years of history to its name. Its landmark buildings inherit their unique architecture from British, Portuguese and Dutch influences, a nod to the city’s colonial past.

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13 PLAY TIME FOR ALL – LEGOLAND AND HELLO KITTY TOWN, JOHOR If you’re looking for fun and adventure for the whole family, Johor’s cuttingedge theme parks offer you just that. The first of its kind in Asia and the first international park in Malaysia, LEGOLAND offers a first-class park experience with thrilling rides, interactive displays and themed areas. The park’s main attraction is MINILAND, where miniature replicas of Asia’s popular landmarks made with more than 30 million LEGO bricks can be seen. Hello Kitty Town, the first Hello Kitty theme park outside Japan, is a must for fans of this popular Sanrio character. The park’s highlights include Black Wonder, a state-of-the-art interactive experience, and Kitty House, an iconic house filled with everything Hello Kitty from top to bottom.

14 WHERE FASHION AND VALUE COLLIDE – JOHOR PREMIER OUTLET, JOHOR The first outlet mall to open in Malaysia, Johor Premium Outlet is a shopping haven with a collection of 80 designer and brand name outlet stores. Here, you can find discounts of between 25–65% daily. The outlet mall is located at the intersection of the North-South Expressway and the Second Link Expressway, about an hour’s drive from Singapore, three hours from Kuala Lumpur and only a short distance from Senai International Airport.

15 WITNESS THE PROCESSION OF A MILLION PEOPLE – BATU CAVES, SELANGOR Comprising a cluster of three limestone caves, the legendary Batu Caves is a magnificent and renowned cave temple. A 140-feet-high golden statue of Lord Muruga looms at the foot of a flight of 272 steps leading up to Temple Cave, the biggest of the three caves. Batu Caves is the country’s main venue for the colourful Thaipusam festival, where a colourful procession of Hindu devotees can be seen carrying kavadi as offerings to Lord Muruga.

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Hotels & Resorts

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Keraton at The Plaza, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Jakarta A tranquil retreat where exception surpasses expectation 140

Prominently situated close to Jakarta’s most famous roundabout that is deemed as the city’s central gateway, Keraton at The Plaza is perfectly situated in the downtown business district along the city’s most prestigious address, Jalan MH. Thamrin. Jakarta’s best sites are all within walking distance from the hotel, including the iconic city landmark statue Selamat Datang, government offices, key cultural attractions, museums, and vibrant nightlife. The hotel is also connected to Jakarta’s most luxurious shopping and entertainment complex, Plaza Indonesia.

Exquisite Culinary Experiences At the Keraton at The Plaza, two exceptional dining venues are available for guests to enjoy. Bengawan is the hotel’s signature restaurant, providing an authentic five-star dining experience with international lunch buffet, Saturday and Sunday Brunch and specially curated Mexican à la carte menu. Located on the seventh floor with spectacular views of Jakarta, the indoor and outdoor restaurant provides a respite from the bustling city below wrapped in lush foliage and surrounded by soothing water features.

Inspired by the aesthetics from the Javanese royal courts and palaces called keratin, the hotel embodies palatial qualities reinterpreted through contemporary design that is inspired by the commissioned relics from the royal palaces of yesteryears, making it exceptional, surpassing expectations. As the guest of the Sultan (meaning ‘King’), all global travellers are promised an extraordinary experience at Keraton at The Plaza. The hotel’s lavish and spacious guest rooms reflect a luxuriously contemporary Indonesian style. Each room is exquisitely appointed with lavish bed and living space, sofa and working desk with the latest plug-and-play media technology. A magnificent oversized bathroom has a customised Jaxson’s oval sit down bathtub and separate rainforest shower. The floor to ceiling windows in all rooms provide spectacular views of the city below. Keraton at The Plaza allows all global travellers to feel in control of their stay. Complimentary Wi-Fi access is available throughout the hotel to give you internet access at your fingertips. The Hotel Butler is on hand 24 hours a day to meet guests’ needs, including unpacking, packing or complimentary pressing. You don’t have to worry about check-in and check-out time because at the Keraton at The Plaza, you can decide your own check-in and check-out time according to your schedule. The hotel also provides the brand’s signature Luxury Collection Concierge service to all guests and promises the most discerning global travellers an extraordinary experience.

Located at the lobby level, the Keraton Lounge is a delightfully elegant venue serving Classic English, Traditional Indonesian and Godiva Allure Afternoon Tea each afternoon. Fusing English and Javanese Afternoon Tea traditions, the Keraton Lounge features a lavish selection of hot and cold delicacies served with an extensive collection of local and international teas. In the evening, the Keraton Lounge offers classic cocktails, an international selection of wines and a variety of locally-inspired drinks. A Serene Oasis of Relaxation Inspired by the meaningful and noble philosophy behind the making of traditional batik, the Keraton Spa will guide you on a journey of inner peace, rejuvenation and complete relaxation. For anyone dreaming of a spa getaway, the Keraton Spa holds special allure. Located on the 6th floor, the expansive 1,600 square metres Keraton Spa offers an ideal retreat from the hectic pace of the city and promises a complete journey of the senses by offering massages, advance facial skincare and body treatments, reflecting ancient traditions of Indonesia combined with the skilful knowledge of the therapist. www.keratonattheplazajakarta.com Email: luxurycollection.keraton@luxurycollection.com Phone: (62)(21) 5068 0000. In Malaysia, call: 1-800-80-1343

“We are delighted to welcome business and leisure travellers alike to this fantastic property, where we aspire to the highest standards of Indonesian hospitality and exquisite luxury. Keraton at The Plaza is the ideal home base for enjoying all of the charms of Jakarta and the region,” said Giles Selves, General Manager of the Keraton at The Plaza. 141

There is something particularly alluring and unexpected about the building that stands in the middle of a Kampung Baru neighbourhood called the Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse â&#x20AC;&#x201C; once guests step inside this unassuming edifice, they are bound to be pleasantly surprised by the guesthouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aesthetic value.

Peeking into the Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Tiera Aziz

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Opened in June 2014, Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse celebrates the idea of the tranquil kampung (traditional Malay village) experience since the owner, who belongs to an ethnic group called Mandailing (a sub-ethnic Batak group from North Sumatera who converted to Islam and intermarried with the Minangkabaus and the Malays), reminisces the days when he used to live in his kampung.

The name ‘Bagasta’ comes from the Mandailing language, which means ‘My Home.’ Mandailing people originated from Sumatra and then migrated to some parts of Peninsular Malaysia, mainly Perak and Selangor, in the 19th century due to the Padri War, also called the Minangkabau War (the war between Muslims clerics who wanted to establish sharia rule in Minangkabau territory in Sumatera and the Minangkabau nobility and chieftains). Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse is indeed strategically located within a 5-minute walk to Kampung Baru LRT Station and a stone throw away from Kuala Lumpur’s most lively shopping scenes such as Kuala Lumpur City Centre and Bukit Bintang. By staying here, travellers do not have to give up modernity while taking in the local lifestyle – it is indeed the place where travellers can witness how cosmopolitan and traditional worlds collide. 143

Upon arriving at the lobby, guests are bound to be instantly impressed with the old but laid-back ambiance that the hotel possesses. They will be welcomed by a cosy living room on the left side of the reception desk and a small garden-like lounge area on the right, all arranged as homely as possible, befitting the guesthouseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. As guests venture further in, they may notice that Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse also uses a combination of pastel, earthen and rustic tones for its interior, typical characteristics of traditional South East Asian village aesthetics. 144

The hotel has 30 tastefully decorated rooms altogether, beautified with traditionally inspired furnishing. In fact, Gaya Travel team is personally fascinated with antique wooden doors used as feature wall dĂŠcor in every room. Each room, too, is equipped with a traditional wooden closet, a flat screen television, air-conditioning, free toiletries and towels, hot shower, complimentary coffee- and teamaking facility, including Wi-Fi connectivity.

Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse also boasts a rooftop overlooking the spectacular Petronas Twin Towers and the surrounding Kuala Lumpur City Centre skyline. At night, the space can be turned into an ideal venue for candlelight dinner or a small intimate gathering or function. The rooftop is able to accommodate up to 100 people at any one time. On the second floor, two separate surau (prayer rooms, one for males and the other for females) are available for guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; convenience. Should guests need assistance in the middle of the night, worry not as the guesthouse has a 24-hour front desk service.

Since Kampung Baru is considered as halal food paradise, food hunters staying at the Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse are advised to walk around the area for some culinary adventure. Here, several prominent eateries such as the HR Steak House and the first chain of Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa are all in close proximity to the hotel. If guests are more interested in culture, heritage and history, they should then opt for the newly launched free guided walk that runs every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. called JalanJalan at Kampong Bharu, organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall, which brings participants to the areaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s landmarks and historical buildings. Guests should first call +6 03 2698 0332 to reserve their places for the walk. 145

All in all, staying at Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse is a unique experience. It is indeed a special place because the property transports guests back to the halcyon times when kampung life was predominant in Kuala Lumpur, in the midst of an area where travellers can still observe local traditional Malay lifestyle. Room rates at the Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse start at RM 180 ++. Bagasta Boutique Guesthouse No. 56, Jalan Raja Alang, 50300 Kg Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +6 03 2698 9988 Email: reservation@ bagasta.com.my www.bagasta.com. my 146

Royale Bintang Penang gaining popularity TEXT | Dalila Abu Bakar IMAGES | Royale Bintang

Boustead Holdings Bhdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s latest hotel addition, The Royale Bintang Penang, is gaining popularity in the island because of its excellent service and good food.

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The Royale Bintang Penang is strategically located in the heart of historic Georgetown, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial district with government offices including business, dining, retail and entertainment outlets just a short driving distance away. The four-star hotel, which opened about six months ago, is currently enjoying an occupancy rate of about 85%.

The hotel offers its guests the charming history of days gone by combined with modern luxury and friendly service. Being situated at the Weld Quay area, it is only minutes by foot from the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous banking and shopping districts and is within easy reach to all major historic sites along the Heritage Trail of Penang. Overlooking the Marina Bay, The Royale Bintang Penang creates history for being one of its kind on the island.

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At the hotel’s doorstep lies the historic city of George Town, which was inducted into the UNESCO World Heritage List of Cities and Sites in 2008. Part of the hotel is a beautifully restored heritage building built in 1892. Complemented by the existing British Colonial architecture, the hotel boasts a delightful feel of old world glamour perfectly in keeping with George Town’s UNESCO World Heritage status. Guests can also experience contemporary luxury and uncompromising service standards with its full range of services and amenities, from tastefully appointed restaurants to generous meeting facilities. “We have been receiving tremendous response since it was launched. The guests seem to like its location. They like the ambience of the hotel, it’s partly heritage. We are also offering good facilities,” said Deputy Chairman / Managing Director of Boustead Holdings Bhd Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Lodin Wok Kamaruddin. Lodin sees the hotel’s occupancy rate rising to between 80% and 90% in the next three to five years. “We will ensure 150

that the hotel continues to offer excellent services and good food for its guests. These are the attractions for guests who would like to stay in a good part of Penang. It’s a heritage hotel where they can enjoy great service standards alongside the nice weather of Penang. “Demand for hotels of this kind is quite strong in Penang. As a city hotel, we have to compete with the other city hotels. However, we believe we can offer excellent services and good food that can attract the guests. The hotel has 180 rooms. If we market it properly, I don’t think we have difficulty in achieving an occupancy rate of between 80% and 90% in the next two years or so,” he tells Gaya Travel in an interview. According to Lodin, the hotel’s room rates are also competitive with the hotels of the same standard in this island city. He says efforts to increase the hotel’s occupancy rate include promotional programmes and group marketing by the Boustead Hotel and Resort Group.

Emphasising On Guests’ Stay Experience According to Mazeta Hassan, the Marketing & Communications Manager of the Royale Bintang Penang, the hotel’s lobby is designed in a cosy and welcoming fashion, with attentive staff eager to serve guests with generous smile. The hotel has been receiving good ratings on TripAdvisor with regard to staff friendliness and attempts to offer more personalised service. Royale Bintang Penang has 11 categories of rooms, from Superior right up to the Premiere Suite, which are all designed to give the feeling of being in a home away from home, besides also having Wi-Fi connectivity. The hotel also offers 24-hour in-room dining service should guests feel peckish during the wee hours of the night. Five food and beverage outlets are also available at Royale Bintang Penang for guests to experience: Sri Tanjung Café (the all-day dining outlet located in a heritage building dates 1892); Tea Room (the appropriate venue to enjoy English afternoon tea); Blue Moon Bar (ideal for

unwinding at the end of the day while imbibing favourite cocktail); Spice (a cosy bistro-style outlet that serves Asian Fusion and Western specialties); and the Poolside Bar. Guests are invited to try the hotel’s refreshing signature drink, The Royale Passion, which is the hotel’s special concoction comprising nutmeg juice and passion fruit. Guests of Royale Bintang Penang will be able to enjoy Jacuzzi located at the poolside. This is also where the adult guests can access the large pool, while the children use the wading pool. For rejuvenation and pampering, guests can head to the Royale Spa to recharge themselves. Guests can also use the hotel’s well equipped Fitness Centre to stay fit during their travels. To further enrich guests’ experience on the historical island, Royale Bintang Penang also make arrangements for guests who wish to go for Heritage trail or bicycle tours. Around the area, there are various businesses that rent out tricycles and bicycles for guests to use to explore and savour delights of George Town. 151

Expanding The Hotel Business On the group’s hotel business, Lodin says that Boustead Holdings is in the midst of constructing its seventh hotel, The Royale Chulan Cherating. The resort hotel is targeted for completion by end of next year and is expected to start operations in early 2016. It is a five star category property with strong attractive standards, featuring 20 individual villas as well as 123 rooms. It is located alongside the tranquil beach of Kampung Cherating Lama. Meanwhile, the group’s eighth hotel, The Royale Chulan Hyde Park London, is expected to start operations at the end of next year. This property is set to be in the four-star segment. Boustead Holdings has bought The Hyde Park Hotel from Pastel Estate Ltd (PEL) for RM138.98mil. To be renamed The Royale Chulan Hyde Park London, the hotel has 68 rooms and is strategically

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located in the Bayswater area of London. It has good accessibility to major shopping and tourist attractions, including public transportation and amenities. Strategically located in central London, Lodin says the hotel represents a viable opportunity for the Boustead Holdings Bhd to capitalise on London’s growing hotel market and hospitality industry. The hotel is currently leased to an operator and is purchased with the lease. Aside from The Royale Bintang Penang and the upcoming properties The Royale Chulan Cherating and The Royale Chulan Hyde Park London, Boustead Holdings Bhd’s other five hotels are The Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, The Royale Chulan Damansara, The Royale Bintang Kuala Lumpur, The Royale Bintang The Curve and The Royale Bintang Resort & Spa Seremban. Room rates at the Royale Bintang Penang start at RM338 nett. Royale Bintang No. 1 & 2, Pengkalan Weld, 10300 Pulau Pinang. T: +604 259 8888 E: info@royalebintang-penang.com W: www.royalebintang-penang.com

Ascott Sentral – The Travellers’ Ideal

Pied-a-Terre TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Shad Sakeri & Ascott Sentral

Ascott The Residence is renowned worldwide for its topnotch service and luxurious long-term stay properties among travellers, especially professionals. The hotel group’s latest addition in Kuala Lumpur, Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur, further strengthens its presence in the Malaysian hospitality industry.

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When the awardwinning Ascott brand decided to open its second serviced residence in Kuala Lumpur called Ascott Sentral, the response was nothing but overwhelming. Today, the demand for serviced residences is growing due to the increasinglymobile global workforce that drives business travel and relocation activity. The fact that Kuala Lumpur’s role as an established international business destination ensures that demand for serviced residences will not wane any time soon.

Gaya Travel team recently had the opportunity to stay at Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur to discover and experience ourselves the privileged life that Ascott offers. Though we secretly wished to stay at the propertyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s incredible penthouse so that we can pretend that we are the multibillionaire Ivanka Trump, our stay at a lessglamorous-yet-modish apartment was still exceptional nonetheless. Decorated in contemporary uncluttered style, Ascott Sentral fuses a few shades of elegance by combining gold and earthy colour, creating a sleek and clean look. Besides, since the colour gold can be timeless, classy and versatile, one cannot help but feel being enveloped in exclusivity when staying in the property. Here and there, orchids are used to decorate the spaces to symbolise the love, luxury, beauty and strength of Ascott Sentral.

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Ascott Sentral comprises 157 apartments classified as Studio Executive, Studio Premier, One-bedroom Executive, Onebedroom Premier, Two-bedroom Premier and Penthouse, all in excellent condition and remain true to what is presented on the property’s official website. The units are indeed spacious and well-appointed, each equipped with 46” Smart Samsung TV, an IDD phone, a closet, an en-suite bathroom with modern rainfall shower facilities and L’occitane toiletries (our favourite!), a fully equipped kitchen with modern appliances including cooking hob and hood, a microwave oven, a refrigerator and a Nespresso coffee machine. Moreover, Ascott Sentral provides the ideal environment to keep its guests relaxed, recharged and remain in peak performance, particularly to meet the demands of being away from home. The property is well-facilitated with a babysitting service, business centre services, sheltered carpark, laundry and dry cleaning services, fully-equipped gymnasium, self-service launderette, swimming pool and children’s wading pool. Adjacent to this property is the Shell Tower where guests can have their complimentary Continental breakfast at the partner restaurant called Meal Station located on the fifth floor. 156

The key to success of every Ascott property is its well-connectedness – an Ascott property is more often located close to the city’s finest retail outlets and cultural centres, offering endless hours of pleasurable indulgence or soaking in local art and culture. And Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur is just that: it is strategically situated within the Kuala Lumpur Sentral vicinity, which is a ‘city-within-a-city’ designed around the KL Sentral transport hub, linking the city centre to all urban, suburban, commercial and industrial areas, including the all-important Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2 via KLIA Express or Transit.

In addition, there are also a couple of malls located in close proximity to the property called Sooka Sentral and Nu Sentral. While the former provides an extensive range of gastronomic offerings, the latter on the other hand is an up-and-coming venue for Malaysians to head to in seeking retail therapy since the mall carries brands like H&M and Uniqlo. However, if nature is more of Ascott Sentral’s guests’ interest, they can always head to the KL Bird Park and Lake Gardens – both only a stone’s throw away from the property – either by taking a cab if they do not have own transport or by boarding the Hop-On Hop-Off bus service that brings tourists to the major tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur.

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While staying here, guests should also consider learning about the local area by joining a free heritage walk called the Little India @ Brickfields Guided Walking Tour. Kuala Lumpur City Hall runs this tour every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month starting at 9:30 a.m. where a professional tourist guide will take tourists through the heart of Brickfields and discover pre-war old buildings like ‘The Hundred Quarters’, local heritage and grassroots community living in the area. However, please take note that all bookings must be done at least a day before the tour by calling Ms. Noraza Yusof at +6 03 2617 6273 or sending e-mail to pelancongan@dbkl.gov.my. The tour takes approximately two and a half hours to complete and is appropriate for all ages. No fee is charged upon registration. To put it briefly, guests of Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur should be rest assured that they will definitely be immersed in a totally comfortable ‘home-awayfrom-home’ experience regardless of the duration of their stay, be it only for one night, one week or even one year. Room rates at the Ascott Sentral Kuala Lumpur start at RM308. Ascott Sentral No. 211, Jalan Tun Sambanthan, 50470 KL Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. Tel: +6 03 2727 9999 Email: enquiry.kualalumpur@the-ascott. com www.the-ascott.com/en/malaysia 158

Magnetic

‘M Boutique Hotel’ TEXT | Shad Sakeri IMAGES | Furqaan

Gaya Travel team were deeply fascinated by one of the latest and boldest accommodations in Ipoh, the M Boutique Hotel, which is a confection based on Malaysia’s colonial past infused with modern and whimsical contemporary décor. There are times in life when you visited interesting places that left a prominent mark in your heart, making you inspired upon leaving. These places might be the exotic countries that travellers often go for an adventurous journey, or even hotels and resorts that instantly sweep us off our feet. And the M Boutique Hotel did just that. Standing outside the hotel’s impressive brickcladded façade, we immediately sensed the special experience that awaited us. M Boutique Hotel’s lobby somehow made us feel like stepping into a home of a person who has travelled extensively. The area is bedecked with modern British-inspired décor that is 160

furnished with a long wooden reception counter, high stools, huge apothecary cabinets and Broadway-style lighting, looking almost like a hip and cosy London bar. Guests will also be able to notice towering gasoline containers, stacks of rustic suitcases and vintage wall mirrors, all adding further charm to this space. M Boutique Hotel strives to be one of a kind accommodation in Ipoh. The hotel received the golden touch by Lifeshop Atelier, a lifestyle boutique renowned for its quirky influence, which explains the whimsical panache behind M Boutique’s interesting decor. The hotel’s playful yet friendly employees informed us that the property’s concept is called Urban Straits Eclectic, which we find truly apt. The 93 rooms in this property are divided into three different themes: Adventure, Majestic and Excelsior. The Adventure Floor, located on the first level, is inspired by the idea of the Malaysian Safari, using animal motifs paired with industrial chic. Here and there, guests are drawn towards the mysterious headshots of tigers, giraffes and zebras that adorn the walls along the hallway. The Majestic Floor, on the other hand, is graced with numbers almost everywhere, including little accessories inside the rooms. The highest level, The Excelsior Floor, is where alphabets, bold colours, abstract pictures and black and white photographs are ingeniously mixed together, giving the floor an uplifting feel.

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Each of the hotel rooms is equipped with 12-inch thick mattress, free Wi-Fi, minibar, LCD TV, in-room safety deposit box, tea/coffee making facilities, i-Phone/iPod dock and M Boutique custom-made personal care items. The standard rooms, however, come with doorless bathrooms, thus guests travelling with friends need to consider this type of room carefully. To satisfy their hunger, guests can head to M Boutique Hotel’s restaurant partners, Old Town White Coffee Grand or the Myth & Eatery Bar. Both food and beverage outlets offer good comforting food in the midst of inspiring and intimate setting. For instance, Myth & Eatery Bar stands out through its à la mode homey décor and deliciously simple dishes made from freshly sourced ingredients. Old Town White Coffee Grand, on the other hand, is the upscale version of the Old Town White Coffee café, serving the best and more exclusive Malaysian menus based on fresh ingredients and home-tested recipes. Do try its Sardine Prata as light snack with freshly brewed aromatic white coffee when dining here. M Boutique Hotel’s first floor is where guests can find a cosy lounge called the Living Room (Gaya Travel team’s favourite area in the hotel), which comes with a handsome steel bookshelf, Union Jack wooden coffee tables and rattan recliners with quirky cushions. This is also the same level where guests can access the 162

24-hour self-service gym, an industrially smart business centre called M Space and a self-service laundry. Should guests feel the need to rejuvenate and pamper themselves, they can always go to the neighbouring spa called Thai Samai that offers full body massage packages. Speaking of wellness, do take note that the hotel is a strictly 100% non-smoking property. What we like the most about this property is how bravely and cleverly it blends various elements into its design, making it extraordinarily fascinating. Guests are bound to be pleasantly surprised by the amount of little touches being put into M Boutique Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interiors. Those who are interested in bringing back M Boutique Hotelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s trendy style are welcome to head to the M Shop, where they can procure thoughfully curated and unique items similar to the ones used in the hotel. With such bold, trendy and charming character, how can we not fall in love with the M Boutique Hotel? That said, Gaya Travel highly recommends M Boutique Hotel to sophisticated travellers seeking for stylish accommodation whenever they are in Ipoh. Room rates at M Boutique Hotel start at RM180 ++. M Boutique Hotel 2, Hala Datuk 5, 31650 Ipoh, Perak. Tel: +6 05 255 5566

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TRAVELING TIPS

Go easy on the itinerary. Talk to the locals or mingle with other travellers, they might know more interesting places to visit. Always bring good trekking shoes. The best view usually comes after the hardest climb.

ANIDA DYAH

Be a responsible traveller. Engage in local culture and respect the environment.

NONARANSEL .com

PHOTO CREDIT: NONA RANSEL

Anida Dyah, in her own words... I’m an Indonesian designer specialising in wayfinding, environmental graphics, and signage design. After years of working with various international projects around Asia, at the end of 2011, I decided to take a break. I quit my steady job for a life filled with the unknown. When I bought that one way ticket to Australia, I never thought I would end up crossing the Nullarbor Plain —the driest part of Australia, skydiving in New Zealand, hunting the northern lights in Arctic Circle, watching sunset from the top of a sand dune in Sahara Desert, had a meaningful conversation with

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a teenage monk on a public bus in Laos, or doing volunteer work. After I got back from two years of extensive travelling, I signed a contract with one of Indonesian major publishing house and published my first book “Under the Southern Stars” in October 2014. The book is a memoir regarding my overland journey crossing Australia that details the beauty of travelling without itinerary. I found that writing a book is not only the best way to tell a story, but also to reflect on a journey and hopefully could inspire others to travel. From designer to traveller to author, I dare say that passion never fails. I would happily repeat the cycle over and over again.

ANIDA DYAH in 30seconds . Morning person or night person? morning . Black or white? black . Sing or dance? sing . Back to nature or city slicker? back to nature . Drive or be driven (public transportation included)? be driven . Land or water? Land . The glass is half full or half empty? half full . Eat to live or live to eat? eat to live

“...... writing a book is not only the best way to tell a story, but also to reflect on a journey.....” - Under the Southern Stars My favourite destination(s)... New Zealand, Morocco, and Laos

I love... Chiang Mai because it has countless interesting night markets, charming Buddhist temples, also good (and cheap) foods. It’s the second largest city in Thailand but it is really a small town with a close community.

My most unforgettable holiday experience ... was skydiving 15,000 ft above Lake Wanaka, New Zealand. The breathtaking landscape beats my fear of heights.

Malaysia is special because...

I always pack....

it’s a home to a multi-ethnic culture. With this comes many delicious foods and interesting festivals. Malaysia also has a great mix of modern and traditional life, not to mention the nice and relaxed beaches.

a sarong. Very versatile and functional.

My favourite Malaysian spots:

I usually travel (with): my backpack and one backpack only.

My dream holiday: would be backpacking in South America

Penang and Langkawi.

My most treasured item bought / found during my travels: is ‘Siddharta’ by Hermann Hesse. A book that I got from book swapping with a fellow traveller in Thailand. One of my favourite books of all time.

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French Ambassador to Malaysia, His Excellency Christophe Penot, paid a courtesy visit to Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz

MInistry of Tourism and Culture, Putrajaya 08/01/2015

The Minister of Tourism and Culture Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz launched the KL TravelPass

Kuala Lumpur International Airport 08/01/2015

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ASEAN Secretary General His Excellency Le Luong Minh, paid a courtesy visit to Malaysia’s Minister of Tourism and Culture Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz MInistry of Tourism and Culture, Putrajaya 08/01/2015

The First Meeting of ASEAN Tourism Strategic Planning (ATSP) 2016-2025

Pullman Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur 09-10/01/2015

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The Minister of Tourism and Culture Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz visited Johor Johor 14-15/01/2015

The Minister of Tourism and Culture Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz launched the 1600 Pandas Exhibition Malaysia Publika, Kuala Lumpur 13/01/2015

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The Minister of Tourism and Culture Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz participated in Gotong Royong (Communal Work) Perdana Kampung Changkat Duku, Perak 11/01/2015

Launch of Choong Kam Kow art exhibition by DYMM Raja Permaisuri Negeri Perak Darul Ridzuan Tuanku Zara Salim National Visual Arts Gallery, Kuala Lumpur 15/01/2015

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Launch of Quill City Mall by The Minister of Tourism and Culture Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz Jalan Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur 18/01/2015

The launch of The Light Hotel in Seberang Jaya, Penang by The Minister of Tourism and Culture Datoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Seri Mohamed Nazri Tun Abdul Aziz The Light Hotel, Seberang Jaya, Penang 21/01/2015

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“The World Curry Festival” Gala Dinner in conjunction with the 6th Penang International Halal Expo & Conference 2015 E & O Hotel, Penang 30/01/2015

The Dato’ Menteri Besar of Selangor, Azmin Ali, greeted arriving airline passengers to Malaysia in conjunction with Visit Selangor Year 2015 celebration Kuala Lumpur International Airport 14/02/2015

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WIN!

EXCLUSIVE STAYS At Selected Hotels & Resorts

FOLLOW THESE THREE SIMPLE STEPS TO WIN EXCLUSIVE VACATION! 1 Choose only two hotels you wish to win and answer all questions correctly. 2 Don’t forget to complete your personal details such as name, IC number, address and phone number. 3 Send it to contest@gayatravel.com.my

KERATON AT THE PLAZA JAKARTA

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

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What is the name of the mall that the hotel is connected to? How many rooms does the hotel have? What is the name of the hotel’s signature restaurant? I love to stay at the Keraton at the Plaza Jakarta because…

THE BNB JAKARTA KELAPA GRADING

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

QUESTIONS What is the concept of BnB Hotels? How many rooms are there at BnB Jakarta Kelapa Gading? How far is BnB Jakarta Kelapa Gading from Soekarno Hatta International Airport? I love to stay at The BnB Jakarta Kelapa Gading because…

1 2 3 4

TRANS LUXURY HOTEL BANDUNG

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

What is the theme park that is close to the hotel? How many rooms does the hotel have? How far is the hotel from Hussein Sastranegara Airport? I love to stay at the Trans Luxury Hotel Bandung because…

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THE 101 BANDUNG DAGO

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

What is the concept of the hotel? What award did the hotel win? What are the health and wellness facilities does the hotel provide? I love to stay at The 101 Bandung Dago because…

HOLIDAY VILLA RESORT CHERATING

2 QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

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What type of massage is used in the resort’s spa? How far is the resort from the Sultan Ahmad Shah Airport? Name at least two of the attractions available in the resort. I love to stay at the Holiday Villa Resort because…

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

PARK ROYAL SUITE KUALA LUMPUR

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

Where is the hotel located? What categories of rooms does the hotel offer? What is the name of Park Royal Suite Kuala Lumpur’s loyalty program? I love to stay at the Park Royal Suite Kuala Lumpur because…

QUESTIONS 1 2 3 4

PHILEA RESORT MELAKA

What is Philea Resort Melaka’s star rating? Name one of the food & beverage outlets available in the hotel? What is the name of the hotel’s spa? I love to stay at the Philea Resort Melaka because…

X 3 DAYS/ 2 NIGHTS STAY

TERMS & CONDITIONS One entry per person only. Competition is open to all readers who are 18 years old and above. The prize is not transferable and cannot be exchanged with cash. Two entrants with the best answer will be deemed winners for each propertyv. Judges’ decision is final. Closing date of this competition is 28 March 2015.

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