During our recent visit to Ipoh Malaysia, we visited the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa – located next to the Lost World of Tambun theme park!
Lost World Hot Springs and Spa opens from 6pm to 11pm daily (after the theme park closes) and costs 20RM. Alternatively, you can pay for the Lost World of Tambun theme park entry at 45RM and stay from 11am to 6pm for the theme park. Using the same ticket, you can take a walk over to Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. 45RM for both attractions 🙂
What to do at Lost World of Tambun Hot Springs and Spa
According to the Map, the attractions are as follows
1. Entrance
2. Saphira’s Bistro / 3. Infinity Pool / 4. Lost World Steam Cave / 5. The Geyser of Tambun
If you take a look at the picture above, to the left, you’ll see Saphira’s Bistro (notice the Milo dispenser). Right in the middle, you’ll see the Geyser of Tambun and entrance to the Lost World Steam Cave. Of course right in the fore ground, it is the entrance to the Infinity Pool!
6. Top of the World Pool
7. Foot Spa
8. Crystal Pool
9. Crystal Spa
For 180RM, we had 60 minutes of Aromatherapy Massage as well as 60 minutes of Hot Springs Aromatic Facial. Pure bliss!
10. Saphira’s Lair
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All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa. For us, the entrance to the Hot Springs and massage at Crystal Spa was sufficient. By the way, if you purchase any spa package, entrance would be free. Something that we only realised later 🙁
Also, for an easy access to the hot springs, you may also choose to stay at the Lost World Hotel, next to the Lost World Hot Springs and Spa.
Do tell us your experience at Lost World Hot Springs and Spa or if you have visited Lost World of Tambun, do tell us about it as well!
Kluang is a district located in the state of Johor in Malaysia and there are in fact several things to do and attractions in Kluang which we were introduced to by Tourism Malaysia during a recent familiarisation trip.
It wasn’t initially like that though. In fact, our first thought when we saw the email invite was…
“Kluang? Hm…let me just check that again. Maybe they just mispelt ‘Klang’?”
Well, the difference is just a letter “u” which can be easily, accidentally added in right? But the truth is, after the trip, we actually kind of enjoyed ourselves and this is a low-down of all the places of interest in Kluang, Johor, Malaysia!
Kluang RailCoffee
Kluang RailCoffee is a traditional coffee joint located at Kluang railway station. Opened since 1938 by the Lim family (now operated by the 3rd generation and at the exact same location no less), this local’s favourite is famous for its coffee, toast and nasi lemak!
After tasting the toast and coffee, we totally understood why the locals enjoyed it here. We went for both the iced version as well as the traditional kopi. Even with the ice, the taste did not diminish and still presented itself with that traditional taste. The toast on the other hand was lightly crusted on the outside and fluffy on the inside with thick slices of the butter. Sinful but oh so yummy with the kaya. Plus, the prices are really REALLY decent. Just check out the prices…
With that kind of price coupled with good old fashioned coffee and toast, it’s no wonder that Kluang RailCoffee’s pulling in the crowd daily…
Kluang Coffee Powder Factory – Kopi Cap Televisyen
Tucked away at no. 76, Jalan Besar, Kluang, Johor, 86000 is Kluang’s most famous factory – Kluang Coffee Powder Factory which produces the famous Kopi Cap Televisyen (aka Television Brand Coffee).
Legend has it that the Sultan of Johor is one of its biggest fans and has been drinking this coffee for the last 20 years! Opened since 1966 by Mr Goh Tong Tor, the factory is now operated by the next generation of the Goh family and the factory actually supplies 90% of Kluang’s coffee.
Coffee Making Process of Kluang Coffee Powder Factory
The whole process starts here with these 3 types of coffee beans
Of course, the proportion is secret.
Next, we learnt something new here (yes, we’re quite suaku about the coffee making process). We actually learnt that the coffee beans are roasted in 2 manner. Traditional roasting is done with sugar and margarine added to enhance the aroma. While white coffee is roasted just by itself. Bet you did not know that did ya?
Cooling process after roasting
After roasting, the beans are placed on a cooling plate where the staff would stir and separate them while bringing down its temperature (see video). After which, the beans go into a machine that separates them back into individual beans. Thereafter, they go into the grinder to form the coffee powder that you and I know.
And the end product…voila!
Kluang’s Television Coffee Taste Test
Well, enough of all the technicalities of producing coffee. Let’s go try out the coffee itself!
While we were sitting down, a really awkward situation took place. We asked a staff how long he had worked in a factory. Seemed like a harmless question right?
NO!!!
After reading the many newspaper cuttings on the walls of the factory, we realised that we actually posed the question to the boss of the factory!! Now we realise why the answer was an awkward and delayed “erm…20 years…” But not to justify ourselves, the boss has really slimmed down quite a bit! Through our conversations, we also realise that the family holds dear to the fact that coffee should be enjoyed with just hot water and sugar. No condensed milk (or any other milk for that matter) because the milk actually diminishes the taste of the coffee.
So how does the coffee really taste?
Well, we have to say that the version concocted for us was a tad bit sweet. Nonetheless, the coffee was REALLY aromatic. That special concoction/proportion thingy going on with the beans really paid off handsomely with an unique yet traditional taste. This is notwithstanding the fact that we love our coffee with milk. The taste test actually changed our perception of 2-in-1 coffee (yeah, we normally go for 3-in-1’s)
UK Farm Agro Resort Kluang
UK Farm Agro Resort is Malaysia’s largest goat and sheep farm with 100 acres of grazing land and 15 acres of land for passion fruit…
The tour of UK farm got off to a great start and by that we mean…A GREAT MEAL!!!
Tourism Malaysia actually placed alot of emphasis on this tour. Not only was this lamb of 1200++ RM laid out for us, the High Commissioner of Malaysia Dato Husni Zai Yaacob was also a Guest-of-Honour, lending weight to the entire familiarisation trip!
The highlight is of course the lamb. Marinated with a special secret sauce, the meat was tender, smoky while being sweet and crusted on the outside. The lamb was also really tender. No gamey taste as well. Just good roasted tender lamb. Yum.
Did we mention that the lamb was really tender?
Activities at UK Farm Agro Resort Kluang Malaysia
For 270++ per person, you will be able to stay a night at the farm and enjoy the various activities that UK farm offers…
Feedstock Processing Factory
We were briefed by the boss of UK farm, Mr Goh himself (yes, UK comes from his initials) starting at the feedstock processing factory. Mr Goh is really into green farming and natural cycles. At his farm, he uses the peels of his passion fruits mixed with the soya bean kernels (which he imports from Yeo’s Singapore) as feed for the sheep. In this way, there’s no wastage and surprisingly the goat pen itself doesn’t smell that bad. PLUS, to complete the cycle, droppings from the sheep and goats are used as fertilisers for the passion fruits and coconuts that the farm produces. Organic stuff. No pesticides involved. All natural!
The other thing that Mr Goh told us was how he managed to attract swallows into his farm successfully thus eliminating the problem of flies naturally. These swallows “swallow” up to 600 flies a day! Probing further on how he does it, he just cites that its “trade secret” and that its also a big problem in Australia…
Goat Pen
Across the sheep’s canteen is the goat pen. As mentioned earlier, and much to our amazement as well, it doesn’t smell. According to Mr Goh, its due to the natural processes and food that is fed to the sheep and goats. Stark difference from the farms we’ve visited in Australia – smells quite a bit there…
At the goat pen, you get an opportunity to feed the goats. Greedy bunch but really cute! Some are more greedy than others though. So we try to feed them as equally as we possibly can. But it can be a challenge to pull the bottle out of one goat to feed the next – no concept of sharing there…
You’ll also be able to get photo opportunities with the baby goats. These cute little creatures are cuddly and some even slept in the arms of some of the members in our media group!
Goat Milk Processing Centre
At the next stop, we were shown how milk is extracted at the goat milk processing centre.
Milking the goats at UK Agro Resort Farm
We were told that the mother goats had to be milked TWICE A DAY! This is because if they do not do so, the glands would swell up and cause the goats to fall sick. In addition, the timing of the mating is properly done so that they produce milk for 6 months, mate and continue producing milk after getting pregnant! That’s alot of milk for Mr Goh…$Ka Ching$!
Mr Goh is also really proud of the technique used here. In fact, he is one of only 6 sheep farms in the world to have received the HACCP certification. Which is why each and every step done and demonstrated to us is in accordance with the procedures.
The ingenuity of Mr Goh extends not only to the achievements at the farm but also to the products sold here…
After the milk tasting (which was somehow a little gamey for us), we adjourned to see another idea that Mr Goh devised…
According to Mr Goh, it would be really inefficient to feed each one of them individually. Hence the milk that was milked? It gets transferred to this container that allows the young goats to be fed quickly and efficiently!
UK Farm Resort Stay
Next, we moved on to visit the resort stay at UK farm. Lucky for us, room 106 was not occupied and we were able to visit the room…
The resort is actually equipped to meet the needs of modern travellers. Wi-fi even. Really wonder how Mr Goh pulled cables all the way to the farm just to provide wi-fi for the visitors. All within just a short span of 3 years!
Tropical Arcade
Tropical Arcade is an area with visitors can relax, buy some souvenirs and fruits while enjoying them fresh. It was here where we enjoyed our organic coconut…
The other members of the media also took the opportunity to grab an interview with Mr Goh here…
We also had a short conversation with Mr Goh and we realised that all the ideas (organic/green farming, getting rid of flies via swallows, efficiency at the farm and even the lovely setting at Tropical Arcade) were from Mr Goh himself! He told us that he stopped schooling since primary 5 and all he could do was to put in hard work. Hard work he did and today UK farm is one of the best known farms in the country (and of course in the world of sheep farming).
On a side note, he did joke about students learning about “green techniques” in school when in actual fact, he’s doing green farming “practical” every single day!
Sheep Challenge
Sheep challenge is a major attraction at UK Farm whereby 3 to 5 participants would enter the pen and attempt to catch a sheep within a time of 3 minutes. If you are able to do so, you’ll receive the legendary UK medal…
The key is to work together as a team. Approach the sheep slowly in a ring-like manner and trap them into a corner. But if you’re not able to do so, you’ll probably end up like what we did – running around aimlessly in the pen…
Though we failed to catch a sheep, we really did have fun! Almost caught them a couple of times. They run real fast these sheeps. Nonetheless, there were high fives all round as we concluded the game.
Kluang local delicacies
As we rounded up our familiarisation trip of Kluang, we headed to Ayer Hitam – a town known for its pottery and crafts. This time, we tasted some local delicacies – Putu Bambu and Cendol
Making of Putu Bambu at Ayer Hitam Kluang
Putu Bambu is a rice-based dessert steamed in small little bamboos. They are then extracted (as shown in the video) and covered with generous topping of grated coconut. Delicious while eaten warm. No wonder there’s a queue at this particular stall in Ayer Hitam. The cendol was also a great dessert – shaved ice with gula melaka (brown sugar) and rich ingredients such as jelly noodles and red bean.
How we got to Kluang Johor Malaysia
Tourism Malaysia collaborated with KTM to bring us this familiarisation trip and this time round, we took the rail to Kluang!
To take the train to Kluang, you will have to go by the Woodlands Train Checkpoint. To reach here, there are essentially 2 ways. The first way is to take the MRT to Marsiling Station and take bus 856 or Kranji MRT Station and take bus 170/178. As we were running late that morning, we took the 2nd way – Taxi! There is a taxi stand right beside Woodlands Train Checkpoint.
The thing we love about taking the train is that it was CLEAR at the immigration on a Saturday morning! Within minutes, we cleared both the Singapore and Malaysian customs and boarded the train!
We were hosted on the “event carriage” of the train (costs about 3000RM per trip) which features a large space for catering or performances, attached toilets (notice the plural) as well as the latest karaoke system that features more than 3000 songs! The screen’s pretty much like K Box (easy to search songs in Mandarin,English,Malay or foreign languages), that’s how modern the system is…
If you’re going for luxury, there’s also a VIP carriage for more privacy and comfort…
To our surprise, the High Commissioner of Malaysia, Dato’ Husni Zai Yaacob also joined us for the event! This lent great emphasis to this media familiarisation trip and we were thoroughly honoured to have the High Commissioner being part of the event! KTM’s General Manager also took time off for an opening speech where he emphasised on the concept of Railway Tourism. Something which we think will really take off once the High Speed Rails come online.
The price of travelling to Kluang costs $15 one way (when you purchase your tickets in Singapore) and 15RM one way when you purchase your tickets in Kluang.
Transportation in and around Kluang
Taxis are readily available in Kluang and there are also private cars for hire (you will need to feature your negotiation skills). If you’re heading to UK Farm Agro Resort, they do charter a bus which costs 20RM per person (round trip), taking you from Kluang Railway Station and back.
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We hope that this post has helped you to understand more about the attractions and things to do in Kluang Malaysia. Looking back, we’d definitely take a trip back to UK Farm which is cleaner, nearer and cheaper than its Australian counterparts. Enroute, you may also want to stop for a durian feast. Sounds like a great weekend trip already!
When you think of Batu Pahat in Malaysia, the caves may come to mind first. Today, we’ll cover the things to do and attractions in the town of Batu Pahat!
1. Where to stay in Batu Pahat?
We checked in at the 4-stars Katerina Hotel and we were treated to a comfortable stay which offered a good base from which we visited the attractions in Batu Pahat. Read more about our stay at the Katerina Hotel here.
2. What to eat at Batu Pahat?
Chop See Kee Wanton Noodles
Chop See Kee wanton noodles (affectionately known by the locals at Ah See Wanton Mee) is a local favourite. Located at 2 Jalan Jenang, Chop See Kee wanton noodles has served generations of food lovers since the 1940s. Its fame has travelled far and wide and many in Malaysia while passing through Batu Pahat, would stop by for a bowl of nostalgia. Singaporeans included.
Ship Village Seafood Restaurant
Located No 68 Kg Segenting, Jalan Minyak Beku 83000 Batu Pahat, Ship Village Seafood Restaurant serves up the freshest seafood at affordable prices. Not only is its structure unique (shaped like a ship), it also overlooks the sea, allowing patrons to enjoy splendid views paired with excellent food!
Glutton Square
Located at Jalan Peng Kai, Jalan Soga, Glutton Square is THE PLACE to go for the best of local hawker food in Batu Pahat.
3. What to do at Batu Pahat?
Wet World Batu Pahat
Though Wet World is actually quite an old attraction now, it still provides a nice spot for visitors to relax, kids to play in and just enjoy a day out. Do be careful of the floor of the pools, they are anti-slip in nature but may cause scratches (which Kate and I kenna) if you’re not careful. Also, we were there on a Sunday and there was a massive gathering of people fishing at the ponds outside Wet World. So do expect a jam if you’re travelling on these dates.
Batu Pahat Mall
For all your shopping needs, look no further than Batu Pahat Mall. It is the largest mall in Batu Pahat and has outlets ranging from food, fashion to daily necessities. If there’s something you want to buy, Batu Pahat Mall would be your best bet in Batu Pahat.
Explore Batu Pahat!
Lastly, take time to explore the hidden gems of Batu Pahat. For instance, while searching for Ship Village Seafood Restaurant, we also visited the seaside where we enjoyed views of the sea. While searching for Chop See Kee Wanton Noodles, we chanced upon a mom-and-pop shop, much like the mama shops commonly seen in Singapore in the 80s and 90s…
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Kate and I visited Batu Pahat over the weekend and we decided to check out the 4 stars Hotel Katerina. Oh, its formal name is actually The Katerina Hotel…
Inside the Room of The Katerina Hotel Batu Pahat
Walking down the corridor to our room at Hotel Katerina, we were pleasantly surprised by the clean and spacious room. The room was equipped with a bath tub and had a splendid view overlooking the town of Batu Pahat!
Facilities at The Katerina Hotel Batu Pahat
As a 4-stars hotel, the Katerina does have its bases covered in terms of gym, swimming pool and restaurants. The lobby is spacious and inviting as well…
Breakfast at The Katerina Hotel Batu Pahat
Breakfast was served at the 2nd level of the hotel at normal breakfast timings. The variety of food was adequate but do not expect too much here. Nasi Lemak was not too bad though.
How to get to the Katerina Hotel Batu Pahat
Map of the Katerina Hotel Batu Pahat
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The Katerina Hotel was indeed a comfortable stay for us and it provided a great base for us to explore the rest of the attractions in Batu Pahat! Enjoy!
Legoland Malaysia has another major attraction – Lego Technic! Here you will be able to find the famous Project X ride as well as other attractions such as the Lego Academy as well as the Aquazone Wave Racers & Technic Twister!
Attractions at Lego Technic Legoland Malaysia
Lego Technic is one of the educational zones for the kids (in addition to the rides of course). Here you will be able to find the Lego Academy as well as the Lego MINDSTORMS.
At the entrance of Lego Academy, you will be able to find this huge lego-built Albert Einstein! Of course, it is here that kids will be guided to build their own lego models. At Lego MINDSTORMS, lego robots can be built as well.
Rides at Lego Technic Legoland Malaysia
For the thrill seekers, there are several rides such as the Technic Twister, Aquazone Wave Racers as well as the famous Project X! Technic Twister is basically a “futuristic-looking” version of the teacup rides we used to go on when we were young? Remember those teacups going round and round and spinning on its own axis? Yup, thats the one! The only difference now is that you can control a wheel determine how you want your ride to be…
Aquazone Wave Racers is like a merry-go-round on water. Using the theory of centrifugal forces, you can control how far you are from the centre by controlling the steering wheel. By our feeling (not sure if its scientifically proven) it seems that if you extend fully (away from the centre), the ride seems to be faster. Nearer to the centre, slower. Also for this ride, you may get wet because of the water splash around the ride. Passer by may just activate the “mines” that explodes beneath the water or use the water guns to spray at you! The wait for the ride was quite long as it can only accommodate 6 riders at a go…
Lego Technic’s main attraction : Project X
Project X is one of the main attractions not only at Lego Technic but also Legoland itself. It has a huge drop from a height of 18m which is quite exciting (definitely not for the faint of heart). After it descends, it ascends to a lower height and twists from left to right while you enjoy a great view of Legoland.
At first we thought that the ride looked like a kids ride, but dont under-estimate it!
Legoland Malaysia has a main attraction called Miniland! It shows intricately crafted lego sculptures of world renowned landmarks, all by piecing Lego bricks (that you and I know of) together!
World Famous Attractions at Miniland Legoland Malaysia!
At Legoland Malaysia Miniland, you will be able to find world famous attractions made into a exquisite work of art where visitors can enjoy and take photos with! Here are some of these amazing works of art…
Besides these world renowned attractions, there are also themed displays such as the pirates and medieval castles!
Interactive displays at Legoland Malaysia Miniland
At the Miniland exhibition, you will also notice some ships moving and even trains moving in and out of train stations. These trains may even move from landmarks to landmarks! In addition, there may also be some interactive buttons for visitors to press. We recall pressing one of the buttons and “workers” on the tarmac began to lift a car and make a grunting sound! Another button at the Singapore section, changed the direction of the water that comes out of the Merlion, directing the water at where the button was!
Picture opportunities abound here and you will be amazed at how these little pieces of Lego can actually come together to form these realistic structures! The designers must have placed alot of time and effort to bring all these world attractions together!
We shall now leave you with a video of Legoland Malaysia Miniland! Enjoy!
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Legoland Malaysia has many cute characters made of Lego! It is such a wonder to see these characters as they’re entirely made out of Lego Bricks! These characters are scattered throughout the theme park and most of them form great picture moments. Some like the Steven Spielberg character is hidden at the top of the 4D animation theatre so do watch out for it as well! Enjoy!
Cute Characters at Legoland Malaysia
The Tourist is a really cute character just outside The Big Shop. The Big Shop is actually the souvenir/gift shop of Legoland Malaysia and you can find all sorts of Lego products ranging from Star Wars, Medieval Kingdoms to traditional Lego bricks. There are also shirts, magnets and other forms of souvenir as well. The Tourist is really cute because it shows him happy and satisfied as he leaves the Big Shop!
If you observe closely, the director sitting on the director’s seat is actually Steven Spielberg, characterised by his beard! Haha!
Photo Moments with Legoland Malaysia Characters
Arent these creations made out of Lego amazing? As you enjoy the rides, shows and games at Legoland, do take time to take some pictures with these gorgeous creations! Although we did not get to catch Lego Buddy, we did see the dragon from Lego Kingdoms!
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Legoland Malaysia has a zone called Lego Kingdoms which is a spin off from its lego series. The main attraction at Lego Kingdoms Legoland Malaysia is the Dragon! The Dragon is of course the highest rollercoaster in all of Legoland!
Lego Kingdoms has several interesting attractions such as the Dragon’s Apprentice (smaller version of the Dragon albeit has its exciting moments on the ride), Royal Joust (kid’s ride on a mechanical horse), Merlin’s Challenge (high speed carousel), Castle Games (shooting/throwing games $/play), The Forestmen’s Hideout (a medieval playground) as well as the DRAGON!
After conquering the Dragon, you can also take some time to take photos with the castle as well as the medieval surroundings. Kids will also enjoy their time on the Royal Joust. The waiting time may be a little long…
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Legoland Malaysia’s Lego City is yet another zone which kids will have lots of fun here at Legoland! Here kids can learn to drive, captain a boat and even put out “fires” at the Rescue Academy!
Legoland Malaysia Driving School
At the driving school, kids are divided into the Junior Driving School (Ages 3 to 5) as well as the Driving School (Ages 6 to 13). Here kids can not only learn to drive, learn the traffic rules but also get their very own Legoland license! Sorry, adults are not allowed on the vehicles!
Legoland Malaysia Boating School
At the boating school, kids can learn to control a boat on water, adults can also join in if they wish to.
If you steer well, the lanes demarcated should be easy to navigate through. Otherwise, it may become “bumper cars” on water!
Legoland Malaysia Rescue Academy
At the rescue academy, teams can race against each other to put out “fires” at the other end of the academy. Teams must first pump the mechanical device on their rescue vehicles. When they reach their destination, they will alight and pump the water towards a building on “fire”. Once the Lego Fireman appears, return to the rescue vehicle and head back to base. The first team to return wins!
Other Attractions at Lego City Legoland Malaysia
You can also hop on the Legoland Express, which is a train ride all around Legoland. Kids can also visit the Shipyard which is an outdoor playground.
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Sunway Lagoon actually has 5 parks in itself. All these while, we thought that it’s just another water themed park. We were wrong.
Sunway Lagoon consists of the Amusement Park, Water Park, Extreme Park, Wildlife Park (Zoo) and even a horror-themed Scream Park! We shall now take you through our trip to Sunway Lagoon!
Entrance of Sunway Lagoon
Sunway Lagoon is opened daily from 10am to 6pm. They’re closed on Tuesdays, perhaps for maintenance on the lowest traffic day of the week? We were there on a weekday and surprisingly there was ALOT of people at the queue line at 10am!
Long Queues @ Sunway Lagoon
The rates of Sunway Lagoon for adults is 100RM for all 5 parks OR 80RM for 3 parks (does not include scream and extreme parks). There are usually some ongoing discounts with certain credit cards. Malaysians get 25% off as well.
Rates at Sunway Lagoon Malaysia
Attractions at Sunway Lagoon
Amusement Park
Map of Sunway Lagoon – Location of Amusement Park
We headed first to the Amusement park and we conquered several rides including the Lost City and a water slide.
Lost City of Gold
Roller Coaster Ride
We must say that the rides here are not really that exciting. For real extreme roller coaster rides, you can visit Universal Studios Singapore OR Busch Gardens. That is what we call a real roller coaster ride! There are also rides at wild wild west section for the kids to enjoy.
One ride that caught our eyes was the Viking. This one’s quite scary. Usually, you’d think that the Viking would just go back and forth right? WRONG! This Viking goes 360 degrees! One whole loop! 😮 You may even “hear” the screams from the following pictures!
Viking approaching the top almost inverting!
Viking reaches the top and goes over to the other side!
Wildlife Park
Map of Sunway Lagoon – Location of Wildlife Park
Next we headed to the Wildlife Park. It’s actually quite a cool place with close encounters with the birds, huge crocodiles that look like that can leap out of the sanctuary and touch interaction with rabbits.
Can you spot the Owl sleeping?
An eagle at the spot where it ought to be
As we walked past the birds sanctuary, we noticed that the birds were at the position that they’re supposed to be! No chains could be seen. We were speculating whether the birds have been clipped at its wings. Else we really cant understand how every bird was in its place as we walked past. Maybe we were lucky?
Huge Crocodiles @ Wildlife Park Sunway Lagoon
Rabbits that you could pat at the touch section of the Wildlife Park
Scream Park
Map of Sunway Lagoon – Location of Scream Park
Entrance to Scream Park
The Scream Park at Sunway Lagoon was scary. Not as scary as the Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Singapore. Still, it was scary enough for people to drop out at the entrance of the park. What happened was after all the safety brief, a man just rushed out from behind the doors! Some girls cried and some (even guys) left. As with all horror-themed parks, no touching is allowed. That is to say that visitors are not allowed to touch the scare actors and the scare actors are not allowed to touch the visitors.
At the start of the park, visitors are led to view a video clip. The video sets the background of the theme park. It’s about a couple who ventured into Sunway Lagoon when it’s closed (never a good sign). Somehow some pontianaks started to appear and scare them. Thinking that they’ve found a good hiding place in a run-down shack entrance (wassup man? just run out of the park already!), they went inside. And that’s where the guy who saws people up stores his corpses! And thats where the visitors are going.
Inside the park, there are scare actors, scary art and dungeon like settings. After the initial scares, you’ll get used to it. But beware of the final scare towards the end…
Extreme Park
Map of Sunway Lagoon – Location of Extreme Park
Next we headed to the Extreme Park to try out some of the activities there. Do note that not all of the activities are free. We tried out the air gun (10 pellets), ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) as well as Archery (5 arrows). The rest of the activities such as bungy jumping, flying fox, paint ball and go-kart needs a little bit of top up.
We thoroughly enjoyed the ATV. Though it was a short ride, the slopes were quite steep. This made climbing and descending these slopes a little bit challenging. Some of the instructors had to get out of their own ATV and ride on the ATVs of those who were stuck.
Water Park
Map of Sunway Lagoon – Location of Water Park
Last but not least, we arrived at the most desired destination of Sunway Lagoon – The Water Park!
Entrance to the Water Park @ Sunway Lagoon
The coolest part of the Water Park was the slides. Some slides required a map and some floats. And all of them were exciting! Just that you may have to wait about 10 minutes (sometimes) for your turn on the ride due to the large crowds. There could be a longer waiting time during the weekends.
If you are not the kind that enjoy extreme rides, you can always chill out at the wave pool as well. There are also water playgrounds for kids to enjoy.
Recommended Hotels near Sunway Lagoon Water Park
There are essentially 3 recommended hotels if you want to have easy access to Sunway Lagoon Water Park. They are…
Last Words
Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia is definitely a visit well worth it. There are tonnes of entertainment for the young and old alike. Do check out ongoing promotions to get the best deal at Sunway Lagoon!
If you are planning to visit Kuala Lumpur KL and not sure what to eat there, here’s a low down of the things to eat in KL!
Famous Chilli Pan Mee in KL
Chilli Pan Mee at Restoran Kin Kin
Chilli Pan Mee or dry chilli noodles has been a creation that originated in KL. Here in Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman (just a short walk from Chow Kit station), you can try the famous chilli pan mee from both Restoran Kin Kin or Restoran Super Kitchen.
Roti Babi Anyone?
Roti Babi at Yut Kee Kopitiam KL
Roti Babi is synonymous with Yut Kee Kopitiam – one of the oldest surviving kopitiam in KL. While you’re here, why not try the hainanese pork chop and a cuppa as well?
Lot 10 Hutong
If you are a fan of Malaysian Street Food, look no further than Lot 10’s Hu Tong! Here you will be able to savour some of the best street foods that Malaysia has to offer! Famous delights such as Penang Char Kway Teow and KL Fried Hokkien Mee will definitely delight your palate!
Desserts @ Pavilion KL
Taiwanese Dessert @ Pavilion KL
Recently, 2 taiwanese dessert stalls opened at the restaurant level of the Pavilion! Not only can you enjoy people watching over the atrium, you will also be able to savour some healthy and delectable dessert to cool you down from the heat of the day!
View of the Atrium from Taiwanese Dessert Place
Bean curd, taro, red bean with shaved milk ice!
The Taiwanese are geniuses at food! This bowl of bean curd, taro, red bean with shaved milk ice really left us craving for more!
We hope that you’ve enjoyed this list of what and where to eat in KL. Do add on to this list through our comments page below!
If you are a street food foodie and you’re too lazy to go all over Malaysia to look for the best street food, then look no further than Hu Tong @ Lot 10 Shopping Centre!
Hu Tong @ Lot 10
Interior of Hutong @ Lot 10 shopping Centre
Famous Street Foods @ Hu Tong Lot 10 KL
At Hutong Lot 10, you’ll be able to try out all the best street food all over Malaysia! Here you can try out best street foods specialties such as
Another restaurant that you must visit when you are in KL is Yut Kee Kopitiam! It serves home-made food with its own innovation and has been doing so since 1928!
Yut Kee Hainanese Kopitiam in KL
Interior of Yut Kee Kopitiam
Located in Dang Wangi Kuala Lumpur, Yut Kee is one of the oldest surviving Kopitiam in KL. Today, it not only serves up one of the meanest kopi in town, it also specialises in what has come to be a trademark of Yut Kee – The Roti Babi!
Roti Babi @ Yut Kee Kopitiam KL
The Roti Babi is a well-known dish in Kuala Lumpur. It is an innovation of Yut Kee that serves marinated pork encapsulated in bread and then deep fried. Yum! (Everything deep fried is yummy right? :p) Another well known dish here is the Hainanese Pork Chop.
Hainanese Pork Chop from Yut Kee Kopitiam KL
The pork chop is tender and well marinated. The generous gravy (and condiments) is similar to that of the western “brown sauce”. The only minus point is that the sauce somewhat reduced the crispy factor of the pork chop.
Well, if you have the opportunity, why not pop by Dang Wangi and give the Roti Babi and Hainanese Pork Chop a try, the next time you’re in KL!
Legoland Malaysia has a zone called Imagination which is another interesting zone for the kids. Here you have 4D movies @ Lego Studios, Kid Power Towers, Duplo Playtown, Duplo Express as well as the Legoland Observation Tower.
Things to do and Attractions at Imagination Legoland Malaysia
Legoland Malaysia Studios
4D movies come to live at the Legoland Studios. For those who do not know what 4D movies are, they are actually 3D movies + special effects in the real world such as wind, rain drops, foam or “feelers” beneath your feet!
Build & Test Legoland Malaysia
At Build & Test, kids can construct their own lego models and try out if they can really work!
Kids Power Towers Legoland Malaysia
At Kids Power Towers, kids are expected to use the pulley system fitted and pull themselves up the tower. They can do it as many times as they wish within a limited time frame. Adults can accompany kids (2 to a ride) but adults must ride alone without kids.
Legoland Malaysia Observation Tower
Rise up to a height of 50 metres and enjoy a paranomic view of the entire legoland at the Observation Tower!
See the entire Legoland from the Observation Tower!
At Imagination, the younger ones can also explore Duplo Playtown or ride on the Duplo Express! Everyone’s looked after at Legoland Malaysia!
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Legoland Malaysia has one of the coolest rides at Land of Adventure – Dino Island! In addition, kids can take part in laser shooting at Lost Kingdom Adventure or have a mini drop at Beatle Bounce.
Lost Kingdom Adventure
At Lost Kingdom Adventure, players sit in a carriage (max capacity of 4) and enters into a maze of treasures & adventure! Players will each have a laser gun and you are expected to aim and shoot at green or red jewels. Try to out shoot and out score each other in this adventure! We had a high score of 37500!
Dino Island
One of the more exciting rides in Legoland, Dino Island brings you on a boat ride seeing dinosaurs made out of Legos. You will then ascend up an “abandoned volcano” only to escape from it down a steep drop! You will get wet for this ride, so be prepared!
Beatle Bounce
If you had been to the Giant Drop in Australia, this is the kids version of it. A mini drop. Kids will be taken up to a small height and dropped in small degrees. The process is repeated. The ride is mainly for kids, accompanying adult can only sit in the middle seat. For balancing purposes?
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Legoland Malaysia is the latest attraction in Johor! We had an opportunity to visit so let’s find out what’s on offer at Legoland Malaysia right here!
How to get to Legoland Malaysia
Legoland Johor Malaysia is located near Medini and is just a 10 minutes drive from the Tuas Second Link, 20 minutes from Senai Airport and 30 minutes from Johor Bahru.
To get to Legoland from Singapore, after passing the Tuas Second Link, continue along the second link expressway and look for EXIT 312. Note that for this exit, there are 2 sub exits, go to the one that states Nusajaya / LEGOLAND. “LEGOLAND” will be prominently displayed in brown, you cant miss it!
Follow the signs to “LEGOLAND” and you will pass by Mall of Medini. PARK HERE!!
The reason why we suggest to park here is because it is a shorter drive (you’ll still need to drive 200m to Legoland’s car park) and since both parking locations requires you to have a short walk from the carpark to Legoland, why not pass through a mall?
Things to do and Attractions in Legoland Malaysia
There are so many things to do and attractions in Legoland! There are 7 themed areas with over 40 interactive rides, shows and play areas for the kids! Legoland is a kids friendly place. We would say that more than 50% of the attractions are meant and constructed with kids in mind. The themed areas include
1. The Beginning
2. Lego Technic
3. Lego Kingdoms
4. Imagination
5. Land of Adventures
6. Lego City
7. Miniland
Before we proceed, let’s first take a look at the map…
Map of Legoland Malaysia
Aerial View of Legoland Johor
The Beginning
The Beginning is the first area that you will go to once you enter into Legoland. After contending with the long queues to enter Legoland (we came on a week day and yet there’s such a long queue!)…
Here, you will find guest services counter, mini market, the Brick Shop, the Cafe as well as the Big Shop! Cute characters made entirely out of Lego bricks can be found here and throughout Legoland as well!
If you stay near to Legoland or even in the western part of Singapore PLUS you have kids, we will recommend that you head right on to the guest services for the upgrade of your day ticket to the annual pass. This is because the price of the annual pass is about 3x the price of admission. This means that if you intend to visit more than 3 times a year, the annual pass is definitely worth it!
Miniland
If you head straight after passing The Beginning, you will enter into Miniland!
Miniland is an entire exhibition of world landmarks made entirely out of Lego Bricks! Here, you will be able to see land marks such as the Great Wall of China, the Petronas Towers as well as the Singapore Flyer! See the intricacy and details placed into constructing these structures and enjoy many photo moments here!
Miniland will include the landmarks from the following locations and themes…
KLIA, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Singapore, India, Myanmar, China, Laos, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Port Tanjung Pelepas and Pirates!
Lego Technic
Lego Technic boasts of several exciting rides and attractions such as Technic Twister, AQUAZONE Wave Racers, Water Splash, LEGO MINDSTORMS, LEGO Academy as well as Project X!
Project X is one of the main attractions at Lego Technic and Legoland. It is a 4 seater roller coaster that has a huge drop at one point, making it one of the most exciting rides in Legoland!
A recommendation to Legoland : We noticed that some of the carriages did not leave with all 4 seats filled. Perhaps the staff can plan for subsequent rides and check if there are single or 2 riders that can fill the seats. This will ensure that more riders can enjoy the rides in a shorter amount of time.
Lego City
Lego City is a theme of having the different modes of transportation that we have today. This zone offers the Lego City Airport, Lego City Stage, Boating School, Remote Control Boat, The Shipyard, Junior Driving School, Driving School, Legoland Express as well as the Lego Rescue Academy.
Another main attraction at Malaysia’s Legoland is the driving school. Do note that the driving school is divided into Junior (Ages 3 to 6) as well as Drivers (Ages 7 to 13). (Adults, we’re sorry, no rides for you here!) But kids can complete the lessons and ciruits here and have their very own Legoland Driver’s License!
Land of Adventure
Land of Adventure has some fun attractions as well. The attractions here include Lost Kingdom Adventure, Beatle Bounce, Dino Island as well as Pharoah’s Revenge! The main attraction here has got to be Dino Island where you will be brought up into the “ruins” and try to escape out of it through the giant water splash! Be warned that you will be wet for this ride!
Imagination
At Imagination, you will enjoy the Kid Power Towers, Build & Test, Observation Tower, Musical Fountain, DUPLO Playtown, DUPLO Express as well as the Lego Studios!
At Lego Studios, you will be able to enjoy 4D movies and they are shown in succession. They are Racers, Spellbreaker as well as Clutch Powers. We managed to watch Spellbreaker (Characters dont speak in this movie) as well as Clutch Powers. Each movie lasts about 15 minutes. A quick way to finish all the movies is to re-queue once you’re done with a movie and you can complete all 3 movies within the hour. Well, that is provided you do not mind the seatings. But be assured that all the seats will be able to enjoy all the effects even if you’re sitting at the front row.
For those who do not know what is a 4D movie, it is actually 3D graphics with additional effects such as water drizzles, wind, foam, crippy crawly feelers beneath you that will actually feel according the movie that you’re watching.
A recommendation to Legoland : We recommend that the screens at the waiting area show a countdown timer so that those waiting would roughly know how long more they will have to wait before the next show. Also, it would be good to show what movie is up next on the screens. We did not actually know what movie it was unless we asked OR waited till just before we enter the theatre.
Lego Kingdoms
Lego Kingdoms boasts of the following attractions that include the Forestman’s hideout, Dragon’s Apprentice, The Dragon, King’s Market, Castle Stage, Royal Joust, Merlin’s Challenge as well as Castle Games. The main attraction here is of course the Dragon rollercoaster ride. It is the highest rollercoaster ride in Legoland Malaysia and you will be able to enjoy great views of Legoland at the top of the ride!
Legoland Malaysia Ticket Prices & Opening Hours
Opening Hours
Legoland Malaysia is open from 10am to 6pm daily. The hours are extended on weekends, public holidays as well as school holidays. The extended hours are from 10am to 8pm during these periods.
Ticket Prices
We advise our readers to purchase tickets online as there are some discounts when you do so. Also as mentioned earlier, if you are planning to revisit Legoland, do approach guest services to upgrade your day tickets to the annual pass. Ticket prices for Legoland Malaysia are
Annual Pass for Adults is RM275 and Children/Seniors at RM210
Hotels near to Legoland Malaysia
There are several excellent hotels such as Pulai Springs, KSL Resort, Thistle Johor Bahru as well as Tune Hotels. Legoland Hotel will be completed in 2014!
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Conclusion
There’s a full suite of entertainment for the whole family at Legoland. Exciting rides, entertaining shows, fun rides for the kids as well as many play areas. Kids will definitely be spoilt for choice at this Lego themepark. For a well deserved break and a full day of entertaining fun for the kids, look no further than Legoland Malaysia!
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort was our choice of stay when Kate and I wanted to enjoy a staycation in Malaysia. We stumbled upon Lotus Desaru Beach Resort while doing our research and the price was really affordable at only $77 per night (inclusive of taxes) for a one room suite!
From Singapore, there is now a quicker way to travel to Desaru via the Senai Desaru Expressway!
The drive time from Singapore to Desaru has been greatly reduced with the completion of the Senai Desaru Expressway. No longer do you need to make a trip north to Kota Tinggi then south back to Desaru. With the Senai Desaru Expressway, the drive time is cut to about 45 minutes (this excludes the waiting time at the causeway jam!)
The price of the toll from Singapore to Desaru via the Senai Desaru Expressway costs RM8.20!
After about a 45 minutes drive, we finally reached Lotus Desaru Beach Resort, Desaru Malaysia!
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort Desaru Malaysia
Lotus Desaru Beach Resort is designed to resemble that of medieval towers. On top of each tower, there is a flag that seems to be flying (but is actually fixed at that position)
This map shows the various facilities and layout of the entire resort.
Facilities of Lotus Desaru Beach Resort
There are many facilities at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort. This is a quick run down of the facilities here…
There are actually 3 main swimming areas. It includes the above swimming pool at the clubhouse (right in front of the gym), a smaller swimming pool that resides with a block of towers and of course the main attraction here, the WATER PARK!
The water park at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort is really nothing much to shout about. However, if you enjoy water slides, there is a really long water slide (the main and only attraction of the water park) that serves this water park.
The entry to the water park is of course complimentary with stays at the hotel. You will need to wear a wrist band when you use any of the 3 pool facilities though. You can remove the wrist band after each usage. Once removed, bring back the wrist band to the receptionist at the clubhouse and they will replace it for you.
One word of caution though. DO NOT USE THE FLOAT AT THE SLIDE!! Although it was relatively cheap (RM7), Kate and I fell over and landed on our heads TWICE at the slides! We thus concluded it was too dangerous to go on the slide with floats. On the other hand, it was really fun just sliding down the slides! Even the super man style (belly down with hands forwards) was shiok!
Kate enjoyed a Ayurvedic spa (something like a full body oil massage) at RM115++ while I enjoyed the face spa for RM50++ The masseuse who did my spa had more than 10 years of experience from India and he was so professional at the facial massage, relaxing the various facial muscles with strong, firm and skillful strokes. In addition, there was also a facial of various cleansing, moisturising and revitalising creams/oils that left my face bouncy and refreshed! It was really well worth it. Kate thoroughly enjoyed her body massage as well!
The Teratai restaurant at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort is where breakfast is served daily. On our first day, there was also a buffet lunch at only RM25++! We ate…
As this was a staycation (really just to chill and relax -> Chillax), we had all our meals at the hotel. Dinner was at the cafe/pub near the beach…
We also had pizza which was a deal that came with 2 drinks. It was quite chill to dine beside the ocean front and listen to the waves (and of course the songs that kept repeating itself – only like 7 songs on the CD!)…
One Bedroom Suite at Lotus Desaru Beach Resort
Although the room was relatively cheap, we must say that it was quite decent and different from what we had experienced previously. It was a loft unit with the bed and toilet (with bathtub) on the second floor.
For dinner on the last night, we had a club sandwich and indian set meal. It was the first time that we ordered room service and it was still relatively affordable for room service standards…
We also witnessed MAN CITY TAKING THE BPL CHAMPIONSHIP with 2 last minute goals (think it was 91st and 93rd minutes)! It was exhilarating just to watch the match! Although Man U also won their last game, the 2 last minute goals reversed a defeat into a victory and Man City clinched the title for the 2011/2012 BPL league, wrestling it away from Man U! History made and we witnessed it!
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All in all, it was a really great staycation here in Desaru Malaysia. In fact, we thought that this stay was much better than Pulai Springs nearby. Well, our opinion is very much price driven in this case. We hope you’ll enjoy your next stay at Desaru Malaysia and do check out our other post about the things to do in Desaru Malaysia as well! Lotus Desaru Beach Resort is indeed an excellent place for staycation!
What would a visit to Desaru be like without a visit to the Desaru Fruit Farm?
Not only will you be able to savour all the different kinds of food available at the Desaru Fruit Farm, the tour guides will also tell you the benefits of all the different kinds of fruit and the quantity that you should take to achieve the benefits.
To top things off, there’s even a sumptuous meal thrown in (inclusive of crabs and crayfish)!
*Please note that the food served depends on the package that you go for. Kate and I had two meals at the fruit farm and we enjoyed western for our other meal there.
A visit to the Desaru Fruit Farm is not only educational but satisfying for the palettes! Great place to visit with the kids as well!
Firefly River Cruise Tour
Another must visit attraction at Desaru is the Firefly River Cruise Tour!
If you have not tried this river cruise, this Singapore Travel Blog recommends that you experience this magical journey down the river since it is just an hour away. Once you check in to your Desaru Hotel, make sure to check out times so that you can coordinate your evening. This cruise is very popular among nomads traveling from countries like the Philippines and other parts of Malaysia since it gives a different perspective of Desaru. It will expose you to your other senses under the darkness of the night.You become more aware of your surroundings and the sounds of the night as well as the waves of the river (and of course the motor of the boat).
As you approach the fireflies, the boat stops its engines to get you up close. If you’re daring enough, you can even place them in the palm for a photo shot! Unfortunately, our cameras are not up to the mark for night shots… (*hint hint* to potential sponsors!)
Beach Activities at Desaru
One of the main attractions of Desaru is of course its coastline formed with the South China Sea. The pristine beaches offers picturesque views of sunrise…
The clear blue waters also plays host to an array of water activities such as kayaking, banana boat rides and even parasailing!
There are actually 2 ways to get there from Singapore.
Ferry
The ferry from Singapore to Desaru takes about 45 minutes and you can hop onto the ferry at the Changi Ferry Terminal.
Via the Senai Desaru Expressway
The drive time from Singapore to Desaru has been greatly reduced with the completion of the Senai Desaru Expressway. No longer do you need to make a trip north to Kota Tinggi then south back to Desaru. With the Senai Desaru Expressway, the drive time is cut to about 45 minutes (this excludes the waiting time at the causeway jam!)
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There are so many things to do and attractions in Melaka! Let’s find out what are the things you can do right here in Melaka!
Just for our readers, this is a quick summary of the Melaka attractions in this world heritage city…
1. Traditional Trishaw Rides
One of the best ways to cover Melaka has got to be the trishaw rides. You can hope on one of these brightly decorated trishaws at Stadhuys and your trishaw guide will bring you to the tourist attractions in Melaka!
2. Authentic Peranakan Food
One of the most authentic and well known peranakan restaurants in Melaka, Ole Sayang serves up some of the best nonya foods at affordable prices. Dont forget to take away some of its famous keropok while you’re there!
One of the most famous ruins in Melaka, the A Famosa Fort is a must visit attraction!
5. St. Paul’s Church
A short walk up the hill from A Famosa is the St. Paul’s Church. From here, you can visit this Melaka Attraction and have a splendid view of the city as well!
6. Jonker Street
To savour some of the best local delicacies, why not head to Jonker Street? Here, you will be able to savour one of the best chicken rice in Melaka and also try out some street foods in the evening. Quaint shops along the street will get your attention as well!
7. Stadhuys aka Red Square
Another must visit attraction here in Melaka has got to be the Stadhuys. Here you can also see one of the oldest church – Christ Church Melaka and also hop on to one of the well-decorated trishaws for a ride about town!
8. Leisurely Stroll along the Melaka River
To make your Melaka trip more memorable, why not hope on the cruise down the Melaka river? A walk along the river is also strongly recommended!
The cost of a river cruise along the Melaka River actually costs only 10RM!
However, on this day, Kate and I decided that “Hey, it’s a bright and sunny day, why not just take a leisurely stroll down the Melaka river?”
And that’s what we did…
We started our leisurely stroll along the Melaka River and we stumbled upon this sign…
Turns out that these thin bricks were from the dutch colonial times. These bricks have a stark contrast to the fatter and broader bricks that we see today.
Further down, we came across the Church of St. Francis Xavier that was built in 1849…
as well as the huge sign that states Melaka as a World Heritage City…
Along the river, you can also see the Melaka trees…
Legend has it that the exiled Prince Parameswara was standing under the Melaka Tree when he observed a mouse deer attacking his hunting dogs. Inspired by the fighting spirit of the mouse deer, he asked for the name of the tree of which he was standing under. And the name of Melaka was born…
Moving on, we noticed that there are nicely drawn graffiti art on the houses along the river…
We were pleasantly surprised by the extent of the art and these areas present picturesque spots for tourists along the river.
After (more than) a while, we decided to head inwards towards to city to find a place to rest our feet. We came across the Baker’s Oven and Cafe…
This quaint little cafe is operated by a lovely couple. The wife who is a British does some mean baking and we decided to give the scones a try…
The scone had a crumbly (not too sweet) texture to it and the flavour was brought up and complemented with the jam and cream. The cream was freshly whipped on the spot so there was no hint of extra fatty taste or sweetness to it. Excellent pairing.
We rounded the “meal” with a couple of juices to cool ourselves down on this bright and sunny day…
The leisurely stroll along the Melaka river was indeed rewarding and enjoyable. Take time to take in the sights and even allow yourself to wander through the alleys. You may stumble into hidden “gems” and neighbourhoods that are well worth a visit!
To get a fix of trishaw rides in Melaka, look no further than Stadhuys, otherwise known as the red square in Melaka.
Trishaw Rides at Stadhuys
The Stadhuys is the homeground of the Trishaw riders in Melaka. Here, you can find signs that depict the price of the trishaw rides – typically charged 40RM per hour. The rates of the trishaw rides do differ during the holiday season…
Kate and I were there during the holiday season (new year’s eve) and thought that the prices of trishaw rides as depicted on the signs still held true. However, upon querying, the rates were somewhat cheaper (at 30RM) but the rides were much shorter (at 20 minutes).
Not only that, if you are lucky, the trishaw rider can give you simple explanations about these attractions. Even if they do not, you still get to enjoy a leisurely ride across town…
Trishaw Ride Melaka
The other main attraction about the trishaws in Melaka is that the trishaw riders take pride in their rides so much so that they put in extra effort to decorate them. Looking at the different brightly coloured decorations of the trishaws is a joy in itself! Not only that, some rides come with the latest sound systems, sub-woofer and all to entertain tourists and onlookers!
Therefore, if you have travelled especially to Melaka, take a ride on the traditional trishaw and enjoy the sights and sounds that this simple mode of transport can bring.
Many people have talked to us about how bad traffic jams in Melaka can really be. Usually, the single road traffic as well as the peak hours/weekends are mentioned in the same breath.
But how bad is the traffic jam in Melaka really?
This video, taken from our room @ Hotel Equatorial Melaka can testify to the ridiculous traffic in Melaka…
Traffic Jam in Melaka
It is not a myth! Horrendous traffic jams in Melaka is true!!
The road leading from left to right is actually going into a carpark beside the Dataran Pahlawan shopping mall. However, from the crawling speeds of the cars, you can even feel the frustrations of those drivers.
Well, it’s hard to blame tourists and foodies alike for visiting Melaka. There are so many attractions here in Melaka and the local food is yummylicious.
So when you are visiting Malacca the next time round, remember to factor in the bad traffic jams!
If you are looking for authentic Peranakan restaurant in Malacca, look no further than Restoran Ole Sayang.
According to locals (2 ladies that sat opposite us), Restoran Ole Sayang is one of the most reputable Peranakan restaurant in Malacca and many locals will point you to this restaurant at the mention of Peranakan food…
We were quickly shown to our seats at a big round table and shared the table with 2 other ladies.
The waitress then came over and told us what was the menu of the day (The restaurant usually cooks according to the ingredients that they acquired for the day). So how good is the Peranakan food here?
Chap Chye as the name suggests is a “mixed vegetable” dish. Usually the dish comes flavoured by cabbages, black fungus and vermicelli as the main stay. The chap chye at Ole Sayang was quite unique in that it does not resemble the usual peranakan chap chye and has an acquired taste, slightly to the sourly side. That’s not to say it’s not nice, a unique taste that’s worth the try.
The Otah was not one of our favourites, mainly because we have a pre-determined idea of how a great Otah would be like; Moist on the outside, firm and full of ingredients on the inside.
The Otah at Ole Sayang was a little bit dry on the outside and the inside was not as “full” in terms of ingredients as we had imagined. The only plus point was the chilli mix was quite nice and partnered the fragrant rice well.
One of the other Peranakan dish that you would usually try to determine the “skill” of the Peranakan restaurant would be the Ayam Rendang.
At Ole Sayang, the spiciness was just right and the rendang mixture together with the tender chicken was ma ma mia!
The chendol makes a nice round up to a traditional peranakan meal.
Overall, the restaurant serves up authentic peranakan food at a fraction of a restaurant price. Worthy of its reputation.
Before we left, we noticed many other patrons leaving with bags of keropok. Intrigued with thoughts of “how good can a keropok be?!”, we bought 2 bags at 10RM each.
No regrets there! The keropok turned out to be one of the best we’ve tasted. PLUS it stays crispy even after staying in the fridge for a few days, no signs of lao hong (non-crispiness after exposure to air) at all!
How to get there
If you notice the huge korean restaurant opposite the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall, walk along the road adjacent to the restaurant. You should be able to identify the restaurant with its pinkish colour (see picture) after about a 5 minutes walk.
The reason why the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum is a must visit museum in Melaka is because of the wealth of information it holds!
If you are interested in history of Melaka, it’s there.
If you are interested in stories and legends, it’s there!
If you are interested in jurisdictions in Melaka, it’s there!!
If you are interested in artifacts and costumes worn, it’s there!!!
Basically, all the things you want to know about how Melaka came to be, it’s all there. So, to provide a good background to the rest of your trip in Melaka, the Melaka Sultanate Palace Museum is a must visit museum if you have to make a choice to visit 1 or 2 museums only.
Not to mention, the price of entry is ONLY 2RM!!!
One of the more interesting displays (at least to Kate and I) were the legends and heroes of Melaka. They tell of stories of jealousy, loyalty and deceit. Plus, life sized sculptures do bring the stories to life…
Besides the excellent photo taking opportunities of the palace itself plus a nice stroll around the garden which you can enjoy, you can also marvel at the architectural brilliance of how the palace can be built without any nails at all! An architectural feat of their time…
One of the most prominent structure along the Melaka River is this…
This structure shaped like that of an olden day vessel is actually the maritime museum in Melaka!
From atop of the hill at St. Paul’s Church, you can actually see this structure. Intrigued by what we saw, Kate and I ventured towards that general direction (from where we saw the ship) and visited the maritime museum.
There are plenty of photo opportunities around the maritime museum, we were amazed at the sheer size of the ship and how well maintained it was.
The entrance fee to the Melaka maritime museum is actually quite cheap at 3RM. We would definitely recommend going in and have a visit because of the wealth of knowledge that the museum offers. Of course it is also a cheap price to get out of the sun if it is a sunny day…
At the ticketing counter, you would be given a plastic bag. Dont be surprised. It is actually used to keep your shoes as the museum itself requires you to remove your shoes before entering into its premise. After crossing the gangway, on the main area, shoes are fine. However, entering into the air-conditioned area, shoes have to be removed…
Entering into the museum, you would find the exhibits quite interesting. It depicts how the port of Melaka at that time came to be and how it was a place where traders came to find trading opportunities. The history was also well recorded of how the Dutch,Portuguese and English came to power here…
Overall, the Melaka Maritime Museum is a must visit attraction in Malacca and is definitely worth a trip. This is not only because of the excellent photo opportunities with the ship itself but also the wealth of information that the museum offers about maritime powers and history.
If you are a history junkie, the Melaka Maritime Museum is the place for you!
According to another one of our extensive research (2mins on Wikipedia), it is one of the oldest surviving European structure in Asia. Once a fortress built by the Portuguese, the gate is the only remaining structure now.
Around the A Famosa aka Porta De Santiago
This video shows the A Famosa up close and if you listen closely, you can also hear a tune resembling “My Heart Will Go On”.
No…you are not hearing things. It’s simply because there’s a violin player playing within the gates.
At the end of this video, you can also see a flight of red stairs that leads up the hill. This will bring you to St. Paul’s Church.
You can read more of our whining when you read that post…
Please dont make the same mistake that we made when we visited St. Paul’s Church in Malacca…
The mistake was this…
According to google map, St. Paul’s Church is actually just a short walk from Dataran Pahlawan Melaka Megamall, just across the road right?
WRONG! There is actually a climb up the hill from A Famosa (aka Porta De Santiago). It’s a climb with many steps at that!
So now we all know google maps dont include depth/height for its maps…
But back to our story.
St. Paul’s Church Melaka was built in 1521 and refurbished in 1566.
Video Tour inside St. Paul’s Church
Today, it is a much visited tourist attraction in Malacca and is part of the Malacca Museum Complex which includes A Famosa (aka Porta de Santiago) as well as the Stadhuys.
Another interesting story about the St. Paul’s Church is that it was actually a temporary burial site for Francis Xavier, a pioneering catholic missionary who was active in southeast asia during those times.
According to legend, he died out at sea but before he died, he told the sailors that he wanted to be buried in Goa India. So before his body was shifted to Goa, St. Paul’s Church was the temporary burial site for about 9 months.
To commemorate Francis Xavier, a statue of him was erected and it stands just outside of St. Paul’s Church overlooking the sea…
Views from St. Paul’s Church
So if you ever visit St. Paul’s Church. Dont be mistaken that it is actually “just beside” A Formosa. Well…actually it is but after climbing those stairs!
You’ve been warned…
How to St Paul’s Church Melaka
If you take a look at the map above again. The walk is pretty straight forward if you stay at the Hotel Equatorial Melaka.
Across the street from Hotel Equatorial is the Dataran Pahlawan Shopping Mall. If you follow it all the way through (either on the inside to avoid the sun in the day or on the outside to have some fresh air) you will arrive at the food court.
Take a walk out of the food court and up the stairs. You will then arrive at the A Famosa.
Walk through the gate and up those stairs and tada, you arrive at St. Paul’s Church Melaka!
There are so many things to do at Jonker Street! Let’s find out what are the things to do right here in Jonker Street Malacca! If you have read our last few posts, there are actually many things to do here at Jonker Street (aka Jonker Walk)…
Well, in this post, we are going highlight our top 3 things to do at Jonker Street!
1. Find out which chicken rice is the best.
Malacca is of course famous for its chicken rice balls. There are so many of them in Malacca, so which one do you go for?
Fret not! 2bearbear.com has tasted the top 2 rated malacca chicken rice ball stalls to give you the lowdown on Hoe Kee and Chung Wah.
Once you have tasted them, why not leave a comment below to tell us all what you think about it?
2. Try out baba/nonya dishes and desserts at Jonker 88.
Malacca is all about food isnt it? Yet another foodie thing to do on this street is to makan at Jonker 88. If you’re the type who just want to try the street kinda nonya/baba food, you’ll find them right here.
The desserts are also hot sellers here. From afar, if you see a queue, it’s quite likely that the queue’s at Jonker 88.
3. Enjoy the night market!
When night descends upon Jonker Street, stalls come out to play! At about 6pm, hawker stalls and stalls selling all sorts of things are seen along Jonker Street.
From afar you should be able to hear the “kok kok” candy man who is separating malted sugar (with peanuts) using his tools, effecting the familiar “kok kok” sound.
Then there are stalls selling mee sua (a type of vermicelli) which Malacca is famous for. We’ve bought some and they’re really good and dont “disintegrate” like most other brands.
You can also choose to just chillax at Geographer cafe – a pub that also serves up local delights. The drinks are rather expensive but a small pint wont do much harm right?
Of course there are street foods that you should savour as well. On this occasion, we saved our tummy for Fried Oyster aka Orh Lua!
We’ve even asked permission from Aunty to take a video on how to make fried oysters!
How to make fried oysters
You can see that we actually strafe left to avoid the smoke coming from the fried oysters. The wind was blowing in our direction!
But still, the whole process was captured and here is the final product…
One of the must visit stalls at Jonker Street has got to be Jonker 88!
Jonker 88 features many local nonya food as well as yummy desserts!
Having determined the winner of the battle of the Malacca Chicken Rice Ball, Kate and I were now too full to go on to the mains. Hence, we went straight for the dessert corner and ordered the famous durian chendol as well as the sago gula melaka…
Although we were very full, we slurped every bit of the 2 desserts! The gula melaka (not suitable for diabetics, confirmed plus chop plus double confirm) was sweet (fei hua) but had a nice cooked sugary taste to it.
Also, we regretted not filming the shifu when she put on the gula melaka…it was with such skill! One scoop one kill in one fast paced motion!
How to get there
Jonker 88 is located in the middle of Jonker street. One key indicator is the long queue in front of it, especially on the dessert side.
But we must say that the sago gula melaka and durian chendol were worth the wait!
Have you tried the nonya/baba food that Kate and I didnt have the space to stomach? If so, share with us in the comments section!
Related posts
This post is part of our 3D2N travels in Malacca. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip!
One of the most prominent attractions in Melaka has got the be the Stadhuys (sometimes spelt as Stadthuys). In Dutch, it basically means the city hall or town hall and used to be the administrative centre during the dutch colonial times.
The Stadhuys (also known as Dutch Square) is home to the oldest Protestant Church in Malaysia – Christ Church Melaka
Not only so, it is home to the Museum of History and Ethnography right at the edge of the square where the trishaws gather. Speaking of trishaws, Kate and I took a ride on one of the trishaws right here at Stadhuys! Here’s a video of the beautifully decorated trishaws…
Trishaws at Stadhuys
The Stadhuys is arguably one of the oldest architecture from the dutch colonial times. That is why there are so many tourists here! But beware (you tourists-to-be)! As far as possible, try not to buy your souvenirs from the rows of shops there. We bought a sleeping mask (one of those you wear on the plane to sleep) for 5MYR (Ringgit) but we realised that the same mask could be bought for 3MYR at Jonker street!
Not much in terms of SGD you may say…but it is still a 40% difference! :O
The Stadhuys is really quite a small square but there are nice photo spots. These include photos with the fountain, Christ Church Melaka as well as the beautifully decorated trishaws!
Of course a far more high tech and better fountain show at be found at the Bellagio Fountains.But we digress…
To end of this post, enjoy this 360 degrees view of the Stadhuys (Red Square) done by Kate, our in-house photographer and videographer!
Yup…we all know who to look for if we feel “blair-witched”!
How to get there
Stadhuys is located Laksamana Road and if you follow our well drawn map of Melaka…
It is right beside Jonker Street and a short walk from the St. Paul’s Church
Related posts
This post is part of our 3D2N travels in Malacca. Below, you can find other relevant posts covered during this trip!