The Johor Premium Outlets...

Our daughter invited us to go for a short holiday to the south. So last Sunday December 22,  with our son in law driving we left KL at just past nine in the morning travelling on the North South Highway toward Johor Bharu. The weather was good so the ride all the way was smooth and enjoyable. Since I was not driving I was able to take some picture of the scenery as we move on. We stop at a rest area at Macap and had our lunch, then proceed on. 

At around 1PM we arrived at the Johor Premium Outlets, the biggest such outlet in this country. It is one of the many such outlets in that category that spans the world. Just click on the outlet above and you would understand more about this amazing shopping paradise. I have not been there before so the moment I saw the building I knew it must be of an international standard. It almost looks like the one we visited in Austin, Texas some years ago. On getting closer and later getting more information about this place sure enough it is indeed a part of the world network of such shopping outlets that sell all branded goods from all over the world.

 

After parking the car we went to venture on in the sprawling outlet. The place was already thronging with people shopping, eating or just whiling their time away. With everyone in the family having their cell phone it was easy to just go our own way to enjoy the place and do the shopping our way. For a while my two grandsons follows me but eventually they decided not to follow since their interest are different from mine. They then re-join the other family group and went on their own way. I decided to get some snack at the Food court and browse along to the many shops. I found that the prices of goods are much cheaper than at the outlet in the malls in Kuala Lumpur. I did shop for a few shirts and happy with it. After almost three hours the whole family met again at a food outlet and had some snack and drinks. We then decided to do more shopping. Personally I found this shopping paradise is an exciting place to shop for branded goods since the price is less than in Kuala Lumpur.

 Image on the left shows folks queuing to get into an outlet. They do that so that the others already inside could do their shopping with ease. Once more people get out they would allow the others outside to get in. They do that to avoid too many people into the outlet at one time thus became uncomfortable to shop. At first I thought that the outlet is yet to open but on enquiring found out that it is close for a while to create a good shopping environment inside the outlet. I thought that is indeed a good idea. With that everyone could enjoy their shopping.

We left the place at just past five in the evening heading to our hotel in Johor Bharu. All in all it was exciting trip to the south. I did enjoy the day. 

Have a nice day.

KLCC to Bukit Bintang - Aircon Tunnel/Walkway...

Friends say that the new Walkway is worth a try if one wants to get to and fro KLCC - Pavilion - KLCC. It was open to the public since January 2012. I had planned to try it since it is easy to get to the Pavilion Mall without driving to the mall. I could just park my car at the KLCC parking area as I usually does and take a walk using this Walkway. KLCC is my favourite mall. It is just a five minutes’ drive from my home in Ampang Jaya. I spend lots of time there shopping or just whiling my time enjoys my golden years my way. I decided that I must make a point to go and see for myself this new Tunnel/Walkway that link the KLCC to the Bukit Bintang area of the city. 

So on a beautiful Saturday morning December 8, at just past eleven thirty I drove the Honda to the KLCC parking lot, park the car there and went up to the mall. I then took the tunnel and take my time and enjoy the walk. I ask a few guards as to the direction and continue walking among the lunch time crowds. I have used this part of the tunnel before to visit the Aquaria, an aquarium attached to the KLCC complex. That was a long time ago. As I walk I notice the tunnel look different. It has since been renovated and new space added along the way. As I approach the Aquaria I notice there is a food court there throng with people enjoying their meals. I was indeed surprise that there is a food court there. I then ask a guard for direction again and was told just to move forward. I continue my walk while enjoying the scene of advertisement and decoration that had been painted on the roof and on the wall all the way. It does add colour to the environment of the tunnel and I like it. It creates a feeling of happiness as one walk. On the left is an image of the painting on the roof near the Aquaria. I passed the Aquaria and move on and eventually got to the front of the Convention Centre. A few steps outside the centre a stair let to the Walkway. I walk up to the Walkway and continue my walk. 

I later found that the tunnel is 563 metre long. That meant I had walked more than half a kilometre already.  I continue walking on the Walkway and soon found there are many exits where one could take to get to their destination along the way. There are stairway, escalator and lift to make walking and going up and down a pleasure. I believe the Lift is for those wheelchair people to get to another level. My destination was the Pavilion so I continue walking at my own pace and at time stop to take picture of the scenery along the way.

In less than 20 minutes I am already at the Pavilion. The side where there are many Cafe and Bistro. I went to order coffee and a snack at Starbucks and sat there to enjoy my drink. With the free WiFi I surf the net using my Samsung Galaxy. I posted a picture of myself on Facebook and soon got respond from friends. I while my time on Facebook while enjoying the coffee and the sandwich. That area of the Pavilion is sort of a walkway with eateries on both sides. Thus there are many people passing by to and fro Bukit Bintang area to the KLCC. I then went inside the Pavilion Mall and window-shop all the way to the front. Amazing with this short-cut I could be here any time I am at KLCC without having to drive all the way to the Pavilion like I used to do before. 

I love to walk and this is one place where I could walk in the cool comfort. The whole tunnel and walkway is air-condition making the walk a cool comfort all the way. There is an exit to the KLCC Park outside not that far away from the Aquaria. It would be great to walk in the park as well in a cool morning and then get to the Pavilion for a drink and snack. The distance one way KLCC to the Pavilion is 1.173 Kilometre; so a walk both way would be 3.346 Kilometre. Nice distances for a healthy walk. Well folks I did enjoy my little adventure that morning and would surely do it again. 

Have a nice day.

Tranquility @ Fraser Hill...

Fraser Hill is one of those places that have remained as it was like its hay days during the colonial era, an excellent resort indeed. It is still in pristine condition. Although the interior of most buildings have seen changes through the years, most of the old buildings facade has remains the same. New buildings built were so designed to blend well with the surrounding. The sidewalks have been lay with new pavement.  There are many benches on the sidewalk where folks could sit and while the time away in the comfort of the summer weather. The roads are well-kept and resting sheds set up on the sidewalk for hikers or joggers to take a rest when on a walk around the countryside. Flowers are planted here and there thus adding colors to environment of the place.

If you want to enjoy peace and tranquility then get to Fraser Hill for a holiday. It is a place where you do not have to worry about the hustle and bustle of the city life. During our stay there the temperature was from 19 to 20 degree Celsius; a pleasant weather indeed to enjoy a lazy walk around the outskirt of the town or to play golf. Of course with that kind of weather and light it is a great place to do photography. I did that and enjoy seeing the result of my photography. Below are scenes of Fraser Hill little town as it were when we visited it last week from the 15th to 17th February, 2012.
 

Have a nice day.

Fraser Hill - A Cool Resort...

It was a beautiful day the 15th of February 2012. With the hot and humid weather we decided to take a short trip to the highland resort of Fraser Hill north of Kuala Lumpur. We had planned for this short holiday with another couple. I drove the Honda to Wangsa Maju and after picking the couple; a relative drove by means of the DUKE Highway and took the North-South Highway toward the north. Then made a stop at the Sungei Buloh Rest-Area where we had some snack before continuing toward Kuala Kubu Bahru for our trip to the hill resort. 

After the break I drove the Honda slowly through the many small towns along the way toward Kuala Kubu Bahru. From there took a right turn into the road leading toward the resort. All the way the road winds it ways beside rivers and hills of lush forest of various trees. Just a few kilometers away from Kuala Kubu Bharu we saw a large lake, a reservoir for the Selangor Water Supply. As we move on we saw greens of all shades and colors throughout the journey right up to the Gap. 

Just before the Gap a signage on the roadside shows where a British High Commissioner to Malaya was shot dead in 1951 by the MCP during the Emergency. The once famous Rest House on the hill nearby had been left to rot. It is a shame to let such an important historic building to be taken over by the jungle. We made a stop at the small rest-area at the bottom of the hill before going up the eight kilometers one-way road to the town of Fraser Hill. 

The place became cooler as I drove up and eventually arrived at the Shahzan Hotel and found the whole area was cool with a temperature of 20 degree Celsius. We check in to our rooms. Put on our sweaters got down to have our lunch at the Coffeehouse. Just before the food arrived I went out to take a few shots of the many blooming flowers that are planted in front of the hotel. It was really nice to see so many flowers in full blooms with gorgeous colors everywhere outside the hotel. There is a bird-feed in the garden there where foods are left for the birds to feed. I saw a few birds enjoying it meals while we were waiting for our meal to be ready. We enjoyed a Chinese foods lunch and then took a short rest before taking a spin of the town. 

Soon the place was getting dark and the temperature drop to below 20 degree Celsius. We head to the Ye Olde Smokehouse for dinner. It looks like an old English house of another era. Later we found that the house was build in the early twentieth century during the colonial era and now had been converted into a hotel and dining place. We ordered our dinner and then sat in the cozy ambiance of an English country home and enjoy small chat with the others there while waiting for our dinner to be ready. The dinner of western food was splendid. It was one of the memorable dinners in an English setting with the cool comfort of a temperate climate in the tropic. 

We then head back to the hotel but missed the junction and had to take a long detour back to our hotel. Then we sat at the fireplace at the hotel lobby and enjoy some coffee before calling the night off.

Have a nice day.

[Please click  on image to enlarge]

Bukit Bintang @ Star Hill...

It has not rain for almost two weeks already and the grass has begun to turn browns. Except for the heat the weather has been fine. So I decided to get to the city and wander around. This time Bukit Bintang was in my mind. I have been to the Pavilion, a sprawling mall there many times but failed to venture farther to the old part of the Bukit Bintang. So today I would just do that. I drove the Honda to the parking lot of the Pavilion. Then went up to the food court for some bites and drink; I had Chow Kuey Teow which taste good. It is one of my favorites Chinese food. Well, it is Malaysian foods now. Go anywhere in the country and your would find this nourishing Chinese food. Then went to walk along the pavement of Jalan Bukit Bintang toward the Loy Yat Plaza. 

The intersection of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail is an interesting sight to wander and wonder. It is always throng with of folks both local and tourists making their way to the other parts of Jalan Bukit Bintang, where there are many shopping complex that cater for all sort of businesses. This time I decided to stroll along with my camera and catch a glance of the happening there. Jalan Bukit Bintang has change into one mega-shopping complexes. Many of the shops houses and shopping malls on both sides of the road had been renovated and face-lifted, turning the whole area into a colorful and vibrant place. When evening comes this road would glitters with colorful lights turning it into sort of a wonderland of its own.

To enjoy the day one either takes a slow walk on the pavement under the blistering sun or in the cool and comforts of air-conditioning through the shopping complexes. I decided to just take it easy and wander along the sidewalk and enjoy the new scene that has changed so much since my last visit there. It looks like a new place to me. And I am enjoying it. I took a few snaps of the place and sharing it here for all to enjoy. It is indeed a happening place of the city of Kuala Lumpur which is famously know as the golden triangle. From here one could even walk to the Petronas Twin Tower which could be seen if one just looks toward Jalan Sultan Ismail. Once in an evening I did walk all the way to the KLCC. In the evening the places along these roads look different with the glittering light of the streets. I did enjoy the walk the last time I was there in the evening. 

Today it was almost noon and I just take it easy and walk a lazy walk along the pavement heading toward the Plaza Low Yat, the mecca of electronic where anything electronics under the sun could be found there. I went in and sure enough the place was already crowded with shoppers and tourist alike. There are many shops and stalls selling almost the same things and it always amazed me seeing the hives of activities going on where folks haggled over price of goods that are sold in such a competitive environment. I just browse around from floor to floor just for the fun of it and eventually left the place and walk back town the Pavilion. 

Out on the pavement I walk slowly watching the scene of tourists enjoying themselves of this piece of Malaysia, my homeland. I got into the food court at the Pavilion and sat to enjoy a drink while surfing the Net using my iPad. After looking at Facebook and wrote a few comments on friend's wall I decided to call it a day. Took the Honda and drove home happy with my little excursion into the old part of the city call Bukit Bintang. 

By the way folks; Bukit is Hill and Bintang is Star in English. Perhaps in the old days when this place was just a village folks would gaze at the sky against the backdrop of the hills nearby and saw the glittering stars up above, thus the place is call Bukit Bintang.

Have a nice day. [Please click on image to enlarge]

The Colorful Market of Kota Bharu...

This market always fascinate me. I have been there before and I kept going every time I visit Kota Bharu. It is one of a kind; once in there you would be awe with its splendor that no other market could give. It is special in that it sell almost everything under the sun, almost I say!. From fish, poultry to meat to vegetable and Batik and Handicraft and other Kelantanese textile of all kinds and colors making it a one-unique market.

Nowhere else could you find the varieties of goods sold under one roof and most of all are run by their womenfolks. It is a tapestry of the culture of the uniqueness of the womenfolks of Kelantan, a state that was once ruled by a woman Che Siti Wan Kembang.

Take a slow walk and taste the traditional cakes like Buah Hulu, Akok and other delicious Traditional Kueh [cake] that only the Kelantanese know how to create that exquisite taste. Up at the Batik section one could easily get lost in the narrow walkways where individual stalls sells Batik and other textiles of varieties and design, the color of the rainbows.  

Peep down the balcony and you would witness the sprawling wet market below with goods laid in rows after rows making it a fascinating sight to watch. Such a clever way of presenting goods for sale. Indeed a kaleidoscope of color that always fascinate me every time I look. A magnificent sight indeed.

Just look at the photography that I have taken on this trip and I am sure you would agree with me that this is one place that should never be missed by those who visit Kota Bharu. Indeed a wonder of color by itself. Giving your holiday a memorable sight to remember in this east coast state of Kelantan.


Have a nice day.

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