Scrumptious Saturday Vol. 8: A walk through Chinatown Kuala Lumpur

Paris B 36 Comments

I didn’t eat anything interesting this week so I decided to take you on a short little walk through the area we in Kuala Lumpur call Chinatown. Its also known affectionately as Petaling Street because that’s where its located; and used to be where the Chinese traders would set up shop. Some of the good food around KL originated here. These days, things are a little different down there, but it is still an interesting place to walk about in.

chinatown petaling st kuala lumpur arch

I was there only for a little while, playing with my camera and if it wasn’t so hot (note to self: Midday is not a good time for photo taking!) I would have taken more and better shots. As it stands, since it was so hot anyway, lets cool down with a must stop area of Chinatown 😉

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Going up the hill in the Pearl of the Orient

Paris B 20 Comments

I was up in Penang – the Pearl of the Orient – during the week for work and as things got done early, we decided to go a bit of local sightseeing and head to Penang Hill, also known as Bukit Bendera. Its been years since I’ve been up the hill which is famed for having a funicular railway to take you up the hill – about 700+ meters above sea level.

penang hill railway

You can just about see the railway track heading up the hill in the back

What’s unique about the train like in most funicular rail systems, is that the train is built slanted as it is pulled up a rather steep gradient. Its similar to the Peak Tram in Hong Kong.

penang hill train

Penang Hill Funicular Railway train

These are new air-conditioned train carriages which are speedy and get you up the hill in about 5 minutes or so. The old ones were wooden and the last one had been out of commission for a while before these new trains were put in. Otherwise, it would have been quite a hike up the hill! Continue Reading

Short Getaway to Pangkor Laut Resort : A slice of paradise

Paris B 44 Comments

I was away for part of last week, taking a long awaited quick getaway with my family. We had decided to visit the luxury resort of Pangkor Laut Resort, after hearing a lot about it. Its also been quite a while since I’ve gone to the beach or to an island so I was looking forward to it 😀

The journey started by road from Kuala Lumpur, at about 6.30am for the 3.5 hour drive to the coastal town of Lumut, to board the ferry to the privately owned island. Try squeezing 6 adults into a car, with the driver (moi!) not quite sure of the way, and it promised to be lots of “fun” 😛

pangkor laut resort travel review

Still, we made it to Lumut in one piece, parked the car in the multi-storey car park (about RM10/day) and headed to the Pangkor Laut Resort office to check in, and for a cool towel and drink. There’s a computer and wifi in there, but really, do you want to be online while the great outdoors and the sea beckons?! The island itself is about half an hour away by speed boat and I was raring to go. Come on already! 😀

pangkor laut resort travel review

And here’s one of the first views of the island and resort from the jetty! If you plan to visit (and its a luxury resort so prices are mind blowing) and are Malaysian, there is a per person package price of about RM799++ for a 3 day/2 night deal which is inclusive of transfers, accommodation and 3 meals a day. That’s the package deal we took advantage of and it truly offers you the best value for money.

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Spa Village at Pangkor Laut Resort : A slice of paradise

Paris B 31 Comments

A few months ago, I bit the bullet and went to the Spa Village on the privately owned Pangkor Laut Resort island off Pangkor Island. It was the most luxurious spa I’d ever experienced in one of the most luxurious and beautiful settings ever. It also cost me a pretty penny – very pretty penny indeed! My wallet still hurts thinking about it.

Spa Village at Pangkor Laut Resort

My spa package at Spa Village was an 80 minute Lomi Lomi massage and body scrub but I was told to come 1 hour earlier to enjoy the Bathhouse. What on earth was that? So I turned up 1 hour early to find out.

With every spa package comes the Bathhouse experience which is something no one should ever miss! The Bathhouses are separated into male and female territory so even if there are embarrassing slips of the sarong, its alright – you’re among your own kind 😛

When you enter the Bathhouse, you are assigned a locker where you store all your belongings and all your clothes. Yes, every single scrap so you are left stark naked. A sarong is then wrapped around you expertly by the attendant, your locker key is pinned to your sarong and you start your experience.

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