Romantic Getaways in the East Coast of Malaysia

A very detail and good information from the NSMAN magazine on a different kind of Romantic getaways. Hope that this will be good information for you to plan your different kind of Romantic getaways in the East Coast of Malaysia.

Romantic getaways need not be clichéd affairs in plush resorts and posh restaurants. Take the road less travelled to the East Coast of Malaysia and experience romance of a different kind.

Pulau Perhentian

Pulau Perhentian - located off the coast of Terengganu - is a marine park divided into two islands, Pulau Perhentian Kecil and Pulau Perhentian Besar around which menagerie of aquatic life thrives.

Diving or snorkelling hand-in-hand with your loved one is a wonderful way to explore the colorful marine life. If you start off at D'Lagoon to the north of Perhentian Kecil, the currents will take you along a haven of soft and hard corals, large angelfish, parrotfish and blackspotted snappers flitting in and out of corals. Green turtles and manta rays also make occasional appearances here.

Off the west end of Perhentian Besar is another dive site for coral connoisseurs. Known as Tanjung Besi, or Iron Cape, large tracts of staghorn corals play home to shoals of gaint groupers. Humphead parrotfish frequently stop at the reef to snack on shrimps while the crevices between the corals are inhabited by large moray eels.

Must See:

The famed Long Beach at the north end of Perhentian Kecil is great for a leisurely night shore dive. Look out for blue-spotted stingrays, cuttlefish and plenty of reef fish. Also renowned for its buzzing nightlife, Perhentian Kecil has many cafes and watering holes that are open till late.

Must Stay:

Tropical Reef Chalet: Located on Perhentian Besar, it is the perfect place for peace and calm. Prices from RM 40. http://www.pulauperhentian.com.my/

Petani Beach Chalet: This waterfront chalet offers gorgeous views. Prices from RM 90. http://www.pulauperhentian.com.my/

Getting There:

The only way to reach Perhentian is by sea from the Kuala Besut jetty in Terengganu. Get there by

- Road: Drive or take a bus from Singapore to Kuala Terengganu.
- Plane: Fly to the Kota Bharu airport in Kelantan.
- Rail: Take the railway train to the Tanah Merah train station in Kelantan.

Taman Negara

It's Malaysia's premier nature park which has been in existence since dinosaurs walked the earth some 130 million years ago. Lush and expansive at 434,300 hectares and stretching across three states - Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan, it will take weeks to explore the country's largest national park comprising a cornucopia of primary forests.

And what better way to embark on this grand adventure at Taman Negara than with a loved one? Take a walk through the lowlands, carpeted by verdant riverine vegetation, flanked by lush ferns and rare species of orchids. Move upland onto the intermediate slopes and find oaks and laurels. Walk further upslope for a closer view of wide palm flora.

For a masterful acrobatic performance only nature can offer, watch out for showboating primates: macaques scampering across riverbanks and nippy leaf monkeys darting and leaping from branch to branch. Families of gibbons can also be found dwelling in the midst of the forest canopy, their presence made conspicuous by sporadic echoing sreeches.

Competing with the lush forestry is Gunung Tahan, Peninsular Malaysia's highest mountain. Standing 2,187m above sea level, scaling this imposing mass is possible, especially for couples who love the outdoors. Take a canoe out on Tasik Kenyir, or pack a picnic lunch and your swimsuits for some quiet time alone. This is the perfect setting to relax and appreciate each other's company.

Must See:

With more than 250 species of birds in the park, this is the place to be for bird watching. Or head down to Lata Berkoh Cascades for a cooling swim in the deep pool below the falls before retreating to the rocky overhang for a picnic. Visit also the Orang Asli - indigenous people - settlement at Kampung Yong and the limestone cave at Gua Telinga. Carved by a stream, the cave is another fine examples of Mother Nature's art at Taman Negara.

Must Stay:

Rainforest Resort Taman Negara: Located in Jerantut, Pahang, the resort offers packaged tours of the nature park; ranging from night jungle safari to rapid shootings; from white river rafting to cave explorations; and many more. Prices from RM 207. http://www.rainforest-tamannegara.com/

Tahan Guest House: An inn situated opposite the Taman Negara nature park headquarters in Kuala Tahan, Pahang, provides visitors with an affordable, yet comfortable stay. http://www.tahan.com.my/

Getting There:

The town of Kuala Tembeling in Pahang is the transit point into Taman Negara. You can access Kuala Tembeling via road and rail.

- Road: Drive from Kuala Lumpur to Jerantut in Pahang, then, travel 16km north to Kuala Tembeling.
- Board one of the Jerantut-bound taxis at the Pudu Raya Bus Terminal in Kuala Lumpur or take a bus from the Jalan Tun Razak Bus Station in Kuala Lumpur to Jerantut before switching to a bus or taxi bound for Kuala Tembeling.
- Rail: There is a direct railway from Singapore to Kuala Tembeling. Approximately nine hours of travel.

Kota Bahru

Humming with activity and oozing rural charm, Kota Bahru is the perfect backdrop for a back-to-basics romantic adventure. For a start, explore the State Museum and the Cultural Centre and relive history by walking through the many sites located around town.

The State Museum showcases an extensive range of exhibits and documents on Kelantan's arts, crafts and musical traditions. Locally referred to as Gelanggang Seni, the Cultural Centre is akin to a history book on Kelantan's illustrious cultural legacy.

Another not-to-be missed monument is the State Mosque or Masjid Al-Muhammadi. Named after the late Sultan Muhammad IV in recognition of his contributions to the state, the mosque features elegant arches and golden-colored domes.

Round off the Kota Bahru proceedings with a visit to the Siti Khadijah Market. In the mornings, locals throng the bazaar for fruits, vegetables, freshly ground spices, dried seafood, pickles, fish-cakes, delicacies, sweetmeat and a colorful assemblage of other goods. Interestingly, the majority of the traders at the market are women.

Must See:

Check out the garishly colored fishing boats plying the rivers off the Pantai Sabak Fishing Village. The jetty is at its busiest around three in the afternoon when fishermen return with their day's catch. The beach is transformed into a marketplace, with spirited haggling of prices and fishermen sorting out their catch.

Must Stay:

Lee Guesthouse: This hostel provides sightseeing services. Prices from RM 50. http://www.hostelworld.com/

Renaissance Kota Bharu Hotel: Pamper yourself in this hotel, located in Kota Bharu's commercial and shopping district. Prices from RM 399. http://www.marriott.com/

Getting There:

Kota Bahru is accessible by road and air.

- Road: Drive from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Bahru via Pahang or take a Transnasional bus from Lavender Street in Singapore. It travels direct to Kota Bahru.
- Take a flight from Kuala Lumpur to the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport in Kelantan, then take a taxi to Kota Bahru.

Travel Notes:

- Although handshakes between men and women are acceptable, Muslim women may acknowledge introductions to men by nodding and smiling. Handshakes with men should only be initiated by the womenfolk.
- Permission should always be sought before taking any photographs at places of worship. More often than not, this is usually permitted.
- Refrain from openly displaying affection like kissing or embracing in public as personal propriety is closely observed in Malaysia.

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Great Places To See In India, Sri Lanka, Singapore And Malaysia

Pretty good travel information and tip for the above mentioned countries. Personally, I am from Singapore and so I have added some more information which I hope might be useful to you. If you have any information or tips which you want to add for the respective countries, do feel free to do so in the comment. This will serve as very good information for people who will be reading this article. Thank you.

India

Come to the land of mysticism and modernity. Must visits include Rajasthan with its splendid forts and palaces. Enjoy desert Safari at Sand Dunes near Jaisalmer. Ride on top of the camels and live in nomad style tents with all modern amenities. Don’t forget to carry your own sunscreen and bottle of water.

Come; see the Taj, the gift of eternal love from an Emperor for his beloved Empress, one of the 7 wonders of the world. Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in Agra. There are many other forts and palaces built by the Emperor all across Agra and the national capital, Delhi .

Known for its beautiful beaches and churches, Goa is a traveler’s paradise. There are many water sports activities and the food is extremely cheap. There are many places to visit and things to do in Goa.

There are many domestic no frills airlines which fly to most cities in India. Goa, Agra and Jaisalmer are well connected by flights. India is serviced by most international airlines and has a great well connected train network. There is a range of hotels to choose from. Budget hotels are clean, neat and offer many facilities to the foreign traveler. While the top end hotels offer the best in accommodating, dining and ambience. Apart from local food, you can find restaurants that serve Italian, Chinese, Thai and other foods. Always carry your own bottle of mineral water and lots of sunscreen lotion. The best time to visit India is the winter months from November to March.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka also known as Ceylon, Pearl Of orient is a Buddhist country and has some of the most beautiful Buddhist sites. The beaches are splendid as it’s an island nation, but the hills are very beautiful. Enjoy the tea plantations which are based in the South and the East of the country. The Ceylon tea as is popularly known is enjoyed by connoisseurs all over the world.

Places to visit include Colombo, which is the largest city and a very colorful city. The mosques and temples are very pretty and definitely worth a look. Kandy is one of the most sacred cities. The Octagonal Dalada Maligawa temple houses the sacred tooth of Buddha. Visitors can see the daily homage procession of monks clad in white carrying lotus blossoms. The city is old Buddhist capital and is steeped in history.

Sri Lanka has a great climate all year round. Visitors will find the locals as gracious hosts and the food is also cheap. The local food includes a lot of seafood and is very delicious. There are many restaurants that serve other cuisines and are very easy to find. Don’t forget to try the local “kasippu”(booze of the working class). It can be quite potent so be careful.

Singapore

The city nation is a very modern with huge towers that house huge malls, offices and great penthouses. Singapore is a global city and much of its population is European, Indian and Chinese. It has beautiful temples and Churches. Raffles Hotel is upmarket hotel named after the founding father of Singapore. Visit Singapore at any time of the year and as it has the same climate round the year. But time your visit around religious festivals or shopping festivals.

(Most of the Singapore population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian and other minority. With recent encouragement from the local government for foreign talents, we are seeing more and more different nationalities in the small country. Basically as what the author mentioned, you can visit Singapore all year round as the weather is always hot and wet throughout the whole year.

Usually you can expect more rainfall towards the end of the year to the start of the year till about February. The hot weather will start from March all the way till about August. From there onwards, the weather would be slightly cooler. However, in Singapore, the weather changes very fast; at one moment it might still be hot and sunny but rain falls the next moment.)

A great time to visit is the Christmas time where the entire Orchard Road is lit up. There are great bargains on shopping especially during the shopping festivals held in June and August. All international brands for clothing, electronics, shoes, home products are present in Singapore. Shopping in Singapore is more expensive than in the rest of Asia.

(Christmas is a great time to visit with great shopping as most mall will extend their operating hours. You will see the main roads in the shopping areas and malls beautifully decorated with Christmas lightings.

The Chinese New Year would also be a good time to visit as you can expect all kinds of goodies and food in Chinatown. The dates of the Chinese New Year follow the lunar calendar and thus changes every year. Therefore if you plan to visit Singapore during the Chinese New Year, you got to find out when is the period. For the Chinese, they celebrate the Chinese New Year elaborately. For the Malay and Indian, which are the other two main group of races in Singapore, they celebrate their new year at different time of the year too.

And if you like shopping, usually the best time to visit Singapore would be in June where we would be having the Great Singapore Sales every year.

One important event for you to take note is the F1 race in Singapore coming in September 2008. Watch out for it.)

Enjoy the local food all over Singapore. The food is delicious, cheap and very hygienic. There are many restaurants that attract the best chefs from all over the world. The hotels are clean and offer many amenities. You can find great deals and even the three star hotels are clean having all modern amenities. Singapore is serviced by all international airlines and also by Singapore Airlines.

(Truly, one activity that you can do all day and all night is eat. In Singapore, you can expect a variety of food ranging from Chinese to Malay to Indian food. The best places to find good food are not necessary in the hotels. You can find good food, depending on your preference, almost anyway in Singapore. However, you will need a good guide or someone you know to bring you around to taste the different food in Singapore.)

There are many places to visit and you can pickup great bargains for knick knacks at the Arab Quarter, Chinatown and Little India. Use your bargaining skills and learn to bargain like locals to find the things that you are looking for. Most shopping malls have fixed prices. The Singapore Zoo, Sentosa Island with its Underwater World and Jurong Bird Park is a must on every traveler’s list. The public transport is very efficient and economical and includes city buses, the Underground metro and local taxis. English is well spoken and understood as it’s an international city.

Malaysia

Malaysia is truly a beautiful country. The country has progressed in the last few decades after its Independence in 1957. The country has one of the finest beaches, mountains and tourist spots in the world. The country is well serviced by all international airlines and Malaysian Airlines that flies to most destinations around the world. The Malaysian society is a mix of the Malay, Chinese and Indian.

Kuala Lumpur or KL as its popularly known, boasts of the Petronas Twin Towers, one of the tallest skyscrapers in Asia. It houses the Petronas Company and other multinational companies. Entry for visitors is free but only a 1700 free visitor passes are given out on first come first basis each day. It’s closed on Monday and the visitors are allowed only till the 41st floor.

Langkawi is an island off the coast of mainland Malaysia. You can reach here by a 45 minute ride on a ferry or fly out from KL. All domestic airlines service this small island. Most international chains of Hotels are present on the Island. While on the Island there are plenty of water sports activities and bargain shops for the shop-a-holics. The wildlife is abundant here and most of the hotels built almost inside the once pristine forests. It’s a duty free centre and most of the daily use stuff is quite cheap and readily available. The cable car ride at Mat Chinchang Mountain is a must when you are here.

Malaysia is a modern country, though its quite traditional with 90% population being Muslims. Wear covered clothes when visiting mosques and other religious places of interest.

About the Author: Alex J Smith writes for Datravelers.com It's a website where travelers can host their own travel blogs, upload photos and find unbiased travel information.

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The World's Greatest Building, Structures in Biscuits

Something interesting which I captured on my Sony mobile phone when I was in the shopping mall today. I bet some of you will have seen some of these world's greatest building, structures etc. But something like this? Will you be tempted to take a bite? I have to warn you first, the biscuits used to make all these building, structures etc had been chemically treated and not for consumption.

Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, which gives it its name. It has become an iconic symbol of London and is sometimes mistakenly called London Bridge, though London Bridge is in fact the next bridge upstream. Tower Bridge is owned and maintained by Bridge House Estates, a charitable trust overseen by the Corporation of London. The Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognisable bridges in the World. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_Bridge

The Petronas Twin Towers (also known as the Petronas Towers or Twin Towers), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the world's tallest towers from 1998 to 2004, if measured from the level of the main entrance to the structural top. Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until the Taipei 101 building, as measured to the top of their structural components (spires, but not antennas). Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The Petronas Towers remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petronas_Twin_Towers

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum located in Agra, India. The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan commissioned it as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Construction began in 1632 and was completed in approximately 1648. Some dispute surrounds the question of who designed the Taj Mahal; it is clear a team of designers and craftsmen were responsible for the design, with Ustad Ahmad Lahauri considered the most likely candidate as the principal designer.

The Taj Mahal (sometimes called "the Taj") is generally considered the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements of Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar part of the monument, the Taj Mahal is actually an integrated complex of structures. In 1983 the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest in Egypt and one of the largest in the world. Until Lincoln Cathedral was built in 1300, it was the tallest building in the world. The base is over 13 acres in area.

There is no trace of any hyerogliphics or any markings of any kind on either the pyramids or the sphinx, nor has any treasure ever been found or claimed to have been discovered from the interior of the pyramids. The Sphinx, along with the sprawling sphinx temple, valley temple, and the base of the pyramids, were all built using 200 ton blocks. No one to this day knows how these massive monuments were built, nor can the time period they were first created be verified.

It is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the only one of the seven to survive into modern times. The Ancient Egyptians capped the peaks of their pyramids with gold and covered their faces with polished white limestone, though many of the stones used for the purpose have fallen or have been removed for other structures over the millennia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid

The Eiffel Tower is an iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside the River Seine in Paris, France.

The Parisian landmark is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognized structures in the world. Named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel, 6,719,200 people visited the tower in 2006 and more than 200,000,000 since its construction. This makes the tower the most visited paid monument in the world per year. Including the 24 m (79 ft) antenna, the structure is 324 m (1,063 ft) high (since 2000), which is equivalent to about 81 levels in a conventional building.

At the time of its construction in 1887, the tower replaced the Washington Monument as the world's tallest structure, a title it retained until 1930, when New York City's Chrysler Building (319 m — 1,047 ft tall) was completed. The tower is now the fifth-tallest structure in France. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest structure in Paris, with the second-tallest being the Tour Montparnasse (210 m — 689 ft), although that will soon be surpassed by Tour AXA (225.11 m — 738.36 ft).

The structure of the Eiffel Tower weighs 7,300 tons. Depending on the ambient temperature, the top of the tower may shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm (7 in), due to thermal expansion of the metal on the side facing the sun. The tower also sways 6-7 cm (2-3 in) in the wind. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower

The Great Wall of China (Simplified Chinese: 长城; Traditional Chinese: 長城; literally "Long wall") or (Simplified Chinese: 万里长城; Traditional Chinese: 萬里長城; literally "The long wall of 10,000 Li (里)" is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC, the most famous being the one built between 220 BC and 200 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang. That wall was much farther north than the current wall, built during the Ming Dynasty, and little of it remains.

The Great Wall is the world's longest human-made structure, stretching over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhai Pass in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia. It is also the largest human-made structure ever built in terms of surface area and mass. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Wall_of_China

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