borneotales

Why We Like Malaysia

2010-01-08T03:15:00.000-08:00

With the temperatures going so low in the UK we love to travel to Malaysia. The cold winter weather here makes us long for the sun and warmth of the climate.

This morning at home it was -11 deg Centigrade and even at lunchtime it had only crept up to -7 deg Centigrade. That is much colder than our refrigerator.

I attach a short video of the scenes around our street.

A Hideaway in Penang.

2009-11-12T03:59:00.000-08:00

This is all about our three week stay in an authentic and beautifully restored shophouse in Penang. The shophouse was located near the centre of Georgetown and was very convenient for lots of shops, restaurants and transport services in Penang.

The internals had been gutted and all tiled with modern services installed. As a couple we had tons of room for storage etc. The small kitchen was adequate for cooking with a microwave and double electric hob.
A small toilet was adjacent to the kitchen which was good for washing hands.

A dining area in the kitchen had table and 4 chairs.

The main bedroom upstairs was very comfortable with tv facilities , aircon and ceiling fan. A small second bedroom and bathroom with shower facilities was also available. A small utility area was outfitted with a clothes washer.

The main entrance to the house was at the rear for normal everyday use. The front door of the house really had to be opened from the inside through a system of locks and bolts. This was left this way to maintain the authentic feel and appearance to the house. We only used this door for our initial entry and final departure. At all other times during our three week stay we used the kitchen rear entrance. Had to remember to put on the rear light when going out during the evening.

Lorong Popus ( You can see the position of the green coloured shophouse on the left). The lane access to Transfer Road is straight ahead

The Tuaran Pagoda

2009-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

With nothing much planned for the day we thought just to have a drive out of KK towards Tuaran. Not too far to go and not one of the places we could think we had visited.

After a quick run round the place we spotted this rather impressive looking pagoda and decided to investigate further. We were allowed to climb the stairs to the top of the structure at the expense of a small entry fee. The view from the top was good and as it was reasonably clear towards Mount Kinabalu we were afforded a good view.

The building itself had some wonderful Chinese tiling . The birds however were messing the place up a bit in their usual fashion so you had to watch your step.

This prominent feature in Tuaran is well worth a visit . Kota kinabalu is just over 30 kilometres away so it is a nice drive.

If you fancy a nice lunch then the Rasa Ria Resort is nearby. It is signposted but not always in the best positions to see clearly the directions so go carefully.

2009-11-11T02:29:00.000-08:00

Lossie at it's Best

A few weeks back, with the promise of a fine day, my wife & I set off to visit Lossiemouth. This idea was initiated by the news that RAF Lossiemouth was the base for NATO excercises over the next couple of weeks.

We had a great drive up to Lossiemouth via Rhynie, Cabrach ,Dufftown, Rothes and Elgin. What a strange route you may say??. However the route gives great scenery and a quiet road. We were unlucky and met 6 cars and one lorry between Ryhnie and Rothes.

At Lossiemouth we ate lunch at the harbour cafe. In fact the weather was so good people were eating outdoors. Fully refreshed after the excellent food it was off to the main event.

RAF Lossiemouth (Lossie to the locals) is the home to 5 squadrons

617 Squadron is of course the famous "Dambusters"

We arrived at the airfield in time for a few noisy departures of Tornado GR4's. With full reheat and two aircraft departing on the runway the noise and vibration was fantastic.

There were many aircraft movements during our three hours there. A couple of Dominie flights , a couple of Hawk flights , a Gazelle and of course many Tornado aircraft.

We came home very pleased with our day out. The weather was great considering it is October. We also met many equally enthusiastic aircraft watchers who enjoyed sharing their memories of Lossie now and in the past. I can remember Lossie in the days of the Scimitar, Sea Vixen and Buccaneer aircraft. How time flies when you are enjoying yourself.

A Visit To Penang & Malihom

2009-10-26T08:08:00.000-07:00

If you are like the majority of people on the Island of Penang then you would remark "Malihom , Never heard of it, Where is that?"

Well, Malihom is an almost secret retreat up in the hills of Penang above the town of Balik Pulau (or Back of the Island) . It was originally the private retreat for a local family. Two years ago they opened their doors to paying guests. You approach the Resort via a single track road with many sharp bends. A bit of an adventure to start this your stay in the hills. Not to worry as the Resort will pick you up in Penang and deliver you safely to your 'home from home'.

There are only a small number of rooms at the resort

To preserve natural resources many of the facilities are constructed from recycled materials. An example of this is the barns used as the guest accommodation. They were in a past 'life' rice barns in the paddy fields of Thailand. As these are no longer part of the modern rice farming requirement they have been transported to this site to provide a somewhat different structure for a guest room.

Another example of the recycled materials is the decking used in the hotel are old railway
sleepers.

The views from the resort are spectacular and are of an area of Penang that we, and many others had never seen. A viewing gallery had been constructed on top of the resort water tower. This allowed a panoramic view of the Island , with the bridge and Georgetown on one side and the town of Balik Pulau and the seas of the Straits of Malacca to the other. Sunsets are spectacular.

I enjoyed relaxing by the pool and watching the swallows feed , drink and bathe all in a graceful swoop over the surface of the pool. Some larger birds tried to copy them but they were definitely less than graceful in their 'splash and dash'.

The peace and quiet was great as you are remote from traffic and other pollution generators. The air was fresh and the water from the Resort's own wells was sweet tasting

The Resort served us well with food and wines. The food was very good and varied with local , European, and Oriental flavours.

One unusual but enjoyable facility was the bath with the magnificent view. Please note that the 'window' has no glass. One could enjoy the bath while the White Bellied Sea Eagle glided past level with the window.

One thing that was missing was a television in the room. Did we miss it?. Not really as we so enjoyed the peace and quiet and the good food. All food was presented 'al fresco' at different areas within the main Resort complex. A TV with full satellite coverage was available in the lounge area. Also there was a computer for web access. Wireless web access was also available.

We really enjoyed our short break there and will no doubt return on our next visit to Penang.
Here is a link to their website

http://www.malihom.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1

Our Haven in Kota Kinabalu

2009-10-22T13:45:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year we rented an apartment in 'The Peak', an apartment complex in Kota Kinabalu. It is a refuge from the hustle & bustle of the city without being too far out from the shops and restaurants. The views over the bay are wonderful and relaxing. The harbour is right there with cargo and cruise ships visiting.
We hired a car which gave us the flexibility to go & come at any time and also visit areas around the city as we wished. One or Two warnings on this

Heavy rains make driving dangerous and flooding of the roadway almost instantaneous.
The local driving is somewhat hair-raising at times. They overtake on either side of the car and on blind corners. Some drive very fast but others almost too slowly which can cause frustration to others.
Double parking is almost universal.

There are many good beaches around and where public access is allowed then these are well used, especially during public holidays. This usually means that parking is difficult and the place becomes untidy and messed up very quickly. So it is best to avoid public beaches at the weekend or on public holidays. We were fortunate to have access to beaches at a couple of local hotels. The apartment block also had a good pool area which was well maintained by the staff.

Shopping in KK is very easy. There are a number of good supermarkets that are similar to Tesco or other Western style shops. The foods include recognisable UK brands. The only point to note is that pork and wines may be in a separate area of the shop to meet the local regulations but both are readily available.
Tong Hing was our favourite Supermarket which had a good range of foods and all of good quality. They stay open late which can be a great help and there is a parking area outside the door. You may have to pay for the parking at the council booth but this is very cheap.
The Giant Supermarket at the City Mall is an alternative that we would recommend.
The local restaurants are good and our favourite is 'Little Italy'. The food is excellent. The owners are Italian and they have developed their own sauces which make the pasta dishes really delicious. The service is also very attentive and given with a smile. The pricing is very reasonable.

An alternative to that is a visit to Shangri-La Tanjung Aru and their 24 hour buffet restaurant. The price is more on a par with European hotels but the food is also very good.

We were in KK for the Chinese New Year. The highlight of this is the Lion Dancing. All hotels and businesses have the teams visit to 'bless and bring good fortune to their establishment for the coming year. Little Italy had a troup with , I think, 14 lions. A very noisy and colourful display

There are many other things to see in the area and they will feature in future blogs. Join us then for more fun.