Shoe designer Jimmy Choo Stories Vacation To Malaysia

Vacation To Malaysia

Every morning when I'm on holiday in Malaysia, I like to get up early and, before breakfast, take a long, slow walk along the beach. Sometimes, I'll sit quietly on the sand for a while and meditate, or I might simply watch the sun rise. It's one of my greatest pleasures.

I don't go barefoot in the sand, though - I wear sandals. You have to look after your feet, keep them clean and healthy. You should wash them every night in warm, salted water before going to bed.

It's not surprising that I love the coast, though I'm not so fond of the sea itself. I grew up on Penang island, the Pearl of the Orient, encircled by beautiful beaches. I was the only son, so my mum spoiled me. I wanted a moped, so she bought me one and I'd go off with a group of friends. We'd spend lots of time on the beach, fishing and camping out. But I was scared of the sea because I couldn't swim.

Then one day, when I was 14 or 15, a friend said: 'Come on, everybody can swim,' and pushed me off a promontory straight into the water. It was quite deep, over my head, and my friends were shouting 'Go on, swim!' - so I had to.

Although I live in Britain - having arrived in 1980 to set up my label - Malaysia is still my country and I am proud to be an honorary ambassador. I have a lot of family there and go back about six times a year. I was in Penang, my home town, this Chinese New Year for the first time in 15 years. Usually I am in the UK to support London Fashion Week.

Malaysia has so much for holidaymakers to do and fantastic resorts, so I don't always stay with family. Pangkor Laut is one of my favourite places.

Malaysian marvel: Water villas at the Pangkor Laut resort

Two weeks there and I'm a new person. It's a privately owned island three miles off the west coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca, with a two-million-year-old rainforest and pristine beach around Emerald Bay. Only a fraction of the island - four acres --is occupied by the resort.

Joan Collins honeymooned there and I have stayed there twice. The Spa Village is world-renowned and offers Ayurvedic, Chinese and Malay treatments. The island is owned by YTL Hotels, who own and manage a collection of awardwinning resorts, hotels and spas.

I have also stayed at YTL's Cameron Highlands Resort, a boutique hideaway set in the middle of tea plantations in Pahang in Malaysia's largest hill region. I was there for ten days recently and I had a two-hour massage with the same Malay therapist every day in its spa . . . fantastic! Actress Keira Knightley was a guest not long ago at its sister resort, Spa Village Tembok Bali.

I love massages. It's very important that your body's chi, or lifeforce energy, flows smoothly - and meditation, yoga and massage can help. I find that one hour is never enough.

Mind you, you don't have to go all the way to Malaysia for a Malay massage - recently I went to Bath to visit the Thermae Bath Spa for its Malaysian Spa Festival. I had my first 'watsu' treatment - a shiatsu massage carried out while you float in water. I had trouble rousing myself afterwards.

Red alert: Keira Knightley is a fan of Pangkor Laut

Holidays are all about taking time to relax and do something you enjoy. That's so important because if you feel good, you pass that on to those around you. God gave me a good, comfortable life and I like to share that.

The thing I like to do on holiday best of all is sit with friends I have invited as my guests and just be together, have some delicious food and maybe some champagne - Dom Perignon is my favourite. If you pass something on, it makes you feel good, so you benefit and so do other people. It's good karma.I used to enjoy fishing on holiday, too. When I was young, my friends taught me how to chew up a piece of biscuit with sea water, then spit it on to the beach. Within minutes, a worm would come up, which we would use for bait.

More recently, my friend and fellow designer John Rocha revived my interest in fishing. But last year, I got a hook caught deep in the palm of my hand. A doctor had to push it right through to stop the barb catching and it was very painful. I talked to my spiritual teacher and decided it must have been a result of bad karma, a sign that I shouldn't fish any more.

I don't go anywhere without my Buddhist pendant. I also always carry two cameras with me in case I drop one, and I take a book of poetry and a notebook, to jot down ideas. I never sketch landscapes, only shoes! I take my MP3 player, too, so I can listen to music. I like Ronan Keating, and in particular his song When You Say Nothing At All. Ronan is another fan of Malaysia and has visited a few times.

There are so many extraordinary things for holidaymakers to see and do in peninsular Malaysia and the separate states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo. You can take the Eastern& Oriental train through Malaysia from Bangkok in Thailand to the north and Singapore to the south, for example, and there's a new luxurious cruise on the theme 'Into the heart of Borneo' along Sarawak's rivers, with Pandaw Cruises.

Apart from its natural beauty and fantastic wildlife, such as orang-utans and Sumatran rhinoceros, the country has great activities, from diving and whitewater rafting to golf and bird- watching. Kuala Lumpur, the capital, is a 12-hour flight from the UK. It is, of course, a fantastic destination in itself, with wonderful art galleries, shops, markets and cultural events, including concerts and Formula 1 motor racing.

The Malay people are friendly and speak English well. Staff in the resorts are well trained and really look after guests.

Travel is very important, not just for relaxation but to improve our understanding of different cultures. For me, it's also a great source of inspiration for my designs. I travel a lot in Britain - I love London, the British countryside, Bath and Scotland - but Malaysia will always be top of my list.

Jimmy Choo was talking to Wendy Gomersall

Vacation To Malaysia

Pulau Tioman The Great Destination

Vacation To Malaysia

Great Malaysia island destination: The beaches of Pulau Tioman

BY: Barbra Stuter

A close ferry ride away from hustle and bustle of civilization is a perfect tropical beach getaway with fantastic resorts, great snorkeling and superb beaches. Located about 20 miles off the east coast of Malaysia, the sparsely populated Pulau Tioman is covered with dense rainforest, surrounded by coral reefs and holds a special place in my memories – primarily for the variety of wildlife that I have run into there. While living in Singapore, this beautiful Malaysian island was one of my favorite places to go for a weekend getaway and an escape from the city.

Nearly every time I have visited Tioman, I have stayed at the Berjaya. You will find varying reviews of this resort, but I always found my stays there to be quite enjoyable. I like the Berjaya, primarily for its proximity to both the airport and the ferry dock, but also because Pulau Renggis is directly off shore from the property (more on that later). It is a close taxi ride to the night life in Salang Beach and it is also within walking distance of Kampung Telak where you can get some good local food and do a little shopping if that is your pleasure.

Pulau Renggis is the tiny island you can see off the shore of Tioman in my pictures, and is a fantastic place for snorkeling and diving. I have seen any number and variety of beautiful corals and colorful tropical fish out there, but the most memorable were black tip reef sharks and cuttle fish. Seeing the sharks was thrilling, but the cuttlefish might still be the most fantastic marine animal I have ever seen in Tioman or anywhere else. When I first saw it, it was a mottled brown color, and just cruising slowly through the water. As my diving partner pointed it out, it immediately dove to the sandy bottom. As it settled near the bottom, it immediately changed color to match the sand, which was nearly white. The color change happened as rapidly as flipping a light switch. As I continued towards it to get a closer look, it started flashing what looked like neon concentric blue circles all over its body, obviously designed to scare me off. Worried that I was distressing the animal, I moved away and it scuttled off. It was really, truly fantastic to see and something I will never forget. You can see a cuttlefish towards the end of this video taken out at Pulau Renggis.



The distance between Tioman and Pulau Renggis is swimmable, but you are crossing boat traffic so you have to be careful – and quick! You can also arrange a trip out there by long boat, but I have never managed to be on the boat for the return (ahem -pay attention to your time). Again, with flippers it is absolutely swimmable, so enjoy yourself and don’t worry.

The wildlife is just as amazing out of the water as well. On one of my first trips to Tioman I was sunning on a lounge chair and happened to spy a GIANT lizard hanging out by the fake waterfall cascading into the pool I was sunning by. This creature had to be 3’ long from nose to tail. I exclaimed to the waiter bringing me a frosty beverage “Oh My GOD! What is that?” His reply was… “A snack”. Apparently the monitor lizards are a local delicacy and I can only imagine that they must taste like chicken.


We also had the good fortune to see some beautiful flying fox bats as we were enjoying our evening libations under the trees by the beach. They swooped into the tree we were sitting under, and proceeded (upside down of course) to crawl all over the the tree looking for fruit. Very cool. I have also seen many Palm Civets, which are kind of a cross between a cat and a monkey, with big giant eyes and a long fluffy tail. At least I think that’s what they were.

Don’t let me forget the beaches of Tioman, for after all – that is why we came, right? The beaches have the fine sand required for sandcastle building, and it is sort of a well, sandy color. Not the blinding white of so many tropical islands. There can also be quite a bit of seaweed at times, season and tides depending. Tioman is an island completely surrounded by white coral reefs and crystal clear waters. This provides visitors with excellent snorkelling off any beach, including these below.

Salang Beach – the most popular due to its nightlife. Very crowded during high season.
Monkey Bay – the whitest sand and the best spot to jump off for diving or snorkeling.
Panuba – very quiet and exclusive with sparsely populated beaches.
Juara – on the east side of the island is largely untouched and your best spot for viewing wildlife. One of the many great hikes on the island is from Telek to Juara.

Tioman is easily accessible by ferry from either Singapore (4.5 hours) or Mersing on the Malaysian mainland (1 to 1.5 hours, depending on type of ferry). Berjaya air has daily flights to Tioman from Singapore’s Seltar airport and from Kuala Lumpur. I have made the trip both by sea and by air from Singapore, and I have to say the $100 plane fare was definitely worth saving four hours of travel by ferry.

Facing the future in Malaysia

Vacation To Malaysia





Night market vendors dickered over deals with locals. Kuala Lumpur's humid May heat - unabated even in late evening - generated sweat beads road-racing down my spine.

Beyond the Buddhas and joss sticks the casually dressed Malay caught my eye. "You like?" he asked indicating a small carving.

I smiled and declined. Unfazed, he nonchalantly flipped an ace from a deck of cards anchored in his right fist.

"Perhaps my brother read your cards?" he wheedled coyly.

Indicating a yellow table flanked by two palmistry symbols taped to the black door behind his stall, he assured me the price was right. Fifteen Ringgits (about $4). It was the second time in three days South East Asian soothsayers had offered to surf my future.

"Right!" I agreed.

Responding to a shrill whistle, the promised ’relative’ miraculously materialised from the depths of the alley.

Perched on a red stool, my future was cast in expertly dealt face cards emerging over the table top. My advancing years appeared to warrant more than one deck.

"Luck! Much, much luck!" A quizzical glance at me didn't delay dealing out my fate. "You got luck all round. Lots!" He sounded genuinely impressed. I was encouraged. Things were looking up. At last I'd made an investment that might pay dividends.

"You drink?" he suddenly demanded.

"Should I?" Giving the right answer seemed important.

"Alcohol? Spirits?" he clarified.

"Well - not a lot!" I hedged defensively.

"You drink red wine - warm red wine. No hard spirits," he instructed. Unaccountably I was relieved. "and champagne," he added as an afterthought. With my newly bestowed Malaysian luck I hoped this included the new five-star Spa fad of bathing in red wine. Before I could nail that down he transferred his attention to my grubby fist.

"Why you so stubborn?" He angrily prodded the beefy slice of palm below my thumb. "Who? Me?" Between my growing indignation, and K.L's close proximity to the equator I was beginning to glisten and glow. I wondered when my 15 Ringgits ran out.

Why you don't trust no one?" he demanded beginning to glare at me. "You stressed right out. Why you worry so much? Why you stressed? " Still gripping my hand he waited for an answer.

"Well, I worry about my kids." "Don't worry about the kids," he was briskly dismissive.

" ..my business, I worry about that."

"Pay others to help," he tersely interrupted. "You not the only one that can do everything you know!" Oh... fine for you to say, I thought indignantly.

"Business no problem. Still money to be made. Don't worry." I perked up again.

"You play sports?" Without waiting for my answer he dismissed the very idea. "Forget it - you might break something."

Reaching for a paper and pen he wrote down three numbers, the months of the year, and sketched some circles and squares. "When you go home you change your office desk around. Put it to face south.. or east. Very important." My north-facing office housing my east-facing desk can accommodate three gnomes standing shoulder to shoulder. I recognized a challenge.

The numbers were lucky, he said; so was every month except June - which (he shrugged) wasn't really all that bad. Wear gray, blue or red, he instructed - and, flipping me a business card, he commanded, "don't forget to write." Whether he meant a best seller or a post card I wasn't sure, but I reckoned it was time to go. He handed me the paper and smiled. Later I turned it over. Spidery script on the back read: 'fiery, hot tempered, writer.' Wasn't that Hemmingway?

Fortunes and Feng Shui are phooey, of course. Although - come to think of it - I didn't tell him I was a journalist, a mysterious ailment interrupted my life June, and the office could do with some renovating. Would you pass the champagne?

If your fortune features Malaysia: Air Canada connects with Malaysian Airlines through Los Angeles to Kuala Lumpur.

For more information on this truly Asian destination check Malaysia’s website at www.tourism.gov.my

editor@cloverdalereporter.com

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Vacation To Malaysia - Pulau Lang Tengah

Pulau Lang Tengah or Lang Tengah Island off the coast of Terengganu is one of the nation's well-kept secrets. Its arresting beauty can easily captivate you while you are there. Crystal clear sea-water, pristine beaches and untouched tropical jungle. Its arresting beauty lingers forever in your memory. An island you can call your own, private and tranquil.

Getting there

Lang Tengah Island is located about 40 km north east of Kuala Terengganu (22.5 km from Tanjung Merang) on the east coast of peninsular Malaysia. The island is reached by boat from Tanjung Merang (not to be confused with Marang, south of Kuala Terengganu), 45 minutes’ drive north of Kuala Terengganu.

Boat services to Lang Tengah
Most resorts include return boat transfers from Tanjung Merang to Lang Tengah in their packages or arrange it for their guests. You can also charter a boat from the nearby Perhentian Islands or Redang Island (Redang Island also has an airport – see below).

Tanjung Merang is a small fishing village 45minutes north of Kuala Terengganu an

Image via Wikipedia

d the jetty is a few minutes outside of the village. Taxi services are available or your resort can arrange a land transfer from Kuala Terengganu airport or bus terminal.

Image via Wikipedia

Speedboat departures from here are usually pre-arranged with your resort and take 40 minutes. Most boat operators have a fixed schedule, with two departures daily (morning and afternoon) in peak season and one departure in off-peak season.

Image via Wikipedia

Transfers cost around RM 95 return.

It is possible to charter a boat (from RM 380 per trip) to Lang Tengah Island from Tanjung Merang, Redang Island or the Perhentian Islands.

Getting to Kuala Terengganu / Tanjung Merang
Directions for buses and flights are to Kuala Terengganu. From Kuala Terengannu, you can take a taxi or local bus to Tanjung Merang jetty or arrange a land transfer with your agent/resort from the airport or bus terminal. If you are driving, continue north on highway 3 and follow the signs to Merang jetty.

Fly
Air Asia and Malaysia Airlines have several daily flights (50 min) from Kuala Lumpur to Kuala Terengganu.
Firefly has daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (Subang Airport) and Penang.

Berjaya Air offers daily flights from Kuala Lumpur (70 min) Subang Airport and Singapore (90 min) Seletar Airport to Redang Island. From here, you need to arrange a boat transfer to Lang Tengah.

Take a bus
From Singapore buses depart from the Lavender St bus station and are operated by Transnational. Tickets cost around SGD 35 and the journey takes around10 hours. Buses depart early in the morning or late evening for overnight journeys. There are other coach & travel companies operating out of Golden Mile Complex at Beach Road (e.g. Five Stars, Enjoy Holiday Tours, Konsortium and Gunung Raya etc.) that provide holiday packages and coach services to Kuala Terengganu or Merang. These buses are more luxurious, but are also significantly more expensive.

From Johor Bahru buses depart from the Larkin bus station. Several choices are available, including Transnational, Damai, Adik Beradik and Cepat express. Tickets cost around RM 35 and the journey

Image by g™'s Flickr via Flickr

takes just under 9 hours. Buses depart early in the morning or late evening for overnight journeys.

From Kuala Lumpur buses depart from the Hentian Putra bus station. Several choices are available, including Transnational, Damai, Konsortium, Plusliner, Sutera and Mutiara. Tickets cost around RM 30 and the journey takes around 7 hours. Buses depart early in the morning or late evening for overnight journeys.

From Penang buses depart from Komtar or Butterworth bus stations and are operated by SP Bumi or Atieza. Tickets cost around RM 35 and the journey takes around 9 hours. Buses depart late in the evening for overnight journeys.

From other major cities and towns in Malaysia, there are also several bus companies that operate services to Kuala Terengganu. For updated information and schedules, enquire directly at the long distance bus station.

Drive
There are car parks at Merang.

From Kuala Lumpur take the east bound highway (East Coast Expressway) in the direction of Kuantan. From Kuantan, take the coastal road (highway 3) north, in the direction of Kuala Terengganu (follow signs along the way). The journey should take around seven hours.

From Singapore / Johor Bahru Cross the border at Woodlands or the Second L

Image by samuel_lee via Flickr

ink and from Johor Bahru take the Plus highway north. Exit at Yong Peng. Follow highway 1 to Labis and Segamat, highway 12 to Kuantan, then use either highway 14 to KT or coastal highway 3 via Kemaman, Paka and Dungun.

From Penang take the East-West highway 4 towards Kota Bharu via Grik and Jertih. From Kota Bahru, proceed south on highway 3 to Merang or Kuala Terengganu.

From Kuala Terengganu continue north towards Merang and follow the road signs to Kota Bahru; Batu Rakit; Kustem Universiti; Sutera Beach and finally, Merang Jetty.

Things to see and do

Scuba diving and snorkelling
There are 12 dive sites around the island, with a depth of 7-26 metres and within 5-15 minutes’ boat ride from the resorts. At the nearby Redang, Perhentian and Bidong Islands, there are another 40 sites, within 30-45 minutes from Lang Tengah by boat.

One of the notable attractions for scuba divers at Lang Tengah is the possibility of sighting whale sharks or manta rays at certain times of the year. Turtles are present throughout the year as are barracudas and if you are lucky you may also spot a leopard shark.

Jungle trekking
For early risers, one of the best treks is the early morning trek to Batu Kuching (Cat’s rock) where you can watch the sunrise at 06:30 am. The trek takes around 30 minutes from the resorts and can also be done at any other time of day for beautiful views over the island and the surrounding sea.

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Malaysian Vacation - Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur

More than any other spot in the country, Kuala Lumpur, or "KL" as it is commonly

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known, is the focal point of new Malaysia. While the city's past is still present in the evocative British colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and the midnight lamps of the Petaling Street nightmarket, that past is everywhere met with insistent reminders of KL's present and future. The city's bustling streets, its shining, modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolize Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future. To some, this spirit seems to have been gained at the loss of ancient cultural traditions, but in many ways KL marks the continuation rather than the loss of Malaysia's rich past. Like Malacca five hundred years before, KL's commercial centre is a grand meeting place for

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merchants and travelers from all over the world.

In the same way, the city brings together Malaysia's past and present, its many constituent cultures, and even its remarkable natural treasures, allowing first-time visitors an invaluable opportunity to see Malaysia as a whole before setting off to explore its parts.

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Vacation To Malaysia

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Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia's rapid economic growth and prosperity is reflected by the Petronas Towers, headquarters of the national oil giant.
Rolling tea fields in Malaysia.


Welcome to my country Malaysia. Vacation to Malaysia that means you go vacations to all Asian.
This weblog can help you where you can go when you all make decision come vacation to Malaysia.
We give you smile everydays you all in Malaysia. Come and see my beauty country

Image by CeeKay's Pix via Flickr

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What You Must Know.
Culture of Malaysia

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multilingual society. The population as of February 2007 is 26.6 million consisting of 62% Bumiputeras (including Malays), 24% Chinese, 8% Indians, with other minorities and indigenous peoples (Dept of Stats. Malaysia). Ethnic tensions have been rising in recent months. The Malays, who form the largest community, are defined as Muslims in the Constitution of Malaysia. The Malays play a dominant role politically and are included in a grouping identified as bumiputra. Their native language is Malay (Bahasa Melayu). Malay is the national language of the country.



Mahathir bin Mohamad was the leading force in making Malaysia into a major industrial power.

Current Prime minister of Malaysia, Najib Tun Razak

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