City Buses for Tourists

By the middle of next month, tourists will be able to go sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur by taking the KL Hop On-Hop Off buses, the latest product introduced to boost tourism in the city. It is the first ever hop-on and hop-off bus service in Malaysia. The bus will connect to about 43 tourist attractions in the city.

The KL Hop On-Hop Off City Tour will run from 8.30am to 8.30pm daily at 30-minute intervals. Passengers can hop on and off as many times as they like at any of the 22 designated stops along the route.
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Pulau Perhentian

The islands of Malaysia have long been popular with tourists. Of late, one island off the east coast of West Malaysia has been drawing an unending stream of holiday-makers. The island is Pulau Perhentian. Below is an informative article on the island and its attractions.














Pleasantly unpredictable

By MICHAEL D’OLIVEIRO
Pictures by BUBU RESORT SDN BHD

PEOPLE often ask me what’s the best dive site I’ve experienced in Malaysia. My answer is always the same: “What are you looking for?”

Sipadan, in Sabah, has unrivalled underwater but it is expensive to visit. Tioman off Johor, especially Salang Beach, is great for party-hard divers but has brown, coarse sand. Redang in Terengganu has the best corals but is devoid of nightlife. Mabul and Mataking in Sabah are great for macro marine-life spotting but little else.

One that offers everything is the Perhentian Islands. It doesn’t cost much to get there either, with a good selection of buses and flights available. Thirty minutes after leaving Besut jetty, you’re already in paradise.
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Resort turnaround

Getting to Genting made easy

GETTING to Genting City of Entertainment has become easier with the new Go Genting Express Buses that operate from Puduraya Bus Station, Terminal Putra LRT Gombak Station, KL Sentral Station and Pasarakyat Bus Station.

The service was re-launched with a new look recently by Deputy Tourism Minister Datuk Donald Lim, who unveiled the vibrant new look of the buses with comfortable refurbished interiors.

For the Puduraya and Terminal Putra bus stations, the service starts at 7.30am up to 7pm at 30-minute intervals while the KL Sentral bus station service is from 8am to 7pm at one-hour intervals.

The Pasarakyat bus station service is from 8.30am to 7pm with buses at hourly intervals.

Aside from the express buses, Resorts World Bhd also offers chartered bus services, VIP tour buses and tour vans.
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Morning Sky in Kuala Lumpur

This picture was taken yesterday morning. Clouds of white and grey shared the blue sky. The haze from the burning peat fires in Sumatra, Indonesia, seems to have lessened. We are now experiencing the north-east monsoon and the weather is mostly sunny in the mornings and rainy in the afternoons and evenings. It would be wise to invest in an umbrella.

Notice the streak of grey near a tower? That is the Kuala Lumpur Tower. The Kuala Lumpur Tower (officially known as Menara Kuala Lumpur; referred later as KL Tower) is a tall tower located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and was built in 1995. It is used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 m (1,381 ft), which currently makes it the fifth tallest tower in the world.



One can have a good view of downtown KL from a revolving restaurant up there.

Check out Wikipedia for more information on the KL Tower.






Looking at the top-most picture again, to the right of the KL Tower you will see two identical towers. These are the Petronas Twin Towers. These are the tallest twin towers in the world.

There is a 192ft-long (58.4m) double-decker skybridge linking the twin towers at the 41st and 42nd floor (175m above street level). Access to the public is by way of tickets which can be obtained free-of-charge at the lobby downstairs.

The Petronas Twin Towers also house an 864-seat concert hall - the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas.

Next to the Twin Towers is the premier shopping mall of Kuala Lumpur City Center called Suria KLCC. It has six levels of specialty stores, three department stores, boutiques, cinemas and a huge foodcourt. Facing the beautiful KLCC Park are several cafes.

There are two hotels with the privilege of having their address at the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC). They are the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur and the Traders Hotel. Another popular hotel not far away is The Nikko Kuala Lumpur. Guests of these hotels who enjoy a good morning or evening jog will find the jogging track in the KLCC Park useful. The KLCC Park is just behind the hotels.

Dolphins spotted in Trengganu

Dolphins have long been spotted along the coast of Kuching in East Malaysia but of late they have also been spotted off the coast of Trengganu.

Check out at KL Sentral

Starting November next year, international travellers will be able to retrieve their luggage (check out) at the KL City Terminal (KL CAT) rather than at the KL International Airport in Sepang. Currently, travellers are only able to check in at the KL Sentral.

This would mean that passengers on MAS flights who disembark at the KLIA could choose to get on board a train from the airport and check out at the city terminal.
Read article...The Star - Check out at KL Sentral

AirAsia Ready for Longer Hauls

Ready for the longer hauls
BY LISA GOH

KUALA LUMPUR: With AirAsia's success as a low-cost carrier in regional sectors, the Government is now looking at low-cost medium and long-haul flights to China, India and even Europe.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said Malaysia was ready for longer flights based on its experience in regional operations.

“This can change the aviation landscape,” he said yesterday in an interview.

He said the routes AirAsia is plying would complement those of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to create a win-win situation.

“There are many destinations that MAS is not flying to. Take China, for example. We have rights for up to 125 flights a week, but are only using 47.
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High MAS fares may put off European tourists

AMSTERDAM: Malaysia Airlines’ (MAS) expensive fares may deter European tourists from travelling to Malaysia during Visit Malaysia Year 2007 (VMY 2007).

“They (European tourists) are saying that if we don’t do something about MAS fares, tourist arrivals from Europe particularly the United Kingdom will drop by 50% next year,” said Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

“Tour operators and agents in the UK, Ireland and Holland said MAS must lower its fares to Europe and allow early bookings to encourage more Europeans to visit Malaysia,” he told Malaysian reporters here Friday.

Tengku Adnan said that he would ask the Transport Ministry to hold immediate discussions with MAS to lower its fares in Europe.
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Visit Malaysia Year 2007

2007 has been designated "Visit Malaysia Year". So what will be a better time to visit our lovely country than 2007. Come visit Malaysia. We bid you a warm welcome.

Tourism boom seen in 2007
By GOH EE KOON

PETALING JAYA: Millions of tourists are expected to visit Malaysia next year and tourism revenue, estimated to total RM35bil this year, is expected to increase at an even faster pace.

There would be a “grand launch” of Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) on Jan 1, which would be followed by a host of events in every month next year.

Tourist arrivals had steadily risen from 3 million back in 1983 to about 16 million last year. Tourist spending has also risen, from just RM5bil back in 1990. More..The Star