A Taste of Malaysian Food in Sydney

Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed recently launched the inaugural "Taste of Malaysia" food festival at The Grace Hotel in Sydney.

The event aims for food lovers, foodies and food travelers to taste and explore Malaysia's unique potpourri of cuisines, from the popular street food to those Malaysian specialities served in higher-end places.


Go on, give it a taste and come on over for more in Malaysia!

Northeast Monsoon is here again

The above is rather a familiar site, i.e., the flooding, this time of the year. The monsoon season is here again.

Malaysia may be lucky enough to not be affected by the Ring of Fire of volcanoes and earthquakes but we do go though spells of heavy rainfall in not one but two monsoon seasons. Right now, we are going through the northeast monsoon which started just a week or so ago and will be until early part of the year.

The northeast monsoon affects primarily the north eastern states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and parts of Johor. If you intend to travel to Malaysia, the year-end is not such a good time to visit if your destination is the east coast of the peninsula, Club Med Cherating included or the islands of Perhentian and Redang though you'd have more beach to yourself.

The Star reported that

Warnings of heavy rain and overflowing rivers have been issued in four states by the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).

This covers selected areas in Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and Perlis.

More..Alert over heavy rain and overflowing rivers goes out in Kelantan, Terengganu, Johor and Perlis


By the way, an umbrella can be a good companion when you visit. No loss if you forget one because umbrellas are easily available here. You can buy them from roadside vendors, small sundry shops as well as large department stores. And they are cheap too, more so now to the visitor with the current exchange rate.


Image source: The Star

Malaysia has been voted Best Travel Destination in Asia

People take advantage of the good weather to be outdoors at the Petronas Twin Towers park. Photo: The Star/Muhamad Shahril Rosli

The Star:


Queenstown, New Zealand and Malaysia emerged the big winners at the World Travel Awards Asia and Australasia over the weekend, after being crowned the leading destinations in their respective regions.

Industry leaders gathered at the InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam to recognise the best in Asian travel over the weekend.

Award winners are voted upon by major players in travel and tourism including senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, agents as well as the general public.

Malaysia was named Asia’s leading destination over Macau, Singapore and Thailand, while the waterfront city and mountain scenery of Queenstown, New Zealand helped it nab the title of leading destination for Australasia.

The winners of the regional awards will go on to qualify for the World Travel Awards grand finale, which takes place Dec 2 in the Maldives.

Top 10 Budget Travel Tips for an Ultimate Kuala Lumpur Experience

PETRONAS Twin Towers
Source: Wikipedia

Kuala Lumpur is definitely one of the must-visit cities in Southeast Asia. Its unique blend of multiculturism makes it an exciting and vibrant city to explore.

The people you will meet, the places you will see, the food you will taste, the shopping for exciting retail therapy, the nightlife to experience in this bustling city that almost never sleeps can keep any traveller happily occupied and entertained wherever the interests may lie!

Some may find Kuala Lumpur slightly more expensive than most other cities in Southeast Asia, however, there are ways to make your visit more affordable. Here are 10 Budget Travel Tips for an Ultimate KL Experience.

1). Stay at hostels around Bukit Bintang or Chinatown for cheaper accommodation. Dorm rooms can be found from RM20 – RM45 per night, while budget hotels can cost anything between RM90 to over RM100. Check out HostelWorld to see the available hostels around the city.

2). Utilise public transportation in the city. Kuala Lumpur offers easy access to plenty of public transportation including the Light Rail Transit (LRT) or Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) systems where fares start from RM2, buses from RM1 and the GO-KL free bus service that takes you around the major landmarks in Kuala Lumpur including the Petronas Twin Towers and the KL Tower.

3). Experience the local street food that only costs from RM5 – RM15 per meal. Visit the mamaks for Indian food, warungs for Malay dishes and the street hawkers in Chinatown for Chinese street food. Another recommended street food venue that is popular with tourists and locals alike is Jalan Alor (Alor Street) - located off Jalan Bukit Bintang. Here you will find a variety of Asian food from RM10 – RM45 per meal.

4). Shop at Sungei Wang Plaza and Berjaya Times Square for great prices for clothes, shoes and bags. Clothes from as low as RM10 are also available here! Looking for affordable grooming services including manicure, pedicure and hair salon services? Sungei Wang Plaza is where to look. Wigs too as well, of course.

Chinatown
Source: CompareHero

5). Chinatown is not to be missed when in Kuala Lumpur. More shopping opportunity here. Central Market is another place not to be missed if you are looking for souvenirs. When shopping in these two places, time to exercise your bargaining skill. A must try in Chinatown is the street food and a chance to sit back and take in the sights and sounds of a bustling Chinatown.

For a bit of local culture, the vicinity of Chinatown has two nice temples to visit. One is a Chinese temple, the other an Indian temple.

6). Look for the free things to do in the city including free movie screenings. This happens every Monday evening at Publika, or head on over to Pisco’s Bar for their free foreign movie screenings on Tuesdays. If it's art you are interested in, head on to the Petronas Art Gallery at Suria KLCC for some Contemporary Art appreciation. Entrance is free.

7). Experience the nightlife in Changkat even when you’re pinching pennies, there are many clubs and bars that do not charge entry fees and offer free drinks for the ladies every day of the week. Visit Sky Bar at Traders Hotel for a fantastic clubbing experience with view of the entire city for free!

8). Visit the Petronas Twin Towers and experience the view from 1,500 meters high on the deck of the skybridge. Entry costs RM85 per person, but the view is well worth the price, especially at night. Kuala Lumpur Tower also offers a fantastic view at 790 feet above the ground, along with other fun activities for both adults and children. Ticket prices start from RM32 (depending on the package).

9). Check out cultural heritage sites such as Batu Caves, Sri Mahamariaman Hindu Temple, National Mosque (Masjid Negara), Little India and Sin Sze Si Ya Temple that won’t cost you a dime.

10). If a park visit is on your itinerary, enjoy a day in the sun at the Lake Gardens (known as Taman Botani Perdana in the local Malay language) that also houses the KL Bird Park, KL Butterfly Park and KL Deer Park. Admission to the Lake Gardens is free. Entrance fee of RM45 and RM18 respectively for the KL Bird Park and KL Butterfly Park.

KL Bird Park
Source: Wikipedia

There you have it, Top 10 Budget Travel Tips for an Ultimate Kuala Lumpur Experience!

Kuala Lumpur is a relatively safe city. However, best to take necessary safety precautions as you would anywhere else. Commonsense prevails always. Also, as travelers in a foreign land, it is always advisable to have a carbon copy of your passport with you at all times while the original copy is safe somewhere else such as in a hotel safe. It’s also advisable for you to carry less cash and use your use your travel credit card for your expenses. Besides, you get to earn rewards points and cashbacks!

Visit CompareHero.my blog for more financial tips and advice.

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur!

Article was first published on AnythingBeautiful

1MDB: The inside story of the world’s biggest financial scandal

Malaysia is just a small nation of around 30 million people but of late the country has been under the limelight (negatively unfortunately) on the 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad) issue. Most of us, even Malaysians, are still not sure what it's all about.

But if you are interested, here's an article on MSN that would shed some light: 1MDB: The inside story of the world’s biggest financial scandal.

It's worth a read as it has been touted as the biggest case of its kind worldwide.

Money from 1MDB, the US also claimed, helped to purchase luxury apartments in Manhattan, mansions in Los Angeles, paintings by Monet and Van Gogh, a corporate jet, and even financed a major Hollywood movie.

Take a read. This scheme of things involves a number of countries and prominent personalities.

© Provided by Guardian News United States Department of Justice alleges that money from 1MDB was used to buy Claude Monet’s Nymphéas Avec Reflets de Hautes Herbes, valued at $57.5m. Photograph…

© Provided by Guardian News This drawing by Vincent Van Gogh, worth $5.5m, was allegedly bought with money from 1MDB, according to the US authorities. Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian

Image source: MSN

On Malaysian Emigration

Statictics... Chinese make up 90% of those who gave up citizenship

From The Star:

ALMOST 90% of the 56,576 Malaysians who renounced their citi­zenship over the past decade were Chinese.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that 49,864 Malaysian Chinese gave up their citizenship from 2006 to April this year.

In a written reply to Ramkarpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor), Dr Ahmad Zahid also said in that pe­­riod, 834 Malays, 1,833 Indians and 4,044 others had done the same.

On a separate question by Kasthu­riraani Patto (DAP-Batu Kawan), Dr Ahmad Zahid said 43,453 foreigners were granted citizenship since 2006.

“The largest numbers were from Indonesia, India and Thailand,” he said.

Flash flood in Putrajaya

Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley have seen some severe storms the past week or so resulting in flash floods in certain parts of the city. One such flash flood happened in Putrajaya yesterday. Take a look..

Two vehicles were reported trapped in flash floods around Precinct 3 and Precinct 4 following heavy rains since 6pm in Jalan Perpaduan. Photo courtesy of The Star 

Kuala Lumpur and Genting Highlands

Planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur soon? Here's some information about Kuala Lumpur that may be helpful.

While you are here, you may also want to include Genting Highlands in your itinerary if you can. Though just an hour's drive from the city you would be transported to a totally different atmosphere. For starters, it's a lot cooler up there being at a higher elevation. Let me clue you in on Genting Highlands a little bit.

Bird migration

Every year from January to mid-April, 30,000 to 40,000 migratory Oriental Honey-buzzards soar across the Malaysian skies as part of their spring migration. These raptors fly through the area at the Tanjung Tuan lighthouse in Port Dickson to pick up the thermal heat before heading back home to their breeding grounds in northern Asia and East Asia including Siberia, China, Mongolia, Korea, Japan, India and Indochina as winter draws to an end.

Watch these beautiful creatures in flight.



Source: The Star

Happy Chinese New Year 2016

Best wishes for Health, Happiness and Prosperity!

Source: 123greetings
Today is the eve of Chinese New Year, the 29th day of the 12th lunar month before the lunar calendar turns to the new lunar year. Tomorrow marks the new year of the Monkey, the Fire Monkey.

Want to ensure a better year ahead? Learn about when to start work in the new year. It is believed that starting work on the right (read auspicious) day will ensure that you will have a smooth year ahead.

Happy New Year 2016

Dear Readers, best wishes for a Happy and Safe New Year!