In one of my previous blog, I’ve share some tips (without any evidence or its existence and effectiveness of methods shared... hehe) now I gonna “luan bai” even more about survival tips in forest (by avoiding the X).
The foremost important thing when inside forest/ jungle is never ever calls the real name of another person. The rationale behind is, if the X heard the name of the person and the X will learn and call the name of the person. What happened when someone answer to his or her name? The person soul would be called out from it physical body. Dangerous ler… That’s why don’t use real name, if the X call the fake name and you answer to the X’s call, nothing will happened. Safe la. Remember, never call people real name, use substitute name like Big Stone, Wolf, etc, up to your imagination. And never answer to anyone who is calling your real name when you are inside the jungle / forest. Never!
So you think you are pretty safe by just ignoring name calling. No really, those X are quite resourceful. They don’t rely to only one method in getting the mortals. I heard that they also make people lost in the jungle / forest. I don’t know they use illusion techniques or what other techniques, somehow, the people being targeted by them would not be able to come out from the jungle. They will find themselves walking in the same location, no matter how hard they try. So, if you so “shui” (bad luck) and encounter such situation, no fear. An old rubber taper lady told me her “petua” (secret know how) to escape from this kind of danger. No matter you are a guy or lady, as soon as you realized you are lost and walking in the same spot, undress you pant and PEE! Yes, pee and then, gather all your angers & frustrations in your daily life and start scolding in 4 letter words. Whatever foul language that come to your mind, scold it out as fierce as you can lo. She said with this you will able to see the path clearer and eventually find your way out. Miracle!
Ok, I did mentioned pee for survival, but do not think that you can pee as you like lo when you are inside jungle / forest. And pee will make you safe. No way! If not under critical circumstances like what I describe just now, never simply pee here and there. I’ve heard that sometimes, you can get yourself into trouble because you pee at the host’s land without permission. Have to have manners la. Ask permission before you answer your call of nature. Say something like, “Excuse me please. I need to pxx / sxxt at your place because I have no choice.” Then only you do your business there.
Well, that’s all I know about X and forest. I want to state that I really no idea how true is all these story and practice flowing around the folks here. So never never takes it too serious. Read for fun only, k?
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
No X, Please.
When traveling to a new place, some will worried that they have additional unwanted company – ghost. Personally, I heard many these so call tips that we can do to avoid bumping into these “sui” (bad omen in Cantonese) thingy.
Before I go into the core subject of this blog, let me clarify a term - “X”. Here it means the ghost/ spirit/ soul or any other unknown similar subject to ghost.
HOTEL
One of the most talked about subject about traveling and ghost encounter is in the hotel / any accommodation type where we spend the night. What are the common believes? And what are the “do” and “don’t”?
I have encountered situation where single female traveling and the make sure the room they book is a single bedroom with only 1 bed. Why? They said if there is any additional bed vacant, you might seem inviting companionship. Double bed is always worse than the twin bed situation, as the X might just sleep beside you.
There is also another common believes among the Malaysian Chinese that the last room in the roll is always not clean (meaning contain X(s)). So beware next time you check in the both extreme corner rooms. ^-^
Do’s
1. Knock or ring the doll bell trice before you enter the room for the first time. When you check in an unoccupied room and before you stepping in for the first time, you may want to consider knocking on the door or ringing on the door bell trice. Then, you may put your key in and open the door. The reason is to inform those X who might be having vacation in the same room that you are coming to the room and spending your night(s) here.
2. Well, some people just feel ain’t secure and courteous enough just informing them that you are coming in and staying here. They will open the door and stand at the side for awhile, and they will say “jie meh” (meaning excuse me in Cantonese) before entering the premise. And I must tell you I hate traveling with such superstitious person. It always gives me a goose bump when they do so. It seems like you are really waiting for the X to come out from the room. And telling them excuse me please, because I have paid for the room, so I’m spending my night here.
3. There are also people who tell me that I shouldn’t left my shoe at the bedside nicely when I go to sleep at a hotel. Here’s the answer why you should not. If you left your shoe nicely placed bedside your bed, when the X wandering around after you slept and sees your nice shoes lying there. They are tempted to wear you shoes and wander around in your shoes. What happened if the X really wore your shoes? Aiyo, easy la… you’ll get bad luck! I don’t want bad luck, so I do practice this one- making one of my shoe flip facing down, so that none can wear my shoes. You can do anything that you think they can’t wear your shoe without rearranging your shoe will just do the trick. I know it sounds silly and doesn’t make any sense, yet, I did it every time I go travel. Oh… Please stop laughing at me la.
Before I go into the core subject of this blog, let me clarify a term - “X”. Here it means the ghost/ spirit/ soul or any other unknown similar subject to ghost.
HOTEL
One of the most talked about subject about traveling and ghost encounter is in the hotel / any accommodation type where we spend the night. What are the common believes? And what are the “do” and “don’t”?
I have encountered situation where single female traveling and the make sure the room they book is a single bedroom with only 1 bed. Why? They said if there is any additional bed vacant, you might seem inviting companionship. Double bed is always worse than the twin bed situation, as the X might just sleep beside you.
There is also another common believes among the Malaysian Chinese that the last room in the roll is always not clean (meaning contain X(s)). So beware next time you check in the both extreme corner rooms. ^-^
Do’s
1. Knock or ring the doll bell trice before you enter the room for the first time. When you check in an unoccupied room and before you stepping in for the first time, you may want to consider knocking on the door or ringing on the door bell trice. Then, you may put your key in and open the door. The reason is to inform those X who might be having vacation in the same room that you are coming to the room and spending your night(s) here.
2. Well, some people just feel ain’t secure and courteous enough just informing them that you are coming in and staying here. They will open the door and stand at the side for awhile, and they will say “jie meh” (meaning excuse me in Cantonese) before entering the premise. And I must tell you I hate traveling with such superstitious person. It always gives me a goose bump when they do so. It seems like you are really waiting for the X to come out from the room. And telling them excuse me please, because I have paid for the room, so I’m spending my night here.
3. There are also people who tell me that I shouldn’t left my shoe at the bedside nicely when I go to sleep at a hotel. Here’s the answer why you should not. If you left your shoe nicely placed bedside your bed, when the X wandering around after you slept and sees your nice shoes lying there. They are tempted to wear you shoes and wander around in your shoes. What happened if the X really wore your shoes? Aiyo, easy la… you’ll get bad luck! I don’t want bad luck, so I do practice this one- making one of my shoe flip facing down, so that none can wear my shoes. You can do anything that you think they can’t wear your shoe without rearranging your shoe will just do the trick. I know it sounds silly and doesn’t make any sense, yet, I did it every time I go travel. Oh… Please stop laughing at me la.
4. If you go into a room and found that there is mirror facing the bed(s). Take a cloth / bath towel/ anything to cover the mirror before you go to bed. The rationale behind? Hehe... I’m not too sure. Anyone knows the reason, please let me know. The only thing I know is that in Feng Shui perspective, no mirror should face to bed. It is consider bad and will make a person less energetic and less confident.
Don’t
1. If you found that the room you check in has a Bible or Quran open at a certain page. Please do not close or move the Bible/ Quran. I’m being told that there’s a reason why the Bible / Quran is open at a certain page. It serves the function of guarding the traveler from the unwanted company.
2. Don’t sing or play “Wo deng zhe ni hui la” 我等着你回來 (I’m waiting for you to come back) a Mandarin oldies. I don’t think this has to do with any superstitious believes. Instead, it is because quite some years ago, there was a famous Chinese horror movie that relate playing this song and the appearance of the ghost. Haha…
Having fun reading the silly practice and believes about the X while traveling? I have another part which I gonna share in my coming blog. No X in forest please. Enjoy!
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Snapshots from New Zealand
SCENARIES
I am taking a stroll on the peaceful Kaikuora’s street. Waiting for the time to go for dolphin watching.
A photo taken at Peninsula Seal Colony.
Our car stopped by the farmer for sheep crossing.
The quiet fishing village – Shag Point.
MILFORD SOUND
Spotted during the journey to Milford Sound. “avalanche area – no stopping” signage.
Which is really, which is reflection?
Fiord 
Route to Milford Sound - winding, sharp turns, sloppy and avalanche areas.QUEENSTOWN
Dare to challenge yourself for a jump? The first bungy jump site in New Zealand @ Queenstown.
Riding the chairlift up to the luge track @ Skyline, Queenstown. Oh, I love the fun of the high speed luge downhill!!
A goat standing at the hill top looking at us.
Friday, 31 July 2009
Renting a Vehicle for Holiday? To Rent or Not to Rent?
I’ve been asked what are the things to consider when want to rent a car for holiday. Well, actually there are numerous of things to look out for and I didn’t have a short answer for this question. Finally, I figure that there are few most fundamental elements to consider on before going into a car rental deal.
1. Can you drive in that country?
Yes. The most fundamental question is whether you can drive in that country (where you tend to rent the car). Check whether your driving license is valid for driving in that country. Different countries have different rules. Some countries need a valid international license before you can actually drive there. Some doesn’t, they will need the driver to have a translation done on their driving license to local language or English. So check this out with the car rental operator or authorities.
Once you pass through the driving license part, next you’ll need to look at your capabilities of driving in that country. First check on the driving direction of the country. Next are the road conditions. It is very important we know about the road conditions before we even decide to rent or not to rent. For example driving on snow, driving on deserted roads, driving long distant, etc. Whether it is safe for foreigner to drive? Can you drive safely? These are the question you should ask.
Driving age. Different country and car rental operator has different rules on the valid driving age. Check with the local authorities on the driving age limit (if any). And check with the car rental operator what’s their rules on driving age. Sometimes, their barred rental to young or senior driver, or sometimes, they required additional insurance or surcharges.
After you pass through all these and still stick to the decision to rent a car and drive on your own. Next you should look at your budget.
2. Budget. Budget. Budget.
Hiring a car can be very expensive you are not careful with it. I wouldn’t discuss very lengthy on the items to watch out when considering a car rental deal. I’ll cover more basic elements when come to car rental.
Ask yourself what is your budget in renting a car. This will help you in determine the model of car to rent. To choose the model of the car, look at your need (e.g group size, luggage space, what’s the purpose of the car- carrying goods/ going to off beaten track/ normal traveling) and then look at the models available and compare the rate of rental.
Don’t forget to calculate your fuel cost into your budget planning. The price of gasoline varies in different country. Some country have fixed rate, some fluctuates. It is better to find out these information before you decide to drive on your own.
The model of the car and the cc of the car would mean different fuel consumptions. Another thing to consider is the year made of the car and how well the car is maintain. Sometimes, a beat up car has very high fuel (gasoline and gear oil) consumption.
And when you drive a car, you’ll need to calculate the parking fees and toll fees into your budget.
3. Itinerary
Why I put itinerary as one of the fundamental elements in deciding whether to rent a vehicle? Firstly, many car rental operators have minimum rental days. For example, you only want to stay in the city for 2 days and flying to another destination, most probably you’ll be paying high rental charges (usually the longer you rent, the cheaper the rate) or unable to get any rental. Another case is that you need to travel from destination A to destination B, so you would like to pickup the rental vehicle in destination A and return it in destination B. This usually come with a surcharge called relocation fee or inter-state drop off fee. Normally, you’ll get waiver on the fee if your rental is long (at least more than 3 to 4 days).
One should also find out the travel time from one location to another. Plan you driving time well, this will ensure you’ll have a safe and comfortable travel. Take note on the weather, road conditions, break time, map / navigator (or to consider get a GPS system). If you are planning to travel long distant, best to time your travel, avoid over long driving hours or rushing. It is also good to have additional driver(s), so that you can switch among drivers.
For me, these 1-2-3 steps are the most fundamental elements to consider about when deciding to rent or not to rent. I hope that these information is helpful. And if you need any advice about car rental, I welcome you to write to me. Hope my few years experience in the car rental industry will able to assist you.
P/S: In my coming blog, I’ll write about the general terms that one should watch out when choosing a car rental deal. Stay tune.
1. Can you drive in that country?
Yes. The most fundamental question is whether you can drive in that country (where you tend to rent the car). Check whether your driving license is valid for driving in that country. Different countries have different rules. Some countries need a valid international license before you can actually drive there. Some doesn’t, they will need the driver to have a translation done on their driving license to local language or English. So check this out with the car rental operator or authorities.
Once you pass through the driving license part, next you’ll need to look at your capabilities of driving in that country. First check on the driving direction of the country. Next are the road conditions. It is very important we know about the road conditions before we even decide to rent or not to rent. For example driving on snow, driving on deserted roads, driving long distant, etc. Whether it is safe for foreigner to drive? Can you drive safely? These are the question you should ask.
Driving age. Different country and car rental operator has different rules on the valid driving age. Check with the local authorities on the driving age limit (if any). And check with the car rental operator what’s their rules on driving age. Sometimes, their barred rental to young or senior driver, or sometimes, they required additional insurance or surcharges.
After you pass through all these and still stick to the decision to rent a car and drive on your own. Next you should look at your budget.
2. Budget. Budget. Budget.
Hiring a car can be very expensive you are not careful with it. I wouldn’t discuss very lengthy on the items to watch out when considering a car rental deal. I’ll cover more basic elements when come to car rental.
Ask yourself what is your budget in renting a car. This will help you in determine the model of car to rent. To choose the model of the car, look at your need (e.g group size, luggage space, what’s the purpose of the car- carrying goods/ going to off beaten track/ normal traveling) and then look at the models available and compare the rate of rental.
Don’t forget to calculate your fuel cost into your budget planning. The price of gasoline varies in different country. Some country have fixed rate, some fluctuates. It is better to find out these information before you decide to drive on your own.
The model of the car and the cc of the car would mean different fuel consumptions. Another thing to consider is the year made of the car and how well the car is maintain. Sometimes, a beat up car has very high fuel (gasoline and gear oil) consumption.
And when you drive a car, you’ll need to calculate the parking fees and toll fees into your budget.
3. Itinerary
Why I put itinerary as one of the fundamental elements in deciding whether to rent a vehicle? Firstly, many car rental operators have minimum rental days. For example, you only want to stay in the city for 2 days and flying to another destination, most probably you’ll be paying high rental charges (usually the longer you rent, the cheaper the rate) or unable to get any rental. Another case is that you need to travel from destination A to destination B, so you would like to pickup the rental vehicle in destination A and return it in destination B. This usually come with a surcharge called relocation fee or inter-state drop off fee. Normally, you’ll get waiver on the fee if your rental is long (at least more than 3 to 4 days).
One should also find out the travel time from one location to another. Plan you driving time well, this will ensure you’ll have a safe and comfortable travel. Take note on the weather, road conditions, break time, map / navigator (or to consider get a GPS system). If you are planning to travel long distant, best to time your travel, avoid over long driving hours or rushing. It is also good to have additional driver(s), so that you can switch among drivers.
For me, these 1-2-3 steps are the most fundamental elements to consider about when deciding to rent or not to rent. I hope that these information is helpful. And if you need any advice about car rental, I welcome you to write to me. Hope my few years experience in the car rental industry will able to assist you.
P/S: In my coming blog, I’ll write about the general terms that one should watch out when choosing a car rental deal. Stay tune.
Tuesday, 7 July 2009
Introductory to Malaysia Foods
One of the great attractions while traveling in Malaysia is food. Local cuisines are divided into many types. Food preparations are creative as a result of the multi racial and cultural legacy.
Local cuisine can be mainly divided into Malay, Chinese, Indian, Nyonya and Portuguese food. And each type of the local cuisine has many sub-categories depending on the cooking variations. For example, in Malay cuisine, it has Kelantanese, Johorean style, etc. For Chinese food it can be sub-categorised as cooking with Teow Chew influence, Penang style, Hakka cuisine, Hokkien cuisine and many more.
Recent years, the fusion food trend is getting more popular. These fusion food restaurants / cafés offer local and international food. It offers better variations to the increasingly demanding food taste of the Malaysian.
For food lover, I strongly recommend that you to visit Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca and Johor for your food adventure. Each state has different reasons why it worth your gastronomy urges to visit.
Penang food is ever popular. No matter which part of Malaysia you are visiting, it is common that you’ll find Penangese foods around. Of course, nothing is better than having the Penang food in Penang itself. No matter whether you like spicy foods, local snacks or dessert, you’ll find that Penang just has the right type of foods to satisfy your needs. Those categorized as the top most delicious and celebrated foods include the Penang laksa, Har Mee (Prawn noodle), Rojak Penang (a type of local fruit salad) and Chendol (cold dessert drinks). There are simply too many great foods available in Penang, you gotta try it out yourself and tell me your dining experience.
If you do not have enough time to visit all the places in Malaysia to taste the foods, Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the place to be. Being the capital of Malaysia, KL is resided by people from all other states of Malaysia. Thus, best foods from their hometown are brought to KL. That’s why KL is a where all the good foods gathers. And no matter what time of the day, good food is always just around the corner. Johor is another state where famous delicacies around Malaysia meet.
Unique Nyonya and Portuguese foods are famous in the historical and cultural rich Malacca. Baba and Nyonya, the Peranakan (Strait Born Chinese) cooking is famous for the various usage and blend of spices. Their foods are mostly spicy hot and full of aromatic scent. Nyonya kuih (pastries) are also famous delicacies in Malacca. Similar to the Peranakan cookings, Portuguese cuisine is another must try dishes in Malacca. Their famous dishes include the Devil Curry (cook with beef or chicken), Garing-garing (a type of fried snack) and cucumber & pineapple salad.
If you are less adventure about foods and would like to have something you are more familiar with? No worries, in the gastronomy heaven like Malaysia, you can find almost any type of eating outlets. Thai, Korean, Japanese, Western, Middle Eastern and Vietnamese food and dining outlets are common in Malaysia, especially in the city areas. Not quite satisfied yet? You can also opt for fast food. Here, we have local fast food chain, western fast food chain, Korean fast food, etc. From burgers, wafers, pizzas, sandwiches, sushi, fish and chips to fried chicken. Fast food outlets are widely available. Some of these fast food outlets even operate on a 24/7 basis.
Regarding the place to dine, one can choose to dine at five star hotels, restaurants, fast food chains, cafés, food courts, hawker centres, food kiosks / stands to road side stalls. The price is relatively affordable. Enjoying the local authentic food and dining experience is a must during visit to Malaysia. I’ll write more about foods that you shouldn’t missed out during your visit to Malaysia in other write-ups.
Another unique dining experience you shouldn’t miss is to dine at a mamak outlet. Mamak actually means Indian Muslim. Here, people refer the stalls man by the Indian Muslim selling halal Indian and Malay fusion foods as Mamak. Going to Mamak is part of the Malaysian culture. The food is delicious, affordable and acceptable by all races of Malaysia. Thus, Malaysian chooses Mamak as the hang out place. We can just order a drink (teh tarik, teh limau, limau ice, milo shake, kopi) and chit chat with friends. The friendly Mamak will always welcome you. You can sit and chat as long as you wish to. If you are hungry, they have the roti canai (grill fried pancake), nasi kandar (rice with various dishes to choose from), nasi goreng (fried rice, Mamak style of course) and much more to choose from. Although nowadays there are generally 2 types of Mamak store. One is the most common road side Mamak food stalls, another is the modern Mamak restaurant. Most Malaysian refer going for a tea (usually to hang out and chit chat) as “yum cha”. So don’t forget to “yum cha” at Mamak.
Trend of “yum cha” is getting more popular in recent years. Kopitiam (meaning coffee shop) type of café is mushrooming in Malaysia. Usually, these café offer a fusion of local cuisines, good ambiance and wi-fi (wireless internet) facilities. The operation hours of these outlets mostly are extended to 10pm or 11pm. And that’s a just glimpse about food in Malaysia. Malaysia is a country that full of great foods. A must go place for food lover / adventure. I am sure the interesting potpourri of foods in Malaysia will give many surprises and satisfaction to your taste bud!
Monday, 22 June 2009
Broga Hill/ Bukit Lalang Track, Negeri Sembilan
Track Time: 2 hours return
Difficulty: Easy. Self guided.
Review: 3 1/2 stars
Description:
This track is a short scenic hiking track up to Broga Hill. The best time to hike is early in the morning before sunrise. At the peak, you can enjoy the scenic view of the entire Broga village and sunrise.
The track begins from the palm oil estate. Most people would prefer to begin the track at about 4.45 am – 5 am as usually sunrise is at about 6am. Do wear a pair of comfortable walking shoes. The track can be slippery after rain. You may also want to bring flashlight together, if you want to begin tracking before the dawn. Spray insect repellent before entering the palm oil estate as mosquitoes are active during 5am - 6am. Follow the track uphill through the palm oil estate.
After about 20 -30 minutes hiking, you’ll come to plain grass land / lalang field and finds cooling and refreshing breeze blowing to you. Walk further up, you’ll come to the first lookout of the hill. Here, you’ll be able to see part of the village. The second and third lookout points are nearby and many photographers would get ready with their cameras to capture the sunrise. The space is bigger compare to the highest peak of the track.
After arriving at the first lookout point, trees are not many just field of “lalang” (a type of grass). Nothing much to block your view and you’ll be able to enjoy spectacular clear view of Broga. There is also amber space for you to rest and take photos. Some people also bring foods and drinks to enjoy at the peak.
After the hike, you can have breakfast at the stores at the village. Enjoy some simple local cuisines. Other attractions nearby includes the famous “Sek Dato” Temple.
What to bring:
Insect repellent
Drinking water
Camera
Walking Stick (optional)
How to get there:
Use the Loke Yew Road towards Cheras and Seremban. Pay 2 tolls. Follow the road use to Kajang and then to Semenyih. Once arrived in Semenyih, there will be a road sign to Broga. Turn in to Broga and follow the road. You’ll pass by the Nottingham University, go further in until you see the Rabbit Farm on your right hand side. Starting point of the track is on your left, directly opposite the Rabbit Farm.
Broga - A Blissful Place To Be
I think this is not a familiar name to many. Recently, more and more people get to know the place, as there’s a new university campus (University of Nottingham) located in Broga. And probably that’s the reason for the discovery of new attraction at Bukit Lalang, Broga.
Broga (武來岸) a small town that sits on the Selangor and Negri Sembilan border, 50 km from Kuala Lumpur. This town has history of more than 140 years. Dominantly are Chinese - Hakka clan. Most are working in their family’s plantation – rubber, palm oil or orchard. Long before the development of the university campus and the trend of Broga Hill sunrise viewing, Broga is categorized as remote and quiet. Some people may know the Sak Dato Temple. The temple has many followers either locally or internationally (From Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Thailand, etc). And many local film producers also like to use the temple for Chinese New Year productions or MV filming place.
Sak Dato Temple (玉封石拿督廟)
A must visit place for any visitor to Broga. This temple is rated are one of the top three most beautiful temple in Malaysia. This place is much more than a worshiping place. Inside, there are landscape gardens (The Kindness Fruits Garden 善果園 & Dragon Gate 龍門), replicas of local fruits, Chinese folklore characters & 12 Chinese zodiac. If you follow the stairs up to the “Dragon Gate” Arch, you’ll able to enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Broga.
The history of this temple can trace back to more than 100 years ago. Why is it called Sak Dato? Dato is actually a salutation (similar to Duke or higher). Who is this Sak Dato? The local there will tell you that “Sak Mun” (石滿), an aborigine adopted by Chinese family in Broga. He was very helpful and kind hearted. One day, he went to meditate and never came back to the village. And one day, his friend dreamt of him and informed that he was assigned by the God of Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) to be Dato (拿督) and protect the land. And he told his friend the place where he gained immortality. His friend found his remains at the location he mentioned. As many people received his kindness and assistance before the people there worship him. The locals also believe Sak Dato protected them in many many incidences ever since, especially during the time of Japanese Occupation. Just ask around the locals, I’m sure they are willing to tell you the story.
Besides, there also a Foundation - The Kindness Fruits Garden 善果園基金, setup by the temple committee. All the donations collected for the foundation is carefully managed by 14-member committee. They channel the fund to needy people from all over Malaysia. Part of the funds is channel to further develop Broga and promote it as a local top tourist attraction. In the plan is building of facilities like jungle tracking trail, suspension bridge and children’s playground.
Address: No 42, Jalan Besar, Broga, 71750 Negeri Sembilan.
Open: Every day, 7.30am-11pm
Bukit Lalang, Broga (茅草山)
Bukit Lalang or Broga Hill is a renowned hiking spot in Broga. Usually hikers will choose to go
before sunrise or during the morning. All the higher land of Broga is plain grassland, so it provides superb view of the village below. If you climb in the morning, it’s easy to see clouds below the peak. You can also see fog rising up the hill and open up the whole panoramic view to the village. A mere 45 minutes to 1 hour walking up the hill is definitely worthwhile.
It attracts many photography lovers to capture the sunrise and beautiful scenery around. If you prefer to experience the tranquil moment, I suggest you choose on normal weekdays compared to the weekends or public holiday.
The King & Queen Fruits of Malaysia
June – July of each year, Broga will have many local fruits from the orchards around. During these months are durian, mangosteen and rambutan season. If you like these fruits, visit Broga during these months and you'll be able to taste the fruits fresh from the orchard.
You may also see people working at the rubber & palm oil estate.
Broga (武來岸) a small town that sits on the Selangor and Negri Sembilan border, 50 km from Kuala Lumpur. This town has history of more than 140 years. Dominantly are Chinese - Hakka clan. Most are working in their family’s plantation – rubber, palm oil or orchard. Long before the development of the university campus and the trend of Broga Hill sunrise viewing, Broga is categorized as remote and quiet. Some people may know the Sak Dato Temple. The temple has many followers either locally or internationally (From Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, Thailand, etc). And many local film producers also like to use the temple for Chinese New Year productions or MV filming place.
Sak Dato Temple (玉封石拿督廟)
A must visit place for any visitor to Broga. This temple is rated are one of the top three most beautiful temple in Malaysia. This place is much more than a worshiping place. Inside, there are landscape gardens (The Kindness Fruits Garden 善果園 & Dragon Gate 龍門), replicas of local fruits, Chinese folklore characters & 12 Chinese zodiac. If you follow the stairs up to the “Dragon Gate” Arch, you’ll able to enjoy a spectacular panoramic view of Broga.
The history of this temple can trace back to more than 100 years ago. Why is it called Sak Dato? Dato is actually a salutation (similar to Duke or higher). Who is this Sak Dato? The local there will tell you that “Sak Mun” (石滿), an aborigine adopted by Chinese family in Broga. He was very helpful and kind hearted. One day, he went to meditate and never came back to the village. And one day, his friend dreamt of him and informed that he was assigned by the God of Jade Emperor (玉皇大帝) to be Dato (拿督) and protect the land. And he told his friend the place where he gained immortality. His friend found his remains at the location he mentioned. As many people received his kindness and assistance before the people there worship him. The locals also believe Sak Dato protected them in many many incidences ever since, especially during the time of Japanese Occupation. Just ask around the locals, I’m sure they are willing to tell you the story.
Besides, there also a Foundation - The Kindness Fruits Garden 善果園基金, setup by the temple committee. All the donations collected for the foundation is carefully managed by 14-member committee. They channel the fund to needy people from all over Malaysia. Part of the funds is channel to further develop Broga and promote it as a local top tourist attraction. In the plan is building of facilities like jungle tracking trail, suspension bridge and children’s playground.
Address: No 42, Jalan Besar, Broga, 71750 Negeri Sembilan.
Open: Every day, 7.30am-11pm
Bukit Lalang, Broga (茅草山)
Bukit Lalang or Broga Hill is a renowned hiking spot in Broga. Usually hikers will choose to go
before sunrise or during the morning. All the higher land of Broga is plain grassland, so it provides superb view of the village below. If you climb in the morning, it’s easy to see clouds below the peak. You can also see fog rising up the hill and open up the whole panoramic view to the village. A mere 45 minutes to 1 hour walking up the hill is definitely worthwhile.It attracts many photography lovers to capture the sunrise and beautiful scenery around. If you prefer to experience the tranquil moment, I suggest you choose on normal weekdays compared to the weekends or public holiday.
The King & Queen Fruits of Malaysia
June – July of each year, Broga will have many local fruits from the orchards around. During these months are durian, mangosteen and rambutan season. If you like these fruits, visit Broga during these months and you'll be able to taste the fruits fresh from the orchard.
You may also see people working at the rubber & palm oil estate.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Teluk Batik Escapade
Batik is located in the state of Perak. Though it is not among the top tourist spots, yet I think it is still worth visting. If you are driving to Lumut and taking a ferry to Pulau Pangkor, you may want to consider drop by at Teluk Batik – a beach where the locals go.
Teluk Batik is about 6km away from the town of Lumut (south west of Ipoh). It is Lumut’s most popular beach. Yet, compared to other popular beaches in Malaysia, I rate it as a quiet beach side suitable for unwind and relax. Many locals will know that it also famous for the marine navy base bear Teluk Batik.
There weren’t many accommodation choices in Teluk Batik area. Many name themselves as resort, to me they are just normal decent hotels with basic facilities. So, if you’re one of those who like fancy resort stay. I’m quite sure you’ll be disappointed. However, if you just want to enjoy the beach and the nature, this can be a good place to be.
Teluk Batik has a long stretch of white sand beach. Most of the time you’ll be accompany by monkeys around the beach parking bay. There are many stores selling souvenirs, drinks and food near the beach side parking bay. Since, there are not many tourists, so you wouldn’t see any commercial water sports activities at this beach. However, you’ll see some fishing boat at the beach, locals come to the beach fishing, local children having fun at the beach. Simple and quiet – that’s the impression Teluk Batik given to me. Walking along the beach, you can see quite a lot of little shells and crab at the beach.
Nearby the beach there’s also a Shell Museum. This museum structure is a typical Malay kampong house with shell collections from all over the world. For a small fee, you can enter and enjoy the “rumah kampong” building structure and see the owners’ collections of shells.
6km away from Teluk Batik is another beach - Teluk Rubiah. If you manage to get a local to guide you, actually you can track through the forest along the beach. Do not attempt to walk by yourself, as there track is not easy to find and there’s a high chance to bump into monkeys living at the forest.
Teluk Batik is about 6km away from the town of Lumut (south west of Ipoh). It is Lumut’s most popular beach. Yet, compared to other popular beaches in Malaysia, I rate it as a quiet beach side suitable for unwind and relax. Many locals will know that it also famous for the marine navy base bear Teluk Batik.
There weren’t many accommodation choices in Teluk Batik area. Many name themselves as resort, to me they are just normal decent hotels with basic facilities. So, if you’re one of those who like fancy resort stay. I’m quite sure you’ll be disappointed. However, if you just want to enjoy the beach and the nature, this can be a good place to be.
Teluk Batik has a long stretch of white sand beach. Most of the time you’ll be accompany by monkeys around the beach parking bay. There are many stores selling souvenirs, drinks and food near the beach side parking bay. Since, there are not many tourists, so you wouldn’t see any commercial water sports activities at this beach. However, you’ll see some fishing boat at the beach, locals come to the beach fishing, local children having fun at the beach. Simple and quiet – that’s the impression Teluk Batik given to me. Walking along the beach, you can see quite a lot of little shells and crab at the beach.
Nearby the beach there’s also a Shell Museum. This museum structure is a typical Malay kampong house with shell collections from all over the world. For a small fee, you can enter and enjoy the “rumah kampong” building structure and see the owners’ collections of shells.
6km away from Teluk Batik is another beach - Teluk Rubiah. If you manage to get a local to guide you, actually you can track through the forest along the beach. Do not attempt to walk by yourself, as there track is not easy to find and there’s a high chance to bump into monkeys living at the forest.
How to go?
Use the North South Highway.
1. Head to north if you are from Kuala Lumpur or other states located at Central Region/ Southern Region.
Head to South if you are from Penang or other states located at the Southern Region.
2. Exit Bidor. Follow the route 58 heading to Teluk Intan / Lumut.
3. Follow route 5 heading to Sitiawan / Lumut.
4. Road sign turning in to Teluk Batik only available when you near to Lumut.
Food
There are not many choices of food at the Teluk Batik area. There are only few local Malay cafés round. You may also choose to dine in the hotel/ resort.
Drive to the Lumut town (about 15 mins single journey), if you prefer to have more selections of food. At the town, you can find fast food, Malay, Indian, Chinese and Western cuisine.
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