Archive by Author
6 Places That Must Be Seen In Kuala Lumpur
January 27th, 2010 by Joseph Archibald, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
If you are thinking about traveling to Malaysia for a holiday or are stopping over in Kuala Lumpur on your way to some place else, perhaps Australia, then you may be wondering what you can do while you are there. Here are a few places of great interest that you can add to your itinerary.
* Petronas Towers
If you are to visit Kuala Lumpur then its very difficult to avoid seeing the Petronas Towers. So the Petronas Towers are a “must-see” purely because you can’t avoid seeing them. Seriously though, its possible to go up to the 41st floor for a look, and it is worth a look because you can see so much of Kuala Lumpur. At a height of 452 meters, the Towers were until fairly recently the tallest buildings in the world, although that accolade has recently gone to Burj Dubai, which is a whopping 828 meters high!
* Kuala Lumpur Tower
Also known as Menara Kuala Lumpur, is situated in the very heart of KL having been constructed in 1995. It is currently on record as being the 5th tallest tower in the world and stands at 421 meters. Within the tower there is a revolving restaurant which offers superb views of the city to diners.
* The National Museum
The Muzium Negara is situated just outside Perdana Lake Gardens and is built in the style of a Rumah Gadang. Situated on top of a hill at Jalan Travers, it serves visitors as an introduction to the culture and history of Malaysia.
* The National Palace
The National Palace or Istana Negara is where the King of Malaysia resides. Between 1945 (after the Japanese occupation of Malaysia ended) and 1957 it was home to the SUltan of Selangor but then the Federal Government acquired it for the King.
* Malaysian National Mosque
The National Mosque is so large that it can easily accommodate up to 15 thousand people at any one time. It is the main feature of 13 acres of lovely gardens and the main features include a 73 meter high minaret and a star design for the main roof area. The gardens are dotted with various water features throughout.
* Central Market
At one time this was the main wet market in Kuala Lumpur which sold mainly fresh fish from the catch of the day. Now however, the market sells arts, crafts, clothes, antiques, paintings, souvenirs and various other artefacts. Its a great place for the tourist to visit and pick up some bargains.
Learn more about Kuching hotels and the beautiful Damai in Sarawak, Malaysia.
Explore the Beautiful Batu Caves of Malaysia
November 15th, 2009 by Joseph Archibald, under Vacation Destinations. No Comments
About seven miles north of Kuala Lumpur is the Gombak district where the very historical Batu Caves can be found. Evidence shows that an ancient Malay tribe, the Temuan people, may have inhabited these caves but this place only gained its prominence when the Indian trader, K.Thamboosamy Pillai, promoted it as a place of worship for the Hindu god, Murugan.
Since then, it has been considered as one of the most important Hindu shrines outside India, as it has become a religious site dedicated to Murugan, their god of war and victory.
Believed to hold a history as old as 400 million years, the Batu Caves tell very significant stories and has now become a famous attraction for tourists. It is located 100 meters above ground level and composed of three main caves with a satellite of smaller ones scattered around it.
The caves were promoted for a place of worship by an Indian trader who was it is said, inspired by the “vel” shaped entrance way to the main cave.
In’91 Pillai, who is known for founding the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur, erected a consecrated statue named the murti of Sri Subramania Swamy in the temple cave.
Steps that are made of wood were built in’20 but have since been replaced by 272 concrete steps. The largest and best known temple at Batu is the Temple Cave, also known as the Cathedral Cave. The name comes from the fact that it houses a number of Hindu shrines.
The Thaipusum Festival is an annual event that is observed by all Hindus from all over the globe. During the morning of the Thaipusam, a procession commences at the Mahamariamman Temple in Kuala Lumpur and all devotees proceed to the Batu Caves carrying with them milk, that are to be offered to their god Murugan.
The highest point of the caves stands at almost 100 meters above ground level. At the base of the hill to the main cave there are a further 2 caves – Museum Cave and Art Gallery Cave which are both full of Hindu paintings and statues. Many of the shrines are based upon the victory of Lord Murugan over the demon Soorapadam.
There is also the Ramayana Cave which is dedicated to the story of Rama. On the way to Ramayana Cave is a 15 meter tall Hanuman murti, the monkey who was very much devoted to the Lord Rama.
Click the link for my own experience of Kuching hotels and to learn more about the beautiful Damai.
Vegas Hotels On And Off The Strip
October 16th, 2009 by Joseph Archibald, under Vacations. No Comments
Are you considering a hotel stay in Las Vegas in the coming months but are not willing to put up with the hustle and the bustle of the on strip hotel life? If so, then its easy to find a plethora of off strip hotels that provide you with great value for money. You can find a hotel that is about a mile or so from the strip if you wish to sometimes go there and other times stick with the peace and quiet, or you can go further out if casinos are of no interest to you whatsoever.
Perhaps though you are looking for the old world charms – old colonial style buildings or some other historic period maybe. well if you think that Las Vegas is all modern hotels to suit the modern style casinos, you are in for a pleasant surprise. There are quite a lot of old traditional style buildings that have been converted into very tasteful hotels. Take your time and browse a Vegas hotel website and you will find some gems.
I really like the idea of being surrounded by the sounds of a busy casino while being in the confines of an oldy worldy building. You can imagine sitting there for a couple of hours just dreaming about being in the same place 100 years or so ago, while you are sipping your champagne after winning at the blackjack table.
One good thing about modern buildings is that although they may be situated in a very built up and very busy and bustling area, they are very capable of excluding almost all surrounding noise.
Imagine how it would be if you had single glazed windows and simple plywood doors in a hotel in center of Vegas that had 800 bedrooms. Do you think you would get any sleep at all?
If you are keen on finding a good discount on your hotel then off strip is good for that. While these hotels are competing with each other on price and service, at the same time they have to compete with the on strip hotels too. Thus the prices at almost any time of year are real keen.
Even if you are struggling to find a fantastic deal, the hotel rates in Vegas (somewhat surprisingly perhaps) are competitive with other parts of the States. With so much local competition between hotels, you tend to find that the prices for rooms are keen no matter what time of year you wish to book.
Check online and find out some of the offers there are. If its a discount hotel – there are many. If its old-style hotel, quite a lot to choose from there too. If its off strip that suits you best – spoiled for choice! Good luck and have a great stay!
Want to find out more about cheap Vegas hotels, then visit Joseph Archibald’s site on how to choose the best Vegas hotels to meet your needs.
Explore Sarawak and fall in Love with the Wildlife and Culture
August 17th, 2009 by Joseph Archibald, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
If you have not been to Malaysia, or at least, have not toured around the beautiful spots in this country, then most likely you have missed out on the national parks of Sarawak. Located on the eastern side, Sarawak is considered the largest state, and is situated along the northwest coast of Borneo.
In Sarawak, you could feast your eyes on so many lovely sights including its most prized assets which are the national parks, and among these are Gunung Mulu, Bako, Niah, Talang Satang, Similajau and the Lambir Hills.
Sarawak cave systems have earned different world records such as the worlds largest natural chamber given to the Sarawak Chamber, Southeast Asias longest cave awarded to the Clearwater Cave and the worlds largest cave passage given to the Deer Cave.
Sarawak takes pride in having several of these magnificent cave systems in other national parks, as well. Niah Natonal Park houses the Painted Cave which served as shelter for some 30,000 to 40,000 humans during the early prehistoric era. This cave is located within another cave amply named as the Niah Cave. Both caves, being rich in archeological information, have earned the status of National Historical Monuments by the Malaysian Government.
Abundant forests housing diverse wildlife creatures can be seen in all their form and colour at the Bako National Park. Come over either at dusk or at dawn to appreciate these creatures and other organisms in their most graphic and vivid form and colour.
Niah National Park: What makes this national park different from the others is its archaeological finds. The caves here housed people 30,000-40,000 years ago. In fact, archaeologists found the remains of the most ancient man in Southeast Asia in one of its caves.
If you are into underwater sightseeing, this park has everything from corals, various aquatic creatures and the magnificent background of the clear blue marine sea that can only be found in the waters of Sarawak.
Talang Satang National Park: With its proud marine sanctuary, it aims to help turtle conservation and this is what makes it special from the others. It houses several islands which include the Pulau Satang Besar, Pulau Talang-Talang Kecil, Pulau Talang-Talang Besar, and Pulau Satang Kecil. In the area within the national park, you will find various marine creatures and lovely sceneries.
Similajau National Park: This Park is situated 30 kilometres from the town of Bintulu and is along the coastline of the region. Here you can find the Turtle Beach, Batu Anchau, Batu Mandi, Golden Beach, Selunsur Rapid and the Sebubong Pool. This Park is such a hit among tourists.
Take a break now from work or school, or from your busy lifestyle in the city, and come over to Sarawak, Malaysia to experience all these gifts from nature, all these only in Malaysia.