Sorry that it took quite some time for an update. Here's some of the few stuff for you to download, and it's all free!
Banner
Photo Widget
Blog Widget
Stay tuned for more updates.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Travelogue Downloads
Monday, January 28, 2008
Northern States: Kedah
If you happen to like South East Asian history, particularly the pre-Islamic era, you should pay a visit to Lembah Bujang archeological site. It is an educational site where it shows bits and pieces of information on how Kingdoms of Kedah were like prior to the arrival of Islam. This is where you get to see the fusion of Hindu and Buddhist art, and the strategically importance of the valley as a maritime trading port. We went there for a few hours before paying a visit to my brother’s friend’s house.
The Candi is still visible and preserved
The stream was probably the place where the people established their trading port
Then we went to Alor Setar, and took a picture under the Alor Setar Tower.
The Alor Setar Tower at night
And finally the next day we headed back to Kuala Lumpur. Our Northern States journey finally came to an end
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Northern States: Penang
Welcome to Penang! A small state bordering Kedah, it was one of the busiest states aside from Kuala Lumpur. Well known for its bridge, it is also a melting pot for different cultures and backgrounds. One thing that makes it different from the cosmopolitan Kuala Lumpur is that despite its busy streets, it is also known for its classical British buildings which were erected by the colonialists.
The harbour
The mainland
Seen from the ferry
The beach here is now. However, you have to be careful not to go too deep into the sea. The Straits of Malacca is also known for its deadly jellyfish! (Well I did encounter some of them...)
The beach.
This is where we found a dead jellyfish
Penang is also home for all sorts of museums. War Museum, State Museum, Art Museum and my favourite –the Toy Museum! Be sure to check them out!
Arghh!
Human-size alien. You can find fascinating stuff in the toy museum.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Northern States: Perlis
Paddy field in Perlis
The road in Perlis was small. Yet, it could be quite tricky once you run into a paddy field. I took us half an hour to get in and out of my uncle’s house. You can hardly find highways here. But once you become familiar with the roads, every area in Perlis is just at your fingertips. Well, at least that was what my uncle told me. One of the attractions here is the Padang Besar, at the borders of Malaysia-Thailand. This is the place where you can find cheap stuff including apparels and toys. We went there and shopped just about anything. I even managed to get my trousers from RM40 to RM20. But as for the quality of the items bought, I couldn’t say anything about it. Make sure that you check your items before you even start bargaining.
After hanging around in my uncle’s house and Padang Besar, we headed down to Kedah. We came across a vast sugarcane field on our way there.
The vast sugarcane field
We've made it!
Look at the size of the field
Friday, January 25, 2008
Northern States: Overview
Our next campaign was to visit the northern states of Malaysia, consisting of 3 states bordering Thailand - Kedah, rich for its paddy fields; Penang, a cosmopolitan island which was once part of Kedah Sultanate and Perlis, the highest end of Malaysia. Bukit Kayu Hitam would be the last exit for the North South Highway (PLUS), the most frequently used road in the Peninsular. Penang is also famous for having one of the longest bridges in Asia. The states, excluding Penang were part of the Unfederated Malay States prior to the independence. Penang on the other hand was part of the Straits Settlements.
The journey was all about visiting my relatives and friends, while venturing to places that we had never been before.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Putrajaya: Video Vault
This is what my brother managed to capture when we were in the Putrajaya Botanical Garden. You can see the wetland area as well as the palace at night.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Putrajaya: Man-Made Landscape
Independance Day Celebration
Photo was taken by my friend Ashwin when we went to celebrate the 48th year of independence.
The administration centre of Malaysia, much like Washington, is located in Putrajaya. One of the most beautiful and modernized places here; that you won’t even realized that you are actually in Malaysia. Some even claimed that it is among the early intelligent cities in the world. It is also famous for its wetland concepts, making it environment-friendly as well. One of the few beautiful buildings that you can see here is the Palace of Justice, something that looks like Taj Mahal, only smaller. And a few other conceptual buildings like the Perbadanan Government Complex and the Putra Mosque.
My brother in front of the Putra Mosque
The Putra Mosque has its own unique feature as well. A bazaar is located just below it, residing next to the lake. And you should visit Putrajaya’s botanical gardens as well, where they have different types of floras and beautiful monuments. You can also cycle there.
Putrajaya at night
The place is much quieter at night. This would be the best time for you to enjoy the vivid scenery along the bridges. But be sure not to do something suspicious or you might get caught by the police!
Seri Wawasan Bridge
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Port Dickson: Video Vault
One of the tragedies when you ride on an ostrich without your safety harness! It is a small competition that's held in the P.D. Ostrich farm.
Port Dickson: The Ostrich Hunt!
Looking for a ride on an ostrich in Malaysia? You don’t have to go to the zoo (because as far as I’m concerned there is none!). You can pay a visit to P. D. Ostrich in Port Dickson. If you’re from Kuala Lumpur, it would take just about an hour to reach there. But need I to remind you that the place is kind of hot in the afternoon.
One of the few things that you can do is that you can feed the ostrich. Even better, like I said, you can even ride on it! And the best thing about riding the ostrich is that you’ll get a ‘crazy’ certificate from the trainers, which is something that you show to your friends and relatives. And if you are lucky, you’ll be entertained by a monkey who can pluck the coconut straight from the coconut tree.
After bathing under the sun for quite some time you may want to settle down at the beach. So far Port Dickson remains one of the main beach attractions in Peninsular Malaysia.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Sabah: Video Vault 2
This video was taken when we were in Poring Hot Spring. We were on our way to one of the longest walkways in Malaysia.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Sabah: Video Vault 1
One of the clips that was taken during my trip to Sabah:
This is a traditional Bajau music that was performed the night before the wedding. Everyone enjoyed themselves while preparing the stuff for tomorrow's event.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Sabah: 7th Day
It was time to return to Kota Kinabalu. Our last remaining hours were spent in City Point, Kota Kinabalu. There was an on-going PC fair when we arrived in the shopping complex. We also spent our time looking for souvenirs in the Handicraft Center. At night, we had our dinner in Tanjung Aru. It was thought to be the longest day, and a memorable one.
 Tun Datu Mustapha Memorial in Tambunan  Enjoying our last dinner in Tanjung Aru |
Our journey across Sabah was complete.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Sabah: 6th Day
We took a ferry to Pulau Labuan in the morning. Once the ferry reached the island’s shore, we could see some government buildings that were comparable to the ones we saw in Putrajaya.
 One of the streets |
Later in the evening, we took a stroll around the streets of Bandar Labuan. Since that the island was duty-free, we found some interesting shops including wine shops, which you can hardly find in any parts of Malaysia.
 Interesting sites in Bandar Labuan, formerly known as Victoria.  Interesting sites in Bandar Labuan, formerly known as Victoria.  |
Friday, January 11, 2008
Sabah: 5th Day
 |
We reached the Poring Hot Spring in the morning. After much of discussion, the family decided to ascend the Canopy Walkway. It has several routes, and the longest were up to a few kilometers in length. We stopped at a few checkpoints, while resting ourselves in the hut provided.
 We were on our way to one of the longest canopy walk in Malaysia  View from the bridge |
It took us hours to return to Kota Kinabalu. We stayed in our uncle’s house, and ate some good seafood dishes.
 Comparing the size with the one we ate in our hometown |
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Sabah: 4th Day
We stopped by Kundasang again in the morning. But this time, we stayed in an apartment, located on a hill. As we unpacked our things, we walked down to the town area while enjoying the view of its surroundings.
 Band of Photographers marching to take pictures  Kundasang from above |
The War Memorial Display Garden was just across the road. We were not going to miss any chances. Among others there were two recognizable gardens there: The Australian Garden and The Borneo Garden. The memorial was built to commemorate the Sandakan Death March.
 Entrance to the Memorial  The Australian Garden  Along the pillars |
In the evening, we tried on a small suspension bridge located just in front of our apartment. It was cloudy.
 View from the bridge |
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Sabah: 3rd Day
I woke up as early as 5.00 a.m. It was chilly. As I bathed and dressed up, I opened the sliding door to take some fresh air. And guess what, I saw the most beautiful thing in the world.
 Morning View The clearest view of Mount Kinabalu from our cottage.  The Summit We thought this was the highest point of the mountain. |
I had a breakfast at the café and went down to the jungle trails with my family to for an exercise. Even though the trail was short, we could see that the plants were unique and unfamiliar to us.
 YumYum Pancake for breakfast. The café was not far from the jungle trail  Flowers Among others that were found on the trail |
And so ends our trip to the Kinabalu Park. Now we're going down, back to Ranau.
 Goodbye Kinabalu Park Mount Kinabalu from the cottage in the afternoon |
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Sabah: 2nd Day
We saw several significant buildings on our way out of Kota Kinabalu in the morning from our uncle’s Ranger. Among others include the City Mosque, Universiti Malaysia Sabah (which were still under construction), Tamparuli Bridge and Tun Mustapha Tower. The area was quite windy, but it was sunny, and there were no signs of storms.
Leaning Tower of Pisa? The Tun Mustapha Tower is not actually leaning. It is just as straight as the Petronas Twin Towers. It is known as the tallest building in Borneo and was formerly known as the Sabah Foundation Building.  Old bridge of Tamparuli According to my uncle, this is the famous Jambatan Tamparuli. It is popularized by a song by Kadazandusun, dedicated to its name. It was also covered by a famous Sabahan artist, Marsha.  Heavy Traffic It's hard to see a situation like this in the peninsular, where cars are lining up behind you, even though you are going up a hill at high speed. |
A few hours later we stopped at Kundasang. The place was beautiful. We went for a quick window shopping at the stalls located at the side of the road. Behind them you can see a vast farmland with a tall mountain range as its background.
 Stalls These stalls in Kundasang are usually run by Javanese. In fact, you can find Javanese hawkers just about anywhere in Kota Kinabalu.  A Midland's house A small Tolkien-looking house above a hill, giving a powerful impression on the overall view of Kundasang.  In defence of the Commonwealth The War Memorial Display Garden was also visible here in Kundasang. |
Then, we hopped on the Ranger and headed towards the Gunung Kinabalu National Park. We arrived there later in the evening. We stayed in a cottage.
 Cottage at NightI went outside for a brisk walk outside the cottage. The time difference between Sabah and the peninsular is almost an hour. |
Monday, January 7, 2008
Sabah: 1st Day
We booked a flight 6 months prior, through AirAsia, the first Malaysian low-cost flight. But last time it was located in KLIA itself, and not in LCCT. Nevertheless, we had to wake up as early as 5.00 a.m. to get to KLIA. And our flight was around 9.00. This would be our first flight with AirAsia. The flight attendants, giving instruction on flight safety, dressed neatly in red and white uniforms.
KLIA in the morning. |
Once we arrived in Kota Kinabalu in the afternoon, we were greeted by our uncle who lived there. We hopped on a Storm and rode along the main roads. We visited some shops around the small city formerly known as Jesselton. The buildings were not as packed as in Kuala Lumpur, and no highways were visible. During this time a flyover was under construction. According to my Sabahan friend, it would be the first flyover ever built in the town.
We booked a cheap hotel room just enough for the six of us to fit in. There were no windows, and we even had a hard time putting our bags and stuff in. But we managed to survive through the night.
The next day we were on our way to the mountains.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Sabah: Overview
Multiethnic population prevails in this state, along with its neighboring Sarawak. Its tolerance towards people from different ethnicity is much more obvious than those from the Peninsular Malaysia. It is also famous for its Mount Kinabalu, which is known as the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. Sabah owns much of the National Forests in Malaysia such as Crocker Range Parks and Pulau Tiga Park.
My journey with my family includes exploring the city of Kota Kinabalu and the area surrounding the mountain. We only had a full week to get to know this area while appreciating the beauty it possesses. Two sets of camera and video cam were prepared for this fateful event. I even had to skip classes for this trip. I was fortunate to have my friends and lecturer to back me up. Thanks guys.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Hello World!
Welcome guest! MFN Travelogue is now officially available for viewing. Hope you'll enjoy reading this blog. I'm opening this blog to share my stories of my travels everywhere.
I would like to dedicate this to my family, my mom, my dad, my brothers, Phat and Fateh, and my little sister, for supporting and financing trips to almost everywhere. Without them I wouldn’t have gone so far as to New Zealand and United Kingdom. They have also given me the chance to visit various places unknown to me, so as to please me. And I would like to extend my thanks to my friends as well, especially my college friends (IPBArians), for organizing trips in different parts of Kuala Lumpur. As a person who was born in Kuala Lumpur myself, I had never been to the places that you guys have brought me. And last but not least, to all the readers who is and will be reading this blog.
This first part of the blog will cover stories from various parts of Malaysia. For those who have no idea where Malaysia is, it is located in the South East Asia, with its neighbor Singapore on its south and Thailand on its north. Blessed with people of different races and identity, it is still developing its own unique identity. People may think that we can't live harmoniously together, but they should come to our country just to prove themselves wrong. It has been my dream to share my views about my country to a broad audience on the internet, and I hope I would do well in this blog.
In the meantime, I've posted our first promo video. Enjoy.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
