Family travel

  • Art & Places,  Family travel,  Kuala Lumpur,  sculpture

    Art & Places: Whale and Dolphins Sculpture, KLCC Park

    This Whale and Dolphins have always been intriguing to me. My son loves them and I bet other kids love them too!

    whale01My son (right) and his cousin Idham admiring Whale and Dolphins.

    whale
    Whale up-close.

    dolphins
    Dolphins.

    Whale and Dolphins were created by Australian sculptor, John Underwood in 1997. This multi-layered sculpture consists of a 6 meter high whale and two 2.5 metre dolphins. The concept reminds me of three dimensional topography charts.

    One might be wondering why whale and dolphins? As a mother to a kid whose fascination with these animals is humongous, I think I know why Underwood built these animals here. Whale and dolphin can only be found in certain part of the world but certainly not in Malaysia. He is bringing these animals to the local kids in the form of art. This is to let kids appreciate both the animal and art. This sculpture will spark questions of where the animals came from, the taxonomy, the ecology, the evolution, anything there is to know about them. It is our duty to educate our kids about these animals and maybe someday we can take our kids to see the real ones around the world.

    Bring your kids here to enjoy the shallow swimming pool while admiring great public art. Location: KLCC Park near Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur. View map.

     

    Some reference are from: Arcawam

     

  • Family travel,  Kuala Lumpur,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    7 parks and gardens to visit with kids in KL

    Parks and gardens can be magical places for kids. They offer kids the chance to be close to nature, to smell the fresh air, to enjoy the beautiful colors and best of all to just be themselves; run, jump and run some more!   I have some favourite parks and gardens in Kuala Lumpur (KL) that I have visited and below is a list of 7 parks and gardens that I like you to visit with your kids. A trip to the parks and gardens can open up a whole new world of nature appreciation.

    PBG
    Perdana Botanical Gardens.

    1

    Perdana Botanical Gardens | Perdana Botanical Gardens has always been my top favourite spot with family. Sits on a sprawling 101 hectares of land right in the heart of the city, the 133 year-old park gives visitors the ambiance of being in a tropical rainforest. It has been the most popular public recreational park in Kuala Lumpur.

    Take your kids here and learn the name of plants, trees and flowers with them. Walk (or ride on bicycle) on the trail with them and get that sweat out. Look up and see different kind of birds. Enjoy the train ride around the gardens with them. Let them be themselves at the playground. Visit the waterfall and get to see fish and insects. The activities and things to see here are endless. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 8pm. View map.

    KLCC Park
    KLCC Park.

    2

    KLCC Park | The beautiful park is inspired by the talented Brazilian master of gardens, the late Roberto Burle Marx. Spread over 50-acres, here you can find combination of trees, shrubs, structures of cement, stones and wood as well as various water features not to mention elements of shapes. About 1900 indigenous trees and 66 species of palms have been planted at the park to encourage bio-diversity. Part of the park is also designed as haven for birds and other local faunas.

    The main attraction for kids here are the playgrounds and children’s pool area. There are also public amenities such as shelters, benches, rest areas, drinking fountains, public toilets as well as 1.3 km jogging track encircling the park. The children’s playground opens everyday from 7am to 10pm and as for the children’s pool, it opens from 10am – 7.30pm during weekdays and 10am – 9.30pm during weekend and public holiday. It closes for maintenance on Monday. Please take note that only kids below 12 are allowed to use the play structures. Eating, drinking and smoking are also not allowed here else the guards will blow off their whistle. If your playground lacks clearly defined play areas, children may struggle to understand where they should engage in specific activities like hopscotch, basketball, or four square. Consider having playground markings from https://www.playgroundmarkings.org.uk/ painted.

     Ecopark
    KL Forest Eco Park.

    3

    KL Forest Eco Park | KL Forest Eco Park is one of the oldest permanent forest reserve in the country.  It covers an area of approximately 11 hectares and is the only remaining tropical rainforest in the heart of the city of Kuala Lumpur. It was gazetted in 1906 and was formerly known as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve. In 1934, it was gazetted as a Wildlife Reserve and Bird Sanctuary. In 1950, a pristine section of about 5 hectares was gazetted as a Virgin Jungle Reserve.

    KL Forest Eco Park functions as a Green Lung as well as a recreational area for city dwellers. Here you and your kids can see and learn names of the rich variety of flora that flourishes within the forest includes rare herbs, creepers, ferns, climbers and giant bamboo grasses. Visiting hours: 7.00am to 6.00pm daily including weekends and public holidays.  View map.

    Titiwangsa

    4

    Titiwangsa Park | Titiwangsa Park is a recreational park for family with a large lake as its main attraction. This 95 hectares park offers aquatic activities like boating and canoeing, two playgrounds areas for children, a remote control car track, horseback riding, football field, badminton court, tennis court, squash court, jogging tracks, cycling area, pavilion, food stalls, a stadium and golf-course. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 10pm. View map.

    Butterfly Park
    Butterfly Park.

    5

    Butterfly Park | Butterfly Park is the largest butterfly garden in the world spanning over 80,000 sq ft of landscaped garden with over 5,000 live butterflies, exotic plants, butterfly-host plants and ferns. Contributing to Butterfly Park’s beautiful landscape is a uniquely designed hydro-pond built with a limestone path right in the centre. Other attractions here are Japanese koi fish, fresh water turtles, live insects and an insect museum where you and your kids can learn names of insect and butterfly species. There is also a nursery and breeding area for the butterflies as well as a souvenir shop near the exit selling local handicrafts, fridge magnets, t-shirts, caps, bags, framed butterflies and many more. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 10pm. View map.

    Permaisuri lake
    Permaisuri Lake Garden.

    6

    Permaisuri Lake Garden | Taman Tasik Permaisuri is a recreational park that boasts a synthetic jogging track, reflexology walking path, topiary gardens, floral arch trellises, children’s playground, gazebos,man-made island, a variety of jogging routes, ornamental fountains, a 7-tiered flower terrace, a tropical flowers garden and a herb garden.

    Nestled between the concrete jungle of Kuala Lumpur City Center and the many highways that serve this area, this park has a large catchment of residents staying around Cheras, Ampang, Bukit Jalil and adjacent neighborhoods. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 7am to 8pm. View map.

    wonderland

    7

    Science Wonderland | Located at National Science Center at Bukit Kiara, Science Wonderland is an educational park that encompasses all aspects of science, technology, innovation and nature. The wonderland consists of Focal Point, Activity Arena, Waterplaza, Interactive Zone, Subterranean Journey, Garden of Nature, Pocket Garden, Herb Garden, Aquatic Life and Pre-Historic Garden. Visiting hours: Mondays to Sundays, 9am to 5pm. View map.

  • Family travel,  Kuala Lumpur,  Malaysia,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    10 Fun Places for Kids in KL

    10 Places for Kids in KL is a list I crafted from my very own experience for family with kids, taking into consideration the learning process that benefits them when visiting these places. It is a combination of discovery about science, animals, planetary systems, books, art and history.

    Petrosains

    1. Petrosains – A Science Discovery Centre where kids can learn about science and technology of the petroleum industry in a very fun and exciting way. Permanent exhibits and activities here include Dark Ride, Petrojaya Cartoon Village, Exploration, Sparkz, Geotime Diorama, Molecule Nano World, Speed, Music-Art-Science and Ungku Omar theatre. Other than that, there are also special programs and school holiday programs from time to time. Petrosains is located at Level 4 of the Suria KLCC mall. Admission fee is applicable.

    Aquaria

    2. Aquaria KLCC – This larger-than-life aquarium is a spectacular window to the colourful underwater world and promises a memorable learning experience for your kids. Aquaria KLCC boasts many galleries (with a great variety of real life exhibits) such as The highlands, Touch Pool, The Electric Zone, The Stream, Jewels of the Jungle, Flooded Forest, The Coast, Oceanarium, Weird and Wonderful, and Discovery Zone. Kids can witness divers feed variety of fishes (including shark) in the Aquatheatre. Check out the Fun & learning package where Aquaria KLCC is located at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center, just after the Mandarin Hotel and Petronas Twin Towers. Admission fee is applicable.

    KL-Tower-Pony-RIde

    3. KL Tower – Take your kids up to the Observation Deck to view the KL city at the height of 276 meters above ground level. Other attractions here include 6D Motion Simulated Thrill Ride (for kids above 6 years old only), Pony Ride and Animal Zone. At the Animal Zone, a wide range of rare and exotic animals can be found, ranging from Capuchin monkeys to giant tortoise. Menara Kuala Lumpur is located at the junction of Jalan Punchak off Jalan P.Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur. Admission fee is applicable.

    KL-Bird-Park

    4. KL Bird Park – Reputed to be the largest walk-in free-flight aviary in the world, KL Bird Park is a home to more than 3000 birds. You can bring your kids to see and learn names of birds while enjoying the nature. Don’t miss the Bird shows at The Amphitheatre at 12.30pm and 3.30pm daily. Facilities here include resting shades located at the children’s playground area. Admission fee is applicable.

    National-Science-Center

    5. National Science Center – The Science Center is a children’s museum featuring many hands-on exhibits in the different science disciplines of Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Science and Astronomy. Galleries here include Aquarium, Wonderspark, Pathway to Science, Eureka, Kidz Discovery Place, Kidz World, Little Explorer, Flight, Thinking Machine and Energy World. National Science Center is located at Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. It is a bit off the city center and you can get here by car or taxi. Admission fee is applicable.

     National-Planetarium

    6. National Planetarium – Here is a wonderful and interesting place to take the kids, or big kids for that matter. The National Planetarium is divided into two exhibition theme (i.e. Astronomy & Space Exploration) with interactive and hands on appearance. Facilities in the National Planetarium are Exhibition Gallery, Viewing Gallery with Binoculars, Outdoor Ancient Observatory Park, Picnic Area with Space Theme, Space Theatre, Observatory With Telescope and Accessories. National Planetarium is located at Jalan Perdana, Kuala Lumpur, not far from KL Bird Park. Admission fee is applicable.

    National-Museum

    7. National Museum – Take your kids and let them learn about the history of Malaysia while admiring permanent artefacts exhibited at the main exhibition building which boasts of Gallery A: Pre-history, Gallery B: Malay Kingdoms, Gallery C: Colonial Era and Gallery D: Malaysia Today. Get to pose near permanent outdoor exhibits like trishaw and vintage Austin Seven. Guided tours are available every day at 10.00am for one hour. Admission fee is applicable.

    Perdana-Botanical-Gardens

    8. Perdana Botanical Gardens – Bring your kids to enjoy the nature and get their sweat out. Don’t forget to bring their bicycles, roller blades or skateboards. Facilities here include two playground areas, jogging tracks, flower and herb gardens, trees collection, conservatory garden, Cycas Island, fish pond, lakes, a deer park and a train ride. Admission is free for all gardens and deer park, small fee for the train ride. Additionally, hiring soft play installers to set up specialized play equipment might further enhance the variety of activities and experiences available for children, providing additional avenues for active and engaging play within the natural setting.

    KL-Childrens-Library

    9. KL Children’s Library –While you can buy books from book stores, taking your child to the library is a good thing to do as they can read as many books at no cost. If you need to take your kids to the library, take them to the KL Children’s Library. It offers a variety of services and activities especially for members who are at the age between 4 to 12 years old. KL Children’s Library is located at Jalan Raja, Kuala Lumpur, near the Merdeka Square. Admission is free.

    National-Visual-Arts-Gallery

    10. National Visual Arts Gallery – It is good to expose kids to art because art comes alive when they can see it up close. A kid’s world is enriched by looking at a stone sculpture or oil painting and imagining the painstaking hours that artist took to create the art. For that matter, you can take your kids to National Visual Arts Gallery to admire permanent and temporary collections of art by local artists. You cannot take pictures inside the gallery but however you can encourage your kids to bring their sketchbooks and get inspired by the artworks they like. There is also a gallery here that is dedicated to children’s art. Weekend and school holiday art programs are also available but you need to enquire from the information counter about the schedule. National Visual Arts Gallery is located in Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur. Admission is free but for art programs, fees are applicable.

  • Family travel,  Singapore,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Universal Studio Singapore

    Having experience driving to Singapore to visit Singapore Zoo And Night Safari in 2011 is a privilege and our second roadtrip to Singapore last December was smooth as we know what are the requirements to enter Singapore by car. But we did have little extra things to do before we can enter Singapore; get new Autopass Card with VEP at the LTA office and get new IMM27E cards to be filled. I forgot where I keep the cards, if not it would’ve been much faster to write it at home instead of writing at the immigration booth. I have to get new Autopass as I was using another car. If you want to know how to enter Singapore by car, read my 7 things you need to know before travelling from Malaysia to Singapore by car.

    Anyway, to the main point: Universal Studio Singapore (USS). Bought our tickets from a travel agency in Danga Bay, Johor Bahru. Saved us the hassle to queue for tickets at USS. We reached Resorts World Sentosa around 1.00pm and it was raining.

    raining

     First thing we did when we arrived: find food! Yassin was hungry to the max.

    hungry-Yassin
    Yassin having nasi lemak with fried chicken at the food area in the Resorts World Sentosa.

    Next, USS!

    YAssin-and-dad-at-USS-entrance
    Yassin and his dad in front of the famous Universal Pictures’ rotating globe

    USS is the talk in town and after talking for few months about wanting to go, we finally have the time to visit the place. We wouldn’t want to miss for the Southeast Asia (read: world)!

    USS Entrance
    Heading to enter the USS.

    USS is a theme park located within Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island, Singapore. It is the second Universal Studios theme park to open in Asia (Japan being the first), and the first in Southeast Asia.  Opened on 18 March 2010, USS has since attracted more than 2 million visitors in the 9 months from its opening.

    Yassin-USS-Store
    Yassin in front of USS Store.

    Universal Studios Singapore is 20 hectares (49 acres) in size, occupying the easternmost part of the 49-hectare (120-acre) Resorts World Sentosa. There are a total of 24 attractions, of which 18 are original or specially adapted for the park. The park consists of seven themed zones which surround a lagoon. Each zone is based on a blockbuster movie or a television show, featuring their own unique attractions, character appearances, dining and shopping areas. The park features the world’s tallest pair of dueling roller coasters that are based on the popular television series, Battlestar Galactica; a castle from the world of Shrek and Monster Rock, a live musical show featuring the Universal Monsters. Universal Studios Singapore has over 30 restaurants and food carts, together with 20 unique retail stores and carts located around the park. Dining outlets that are certified Halal are marked with “Halal”.

    Themed zones here include Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away and Madagascar.

    Hollywood: Themed after the real Hollywood Boulevard of the 1970s, the Hollywood zone is framed by dynamic architecture, palm trees and the famous Hollywood ‘Walk of Fame’.

    hollywood
    Emila goes to Hollywood!

    JohnForsythe
    Posing at John Forsythe’s star.

    jewelry
    Yassin and me admiring a jewellery store in Hollywood. I was attracted by the Red Poppy poster.

    New York: Themed after post-modern New York City that features sidewalks and classic landmarks that mimic its cityscape. The area is enhanced by neon lights and flanked by street facades that set the scenes for big city fun and also real-time movie production for most Hollywood blockbuster films. We went in the Lights, Camera, Action! Studio and got to see an mazing show of how effects are made.

    Light,-Camera,-Action!
    At the set of movie production- Lights, Camera, Action! Mr. Spielberg giving his talk about effects.

    Studio
    A model boathouse studio in New York City. Once the command to roll cameras has been given, the sky darkens, thunder and lightning fill the room, heavy rain pours through the ceiling, and we were immersed in various effects such as strong wind, intense fire, signboards crashing through the roof, the boathouse windows blowing away, movement of the platform they are standing on, and a huge cargo ship slamming through the boathouse entrance.

    NY-Library
    My husband in front of New York Public Library.

    Rockefeller Center
    Yassin and me in front of Rockefeller Center.

    Sci-Fi City: Sci-Fi City is themed after what cities and metropolis may look like in the future, equipped with space-age technologies and the ultimate modern conveniences. We took the Transformer Ride and I tell you, the effect makes me went dizzy! Yassin and his dad thought that the ride is the coolest thing at USS!

    Transformer-Ride
    Patiently waiting in line for the Transformer Ride.

    favcar
    Yassin in front of his favourite Transformer car.

    Ancient Egypt: As the name suggests, the Ancient Egypt zone is themed after the rich Egyptian architecture and artifacts found during the Golden Age of Egyptian Exploration in the 1930s.

    giantanubis
    Yassin standing at the foot of giant Anubis statue.

    Ancient-Egypt
    At the wall of Ancient Egypt.

    The Lost World The Lost World zone features two smaller themed regions: Jurassic Park and Waterworld. We went to the Jurassic Park but skipped the Waterworld.

    dinosaur
    Yassin and his dad taking the Dinosaur Ride.

    Far Far Away: Far Far Away is based on the kingdom of the same name featured in DreamWorks Animations’ Shrek. Those who have a Graphic Design Service Subscription would have heard about it. We went inside the castle and got to see two shows: Shrek 3-D Show with added physical effects that is based on the story of Shrek and his quest to save Princess Fiona and Donkey Live Show – an interactive live show using digital puppetry technology, which features Donkey entertaining and engaging guests in conversation in an intimate theatre setting.

    farfaraway
    It was raining Shrek and Donkey, so we had to get ourselves raincoats when we reached the Land of Far Far Away.

    Madagascar: The Madagascar zone features a displaced cargo ship that houses the Madagascar: A Crate Adventure ride. It also features all of the characters from DreamWorks Animations’ Madagascar.

    Madagascar
    Posing with Madagascar’s stars: from left – Melman, Marty, Alex and urm..Melman’s body.

    We went on A Crate Adventure ride and had to queue for an hour and it was fun. Could not take pictures during the ride, so I cannot show you how it was like. A Crate Adventure is a river boat ride with state-of-the-art animatronics, digital projection and surround sound, all housed within the hull of a displaced cargo ship. This attraction features the famous voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer and Jada Pinkett Smith throughout the ride.

    We had a great time at Universal Studio Singapore and hope to return again to explore some other part that we skipped. And here are some more photos from USS. Enjoy!

    chevrolet
    Yassin and vintage Chevrolet, in front of Mel’s Dine-In, Hollywood.

    NY-buildings
    New York buildings.

    NY
    Street of New York.

     Reference: Wikipedia – USS

  • Art & Places,  Family travel,  graphite,  Kuala Lumpur,  moleskine,  sculpture,  TRAVEL/HOLIDAYS

    Art & Places: Tugu Negara, KL

    Went to Tugu Negara as per suggestion of UnsungHero (UH). Thank you so much for the idea, if not for you, UH, I will be taking my own sweet time to go. Frankly, I have never visit the National Monument simply because it’s here at home.

    I spent the morning to walk around the area with my son, Yassin, before sitting down to sketch the monument.

    Tugu Negara
    Yassin was actually lying on his stomach to be in his comfortable position to draw. Haha.

    tugunegara
    Tugu Negara (National Monument) sketch. I made one round before finding a good angle to draw. Save me the time to draw all 7 statues! Pencil and colorpencil on Moleskine Plain Notebook. 

    The sculpture depicts a group of soldiers, with two slumped at the base and one holding the Malaysian national flag aloft. Each of the bronze figures symbolizes leadership, suffering, unity, vigilance, strength, courage and sacrifice. The granite base of the sculpture bears the old coat of arms of Malaysia, flanked on either side by inscriptions in English in Latin script and Malay in Jawi script: ‘Dedicated to the heroic fighters in the cause of peace and freedom, May the blessing of Allah be upon them.’

    The monument was designed by sculptor, Felix De Weldon who was also responsible for the Marine Corps War Memorial in Virginia, United States. Completed early 1966, the sculpture stands at 15 meters (49.21 feet) tall and is the world’s tallest bronze free-standing sculpture grouping.

    Yassin at Tugu Negara Malaysia, KL

    And here’s Yassin’s drawing:

    yassin's-drawing-of-tugu
    Yassin said the monument is too hard to draw (left) so he later a soldier with gun (right).

    Reference: Wikipedia – National Monument (Malaysia)

     

     

  • Family travel,  Perak

    Bukit Merah Laketown Resort, Perak

    My husband doesn’t like to stay long in one place, so right after spending a day and a night in Georgetown, we later drove to Bukit Merah Laketown Resort. He was partly too lazy/sleepy to drive and at the same time need to complete a job and upload it online. We put up a night at Suria Service Apartment Hotel. The apartment is quite spacious, we got a view of the highway on 7th floor.

    Yassin was quite excited to explore the theme parks but as it was raining, we kept the plan till the next morning. Furthermore, it was already around 7pm when we reached the laketown. It was also raining so we took a rain-check.

    Suria Service Apartment

    highway view

    After breakfast the next morning, we let Yassin take a dip in the pool for an hour before checking out and head to the theme parks.

    yassin swimming
    Boy, he is big now!

    Bukit Merah Laketown Resort is divided into 3 parks; Water Park, Eco Park and Orang Utan Island. We bought a combo ticket for Orang Utan Island, Eco Park and Sky Chair (RM39 for adult, RM33 for children below 12). We skipped the Water Park as Yassin already had his dip. The first park we explored is Orang Utan Island. We took a 10-minute’s ride on a boat.

    Orang Utan Island Jetty
    Orang Utan Island Jetty.

    The 35-acre Orang Utan Island is a research institution dedicated to the preservation and research of the orang-utan. Founded by MK Land developer’s Executive Chairman Tan Sri Haji Datuk Mustapha Kamal, it was developed to resemble the orang-utan’s natural habitat as closely as possible, its vegetation similar to the rainforests in Sumatra and Borneo. The island has dedicated 5 acres of land as a research and rehabilitation centre while the remaining acres are for Orang Utans to roam freely. Unlike zoos, the humans are the ones inside caged enclosure here.

    Orang-Utan
    Observing  Orang Utans from inside a cage.

    3-otang-utans
    Sonia, Adam and Carlos swinging around. They were quite excited to see humans in a cage. Haha.

    BJ
    27-year old BJ is like any other normal orang utans—when he is having a bad day, he will have his amok and break tree branches around him and roars like a lion. 

    Harry
    This is sleepyhead 7-year old Harry.

    Yassin
    Oh, this is my very own ‘orang utan’. ;P

    At the research and rehabilitation centre, care is given to the infants as well as to the healthcare of a total of 18 orang utans in the island. The facility’s ICU (Infant Care Unit) is equipped with heart monitors, IV drips, incubators, as well as a trained veterinary surgeon to cater to the orang-utan infants that may require medical assistance after birth. Infants who are admitted to the ICU will go through a specially designed rehabilitation programme consisting of 6 stages to ensure the development of their natural instincts such as foraging, nest building, searching for water source, swinging and climbing.  The rehabilitation programme aims to ensure the infant adapts well to their natural environment before their eventual release into the wild.

    infant
    One very shy infant.

    After visiting the rehab, we went to watch a documentary—Nurturing Nature—at the video room. It tells about the declining numbers of orang utans due to the clearing of their natural habitats from human development, mining, and illegal poaching as well as the efforts taken by the foundation to save the endangered creatures. This is my favourite part; a frame from the video:

    Tan Sri Haji Datuk Mustapha Kamal

    It was very educational trip for my family and I. Although we missed our boat to get extra information about the island (as well as buy some souvenirs), we were happy that we left the island on the next boat with extra information about the life of orang utans.

    Next, we went to the Eco Park. The 3-acre park features three large enclosures – Nature Trail, Reptile Park and Tropical Trek, with a variety of reptile, primate, mammal, bird and fish species in an environment as close to their natural habitat. In addition, there is a Pets Park and daily animal shows.

    Eco Park
    The Eco Park.

    peacock
    Beautiful Sri Lankan peafowls.

    bearcats
    Bearcats (binturong). The left one is doing major cleaning, haha.

    guinea-pigs
    Guinea pigs.

    hamsters
    Cute cuddly hamsters.

    hedgehog
    Sleeping hedgehog.

    rabbit
    Yassin feeding a rabbit. Pack of mixed food (vegetables, seeds, fish food) for animals can be bought at the park’s entrance. The staff will let you know what food to be fed to which animals.

    parrot
    We got to see the animal show. Seen here a parrot carrying a ball through cones. 

    parrot2
    Clever parrot solving mathematics.

    me-with-parrot
    One for the album. Red parrot and me. Forgot the name of the parrot but it is named after a football player. 

    yassin-and-parrots
    A thundercat and a couple of parrots.

    HangingParrots
    This is what Hanging Parrots do—hanging around. Also known as Serindit in Malay Language.

    ducks
    Friendly ducks seem to be smiling for my album. Awww….

    squirrelmonkey
    This squirrel monkey climbed on my bag and took away my lens cover! It later gave it back to us. 🙂

    We had a blast spending time with the animals and on the way back to the main area, we took the skychair. The ride was great and we got to see view of the Water Park.

    skychair
    Yassin on a skychair.

    Yassin had a blast and made us promised to come back here again for the Water Park. We will definitely return here as this resort is great for family holiday.

     

     

     

     

  • Family travel,  Penang

    Georgetown, Penang

    It has been two years since my family and I last visited Penang and during our way back from Kedah after my uncle’s funeral last week, we dropped by Georgetown, Penang. Initially we wanted to go to Kuantan as my husband has some work to do but after confirming with the boss, the Kuantan trip was actually scheduled two days ahead. Since it was already evening, we decided to put up a night there. We found a very cheap hotel at Pitt Street that is within walking distance to Penang Esplanade; one of the attractions in Penang.

    Pitt Street
    View from our room on Pitt Street.

    Pitt Street, or now known as Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling, is one of the four major streets in the Original Grid of George Town laid out by Captain Francis Light when he established his trading settlement. After naming the first street of his settlement after himself, Light realised that he may have offended the prime minister for not naming anything after him. Hence, he decided to name Pitt Street after the then prime minister, William Pitt the Younger.

    Instead of taking the short walk along Pitt Street to the esplanade, we decided to take a long walk by walking around the area passing by Lebuh China, Lebuh Queen, Lebuh Gereja, Lebuh King and Lebuh Light. After Lebuh Light, we reached the esplanade. It was a great walk as we got to see fascinating heritage shophouses.

    shophouses01

    shophouses02

    shophouses03
    Fascinating buildings! I didn’t get to capture these buildings on my previous trip here back in 2010.

    After admiring the buildings, we crossed Lebuh Light to get to Penang Esplanade. This esplanade consists of  Padang Esplanade (or Taman Padang Kota Lama), Fort Cornwallis, Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse, City Hall, Town Hall, Penang Museum, Municipal Fountain, Victoria Clocktower, Cenotaph, Logan Memorial, Supreme Court, Convent Light Street, St George’s Anglican Church, Francis Light Memorial, Cathedral of the Assumption, Argus Lane, St Xavier’s Institution, Protestant Cemetery and Eastern & Oriental Hotel.

    Padang Esplanade
    Padang Esplanade.

    Penang Town Hall
    Town Hall.

    Built in the 1880s, the Town Hall (also known as the Ang Moh Kong Kuan – White Men’s Club) is now the oldest municipal building in the state and boasts a spacious ballroom, where regular local events and exhibitions are staged.

    Fort Cornwallis
    Fort Cornwallis. Can you find Yassin and his dad?

    Fort Cornwallis is the largest intact fortress still standing in Malaysia. The fort dates back to the earliest days of British settlement on the island. When Captain Francis Light landed on Penang Island in 1786, the cape where he landed was called Tanjung Penaga in Malay. There, he established the British settlement and trading port of George Town. To defend the site, he built a simple stockade out of nibong palms.

    lighthouse
    Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse.

    Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse is one of the oldest lighthouses in Malaysia. It was erected by the British in 1882 and previously known as the Fort Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse underwent renovations in 1914 and 1928. As part of the renovation, the name was also changed to Penang Harbour Lighthouse. But considering that it stands within Fort Cornwallis, the lighthouse is later called the Fort Cornwallis Lighthouse. Visual distance of the lighthouse is 16 nautical miles.

    There are more buildings that I like to cover but I don’t want to make this a very long one, so more posts on Georgetown soon.

    So… after walking for hours, we were hungry! We went to the food stalls next to the open field, not sure what to eat. My husband saw a long queue at one particular stall, Hameed Pata Special Mee Sotong and he went and order. Although we had to wait for almost 40 minutes due to the long queue, we were happy that we ordered Mee Sotong. It was delicious! We also had Coconut Milkshake from the same stall. It was worth the 1% body fat that I gained, I tell you. LOL.

    Mee Sotong
    Spicy Mee Sotong. It is actually a mee goreng with sambal sotong.

    coconut milkshake
    Coconut Milkshake with Vanilla Ice-Cream.

    We had a blast! Yassin was happy to revisit Penang. Here are some more photos around Georgetown.

    seafront
    Seafront.

    sunset in Georgetown
    Sunset in Georgetown.

    Yassin at the playground
    Yassin playing at the Taman Kota Lama playground (Day 2 before we leave Georgetown).

    husband chasing bird
    My husband chasing the birds.