wi t h Geoff Vallance
Malaysia to Singapore
Clockwise fron left: COME TO LIFE AT NIGHT… This is the Super Tree Grove where huge man-made trees covered in live vertical gardens come to life at night with the aid of thousands of lights. HUGE ATTRACTION… Baby is a huge attraction as a sculpture in the park at the Gardens by the Bay. PROTECTIVE PLANT DOME… Just one of the massive domes that provide a controlled atmosphere for plants, no matter how hot the weather gets outside.
MALAYSIA has become a major tourist destination, its capital Kuala Lumpur or KL as it is known locally offers a wide selection for tourists from around the world. Its landmark is the Petronas Towers, they stand tall over the city with a connecting bridge that offers incredible views over KL, unfortunately to go up to the bridge has become so popular that you have to book days in advance. You can tour most of the major sites with ease despite the incredible traffic including the national mosque, museum and palace, or just catch the monorail to Chinatown and get great views of the city along the way. If you want something different then why not visit the KL Zoo, only a taxi ride from the city, lots to see, not many tourists and plenty of space to relax in. If you are into shopping then you are in paradise, block by block of shopping malls and pricing is good and the locals are very friendly. If you want to get out of town then visit the Batu Caves, although Malaysia is predominantly Muslim, the Batu Caves are Hindu and quite spectacular, just climb the 270 steps to the caves’ entrance and see the colourful displays of Hindu deities. But KL and surrounds is just the tip of the iceberg as far as Malaysia is concerned, whether it’s Penang, Langkawi, Borneo or some quite spot in between you will always feel right at home, and the food is great. The next leg. Our ship had returned to Singapore to refuel and take on more passengers before heading off on its next leg to Hong Kong, and all points in-between. It was Sunday the 29th of March and dignitaries from around the world had come for the state funeral of Singapore’s first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew. Much revered by locals he is attributed with raising Singapore from a simple fishing village to a major contributor on the world stage. Despite his sometimes draconian measures, Singaporeans enjoy a standard of living that Page 22 – The Adviser. Australia No. 1:1249 Wednesday, May 6, 2015
stands out from much of Asia. When he first took over many other nations said that he went too far, during the hippy era he banned long hair, offering a haircut or jail to those who opposed his rule. He wanted a clean city so littering and butting out cigarettes carried a heavy fine. Singapore today is an ordered clean city, was Lee Kuan Yew wrong or was he just a good father that wanted to train his children to be responsible adults? With the funeral underway much of the city is closed off to road traffic, the only way to get around is to go under or over, I chose over on the cable car. Operating since 1974 it takes you high above the city for panoramic views from Mount Faber to Sentosa Island. The island has become a major tourist attraction with Universal Studios, Madam Tussauds, aquarium, comic book characters and a 4D simulator ride plus a massive Casino complex, to mention just a few. If you want something different then head for the Gardens by the Bay. It’s a collection of green gardens from around the world but the big highlights are the Flower Dome, a massive structure featuring flowers from around the world but laid out in such a way it has an eye popping effect. The dome keeps its flowers and visitors cool no matter what the weather outside. Next is the Cloud Forest, again under a weather tight dome. You are greeted by a huge waterfall and an incredible array of plants and puffs of cloud drifting across this multi-storey display. But the real highlight for me was the Super Tree Grove, you must visit during the evening, as the sun goes down the super trees come to life, their massive manmade structures are covered with vertical gardens of living plants that glow and shine as thousands of coloured lights raise ‘oohs and ahs’ from the large crowds gathered to witness the event. Singapore of course offers much more than I have described here, but with only a day at my disposal I crammed in as much as I could... Time to pull anchor for a day at sea before
“If you are into shopping then you are in paradise”
we arrive at our next destination Thailand. Until next time, Safe Travel’n, Geoff Vallance