Escapy - May 2016 - Digital Issue

Escapy Escape Into A World Of Travel & Adventure

e r u t n e v d A & e r u t Na Malaysia; A Fishing Destination Why Anglers Should Consider Fishing In Malaysia

White Water Rafting

Taking On The Rapids Of Sungai Kampar

Caving Adventures Kandu Cave, Perak

Photo Fun

Taking Fun Photos At A Trick House

Cititel Express Ipoh Basking In The History Of Ipoh

Eating By The Layers

Kai’s Plato, A Unique Dining Experience

Yummy Giant River Prawns If You Like Prawns & you Like Them Spicy...

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Dear friends, Welcome to another issue of Escapy, your free travel magazine, or rather “pockezine.” Travelling is not just fun. It also expands the mind as we learn new things.

Planet Earth is filled with adventures and I am happy to be able to live a life of adventure.

In this issue we explore Royal Belum, the royal state park of Perak, one of the oldest rainforest in the world that is home to a good variety of flora and fauna.

We then do a bit of caving and white water rafting in Gopeng, Perak. These adrenaline pumping activities certainly make me feel younger. Perhaps therein lies the fountain of youth.

Other than travelling, I love to eat too. In this issue we tried out two new places. Without being a spoiler, let’s just say that they involve prawns and layers.

To know more, check out the articles inside.

Do enjoy this issue. I wish you more adventures and more travel.

Cheers, Phil Foo Editor In Chief

Stone-Mashe

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Stone-Mashe Sdn. Bhd.

L-1-2, Pusat Perdagangan Kuchai, No. 2, Jalan 1/127, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur.

Contact: 016 202 2635 Email: ann@stone-mashe.com

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Welcome To The Asian Publisher

The Free Mobile Magazine People Do Checkout Our Other Titles

More At:

www.theasianpublisher.com

Contents

Click To Go Directly To Article

Malaysia, Your Fishing Destination

Nature Paradise Royal Belum

Whitewater Adventures

Page: 6

Page: 22

Page: 52

Kandu Cave Caving Adventures

Funtasy House Of Trick Art

Page: 70

Page: 94

Star Wars Month At LEGOLAND Malaysia Page: 106

My Own Creation (MOC) Star Wars LEGO Contest Page: 120

Belum Rainforest Resort

Cititel Express Hotel Ipoh

Page: 151

Page: 171

A New Dining Experience - Kai’s Plato Page: 182

Asam Pedas (Spicy Tamarind) River Prawns Page: 206

How Not To Lose Your Glasses On Boat Trips Page: 212

To return to this page from the articles, click on this tab

Contents Page located at end page of all articles.

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Main Feature

Philemon Foo

Malaysia Your Fishing Destination

M

alaysia has beautiful beaches, lovely island paradises, good shopping places, wild natural jungles, etc. Visiting these places are what many visitors to this beautiful country do. One other activity that is not part of that norm but is slowly picking up in Malaysia is fishing. Malaysia is a good fishing destination.

Fishing The Great Lakes

There are a few great lakes in Malaysia. Some of these great lakes such Temenggor Lake (Royal Belum and Temenggor), Kenyir Lake, etc. attract lots of anglers both hardcore as well as weekend warriors, or the “once in a blue moon� anglers.

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Of Predators & Monsters

Fishing these lakes are both challenging and rewarding. Fishing is not easy but one could battle monsters depending on one’s skills and luck. There are the brown snakeheads, hard fighting giant snakeheads, giant featherbacks, arowanas, fierce Hampala barbs, various types of catfish species, and more lurking in these waters.

Fishing The Jungle Rivers

The jungles of Malaysia are dense and is home to a lot of wild life including tigers, elephants, boars, bears, deer, snakes, birds, etc. The jungle rivers are habitats for powerful fishes such as the illusive red mahseer also known as the red torpedo, green or silver mahseers that are torpedoes in their own right, hampala barbs, the hard fighting monkey eating Wallago attu, etc.

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Fishing these rivers will require that you spend a few days in the jungle. There will be jungle trekking, boating, canoeing, camping, and at some places, four wheel driving. One has to be reasonably fit to very fit to partake in these adventures; depending on the area chosen.

Sea Fishing

The sailfish capital of Asia is situated on the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia in a place called Rompin. They congregate there because of the abundance of baitfish. These majestic speedsters of the sea can often be seen roaming about flashing their dorsal fins also known as sails, on the water’s surface.

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Big Game Perhaps

Every year the sailfishes of Rompin attract hundreds of anglers from many countries to this little coastal town for a workout on the seas. Apart from sailfish, there are black marlins in the area but they are seldom caught.

We recommend catch and release for all billfish caught.

Other Saltwater Warriors

The seas surrounding Malaysia are also home to mackerels, wahoo, yellow fin tuna, various species of trevallies, dorado, cobia, various species of groupers including giant groupers, various types of snappers, barramundi, barracudas, various threadfin species, etc. These fighters are found in many parts of the country’s coastal waters at both East and West Malaysia.

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A huge cobia caught on jig.

A huge grouper caught on jig.

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Large Predators

There are various types of sharks including whale sharks, as well as rays, whales, dolphins, etc. that roam these waters but are not targeted sport fishes. When it comes to sharks, there are quite a few species from dangerous ones such as bull sharks to the less dangerous ones like the lizard sharks in these waters, but to date there have been only three attacks since 1968 and non were fatal. We recommend that all sharks caught be released.

Commercial Fishing Ponds

For the less adventurous or perhaps for those who only have a few hours to spare, a visit to the commercial fishing ponds also known as pay ponds can be fun. There are plenty of them around and they can be found in almost every part of the country.

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Not As Easy As It Sounds

Most of these ponds are regularly stocked. Some are even stocked on a daily basis. That said, fishing these ponds can prove to be a challenge. Fishing skills come into play. Local knowledge is a big help. Luck plays a part. But every pond has a secret that are guarded by those who frequent them.

Some Famous Ones

Some of the famous commercial fishing ponds include the Natural Exotic Fishing Pond in Rawang Selangor; a place I test out fishing tackle, Bedong Fishing Pond (Kedah, north of the Malaysian Peninsular), Damai Fishing Village(Johor, south of the Malaysian Peninsular), Fish Valley (Selangor), Jurassic SW Pond (Sepang, Selangor), Hulu Langat Fishing Pond (Selangor), etc.

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Fishing Guides

Fishing guide services are available in Malaysia for all sorts of fishing therefore one does not have to worry. Even if you’ve not planned for a fishing trip in Malaysia and did not bring any fishing tackle with you but would like to do some fishing (ad hoc), this can still be arranged. Most fishing guides provide fishing tackle. Some pay ponds provide them too on rental basis. *Fishing tackle = fishing equipment

Summary

If you are an angler looking for a place to do some fishing, do consider Malaysia. Fishing in Malaysia can be good. However, like fishing in any country, it is best to check in advance what the fishing seasons are.

For more info do send an email to: info@theasianpublisher.com Contents Page

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Travel Guide

e s i d a r a P Nature R

oyal Belum rainforest (state park) is one of the oldest rainforests in the world. It is believed to be over 130 million years old making it older than even the Amazon.

About 316 bird species have been recorded in Belum.

These include ten species of hornbills, eagles, hawks, bulbuls, parrots, barbets, kingfishers, etc.

A Sanctuary

Large mammals find Belum to be a sanctuary. Large animals such as the gaur (Seladang) also called the Indian bison, Sumatran Rhinoceros, the Asian elephants, and the Malayan tiger call Belum home.

Of course there are smaller mammals too such as wildboars, various deer species, sun bears, tapirs, gibbons, langurs, etc.

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r o g g n e m Te Lake

Temenggor Lake is the second largest lake in Malaysia (largest being Kenyir Lake). Its waters cover a huge area from deep within the Royal Belum state park all the way to the Temenggor Dam, South Belum as it is called. This great lake was created back in the 1970s with the creation of the Temenggor Dam.

The creation of the lake left logging machineries, an entire village called Kampong Temenggor (Temenggor Village) of which its residence were airlifted out to a new government built village, aborigines (orang asli) ancestral grounds, the training grounds of the anti-Japanese Resistance Force 136 called Padang Cermin (Field of Mirrors), etc. underwater and remains there till this day.

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Water Habitat

Temenggor is home to some 23 species of fish such as the illusive mahseer, river carps, brown snakeheads, giant snakeheads, hampala barbs, various catfish species, etc. It is also home to at least 5 species of turtles as well as reptiles such as snakes, frogs, lizards, etc.

Rich Flora

Belum is rich with a diversity of trees and plants. It has some 3000 species of flowering plants. It has one of the world largest flowers, the Rafflesia. Not just one species but three of them being Rafflesia Kerrii, Rafflesia Cantleyi and Rafflesia Azlanii. *Picture Courtesy of Belum Rainforest Resort.

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Belum has many types of trees such as the giant Medang trees, the famous elixir of male strength; Tongkat Ali tree, etc. as well as a good variety of fruiting trees such as durians, mangoes, jackfruits, etc. Belum is also home to a prehistoric tree; the Cycas tree of which dates back to the age of dinosaurs.

Aborigines Of Royal Belum

Yes, there are human inhabitants that call Royal Belum home. They are the indigenous aborigines also called orang asli, of the Jahai tribe of which is the main sub-ethnic group of the Negrito, and the Temiar tribe of which forms the main group of Senoi.

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The Jahai tribe live in three villages (Sungai Tiang, Sg Kejar, and Aman Damai Village) with a population of about 800. The Temiar tribe call Pos Chiong in Sara River (Sungai Sara) and other villages in and around Temenggor, home.

An orang asli’s home made of bamboo and leaves.

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What’s There To Do?

There are quite a few activities that one can do in Royal Belum depending on one’s spirit of adventure. Being a rainforest with a huge lake one can go jungle trekking, camping, fishing, boating, canoeing, etc.

Jungle Trekking

What better way to take in the beauty of Mother Nature than to walk in her midst? There are a few jungle trails in Royal Belum. These trails are not very tough but a guide is recommended. These trails lead to waterfalls, camping grounds, salt licks (with animal viewing huts), villages (indigenous people), etc.

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Trails like Ruok River (Sungai Ruok), Kejar River (Sungai Kejar), Kooi River, Sungai Enam falls, etc. trails are quite decent of which most generally fit persons can quite easily conquer them. There will be some climbing but still quite forgiving. Of course it is best to take one’s time and not rush. It certainly is worth the effort. Imagine resting under a cool waterfall at the end of the trail.

Note too that there are treks that go deep into the rainforest and these treks are dangerous. There are a lot of wild animals including big predators, there are also poachers, rangers, and army commandos (border patrol) that patrol the area as it borders Thailand. It is best to go with the usual treks and go with a guide.

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Camping

There are camp sites in Royal Belum that one can go to. Some of them provide basic comforts such as clean water, toilets, etc. Some of the available camp sites are the Sungai Kejar (Kejar River) base camp, Sungai Enam (Enam River) base camp, or one can opt to camp out at Sg. Tiang (Tiang River). Sungai Tiang also has chalets you can rent should you decide not to sleep in a tent.

Animal Watching

Nature lovers can go on an animal watching adventure be it birds, deer, elephants, etc. Trekking to one of the few salt licks and sitting quietly in one of the observation huts or towers can be quite rewarding.

Sometimes we see them while we are on the boat as well. Keep an eye out and your camera ready.

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Fishing

Being a state park, Royal Belum is still one of the better fishing holes in Peninsular Malaysia as one needs a permit to enter. Fishes that swim about the main areas of the lake are well trained and thus fishing has become more challenging. Being a huge lake there are areas of the lake that are relatively save from anglers and poachers.

Angling guide services are available but booking must be done in advanced to avoid disappointment.

The main targeted species are the hard fighting toman (giant snakeheads), sebaraus (Hampala barb), mahseers, etc.

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You will have to bring along your own fishing equipment or what we anglers fondly call tackle. These days medium action tackle will be good enough for most of the fishing here. Surface poppers, walkers, and divers for snakehead. Spoons and deep divers for the Hampala barb, and other species. Do bring along a lure retriever as there are a lot of snags that are hidden underwater.

Visit The Orang Asli (Aborigines)

It is nice to pay a visit to the orang asli (aborogines) and take a glimpse of how they live. They still hold on to their traditional ways of living with additional comforts such as clothing, and solar panels. Should you decide to visit anyone of these villages do bring along presents such as clothing, food stuffs, etc. as gifts.

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Do note that most of the orang aslis (aborigines) are shy. It is best to approach them slowly, asking permission (handing them your gift at the same time) to talk to them or to have their picture taken. There are simple rules to adhere by. If unsure, do check with your guide.

At these villages you can try a hand in some of the traditional activities, one of which is dart blowing using a blowpipe where you get to blow a dart with the aim of hitting the bulls eye. you can also purchase jungle herbs, roots, handicrafts, etc. from them.

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Photography

The Royal Belum state park is a haven for photographers. One can opt to go macro and shoot the tiniest of insects, go zooming in on wildlife with one’s telephoto zoom lens, go wide angle taking in the landscape, or simply just go creative and shoot things that make none photogs wonder what’s going on with you.

Note though that if you’re jungle trekking, carrying too many lenses and other stuffs in your camera beg will drain you of your energy. Pick one or two lenses for the trek. It is best to go light and if you are up for it, do bring along a tripod and those ND (Neutral Density) filters for some fun with nature.

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What Else Can One Do?

If none of the above tickles your fancy, perhaps spending time at a spa is more your thing. Your option will be to book a room at the Belum Rainforest Resort, the most upmarket resort that money can buy here in Belum (or rather Banding), and spend your time at the Puteri Dewi Spa relaxing in an urban Balinese setting plus a therapeutic massage. *Picture courtesy of Belum Rainforest Resort

After that you can opt to relax by the pool with a good book in hand. When the words start to run about the page, take your eyes off and set your gaze onto Temenggor Lake, allowing your mind to just go blank. Finish off the evening with a dip in the pool before returning back to your lovely room .

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Things To Bring

Other than the usual, these here are some of the things that I highly recommend that you bring should you decide to visit Royal Belum.

Rubber shoes Mosquito repellent Leech socks (should you want to prevent leech bites) Waterproof bag Cap or hat

Comfortable trekking clothes Water bottle Light food Camera First aid kit Needed medication

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Getting There

By Car Belum-Temengor rainforest is situated midway between the east and west coasts of Malaysia, with the nearest town being Gerik in Perak and Jeli in Kelantan. Driving to Pulau Banding from Kuala Lumpur takes about five hours via the North - South Expressway. Head towards Ipoh and exit at Kuala Kangsar. Head towards Gerik and from there straight to Banding Island, the doorway to Belum.

By Bus There are a number of buses from Hentian Duta (Duta Bus Terminal) in Kuala Lumpur that can take you to Pulau Banding. For information on schedules and pricing, visit Hentian Duta at Persiaran Duta, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, or call 03-6203 3150

Source: Belum Rainforest Resort

For More Information

Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Perak Office No. 7 & 9, Jalan Medan Istana 3 Bandar Ipoh Raya 30000 Ipoh Perak Darul Ridzuan Tel: 05 255 0413 / 05 255 0414 Fax: 05 253 6027 Contents Page

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Travel Guide

Escapy

Whitewater Adventures

W

hen one mentions whitewater adventures, countries like New Zealand and the United States of America come to mind. Not many know that whitewater adventures can be had in Malaysia. Yes, whitewater rafting, whitewater kayaking, and whitewater riverboarding can all be done in Malaysia.

hW ite Water Fun

Amongst the many rivers in Malaysia, the Kampar River in Gopeng, Perak; is one of the rivers that offers up such waters with class 1 to class 3 rapids that can go up to class 4 during the rainy seasons.

With such waters, companies like Nomad Adventure offers fun and safe white water rafting experience down the Kampar River with distances ranging between 5km and 7km.

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t s r i F y t e f Sa

The more important thing to focus on is safety as such adventures do come with certain amounts of danger. Before every whitewater expedition participants will go through a thorough safety briefing. The qualified instructors will ensure that participants are ready before taking them to the river.

Personal e c n e i r e p Ex

I have long put aside doing such activities and coming to Gopeng and riding these rapids brought back the adrenaline rush and sense of adventure that I thought I’ve lost. We assembled at Nomad Adventure’s Earth Camp where we had lunch and prepared ourselves for the adventure.

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The safety briefing was given by one of the highly qualified instructors along with demonstrations of techniques and keeping safe in an emergency. After all we must work as a team to ensure that no untoward incidents happen.

r e v i R e h t On To

After the briefing we took a short drive to the river (Kampar River) where a short water test was done to ensure that we are ready for the expedition as well as to see each participant’s capabilities of making it to the bank should anyone fall into the river during the expedition. All of us made it and the instructors were satisfied and we were given the green light.

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We were then broken into teams of three plus one instructor (some had four plus one instructor to a raft).

All of us must listen to the instructor’s instructions at all times and do accordingly. Satisfied, our raft was given the go ahead and we set out on a white water rafting adventure.

Ready to take on the rapids.

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r e v i R e h T n O Taking

We started down the river with just a stroke or two of our paddles and the river carried us along until we reach our first rapid. We were given instructions to paddle forward and then backwards to set the raft in position to go down the the rapids between some rocks. We got stuck and the instructor shouted jump jump, and we jumped until we sort of bounced the raft off the rocks bit by bit until we were moving again down the rapids.

I was enjoying the adrenaline rush as we paddled a few strokes later onto the next set of rapids. This time our instructor shouted “boom boom� which meant that we all had to leap into the raft and sit tight as we had to negotiate some rough rapids with a high chance of falling overboard.

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I cannot remember how many rapids we had to navigate but every rapid posses its own set of characteristics and challenges. Later while chatting with our guide I learnt that the 7km journey took us through 9 big rapids (total 14 rapids) that got us totally drenched, and high on adrenaline. No one fell off our raft although I almost did a couple of times, thanks to our professional and good guide.

d n A e c a Pe t n e m e t i c Ex

This expedition is a mixture of peace and excitement as there are stretches of the river where the flow is slow and peaceful. We just sort of sat back and allowed the river to carry us through while we enjoyed nature. Then that stretch of peacefulness ends as we arrive at a set of rapids. All hell breaks loose as we do our best to manage the said set of rapids. This goes on for about two glorious hours.

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e d i R r u O f O d n The E

Unfortunately all fun rides will have to end. We were the first to arrive and jumping out of the raft into the cooling river mark’s the end of our ride and adventure.

After the arrival of all the other teams in our group we returned to Nomad Adventure’s Earth Camp for snacks and to change into dry clothes.

g n i r B o T Things Clothes To Wear T-shirt Shorts or tights Rubber shoes

Things To Bring Change of clothes Towel Toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc.)

Dry shoes or sandals Strap (that can be tightened) for your glasses should you wear glasses Good quality dry bag (small) with a carabiner Waterproof sports camera Bottle of water Sunscreen / suntan lotion Plastic bag for wet clothes Personal medication 65

s e t o N l a n o i t i d d A

The average whitewater rafting journey offered at Nomad Adventure is 7km long with rapids ranging from grade 2 to 3+ rapids that could turn to grade 4 rapids during the rainy season. There are about 22 rapids including the longer courses.

Participants should not be aquaphobic (fear of water) and should have basic swimming capabilities. Folks with certain medical conditions would not be allowed to do this activity due to the risk involved. It would be best to check in advanced with Nomad Adventure or any operator of such activities before going for such trips.

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s l i a t e D t Contac

Nomad Adventure 525 Jalan 17/13, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel. +6(03)79585152 /3151 info@nomadadventure.com

Contents Page

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Travel Guide

Escapy

Kandu Cave

Caving Adventure

C

aves are basically huge cavities in hills and mountains that have been a fascination to many an adventurous person. Caves have provided shelter to humans and animals, a hiding place, a refuge, and even a home.

iB ts Of History

Perak has a few caves and two of them offer caving expeditions and fun for the adventurous at heart. One of them is the Kandu Cave or Gua Kandu. Gua means cave in the Malay Language.

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e r u t n e v d A g Cavin

Kandu Cave played host to the communist soldiers during the war against the Japanese occupiers where it became their office and quarters. Cavities in the Kandu Cave system provided them with sleeping quarters, meeting rooms, and security.

These days it plays host to adventure seekers and corporations that sent their staffs for team building experiences. It certainly is not a place for the claustrophobic and one has got to be reasonably fit to take on Kandu Cave.

There are a few companies who offer caving expeditions here at Kandu Cave. Amongst them is Nomad Adventure. We went with Nomad adventure.

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Safety First

Safety is paramount in any adventurous activities and being reasonably fit is one important factor. Safety or protective gear is also a must and thus we were given helmets and a torchlight. Cameras can be brought along but one is recommended to keep it in a backpack or a pouch.

Both hands are needed as one will have to crawl and climb about in the cave. Thus holding on to a camera will prove to be an inconvenience. Another important thing to bring is and bottle of water as one will get thirsty during the adventure.

Safety Briefing by one of our instructors.

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e d i s n I s s e n k r Da

There are no lights installed in Kandu Cave and it is really dark inside. One will not be able to see one’s hands even if they are placed inches from one’s face.

I kid you not. The need of a torchlight cannot be emphasised more especially one that is placed on one’s helmet.

y r D d n A y t s u D

Kandu Cave is dry and as we walked in the cave, the usual stomping of our feet on the ground as we walk kicks up the dust. Thus my recommendation to those with respiratory issues such as asthma and still want to give caving a go is to come prepared with facemask, needed medications, etc.

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e v a C e h T g Navigatin

One can easily get lost in the labyrinth of tunnels and thus going with a guide is essential. Some of these tunnels are really narrow with opening just big enough to allow one person through. Those who are claustrophobic do take note.

The air feels thinner in the cave. That with the extreme darkness can cause one to be disoriented. It is important to stick to the group. Those who are in front of the group must always look back to ensure that the group is together. Anyway, there is no need to rush in the caves. We took our time as we made our way through the tunnels. We even stopped to relax and recuperate.

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t u o k r o W d A Goo

A cave is not all flat terrain. There will be some climbing and there will be some rappelling to do of which is loads of fun. Most of the climbing and rappelling are easy but fear may play in one’s mind as it is dark and judging depth may be difficult to some. Paying attention and following the guides is certainly a must. The guides are a great help giving encouragement to those who feel like giving up.

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e v a C e h T n I Wonders

Mother Nature is one great architect even inside caves.

The stalagmites and stalactites become natural structures of art making Kandu Cave one big art gallery.

Here I learnt something. When stalagmites and stalactites join and become one, they are called columns.

When they become huge to a certain size, they are called curtains.

These natural work of arts make good subjects for photography. Taken at different angles, the same column, curtain, stalagmites, and or stalactites may appear to look different. Some imagination helps too.

Do you see that face up there?

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Final Fun

Closer to the end of the adventure there is a huge cavity that one will have to cross before exiting the cave.

There are two ways to go about it. One way is to rappel down a huge steep section of the cave. It is a fun task but requires a lot more energy.

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The other way is to zip line (also known as flying fox) to the other side of the cavity, travelling a distance of about 300 metres (just an estimate) to where the exit is. This is extremely fun and our group decided to fly (or rather, zip line).

The Exit

To exit Kandu Cave one will have to rappel down the side of the cave with a height of a four storey building (thereabout). Rappelling down the almost horizontal side of the cave is both exciting and fun. There is an element of danger but it is relatively safe as long as one follows the instructions of the guides.

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Things To Do

Before your trip do talk to the activity provider if it is okay for you to participate in this activity especially if you have certain health conditions that may put you in danger. It is important to know what to expect and I urge you to ask as many questions as you may have to ensure that you are ready for the activity.

o D o T t o N s g Thin

Being a cave used during the war there are writings on the wall written by soldiers of the communist army that were fighting the Japanese occupiers at that time. It is best not to touch them as touching them may cause them to fade and one day disappear and that would be a waste to see history destroyed. Also do not add to it.

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One other thing to refrain from doing is to touch the stalagmites and stalactites as the chemicals from our skin may react with them causing certain damage.

g n i r B o t s g Thin Drinking water

Small backpack or pouch Facemask Sports shoes with rubber sole Headlamps (if you have one) Needed medication Towel Change of clothes Camera

Contact Details Nomad Adventure 525 Jalan 17/13, 46400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Tel. +6(03)79585152 /3151 info@nomadadventure.com 91

Contents Page

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Travel Guide

Escapy

Funtasy House Of Trick Art

T

here seems to be a new fun sort of photo taking trend in town where paintings or rather murals and people come together making funny and cool 3D photos. One such place is the Funtasy House Trick Art in Ipoh.

Fancy flying about on a broom or showing off to friends your ability at wizardry? Or perhaps something less flighty like tight rope walking from one building to another. I particularly like the kampung (village) house area where one can exercise one’s creativity and go camera crazy. The shots can be really creatively crazy depending on how crazy one wants to be.

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Fun With A Camera

The Funtasy House Trick Art is a fun place to be especially for those who enjoy shooting photos. My recommendation is to take your time... really take your time with each shot. Don’t rush if you do not have to and make every shot count since you will have to pay good money for the experience.

One of my favourite areas, Kampung House.

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In reality, this takes a lot of guts.

We tried to help but to no avail.

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Supernatural dining experience.

Undersea garden.

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Trapped in a bubble.

In a different world things like this happens.

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Tortured during the medieval times....

Address 16, Jalan Market, 30000 Ipoh, Perak.

Telephone: (60)5-255 0007 Email: ask@funtasyhouse.com OPERATING HOURS Weekdays : 9am – 6pm Weekends & Public Holidays : 9am – 8pm Entrance Fees MYR19.00 • Adults without MyCard MYR15.00 • Adults with MyCard MYR10.00 • Kids (4 years old & above) • Students (with Student ID) • Senior Citizens (above 60 years old) Free Admission • Disabled (with OKU Card) • Infants (below 4 years old) Contents Page

105

HAPPENINGS

Escapy

Star Wars Month At LEGOLAND Malaysia

S

tar Wars fans take note. The month of May is Star Wars month at LEGOLAND Malaysia. A Star Wars character appearance and parade was held with members of Star Wars fan clubs from around Asia called 501st Legions, Garrisons, and outpost; coming together to put on one heck of a show around the entire theme park.

Darth Vader and his troops seen wandering about at LEGOLAND Malaysia.

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Putting Battle Aside

We attended the Star Wars parade where characters from the Star Wars movie franchise came to live.

Perhaps for the first time in the history of Star Wars, both the Galactic Empire and The Rebel Alliance came together working hand in hand to entertain fans of Star Wars and visitors to Legoland without shooting at one and other.

All participating Note though thatStar rabbits Warsgenerally Club members do not wore like tocosbe picked that tumes up and lookthey exactly can get like quite thoseaggressive used in thetomovfree themselves ies.

Mr Evan especially Loh, the Public whenRelations they feelOfficer threatened to the or when 501st Malaysia handledOutpost in the wrong said during way, of thewhich presscould conharm both ference that theevery person member’s who picked costume up themust rabbitmeet and the rabbit certain standards itself. of which is an almost identical costume to the one’s in the movie.

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The Emperor (Sheev Palpatine) and Darth Vader, the farther of the dark side lead the march with the troops from the Empire, followed by the Rebel Alliance, while loud speakers that have been placed around the park blast the famous Star Wars theme song. The impact it created was simply amazing.

Stormtroopers marching towards the LEGOLAND Malaysia theme park.

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They paraded from the LEGOLAND Resort to the LEGOLAND Malaysia theme park’s indoor Star Wars exhibits where over 2,000 Star Wars LEGO Models from various locations around the world including Malaysia, Germany, and Czech Republic was built. The exhibit showcases scenes from each Star Wars movie.

TIE Fighter pilots marching towards the LEGOLAND Malaysia theme park.

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Darth Revan looking menacing amongst the crowd of Star Wars fans.

After the parade, the characters broke out into groups and spent the day walking around the park posing and taking photos with visitors. They were after all the main attraction and the stars of the event.

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The Largest Millennium Falcon

LEGOLAND Malaysia brought in father and son Master Builder team; Daniel Steininger and Christopher Steininger to build the largest LEGO Millennium Falcon in the world using over 200,000 bricks.

Visitors to the park will get to build one too but of a much smaller size and only during the weekend for the entire month of May.

A LEGO TIE Fighter model on display at the LEGOLAND Malaysia theme Park.

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Jawas hanging out with the Stormtroopers outside the LEGOLAND Resort.

This limited edition LEGO block can be your’s.

Complete the Star Wars trail to get this; only in May 2016.

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HAPPENINGS

Escapy

My Own Creation Star Wars LEGO Contest

I

n conjunction with the Star Wars Month, Star Wars LEGO fans from Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. gathered here at LEGOLAND Malaysia to compete in a contest to build the most unique and creative Star Wars LEGO creation. The contest was broken into three categories being kids (7-15 years old), Open (above 15), and Family (parent and child team).

Winners Category: Open

1st Place: Wong Wing Yew - The Force Is Strong With This One. 121

2nd Place: Yeo Wei Shoong - Kampung Star Wars (Star Wars Village)

3rd Place: Ling Wei Ko - Geonosis Droid Factory

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4th Place: Bruce Lee Chiau Han - Star Wars Racing

5th Place: Gan Soo Aik - Redesign Air Speeder

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Winners of the Adult Category and their przes from LEGO Malaysia.

Winners Category: Family

1st Place: Wong Tze Hin and Thomas Wong – I Am R2D2 127

2nd Place: Yong Meng Kwong –Star Wars Carousel

3rd Place: Eric Ong Ling Siang and Ong Siong Kuan –Hoth Remnant 129

4th Place: Siti Arfah and Noreez Azmirah –Star Wars Café

5th Place: Ng Yiwen and Ng Seng Guan –Stolen Data Hunt

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Winners Category: Kids

1st Place: Tan Xi Honn –Ewok Extreme Park

2nd Place: Cassius Lai –Edge of DeathStar

1st Place: Wong Tze Hin and Thomas Wong – I Am R2D2 133

3rd Place: Candace Chow –The Forcecar Awakens

4th Place: Carmen Cheah –Battle Front Ride at LEGOLAND

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5th Place: Tan Chen Ping –Battle of the Xs

Winners Category: Hong Kong

Adrian –Star Wars Ep. 8 Scene 1–Kids Category Winner 137

Chau Hin Ly Sander -First Order Base B –Open Category

Cheung Shing Kit and Cheung Chiu Kai–Family Category 139

Winners Category: Taiwan

Chi Hsin Wei –You don’t know the power of the Dark Side – Open Category

Chi Hsin Wei and Chi An Yu –Republic Friendship – Family Category

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Lee Nuo–R2D2 Symphony interstellar dreams – Kids Category

Winners Category: Indonesia

Evanina –Star Wars Elves –Kids Category

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Dianawaty –Death Star Section – Open Category

Evanina –Star Wars Chess– Family Category

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Participating Clubs

Rebel Legion Malaysian Outpost, 501st Singapore Garrison, Cathar Outpost - Rebel Legion Singapore, 501st Legion Indonesia Outpost, 501st Thailand, Rebel Legion Thailand Utapau Outpost, Philippine Garrison, The 501st Legion - Macau Outpost, The Rebel Legion Hong Kong Base, 501st Taiwan Formosa Outpost, The Rebel Legion Taiwan Outpost, 501st Japanese Garrison , Redback Garrison 501st Legion, 501st Legion Brunei Outpost.

Mr Evan Loh, the Public Relations Officer to the 501st Malaysia Outpost.

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Star Wars Cafe. The place to hangout.

Playing chess with the dark side.

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Belum Rainforest Resort Where to Stay

Philemon Foo

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A Nature Retreat

T

he Belum Rainforest Resort is located in Pulau Banding at Lake Temenggor also known as South Belum. Belum is a fantastic place for nature lovers and anglers with a lot of wildlife, fantastic flora and fauna, and a challenging fishing experience.

The Resort

The resort is cosy and nice although it looks a bit dated which isn’t always a bad thing. In this case it made the resort look nice and rustic. Imagine your favourite pair of old jeans that you have worn for years. It may look worn out but it feels comfortable. With cowboy boots they probably look great.

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Water Features

Water features around the resort gave the place a nice visual appeal but what I like best was that in some of these water features are fishes like sebarau (Hampala barb), etc. of which are good looking fishes.

Rooms

The room we stayed in (Deluxe) looked dated but felt cosy just like the rest of the resort. Beds were comfortable, and the air-conditioning works really well. I love the cold and my wish is for winter in Malaysia. If there were to be a “Like� button here, I would have clicked it.

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Houseboat Experience

One can also experience something different. Instead of booking a room, one can book a houseboat. This is ideal for families or groups, especially those that enjoy the sport of fishing. The houseboat will go to different areas of the lake where one can do some jungle trekking, go to the waterfalls, do some fishing, etc.

New Suites

There are new suites with a very modern look, and a classy touch of luxury. These suites that over look part of the great lake comes with special themes including outdoor showers, village styled suites, and one super luxurious suite reserved for those with very deep pockets.

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Super luxurous suite for VVIPs.

Glass walls that gives a full view of the jungle and the lake.

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One of the rooms of the suite.

A luxurious bedroom with a balcony that overlooks the jungle and the lake.

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These suites come with modern facilities including modern design baths, comfortable beds, cosy balconies, etc. One certainly can experience a life of luxury staying in one of these suites as one gaze out into Temenggor Lake.

Facilities And Activities

The Belum Rainforest Resort has a nice swimming pool that sits on one of the decks that overlooks the lake.

There are also viewing decks where one can sit back and just stare out into oblivion or take out one’s camera and take pictures of the lake.

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Jungle Activities

The resort provides guided tours into Royal Belum as well as areas around Temenggor Lake. One can go on jungle adventures visiting waterfalls, aborigines villages, jungle treks that takes you through a nature wonderland.

Puteri Dewi Spa

After a day out in the forest, some relaxation time at the Puteri Dewi Spa will rejuvenate one’s body and help one relax. The Puteri Dewi Spa is an urban Balinese themed spa that offers relaxing baths, Balinese massages, and other special treatments that will pamper one’s body and rejuvenate one’s soul.

Note: Pic. courtesy of Belum Rainforest Resort.

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Food Wise

The restaurant offers decent local and western buffet. I particularly like the nasi lemak a local dish served with spicy sweet and salty chilli with anchovies, eggs, and cucumber slices. The spicy sweet and salty chilli paste with anchovies (sambal in the Malay language) is really yummy. The rest of the food is decent.

Lovely breakfast to start the day with. Western and Asian treats for all.

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Outdoor dining for those who prefer to dine with a view.

Getting There: By Car

From Kuala Lumpur, take the North-South Highway and head north towards Ipoh. Take the Kuala Kangsar exit and head towards Gerik, bypassing the town of Lenggong. This highway will take you straight to Pulau Banding. The journey will take about 5 hours GPS Coordinates: N 5 32.595

E 101 20.454

(Source: http://www.belumresort.com/)

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Getting There: By Bus There are a number of buses from Hentian Duta in Kuala Lumpur that can take you to Pulau Banding.

For information on schedules and pricing, visit Hentian Duta at Persiaran Duta, 50480 Kuala Lumpur, or call 03-6203 3150 (Source: http://www.belumresort.com/)

For More Information: Belum Rainforest Resort Pulau Banding 33200 Gerik Perak Darul Ridzuan Malaysia Telephone : +6 05 791 6800 Fax : +6 05 791 7600 Email : info@belumresort.com

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Cititel Express Hotel Ipoh Where to Stay

Philemon Foo

171

Lots To Offer

I

poh has lots of hotels to choose from and the Cititel Express Hotel, a modern hotel in the heart of historical Ipoh is one of them. Cititel Express Hotel Ipoh offers comfortable beds, free channel surfing for TV addicts, free shuttle services to certain places, and a good selection of room types.

Basking In History

Cititel Express Ipoh is surrounded by historical buildings and is a short walk to some of the more important historical landmarks such as the Ipoh Train Station, City Hall Building, etc. If walking isn’t your thing, Cititel Express Ipoh offers free shuttle services to popular food places, shopping areas, and popular tourist destinations.

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Smart, Clean, And Simple

One of Cititel Express Hotel’s commitment is to offer smart, clean, and simple rooms and that is exactly what we got when we checked in. Wi-Fi is provided free. The smart TV offers free TV surfing with lots of channels to choose from. The rooms are clean and comfortable.

Design wise they are relatively simple. My only qualms is the lack of plug points nearer the bed.

Rooms

Cititel Express Hotel Ipoh offers 210 rooms broken into Standard, Superior, and Deluxe categories. The configurations available are Twin sharing, Queen, Triple sharing, and Quad or a room for four. This means that they have rooms for single travellers, business travellers, as well as families.

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Modern room with modern amenities. Some have more.

View of the room from another angle.

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Things To Do

The hotel itself has nothing much to offer in terms of recreation but around the hotel is where the attractions are. We decided to go on the Ipoh Heritage Trail with camera in hand. We went about shooting the colonial building such as the Ipoh Railway Station, the town hall, etc.

Other available attractions include Memory Lane, Kinta Rive Walk, Ipoh’s Mural Arts Lane, Perak Mosque Trail, Little India, etc. One could also opt to spend a day at the Lost World Of Tambun, one of the family amusement parks in Ipoh. Soon there will be the Movie Animation Park Studios to visit too.

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Worth The Money?

Yes, rooms here are affordable and certainly good value for money. If you’re visiting Malaysia and decide on visiting Ipoh, the Cititel Express Hotel Ipoh is certainly one of the hotels to consider. One thing I recommend is to bring along an extension type gang adapter for your electronic devices.

Additional Information

CITITEL EXPRESS IPOH 2, Jalan S. P. Seenivasagam, 30000 Ipoh, Perak Darul Ridzuan Tel: 05 208 2888 Enquiries : infoipoh@cititelexpress.com Facebook : www.facebook.com/CititelExpressIpoh/ Website: http://www.cititelexpress.com/ipoh/default.html Contents Page

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For Foodies

Escapy

A New Dining Experience

H

ave you dined layer by layer? Kai’s Plato offers dining by the layer. This means that various different types of food are stacked up in different compartments one over the other. These foods are then steamed. We then eat them compartment by compartment.

I love things unique and when a friend recommended and talked about Kai’s Plato, I had to pay them a visit. Not long later a plan was hatched to celebrate her (friend who recommended) birthday at Kai’s Plato.

I highly recommend going there for a birthday dinner.

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The Concept

Doing some research I found that this unique dining concept originated in Bongcheon-dong, Seoul, Korea by a small seafood joint where nine layers of steamers were stacked up. This was reported by a Korean TV channel (KBS TV) and soon it spread across Asia.

This concept was brought over here (Malaysia) by Kai’s Plato in February 2015. They started off with more than 11 types of scrumptious fresh seafood sourced locally and internationally; from Korea, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia, etc. In Malaysia Kai’s Plato pride themselves as having the most tiers.

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Natural Sweetness

Here at Kai’s Plato, they serve five tiers. The first tier being oysters, baby abalones (I think), sea snails, decorated with broccoli, placed on a bed of white cabbage. As the steamer cooks these lovely delights, the juices dripped into the second tier.

Tasty, juicy goodness from the sea.

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Tier 2

Tier two is another group of delicious yummies made up of hard shell clams, bamboo clams (also called razor clams), prawns, squid, and a local delicacy called otak-otak of which is a delicious chilli cake filled with fish meat, chilli, and various herbs and spices. The juices from this tiers drips into tier 3.

Super delicious morsels of sweetness.

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Tier 3

Tier 3 is filled with juicy mussels covered with a layer of melted cheese, sitting on top of sweet and succulent scallops. Just imagine the sweetness of all these wonderful shell creatures dripping into the next tier.

Cheesy goodness.

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Cheesy mussels; a fusion of land and sea.

Tier 4

Now we come to the tier where the hard shelled creatures of the sea are cooked. Here we get sweet slipper lobsters and a huge crab with its roes in tack.

Any seafood lover knows just how sweet the juices of these crustaceans are. These sweet juices drip into the final tier, tier 5.

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Slipper lobsters and a huge crab. More sweetness.

Cutting the slipper lobsters to get to the meat.

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Tier 5

Imagine this. All of the sweet juices from tier one all the way to tier 4 now sitting in tier 5. Are you drooling yet? I am drooling just by typing this article as the memory is still fresh in my mind. Tier 5 came originally in the form of a soup with sand crabs, boiled for 7 to 8 hours; and now with the added sweetness from all the tiers in it.

Super sweet and tasty soup.

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We were given angel hair pasta to go with the soup.

We tasted the soup first without the pasta and it is super delicious. Having it with the pasta didn’t do it justice and thus it was decided that we should just enjoy the soup as it is.

Kai’s Concept

Should you decide to pay Kai’s Plato a visit, do note that their dining concept is “Hands and Table.” This means that you eat with your hands placing the food on the table as this allows you to not only taste the food but to feel them as well, creating a more intimate dining for the food and you.

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The table will be covered in thick waterproof paper that also acts as a huge plate for food to be placed on. Diners are given tongs to pick up the food from as the food in the steamer is hot. Toothpicks are provided to help remove meat from the shells.

With hands focusing on the food, one’s mobile devices remains untouched throughout the dinner. This is another reason why Kai’s Plato urges you to eat without a spoon, fork, and knife. Interaction on the table is important too and is something that is lacking these days.

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Dollars & Cents

Sailor Platter (for 2 persons): RM138++ (USD$36.00) Captain Platter (for 4 persons): RM260++ (USD$66.50) Kai’s Jumbo Platter (for 6 persons): RM390++ (USD$100.00) ‘All prices are subject to 10% Service Charge and 6% GST

Activities For The Artistic

Shells and Sharpies are given for one to utilize one’s artistic talent. Our kids had a blast of a time putting their imagination to shells. The walls of Kai’s Plato are decorated with shells drawn by their diners. Shells are reused as pieces of art after they are cooked.

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Additional Information

Address:

A-1F-3, Garden Office @ Encorp Strand, No. 12, Jalan PJU 5/1, Kota Damansara, 47810 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

For reservation, please call or facebook message us: 03-61436278 or 017-2832883 Operation Hours: 12noon - 03:00pm & 06:00pm - 12:00am (Closed on Mondays). *Last call for lunch at 02:15pm and dinner at 10:15pm but bar is still open for drinks until 12:00am.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaisPlato

Large claw with lots of sweet meat.

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205

For Foodies

Escapy

Asam Pedas (Spicy Tamarind) River Prawns

I

f you love prawns and have decided to visit Malaysia and happen to visit Fraser’s Hill or areas around Kuala Kubu Bharu, pay a visit to the Kuala Kubu Bharu or KKB Square. There is a stall there that is famous for its juicy and huge spicy chilli tamarind (asam pedas) sauce river prawns.

Simply Delicious

The prawns used are the giant river prawns also called the blue pincer prawns that are found in many of the rivers in Malaysia. They are available naturally or farmed.

The ones cooked here are big and I believe that they are of the farmed variety. Anyhow, they are yummy.

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Cooking Style

These sumptuous prawns are boiled in the spicy, sweet and sour, chilli, soupy gravy that is so yummy it may blow your brains and make you cry. I meant that literally especially for those who cannot handle chilli well, like me. If you cannot handle chilli well, worry not. Jugs of cold water or fruit cordials are available to quench the fire.

Shells Off

The meat of these prawns are sweet and juicy. This natural sweetness sweetens the soupy gravy adding more flavour to the already flavourful mix of a heavenly dish. The meat is taut although not as taut as those that are not farmed. All said, the asam pedas (spicy tamarind) river prawns dish is delicious.

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Other Yummies

I would happily just eat the prawn dish with rice but should you want more, you can try their fish (sting ray, scad, etc.) cooked in the same lovely gravy.

They may not be the highlight of the place but they are tasty too.

Do Visit

Should you find yourself heading to the historical town of Kuala Kubu Bharu, or up to Fraser’s Hill; do stop at the KKB Square and fill your tummy with this delightfully sumptuous spicy sweet and sour chilly tamarind river prawn dish or as the locals call. “asam pedas udang gala.”

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211

Travel Tips

Escapy

How Not To Lose Your Glasses On Boat Trips

I

f you’ve experienced placing your sunglasses on your cap only to have it fly right off together with your cap into the water while you were on boat trip; this is for you. Most glasses and sunglasses do not float. If they floated you wouldn’t have lost them. I’ve lost a few too over the years.

Floating Straps

These days you can buy floating straps that will float on water. But if you want to wave some money you can make your own with this simple hack. All you need is a aquarium tube (used to blow bubbles in aquariums) of about 2 feet, and a EVA handle (about 4 inches) that is used on bicycle handles, fishing rods, etc.

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Putting Them Together

First connect one part of the aquarium tube to one of the temple tips of your glasses. Next insert the aquarium tube through the EVA handle. Finally connect the other part of the aquarium tube to the other temple tip of your glasses.

Never Lose Your Glasses Again

EVA floats and will keep your sunglasses or glasses from sinking to the bottom of the lake or sea. With this hack you will never lose your sunglasses or glasses again.

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