During my recent visit to Kyoto, Mt. Fuji and Tokyo, I find the rural hotels and resorts very gentle and humble.
Their staff including the owner of these resorts, cooks, hotel staff, will line up and wave Malaysian flags to send us off. Give us a very good impression. Malaysian resorts should try and follow as well.
Mount Fuji, Japan
For those visiting Kuala Lumpur, don’t miss the chance to explore the city’s latest lifestyle shopping mall with a difference. It’s hard to really categorise The LINC KL, but we love its concept of a very green and organic retail space. Here’s where to head when you want to break away from the urban hustle. Here’s where to escape when you want to avoid the rush and lounge a little. Here’s a little sanctuary with breathing space, natural light, trees and quirky, unique, specialized retail therapy.
What do we like about The LINC KL? Everything! But here’s a sneak peak of the gems you’ll find there:
If you love coffee, then this will probably be your cup of tea! Bean Brothers is a coffee chain that’s popular in Korea. They’ve opened up a new outlet in Kuala Lumpur and are ready to serve city folks here at their concept coffee bar. They have two signature espresso blends – Black Suit which is a Brazilian Colombian blend that’s strong with chocolatey notes, while the Velvet White is made with Ethiopian beans with a slightly fruitier finish. Enjoy your coffee with any of their signature dishes (pastas, Big Breakfasts, finger food and desserts) in their indoor and outdoor seating areas that are filled with plants and light. A great lounging place to enjoy good coffee!
With the eco-trend gaining traction worldwide, you can start your own plastic-free journey at Frangipani Bulk. It is a one-stop shop for reusable, sustainable, eco-friendly goods. What do they have? Cutleries (your eco-friendly coffee cup, straws, organic beeswax wraps), bath and body products (soaps, toothpaste, etc.), cereals, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, pasta, household cleaning products, tea, coffee, and more. Some of the items are Malaysian-made and would make great gifts for tourists to bring home as souvenirs. Remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers when shopping here!
Ben’s Independent Grocer (B.I.G.) isnt’ just a supermarket to get your groceries. Nope! It’s a one-stop eat, drink and shop outlet for those who love food – from buying fresh ingredients, to preparing meals, to savouring the appetizing outcomes. The layout of the supermarket has themed sections such as Barn Butchery, Bay Seafood, B.Organic and Malaya Kitchen, to name just a few. It gives a sense of adventure to grocery shopping and the whole process of meal preparation. But wait, there’s more! Satiate your appetite for discovery through live cooking demonstrations, community-driven events and thematic festivals. Somehow, grocery shopping has been elevated to a fun experience at Ben’s!
Take a break from shopping and enter the doors of Hauntu’s Colle Eastern Hotel, a fictional hotel that will immediately immerse you in its “horror” story. Hauntu is a blend of live theatre, role play and storytelling. It features real actors, audience interaction, intricate mazes and interconnected storylines that centre around a colonial hotel filled with mystery and the paranormal. Participants not only get to take on roles within the storylines but also experience Malaysia in different eras from its pre-independence days right up to the present. Imagine Breakout or Escape Room with a chilling twist!
Malaysia’s beloved chef and Tourism Malaysia ambassador, Datuk Redzuawan Ismail, better known as Chef Wan, has opened a restaurant to serve up all his favourite dishes! Savour the diversified Malaysian cuisine and enjoy state-of-the-art banquet hall designed for immersive event experiences. De.Wan 1958‘s unique space makes it feel like you’ve arrived home to a warm and welcoming space. But far from being just a place to enjoy delicious food, the space make the perfect venue for corporate and personal celebrations, too.
Sushi Hara is the place to go for your freshest take of Japan. They fly their supplies in directly from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo and under the expert hands of executive chef, Harada Junji, a premium Omakase experience is unveiled. Diners will get a one-of a kind interaction with Harada-San who specialises in Omakase and Kaiseki cuisine. With only 12 seats at the sushi bar and unique, individual tablewares from Japan, Sushi Hara provides a setting that is uniquely Japanese.
For those visiting Kuala Lumpur, don’t miss the chance to explore the city’s latest lifestyle shopping mall with a difference. It’s hard to really categorise The LINC KL, but we love its concept of a very green and organic retail space. Here’s where to head when you want to break away from the urban hustle. Here’s where to escape when you want to avoid the rush and lounge a little. Here’s a little sanctuary with breathing space, natural light, trees and quirky, unique, specialized retail therapy.
What do we like about The LINC KL? Everything! But here’s a sneak peak of the gems you’ll find there:
If you love coffee, then this will probably be your cup of tea! Bean Brothers is a coffee chain that’s popular in Korea. They’ve opened up a new outlet in Kuala Lumpur and are ready to serve city folks here at their concept coffee bar. They have two signature espresso blends – Black Suit which is a Brazilian Colombian blend that’s strong with chocolatey notes, while the Velvet White is made with Ethiopian beans with a slightly fruitier finish. Enjoy your coffee with any of their signature dishes (pastas, Big Breakfasts, finger food and desserts) in their indoor and outdoor seating areas that are filled with plants and light. A great lounging place to enjoy good coffee!
With the eco-trend gaining traction worldwide, you can start your own plastic-free journey at Frangipani Bulk. It is a one-stop shop for reusable, sustainable, eco-friendly goods. What do they have? Cutleries (your eco-friendly coffee cup, straws, organic beeswax wraps), bath and body products (soaps, toothpaste, etc.), cereals, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, pasta, household cleaning products, tea, coffee, and more. Some of the items are Malaysian-made and would make great gifts for tourists to bring home as souvenirs. Remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers when shopping here!
Ben’s Independent Grocer (B.I.G.) isnt’ just a supermarket to get your groceries. Nope! It’s a one-stop eat, drink and shop outlet for those who love food – from buying fresh ingredients, to preparing meals, to savouring the appetizing outcomes. The layout of the supermarket has themed sections such as Barn Butchery, Bay Seafood, B.Organic and Malaya Kitchen, to name just a few. It gives a sense of adventure to grocery shopping and the whole process of meal preparation. But wait, there’s more! Satiate your appetite for discovery through live cooking demonstrations, community-driven events and thematic festivals. Somehow, grocery shopping has been elevated to a fun experience at Ben’s!
Take a break from shopping and enter the doors of Hauntu’s Colle Eastern Hotel, a fictional hotel that will immediately immerse you in its “horror” story. Hauntu is a blend of live theatre, role play and storytelling. It features real actors, audience interaction, intricate mazes and interconnected storylines that centre around a colonial hotel filled with mystery and the paranormal. Participants not only get to take on roles within the storylines but also experience Malaysia in different eras from its pre-independence days right up to the present. Imagine Breakout or Escape Room with a chilling twist!
Sushi Hara is the place to go for your freshest take of Japan. They fly their supplies in directly from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo and under the expert hands of executive chef, Harada Junji, a premium Omakase experience is unveiled. Diners will get a one-of a kind interaction with Harada-San who specialises in Omakase and Kaiseki cuisine. With only 12 seats at the sushi bar and unique, individual tablewares from Japan, Sushi Hara provides a setting that is uniquely Japanese.
For those visiting Kuala Lumpur, don’t miss the chance to explore the city’s latest lifestyle shopping mall with a difference. It’s hard to really categorise The LINC KL, but we love its concept of a very green and organic retail space. Here’s where to head when you want to break away from the urban hustle. Here’s where to escape when you want to avoid the rush and lounge a little. Here’s a little sanctuary with breathing space, natural light, trees and quirky, unique, specialized retail therapy.
What do we like about The LINC KL? Everything! But here’s a sneak peak of the gems you’ll find there:
If you love coffee, then this will probably be your cup of tea! Bean Brothers is a coffee chain that’s popular in Korea. They’ve opened up a new outlet in Kuala Lumpur and are ready to serve city folks here at their concept coffee bar. They have two signature espresso blends – Black Suit which is a Brazilian Colombian blend that’s strong with chocolatey notes, while the Velvet White is made with Ethiopian beans with a slightly fruitier finish. Enjoy your coffee with any of their signature dishes (pastas, Big Breakfasts, finger food and desserts) in their indoor and outdoor seating areas that are filled with plants and light. A great lounging place to enjoy good coffee!
With the eco-trend gaining traction worldwide, you can start your own plastic-free journey at Frangipani Bulk. It is a one-stop shop for reusable, sustainable, eco-friendly goods. What do they have? Cutleries (your eco-friendly coffee cup, straws, organic beeswax wraps), bath and body products (soaps, toothpaste, etc.), cereals, nuts, seeds, honey, flour, pasta, household cleaning products, tea, coffee, and more. Some of the items are Malaysian-made and would make great gifts for tourists to bring home as souvenirs. Remember to bring your own shopping bags and containers when shopping here!
Ben’s Independent Grocer (B.I.G.) isnt’ just a supermarket to get your groceries. Nope! It’s a one-stop eat, drink and shop outlet for those who love food – from buying fresh ingredients, to preparing meals, to savouring the appetizing outcomes. The layout of the supermarket has themed sections such as Barn Butchery, Bay Seafood, B.Organic and Malaya Kitchen, to name just a few. It gives a sense of adventure to grocery shopping and the whole process of meal preparation. But wait, there’s more! Satiate your appetite for discovery through live cooking demonstrations, community-driven events and thematic festivals. Somehow, grocery shopping has been elevated to a fun experience at Ben’s!
Take a break from shopping and enter the doors of Hauntu’s Colle Eastern Hotel, a fictional hotel that will immediately immerse you in its “horror” story. Hauntu is a blend of live theatre, role play and storytelling. It features real actors, audience interaction, intricate mazes and interconnected storylines that centre around a colonial hotel filled with mystery and the paranormal. Participants not only get to take on roles within the storylines but also experience Malaysia in different eras from its pre-independence days right up to the present. Imagine Breakout or Escape Room with a chilling twist!
Sushi Hara is the place to go for your freshest take of Japan. They fly their supplies in directly from Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo and under the expert hands of executive chef, Harada Junji, a premium Omakase experience is unveiled. Diners will get a one-of a kind interaction with Harada-San who specialises in Omakase and Kaiseki cuisine. With only 12 seats at the sushi bar and unique, individual tablewares from Japan, Sushi Hara provides a setting that is uniquely Japanese.
While the ranking of cities that are more expensive to eat in has changed, prices overall have dipped slightly.
GENEVA in Switzerland has taken over from Paris as the most expensive city in the world in which to order a club sandwich.
Using the classic hotel staple of a chicken, bacon, egg, lettuce and mayonnaise sandwich as a barometer of affordability, the Hotels.com Club Sandwich Index (CSI) offers holidaymakers an indication of the cost of living associated with their destination of choice (see graphic).
The CSI average price is calculated from the real prices paid by guests for a club sandwich in 30 hotels in the capital or an important tourist city of each country surveyed, across five, four and three star categories.
In total, 840 hotels globally were canvassed.
As a whole, prices have dipped slightly, as Geneva’s RM95 is still cheaper than last year’s most expensive at RM103!
Rounding up the Top 10 are Rome (5), Tokyo (4), London (10), Sydney (8) and Hong Kong (11) in that order – in brackets are their positions last year.
Other Asian cities that made the list are Singapore – 17, Beijing – 22, Bangkok – 24, and Taipei – 26. But New Delhi, at 28, is the cheapest city in the world for a club sandwich at RM28.32.
And inspired by the CSI, the five-star Hullett House Hotel in Hong Kong has partnered with Hotels.com to create the world’s most luxurious club sandwich. Nestling between the crustless, lightly toasted three slices of bread, hungry travellers will find beluga caviar, A5 Wagyu beef, Balik salmon, sliced black pork bacon, Iberico ham, Belgian figs, sliced Roma tomato, Romaine lettuce, cucumber, French chicken, Italian organic egg, mayonnaise, mesclun salad and green asparagus.
It’s all yours for just RM193.77(!) and will be available till Aug 31 at The Parlour.
Since we’re on the subject of food, Malaysia has bagged the Best Destination for Food Drink (International) Award at Lonely Planet Magazine India (LPMI) Travel Awards 2013.
For the second year running, LPMI invited the country’s increasingly sophisticated travellers to choose their favourite destinations, preferred travel facilitators and most treasured travel experiences.
Nominations for some of the awards were shortlisted by a panel of travel experts and professionals, and LPMI readers voted both online and in the magazine.