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Tourism Malaysia

Penang Bridge

“During the consrtruction, most of people thinks this bridge could not be done. Well there are wrong. Even now, the bridge is always congested with cars, tourist and people. What a view.”  
by Alif

“Penang tempat2nye memang menarik…macam- macam ada…”  
by INA

“I like to correct my information before this.Actually Penang Bridge is the LONGEST in ASIA and 5th in THE WORLD.Thankz…”  
by Mohamed Taufiq Bin Kuthubutheen

“Ahhh…good to be home…!”  
by Mat Penang

“I think the Penang Bridge is an excellent feat of engineering. Penangites should be proud of having sucha beautiful structure residing within their beloved land. “  

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Tourism Malaysia

Hop On and Off in Kuala Lumpur

August 21, 2011 at 8:00 pm

After having always seen the double decker bus all over Kuala Lumpur, we finally checked out the KL Hop On Hop Off City Tour. This bus tour is not your typical tour, as it allows its passengers to disembark and explore at their own discretion. And the best part is, your ticket is valid for 24 hours or 48 hours, depending on the type of ticket you get. So what does all that mean?

KL Hop On Hop Off

The KL Hop On Hop Off Information Counter is located within the Malaysia Tourism Information Centre (MaTic) building

It means that if you are a visitor to Kuala Lumpur, you get a convenient means of travelling around the city. The tour stops at 22 different locations in the city, all chosen for convenience and tourism in mind. Taking all the locations into consideration, there are over 40 tourist attractions that can be visited during the tour, which is actually a lot of places to visit in one day to be honest. That is probably why a 48 hour ticket comes in handy for most visitors.

KL Hop On Hop Off

The KL Hop On Hop Off Tour bus

What is even more convenient is that passengers can begin their tour at any of the stops. The buses travel in a so called loop, repeating the 22 stops all around the city from 8:30 am to 8:30 pm daily. The first stop in the tour is Malaysia Tourist Centre at Jalan Ampang and the last stop is at Petronas Twin Towers. The tour bus is comfortable, and is actually a very easy and convenient method of sightseeing. The upper deck has wide windows and also a glass roof panel to enable visitors to view the various sights and the entire skyline of Kuala Lumpur. The air conditioned bus offers a welcomed respite to those who are unaccustomed to the tropical climate of Malaysia, and there is an open air deck at the back of some of the buses for those who want to have an unrestricted view of Kuala Lumpur without the hassle of actually walking.

KL Hop On Hop Off

The KL Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour will stop at major tourist destinations all around Kuala Lumpur, like the Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Although the private pre-recording tour guide, which allows visitors to listen to a commentary via earphones in nine different languages, was being upgraded at the time of our visit, there was an English language audio guide playing in the bus for the visitors. While the bus tour maintains a half an hour schedule, delays should be expected because of the traffic jams that Kuala Lumpur is notoriously known for, especially during evenings of workdays, most notably Friday.

KL Hop On Hop Off

The interior of the bus is spacious and comfortable. Tourists who opt to sit in the whole tour around Kuala Lumpur can do so in a comfortable manner.

All in all, we were rather satisfied with Kuala Lumpur KL Hop On Hop Off City Tour. It really is an easy and convienent way to get around Kuala Lumpur without any hassle and worry, especially in having to deal with taxi drivers or getting all weary with walking all around the city. And don’t worry about having to buy your ticket in advance. Just wait for the bus at any of the 22 stops and when one comes along, purchase your ticket from the tour guide, hop onboard, and enjoy your tour!

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Tourism Malaysia

Westlife Gravity Tour 2011

August 22, 2011 at 3:10 pm

Here is a pop quiz question for all of our readers – can you give us the name of a group that has achieved the following records?

Fourth biggest selling pop band with 44 million records sold (only behind other groups like Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block and ‘N Sync)
Album with most number 1 hits
Most successful debut boy band artist
Top artist with the most consecutive top 5 hits

To make it easier, here is a hint or two – the group is a boy band who used to be a group of five, but is now a group of four. They are also the biggest selling Irish band from 2000 till 2009.

If the answer that pops into one’s head is the group Westlife, then that is absolutely correct. This Irish pop group has been in the music industry for thirteen years. First formed on 3rd July 1998, the group has produced ten albums and recorded a total sales of 44 million records worldwide since then. The group’s original line-up consisted of Shane Filan, Nicky Byrne, Mark Feehily, Kian Egan and Brian McFadden, who left the group in 2004. Their first big break came when the group’s first single, ‘Swear it Again’ topped the charts in Ireland and United Kingdom for two weeks. They enjoyed the same success with their second single, ‘If I Let You Go’ together with ‘Flying Without Wings’ in 1999.

Westlife Gravity Tour 2011

Westlife Gravity Tour 2011 in Kuala Lumpur

The group has been enjoying continuous success with the release of their other albums. Their second album, ‘Coast to Coast’ became United Kingdom’s biggest fourth selling album of the year 2000 and still remains as Westlife’s biggest selling album till today. Other famous chart topping hits released by the group include ‘I Have a Dream / Seasons In The Sun’, ‘When You’re Looking Like That’, ‘I Lay My Love on You’, ‘Queen of My Heart’ and ‘World of Our Own’. The group, who was originally signed by Simon Cowell, announced their decision to leave Cowell’s Syco Music after 13 years. Their latest album, Gravity, was recorded and processed with songwriter/producer John Shanks and sees the group sailing into uncharted waters. Breaking from their usual form, the latest album will see these charming lads exploring music with a different beat.

Die hard fans of Westlife, be prepared to be mesmerised by this quartet’s charm and vocals as they will be performing in Kuala Lumpur in October! Westlife is scheduled to perform at the Putra Indoor Stadium at Bukit Jalil on 7th October 2011 at 8.30 pm. Tickets can now be purchased online at www.ticketpro.com.my . Alternatively, fans can also purchase the concert tickets at all Rock Corner, The Guitar Store and Victoria Music outlets. Tickets are priced at RM 98 and RM 158 (both are free seating), RM 258, RM358 and RM 558 (all of which are numbered seating). There is an Early Bird discount for those who purchases the tickets before 31st August 2011. For more information, please log on to Ticketpro‘s website or call the hotline at 03 7880 7999.

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Tourism Malaysia

A Peek Into Pure Horror at Sunway Lagoon

August 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm

It was a Friday night. The skies were clear and there was not a full moon in sight. Everyone was enjoying their time at the fun fair located within Scream Park @ Sunway Lagoon. As it was nearing the time for our Muslim friends to break their fast, a sumptuous buffet spread was set out around the area, all ready to be enjoyed later. The air was filled with laughter and chatter as the members of the media and invited guests exchanged friendly banter among each other.

Horrorwood Studios

A mob of the living dead walking on the walkways of the park.

Out of the blue, the carousel slowed to a grinding halt for no reason. In the background, strange looking people hobbled and limped onto the paved walkways of Scream Park at Sunway Lagoon. What looked like people with weird walking habits turned out to be zombies in tattered clothes and rotting flesh! Instead of hearing screams of fear, the people took out their cameras and started taking pictures of the zombies. Where others would run away, these people crept as close as they could to these living dead in hopes of catching a great shot.

Horrorwood Studios

Welcome to Mr. Fingers’ Gallery

A scene like the above may not sound like a typical storyline for a zombie movie. This is because it is not a movie of any kind but the launching of Scream Park at Sunway Lagoon’s latest addition – the Horrorwood Studios. What is Horrorwood Studios, you may ask? Well… if you are a fan of horror movies and everything related to them, this is the one attraction that should not be missed the next time you visit Sunway Lagoon. It is the ultimate house of terror, a place where creepy dolls, zombies, aliens and the most iconic slasher of all times, ‘Jason Voorhees’ from the movie ‘Friday the 13th’ reside permanently.

Horrorwood Studios

A scene from Friday the 13th – Jason Voorhees at Crystal Lake

To make things more exciting, the management also invited the actor who played ‘Jason Voorhees’ in four of the ‘Friday the 13th’ series, Kane Hodder, to the launch of Horrorwood Studios. Hodder, looming at a good 190 cm, looked menacing with a chainsaw in his hands. But do not be alarmed, as he turned out to be a friendly and accommodating person in real. Seeing the face behind ‘Jason Voorhees’, it is no wonder that he was chosen to play that character for four consecutive movies, as he was intimidating and scary without even having to say a word. Hodder also lent his acting skills as a mad man in a short film specially made for the newly revamped Scream Park. The movie is called ‘Hutan Yang Seram’ (Jungle Terror) and will also see scary creatures from our country’s folklore stalking two teenagers who got lost in a jungle.

Horrorwood Studios

The ‘Rumah Pocong’ at Scream Park @ Sunway Lagoon

Unlike other normal haunted houses, Horrorwood Studios aims to offer its patrons an experience of a different kind. After the initial exhibition of themes from internationally recognised horror films like Saw, Scream and Nightmare on Elm Street, visitors are taken through a maze of ultimate terror – walking through an abandoned containment facility riddled with zombies! This one-of-a-kind walkthrough attraction features live actors and state-of-the-art audio and visual special effects, together with a team of professionally trained actors, all of which are meant to make this scary experience better! Other live horror attractions within the Horrorwood Studios also includes Pontianak Theatre of Fear, Rumah Hantu in 3DX and The Tunnel of Penanggal in 3D.

Horrorwood Studios

Come and experience the Zombie Apocalypse at Horrorwood Studios.

If you want to know more about the place, come and see it for yourself. Why spoil the fun by spilling the beans when you can check it out for yourself and enjoy it first-hand? A friendly advice for all who dares to cross the threshold into this world of terror – remember to keep your wits around you at all times…

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Tourism Malaysia

What’s Great About Beer?

August 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Asians have a mixed opinion about beer, owing to its intoxicating effects. Although the region is known for being religious, there are probably as many Asians who enjoy beer as there are those who avoid it due to religious tenets. International beer brands like Carlsberg, Tiger, and Heineken are well known and is widely available in Malaysia.

Arguably the oldest alcoholic beverage in the history of mankind – beer

While some of us may share the same partiality to beer as Westerners, most of us have a low regard for beer as a beverage, perceiving it as, well, nothing more than beer. It does not exude a touch of class like a bottle of wine, nor does it match up to a bottle of hard liquor. For some, beer is for ‘lightweights’ and beginners, while hard liquor are for the ‘big boys’. After all, beer is beer is beer. Or is it?

The shots of beer for the tasting

We recently had the pleasure of learning more about beers when we were hosted at Craft Brews. Located at Mutiara Damansara, just near the Curve, this brewhouse restaurant gave us a sneak preview of some of its newest beers that are set to be launched this 13th of September. Craft Brews is set to bring in 8 beers from the renowned Rogue Brewery, a microbrewery in Oregon, United States. Craft Brews’ Benjamin Chong was kind enough to teach us the finer points in appreciating the world’s most widely consumed alcoholic beverage as we sat down to two of Rogue Brewery’s finest ales. The beer tasting (yes, there is such a thing as beer tasting) went well, and we gained a better understanding and a new found respect for beers, especially those painstakingly produced by microbreweries worldwide.

A bottle of beer from the Rogue Brewery of Oregon

Most ‘mainstream’ beers are often made with lower quality ingredients, and manufacturers use additives and certain advertising gimmicks to mask the beverage’s inherent limitations. One such gimmick is the emphasis on drinking mainstream beers ice cold as the low quality becomes apparent at warmer temperatures, affecting the taste of the beer. Some of the beers offered at Craft Brews, including one of the two that we sampled, taste better warm.

Craft Brews’ soon to be launched beer line from Rogue Brewery

As mentioned, Craft Brews will be offering 8 new beers selected from Rogue Brewery, starting from 14th September. These beers can only be exclusively found at Craft Brews, never having been available in Malaysia previously, and are an ideal introduction to the many variety of beers, such as pale ales, stouts and porters. We at Malaysia.com will be bringing you a detailed look at all the 8 beers during the official launch at Craft Brews come this 13th September.

So don’t forget. Craft Brews. 8 Great Beers. September 14 onwards. Every day. Every night.

Take a seat and unwind with a beer in hand at Craft Brews

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