Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Useful Tips When Visiting the KL International Book Fair (KLIBF2019)

Yes, it’s back!!

KLIBF 2019 (or PBAKL) is happening from March 29th until April 7th 2019 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). Organised by the Ministry of Education , Malaysia through the National Book Council of Malaysia (MBKM), KLIBF is definitely one event well-awaited by die-hard fans!

Here, you get to meet your favourite novelist who wrote that book that had such a great impact in your life, and here is also where you get to witness book launching and various other activities including seminars, forums and conventions.

Needless to say, the crowd increases each year, and during peak times where writers make appearances and sign books is when general chaos takes place in most booths. Here are some simple tips recommended for you if you plan to make a visit this year:

  • Knowledge is POWER!

 

  1. DO your homework. Make a wish-list of all books and publishers you have had your eyes on. This helps you plan your way around the exhibition with the help of the layout plan which is available in the official website: https://www.klibf.my/index.php
  2. Take note of the times of special appearances, seminars and workshops so that you can include those you are interested to participate in.
  • Cash! 

 

    1. Be prepared. You don’t want to get caught unawares, and have to rush off to the nearest ATM machine. Best to find out firsthand if debit or credit cards are accepted.
  • Crowd!  

 

    1. This in inevitable! So, be sure to have plenty of patience and perseverance when going to exhibitions and fairs like these. If you are intent on getting your book signed, then just wait in line patiently. It is advisable to carry some snack bars in your bag, just in case you get the urge for some nibbles while standing in line.
  • Transport 

 

    1. Before you decide to self-drive, weigh down the pros and con. Ease of parking, traffic congestion and parking fees (which tend to be exorbitant!). It may be more convenient to take public transportation, but be sure to also consider the weight you will be carrying when you head back home.
  • Bag 

 

    1. Very important! Backpacks are highly recommended due to the weight distribution of the books you will be lugging around.
  • Kids

 

  1. Really? Seriously?? NOT advisable if going to fairs like this. If you absolutely have to, then aim to go early morning, as soon as the fair opens, on a weekday. Otherwise, consider finding a sitter! At least you can browse with peace of mind, and not be rushed with a grumpy child (or two, or three!) in your hands!

 

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2019

Date: 29 March 2019 to 7 April 2019
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Organiser: The National Book Council of Malaysia
Website: https://www.klibf.my
Phone: 03-8321 7011

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Useful Tips When Visiting the KL International Book Fair (KLIBF2019)

Yes, it’s back!!

KLIBF 2019 (or PBAKL) is happening from March 29th until April 7th 2019 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). Organised by the Ministry of Education , Malaysia through the National Book Council of Malaysia (MBKM), KLIBF is definitely one event well-awaited by die-hard fans!

Here, you get to meet your favourite novelist who wrote that book that had such a great impact in your life, and here is also where you get to witness book launching and various other activities including seminars, forums and conventions.

Needless to say, the crowd increases each year, and during peak times where writers make appearances and sign books is when general chaos takes place in most booths. Here are some simple tips recommended for you if you plan to make a visit this year:

  • Knowledge is POWER!

 

  1. DO your homework. Make a wish-list of all books and publishers you have had your eyes on. This helps you plan your way around the exhibition with the help of the layout plan which is available in the official website: https://www.klibf.my/index.php
  2. Take note of the times of special appearances, seminars and workshops so that you can include those you are interested to participate in.
  • Cash! 

 

    1. Be prepared. You don’t want to get caught unawares, and have to rush off to the nearest ATM machine. Best to find out firsthand if debit or credit cards are accepted.
  • Crowd!  

 

    1. This in inevitable! So, be sure to have plenty of patience and perseverance when going to exhibitions and fairs like these. If you are intent on getting your book signed, then just wait in line patiently. It is advisable to carry some snack bars in your bag, just in case you get the urge for some nibbles while standing in line.
  • Transport 

 

    1. Before you decide to self-drive, weigh down the pros and con. Ease of parking, traffic congestion and parking fees (which tend to be exorbitant!). It may be more convenient to take public transportation, but be sure to also consider the weight you will be carrying when you head back home.
  • Bag 

 

    1. Very important! Backpacks are highly recommended due to the weight distribution of the books you will be lugging around.
  • Kids

 

  1. Really? Seriously?? NOT advisable if going to fairs like this. If you absolutely have to, then aim to go early morning, as soon as the fair opens, on a weekday. Otherwise, consider finding a sitter! At least you can browse with peace of mind, and not be rushed with a grumpy child (or two, or three!) in your hands!

 

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR 2019

Date: 29 March 2019 to 7 April 2019
Venue: Putra World Trade Centre, Kuala Lumpur
Organiser: The National Book Council of Malaysia
Website: https://www.klibf.my
Phone: 03-8321 7011

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Beware the pickpockets

At many tourist spots in Paris like theLourve, tourists are at risk of beingpickpocketed.At many tourist spots in Paris like the
Lourve, tourists are at risk of being
pickpocketed.

The City of Love now has a dubious reputation of ‘loving hands’ that rip off tourists.              

TOURISTS in Paris are reminded to be on guard against increasingly brazen and aggressive pickpockets after staff at the Louvre walked out in April to protest against violent working conditions.

Saying they’re fed up with dealing with gangs of thugs and being spat at, insulted, threatened and even struck, 200 workers at one of the most famous museums in the world – the Louvre receives about 10 million visits a year – staged a walkout, disappointing a long line of tourists.

The museum reopened the next day with increased police presence, but tourists visiting crowded places should remain vigilant. In the centre of Paris, thieves often work in groups of up to 30, and usually include children from eastern Europe.

It’s the latest event to tarnish the city’s reputation in the eyes of the world. In March, a group of Chinese tourists were targeted by a gang of pickpockets, an attack that made headlines around the world.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in France offers visitors a host of tips and suggestions on how to avoid being the victim of a predatory pickpockets – tips which can also be applied to travel around the world.

Here are a few highlights:

Keep only what is essential in your wallet. For example, one credit card, one piece of ID, and no more than ?50 (RM260). Make copies of your passport, and other ID cards.

Women are advised to carry bags with a zipper enclosure, and to carry it tightly under their arm, slightly in front of them. Swing your backpack around so that it’s slightly in front of you. Men can protect themselves by placing a rubber band around their wallet and putting it in their front pocket, something that will make it difficult for thieves to extract the wallet smoothly.

Be extra vigilant around major tourist sites like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs-Élysées. Metros are also major target areas. If you are pickpocketed, start yelling for police immediately. The embassy advises against chasing down the perpetrators, as the wallet has most likely already been handed off to someone else within the group.

The Notre-Dame Cathedral is another sitewhere tourists are advised to be on the alert for pickpockets and other pettycriminals.The Notre-Dame Cathedral is another site
where tourists are advised to be on the alert for pickpockets and other petty
criminals.

If there are no security guards or police around, you should go to the local police station (commissariat) and file a complaint.

Know what you’re up against:

The most popular tactic on the metro is the crush-and-grab; You will be swarmed by several people, and in the chaos, as you’re being pushed, you will be pickpocketed.

Another tip: try to avoid sitting or standing right by the doors. Because another trick they use is to grab the purse or smartphone, just as the train doors open and dash away. Wherever you end up in the train, try to minimise access to your pockets and purses.

The age-old distraction method involves the pretext of asking for directions, or attempts to sell you trinkets. During the distraction, someone will try to pick your pockets.

Another rather unpleasant technique: Someone will throw or spill something on you like water or ice cream. You will be approached by people who feign to help you, and in the chaos, you will be pickpocketed.

ATM scams: If the machine eats your card, go into the bank immediately as it’s likely the machine’s been tampered with. Use only ATMs from major banks. Refrain from talking to anyone during the transaction, as it’s likely part of an attempt to scam you.

As always, cover the keypad as you enter your pin code. – AFP RelaxNews

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Where Kids Rule

Where Kids Rule

DARYL YEP CHECKS OUT KIDZANIA, THE NATION FOR KIDS, AND IS FASCINATED BY THIS AWARD-WINNING THEME PARK

Kai! That’s probably the first word you’ll hear as you step into KidZania, Kuala Lumpur’s latest indoor family edutainment centre. Here’s how greetings are exchanged instead of hello. It’s personal; giving kids an instant sense of belonging and a feeling of being connected and accepted within a place meant only for them.
KidZania even has its own dance and song, not to mention currency, the kidZos.
Hailed from Mexico City, this award-winning theme park was first opened in 1999. It has since been established in eight cities worldwide including Monterrey, Tokyo, Dubai and Seoul.
Think it’s another children’s theme park with rides and arcade games? Well, think again. KidZania has none of those. Instead, it’s a place where children can lead independent lives and understand the world of grown-ups better, by being grown-ups themselves.
Put simply, KidZania is where kids experience the world of adults in a replica of a real city.


They now have a place where they can freely and openly do things that would otherwise send mummy into a screaming frenzy.
Here, if you’ve reached the age of 4 and fulfil the minimum height requirement, you can even climb a building – how about that?
Putting on lipstick and nail polish are not forbidden either. Kids can even get a beauty makeover. Yeah, your five-year old daughter must be gleaming with joy knowing this. In fact, she can even earn ‘money’ if she applied them on others.
Most parents would agree that kids simply enjoy imitating adults. KidZania is the answer to satisfy their curiosity of the adult’s world and their desire to be an adult through fun role-playing activities. Targeted at those aged 4 to 14, it is truly a nation for kids.
Let’s face the fact that those days where a game of Snake Ladder or reruns of Tom Jerry is enough to keep kids occupied for hours have long gone.


In this day and age where Apple products are placed on top of most kids’ wish list and Internet-access has become a necessity, traditional games can no longer satisfy the amazing development of their brainpower.
They are hungry for information and tasks that challenge their intelligence. Hence, they require experiences that are stimulating, hands-on, engaging and educational, yet fun. They are still kids, after all.
At KidZania, children are empowered to take charge and make their own decisions. They are encouraged to choose or try out whatever that strikes their fancy. It is to remind them that life is about options. In a way, it’ll foster confidence and independence.
There are 60 “establishments” in KidZania offering 90 authentic role-playing activities. Kids can play and experience the jobs that their parents are doing – from surgeon and pilot to fashion model and hair stylist.


These outlets are sponsored by well-known local and international brands such as AirAsia, Celcom, Honda, Marrybrown, and the New Straits Times.
To enter the city, kids need to go through an airline check-in counter by AirAsia.  They’ll get a boarding pass, a map to the city and a cheque for 50 kidZos to begin their exciting journey of discovery.
They need to head straight to the bank to cash the cheque first.
In the city, kids can spend their kidZos and earn it when it runs out. All the establishments have tasks for the young workers to carry out for a specific duration.
They can be a surgeon and perform surgery on a mock patient on the operating table; pilot an airplane; dispatch parcels as postmen; go on a fire engine as firefighters to put out a fire; or be a journalist.
Staff members, known as Zupervisor, will be on hand to guide and assist the kids in each of the establishments.
By completing the prescribed tasks, kids earn kidZos which can be saved in the bank, or spent purchasing other goods and services.
If at the end of the session they have kidZos left, they can open an account at the bank and deposit the kidZos, to be used for their next visit. They’ll get an ATM card that can be used at the ATM machines within KidZania.


According to KidZania, the role-play activities are specifically designed to aid physical and intellectual growth. They also contribute to the development of skills and attitudes.
With so many roles that kids can assume here, it reflects the importance every person has in the development of a community, thus teaching them the value of equality and respect for others.
Kids also learn about financial literacy and money management at KidZania. As they have the freedom to decide on what to do with their kidZos, they can choose to spend or save them, as well as what and where to spend them on.
Parents must try not to interfere with the choices of their children. It is, after all, their hard-earned cash.
The diverse learning experience of KidZania Kuala Lumpur will benefit children in their life at school, home and when they are out with friends. It’ll give them much to talk about.
Safety is always a prime concern when bringing kids to a theme park especially one where you can just drop them off like KidZania.
Here, all visitors will be given a security bracelet that doesn’t allow children to exit the premise without the accompanying adult. There’s a tracking system on each child where the ID bracelet will be scanned each time they enter or leave an establishment.
Children aged eight and above can be left at KidZania without parents’ supervision. Parents have the option of dropping off their kids for a fun-filled time at KidZania, or they can pay a fee and enter the city as well.
While their kids are ‘working’, parents can relax at the Parents’ lounge, which is equipped with Wi-fi and TVs.
Toddlers too are not left out. There’s an exclusive section to cater to them called ‘Urbano’s House’. Here, those aged 3 and below can take part in story-telling and puppet shows, make their favourite meals, jump around on an inflatable bed, enjoy games, colouring books, puzzles and many more.
Understandably, KidZania can be really packed during holidays.
“Brace yourself for hours of queuing up at certain establishments,” related a friend who had brought her son there during the school holiday.
Whether children would eventually find KidZania interesting or enriching, I’ll leave it to them to judge. After all, the city is created for them.

FAST FACTS:
Location                   :    The Curve NX in Mutiara Damansara.
It is connected to the Curve shopping mall via a link bridge.
Size                         :    80,000 sq ft spread across 2 levels.
Capacity                   :    1,700 people at any one time.
Operating hours        :    10am – 5pm (Mondays to Fridays)
10am to 3pm 4pm to 9pm (Weekends, Public and School Holidays)
Website                   :    www.KidZania.com.my
Facebook                 :    www.facebook.com/KidZaniaKualaLumpur
Careline                   :     1 300 88 KIDZ (5439) – 9am to 8pm (Mondays to Sundays)

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