Langkawi Cable Car & Skybridge

Langkawi . 2009 . Sep 27 - 30

Not feeling confident enough to drive, we asked the reception desk at the Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa to arrange for a taxi for us that will take us out for a day trip to anywhere within Langkawi Island.

We made our first stop the Langkawi Cable Car, which will take visitors all the way up to Mount Mat Cincang, Langkawi’s second highest peak.  The cable car station is located in The Oriental Village in Langkawi Island.  Visitors will have to pass through the village and souvenir shops, before reaching the cable car station where they can buy tickets to take them up the mountain.

Lane system for queuing to get on the cable car.

  The cable car system which looks very similar to the one at Sentosa, Singapore.

 

Open-air ventilation of the cable car.  As the cable car ascends to greater heights, we could feel cool air filtering into the cabin.

Scenic view of the outlying islands from the cable car.  See the incline of the wire that the cable car is hanging from?  At its steepest, the incline could be as steep as 42 degrees. At this height, the cable-car could start to swing when there are strong winds, giving the impression of a bird cage suspended at high altitude.

The Langkawi Sky Bridge was completed in October 2004 and is one of the world’s highest single supported bridges.  It is suspended in between Mount Mat Chinchang and its beautiful half moon structure gives its visitors different viewing perspectives from the bridge.  From the bridge, you can catch a magnificent view of the Amdaman Sea and the outlying islands.

Thrilling walk along the Langkawi Skybridge.

Beware when you walk on the bridge.  The wind could be quite strong, and you could feel the bridge swinging slightly, so hold on tight to the railings.  Not for the faint-hearted.

Panoromic views from different parts of the skybridge.

After the exhilarating experience at the skybridge, our cab driver (aka tour guide of the day) brought us to the park near the cable car station where the Telega Tujuh waterfalls is.   Yes! This is the same waterfall that we saw from the observation decks of the skybridge! The left trail leads you to the waterfall while climbing further up will bring you to the seven pools or wells that are found at the top of the waterfall.

It’s a steep climb up the stairs to get to this waterfall, but you will be rewarded with a peaceful sanctuary with the beauty of cascading waters and cool water to soak your tired feet.

Our last stop to view the horse-riding facility near the Telega Tujuh waterfalls.

It was a long and tiring day visiting the cable car, the sky bridge, the Telega Tujuh waterfalls and a brief stop at the horse riding facility near the waterfalls. But it was all worth it! :)

Read these too!

• Our Flight to Langkawi on Air Asia
• City Sights @ Langkawi
• Seafood Fiesta @ Wonderland Food Store Langkawi
• Snorkelling Paradise@ Langkawi
• Hotel Review: Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Breakfast
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Dinner

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Snorkelling Paradise@ Langkawi

Langkawi . 2009 . Sep 27 - 30

There are many tour operators offering snorkelling packages at Pulau Payar Marine Park.  At Kuah Town Centre, there is a booth where all the tour operators operate different stalls to sell their packages.  We scouted around for a snorkelling tour at 3pm in the afternoon and still managed to get a few offers.

Our waterproof wristband issued by the tour operator to ‘label’ us.

Tip: Remember to get some beach towels from the hotel for your snorkelling trip.

Departing the jetty at Kuah Town for Pulau Payar.  While waiting for people to board, some of us got seasick as the catamaran was swaying vigorously from side to side.

After 45 min to one hour on the cataraman, we finally reached Pulau Payar Marine Park where clear turquoise waters await us.

Langkawi Coral in the background.  Langkawi Coral is one of the most established tour operator.  Only Langkawi Coral has access to the floating platform a distance away from shore.  However, their charges are significantly higher.

Other operators drop their passengers off at the Pulau Payar Jetty where they start their snorkelling from shore. 

Unfortunately, many of the corals at Langkawi are not in a healthy state or are already dead.  Instead of a myriad rainbow of colors, they are now a dull grey, probably due to coral bleaching or excessive eco-tourism.

Lunch provided by the tour operator, comprising of fried rice, a drumstick, potato wedges and some pickled vegetables.  The can of coke and the cold mineral water were the real life-savers – perfect after a morning of snorkelling under the blazing sun.

Feeding frenzy at Pulau Payar National Park.  All you need is some bread to attact the fishes.  There are so many of these colourful fishes of various species, it feels like stepping into a giant aquarium.


Overall, it was a fun and well spent day at Pulau Payar Marine Park. Do visit it if you are travelling to Langkawi!

Here's a video snipplet of the shark feeding @ Pulau Payar.

Here's a longer version but muted due to background noise.

Hope you enjoy them! :)

Read these too!

• Our Flight to Langkawi on Air Asia
• City Sights @ Langkawi
• Langkawi Cable Car & Skybridge
• Seafood Fiesta @ Wonderland Food Store Langkawi
• Hotel Review: Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Breakfast
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Dinner

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Seafood Fiesta @ Wonderland Food Store Langkawi

Langkawi . 2009 . Sep 27 - 30

A trip to Langkawi will not be complete without sampling its seafood! After some research online, we found raving reviews for Wonderland Food Store.  Some claim that this is the place for the best and most reasonably priced seafood in Langkawi and that even the locals favour this restaurant. We simply had to try for ourselves!

Opening Hours: 17:30 – 23:30
Address: Wonderland Food Store, Lot 179, 180, 181 Pusat Perniagaan Kelana Mas, Jalan Trimula, Kuah
Contact: +6012 623 0441

The restaurant is an open-air outfit located along Persiaran Mutiara 2, an inner lane from Jalan Padang Matsirat.  There is a longkang (aka drain) just behind the restaurant beyond which the Bella Vista hotel is located. Keep a lookout for its signboard as you drive along! There are other seafood restaurants located sporadically near to Wonderland, but you can easily spot Wonderland as it is the one with the most number of customers.

Wonderland Food Store was already bustling with people when we reached at about 6pm. The restaurant just gets increasingly vibrant as the dinner crowd starts to swamp in after that.  If you want a seat without having to wait, your best bet will be to arrive just before the peak of 6:30pm onwards.

Full house at Wonderland Food Store.  Tourists like us get to enjoy a great meal with cheap beer and seafood along with a superb ambience while a group of seemingly-locals enjoying a gathering at Wonderland Food Store.



The service at Wonderland Food Store was as wonderful as their namesake.  The waiter was always ready to explain their menu to you and to answer any other questions you have.  We ordered a dish of fish, vegetables and a lobster.

While we tucked in to the delicious food, the waiter kept popping over to check that we are doing fine and to chat with us – all these despite the fact that all of them were up to their necks serving other customers!  He even explained with a tinge of regret that the lobster was not up to the standard that they wanted as it was frozen and not fresh from the sea.

The restaurant does lives up to its reputation – their food is savoury and affordable.  Our dinner for 2 costs us less than SGD $20.

To top it off, when we asked for the bill at about 8pm, the waiter volunteered to call a cab to take us back to the hotel for us.  If you do not drive, you will definitely need a cab as the place is pitch dark and few taxis will drive in to this area. All these extra services at no extra charges.  Kudos to the service staff! Impressive, thoughtful and altruistic service!

Read these too!

• Our Flight to Langkawi on Air Asia
• City Sights @ Langkawi
• Langkawi Cable Car & Skybridge
• Snorkelling Paradise@ Langkawi
• Hotel Review: Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Breakfast
• Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa Buffet Dinner

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Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Hotel Review: Berjaya Redang Resort

Redang . 2010 . Jun 26 - 29

The 2 most established resorts on Pulau Redang are the Laguna Redang Island Resort and the Berjaya Redang Resort.  We chose the Berjaya Redang Resort as they offer us a package price with their airfare.  It also helps that the Berjaya Redang Resort occupies their own private beach surrounded by a bay of shallow waters.  It is located exclusively away from the rest of the resorts in Redang and so offers its guests a certain measure of privacy.

Laguna Redang Island Resort is located along the busier and more famous Long Beach, and the area is shared by several other smaller resorts.  Its redeeming point is that fact that this area is served with several small eateries and shops along the shore line.  Long Beach is also the filming site of the film ‘Summer Holiday’ filmed in 2000 and starring Sammi Cheng and Richie Ren.

Welcome drinks and reception lounge at Berjaya Redang Resort.  The whole resort has a relaxed and rustic feel to it, allowing you to unwind once you step into it. 

We were offered a buggy ride from the reception area to our seaview room.   And so we had the opportunity to have the first sight of the wonderful scenery of Redang island during the short 3 minutes ride.

Berjaya Redang Resort’s Deluxe Garden Suite, sited amid tall coconut trees, greenery and a small pond.  It is just a few steps away from the beach.

Our Berjaya Redang Resort’s Seaview Room.  We were glad that we paid a little bit more to get a sea view room.  This is a totally worthy choice as the balcony is facing the ocean and you get spectacular visions of sunset right from the comforts of your room.

There's a settee next to the balcony and with the same great view.  Ideal for reading and a cup of coffee in the comforts of an air-conditioned room.

The room also comes with a Balcony with deck chairs.  Great for sun-tanning and for some sea breeze.  At other times, this also doubles up as a sunning area for our wet swimming suits.

View of the ocean from the comforts of our balcony.

Spacious chalet-type room with a bath tub in the toilet and sliding windows.

Overall, we enjoyed the room during our stay at Redang. If opportunities arise again, we will definitely come to Redang again for a short getaway!

Read these too!

• Our Flight to Redang on Berjaya Air
• Snorkelling Vacation @ Redang
• Underwater Paradise @ Redang

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Berjaya Air to Redang

Redang . 2010 . Jun 26 - 29

We opted for the easier option of taking Berjaya Air from Seletar Airport to Redang Island. Berjaya Air is the only airline that flies from Singapore to Redang.  A round trip ticket cost SGD$298 per pax, not including airport charges of SGD $49.

Berjaya Air’s turbo propeller aircraft at Seletar Airport.

Ample leg space and a cosy seat.

Window seat near the turbo propellers.  Beware, the propellers do make a lot of noise during take-off, so ear plugs are highly recommended.

A seat on the left hand side of the aircraft allows you to have a preview of Malaysia’s eastern coastline.

Aerial view of Pulau Redang with its bay and lush greenery.

Redang Airport is a small, no-fuss, and open air airport that is served by only a few immigration officers.

Right after we disembarked from our flight and cleared immigration, a mini van from Berjaya Redang Beach Resorts was waiting outside to drive us to our resort.  We were greeted with the sight of a few kampong type houses and goats roaming the driveway.

Read these too!

• Our Stay at Berjaya Redang Resort
• Snorkelling Vacation @ Redang
• Underwater Paradise @ Redang

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Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

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Snorkelling Vacation @ Redang

Redang . 2010 . Jun 26-29 

Pulau Redang, or more commonly known as Redang Island, is one of the largest islands off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.  It belongs to the state of Terengganu and offers ample snorkelling and diving opportunities, white sandy beaches, clear turquoise waters and lots and lots of opportunity for sun-tanning and water activities!

The island is not just a place for recreation but also has an important conservation role to play in terms of marine biodiversity, especially for sea turtles.  This is why the Malaysian government has designated  a Marine Park at Pulau Redang for this purpose.

The simplest and fastest way to get from Singapore to Redang is by air from Singapore’s Seletar Airport to Redang’s airport by Berjaya Air.  Alternatively, a cheaper method will be to take an approximately 11-hour coach ride to Terengganu and transfer to a ferry which takes you on a 1hr 45 min journey to Redang island.

(Footnote: Berjaya Air has shifted their operations from Seletar Airport to Singapore Changi Airport Budget Terminal from 1 November 2010 onwards.)

Read these too!

• Our Flight to Redang on Berjaya Air
• Our Stay at Berjaya Redang Resort
• Underwater Paradise @ Redang

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A & W Restaurant / Jalan Alor

Kuala Lumpur . 2012 . Jan 14-15

Dinner on our first day was at an A&W outlet on the way back to our hotel.  I don’t understand why there are no longer any A&W outlets in Singapore.  We used to enjoy the root beer floats, the waffles and the curly fries back then.  So, while we are in Malaysia, we absolutely had to eat it at least once!  It still tastes as good as I remember it.

Jalan Alor is a street lined with numerous open air food stalls, Chinese restaurants and eateries on both sides of the road.  Once you enter this street, you’ll be amazed at the transformation and the differences between this street and its surrounding shopping malls and high rise buildings.  The food street is bustling with people and activities, with the aroma of BBQ seafood and satay permeating the air.

We tried looking for the famous Wong Ah Wah Grilled Chicken Wings located at Jalan Alor, but to no avail as there were just too many food stalls around.  We walked until the end of the street and there was still no sight of this stall.  We later found out that the ‘end’ we saw was not actually the end of the street, there was a further extension that we did not see.  And so that was how we missed the chance to taste the best and most famous grilled chicken wing in KL.

Read these too!

• Find out more on where we went and what we eat in KL here!
• Read more about our flight from Singapore to KL on Air Asia here!
• Read more about our hotel in KL here!

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Grand Palace Chinese Restaurant Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur . 2012 . Jan 14-15

We had wanted to have lunch at Celadon Royal Thai Cuisine, but it was not ready for business yet at 11 plus am.  So we went to Grand Palace Pavilion just next door for Chinese Dim Sum.

Tip: If you are a tourist, remember to get a copy of your Tourist Reward Card at the information counter.  It gives you some discounts at the participating stores.  We flashed this card at the restaurant and got a free dessert!

This must be one of the best Dim Sum I had in Malaysia.  We ordered the following:

Roast Pork (MYR $16): Fragrant with crispy skin. Recommended

Xiao Long Bao (MYR $6.50):  Though not as good compared to the ones at Imperial Treasure Singapore, it is still one of the better ones around.

Fried Dumplings (MYR $6):  I must admit this differs from the image I had in mind of a fried dumpling, but it is surprisingly tasty and exceeds my expectations. In fact, it was so good, we nearly ordered another plate of it!

Honey Glazed Char Siew Bao (MYR $6.50):  I am not a fan of Baos, but this is not too bad.

Fried Beancurd Skin (MYR $6.80): Forgettable

Wanton Noodles (MYR $8.80):  This is our staple for the meal.  The soup was of good quality and comparable to that at Crystal Jade.

Soya Beancurd (FREE):  This is the free dessert that comes with the tourist reward card.  It didn’t look impressive when served, but wow, it’s the silkiest, smoothest and the best soya beancurd I had ever had.

 

The whole meal cost only MYR $59.60 which means that it cost only about SGD $12 per person after conversion to our currency.  This is definitely good value for a hearty meal of this standard!

Read these too!

• Find out more on where we went and what we eat in KL here!
• Read more about our experiences on Air Asia from Singapore to KL here!

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