Straits Quay, Penang

Welcome to Penang’s first and only seafront retail marina. Fun, food and festivity by the sea. That’s the order of the day at Straits Quay, the newest must-visit destination on the magical Malaysian island of Penang.

Here, seafood brunch on the promenade is served against scenes of sailboats and emerald seas. Go hunting for art and antiques, browse for books and bargains, pick up a sun hat or take a sunset cruise on a water limousine. Over 100 shops, bistros, bars and boutiques look out across the festive marina at the heart of Straits Quay.

The colours of Penang come to life at Straits Quay. Along with permanent attractions such as the Royal Selangor Visitor Center and Penang’s first dedicated Performing Arts Center, Straits Quay is awash with energy and activity during every major festival from Christmas to Chap Goh Mei.

The ground floor 

1st floor

 sources : http://www.straitsquay.com/

Gunung Keriang Recreational Park, Kedah

  Gunung Keriang (Mount Keriang) is a 250 million year old lump of mainly limestone rock which is said to be in the shape of an elephant and reaches a height of 218 meters. It is located about 8 km north-west of Alor Setar close to the Kedah Paddy Museum. It is geologically unique and ten different rocks are found here including attractivecalcite crystals which are much sought after by collectors and fung-shui believers. Like most of Malaysia's limestone formations, the hill is riddled with caves including a larger one known as Gua Keriang. On the south eastern edge of the hill is the Gunung Keriang Recreational Parkwhich has walking trails with concrete railings and viewing gazebos. It is possible to hike up to the summit to obtain good views of the surrounding rice plains.

There is also a children's playground but the area is suffering from a lack of maintenance and the park's signposts and maps are no longer legible. Entrance to the park is free. Next to the recreational park is a street market selling food, clothing and sundry items but there are also a few stalls selling crystals which presumably have been extracted (looted?) from the caves.

A decade or so ago this was a thriving business and coach loads of visitors would descend on the area to purchase or dig for crystals. Sadly this uncontrolled mining activity has largely exhausted the easily accessible rocks and the hill has lost much of its glitz as a result. For some years now a plan has been on the drawing board to turn the whole area into a mega tourist attraction including a water park, train ride, horse riding, mini zoo and so on.

What has been built so far on the western side of the mountain (opposite the Paddy Museum) is a traditional village with 16 houses for accommodation which was finished in 2009 but is still not open to the public. Nearby is a tall lift designed to facilitate access to the main cave via a metal bridge leading into the mountain from the top level of the lift. This also looks complete but according to the security guard, who was not willing for me to approach the cave via the village, it is still not open. 'Maybe in July' he said (2012). Both villages and the lift will be good additions to this attraction. It is hoped they will open soon. The cave must have been great once upon a time with all those crystals glinting in the torch light. Let's hope there is something left to see by the time the lift is finally open to the public.

sources : http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/top-kedah-attractions.html

Gunung Stong State Park, Kelantan

Gunung Stong State Park, Kelantan

Location Info

Address:

Dabong Forest Reseve,

18200 Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Office Number:

+609 748 2140

Location

Gunung Stong, formerly known as Jelawang Jungle is now named as state park since 2005 and is one of the popular eco-tourism in Malaysia. It stands 1.442 metre tall and house many wildlife and flora and fauna. Gunung Stong is located in Dabong, Kelantan.

Overview

Gunung Stong State Park is a forested area, surrounded by many mountain peaks at the backdrop, including Gunung Ayam, Gunung Tera, Gunung Saji and ecetera. By now you would have guessed, the word 'Gunung' means mountain in local language. It holds an area of more than 20,000 hectares, surrounding mountain peaks, rivers and caves. With its dense forest, it house a variety of wildlife, including tigers, elephants, nears and a good variety of birds like hornbills. Unique flora and fauna, including the world's largest flower, rafflesia can also be found. Apart from that, the Stong Waterfalls is believed to be the highest waterfalls in Sourtheast Asia region, standing about 495 meters above sea level. Gunung Stong State Park is truly the place for adventures lover.

After a fruitful trek at the jungle and a refreshing bath at Jelawang Jungle, you can drop by Kelantan town for some wholesome nasi kukus, the hot steaming white rice accompanied by rich curry. To pull a night at Kelatan town, there are many Kelantan Hotel available, such as Crown Garden Hotel and Renaissance Hotel which offers comfortable accommodation with reasonable price.

Transportation:

By Road

Coming from Kuala Lumpur, you can take the North-South Highway and exist at Kuala Kangsar. From there, follow Gerik and head on to East-West highway to Jeli. From there, head towards Dabong.

By Train

At KL Sentral Station, board the express train to Kota Bahru, and it will lead you through small towns including Dabong. Get off at Dabong and cross Sungei Galas and head towards Jelawang, which is approximately 3km away.

                                                                           

                                                                                    SOURCE BY : www.attractionsinmalaysia.com 

Aroma Ikan Bakar @ Jeram Kula Selangor

When it comes to seafood, Kuala Selangor has quite a number of delicious and cheap seafood joints, scattered along the coastline. Located in  Pantai Jeram, Kuala Selangor, Aroma Ikan Bakar is a store that provides a wide variety of seafood and delicious dishes.

Address : Jalan Jati, Pantai Jeram

       45800 Jeram, Selangor

  No Tel : 019-2084452/071-3163117

resouce http://www.kualaselangor.biz/index.php/reviews/local-delicacies/ikanbakar