Luxury Jungle Living

The article in thestar of 29 March 2008 made me add this to my list of gems. Further details from japamalaresorts

A YTL hotel in Malacca

Another gem as gleaned from thestar of 22 March 2008. Further details from majesticmalacca

Might be gone soon

The write up in thestar of 22 March 2008 on the Fraser's Hills bungalows strikes a sad note. With all the deforestation at the hill resort, I'm not sure there will be a cool place to retreat to in the future. Enjoy while it lasts. Further details from hrhbungalows

Ruen Urai Restaurant, Rose Hotel, Bangkok

The article in thestar of 15 March 2008 explains it all. Other details can be found from rosehotelbkk.

Making a difference

An article appeared in the thestar of 1 March 2008 on responsible tourism. It highlighted a Vietnamese tour company and this is the type of tourism that should be supported by all.

More details buffalotours

Lugu Lake and Zuouo, China

There was an articile that appeared in the the Star of 16 February 2008, on the local community in this part of China.

The pristine, misty scene of the hills and traditional dress of the locals were a draw to me.

Further details can be read from travelchinaguide

One night in Jakarta

This article appeared in Time of 11 February 2008.

Kiky Rifquiaty, 21, student
Start your evening off with drinks at a new outdoor lounge called Segarra, tel: (62-21) 7029 6289, in the Ancol resort area of North Jakarta. You can relax while chilling on a sofa by the sea or on one of the lounge chairs on the deck along the shore. It is best to go in the early evening, at about 5 or 6 p.m., so you can enjoy the wind coming off the sea and the sunset. Segarra's a bit expensive but it's worth it because of the great service and an atmosphere that you won't find anywhere else in Jakarta.

For dinner, I really like Bebek Bali, tel: (62-21) 574 7669, in the Taman Ria Senayan Complex. The concept is somewhere between a gallery and a restaurant and the food is Balinese but with a Jakarta twist. I recommend the bebek goreng kering Legian (sautéed dried Legian duck) with a glass of Smile Ubud punch. For dessert, try the Kebo Edan (crazy buffalo) milkshake. If you have the energy to go on, make the trip over to X2, tel: (62-21) 572 5559, in Plaza Senayan on Jalan Asia Afrika. This club is the latest sensation in South Jakarta. The crowd is the type that loves to see and be seen, and the cocktails are excellent.

Keke Tumbuan, 29, photographer
I'm a big fan of central Jakarta so I would suggest a visit to the Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center, tel: (62-21) 315 4087. You can check out the planetarium, watch a movie or browse the cool bookstore, which sells used English and Indonesian books. After that, grab a coffee at Café Au Lait, tel: (62-21) 3983 5094. This colonial-themed café is new but already has a reputation as one of the coziest and least pretentious places in town. Most customers are creative types and on Thursdays they have a jazz night, when local musicians hold jam sessions.

Not far from there is a great restaurant called Le Bistro, tel: (62-21) 390 9249. Tons of antiques fill the place and there's a piano bar in the middle where you'll find regular customers singing along with the husky-voiced house chanteuse and the brilliant pianist. The variety of French dishes is surprisingly affordable and you even get a rose to take home.

After dinner, make sure you visit the oldest pub in town. The Jaya Pub, tel: (62-21) 3192 5633, has been around for 32 years and is a great place to relax with a beer. It reminds me of pubs in Amsterdam and has a great resident band that mostly plays rock, but also jazz and some Top 40 tunes. It's rough and classy at the same time, if that makes sense. No matter who you are or what kind of music you like, the Jaya Pub is a great place to finish the night.

Hidayat Jati, 38, business development manager
Traffic congestion in Jakarta is merciless, so you often have to consider location more than atmosphere when choosing where to go. Because it's near my office, I frequent Cork and Screw, tel: (62-21) 5290 2030, a bistro cum wine bar in the Kuningan area. It has good food and a great selection of wine, and doesn't cost an arm and leg. The crowd is somewhat yuppie, though not too much. I also go to Casa, tel: (62-21) 719 9289, a little bar and restaurant in Kemang, South Jakarta. It's a haunt of creative types and is trendy but in a restrained way, with mid-20th century furniture and mostly alternative music.

On the rare occasions that I go clubbing, I go to Public, tel: (62-21) 574 5494. It's pretty laid-back as far as nightclubs go, free of the flashy crowd that tends to haunt most of the bars and clubs in South Jakarta.

Toast of Cambodia's coast

There was an article that appeared in the Weekend Mail of 9-10 February 2008 with the above heading. So I was intrigued.

A blurb from sihanoukville-cambodia

Sihanoukville. Cambodia's premier beach resort is growing up. New luxury hotel's and new backpacker guesthouses are appearing daily. The Winter season is in full swing, and temperatures have been recorded as low as 24 degrees Celcius (mid 70's for Americans and British). The beaches and downtown are teeming with tourist. Everybody's having a great New Year in Sihanoukville! (and New Years #2 arrives February for the Chinese and Vietnamese. That's a BIG party week.)

Things to do around town.

There's Sihanoukville's beaches. There's Cambodia. Then there's everything else.

An ancient village comes alive in Sawara, Japan.

The article appeared in thestar of 9th February 2008.

Some highlights:

The scene is the little village of Sawara, preserved like a movie set on the willow-lined banks of the Ono River, a tributary of the majestic Toné River. Sawara is sometimes called “Little Edo”, with a historic precinct housing many old wooden houses and shops virtually unchanged from the Edo period.

Getting there

You can get to Sawara either from Tokyo, or direct from Narita International Airport. From Tokyo, take the JR Sobu Line from Tokyo station, a trip of 90 minutes to two hours. From Narita Airport, JR Narita Line runs to Sawara in about 60 minutes (with a transfer at Narita city). See www.hyperdia.com (clock on “English” at top left) for timetables.

WHERE TO STAY Ryokan Ichiranso, right on the Ono River, about 10 minutes walk from the railway station. Tel +81 478 52 2099. From ¥5,300 (RM160) inclusive of breakfast (mkm0029@yahoo.co.jp).

EVENT Sawara’s summer Matsuri Festival runs from July 11- July 13. The autumn festival is from Oct 10- Oct 12.