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A few days ago, I took a bus from Johor Bahru CIQ or alternatively called JB Sentral to Johor Premium Outlets ( JPO ). The first thing that I did before the trip was to check the bus time schedule on the JPO’s website. When I arrived at JB Sentral bus station, I noted that the time table as stated in the JPO’s website was not updated. There was a new bus time schedule pasted on the bus bay No. 6. The bus number that goes to Johor Premium Outlets was JPO1 and there were only a handful of people taking this bus – perhaps became it was a weekday. The bus driver told me that the bus fare was RM4-50 for a single trip; therefore a return trip would cost RM9. The bus was new and clean but the air-conditioned was not strong enough as it was a hot sunny day. The bus ride was smooth and it stopped and picked up passengers along the way at designated bus stops.

This is the bus that goes to JPO

The bus journey from JB Sentral to Johor Premium Outlets took about one hour. I alighted at JPO’s bus bay and I saw that there was a wide open space car park right next to it. The entire place looked spacious and looked almost resort liked. There were literally hundreds of Malaysian registered cars parked at the car park during that day. I saw many locals as I walked along the outdoor pavement between stores. There were many designer brand stores in the JPO and many of the items were on sale – the discount range from 20 – 70%. Some of my friends told me that the prices of the merchandise in JPO are not cheap; well I think price and value is something subjective and personal. Still there is a good crowd of shoppers during that day looking for good bargain.

The JPO1 bus is clean and new

The updated bus time schedule

There is a food court and a few restaurants in the JPO. It would be nice if the management could invite fast food chain such as Macdonald’s, Pizza Hut or KFC to operate there. The food court was air-conditioned but not all the stalls were taken up. Then there is also a Coffee joint, a Japanese restaurant and a Chinese restaurant. For those who need a rest, there were plenty of benches along the rows of shop outlets; but as the benches were placed outdoor, the heat can be quite unbearable if it is a hot sunny day. If you need to cool off, then you need to step inside any of the shops which are air-conditioned.

Wide Open Space at JPO

I took about 2 hours to browse through the various shops selling a wide variety of merchandise; there were a few shops which I skipped. Thereafter, I walked to the bus bay and took the bus back to JB Sentral. Personally, I would not be visiting this place as often I have visited other malls in Johor Bahru. That is because, JPO is mainly a mall for selling clothes, bags and fashion accessories which I have no interest in it. I don’t see the need to travel so far just to buy a pair of good shoes or shirt. If  the management of JPO can build another mainstream shopping mall next to it, then I would be keen in visiting this place.

One of the fashion outlet in JPO

Coach Shop in JPO

Designer shoes and bags outlet in JPO

This is Part 2 of the photos of Melaka Trip 2011. A friend of mine just came back from Melaka and he told me that the place was crowded especially in Jonker Street. I told him to avoid going there during the school holiday season. The months of November to December are always the time when parents would bring their kids for holidays; and Melaka is one of the easiest and favorite place to visit for the Singaporeans.

I notice that a lot of buildings and houses in Melaka are painted in red. Red must be the auspicious color; and indeed many Chinese consider the color red as lucky. Personally I do not liked the stay in a home painted red. I find that it is too bright and glaring. There is a hotel called Aldy Hotel in Stadhuys which is near the river and historical site and it is painted totally red.  If you looked carefully, even the airconditioned compressors are painted in paprika red – which I think is quite awful. Anyway one man’s food or delight is another man’s poision, so to speak. The Aldy hotel location is really good as you can walked to Jonker Street, visit historical sites and shopping malls nearby. If you don’t mind staying in a simple and comfortable hotel with good location, then this is the place.

Aldy Hotel in Stadhuys Melaka

I liked the decorated doors of some of the historical shops along Jonker Street. It is artistic and is liked having Chinese calligraphy art on the main door.  You can also see a signage written in Chinese on top of the main door. I asked a friend of mine and she told me that the Chinese characters are the surnames or names of the family staying in that home.

Beautiful Chinese Calligraphy Door and Windows in Jonker Street Melaka

Beautiful Chinese Calligraphy Door and Windows in Melaka

The Stadhuys Museum Complex is a historical building that was built in 1641 to 1656 and it is also painted red. Back in the old days, it was formally used by the Governor as his residence. Now it is a museum. The Christ Church was built in 1753 and it is the oldest Prostestant Church in Malaysia. I understand that it took about 12 years to build this church; and it is constructed without joints. And again, it is painted red, naturally. The Church does not allow taking of photos inside their premises. The Christ Church is a beautiful historical church and it is just next to the Stadhuys Museum.

Stadhuys Melaka

Christ Church Melaka

As I continued walking along this historical site, I saw a few antique canons rested on the old brick walls.  There is nothing much too see beside the old canons which is facing the river. Most tourists would simply take photos and move along. These old canons reminds me of the poem from Lord Tennyson – The Charge of the Light Brigade. I used to read his poems in my younger days. Here is an excerpt of it -

“Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.”

Historical Walls and Canons in Melaka

Historical Walls and Canons in Melaka

And near to antique canons, there is also a watermill and it is called The Melaka Sultanate Watermill. It was built quite recently in 2007 and it is the largest watermill in Malaysia.The cost of building this mill is RM1.5 million and it stand at 13 meter. The building of this watermill was based on Islamic technology. At the time when I was there, the watermill was not moving at all.

The Melaka Sultanate Watermill

And as I walked along the river, there is a huge old ship which is called the Replica of Flor De Lamar. It is a replica of the Portugese galleon and you need to buy a ticket in order to visit this exhibition.

Replica of Flor De Lamar in Melaka

For shopping, I visited the Dataran Pahlawan Megamall and the Mahkota Parade Mall – both of them are near to Holiday Inn Hotel. These 2 malls are very spacious but they don’t have a supermarket as an anchor tenant. I would normally buy beers and snacks and would consumed them in my hotel room in the night while watching TV; and the best place to buy beer and snacks is the supermarket. Anyway, I couldn’t find any shop selling beers in Dataran Pahlawan Megamall and also in Mahkota Parade Mall. There are plenty of fast food outlets over here, so you will never go hungry.

Mahkota Parade Mall in Melaka

Dataran Pahlawan Megamall Melaka

Dataran Pahlawan Megamall Melaka

That is the end of my photos of Melaka trip for the year 2011. I will put up more photos of Melaka when I visit Melaka next year in 2012. Many thanks for taking your time to visit my blog.

Just visited a new mall in the eastern part of Singapore and it is called the Changi City Point Mall. This brand new mall is located just next to the Singapore Expo MRT.  So those residents staying in the Eastern part of Singapore have a new mall to visit and do their shopping. What I liked about this mall is that it is very spacious and designed friendly for the shoppers. Unlike the Tampines Mall which is very cramped with shops and kiosks making walking so difficult for shoppers, this new mall is really spacious and there are plenty of seats on each floor if you need to rest.

Changi City Point Mall

Changi City Point Mall is very spacious

The Changi City Point Mall has a roof top garden, playground, an outdoor amphitheatre, landscaped garden and two food courts. There are plenty of food outlets and restaurants. I saw  a few factory outlets for branded clothes and shoes. There is a Cold Storage supermarket, Watsons and Guardian Pharmacy as well. The only complain that I have is the washroom, which I think is too small. Shoppers may have to queue up to use the washroom if the mall is crowded. The shops in the mall have not been totally leased; so there are pockets of empty stores here and there. I do hope to see more shops selling different merchandise and less food outlets and restaurants; otherwise it would be just another boring mall.

Changi City Point Mall - Lots of food outlets and restaurants in this mall

Changi City Point Mall - Roof top garden

I would definitely visit Changi City Point Mall again; especially when I am in Singapore Expo to visit an exhibition. This mall is definitely a nice place to relax, shop and have a meal.

Changi City Point Mall - Lots of trees and plants around this mall.

Changi City Point Mall

This year theme for the Christmas light-up in Singapore is about elephants. I was at Orchard Road on a Saturday evening and it was crowded with people. As I was walking along the pavements, I could see statues of elephants on display outside the malls. The elephants theme was chosen in support for the protection of elephants around the world. I think the elephant statues were really beautiful – every one of them is unique and colorful. These colorful elephants will be on displayed and eventually be auctioned off in a private auction in Janauary 2012, with some of the proceeds going to The Asian Elephant Foundation and Wildlife Reserves Singapore Conservation Fund.

Personally, I liked the blue elephant as it is very stylish and artistic. The green elephant is also very attractive as it has flowers, animals and green grass painted on its body. If you have the time, take some time to view all these elephants before they are gone. There are lots of people taking photos with these elephants especially on weekends; so you have to be patient to get good shots of these colorful elephants.

I liked this Blue Elephant.

Colorful Painted Elephant

Artistic Elephant Statue

Beautiful Elephant Statue

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I went to try out a chicken rice food outlet in City Square Johor Bahru. The name of the shop was called The Chicken Rice Shop – which is a chain of hahal chicken rice food outlets in Malaysia and Singapore. This Chicken Rice Shop served chicken in many styles – steamed, braised, BBQ and roasted; and besides chicken, there are many other types of food that are also available in the menu – such as beef stew, vegetables, curry chicken, tofu and even wanton noodles. The shop was rather crowded that day as it was a public holiday but I was still able to get a table within minutes.

Roasted Chicken DrumstickChinese Vegetable Soup

When I looked at the menu, I saw that it was more value for money if I ordered the set meal instead of choosing from the Ala Carte Menu. So I placed an order for a Noodle Meal ( RM14) and a Chicken Rice meal (RM15). Both of these meals came with a free drink, 2pcs Nyonya Pai Tee and a desert; but the Chicken Rice set came with an additional free soup of the day and Ipoh Bean Sprouts. I have made a change from normal chicken portion to a drumstick chicken which cost an additional RM1. In addition I had also ordered a bowl of Saito Fish balls and a bowl of Special Penang Chai Boay ( spicy mixed vegetables).

The photos that I have taken didn’t turned out to be very clear – I was using an Apple Iphone to shoot it. Anyway, the roasted chicken was quite lean and tasty. The chicken rice was rather average. I did not enjoyed the noodles – the noodles were rather sloggy and the chicken meat was hard to chew.  The bean sprouts was slightly overcooked and taste sweet ( MSG or sugar added ). The Saito fish balls was just average – I definitely have eaten better Saito fish balls in Malaysia. The best food that I liked the most was the bowl of Special Penang Chai Boay ( spicy mixed vegetables). The vegetable soup was spicy,sour and hot – it was rather unique in flavor.  The free soup of the day was a vegetable soup – quite pleasant. The 2 pcs of Nyonya Pai Tee was cold but crispy – nice but not worth ordering extra. And lastly the free desert was simply a simple mixed fruit cocktail which you can also buy from the local supermarket.

Special Penang Chai Boay

Penang Hot and Sour Mixed Vegetables soup

If I do come again to The Chicken Rice Shop, I know what to order – just the Chicken rice set meal and the bowl of Special Penang Chai Boay ( spicy mixed vegetables). Perhaps I would also try out the wanton noodles, Gado Gado and Laksa.

Nyonya Pai Tee

Cocktail Fruit Desert

Curry Chicken Noodles

Sliced Green Chilli

Red Chilli Sauce and Ginger Sauce

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A friend of mine had asked me to put up some photos of my recent Melaka trip with brief comments on my blog. I think this is a good idea and I hope that my friends would enjoy browsing through it.

The first photo would be appropriately be the coach that I took from Singapore to Melaka. There are many coach companies offering this service – from basic to more luxurious coach. Choose what you need. There are coach that takes you directly to you hotel instead of the Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal. Personally, I still prefer to drop in at the bus terminal as I can take the opportunity to do some shopping at Tesco and Jusco Mall.

Coach ( Bus ) departing from Singapore to Melaka

Melaka Bus Sentral Terminal - Buy your coach tickets from these booths.

The Melaka Bus Sentral Terminal is also a shopping mall. Lots of food stalls including Macdonald's.

Walk to Tesco Mall using this overhead bridge from Melaka Bus Sentral

The Tesco and Jusco Mall are within walking distance of the Melaka Bus Terminal. You have to cross the overhead bridge from the bus terminal to reach Tesco Mall. Tesco Mall is a rather old mall but it does have many interesting stores inside. The Jusco Mall is about 10 minutes walk away from Tesco, it is a relatively new mall and very spacious. Jusco is the anchor tenant and packed with shoppers during the weekend.

Tesco Mall is a nice place to have a meal as it is not too crowded.

There is a Popular Book Store, Kluang Station Coffee, Marybrown, First Lady Boutique etc in Tesco Mall.

The Jusco Mall in Melaka is a new mall and is more crowded with shoppers. It is very spacious and the washrooms are huge.

Kids get to play in this large playground at the Atrium of Jusco Mall Melaka

Jusco - A nice place to browse and shop at Jusco Mall Melaka

Taxi Stand is on the ground floor near the Supermarket Exit to carpark. Supermarket is on the left, the food court is on the right; and there is an exit door to open space carpark near the washrooms.

Stayed in Marvelux Hotel. New hotel but in a remote location. You need a taxi to get around.

Jonker Walk is the Chinatown in Melaka.

Jonker Street is a must visit place when you are in Melaka. Lots of shops selling all kinds of food and items.

One of the many shops in Jonker Walk.

Temple at Jonker Street. There are a few temples along Jonker Walk.

Dragon Figurine

Buffalo Figurine

Body Builder Figurine

This is the figurine of Datuk Wira Gan Boon Leong. You can see the engraved words – Mr Universe, Mr. Asia, Mr Malaysia and Mr. Melaka. A Champion Body builder from a humble background. Understand that he is now a local politician and a community leader in Melaka. So if you intend to build solid muscles, just head down to Datuk Gan Boon Leong’s Gym.

Figurine of Body Builder in Melaka

Boon Leong International Gym Melaka

There are lots of old traditional Chinese houses in Melaka. Really Beautiful and Artistic.

This is the Hokkien Huay Kuan that is located in Jonker Walk Melaka. A really beautiful and artistic place. It is hard to find such  beautiful and traditional architecture place nowadays. Hokkien is a Chinese dialect and Huay Kuan means Association or Clan. So this the Hokkien Clan or Association.

Even the walls of the traditional house is so well decorated. It is located along Jonker Walk.

Hokkien Huay Kuan in Melaka

Hokkien Huay Kuan in Melaka

You can also take a river cruise along this river.

I will put up more photos of Melaka later on when I have the time. For those who enjoy viewing the photos, I would liked to say – Thank you.

When I reached Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal, it was already 1 pm in the afternoon. I decided to take my lunch but was undecided on what to eat. There were many food outlets in the Melaka Sentral bus terminal; but then I wanted to try some western and local food at the same time. I then decided that my choice of restaurant would be the Kluang Station Coffee. So I walked out of the bus terminal towards the overhead bridge which brought me to Tesco Hypermarket. This Tesco Hypermarket mall is a smaller and older mall as compared to the Jusco Mall which is also nearby. As I entered the Mall, it was not crowded at all. There was a small number of shoppers in the mall; but when I went to Tesco, the hypermarket was packed with customers. I guessed most of the shoppers here would just go to Tesco to buy their groceries and necessity.

Tesco Hypermart Mall in Melaka

The restaurant that I have chosen to have my lunch was Kluang Station Coffee. It is a famous local coffee shop with many chain outlets in Malaysia. It is supposed to serve one of the best local hainanese coffee and tea. It is also famous for its toast bread and kaya spread. My order was toast bun, Hainanese chicken chop, Saito fish ball with bean sprouts and a coke. I didn’t order their famous coffee as I was so thirsty for a cold sizzling drink. The restaurant was spacious with ample empty tables available, despite the lunch time crowd. My food was served in about 15 minutes and I noticed that the chicken chop came in quite a generous portion covered with gravy, green peas, fries and cucumber.

Kluang Station Coffee in Melaka

The toast bun was good though the kaya spread was a liitle too sweet for me. The butter bun was more suitable for me; the only complain was that the bun was too small – more suited for small kids. The Hainanese chicken chop was warm and not sizzling hot. I would prefer the chicken chop to be hot ( freshly deep fried ) and then served with the toppings of gravy and vegetables. The gravy was sweet as it was a tomato sauce based gravy – in fact I felt that the gravy was too sweet. I don’t really enjoy eating the chicken chop because it was served warm and the sweet gravy. The Saito fishball soup was good and there was a generous portion of bean sprouts in the soup. Personally I think the Saito fish ball soup was better than the chicken chop.

Toast Butter Bun - Kluang Station Coffee

I understand from my friend that the Kluang Station coffee also served  delicious Nasi Lemak and Laksa; perhaps I would try them out when I am backed in Melaka again. There are also plenty of food outlets and restaurants in Jusco. Jusco is just about 10 minutes walk from the Tesco Hypermarket. But the problem is that there is no proper pavement for pedestrains to walk. Sometimes I have to walk along the side of the main road and then hop on back to the pavement. I simply don’t understand why the Melaka local government cannot put up a proper pavement to link the 2 malls together – they should consider putting up a covered walkway for pedestrians linking the 2 malls.

Kaya Bun at Kluang Station Coffee

Kluang Station Coffee - Hainanese Chicken Chop

Kluang Station Coffee - Saito Fish Ball Soup with Bean Sprouts.

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I went to Bei Zhan restaurant for dinner while I was in Melaka. As I was staying in Marvelux hotel, I just walked along the pavement and reached there within 15 minutes. If you are staying elsewhere in Melaka, just booked a cab and most of the cab drivers know the location of this restaurant. The exterior of the restaurant is totally white; a two storey building with a colonial facade. As I was early – I arrived at the restaurant at 6.30pm, the restaurant was quiet and the first impression was that this restaurant was spacious and new. There were lots of staff staying there and most of the tables were still empty. The walls and pillars were white in color, the tables and chairs were white, the window frames were white; and I liked the high ceiling of this building.

Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka

An elderly lady came and took my order and surprisingly the food were served within 15 minutes. After tasting the food, I would say that the food was good; just liked home cooked meal but it was not great. The thing I liked about the food here was that the ingredients were definitely fresh. The prawns, mushrooms, fish and vegetables were all very fresh. Overall the dish that I liked the most was the sliced fish in curry gravy. I did not expect that a Chinese restaurant could prepared such a wonderful curry fish dish. The curry gravy was so good that I had to order another bowl of plain rice just to finish up the curry gravy. The Fried Prawns with Macadamia Nut was rather unique and it was very tasty as well. The Macadamia Nut was fresh and crunchy. I ordered a total of 3 dishes in medium size serving and it was sufficient for 2 persons. The desert was free and the Chinese tea that was served in a pot was nice as well.

Assorted Vegetables with Mushrooms - Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka

I was lucky that I arrived at the restaurant early because by the time it was 7.30pm, the restaurant was totally packed with customers; the empty tables were all taken up. The total bill for my dinner was about RM80 ( if  I could recall correctly ). The price of this dinner for 2 persons was not cheap but it was worthwhile. Personally, the Bei Zhan restaurant is worth a return trip when I am back in Melaka again. But this time, I will try to go there during the weekdays – so that it would not be so crowded. I would definitely want to order the sliced fish in curry gravy again.

Very Fresh Prawns - Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka

Sliced Fish in Curry Gravy - Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka

Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka - Very Delicious Curry Fish

Free Desert - Bei Zhan Restaurant in Melaka

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When I was traveling to Melaka, I took a coach from Singapore to Melaka. There were in fact two alternatives – First, take a coach from Singapore and disembarked in a hotel in Melaka; or take a coach which will bring me to Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal. I had decided on the latter, as I wanted to see the Melaka Bus Terminal and also buy my return ticket back to Singapore. I took the coach that departed from Singapore at about 9 in the morning and then arrived in Melaka at about 12-30 pm – just nice to have lunch at the bus terminal. The journey was smooth but this coach that I took did not have a stopover for toilet break. If you do need to have a toilet break in between the journey, then you have to book coach from companies that provides a stopover.

Booths of Bus Companies at Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal

The Melaka Sentral bus terminal was relatively spacious in size. Once the coach reached the station and parked at the bay, I asked the bus driver for the counter number of the company so that I could booked my return ticket. Once I stepped inside the terminal, there were rows of coach companies offering different routes to many places from this bus terminal. It would be advisable to book your ticket for your departure trip early especially during the peak season such as public and school holidays – as booking tickets are sold out quite fast. In fact, the return ticket was sold out for the afternoon slot and I have to book a ticket from another coach company. It was cheaper to buy a coach ticket in Melaka Sentral as I paid for it in Ringgit rather than in Singapore dollars.

Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal

The first thing that I had noticed was that the Melaka Sentral was in fact a mini shopping mall itself. There were plenty of shops and small kiosks selling a variety of merchandise and food. Thw whole place was bustling with activities and there were hundreds of travelers just liked me walking and browsing through the mall. There is a area where you can take a cab from Melaka Sentral to the main town or alternatively, you could also take the local bus – the local bus terminal is also located inside the Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal. But I wanted to visit the Tesco Mall just opposite the bus terminal. So I walked to the overhead bridge and crossed over; the Tesco Mall was about 5 minutes walk away. After visiting the Tesco Mall, I walked about 10 minutes to the Jusco Mall; which was quite close to the Tesco Mall. Personally, I prefer the Jusco Mall, as it was new and spacious. After all the shopping, I took a taxi from Jusco Mall to Melaka town.

Choose a slipper - Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal

The thing that I don’t liked about Melaka is the taxi ( cab ) service. Most of the cabs were worn out or old vehicles; and most annoying part was that the cab drivers do not use the cab meters to calculate the exact fare. Everytime I booked a cab, it is always RM$15 or more. Even for a short traveling distance of 5 minutes, it is always RM15.  I felt that the Melaka local government should stepped in and addressed this problem. Otherwise, everytime you took a cab, you cannot  helped but felt that you have been ripped off. There were many occasions when I choose to walk or alternatively took the local bus. However if there are shopping bags to carry, then I would take a cab.

The Melaka Sentral bus terminal is a convenient transportation hub for traveling to and from Melaka. All the coach companies were located in one convenient place , so it was easy to book a ticket to travel to any destination in Malaysia and Singapore. Just ignore the touts who may try to sell to you their services. If there is an improvement that they could make that could be – to make the local bus service more easily to understand for travelers. Perhaps they could make a large board with the destinations such as tourist spots and hotels and indicate the bus numbers besides it. In that way, the travelers would know which bus to take to reach their destinations in Melaka town.

Tesco Mall is just opposite the Melaka Sentral Bus Terminal

When I was in Melaka, I took the opportunity to try out the chicken rice balls at a restaurant in Jonker Street. I am not a fan of chicken rice balls because the rice balls are quite hard and it is almost tasteless. Personally, I still prefer the chicken rice that are selling in Singapore because the rice is fragrant, soft and fluffy. The distinct advantage of eating chicken rice balls is that it is not oily at all; unlike the normal chicken rice that is normally oily in nature. Anyway, there are many chicken rice food outlets in Melaka, and I have chosen the so called famous chicken rice shop in Jonker Street. It was chosen not because the food is that great, but because I enjoy the ambience of this restaurant.

Chicken Rice Balls Restaurant in Jonker Street Melaka

I have chosen 2 individual plate of chicken rice balls – a white chicken and a roasted chicken rice ball set meal. Besides that, I have also ordered a bowl of fish ball soup. If you do not liked chicken rice balls, there is also the normal chicken rice that is available. The chicken rice balls that were served were lukewarm in temperature. That is a turn off for me; as I prefer rice that is hot. There were 5 chicken rice balls in each individual plate. Though the rice balls looked small, it is definitely sufficient for most of us. I have seen people ordering additional chicken rice balls and not being able to finish it later. There is really not need to order so much rice balls because it would be better to order other side dishes such as vegetables, wanton or fish ball soup.

Chicken Rice Balls with White Chicken

The chicken that were served were reasonable in quantity and taste. There is nothing great about it and as I had mentioned earlier, I still think the best chicken rice is in Singapore. I really enjoyed the fish ball soup as it was simply delicious. I could taste and smell the fish as I put in it my mouth; and that is what fish balls should be. The red chilli sauce that was given was also very nice – strong and distinctive in taste. The lemon and lime juice that were served came in a small plastic cup with more ice than juice was a complete let down – I should have just ordered coke instead. The price that I paid for a meal for 2 was less than RM25.

Chicken Rice Balls with Roasted Chicken

When I do return to Melaka again on my next visit, I intend to try out other chicken rice balls outlet – hopefully the taste and food variety offered would be different. There are also chicken rice balls food outlets outside Jonker Street. I have seen one of them in a coffee shop which was also quite crowded during lunch time. Perhaps this coffee shop served delicious chicken rice balls and I would try it on my next visit.

Delicious Fish Balls Soup

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I went for a short trip to Melaka recently and stayed in the new Marvelux hotel for 2 nights. This hotel is located along Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz and is quite close to the popular Bei Zhan restaurant – about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. There are quite a number of taxi drivers who does not know the exact location of this new hotel and this was the problem that I faced during my stay there. So I told them that it was near Bei Zhan restaurant and at the traffic light junction of this restaurant, just turn right and drive straight – the stretch of reclaimed land is on the left and the hotel is on the right – facing the reclaimed land.

Marvelux Hotel Melaka - Hotel Lobby

Marvelux is a small boutique hotel with about 100 rooms. The check in was smooth though it would be nice if the staff at the counter could perhaps smile more, be friendlier and  looked less stern. The lobby was quite spacious and the theme colors were orange, white and green; which I felt that it was nice and soothing. I have booked the normal superior room for my 2 nights stay in this hotel. The superior room was small but there was sufficient space to put your luggages and to move about in the room. The unique feature of the room was the spacious balcony where there was a nice view of the sea. It would be better if the hotel could placed a small table and 2 chairs on the balcony; so that the hotel guests could sit and relaxed on the balcony during the evening. The toilet was small but it was clean and there were only basic toiletries given. So do remember to bring your own toiletries when staying in this hotel. There was a kettle and some tea/coffee bags but there was no mini fridge in the room. The bed and pillows were clean and comfortable; and there was also a LCD TV mounted on the wall facing the bed.

Hotel Lobby at Marvelux Hotel

At the moment there was only one restaurant in this hotel and it is called The Windmill Station Western Food restaurant which served western and local food. So if you do not wished to walk or take a cab to go elsewhere to eat, then this is the only place where you could have your meal. Because surrounding this hotel there was practically nothing – no cafe or restaurant, no shops, no malls; just empty reclaimed land. Taking a cab was also a problem as there was hardly any cab around – you need to ask the hotel staff at the counter to book a cab for you. The mimimun charge even for a short distance is RM$15. Alternatively, just walked to Bei Zhan restaurant, and along the stretch of road next to this restaurant, there are a few food outlets over there. I have tried walking from Marvelux hotel to Jonker Street and it took me about 40 minutes to reach there. Along the way while I was walking, I am able to see lots of interesting small shops selling many variety of items and food. But be prepared to sweat it out as it can be quite a hot and perspiring experience.

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Superior Room at Marvelux Hotel Melaka

On the whole I find Marvelux hotel is nice place to stay. The only problem is the remote location of this hotel and there aren’t any shops around. I guess it would take another few years before the surrounding empty land are being developed. For those who drive to Melaka, this is a good place to stay. For those who don’t drive, it would be better to stay in hotels near Mahkota mall or Jonker Street.

Marvelux Hotel Melaka - Superior Room

Marvelux Hotel Melaka - Bathroom

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I followed my friend to Gleneagles Medical Centre in Singapore, as she was there for a routine medical checkup at a private clinic located in this hospital building. This hospital is located at Napier Road which is quite close to Orchard Road. If you are taking public transport, the cheapest and easiest way is to take a bus. There is a bus stop just outside the hospital entrance and also directly at the opposite road. So if you are going there via Orchard Road, watch out for British Council on the left, you can alight at the next bus stop and just cross over using the overhead bridge. If you are traveling by bus via Holland Road, then looked out for Singapore Botanical Garden. Just alight after you see the Singapore Botanical Garden on your left and the bus stop is just at the entrance of Gleneagles Medical Centre.

Gleneagles Medical Centre Singapore

The Gleneagles Medical Centre is a private hospital in Singapore under the Parkway Health Group. When someone mentioned the word private hospital, you can be assured that it is going to be expensive if you are seeking treatment there. There are lots of private specialist clinics in this hospital and most of the patients are there to seek specialist consultation and treatments for their ailments. These private clinics are not directly under the administration of the hospital; but are privately owned clinics set up by specialist doctors. Anyway my friend is there for a routine medical check up and her appointment was on a Saturday morning. I asked her why did she choose to come here for a routine check up when such a simple procedure could be done in any Polyclinic or Government hospital in Singapore. She told me that this specialist doctor in this clinic is good ( attentive, professional and polite ). Well I am sure that if you are going to pay 3 to 5 times the normal rate, then you will get VIP treatment. It is just liked going to a hawker centre to eat chicken rice which cost $6 or in a nice restaurant in a Five star hotel which would cost $25. And most people I know hate to go to Polyclinics or public hospitals in Singapore because of the long queue and waiting time just to see the doctor. Also many people have the perception that the drugs that are given to patients at public hospitals are of a lower quality.

Gleneagles Medical Centre Singapore

We arrived at the private clinic on time and it was a nice place – quiet, carpeted floor and with nice leather sofa seats. The staff at the clinic was polite and after a short waiting time, it was my friend’s turn to see the doctor. She was in the doctor’s consultation room for about 20 minutes – that is quite a long time for consultation. I remembered visiting the Polyclinic many years ago and the young doctor at the Polyclinic only gave me a five minutes consultation and a medical leave chit, and was told to wait outside to pick up my medicine. So I guessed cheap medical care means cheap and fast service. When the consultation was over, the nurse told my friend to wait for a medical report that would be ready in a couple of days. The cost of this check up was S$280 and to my friend it was worth it.

Gleneagles Medical Centre Singapore

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The Palelai Buddhist Temple is located at 49 Bedok Walk which is opposite the Simpang Bedok Post Office. The last time I visited this temple was more than 10 years ago; and so I have decided on a update visit on this Thai temple. I wanted to try going to this temple by using public transport to see whether it is easily accessible. I took a train and alight at Tanah Merah MRT station and thereafter took bus No. 9 and alighted at the second bus stop. Beside this bus stop are rows of shop houses which consist of mainly food outlets. I walked straight and saw the road sign ‘Bedok Walk’ and turned left and walked up the slope. After a short walk up the slope, I saw the Palelai Buddhist temple straight ahead of me. So it is very easy to visit this temple even by using public transport.

Palelai Buddhist Temple

The Palelai Buddhist temple is located in a unique location – as it is surrounded by residential landed homes. I was surprised that even in a normal Thursday afternoon, there was a continuous stream of visitors coming to this temple.  When I entered the main entrance, the first building that was facing me was the Arahant’s hall. Inside the Arahant’s hall there are golden figures of monks. The word Arahant refers to someone who is pure. There are signage to inform visitors on appropriate attire for ladies and men; and also to remove your shoes before entering the temple or hall.

The Arahant Hall at Palelai Buddhist Temple

Just outside the Arahant hall building is the Four Face Buddha Statue. I understand that the Four Face Buddha is a deity and not the Lord Budhha itself. Nevertheless, this deity is very popular as many people would pray to this Buddha for their wishes to come true. The Four Face Buddha has literally 4 faces facing four different directions. Each of the Four Face Buddha also represents a different element – The Face of Health and Peace, The Face of Prosperity and Good Fortune, the Face of a Good Relationships and the Face of Protection against harm and evils. So when I prayed to the Four Face Buddha, I am in fact seeking the blessings for all these elements. No wonder so many people from all walks of life would pray and seek the blessing from the Four Face Buddha.

The Lord Buddha - Palelai Buddhist Temple

On the left ( from the main entrance ) is the main hall of the Palelai Buddhist Temple. Before entering the main hall, I saw 2 large statue lions guarding the temple. Inside the main hall, I saw a large Golden Budhha in the center and a smaller size Buddha statue on the left and right side of the hall. At that time I saw quite a number of devotees praying in the main hall. Right above the main door of the main hall, there is a large mural that hangs on top of it. This mural depicts the many devotees coming together to pray to the Lord Buddha. There is a small entrance in the main hall that leads to the Founder’s Memorial Hall. Over there, I saw a monk sprinkling holy water and giving blessings to those devotees who were awaiting for this ceremony.

Four Face Buddha - Palelai Buddhist Temple

There is a Chedi in this Palelai Buddhist temple that is typical of a Thai styled design. There are significant meaning to this special design Chedi. The Chedi consists of 3 sections – the lower section of 8 circular rings, a bell shaped dome, a spire of 13 rings and finally a lotus bud that is protected by an umbrella. If you are keen to find out the meaning of the Chedi and want to find out more information on this temple, just visit their website at the link below -

Palelai Buddhist Temple in Singapore

The Palelai Buddhist temple is indeed a beautiful Thai temple. It has a peaceful and  relaxing atmosphere; and I get to see beautiful images of Buddha, statues of Arahant and lions, beautiful murals and the popular Four Face Buddha. I do hoped that the management of this temple could looked into putting up information board or signage, so that visitors can read and have a better understanding of this temple.

Beautiful Mural - Palelai Buddhist Temple

Palelai Buddhist Temple

Palelai Buddhist Temple

Whenever I am in Kuala Lumpur, there are 2 modes of public transport I would normally used throughout my trip – the taxi ( cab ) and the Light Rail Transit ( LRT ) train. I would used the taxi whenever I am carrying my luggage, for example from the bus station to my hotel; or when I am carrying a number of shopping bags. Taking a cab is also more convenient if you are accompanying elderly people as they may have problems walking or squeezing through a crowded train. On the whole, I would take the LRT more than cab because it is safe, cheap and convenient mode of transport.

Route Map for the LRT in Kuala Lumpur

The first thing that you can do if you are using the LRT in Kuala Lumpur is to get a tourist guide book. This free tourist guide book can be easily obtained from Malaysia Tourism Office, at the information counter in the Airport and sometimes in good hotels in Kuala Lumpur. The guide book normally would have a route guide and map of the LRT system in Kuala Lumpur. The different routes are differentiate by different colors; and it would also indicate the LRT interchanges where you can take connecting trains to different places in Kuala Lumpur. So if you intend to use the LRT daily while staying in Kuala Lumpur, it would be wise to select and stay in a hotel that is near a LRT station.

Ampang Park LRT Station In Kuala Lumpur

You can take the LRT train from 6 am in the morning onwards and the last train is normally at 11 pm to 12 midnight. When you are in the LRT station and is not sure on how much to pay or the connecting route  to your destination, go to the control station and seek the help of the staff over there. Most of the staff are able to speak reasonable good English. During peak hours, the LRT trains are quite crowded and you have to squeeze yourself into the train. However the train frequency is higher during the peak hours – so the waiting time is about 5 minutes interval. During off peak hours, the waiting time for the train is approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

LRT Station in Kuala Lumpur

The LRT system in Kuala Lumpur used either the 2 car or 4 car train. Most of time I would see the 4 car train in operation. The 4 car train can accommodate more people and there are 32 seats in each car. So each set of 4 car train can transport about 800 people as compared to half of this amount in a 2 car train. In the 4 car train there are priority seats for the elderly, the pregnant ladies, young kids etc. There is also an area for disabled person on wheel chair to ride the train safely.  My view is the the LRT train in Kuala Lumpur is definitely value for money when you need to travel around in this city. But I do hope that the government and LRT operators would upgrade the service and system by having more newer trains and more frequency in service.

KLCC LRT Station and a Standard Red Color Taxi

Now I would write about the taxi service in Kuala Lumpur. Taxi or cabs are plentiful in KL and there are cabs in different colors and using different types of vehicles. If you see a proton ( Malaysian made car ) being used at taxi, these are normally the budget taxi – sometimes these cabs are old and worn out. If you see a blue taxi using foreign brand cars such as KIA, Toyota and Nissan, then these are Executive cabs and most of them are new and clean. So which type of taxi should you take? If you are looking for comfort, then opt for the Executive taxi. Of course you have to pay more for the extra comfort. The charges is RM6 per entry and RM0.20 for every 100 meter; as compared to RM3 per entry and RM0.10 per 100 meter for a standard taxi. Many of the Executive cabs are using the Multi Purpose Vehicle ( MPV ) which can accommodate more people and luggage. So if you have a family of 6 persons, then the Executive taxi is more suitable for you. The Executive cabs are more spacious, the air conditioned really work ( very cool ) and it is very clean. The drivers of the Executive cab are generally more professional and courteous. I find that the standard taxi drivers have this tendency of quoting you a price for your trip rather than using meters. These taxi drivers can be quite notorious in driving their cabs. The seats of the standard cabs are mostly worn out and the air conditioned is sometimes really pathetic – it is just like having a  sauna in a taxi.

Taking a cab can be costly especially if you are stuck in a traffic congestion. The city of Kuala Lumpur is notoriously well known for traffic jams. Do take note that the meter of the taxi will continue to tick or run even if the cab is stationery. I have experienced taking a cab and being stuck in a traffic congestion for an hour; the meter would happily run up while I sat in a stationery cab. Anyway if I have to take a cab in KL, my choice would be an Executive cab even though it cost more. I am prepared to pay for more comfortable ride while on the road.

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There is one hot topic that is been widely discussed both in the press and on other media; and that is the escalating property prices in Malaysia and Singapore. I have many friends in these two countries and they have told me that prices of homes have become unaffordable for the average income earners. In Singapore, government of Singapore had promised to increase the supply and speed up the construction of more HDB flats ( public housing homes ) for sale to its citizens. While in Malaysia, the government has introduced the My First Home Scheme to provide affordable housing to those lower income groups who are buying their first home.  Homes will be priced at RM230,000 ( US$76,400) and below and the eligible candidates can looked forward to 100% financing schemes for these homes. I would not go into the details of the schemes by the two governments as this is not the intention of this blog.

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Beautiful Homes for Sale in Malaysia

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Many friends that I have talked to told me that nowadays there is no such thing as buying cheap homes anymore. Well this statement is true if you intend to buy a home in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. But you can buy cheap properties in other countries. In fact whenever I told my friends that you can buy a house for US$100 in United States, many of them were very surprised and then skeptical. Fortunately these are my friends and they do not see me as a con artist when I make this statement.  Right now there is a big glut of foreclosures homes in the United States; and properties selling at very cheap prices are plentiful in supply. But is there a catch in buying these dirt cheap homes? Definitely yes, as these homes are in dilapidated conditions, just like a empty egg shell and there are many other issues to look into as well.

I have written a blog in my other website on buying cheap homes in United States and if you are interested in reading it, just follow the link below:-

Buy Cheap Properties in America

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