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.
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 -
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.
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.
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:-
Whenever I am staying at the serviced apartment around Ampang Kuala Lumpur, I would make regular trip to Suria KLCC Mall to buy foodstuffs and also take my dinner at this mall. This mall is just next to the Malaysia Petronas Twin Towers which is 88 storeys high and is the pride of all Malaysians. From Ampang, I would take a train from the LRT station nearby and alight at KLCC station. Thereafter it is just walking to the mall. The Suria KLCC mall is not a new mall but it is well maintained and there are 6 levels of retail stores which is spaciously spread across the entire building. In fact when I was there the first time, I had lost my sense of direction as there are many entrances around the mall itself.
Suria KLCC Kuala Lumpur
When I am at Suria KLCC, there are a few stores that I would make a point to visit and they are Isetan, Parkson, Mark and Spencer, Cold Storage, Best Denki and Rotiboy bakery store. If you are taking the LRT train and walking towards the mall itself, the Rotiboy bakery is just at the right hand corner of the entrance to the mall. I will always buy their coffee bun at this store as this is their signature bun. I have tried coffee bun from other bakery such as Breadtalk, but the taste of coffee bun at Rotiboy is still the best. There are also 2 restuarants worth visiting and they are The Harrods and Ki Ki Taiwan Cuisine. The Harrods is the place to go whenever I want to pamper myself with a good western meal and a cup of good English tea. I loved tea – both English and Chinese tea. The Ki Ki Taiwan Cuisine is a nice place to eat Chinese meals and tea. Take note that at Ki Ki Taiwan Cuisine, most of their meals are sold in set. For Cold Storage supermarket at this mall, it seems to me that the vegetables and fruits sold in Cold Storage Singapore looks fresher than those sold here. Also, the prices of fresh produce and other products sold here are not cheap as compared to Cold Storage store in Singapore. For the bread counter at this supermarket, they should try to improve on their variety, quality and display.
Suria KLCC Kuala Lumpur
I have tried some of the food outlets in Suria KLCC food courts and by the way there are 2 food courts namely the Rasa Food Arena located at the 4th level and the Signatures Food Court at the 2nd level. Both of these food courts are crowded with shoppers during the weekend. So make sure that you can find a free table space before ordering your food. Personally, I am not impressed with the food that I have tasted over there; but nothing to complain about because it is food sold at reasonable price. During the weekends, the food courts seems to be short handed with staff. I observed that the cleaning staff are unable to cope with the load of clearing and cleaning the tables.
Suria KLCC Kuala Lumpur
One major advantage of shopping here is that whenever I get tired and wanted some fresh air, I could actually go out of this mall and walked to the park. It is having nature at your door step. The KLCC Park is spacious with plenty of trees, green landscapes, fountains, jogging track and children playground. I think this is the only mall in Kuala Lumpur with such a spacious and beautiful park. There are also other attraction such as the Petronas Art Gallery, the admission is free but I was told by the staff that no photography is allowed in the art gallery. I have not been to the Sky Bridge for viewing of Kuala Lumpur Skyline nor The AQUARIA which is the aquarium. I hope that I can find the time to visit them on my next trip and post some photos or videos here.
Whenever I am in Kuala Lumpur, there is one mall which I will definitely make time to visit and this mall is Pavilion Mall. The Pavilion Mall is the newest and biggest mall in Bukit Bintang area. There are more than 400 retail outlets ranging from luxury brand boutiques, beautiful furnishing stores, spas, lots of restaurants and cafes, supermarket and many variety of specialty stores. I noticed that many of the international branded boutiques such as Prada, Chopard, Gucci, Hermes, Bulgari, Rolex, Alfred Dunhill; and other branded fashion stores are here. So Pavilion Mall is a good choice to go for shopping for international branded products. This mall is easily accessible for non Malaysian liked me. Just take the Monorail train and alight at Bukit Bintang station and it is just a few minutes walk away.
Beautiful Fountain at Pavilion Mall Kuala Lumpur
The Pavilion Mall is very crowded during the weekends starting Friday night. Sometimes it is difficult to find a table to take my dinner at the food court located at Level 1 during the weekend. Even in the restaurants, I have encountered on numerous occasions having to join the queue outside the restaurant waiting for a table. This mall has attracted all groups of people here – the young and trendy adults, the middle age family class and tourists liked me. The prices of food and beverage here is relatively high as compared to other malls or eating places in Kuala Lumpur. I guessed it may be due to the higher rental rates that these F & B stores have to pay. There are so many F&B outlets here that I am literally finding it hard to choose what to eat.
Pavilion Mall Kuala Lumpur
I would normally spend about 4 hours whenever I am in Pavilion Mall. There are certain anchor stores that I would make a point to visit and browse and they are – Tangs, Parkson, Times the Bookstore, Harvey Norman and Mercato which is the supermarket. And there is one bread shop that I will visit as well and that is The Loaf. The Loaf is a bread store that is owned by Dr. Mahatir, the former Prime Minister of Malaysia. It is a specialty bread store and the prices of bread here are higher; but I liked some of the buns selling at this store. I would normally buy some bread and bring it back to my hotel room for supper. On other days, I would go to Pizza Hut or KFC which are located in Level 1 and buy some takeaway food for my so called night snack.
Pavilion Mall Kuala Lumpur
The thing I liked about Pavilion Mall is that it is a huge and spacious mall and I could easily find all the stuffs that I want here. Even on a crowded weekend liked Saturday night, where it is filled with people; I find that it is still a comfortable place to shop and browse. The big open space inside and outside the mall is a distinct feature which makes it pleasant to shop. Now the mall is setting up a specialty shopping area called Tokyo Street at Level 6. This is where you can find Japanese clothes, fashion accessories, food and other Japanese products here. Personally I am not keen in Japanese food products or fashion. I have no idea why so many people enjoy eating raw seafood, meat and vegetables. But I am interested in Japanese gifts and toys – so I will still be visiting this Tokyo Street.
There are so many malls in Kuala Lumpur and one of the newer mall which I visited is Fahrenheit 88 located at Bukit Bintang. The easy way to travel to Bukit Bintang shopping area is to take the Monorail and alight at the Bukit Bintang LRT station. From there, you can walk and shop along the stretch of road line up with shopping malls. Compared to Lot 10 shopping mall ( an older mall ) which is just beside Fahrenheit 88; this new mall has a clean, bright and sleek image. The anchor tenant for this new mall is UNIQLO which is the famous Japanese company that produces clothes for the young and trendy. It occupy a large area in this mall and personally I liked the window display of this store.
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Fahrenheit 88 Kuala Lumpur
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I visited Fahrenheit 88 on a weekday afternoon and my first impression was that it was relatively quiet. At that time there were only few customers browsing and walking in the mall. On the same afternoon, I also visited the Pavillion Mall nearby; and it was crowded with people. So I wonder how are the tenants in the Fahrenheit 88 mall are able to sustain their retail operations if it is going to be so quiet there. Fahrenheit 88 is not big in size unlike the Pavillion Mall but it has 8 levels of shopping floors for shoppers to walk and browse. I like the spacious layout of this mall and the retail stores there have dressed up their stores quite attractively. I also noticed that many of the F & B outlets are located at the far end of each floor – so they are rather hidden in view unless you walked further in. Many of these F & B outlets were also having a quiet day with very few diners.
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Fahrenheit 88 Kuala Lumpur
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I felt that Fahrenheit 88 is a nice mall to visit but it lack a certain vibrancy and energy of the successful mall – such as Pavillion mall. It would be good if Fahrenheit 88 could pulled in more big anchor tenants to attract the shoppers. Personally I would liked to see a supermarket there. Currently I buy my groceries at Pavillion which has a supermarket at the basement level, whenever I stayed in hotel or serviced apartment in Bukit Bintang; and I wouldn’t mind an alternative place to buy my groceries. It would also be good if there a fast food chain such as KFC, Macdonald or Pizza Hut in Fahrenheit 88 mall. I am quite tired of seeing sushi restaurants and coffee joints; because sometimes what I want to eat is just a good old burger or pizza.
Instead of the conventional hotel which I normally stay when I am in Kuala Lumpur, I have decided to stay in a service apartment hotel during my recent trip to Kuala Lumpur (KL). There are quite a number of serviced apartments available in Kuala Lumpur and choosing the right one to stay will depend on your budget and personal requirements. After going through a list of serviced apartments available in KL, I decided to stay in Somerset Ampang which is situated in the famous embassy row. The Somerset Ampang is a relatively new serviced apartment and some taxi drivers may not be familiar with this hotel. If that is the case, you can tell the taxi driver that to drive you to Menara HSC Medical Center in Ampang. You see, the hotel is sharing the same building with the Menara HSC Medical Center. There are two separate main entrance – one for the hotel and one for the Medical Center.
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The main lobby of the Somerset Ampang is simple and yet practical in layout. Check in was quick and easy. I was given 2 credit card keys which I need to use it for access to my floor on the elevator and as well as for my room. I booked the one bed room apartment and was given the 9th floor. The size of the living room and the dinning area was quite spacious. There was a small sofa, a LCD TV, home entertainment system and best of all, a large window where I could looked out and enjoy a good view. The dinning area was small consisting of a table and four chairs and next to it was the small kitchen. I liked the kitchen because there was a full size fridge and a Electrolux washing machine cum dryer. There was even a compact microwave oven, kettle and full kitchen utensils.
Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur
The bathroom was spacious and clean and the best part was that I could actually take a shower in the shower area or soak in the tub while enjoying a clear view of the park and surrounding buildings. There is a full glass window next to the bath tub and you can have a good bird eye view of the park and the activities outside. For those who are more modest, there is a screen which you could lower to cover the window. For me, it was great to be naked and having a refreshing shower; while at the same time enjoying a beautiful scenic view. The bedroom was rather compact in size and there was another LCD TV on the table. The great thing about the bedroom was – a built in walk in wardrobe. When I walked into the wardrobe, I saw an iron, a small safe, an ironing board, drawers and of course the wardrobe. Overall I was happy with the bedroom.
Infinity Pool at Somerset Ampang KL
There was one thing that was not quite right and that was the presence of small flies in the room and bathroom. It seems to be flying around the apartment and I wasn’t sure how the small flies came into the room – was it from the air-con duct or during the time when the housekeeping team came in to clean up my room. When the housekeeper came in to clean up my room, the main door was opened and perhaps that was how the flies came in. Anyway, I slapped it with the newspaper that was provided free whenever I saw it.
For those who loved to cook, the apartment had a fully equipped kitchen that was functional and easy to use. I did not cook during my stay there; nor do I have the time to bring in food from outside and eat at the dinning area. To me, the dinning table was a great place to do my work – so it became my working table. The morning breakfast was served in a apartment that was converted into a small cafeteria. The serving and selection of food during breakfast were limited but sufficient for me. If you expect a good variety of food during breakfast, then you would be disappointed. The tables and chairs were those functional types that you see in any food courts in KL.
Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur
I loved the swimming pool located at the highest floor of this hotel. I enjoyed swimming in the infinity pool and at the same time I could have a great view of the city, the nearby buildings, the mountains and the roads. Besides the infinity pool was the gym, though it was small in size; I felt that the equipments in the gym were sufficient for a good workout.
Now with regard to the location of Somerset Ampang. It was definitely not 5 minutes walk to Ampang LRT from some of the comments I have read in the internet. Walking to Ampang LRT took approximately 10 minutes. It is the same distance and time if you want to buy some food or stuff from the nearest mall – Ampang Shopping Complex which is just opposite the Ampang LRT. It is a old mall with lots of restaurants but few shops where you really buy nice stuff. For shopping, the nearest mall is Suria KLCC Mall. The best way to get there is to take the train from Ampang LRT and it is only one stop away. Don’t bother to walk there as it is not worth the hassle. The problem with Kuala Lumpur is that there are no proper pedestrian walkways where people can walk safely – which is a shame for a modern city. If you insist on walking to Suria KLCC Mall from Somerset Ampang, it will take about 30 minutes to reach the mall. I tried it once and I find it a hassle – constantly on alert for cars and vehicles on the road.
Somerset Ampang Kuala Lumpur
Overall my stay in Somerset Ampang was nice and comfortable. And yes, I will be coming back to stay here again if I need to stay around Ampang and city area in KL. This place is convenient for those who need to work in the commercial district; but not so convenient for those who are here for shopping in Bintang district like going to the famous Pavilion Mall – which is quite a distance away.
Recently some of my friends were interested in looking at properties for sale in Johor Bahru. One of my friend was looking at buying a condominium as an investment; and my other friend felt that a landed property in Johor Bahru would be a good place for retirement. After all, the prices of condominiums and landed properties have sky rocketed in Singapore. So looking at Johor Bahru property prices, it seems to be so much cheaper. The Malaysian government has promised its strong commitment for the billion dollar projects in Iskandar region. Lots of properties will be make available as the land area is much bigger than Singapore. So is the properties in Johor Bahru worth looking at for retirement and investment? Well I give my personal assessment on this topic.
Firstly let me state clearly that I am not an expert on properties – anyway the so called property experts nowadays, you can get them for a dime in a dozen. Experts will tell you that properties market in Johor Bahru are hot and the prices are rising, which is quite true and a fair statement to make. But what they did not reveal to you is why are the prices of properties rising so high, so quickly? Is it because there are real value or is it just hot air? I feel that many people are simply following the herd mentality when buying properties, especially when they are hot in demand. It comes from the “not wanting to lose out” mentality or locally in Singapore and Malaysia it is term as Kiasu, Kiasi and Kiabor.
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Properties Prices in Johor Bahru
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Whenever I am in Johor Bahru, it is relatively easy to see booths being set up by developers in the shopping malls to market their properties, especially to Singaporeans and foreigners. Take an example of a brochure that I have picked up on a condominium project and landed property in Johor Bahru. I was quoted RM420,ooo for a condominium unit of 1410 sq. ft on the 10th floor located in Larkin Johor Bahru. The development is called SuriaMas suites by IJM Land. If I want to rent it out to pay for my mortgage loan, then how much rental per month could I fetch for this condominium unit? My friend told me that perhaps I could get a 5% return – which is approximately RM21000/per year or RM1750 per month in rental. This would help me to offset against my monthly loan installment. But seriously, if you look at other completed condominium projects in Johor Bahru, I would be happy if I could get RM1500 rental per month.
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Properties Prices in Johor Bahru
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For the landed property on the second brochure, the location is at Nusa Duta, a 2 storey semi-detached landed property selling for nearly RM900,000. It features guarded entrance, CCTV around the development. 24 hours security surveillance, card access security and perimeter fencing. My friend should be happy with this strong security features in this development – almost liked living in a fortress. If you take again the 5% return on investment – I should expect a annual rental of RM45,000 or RM3750 per month. But I seriously doubt I could get this amount if you look at the rental market for landed properties around this area.
To the Malaysians staying and working in Johor Bahru, both of these properties are overvalued. If you look at the average monthly household income of the local staying here – it is in the region of RM3000 to RM5000. Take the average household income of RM4000 per month and above, the affordable properties should be priced at about RM192,000 to RM240,000 which is 4 times the annual income for a typical family staying in Johor Bahru. So the question is whether the current high prices of properties in Johor Bahru are sustainable in the long term. If you depend solely on the investors to sustain the prices of properties, then there will be high risks that these properties prices will fall drastically during an economic downturn and prolong recession. That is because very few locals can afford to buy such high priced properties and rental income will fall during recession period; but you still need to service the monthly mortgage loan. Other expenses to take note is the monthly maintenance fees, taxes, repairs, etc.
But to my friend who can well afford to pay the RM900,000 semi-detached bungalow, so that he can play with his kids in their own garden; then the benefits or pleasure in having your own landed property will outweigh the cost. So my assessment is that buy the property if you can well afford it – whether it is for retirement or investment purposes. It is impossible to predict any market or the economy of a country going forward, but if you having the holding power or is able to purchase the properties without any loans, then your investment is safe.
I went to Johor Bahru on a Monday afternoon specifically to visit the Pasar Malam or night market near the KSL City Mall. The pasar malam stretched along the road from the Grand Paragon Hotel to the back of the KSL City Mall. I have the impression that the night market would start normally in the evening about 7 pm. But I was wrong, as I saw stalls being set up at about 4pm in the afternoon. At around 6pm, I saw numerous stalls along the road ready for business. I did not take my lunch during that day as I wanted to try the street food that are being sold in the pasar malam.
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Otak Otak stall at Pasar Malam
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At about 7pm onwards, the crowds in the pasar malam was getting bigger and there was congestion on the road. The road was closed for vehicles during this event, but there were so many people there that I have squeezed through the crowds. The stalls were lined up on the left and right side of the long road. To my delight, there were many stalls selling food and fruits – so it was a fruitful evening for me. There were many the other items being sold at this pasar malam – toys, clothes, costume jewellery, fresh vegetables and seafood, dried food, music/videos discs, bedding, many different types of cooked food, fresh fruits, drinks, durian specialty stall, sweets and candies, and many more. The cooked food that were sold in this pasar malam were cheap and delicious. I literally ate my way through this visit and wished that I could eat more, but there were too many food there.
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Pasar Malam in Johor Bahru
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I noticed that before 9pm, some of the food stalls have completely sold out their food and were getting ready to pack up and leave. In fact I missed out on a stall selling kuey ( traditional cakes ) because it was sold out even before 9pm. The couple who was selling the kuey told me to come earlier next Monday as their home made kuey was limited in supply. What I don’t understand was why can’t the stall holders make more and sell more if their food were so popular? I missed out on the salted baked chicken as well as it was sold out. The fried carrot cake stall was having a long queue, but luckily I managed to get my order and it was worth it.
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Mangoes for sale in Pasar Malam near KSL City Mall
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Since I have missed trying out on so many good food, I am planning to visit this pasar malam again when I can find the time on a Monday evening. Anyway, I went back to KSL City Mall at about after 9pm to have a cup of tea at the restaurant near the entrance. As my hotel was just a few minutes walk, I went back to my hotel with guava fruit and other items that I have bought at the pasar malam. I was tempted to buy the durians but I was afraid that it may caused inconvenience to other guests in hotel due to the strong smell of this fruit; so I skipped it.
If you are planning to visit the pasar malam near KSL City Mall in Johor Bahru, remember that it is on every Monday and try to be there by 5pm in the afternoon. You can visit the KSL City Mall first and thereafter walk to the pasar malam. Have a light lunch during that day as there are many food stalls offering delicious food at very reasonable prices.
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Famous Carrot Cake stall at Pasar Malam near KSL City Mall
According to the tips and articles in Lonely Planet, Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is voted as one of the world’s best Chinatown. I went to Kuala Lunpur’s Chinatown recently and my impression was that it was chaotic, crowded, dirty, noisy but an authentic Chinatown. Compared it with the Chinatown in Singapore which to me is fake; a visit to Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown means that you are getting the real deal. Now the question is how to go there? Simply take the LRT train and alight at Pasir Seni station. Once you are out of the station, the Chinatown is on your right. You will see a small bus terminal and an open space car park and then further up a building called Plaza Warisan. Just walk towards this building and continue to walk straight; the Chinatown at Petaling Street is just a few minutes walk away.
Kuala Lumpur Chinatown
Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is congested with people, cars, buses, buildings, shops, cheap motels and hundreds of small stalls selling all kinds of stuff. Its like trying to stuff so many people and things into one small confined space. Over here you will see lots of backpackers staying in many of the cheap motels and budget hotels. Here can you see lots of tourists walking around buying things and trying out the local food. One thing to take note is to beware of pickpockets and thieves. Take care of your wallets and handbags and be alert especially when it gets very crowded during the evenings and weekends. When I was there in the afternoon, the entire place was hot and humid. But I came prepared wearing my T-shirt, short pants and sandals.
Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown at Petaling Street
There are so many merchandise that is available here such as – clothes, fashion accessories, belts, souvenirs, toys, branded shoes, leather bags, watches ( many are fakes), jewellery, toys, fruits and food and many other items. Some of the food stalls served very good local food even though it may looked less hygienic, so if you have a strong stomach – try them. I feel that the Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is a great place to shop and I enjoy browsing through many of the stalls which sells items that I have not seen before. I bought some traditional biscuits that are packed in plastic containers because this shop have been selling them for many years. The stretch of road in Chinatown is called Petaling Street and if you want to find a place simply to cool off from the heat, just go to the old shopping mall called Berjaya Kota Raya. It is a old shopping mall selling all kinds of stuff, just like on the streets of Chinatown but with the comfort of air conditioned environment. The rule of thumb is to bargain on the items that you want to buy but be reasonable in your offer price. Food sold in Chinatown are mainly fixed prices – try bargaining and you may end up being scolded by the stall holders.
Petaling Street - Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown
You can visit Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown in the day or in the evening. It is normally more crowded with people during the evening as it is cooler. So I have to agree with Lonely Planet’s assessment that Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is among the world best Chinatown. This chaotic place has the vibrancy and the energy of a bustling market place. Like what I have mentioned earlier – this is the real deal.
I was in Kuala Lumpur recently and was at the vicinity of Corus Hotel along Jalan Ampang. As I was standing outside the lobby of the hotel, I saw a Chinese temple just opposite the Corus Hotel. I was curious and decided to visit this beautiful temple. I find it quite surprisingly that a Chinese temple can co-exist with so many tall modern buildings along Jalan Ampang. After all, this is the commercial hub of Kuala Lumpur. I used the overhead pedestrian bridge and as I was walking towards the temple, I saw that there are many people streaming into this temple.
Kun Yam Thong Temple in Kuala Lumpur
This temple is called the Kun Yam Thong Temple and you won’t missed it as it is just opposite the Corus Hotel. There is a small space in front for cars to drive in. Just inside the main entrance, I saw the statute of the Smiling Buddha seated to greet devotees. As I walked further, I saw the statute of the Thousand Hands Buddha or Guanyin with Thousand Hands. There were many devotees praying and surprisingly I saw many Indians – young and old praying in the temple. Though Buddhism originated from India, it was a surprise to me to see Indians praying in this Buddhist temple especially in Kuala Lumpur. And then as I walked further in, I saw the statutes of 3 huge Buddha seated from left to right. It was a beautiful and grand. I also liked the decorated ceilings and small statutes on high walls.
Thousand Hands Buddha
When I was inside the temple admiring the Buddha and arts, I could feel the sense of calm and peace in me. This place is a good place to get away from all the mad rush, people, heavy traffic and noise along Jalan Ampang. I felt relaxed, very peaceful and no more stress in my mind. Donations to the temple is voluntary which is good. One very important thing to remember is that you have to remove your shoes before entering the temple. On the left side of the wall, I saw hundreds of small Buddha on display. I am not sure what is the significant of this display but it look impressive.
Kun Yam Thong Temple in Kuala Lumpur
The Kun Yam Thong temple is a must visit place if you are in Kuala Lumpur. I saw many tourists just liked me visiting this beautiful temple. The nearest LRT to this temple and Corus Hotel is the Ampang Park LRT. From the Ampang Park LRT to this temple is about 10 minutes walk. The traffic along Jalan Ampang is heavy during the day, so do looked out for vehicles when walking. If you are keen in viewing more photos of this temple, do visit my site and go to photo gallery at the following link -
The Singapore Orchid Garden is located within the premise of the Singapore Botanical Garden. This orchid garden is like a specialty park highlighting all the beautiful orchid and many other plants. It cost S$5/- per entrance for adult to visit this park and it is definitely worth the price. A tip for visiting the Singapore Orchid Garden is to check out the weather for the day before actually going there. If the weather is sunny, then it will be a good time to visit this park and capture some photos of orchid as well. Another point to note is that there are no food kiosks inside the Singapore Orchid Garden, so do remember to bring a bottle of water along; as all the walking during the sunny day will make you thirsty. Food kiosks are available just outside the entrance of the Singapore Orchid Garden.
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Inside the orchid garden, I was amazed to see so many different types of orchid, in fact I have never seen so many orchid in my life. I took about 3 hours in total to complete the sightseeing of this orchid garden. One of my favorite is the Coolhouse, where you can see many plants that are grown commonly in the mountains in Asia. The Coolhouse is totally air conditioned and there is even a small waterfall. There are also carnivorous plants and ferns on display. The VIP Orchid Garden is also another highlight of this orchid garden. This is where outstanding breed of orchid are named after famous dignitaries and head of state of various countries.
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Singapore Orchid Garden
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There are about 300 plus photos of the Singapore Orchid Garden which I have arranged and placed them in my website. If you like to browse at them, simply follow the link below and thereafter click photo gallery and then go to the category named Park.
The Singapore Orchid Garden was officially opened by Mr. Lee Kuan Yew on 20th October 1995. It has been more than 15 years now since the opening, and I feel that it is still a very outstanding park. I do hope to visit this park at least once every year.
It has been a long time since I visited the Singapore Botanical Gardens; I think it should be more than 10 years ago. So I wanted to revisit this place to see what is new, though I could barely recollect what is old then. If I could remember correctly, there was a hawker center just opposite the Botanical Gardens and that is gone. Now the only thing that is opposite is the Gleneagles Hospital. This is a leading private hospital in Singapore; and the medical fees for consultation and treatment by private specialist doctors over here are quite high. Anyway, the Botanical Gardens is easy accessible whether by bus or taxi.
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When I was there in the morning, I saw quite of number of people jogging or doing brisk walking exercises at the garden. It is also a good place to exercise your pet dogs. The garden is so huge that even if there is a large crowd, there will be sufficient space for all. Taking a brisk walk from the entrance of the garden to the Ginger Garden took me less than 20 minutes. I liked the Ginger Garden as there is a small waterfall there – a nice place to rest. But over here, there are lots of tourists visiting this place as the tour buses alight them at the small road near this garden.
Singapore Botanical Gardens - Main Entrance
Another place to just relax is at the Swan Lake which is only about 10 minutes walk from the main entrance. There are plenty of benches around the lake and occasionally you can see some swans. When I was there, I only saw about 3 swans, perhaps the rest of them were elsewhere. There is also a big open field slope near the Swan Lake – good for picnics. Many of the trees and plants in the Botanical Gardens are tagged with identifications. So it is very educational for someone like me; as I am quite ignorant on the subject of botany.
Singapore Botanical Gardens - Swan Lake
I also took the opportunity to follow the small path leading to the rain forest. There are wooden planks for walking along the trail of rain forest trees and plants. I enjoy it very much, as it was peaceful but then I could near the sounds of insects and birds. At that time I was the only person walking there until about 15 minutes later, I saw a young couple walking towards me. Why do so many people skipped this place? Personally I think it is very cool there and I saw many big trees, ferns and strange looking plants and flowers.
Singapore Botanical Gardens
There is another great place to visit in the Botanical Gardens itself and that is the Orchids Gardens. Entrance fee to the Orchids Gardens is $5/- for adult but it was definitely worth it. In fact it was such a great place that I went back the next week to visit it again. I have never seen so many beautiful orchids in my life – it is a truly amazing place. If you are keen in looking at the photos of the Orchids and the Orchids Gardens which I have took, just visit my website and go to the photo gallery section ( I will upload by 1st May 2011 ) at the following link -
After visiting the Botanical Gardens twice within one week, I must say that it is a great place to visit. Do remember to bring your sun shade, towel, drinking water and some food ( if you are hungry). I brought along a spare T-shirt to change as I was sweating heavily while walking and taking photos. Do wear a comfortable shoes or sandals, as part of the main activity is walking.
Singapore Botanical Gardens - Roots on the Roof
To view more photos of the Singapore Botanical Gardens and the Beautiful Orchids Gardens, visit my website at the following link -
The Keppel railway station has been declared a national monument by the Singapore government. It is also called or referred to as the Tanjong Pagar Railway station. I decided to drop by to have a browse before it ceased operation on July 2011 and thereafter the train operations will be moved to Woodlands Train Checkpoint. The trains are operated by the Malaysian government through a company namely Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM as it is commonly known. Nowadays many people prefer to take coaches to Malaysia by road instead of by railway trains as it it cheaper, more comfortable and faster. But I do take the trains occasionally on leisurely ride to Malaysia as there is a nostalgic feelings to it.
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Looking at the Keppel railway station right now, I saw that the building looked very worn out and even the interior of this building needs a major facelift. It seems to stand still on its own time as it looked the same years before and right now. Perhaps the Malaysian government has no interest at all to upgrade or improve the facilities here. The pace here seems to be slow and leisurely – you just buy the train ticket at the old booth and wait for the time to catch the train. The canteen at this train station served mainly Malay and Indian food. My friends told me that some of the food here are quite good – especially the ayam penyet. I have taken a number of photos of this railway stations and placed it at my website at – ImageSingapore.com
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Keppel Railway Station
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I am sure that the Keppel Railway station will be beautifully refurbished when it is taken over by the Singapore government. But thereafter, they will turn this place into another commercial hub like a shopping mall or a hotel; which is sad and unfortunate. Many heritage buildings in Singapore have been converted into shops and hotels – and then the government proudly boast that they are heritage sites – really stupid of them.
