Tag: hotel

Yangon Was Rangoon

Another helping friend booked a Myanmar hotel through me. The friend is a fairly experienced traveler to Myanmar and he picked the The RGN City Lodge, Downtown Yangon this time.

The hotel is conveniently located in the heart of Yangon, close to a major thoroughfare but fronts a much quieter street in a commercial district. Although there is old school rattan furniture in the room, the bathrooms have modern rain showers! I like rain showers.

What do you think of the location Myanmar friend Hsu Wai Phyo and Malaysian expatriate living in Yangon, Joachim Rajaram?

Rooms in Myanmar have been getting relatively expensive because of shortages and a surge in business visitors after Myanmar opened up. I am surprised the room is sub RM 200, given its location. Maybe there was a flash sale or promotional price at the time of booking.

We forget a similar hotel in the heart of KL city could probably cost more.

To book this hotel or to check rates at any hotel in any part of the world, go to http://www.mycen.my/agoda/

Around Bentong

Around Bentong.

Once upon a time, I went to the National Park and took an hour long chartered boat ride. The boatman stopped suddenly upriver and said. “This is it!” I asked what? He said “The waterfall!” I asked where? Another 45 minutes by jungle trek, he explained.

Few months later I want to Bentong to check out famous Kow Po ice cream. The friendly boss’s son recommended I visit Chamang Falls. It was a long winding drive and I finally ended up at Chamang Falls. I can hear the roar from the car park. I got down and there it was , the most beautiful waterfall that was incredibly easy to access. It was a walk in or drive in waterfal like Niagara. Amazing. Only down side is the car park is choked with cars on weekends and on public holidays.

The reason why photographers prefer accessible waterfalls is because we need to carry our heavy tripods to create the silky blurred water effect.

On the way to Chamang waterfalls, I remember seeing a sign to a remote hotel. Good thing, because a few months later I was driving from Negeri Sembilan at night and wanted to use the back way to Cameron Highlands. It was late at night and I decided to put up at this hotel for the night. It was long and torturous drive from Kuala Pilah. The hotel is nice in that there was a convenient Old Town White Coffee Cafe downstairs.

My travel partner thought the room was haunted the next morning, she claimed I kept ending on her side of bed. LOL.The explanation is simple. It was one those shophouse hotels with a window facing the road downstairs. Every time the car alarm goes off, one would instinctively climb up on the bed to look down. Park strategically and hope you get a street view room if your car has valuables.

There are so many things to see, to eat and to do in Bentong. I recommend this hotel since I stayed there and found it satisfactory. Book from link given below:

http://www.mycen.my/tras-mutiara-hotel-bentong/

Around Kuala Selangor

Kuala Selangor is a fantastic nearby getaway. There are those monkeys at Malawati Hill, the lighthouse and nature park, the seafood and fishing village of Pasir Penambang and if that is not enough, there is also Auntie’s Kopitiam, Cendol Bakar and more.

It may be a good idea to stay at the De Palma Inn , Sun Inns VI Boutique Hotel (and Sky Mirror) which are near to these places. Don’t forget the Fireflies Park and the beautiful Sri Shakti Temple. Links to most of these places are given and as with all my pages, alternative, related and other nearby accommodation options are also provided: See also Hotels In Sekinchan.

See also http://www.mycen.my/de-palma-hotel-kuala-selangor/

IOI City Mall, Putrajaya – Part 1

Was I wrong! I went in and it was bustling with visitors inside. It was not even a weekend or public holiday.

Many people complain that new malls are all identical. They have to be. The shops are all template designed and stocked.

I think IOI City Mall’s appeal is that they managed to attract many tenants in its early days. Almost every retailer and food outlet is represented here. Not only are they here, they are all opened.

Many new malls usually open with empty or shuttered lots. The only time I went to a new mall I liked was Setia City Mall. It opened with a full array of functioning shops and restaurants too. I had fun with a camera here at IOI City Mall and here’s a photo essay or sort of.

The ‘city’ moniker is derived from the developer’s own township named IOI City. It is on the edge of Putrajaya. It is the venue of the Putrajaya Marriot and the new mall has the Le Méridien Putrajaya attached.

Where is IOI City Mall? See MyCen Maps http://www.mycen.my/ioi-city-mall/

Panasonic Lumix GM-1, ISO 200, f5, 1/500 sec.

#ioicitymall #mall #hotel #shopping #putrajaya #lemeridien