Malaysia’s Animated Night Markets

Markets are the lifeblood of any society. They often provide visitors with a valuable insight into the culture and traditions of a community. Malaysia is like other countries in South-East Asia is known for its vibrant local markets, centers of trade which open for business towards the end of the day.
The Malaysian version of a night market is known as ‘pasar malam’ and it is hosted in most towns and cities around Malaysia on a regular basis. A truly surprising fact, for Malaysia is a rapidly developing economy where malls and shopping centers are springing up all the time.

A night market in Malaysia doesn’t necessarily mean it opens for business only at nights, some ‘pasar malams’ in fact open their doors as early as 3pm and stay open until 11 pm or even later.

These night markets are colorful bustling centers of trade and commerce and they attract patrons of all ages especially office-goers who enjoy stopping by these ‘pasar malams’ on their way home after a day the office. The gaily decorated make-shift kiosks at these markets offer a wide variety of products like vegetables, fruits, apparel, toys, household wares and a selection of accessories.

Regular night-market customers are known to aver that the goods offered at ‘the pasar malams’ are priced lower than at malls and supermarkets. Moreover, bargaining is an accepted norm at these markets so market-goers believe that they are getting a deal by shopping at these ‘pasar malams’.

Offerings of cooked food are yet another important feature of these Malaysian nightmarkets. Both locals and tourists enjoy visiting these markets to sample delicious local eats like Nasi Kerabu (fried chicken flavored with galangal and served with rice), Asam Laksa, Briyani, Satays, roti tarbus and more.

Some much frequented ‘pasar malams’ in Malaysia include:

Kuala Lumpur

• The Little India night market which is held along KL’s Jalan Abdual Tunku Rahman( Jalan TAR) on Saturday nights between 5pm and 11pm.
• The Bangsar Baru night market is held on Sundays from 5pm until 1am
• The Petaling Street Market is held daily from 6pm onwards
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• The Petaling Jaya SS2 night market assembles on Mondays from 6pm onwards.
• The Taman Connaught night market in Cheras is reputed to be the longest night market in Kuala Lumpur and is open for business daily.

Penang

The hugely popular Batu Ferringhi night market is open daily from 3pm onwards.

Sarawak

The Lembangan Market is the best place to get a real taste of Sarawak. This market has a carnival-like atmosphere and is populated by more than 700 stalls offering a wide array of products like toys, garments, electrical products, dry and cooked foods along with a fascinating assortment of products sourced from the jungles of Borneo like snakes, snails, turtles, flying foxes, edible jungle fruits, ferns and more.

If you enjoy browsing through market stalls and  testing your bargaining skills, then a visit to a Malaysian pasar malam is definitely recommended.

Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon

The magnificent Mount Kinabalu, which stands tall in the midst of Sabah’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinabalu Park is a sight to behold. The mount which rises to a height of 4,095 meters (13,435 feet) above sea level, is one of the highest peaks in South East Asia.

Despite its lofty height, Mount Kinabalu is quite an easy peak to conquer and even climbers with little or no mountaineering experience enjoy climbing up to the summit of the mount, which is perennially enshrouded in swirling mists and affords gorgeous views of the Kinabalu Park and beyond. Approximately 40,000 climbers attempt the climb up Mount Kinabalu every year.

The Sabah Tourism Board soon realized the tremendous tourism potential that Mount Kinabalu offered and decided to exploit this potential by taking over the administration of the park’s Climbathon event. The Mount Kinabalu Climbathon was instituted in 1987 as an exercise to help speed up rescue efforts of park rangers who are required to scale the peak in order to rescue stranded or injured climbers. At first the competitive version of this  Climbathon featured only domestic participation but in 1995, the tourism board opened the event to international participation.

In 2013, the Mount Kinabalu International Climbathon will be held over two days, the 19^th and 20^th of October. The event will also feature two different races, the Summit Race and the Adventure Race.

The Summit Race

Scheduled for 19^th October, the Summit Race will admit only 110 elite male and 40 elite female qualified runners. Qualified runners wishing to participate in the race have to meet one of three following criteria:-

1.      They must have previously competed in one of the Climbathons held since the year 2008.    

 

2.      They have competed in their home country’s official mountain race and have proof of their participation.

3.      They have a letter of recommendation from their home country’s mountain race / athletic body or any other body recognized by the authorities organizing the   Climbathon.

The Summit race will start off from the Kinabalu Park entrance and runners will be required to go up to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu (4,095.2 m). The runners will then have to come down to the Mesilau Nature Resort and finish the course at Kundasang town. The Summit course extends over 33 Km and will require runners to traverse 15 Km of tarmac road, 18 Km of forest trails as well as the rock face of the summit

The   Adventure   Race

The Adventure   Race   is open to all men and women aged 18 years and above. The race which is scheduled for 20th October 2013 features a newly altered race course. The runners participating in the Adventure Race will navigate a newly altered course which will require them to start off at the Kinabalu Park entrance and then go up to the Layang-Layang Hut (located half way up Mt. Kinabalu at  a height of 2760.3 m). The runners will then have to come down to the Mesilau Nature Resort before finishing the race at Kundasang town

The course of the Adventure race extends over 23km and requires runners to run over 15 km of tarmac road and 8 km of forest trails.

 

Registration for the 2013, Mount Kinabablu International Climbathon is currently closed but if you enjoy mountain running, you can always plan to take part in the event next year.

For more information about the event do visit -http://www.climbathon.my

Off the beaten path in Langkawi

Langkawi, the ‘Jewel of Kedah’ is a much favored vacation destination, which attracts both local and international tourists in droves. Renowned the world over for its many well-known attractions, like the gorgeous beachfronts of Pantai Kok, Pantai Cenang, Pantai Tengah and Tanjong Rhu and other man-made attractions like, the Langkawi skybridge, the Langkawi cable car and  more, the island of Langkawi is known to attract to more than three million visitors annually.

However, if you are the kind of tourist who likes to avoid the ‘touristy’ stuff in favor of one of a kind experience, you will be delighted to know that Langkawi offers much opportunity to veer from the tried and tested.

Listed below are some of offbeat Langkawi adventures not normally included in a usual visit Langkawi itinerary:-

Visit the Telaga Tujuh(Seven Wells waterfall)

Langkawi is an island associated with many myths and legends, one such legend states that fairies come to bathe at Langkawi’s beautiful Telaga Tujuh waterfalls, also known as the Seven Wells waterfall. These stunning falls are situated near the island’s luxe yacht-heavy Telaga harbor set amongst an area littered with mystical limestone formations and caves adorned with various ancient inscriptions.

Pay a visit to the tomb of Mahsuri Makam

The tomb of Princess Mahsuri Makam is an attraction located in the Langkawi village of Mawat. The attraction consists of a marble crypt which contains the mortal remains of Princess Mahsuri who is believed to have been of Siamese origin. Mahsuri married a local tribal chief and was loved and respected by everyone. However, Mahsuri’s mother-in-law was insanely jealous of her and unjustly accused her of adultery.

Mahsuri was then sentenced to death but at her execution, she shed white blood to the surprise of the onlookers, who were then immediately convinced of her innocence. As Mahsuri lay dying, she cursed the island of Langkawi by saying it would be barren for the coming seven generations. However, this prophecy did not come true.

A museum located at the site chronicles the sad tale of this beautiful but tragic maiden and offers actual evidence in the form of newspaper clippings and photos that date back to the time.

Take a kayaking trip on the Sungei Kilim River

The Sungei Kilim Nature Park is a protected mangrove swamp located on the northeast tip of Langkawi.  This nature reserve encompasses a diverse landscape made up of dense mangrove forests, pristine white sand beachfronts and sparkling lagoons. The park also has the Sungei Kilim River flowing through it and the banks of the river are inhabited by an assortment of native flora and fauna like tree crabs, long-tailed macaques, white-bellied eagles, pythons, monitor lizards, crocodiles and mangrove dingos(small russet-colored creatures who can deftly navigate the dense mangrove swamps). Kayaking trips through Sungeo Kilim Park lead visitors past fantasic sights like ‘Flying fox’ island, an island inhabited by giant bats known as ‘flying foxes’ or ‘flying dogs’ because of  their long wing spans which can measure up to 1.2 meters.

Other expected sights on this kayaking tour, include viewings of bizarre limestone formations, which seem to emerge from the sea bed in the midst of the dense mangrove swamps. These formations sport interesting if not funny names like the Hanging Gardens, the Temple of Borobodur and the Elephant Stone. Also included in such a tour is a viewing of Gua Kelewar (the cave of bats), a grotto used as a refuge by thousands of fruit bats who cling to its numerous stalactites and stalagmites.

Go island hopping

Langkawi is the collective name given to an archipelago of islands in the waters of the Andaman Sea. Most visitors to the island tend to concentrate their trips on the largest of these islands a.k.a Langkawi but if you would like to do something out of the ordinary, do think of taking an island hopping trip to the other islands that make up the archipelago.

These tours guide visitors to islands like, Pulau Beras Basah, “the Isle of Wet Rice” whose sole inhabitants are monkeys, Pulau Singa Besar and  Pulau Dayan, an island inhabited by numerous long-tailed macaques which is also  home to the mysterious Tasik Dayang Bunting or the lake of the Pregnant Maiden, a dip in the lake’s crystal-clear waters are believed to cure infertility.

A walk through the dense jungle leads visitors to the lake, the legend associated with the lake states the waters of the lake were blessed by a celestial maiden after she lost her own child. It is said that this celestial princess was married to a mortal prince, but she lost her child soon after it was born. She then buried the baby in the lake and blessed its waters. It is now a believed that a maiden wishing to conceive should bathe in the lake’s waters and she will soon be with child.

These offbeat attractions provide a visitors an alternative perspective of Langkawi as they learn that it in addition to being a hedonistic destination equipped with many a beachside attraction, Langkawi is also a mysterious, mythical spot where legends and old world tales reign supreme.

Hari Raya Aidiladha

The festival of Hari Raya Aidil Adha is a festival which commemorates the concept of ‘Korban’ or sacrifice. The festival, which in Malaysia is also known as Hari Raya Haji celebrates an act of selfless sacrifice performed by Prophet Ibrahim. The Holy Quran mentions the incident and says that at one instance, Prophet Ibrahim had been willing to sacrifice his son Prophet Ismail in order to meet the dictates of Allah. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was about to deliver his fatal blow, Allah appeared and replaced Prophet Ismail with a ram.
Aside from commemorating this selfless act of sacrifice; the festival also marks the end of the holy annual pilgrimage, Haj. Haj is considered to be the fifth pillar of Islam and is expected to be performed by every able-bodied Muslim at least once during his/her lifetime. During Haj, thousands of Muslims congregate on the holy land in Mecca and perform various rituals.
Hari Raya Haji, according to Islamic calendar Hiraj is slated for the 10th day of Dhul Hija, the last month of the Islamic calendar. The festival is usually celebrated seventy days after the holy month of Ramadhan and in 2013; the festival will be celebrated over three days starting from 15th October.
During Hari Raya Aidil Adha or ‘the festival of sacrifice’, families or local communities come together to celebrate Prophet Ibrahim’s act of Korban by sacrificing animals like lambs, goats, cows, bulls and camels. The animals are slain according to proper Islamic rites and the meat is then distributed in three parts.
Typically, the family or the local community which supplied the animal retains one third of the meat, another third is distributed amongst friends, relatives and neighbors while the rest is given to the poor and needy. Generally Muslims who can afford to perform the sacrifice choose to do so though they certainly are not under any obligation.
A typical day of Hari Raya Aidil Adha, features congregational prayers held early in the morning at the local mosque. The animal sacrifice is then usually performed within the courtyard of the mosque. After the sacrifice commemorating Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his own progeny, the members of the congregation disperse as they head out to spend the rest of the day with  friends and family as is customary during a festival.

Penang- More than just White Sands

Penang, an island state situated in north-west Malaysia is an immensely popular vacation destination in Malaysian. Penang’s history can be traced to the 15^th century when it began life as a remote backwater, inhabited by a small community of Malays and Southern Indian merchants. Penang’s emerged on the global scene, when it was discovered by Francis Light, an agent for the British East India Company in 1786. Light arrived on the northeast part of Penang and soon went about establishing the settlement of Georgetown, which he named after King George III.
Georgetown was Britain’s most prominent outpost in Malaya and it attracted hordes of European, Arab, Indian, Chinese and Malay traders who settled down here. This multi-ethnic and multi-cultural character of Penang continues to endure until today.

Prominent attractions in Penang include:-

Penang Hill

The  summit of Bukit Bendera(Penang Hill) can be accessed via a path that lies within the Penang Botanic Gardens but this walk can take up to two to three hours. An easier way to get to this summit is to ride the air-conditioned funicular, which transports visitors to the top of the hill in just five minutes. Once at the top, visitors can savor the awe-inspiring views of the city of Georgetown, surrounded by lofty hills and sparkling seas. Cafes and stores located at the summit offer visitors a chance to take a breather and relax as they relish the views.

The Penang Botanic Gardens

The Penang Botanical Gardens extend over thirty verdant acres.  Popularly referred to as ‘the Waterfall Gardens’, after the stream that tumbles down from Penang Hill, the gardens are a favorite haunt of the city’s morning walkers and joggers. The botanical gardens host various attractions like an orchid house, a palm house, a cactus garden, a bromeliad house and several native trees, plants and shrubs. The gardens are also home to a large population of long-tailed macaque monkeys, birds and insects. Visitors are cautioned not to feed the monkeys as they to get aggravated and bite. A path from within the garden leads to the top of Penang Hill.

Batu Ferringhi Night Market

Penang’s famous white-sand Batu Ferringhi beach hosts a wide variety of resorts and offers a multitude of water sporting activities. However, this gorgeous beachfront also hosts lively night market populated by numerous vendors who offer products like t-shirts, DVDs, accessories, toys, souvenirs and a various other knick-knacks favored by tourists. The night market at Batu Ferringhi is a cacophony of sights, sounds and tastes in the fashion of most south-east Asian markets and is great fun to visit.

Kek Lok Si Temple

The Kek Lok Si Temple also known as the ‘Temple of Supreme Bliss’ is the largest Buddhist temple complex in Malaysia. The temple dates back to 1893 when it was constructed on the terraces of Penang Hill.  Star attractions at the temple include the seven-storey tall Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas and the 90ft (30 m) tall statue of Kuan Yin (the Chinese Goddess of Mercy) which was added to the complex in 2003. 

 

 

The Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion (the Blue Mansion)

Cheong Fatt Tze was Chinese tycoon who built a huge empire in Southeast Asia in the late 19^th Century.  He arrived in Penang in 1890, and went on to build, the magnificent ‘Blue Mansion’ to accommodate his large family which included eight wives.

This well preserved mansion which is built according to traditional Feng Shui principles and is a fine example of Chinese architecture (the Hakka-Teochew style) is equipped with 38 rooms built around five airy courtyards. Decorative trimmings of the mansion include much stained glass, carved moldings and doors and seven elaborate staircases.

The Khoo Kongsi Clan House

Amongst the many heritage buildings of Georgetown, is a magnificent structure, the Khoo Kongsi clan house. This impressive edifice which was built in 1920 after the original structure was destroyed by a fire in 1906, displays distinct Indo-Malay influences. The walls, pillars and roof of the imposing structure are adorned with intricate carvings created by master craftsmen from China. The temple serves as a locale for many Chinese opera performances during the seventh lunar month.

Penang’s Little India

Penang’s historic Little India district is located along Georgetown’s streets like Lebuh Queen, Lebuh Chulia and Jalan Pasar (Market Street). Indian immigrants arrived in Penang during the early 19^th century. They were made up of agricultural laborers, spice traders and money lenders. These immigrants hailed from various Indian communities like, Gujaratis, Punjabis, Malyalees and Tamils.  Penang’s Little India is an exotic, colorful enclave populated by Indian restaurants and  sari and jewelry stores.
The area also  has its midst Penang’s oldest Hindu temple, the Sri Mariamman Temple, built in 1833, by a group of Southern Indians called Chettiars.  Penang’s Chinatown is located close by and is also worth a visit.

Gurney Drive

Gurney Drive known as ‘Persiaran Gurney’ is Penang’s most famous food street.  Located on the city’s waterfront, Gurney Drive is named after Sir Henry Gurney, a Malayan High Commissioner, who was assassinated during the period of Emergency in Malaysia in the early 1950s.

Gurney Drive hosts several restaurants and hawker stalls which serve delicious, native Penang eats like Penang Laksa, Fried Oyster, Wantan Mee, Penang Rojak, ABC( Ais Kacang) which must be sampled on any visit to Penang.

The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery

The Penang State Museum and Art Gallery situated in Georgetown. The museum is hosts several galleries which catalogue the rich history and diverse culture of Penang. The extensive permanent collection at the museum features photographs, paintings, costumes, antiques, maps, historical documents, Chinese furniture, embroidery samples and more. The Penang Art Gallery is located on the first floor of the museum and today hosts the works of local artists which appear alongside older works created by William Daniels and Captain Robert Smith.

The above listed attractions are but a few of the many attractions that this vibrant and vivacious Malaysian destination has to offer and invites you to discover.

 

Malaysian Seafood Delicacies

As Malaysia has a fairly long coastline (extending over 4,675 kilometers or 2905 miles) and is bordered by many bodies of water including the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca, the Andaman Sea, the Straits of Johor, the Sulu Sea and the Celebes Sea, it should come as no surprise that seafood features prominently in the Malaysian diet.
Moreover, an abundance of seafood is available in almost every corner of the country and

Malaysian Muslims regard seafood to be halal. They thus regularly consume the bounty from the seas like prawns, shrimps, crabs, squid, sea cucumbers, cuttlefish, clams, cockles, octopus and more. If you love seafood then you should perhaps make it a point to sample the plethora of seafood delicacies served up by the many Malaysian eateries all over the country.

Listed below are some popular Malaysian seafood delights that are readily available in most parts of Malaysia.

Grilled Stingray

In Malaysia, this deadly resident of the oceans is slathered in a spice paste, wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled. The act of grilling the fish in a banana leaf, releases the juices from the fish which mixes with the spice paste to render the fish succulent. Grilled stingray is available at most restaurants and street food stalls in Malaysia.

Ikan Bakar

Ikan Bakar is quite similar to grilled stingray though the fish used in a dish of Ikan Bakar is usually red snapper and the spice paste used as the marinade is known as sambal.

Char Kuay Teow and Asam Laksa

Regional interpretations of popular Malaysian eats like Char Kuay Teow and Laksa feature much seafood in places like Penang, where they are made with seafood like cockles; shrimp paste (belacan), prawns and more.

Asam Pedas

Asam Pedas is a fish based preparation associated with southern Malaysian states like Melaka and Johor. This dish is usually made with fish like Spanish mackerel, stingray or catfish and features gravy made with ingredients like dried chilies, shallots, belacan, torch ginger flower, Vietnamese mint and tamarind juice.

Sambal Udang

Sambal Udang is a Pernakan preparation which features giant prawns served in gravy made with a chili paste(sambal), belacan(shrimp paste) and tamarind paste.

Otak-Otak

The oddly named Otak-Otak is essentially a fish cake crafted with a fish paste made with mackerel which is combined with various other ingredients like chili peppers, garlic, shallots, lemon grass and coconut milk. This fish cake is then wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed or grilled. Otak-Otak is usually consumed with steamed rice or bread. Various regional variations of the dish can be found in areas like Kelantan, where the dish is known as Satar and features more fish and less spice paste.

Keropok Lekor

Keropok Lekor, is the name given to fish fritters, a favored teatime snack in Malaysia. Made with a fish paste, sago flour and salt, these fritters are best enjoyed hot.

Kari Kepala Ikan

Kari Kepala Ikan or fish head curry is yet another much loved seafood preparation in Malaysia. The dish which has Indian roots is made with red snapper which is semi-stewed in spicy, Kerala-style curry which also features vegetables like okra and aubergines. Fish-head curry is best enjoyed with steamed rice or bread.

Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque

As a country with a Muslim majority, Malaysia abounds with beautiful mosques. One such stunning specimen is the Sultan Abu Bakar State Mosque located in Johor, the southernmost state of the Malaysian union.

Situated atop a hill, in downtown Johor Bahru on street named Jalan Skudai, this beautiful, old mosque affords stunning views of the Straits of Johor and neighboring Singapore. The mosque, which is located near the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, dates back to the late 19^th century. In fact, the construction of the mosque marked the start of the modernization process in Johor in 1892, a process which entailed the revamping of various essential services like infrastructure, the administrative system, civil services and more. This process had been imitated by the ruler of Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar who soon came to be known as the ‘Father of Modern Johor’. The construction of the mosque took eight years and was completed in 1900, a few years after the Sultan’s death.

Tuan Haji Mohamed Arif bin Punak was the chief architect of the mosque and he worked under the guidance of Johor government engineer Dato' Yahya bin Awalluddin who told him of the Sultan’s love and admiration for English architecture. Inspired by this information, Tuan Haji Arif bin Punak went on to design a mosque which displayed a mix of Victorian, Moorish and Malay design elements. This is amply evident in the structure of the minarets of the mosque which actually resemble British 19^th century clock towers.

The mosque which today presents a magnificent sight can accommodate 2000 worshippers at a time and is also open to non-Muslims though they are requested to dress modestly and remove their shoes while visiting.

This beautiful edifice is today is listed as a protected heritage monument by the Malaysian Department of Museums and Antiquities which is also responsible for its upkeep and preservation.

If you have a love for architecture and enjoy viewing specimens from ages past, you should perhaps pencil in a visit to the Sultan Abu Baker State Mosque, during your visit to Johor Bahru.

The Need for Speed: Malaysian Moto GP- 2013, Sepang

If Moto GP racing gets your adrenaline pumping and your pulses racing, then perhaps you should make your way to the Sepang International Circuit this weekend for the 2013 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix. The event which is slated for the 11th to 13th October 2013 will feature all the big guns of Moto GP as it constitutes round 15 of the 18-leg MotoGP World Championship.
In fact,  the 2013 Moto GP title hunt is currently poised at a very exciting stage as there is an ongoing tussle between the competition’s two leaders Tuenti HP 40’s Pol Espargaro who is in hot pursuit of championship leader, Marc VDS Racing Team’s Scott Redding. Twenty points separate them at this juncture and with Redding having suffered a loss to Espargaro at Aragón, the Brit will no doubt be looking for victory at Sepang in an effort to cement his grip on the title.
The 22nd edition of the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix hosted at Sepang in 2012 was a grand success so much so the event was declared the MotoGP event of the year by Dorna, the main marketing company for Moto GP. The 2012 event drew huge crowds on every day and this year, the numbers are expected to be even higher as tickets for the event have been selling very rapidly.

Aside from Espargo and Redding, spectators will have the chance to witness the exploits of various other championship drivers like Aspar Team Moto2’s Nico Terol, Espargaro’s teammate Tito Rabat, Alex Mariñelarena who is racing for Blusens Avintia this year and Thai rider Decha Kraisart, who is with the Singha Eneos Yamaha Tech3 team.
Malaysian Moto GP fans will be keenly following the achievements of home-grown talents like Hafizh Syahrin who is racing for Petronas Raceline and who narrowly missed a podium finish last year. Also competing in the tourney is local hero Muhammad Zulfahmi Khairuddin and the home crowd is  also pinning its hopes on him for a podium finish in the Moto3 Category. Other local talents creating a buzz amongst fans include Malaysia’s latest racing outfit, the Touchline SIC AJO Racing Team, which will have Amirul Hafiq & Husni Aizat, as Moto3 Wildcard Entries; and current SuperSports 600cc category ARRC championship leader, Azlan Shah Kamaruzaman, who qualified for the event on his own merit.
Apart from heart-stopping racing action, the 2013 Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix will also offer a number of entertaining  side attractions like the Ducati Club convoy scheduled for  race day, 13th October along with approximately 60 kiosks featuring various vendors including the best bike manufacturers from around the world. Also on offer at the 2013, Malaysian Moto GP will be an autograph signing section scheduled for 12th October 2013 at the Welcome Center. At this event, ticketholders will have the once in a life opportunity to interact with their idols in persons.
More information about the race program, public transport, contests and more is available at the official website of the event at http://www.sepangcircuit.com.my/race/7.