Urbanscapes 2013

Do you love the arts? Music? Then you will be delighted to know that Malaysia is home to a lively contemporary arts scene. The epicenter of this contemporary arts community is the country’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, the founding city of Urbanscapes, an annual exposition featuring music, fashion, dance, visual design and more.
A local company, Freeform Sdn. Bhd, founded this annual festival in 2002, and hosted it at a centrally located, much frequented KL eatery, which has since closed. Anyway, the festival itself had outgrown its venue due to large crowds it was drawing and in recent times, the Urbanscapes festival is held at larger venues outside KL. Moreover, the festival has also been extended to span two days instead of just one day. This, year Urbanscapes has been earmarked for the weekend of 23^rd and 24^th November and the grand event will be hosted at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) at Serdang, Selangor.

Aside, from the size and the duration, the festival has also expanded its repertoire and now features a whole host on internationally recognized performers in addition to local stars. This year’s festival lineup thus includes well-known names like Franz Ferdinand (a rock band from Scotland), Tegan and Sara (an indie-rock outfit from Canada), Two Door Cinema Club (a dance-rock trio from Northern Ireland), Efterklang (a Danish electronica band),  Black Voices(An Afro-Caribbean band from the UK), Last Dinosaurs(an alternative music band from Australia) and many others like Singapore’s Obedient Wives Club, Kyoto Protocol, Oh Chentaku and more. Also performing at the festival are comedians like Pierre Hollins from the UK and Malaysia’s very own Kuah.

In addition to music and standup comedy acts, Urbanscapes will also feature various other performing arts events like shadow puppetry, poetry readings, percussion and ukulele performances, beat box acts, dance concerts and more.  Visitors will also have a chance to indulge in a touch of retail therapy at the festival’s various popup shops showcasing the works of creative folks and offering products like clothing, accessories, home wares, lifestyle products, vintage wares and other knick-knacks.

The festival grounds will additionally, host a variety of food and beverage outlets offering much food and drink for enthusiastic festivalgoers.

For more information about the festival do visit- http://urbanscapes.com.my

 

 

 

 

Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2013

If you enjoy sailing or are simply mesmerized by the sight of yachts sailing across waterways, then a trip to Malaysia beckons this month, as the country gets ready to host its spectacular Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta 2013 from the 15^th to 23^rd November 2013.

This challenging annual sailing extravaganza features a series of competitive offshore races organized by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club in association with the well-known offshore racing organization, RORC (the Royal Ocean Racing Club). Conceived and launched in 1990, as a sequel to the five annual offshore series of races, which linked the most popular and beautiful isles off the west coast of Malaysia, namely Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi, the Raja Mudra Selangor International Regatta, enjoys royal patronage from His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Selangor.

The 24the edition of the Regatta this year, will feature three overnight passage races encompassing a total of 260 miles (from Port Klang to Pangkor, Pangkor to Penang and Penang to Langkawi), along with three days of harbor racing in Penang and Langkawi. 

The Regatta typically draws yachts of all shapes and sizes ranging from IRC1 racers to classic yachts, multihulls and ancient, slow moving100-year-old cruisers. All competing vessels of the Regatta in 2013 will set sail from a new kick-off point, the new Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) Marina Annexe at Pulau Indah. They will make stops along Malaysia’s best-known tropical isles before ending their journey at a new destination in Langkawi its Telaga Harbor.

The Regatta will span nine days and feature a variety of races including passage races and inshore harbor sprints, ensuring much excitement for participants and spectators alike.

Aside from thrilling races, this sailing extravaganza will also feature several ritzy social events like regatta dinners, a rickshaw race and the Miss International Yachting Malaysia contest.

 

 

I-City, Shah Alam

Paris has for years been known as the ‘city of lights’. However, the French capital now has a rival for this title, in the form of a relatively new sprawling, urban development situated in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. i-city as this urban center is called, is also popularly referred to as the ‘City of digital lights’, for it resembles a sparkling fantasy at nighttime, when it’s is lit up with over one million LED lights. Designed by renowned, award-winning, America architect Jon A Jerde, i-city spans an expansive 72 acres and is situated besides the Federal Highway in Section 7, Shah Alam.

i-city is a fully integrated, comprehensive city consisting of business, leisure and residential areas and encompassing large shopping malls, office towers, hotels, residences, restaurants, cutting-edge information technology centers and various attractions like Waterworld, Snowwalk,  the Trick Art Museum, the Red Carpet Wax Museum, Funworld and more.

As night falls, i-city comes to life with an explosion of color, for its specially fabricated pine and maple trees are illuminated with thousands of lights and the city is transformed into a sight to behold. While the original ‘City of Light’ Paris is renowned for its classical charm, Malaysia’s ultra-modern i-city, which was inaugurated in 2010, is a technological marvel with its own distinct appeal

Major attractions at i-city

Water World

Water World, is as its name suggests a waterpark filled with thrilling rides suitable for all ages. The park occupies a 10 acre space and features various exciting rides like the Ultimate Tornado, a thrilling vortex ride, the first spiral slide of its kind in South-East Asia which takes riders on a mad, rapidly twirling ride through a 160 foot long tunnel and then plunges them into a tilted water funnel for additional thrills. Other rides on offer include the Rainbow Racer Slide, the Family Raft Slide, and the Giant Jacuzzi, the Children’s Adventure Pool, the River Adventure ride and a Wave Pool. Aside from rides, Waterworld also hosts various concerts and events periodically.

Snow Walk

Snow Walk brings Arctic climes to steamy Malaysia; on offer at Snowwalk are various ice sculptures and rides. Here you will find igloos, snowmen, ice penguins, a mini-bobsled ride, an ice bar and yet more LED lights. I-city’s Snowwalk is a big hit with kids and adults alike.

Red Carpet

Opened just in time for Visit Malaysia Year 2014, Red Carpet is an interactive, wax museum that aims to dazzle and delight with its many exhibits. Extending over 30,000 sq. feet with an Oscar awards-like setting, the museum houses wax replicas of luminaries in its six main galleries, namely World Icons, Celebrities, Sport Stars, World Book of Records, Interactive and All Stars Café. These wax figurines further feature special effects like voice and motion and never fail to enchant and delight.

Trick Art Museum

i-city’s cutting edge technology is once again on display at its Trick Art Museum where two dimensional paintings are converted onto 3D, so that they look different from every angle. The museum spans 8000 sq. feet and has five main themes like Masterpieces, Egyptian, Sea Life, Animal Kingdom and Modern Classic.

True Discovery

Taking a break from LED lights, the True Discovery section features old-world like attractions like exotic reptiles, tarantula spiders and more.

Fun World

Fun World also offers classical attractions like a Giant Ferris Wheel, A Pirate Ship, Bumper cars and more.

Malaysia’s i-city is a work in progress as it is still evolving and developing, do stop by and have a look, you are sure to be awed by its ingenuity and technological brilliance.

http://i-city.my/tourism/

 

City of Entertainment- Genting Highlands

If you are holidaying in Kuala Lumpur, you might want to consider taking a trip out to the famed ‘City of Entertainment’, Genting Highlands. Genting Highlands is an integrated development featuring a theme park, hotels and casinos located at the summit of Gunung Ulu Kali, a peak rising to a height of 1800 meters above sea level. This resort area can be easily accessed by an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur, for it is located approximately 35 km away from the Malaysian capital, near the border of Selangor.

You can alternatively also access the resort via a thrilling cable car ride originating from the town of Gohtong Jaya, located at the foot of the peak. The ride up the peak is quite exciting as Gunung Ulu Kali is blanketed by a thick rain forest cover, and the summit of the pinnacle is almost always enveloped my ethereal mists.

The Genting Highlands resort development was founded in 1971 by Lim Goh Tong, a Chinese immigrant who had arrived in Malaysia in 1937. The idea of founding a multi-purpose resort within easy access from Kuala Lumpur, struck Lim one day when he was having tea at the Cameron Highlands resort. He then went on to pool all his resources to facilitate the creation of such an entertainment hub and the Genting Highland resort project was launched. The resort opened for business in 1971.  The Genting Highland resort was also granted the only casino license in the country, by the then Malaysian Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. Over the next thirty years, the simple entertainment hub grew by leaps and bounds, so that today it is quite expansive in size and encompasses a wide range of leisure options like theme parks, hotels, a cable car system and more. It still remains the only option for legal gambling in Malaysia, so if you are a fan of Las Vegas, then glitzy glamorous Genting Highlands should feature on your radar screen

Additionally, it is worth noting that Genting Highlands is blessed with a year round amiable climate, which features temperatures ranging from 20°C to 25°C during the day and 15°C to 20°C at nighttime, so if you are looking for a respite from the searing KL heat, a Genting Highlands getaway may be a perfect solution.

Attractions

First World Plaza shopping mall

The First World Plaza shopping mall complex at the Genting Highland resort aside from hosting shops and retail outlets, also hosts an indoor theme park and the First World Hotel. Gaily adorned with a multi-hued façade, statues, neon lights and replicas of popular landmarks the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the Petronas Towers and more, the mall also hosts an indoor theme park equipped with various small rides like a ferris wheel. Other than rides, the mall also features several gaming and entertainment centers like a Ripley’s Believe it or not Museum, Vision City Games, Genting Cyberworld, a rock climbing studio, a 28 lane bowling alley, a children’s playground and  snooker rooms.The Plaza also hosts concerts and shows at its Pavilion Hall regularly.

 

Theme park

The larger theme park located outside the mall, offers attractions like SnowWorld, a 4D Motion Master Ride, the Genting Sky Venture, which features a wind tunnel and offers visitors a sky-diving experience. A house of horrors called the Haunted Adventure and a Rainforest Splash pool are other attractions on offer at the theme park.

The Genting Skyway

The Genting Skyway gondola ride was founded in 1997. The skyway is one of the longest and fastest gondola lifts in Southeast Asia extending over 3.38 from the base station in Gohtong Jaya up to the summit of the Gunung Ulu Kali peak.

Valley View Gardenia

Valley View Gardenia is a beautifully landscaped garden and park located near the Theme Park Hotels. Littered with fountains, gazebos, flower-lined walkways, the garden is a restful tranquil spot in the hub of activity, Genting Highlands

The Casino

The Genting Highlands casino is undoubtedly its biggest draw. As the only legal gambling spot in Malaysia, it is inundated with crowds all day long. The casino however offers limited access and admits only non-Muslims who are aged 21 and above. On offer at the casino are popular gambling games like poker, blackjack, baccarat and slot machines.

Food and Beverage outlets

The resort features a wide variety of food and dining outlets. Restaurants, cafes, food courts are available on site at the resort’s various hotels and at First World Plaza Mall. All these various dining outlets offer a variety of local and international eats.

Hotels

The Genting Highlands resort offers a wide range of accommodation options at its various hotels like The Theme Park hotel, the First World Hotel, the Resort Hotel, the Highlands Hotel, the Awana Hotel and so forth.

Chinese and Buddhist Temples

Elaborately decorated Chinese temples have long attracted tourists in various parts of South East Asia.  It is no different in Malaysia for a significant portion of the country’s Chinese population follows Buddhism. The Chinese first arrived in Malaysia in the early 13^th century as traders; they continued to arrive in waves down the ages. These Chinese immigrants to Malaya hailed from various regions of China and as they settled in Malaysia and formed communities, they built some magnificent Chinese and Buddhist temples, which stand until today.

Some of the most spectacular Chinese and Buddhist temples in Malaysia currently include:-

Thean Hou Temple, Kuala Lumpur

The six tiered Thean Hou Temple stands in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. This elaborately adorned temple features ornate roofs and sculptured dragons. The temple which is one of the biggest Chinese temples in the country, is dedicated to Thean Hou(the heavenly goddess) though several other popular Chinese deities like Kuan Yin(the Goddess of Mercy) and Shui Wey( Goddess of  the Hokkien fishermen) also feature within the temple. The grounds of the temple feature replicas of the Chinese zodiac signs. Several souvenir shops line the exterior of the temple.

Fo Guang Shan Dong Zen temple, Selangor

This temple, which was established in Jenjarom, Kuala Langat in 1994 is set amongst 16 immaculately landscaped acres. This temple also functions as a monastery and is a center for culture and religious studies.  The main shrine at this temple is a 5.4-meter high statue of Lord Buddha sculpted in bronze. Other idols that adorn the temple include a statue of Kuan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy).

Perak Tong, Ipoh Perak

The Malaysian state of Perak is renowned for its cave temples many of which are located around the capital city of Ipoh. Perak Tong is one such famed temple, which is housed within the huge limestone cave; Gunung Tasek located six kilometers north of Ipoh town. This temple was constructed by Buddhist monks from China in 1926 and features over 40 statues of Lord Buddha, including one, which rises to a height of 12.8 meters. Traditional Chinese paintings illustrating Buddhist folk tales adorn the walls of the temple.

Sam Poh Tong Temple, Ipoh

This temple, which lies five kilometers to the south of Ipoh near Gunung Rapat, houses several statues of Lord Buddha amongst its many limestone formations like spectacular stalactites and stalagmites. It is believed that a Chinese monk discovered this cave and he then went on to use it as a locale for meditation.  The temple also features 246 steps leading to its summit.

Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang

The Kek Lok Si Temple is one of the most visited sites in Penang. Situated on the lower rungs of Penang Hill, this magnificent temple is considered to be one of the finest Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia. The temple is built in tiers and is adorned with a tall Pagoda adorned with ten thousand Buddha statues and a 30-meter (90 feet) tall statue of Kuan Yin (the Goddess of Mercy). The temple is an exponent of Sino-Thai-Burmese styles of architecture and features  several colorful frescoes and water bodies.

Goddess of Mercy Temple  (Kuan Yin Teng)

Early Chinese migrants to Penang built the Kuan Yin Teng temple in 1801. The temple is dedicated to two goddess; Kuan Yin (the goddess of Mercy) and Ma Chor Poh, the patron saint of seafarers. The décor of the temple is quite dramatic as it features a main hall supported by sculpted pillars adorned with dragons.

The Temple of Bright Clouds (Melaka)

Located in the heart of Melaka’s Chinatown, the Temple of Bright Clouds or the Cheng Hoong Teng temple is the oldest temple in Malaysia. The temple, which was constructed entirely of materials imported from Southern China, dates back to 1646. The temple practices the three main doctrines of Chinese religion namely Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

Puh Toh Tze Temple, Sabah

The Puh Toh Tze temple situated at a distance of 15km from Kota Kinabalu off Tuaran Road is one of the most well known Buddhist temples in Sabah. The temple, which was built in 1980, bears a distinct Chinese-style structure and roof. The temple features ten large statues including a large statue of goddess Kuan Yin at its main entrance.