Event: Live Comedy - PenangPAC, Straits Quay

In terms of events involving the performing arts Penang is well blessed with such a superb venue as the Penang PAC (Performing Arts and Culture) theatre at Straits Quay.  We are also lucky in Penang given that the performing arts are well supported with an ever growing and varied schedule events.  We also have festivals here which have a specific or significant focus on the arts including the ever popular Penang Island Jazz Festival and the Georgetown Festival.

2013, the Year of the Snake, is getting off to a flying start this year (slithering doesn't really give the right emphasis does it?) and on March 29th and 30th PenangPAC will play host to 'Indie PG', an event fully spanning the two days and which will feature workshops and performances from musicians from all over Malaysia who write their own material.

Before that though we have another 'must see' event from the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians (whose comedy is delivered in English) with their show 'Bromance of the Four Kingdoms' with three performances; Friday 22 (9pm) and Saturday 23 (5pm and 9pm) February with each show priced at just RM 38 per ticket.

Tickets can be purchased at PenangPAC or, to be sure of your seats, online via iLassoo.  You can also call PenangPAC on 04 899 1722 to book.  For those based in KL you can also catch 'Bromance of the Four Kingdoms' the week after at the PJ Live Arts Theatre at Jaya One.  See below for details.

The Performers
Douglas Lim is now primarily a stand-up comedian and is also currently one of the host on NTV7’s The Breakfast Show. His stand-up comedy performances include “Kings and Queen of Comedy Asia”, “The haritHDouglas Show”, Comedy Club KL, Comedy Club Singapore, Harith Iskander’s Nationwide Tour and M.A.C.C. Douglas Lim was nominated for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Asian TV Awards. He jokingly says he lost though, to Gurmit Singh (Phua Chu Kang)!

Kuah Jenhan says he is probably the first person to be called a ‘Killing Machine’ on a Malaysian newspaper (The Star) and get away with it. Since professionally starting his comedic career in March 2009, Jenhan has already performed for occasions such as 'Advertising+Marketing Magazine' Agency of The Year 2010, The Malaysia Effie Awards 2010, Guinness St Patricks Festival 2010 and The 7th Johor Baru Arts Festival, etc.. 2011 saw Jenhan having his debut solo show entitled 'Kuah Jenhan: Tall, Dark, and Comedian' with the two consecutive shows being a sell-out s at the PJ Live Arts Theatre! He is also the CO-WRITER of Malaysia’s best selling musical (to date) 'Lat Kampung Boy - Sebuah Muzikal'.

Phoon Chi Ho laughingly commented he has no talent, but is very hardworking. He is a comedy promoter, an actor, a freelance scriptwriter, and a house-husband but says he works the hardest as a stand-up comedian.  Chi Ho boasts a catalogue of sharp-wit observations, off-the-wall dance moves and rib-tickling takes on local life in his comedy routine. When he’s not busy making people laugh, Chi Ho is busy working hard as an actor for television sitcoms, commercials and theatre. When he’s not performing, he channels his passion for comedy as an ‘unofficial promoter’ of all-things-comedy in Malaysia.

Dr. Jason Leong is the newest addition to the urban KL comedy scene, and his rise since finding his comedic voice has been stellar. Barely one year since his debut onstage, he has been a regular for TimeOut Comedy KL's monthly gigs, having performed with industry greats such as Douglas Lim and America's bad boy of comedy, Tom Rhodes. Wittier than your average Facebook status update, scandal free, Jason has also started performing for corporate events, weddings and annual dinners.   Jason also has a trait no other comedian in Malaysia possesses. Apart from making you slap your knee, ache your belly and tickle your funny bone, he is also a full-fledged doctor. Despite being in such a prestigious profession, he still says, "There is literally no better job in the world than being a stand-up comedian".

Hennessy Artistry: KWC, Kuala Lumpur (8 Sept)

Many readers will be aware that I was recently invited to shoot at the Hennessy Artistry event at Straits Quay, Penang in June of this year, and what a spectacular event it was!  Now hot on the heels of this event comes a further opportunity for people to party with Hennessy.  This time H-Artistry returns to the heart of Kuala Lumpur for the second instalment of 2012’s Global Art of Mixing Trilogy!  The upcoming H-Artistry party is set to take place on Level 15 at KWC (2, Jalan Gelugor, Kuala Lumpur) and promises an eclectic mix and a phenomenal super-clubbing experience on 8 September 2012.  'Pick of Penang' is delighted to have been invited to attend this event by Hennessy but unfortunately conflicting appointments will prevent attendance at this one :-(   Next time for sure!!!

As H-Artistry zeros in on Kuala Lumpur’s latest wholesale fashion hub, around 3,000 party goers will be treated to a mix of world-class music and the trademark H-Artistry atmosphere. Hennessy promises that both seasoned H-Artistry enthusiasts and new initiates alike will be blown away by a revamped Hennessy 'Art of Mixing Zone' featuring the Hennessy 360 Cam, as well as other interactive party elements, making it one of the premier party experiences this September. 

After posing for a seamless, 360 degree panoramic video at the Hennessy 360 Cam, party goers can enjoy their favourite Hennessy V.S.O.P. long drinks at the Hennessy Mixing Bars, where Hennessy Apple, Hennessy Berry, Hennessy Ginger and Hennessy Soda. As ever the gorgeous H-Artistry ambassadors stationed at the bar will be on hand to assist and serve party-goers and demonstrate the ease of mixing a wide range of traditional and innovative  long drinks. 

This instalment of H-Artistry will be headlined by international vocal powerhouse and EDM (electronic dance music) siren Eva Simons, Jakarta’s cult-status DJ Angger Dimas, as well as Kuala Lumpur’s fast-rising electronic dance nu-breeds B.A.T.E. (Brain And The Eye). The night will charge on till the end with the hard-hitting, hipster-worshipped duo Mr.Nasty & GuruGuru (a.k.a. Bass Agents).

Party goers can expect fist-pumping performances and collaborations laced with powerful vocal lashings from Eva Simons. The songstress is best known for her recent collaboration with Afrojack in the track “Take Over Control”, which has become a dance crossover anthem on dance floors around the world. More to come on the artists who will be performing at this event over the next few days.

To keep up with the news surrounding this event, and for the opportunity to obtain tickets (which are sure to be highly sought after), readers should regularly check out the H-Artistry site.  

Please Note: H-Artistry is open to those above 18 years of age and non-Muslims only. 

Train Travel

The first post of 2012 and a very brief one about travel. A few readers have contacted me by e-mail and Yahoo Chat and asked if there is any information around about train travel within Malaysia and also for travel between Malaysia (and especially Penang) and Thailand / Singapore. There is no direct travel my train from Penang and the closest point you will get a train from/to is Butterworth with the journey between there and Penang having to be completed by taxi or ferry.

By far the best site for train travel information I find to be 'Seat61.com'. The actual train operator in Malaysia is KTMB and the link to their online booking is here. Of course if you want to try a truly luxurious trip between KL and Thailand (and a number of other routes) you could always opt for the Eastern and Oriental Orient Express!!.

Hopefully this will be of use to prospective travellers. I have yet to do my first trip to Bangkok which I plan to do in February or March this year. I'll put up a full review when I do. Meanwhile, I will be back to regular posting, more reviews, and the somewhat overdue area pictorial guides. Apologies again for delays but house-hunting and freight arrival have got in the way somewhat!!

MM2H Visa Collection - Putrajaya (from Penang)

Having been in Penang since 20 July I figured it was high-time to go and collect my MM2H visa. It has to be said that the new location of the MM2H office did make me view the trip with a slight sense of dread but as it turned out is was all misplaced.

The address of the MM2H unit is:

Ministry of Tourism Malaysia,
Level 10,Tower 1, Jalan P5/6,
Presint 5, 62200 W.P. Putrajaya,
MALAYSIA

Now, as can be seen from the post dated 31 July I had managed to get all the documentation I would need prior to collecting the visa (medical report, Security Bond stamping and medical insurance) sorted in Penang so I hoped I would need little time in Putrajaya, once there, to collect the visa. On that basis I decided to save on the cost of a hotel stop in KL (I'm not a great fan of capital cities and was not desperate to stay on this occasion) and do the trip there and back in a day.

I considered flying to KL to be the only real option in this case, given my need to do a round trip in a day and that of course means either flying to KLIA or KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT). In deciding, one main considerations for me was how to get from my chosen airport to Putrajaya and with the least amount of hassle and stress. From KLIA one of the two most sensible options was to take the KL Transit (please note, NOT the Ekspress which doesn't stop until KLCC) which stops at Putrajaya/Cyberjaya Sentral (P/C S), Cyberjaya being the IT based 'development area' adjacent to mainly governmental Putrajaya that is home to the Ministry of Tourism, which is about 10 minutes away by taxi. The other option is to take a taxi direct from KLIA at a cost of around RM 65. Putrajaya though is a bit of a nightmare if you don't know your way around however and I figured that a local taxi driver operating out of Putrajaya Sentral may have a better chance of not getting lost, as as happened to at least one MM2H applicant I know. KL LCCT also offers exactly the same options. Grab a taxi and go to Putrajaya direct, again at a cost of RM 65, or buy a ticket for the KL Transit and, again, take a taxi from Putrajaya Sentral. The difference is that with KL LCCT you need to take a 20 minute shuttle bus (which is free when you purchase your KL Transit ticket) to get you to the KL Transit station, Salak Tinggi, which is actually the transit station before KLIA. With KLIA the Transit terminal is on-site. The picture to the right shows (maybe poorly) the rough route to get to the MM2H offices from P/C S. If you Google Putrajaya KL Transit and then look for Presinct 6, below the station and to the left, you will see where the Ministry of Tourism is.

So, what about flights. KLIA does benefit from having slightly easier access to the KL Transit station and of course better direct connection to KL direct (e.g. KL Ekspress) which may or may not be important to you. However, you will pay a premium to fly into KLIA as you will need to use a major airline and not one of the low cost operators such as Air Asia (which flies into KL LCCT) or Firefly (which flies into Subang). Booking 5 days in advance as I was, I would have been able to get a return flight from Malaysia Airlines for RM 378 (inc taxes) and actually that's not too bad. On top of that you will of course need to add the cost of getting to the airport and your connections the other end.

I then looked at the LCCT option. Total cost of a return flight with Air Asia was RM 229, around RM 150 cheaper than the flight into KLIA. Given that the cost of the flight was considerably cheaper, the flight times suited me more and that the Putrajaya connection did not seem to daunting, KL LCCT was the option I chose.

When the big day arrived I took a taxi from my home near Tg Tokong to the airport, with a driver I use often, at a cost of RM 40. At 9am the roads are quite quiet and the trip took us about 40 minutes. Penang airport is still undergoing renovation but finding your way to the departure hall, up the escalator, is not too hard. I had checked in with Air Asia online previously and had the bar code they issue saved to my phone. They have self-service terminals at the airport which SHOULD be able to scan this code and print your boarding pass (I only had hand luggage so would not need to then check baggage also). The machine seemed to struggle with my bar code which MAY have been down to the phone screen protector, I'm not sure. Once you have checked in online however you cannot check-in again using the terminals and I had to use a 'Document Check' desk which only took a few minutes. With hindsight I probably wouldn't check-in online again and would just check-in using the booking code at the terminals leaving less margin for error. Using a bar code to do the same thing seems to just add another needless step. My flight left on time at 11:20 and an hour later, about 12:30 pm I was at KL LCCT.

The rest of the trip was really easy. Walking into arrivals at LCCT there are a number of coach and taxi desks and also the desk marked KL Ekspress. It is this desk that you get the KL Transit tickets. The cost to Putrajaya is just RM 5.50 which includes the free 20 minute coach transfer to Salak Tinggi. I also confirmed that the cost of a taxi to Putrajaya is RM 64.20. Having got my Transit ticket (they give you two, one for the coach and one for the train) I walked straight outside the terminal and across two pedestrian crossings and straight onto the KL Transit shuttle coach. There is a placard which, despite being small and low down, clearly indicates that it's the KL Transit coach stop and the drivers and crews nearby are all helpful, directing anyone unsure. After a short wait the coach set off and 20 minutes later dropped us off at Salak Tinggi (picture left), one of the very clean, tidy and well laid out Transit stations. It was 14 minutes for the next transit so I took the opportunity to grab a cold drink and a couple of savouries at the cafe as you enter the station. After that it was through the automatic barrier (you will need your train ticket to gain access) and across to the platform for the KL bound Transit. Again, helpful and friendly staff are around if you are unsure of your bearings. P/C S is the first stop the Transit train makes and the journey only takes about 5 minutes.

You could equally do this trip to P/C S from KL by taking the Transit (again, not the Ekspress!!) from KLSS towards KLIA at a cost of RM 12.50 and getting off at P/C S.

At P/C S there is an Information Desk and clear signs to the taxi and bus stands. As you will find at many of the larger transport hubs there are taxi coupon desks where you get a voucher for taxi before heading to the rank. The fares are all pre-determined. I could have taken a bus but decided, at a cost of RM 13 to take a taxi. Here is where making my own way to P/C S paid a dividend, the taxi drivers know the area and know exactly where to go. The trip took 10 minutes and the taxi dropped me off at the Ministry of Tourism offices, opposite the Pullman Hotel, at about 2pm. Spot on for the finish of lunch hour.

Total travel time from KL LCCT to Putrajaya was about an hour but it doesn't seem like it because it's so hassle free and the time just flies. Taxis can be a bit thin on the ground around Putrajaya so I did take the 24 hour call-centre number for the main taxi operator which is +60 3 888 4000.

Collecting the visa couldn't have been easier. Straight to the Immigration Desks which are next to the MM2H desks on the 10th floor, hand over the Letter of Aceptance, Security Bond form, medical report and copy of medical insurance, wait for 10 minutes, pay cashier (security Bond + RM90 for each year of your visa which will be tied to passport expiry), done!! There was no FD for me to 'prove' as I had been granted a visa under the 'Offshore' criteria. So, 20 minutes tops. In all honesty I spent much more time chatting to my friend Noor at the MM2H office!!!

After that, it was the return trip. Pointless repeating as it was just a reverse run but with one difference. As I walked out of the MoTour building to wait or call for a taxi (and I did see a couple nearby) I turned right and then right again (bringing you opposite the side of the Pullman Hotel) and saw a 601 bus at the bus stop. I asked if the bus went to Putrajaya Sentral and the driver said yes. So I boarded the bus and paid the 50 sen fare for a 10 minute trip back to the Transit station. All from there was just the same, easy and totally stress-free journey. Again, a total of an hour trip back to KL LCCT, including the waiting time for Transit etc. I got to the airport at 5pm with ample time to eat and then check in for the 6:20pm flight back to Penang.

So, that was my trip from Penang to Putrajaya and back. 11 hours door-to-door and overall a totally stress free and pleasant trip. Cost wise:

Total cost KL LCCT to Putrajaya (return): RM 24.50 (could have been RM 12 as next time I would take the bus from P/C S both ways). Total cost of my round-trip: RM 333.50

There are a few very useful resources I found while planning the options for this trip and they are:

A Wiki entry on Putrajaya which provides some detail on where it is and travelling around it.

The KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal website LCCT website which contains details on travel options from LCCT.

The taxi coupon service Mesra Indah Jayah website with details of costs from LCCT to various places.

Moto GP - Sepang Circuit, Malaysia (Oct 2011)

Early I know, but watching the Air Asia sponsored British Moto GP at Silverstone today, with a win by Casey Stoner for Repsol Honda, has reminded me that the Malaysia Moto GP will be held at the Sepang Circuit, Selangor, Malaysia between 21 - 23 October 2011.

Widely regarded as one of the best circuits, having one of the best Grandstands, I plan to get my tickets early for this, especially as the circuit has an early bird offer on with the Grandstand tickets at RM 100 instead of RM 120 until 31 July. One event I shall be really looking forward to

Hotel: Pacific Regency Hotel Suites - Kuala Lumpur

On the last few days of my recent trip to Penang I stayed over in KL for four nights before returning to the UK and rather than returning to the very good Melia Hotel I decided to try somewhere different. So, I booked Pacific Regency Hotel Suites, in Jalan Punchak near Jalan P Ramlee for around RM 260 per night, initially for 2 nights, through Agoda (see travel links).

On arrival in KL I had the misfortune to get a taxi driver who didn't know where the hotel was and KL was even heavier in traffic than normal due to a movie or something being shot near Jalan P Ramlee. Luckily I had purchased a voucher for the journey from KL Sentral otherwise the meter would have soared as we went round and round trying to find the hotel. The driver was also less than skilled at reading maps as I tried to point out the hotel on Google Maps saying, "we should turn here", "where?", "here", "where?", "back there", "but where", "too late now", you get the picture. In fact, had it not been pouring with rain I'd have got out and walked. Oddly, despite being monsoon season I found I got by without an umbrella in Penang. In KL though, come 4 or 5pm it did rain most days for between 1-3 hours and some days it rained really hard!!! Umbrella definitely needed for KL in monsoon season IMHO!!

Once we did arrive I checked in and both the entrance to the hotel and the reception areas are attractively styled and the staff were very helpful and courteous, if somewhat amazed about my ill-feted taxi trip that too 1.5 hours (in normal traffic, supposing a direct route, it would take more like 20 minutes). I was given a room on the 29th floor and had been upgraded to a Superior Room. So, what was it like?

Well, I have too say I wasn't THAT impressed. The room itself was very spacious but the decor it has to be said was somewhat lacklustre and all a bit dull. The room had a distinctive musty smell to it indicating it was perhaps less than regularly used with the air going slightly stagnant with the lack of air con. The furniture was also older in style, made of very dark wood which, alongside the beiges and browns of the decor made the room look somewhat flat. It was however VERY spacious, clean and tidy and the bathroom was enormous with a large walk-in shower and a bath. There was also ample storage. Being a serviced suite there was also a kitchenette with dining table and this area had the only window in the room. In fact it was the location of the window which did not help the light in the main bedroom as the kitchen area is much narrower than the bedroom and separated from it by a partial partition wall so the bedroom was never light really. The air -con was also quite noisy. Thankfully, after 3 years in the UAE and the 50 degree heat of their summers I found I rarely needed to use A/C while in Malaysia, probably a godsend in this case as I'm not sure I'd have been able to sleep with what sounded like a Harrier jump-jet with it's engine at idle just next to the bathroom!! Overall the room was OK to be honest but I can't say I really felt happy in it, it had a more utilitarian and functional feel to it than anything and failed to give me that relaxed and contented feeling that some hotel rooms are able to do.

Location wise the hotel wasn't brilliantly placed. It's walkable to the Bukit Bintang/Chankat area but did not feel as close as the Melia, it was also not so conveniently placed as the Grand Millenium, for the busier shopping areas around Jalan Bukit Bintang. That said you will likely pay RM 80-100 more for a room at the Millenium unless you were able to get a very good deal (but from stays in other Millenium hotels I suspect it would be worth it) but the Melia could be had for about RM 240 per night (at the time of writing). The location was OK but it just felt a bit out of it.

Facilities wise I didn't get to use much. I did eat at the restaurant in the Lunar Bar, a roof-top restaurant, disco and pool bar area which may well get popular at weekends (but maybe not so popular as the Sky Bar at Traders Hotel). The meal was somewhat unspectacular I have to say. I started with a wild mushroom soup which did seem to be lacking in one essential ingredient, wild mushrooms, and which was more rich and creamy than tasty, much too creamy for my taste. This was followed by a T-bone steak which was poorly cooked. I am a qualified chef so I have some idea of how steak should be cooked and my preference is always for a steak, regardless of how 'well' you want it done, be seared on a VERY hot grill or under a salamander such that it imparts a good flavour to the exterior and crisps any fat somewhat. The best that could be said for this steak was that it was cooked, just cooked, with a pale brown unappealing colour and an even more unappealing taste. Maybe other dishes at this restaurant are better, maybe at 11:00pm the grills had been turned off and were not so hot, but as a paying customer I do expect a degree of quality and if restaurants are unable to deliver to their normal standards, they should tell you.

I did have ocassion to use the Business Centre at the hotel to get some documents printed off and the staff were friendly and helpful. The prices were OK but if you were in town, as with any hotel, you could probably get printing and copying done for a tenth of the price at anyone of shops providing this kind of service. One thing that was very useful was that the hotel had a permanent executive (blue) taxi station right by the front door so getting a taxi at any hour was easy and the taxi company staff, and indeed the drivers, were very helpful and friendly. I'm sure I put on a kilo with all of the local take away delicacies they kept insisting I tried. A very helpful and pleasant bunch!! That said, I think most people are if you treat them with the respect, dignity and manners that you'd expect to be accorded to you rather than the, frankly, somewhat atrocious attitudes you see displayed by some people, but especially tourists and visitors some of whom have a vastly over-inflated view of their own self-importance!! As I have also said before the staff at the hotel were also very helpful. The only annoying factor, and this may be the same at some, but I know not all, hotels was that when I wanted to extend my stay by two nights for visa completion, they could not do the same rate at reception such that I had to book again through the internet. There were difficulties with Agoda that day so it was somewhat frustrating. Indeed I did even contemplate checking out and booking in at the Grand Millenium to give that a try but as I had a busy enough day the next day I couldn't be bothered to factor packing, check-out and check-in in to the itinerary as well. The staff clearly have their hands tied in this regard though and, other than that, service was faultless and all of the staff were very helpful and friendly.

Overall I wouldn't go so far as to say I wouldn't recommend the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites, it was an OK place to stay, just OK, depending on what you are looking for. If you need a kitchen it's maybe ideal but for me I would rather have the more attractively styles rooms of a normal hotel and would most likely opt for the locations of the Melia and Grand Millenium when visiting in future.

Air Asia – Internal Flights (Penang to KL)

When I travelled from KL to Penang readers will know I took a coach (Nice Plus) and a very pleasurable experience it was too. When I returned to KL I decided to take a flight as the flight times coincided more with the time I wanted to get up after what was a late night for my last night in Penang. I have often seen comment made that a flight is better as it’s “only an hour”. More on that later!!!!

I booked with Air Asia and if you book online you can get some significant savings if you book a few days in advance. At the time of booking I chose to upgrade my baggage allowance to 25K for about RM 30 just in case I had crept over the allowed 20 kg. You also get the option to book a ticket at half price (RM 4.50) for the Sky Bus that will take you on the 1 hour journey from the KL Low Cost Carrier Terminal (KL LCCT) at which these budget flights all arrive. If you don’t book this it’s no problem as you can buy a Sky Bus ticket on board the Air Asia flight or as you get on the bus outside the terminal. One thing to watch when you book is that the screen will default to a premier seat option with an RM 30 booking fee. These are just seats with more leg room and for a 1 hour flight (it’s actually about 40 minutes in the air) isn’t worth it IMO. You can select the standard seats at an RM 5 booking charge when you get to the “Select Your Seat’ stage of the booking. For those with printer access you can also check in online and get your boarding pass before getting to the airport, cutting out this stage if the queues are long.

Penang airport is in a bit of a state at the moment with much renovation work going on so it can be a bit tricky to find your way around. Suffice it to say that once you are in the terminal, departures is up a level on the first floor. Fortunately it is not a massive airport so there is less room for error.

If you book online you will get a booking reference which you will need at the airport. To the right of the Air Asia check-in desks there are a few ATM style machines that you use to book in. You enter the details the machine asks for and a boarding pass gets printed. You then take this with your luggage to check-in. Either their scales were out a little or my suitcase had indeed crept over the 20 Kg so I was glad I’d ‘Supersized’ my luggage as they call it online. Budget airline excess charges can be punitive. After check-in I went to departures to await the flight which departed on time and had a very pleasant and attentive crew on board. The aircraft was clean and tidy to with leather seats which are quite resilient to the heavy use.

So what of this “It’s only an hour”? Well, all in all, it’s not only an hour, not by a long way. Penang Airport is between 30-60 minutes away from Gurney etc, longer if the traffic is bad. You need to check in2 hours before the flight so that’s already 3 hours. Add to this the 1 hour flight, 30 minutes for bags to come off, 1 hour on a coach from KL LCCT to KLSS and there you go. Five and a half hours, and that is if you are confident traffic in Penang will not delay you, otherwise you may need to add a further 30 mins plus. Add onto that a traffic jam in KL (which we had due to a road closure) and the journey took 7 hours.

For me, to be honest, unless it was out of necessity I would not do it again. The coach was far more enjoyable, less changes of transport, half the price AND drops you in KL (either at the Old Railway Station or at the Corus Hotel dependant on operator). If coach times are not convenient for you then the flight is another option. Just don’t expect it to “only take and hour”, far from it. I understand the non-budget operators fly into KLIA which will reduce the hassle somewhat but I suspect the prices for these would be anything but budget. With luggage upgrade and taxes the flight came to around RM 130. It would be more if bought on the day at the airport, easily twice as much.

Coach Travel / MM2H Car Prices

I would like to thank my friend Mario who has been living in Penang for several months (and will be a neighbour of mine in the coming years) for giving me the details of two websites. Firstly is the Aeroline Coach Company which has a service between Penang and KL. They travel to other locations as well. The coach from Penang departs from outside the Queensbay Mall and, after a stop half-way, arrives in KL at the Corus Hotel in Jalan Ampang. The journey time will likely be about 4.5 hours total. The coaches look nice as they are twin deck with an upper seating area and a lounge and toilets on the lower level. I understand they also serve light refreshment on the journey. A single ticket costs RM 60 and the service departs just twice a day at 08:30 and 15:30 seven days a week. I will likely try this service on my return to KL. I have added Aeroline to the 'Travel Links'.

Something I need to ponder is whether to import a car into Penang under the MM2H incentive scheme or whether to just buy a locally assembled car. I am not a car person anymore and really intend to use it to get to the shopping malls and for the odd run to Georgetown etc. As such I have no desire to run a large or luxurious car here so something that is small (parking in Penang can be a problem at times), cheap to run and cheap to fix will likely fit the bill for me. I need to look at this more when I return to the UK and will consider such things as spec, VAT savings, container costs (to ship to Malaysia) etc etc etc before deciding. Mario has provided me with the link to this site which may well be useful for some comparison purposes. A popular car here seems to be the DVVT who have a small hatch-back that is quite nice. I am told it is likely to be updated this year. Much more on cars and import/buy local to follow.

Travel KL to Penang (Coach)

I have posted previously about the options to travel to Penang from KL and of my decision to take a coach. I was staying in KL just two days so on the first morning (Thurs 21 April) I took a taxi from the hotel to the old bus station (known locally as just KTM) so I could buy a ticket for the next day. The taxi driver was a very pleasant guy and used the meter. He was very friendly and agreed to wait at the station while I bought my ticket and run me back to the hotel. Outside of rush hour the journey took about 15 minutes. I decided to buy the ticket the day before so that I could be sure of a place on the coach I wanted (11:00am) and, more importantly, so I could gauge the time it takes to get from the hotel to KTM. As it transpires (all easy with the benefit of hindsight) I probably didn't need to go there the day before as there were plenty of seats on the coach, that said I suppose you can never be sure. In addition, you can actually buy tickets for the services offered by the 3 main operators (Nice, Plusliner and Transnasional) from the Ticket4U website.

At the bust station I decided to opt for one of the coaches operated by NICE which is a subsidiary of the Plusliner bus company. The Nice, or Nice Plus, ticket office and depot front right onto the road at KTM (you can't miss it) enabling the taxi to wait outside on the taxi rank. Their coaches carry fewer passengers and have more leg room for a slight price premium. The ticket costs RM 74 (one way) and takes 4 hrs 30 minutes. There is an onboard movie and they also serve a light snack (in my case it was a very tasty warmed roll containing what tasted like a savoury mince based on anchovies and a small doughnut with a cup of water) and coffee during the trip. You could take a regular Plusliner for RM50 but for me the extra leg room and better service is worth the extra RM 24. There is no toilet on the coach so pay a visit before you set off!!! Mid way through the journey the coach does stop off at a small service area where there are toilets etc and for a 10 minute leg stretch.

There is a good waiting lounge at the Nice office and you must be there at least 30 minutes before the coach departs and must be on board 10 minutes before departure. If you are late, they don't wait!!! The buses depart outside the front of the building from where you buy your ticket.
The journey from the hotel to KTM and back cost RM 33 and for me, as a recce, and being guaranteed a place on the coach, it was money well spent, at least at the time it was. Journey wise from most of the central hotels to the Old KTM will take about 15-20 minutes unless you are travelling in peak rush hour from say 7am to 9am. I suspect therefore that if catching an 11:00 am coach you could leave your hotel at 10:00 (they like you to be there 30 minutes before the coach leaves and board 10 minutes before when the steward/ess will check your ticket) by taxi, buy your ticket upstairs at Old KTM and await arroval of you coach. These coaches also travel to other destinations of course including Melaka, Johor Baru and Singapore.

The other main option for me to consider was Air Asia. This would take an hour and would have cost RM 142. The cost was not the issue for me but as I have said before I would rather see some of the country on the way out to Penang albeit I may well fly back. At the time of writing the cost of a flight back to KL 17 days from now is RM 50 plus about RM 30 for baggage.

Nightlife: Bukit Bintang and Chankat

I didn't have long to explore the nightlife and dining in KL really so my views are limited accordingly. I certainly chose not to venture too far afield given that I was close to one of the popular haunts, Bukit Bintang (BB). This is part of the Golden Triangle and is home to a great many Chinese food outlets and market stalls and the nearby strip of bars in Chankat Bukit Bintang.

Being quite jet lagged on the first night and somewhat tired I didn't fancy a restaurant meal and went out on foot to explore. It's the start of the monsoon season here now but while it rains most days I'm told it doesn't rain all day. Dodging the showers was fun mind despite the Melia Hotel being very close by (maybe 10 minutes slow walk).

Bukit Bintang has loads of different eateries and a couple of food court style places (e.g. BB Plaza) so there should be something for everyone here. There were certainly enough restaurants of all denominations with high numbers of Chinese, some Indian and far fewer Malay and Arabic. Navigating about on foot is quite easy and if you do happen to get lost or just can't find where you are looking for there are loads of tourist police around, generally in pairs or groups of three and they are very friendly and helpful. They patrol the area and also have booths at key points to which there are sign posts too if you are really struggling. There are many hotels to an as in most hotels, I suspect the concierges are very helpful and knowledgeable.

The hotels also have tourist maps to help you find your way around, the only problem with them being that they cover the whole of KL and the detail around the central area is somewhat cramped with very very small writing. Workable but I found the iPhone with the 'Maps' application much better and of course with the 'Digi' data package you can get 'step-by-step' directions by utilising the GPS feature. Invaluable and much better for me than carrying around maps and books that you often need a magnifying glass to read. Garmin do a very good Satnav (the 3790t at about £220) and a set of maps for Asia that costs around £100. OK perhaps if you have that, or one of their, Satnav systems but maybe extravagant unless you are planning to come and live here. If you have an iPhone already there is no extra expenditure at all of course.

After strolling around BB I decided to take a walk down Chankat where there are several bars. For those hunting for Chankat the easiest description of how to find it is at about the mid point of BB there is a KFC on the corner. Turn down the road that the KFC is on the corner of and keep going, that is Chankat. At first it actually looks like you are heading out of any commercial area but keep going and you will see the small lights in the distance. It's only about a 5-10 minute walk.

The first place you come to is a an Italian/Pizzeria called Werners. This looks nice and seems popular. Going on there are several bars on the left and right, some more visually apealing than others but most empty at this time of night and on a Wednesday. If you go right to the end there is a very popular tapas place on the right, the name of which I forget. I decided to try here at first but even sat at the bar the service was painfully slow so I left. I suspect they were short staffed though and it was full and the food looked very good with a large range of tapas on offer, albeit hardly a regional speciality!! I next tried Finnegans, an Irish themed bar that looks a little tired IMHO. It is a long but relatively narrow bar and was very quiet when I went in. I bought a beer and sat outside to people watch. Beer here, as it seemed with many of the places, was around RM 24 for a pint of Heineken (they have Guinness also at RM 27) and around 17 for a smaller bottle. Most places seemed to run 'Happy Hours' starting from 4pm or so and ending at around 8pm when the prices drop considerably with a pint costing around RM14.

I din't try any other places that night. There is a bar almost next to Finnegans called the Ceylon Bar. This is quite stylish looking and if you go upstairs has a long bar and seating area inside together with a terrace area overlooking Chankat. There are large white comfy chairs and sofas here and it's clear that the terrace and comfortable seating gets taken quickly. I saw no evidence of draught beers so I suspect it is more of a bottled beer, or even cocktails, wines and spirits place with one or two tables opting for the 'buy the bottle' option of spirits. There is a DJ here and I suspect the section at the back near the DJ doubles as an, albeit very small, dance floor.

On the Thursday night I again ventured now Bukit Bintang and Chankat. I had a superb Chinese meal at the Dragon View restaurant on the corner of BB and the lane which runs of it in which there are a great many restaurants. The waitress was very helpful and was able to recommend 3-4 dishes when I indicated I liked Szechuan food (renowned for being hot). A bottle of Tiger was about RM 12 and the whole lot came to about RM 32. Cracking value.

After this I returned to Finnegans and it was quite dead again. It does appear that this is not the busiest part of town for nightlife and the Bangsar Baru area along with the Asia Heritage Row off Jalan Doraisamy are supposed to be more vibrant and I will check these out when I return. I walked down to Jalan P Ramelee which is about 10 minutes on foot from Finnegans and had a look around there also and nightlife wise this also seems busier. Coming back past Finnegans I called in for one last Guinness before heading back to the hotel. It has to be said that it was still not buzzing, much the same being the case for all the bars though a few of the more disco looking places were a little busier. It also has to be said that some of the music being played by in Finnegans and also the Ceylon Bar next door was dated to say the least. I could have sworn I heard "Tie a yellow ribbon" at some stage!!!! Happening and hip this area is not. Or at least not at 12:30am!! I still quite like the area though and it has quite a relaxed feel to it that will probably be absent from the more vibrant areas described above. More on the KL nightlife scene will be posted when I return here on or around 7 May.

I was planning to try the Sky Bar but in just two nights, with the first following a long period of travelling, there just wasn't time. Maybe when I return prior to going home.

Hotel: Melia - Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur

For my first two nights I stayed in KL and booked in at the Melia Hotel. For me this hotel is ideal. It is reasonably well priced and is very well located opposite Times Square on Jalan Imbi and is in walking distance from Bukit Bintang, home to plenty of restaurants and hawker stalls and the numerous bars nearby in Chankat Bukit Bintang. The Times Square shopping mall is enormous covering 10 floors and there are plenty of places to buy goods should you have forgotten anything. There is a 'Cold Storage' (supermarket) on the lower ground floor, a cheap food court as well as plenty of other food outlets. If staying at the Melia and you need to book an Air Asia flight there is also one of their ticket offices nearby (turn right as you come out of the Melia and it's about 50 meters along on the right hand side) though prices are generally cheaper online.

The hotel corridors look a little tired but the staff were helpful and friendly and the rooms I found to be clean, well appointed and spacious. The only thing I did do was turn off the fridge at night as I found it a little noisy when the thermostat kicked in occasionally.

The included buffet breakfast is very good and had a range of Malay (curries and sambals), Chinese (dim sum and soups etc), fried/grilled, continental and also a section doing fresh omelettes etc. The coffee was very good and there was also a range of fruit juices etc. Breakfast is served between 06:30 and 10:30 and the buffet restaurant can get busy. I never had to wait for a table but the closer you get to 10:30 the more chance there is that some of the food types and juices and will not be replenished given the time. You get a free newspaper delivered daily also. The only thing to bear in mind, especially for longer stays, is that the internet is charged for unless stopping in a suite etc and there is no free wi-fi in the lobby which many hotels would have. This would put me off long term but was of no consequence seeing as I had the Digi service on the iPhone.

Like many hotels the Melia takes a credit card authorisation to cover themselves but once you pay this authorisation is cancelled. In my case, the pre-authorisation was for RM 700. I may well look to stay at the Melia when I return from Penang but will also check the Grand Millenium which is also nearby, and also perhaps the Crown Plaza which is near the busy Jalan P Ramelee. I was quite happy with the Melia however and would certainly stay there again.

KLIA & Transfer to Kuala Lumpur

You will have seen below the service update problem I have had so to keep things in perspective I will post the dates the entry relates to until I have caught up. So, 12 hours flight and fast-forward to 5pm Weds 20 April (KL time).

Upon disembarking you will arrive at the KLIA Satellite building. IMO this is an excellent airport and there are countless duty free shops as you stroll along the well signposted route to the baggage reclaim and immigration controls. However, unless you are really desperate to stop at these particular shops I would suggest you make your way with some haste towards immigration as the queues here can be long and take some time to clear. Following the signs you will come to the 'Air Train' connection between the KLIA Satellite and the Main Terminal. This is a short mono-rail type service that runs every few minutes. Once off the transit link again I would bypass the shops and head directly to immigration. Once there the queues can take some time to process. I waited around 20 minutes and the queue was not excessive when I got there. Mis-time it and you could wait for half an hour or more I suspect. The immigration staff though are professional and friendly save for one. I think she had a sister who was an air stewardess.

Once through Immigration there are more duty free shops. Prices I found generally lower than London Heathrow and the range very, very good through the countless stores. Bottles of spirit I think were slightly less than Heathrow and certainly not more expensive. Cigarettes are MUCH cheaper I noticed with 200 Marlboro costing around £10 I noticed. There are also food outlets and such like if you feel so inclined. Having done the tour of the shops I headed to baggage reclaim and found my case had already been offloaded from the carousel and was awaiting my collection. From there it's a short walk through Customs and into level 3 of the arrivals hall.

One of the things I wanted to do was get a local SIM for a mobile number with an internet/data bolt on (see previous post). Once through Customs if you turn immediately left there is a DiGi store from which I was able to purchase a local SIM for RM 10. I also purchased an RM 100 top up voucher and subscribed to an unlimited RM 15 per week mobile internet/data package. The RM 15 is taken off you voucher automatically and will auto-renew each week. It can be cancelled at any time by dialling *116#. For me this is useful as I use an iPhone and use the data element every day for mail, Google Maps and internet etc when out and about (or if you stay in a hotel with no or paid for internet). All you will need is your passport and mobile as the staff there are very helpful and will set the whole thing up while you wait. It only takes a few minutes and for RM 110 I had both mobile phone and internet working before I left the Airport.

Turning back on myself I headed off then to the lifts to get to the KL Ekspress which for me is the best way to travel into KL as you don't get stuck in traffic en route. If you are going straight to the Ekspress Station from Customs you would turn right as you come into the Arrivals Hall but it is all sign-posted anyway. The Ekspress leaves from level 1 and costs RM 35 for a single fare into KL. The trains run every 15 mins IIRC and the journey takes 28 minutes. Be sure to retain your ticket as you will need it for the exit barrier at KL Sentral Station. Once through the barriers at KLSS I headed towards the taxi voucher counter near the exit. Here you buy a voucher, the cost of which will depend on where you want to go. KL is zoned and most hotels will be within the initial zone band I suspect. You can buy two types of voucher. Regular or Executive. I was feeling a bit extravagant so went for the Exec at a cost of RM 25. I believe the regular would have been RM 10 and probably for little noticeable difference. The Exec taxis depart the terminal from the doors to the left of the taxi counter and the Regular from the right set of doors. You hand the large part of the voucher to the driver and keep the small portion yourself. The next driver will make himself known to you as you exit the terminal with your ticket. You don't have to buy a voucher of course but the option is there as it saves haggling with drivers who may not use a meter and prefer to barter for a price. I jumped in the taxi and and took a short drive to my hotel, the Melia on Jalan Imbi, which took about 15 minutes, albeit traffic was a little heavy.

I have to say I found the airport and its facilities to be very good and the travel from the terminal into KL and to my hotel to be completely painless and very reasonable price wise. Top marks from me.

Nightlife

Only 3 days now until I leave for Malaysia!! Looking forward to it I must say. Need a break and it will nice to experience life there, check out some places to live and eat, eat, eat!!!

I will doubtless look to get out and about during the evenings and will post thoughts on the various places I visit. There's a 'social' being organised by the ever so friendly MM2H crowd on 3 May so I suspect that will be both pleasant and informative. I'm also meeting up with Catherine Loh when I am there, a property agent who was recommended to me and all of these contacts will I'm sure also provide useful information on where to go and not to go.

My time in KL will be quite limited so I will hit a couple of the haunts which seem to be popular, including the Sky Bar at Traders and a few others. In Penang from what I can gather there is a good selection on the strip that runs outside the Eastern & Oriental Hotel. There is a place called Bagan, a nice looking bar/restaurant, which has been recommended there that I plan to try. I am sure I will seek out others and will post reviews of those I try. Meanwhile, if anyone knows of any 'must do' places, let me know.

NB: The first in a more in-depth series of articles covering Penang's nightlife can be found here.

Kuala Lumpur to Penang - Travel Options

After a couple of nights in KL I will relocate to Penang and have been trying to decide the best option. For me it's down to a choice of 4 as I don't plan on hiring a car until I'm in Penang):

• Air
• Train
• Taxi
• Bus

The problem with air travel for me is that while the flight may be cheap(ish) and quick, by the time you factor in travelling to the airport, check-in, waiting for the flight and disembarkation etc. it soon mounts up to a few hours wasted.

The train is an option and while I will happily trundle around the country more by train when I am there I am not sure I fancy it for the crossing to Penang. In addition, the train only goes to Butterworth and many people then take the ferry across to Penang followed by a taxi to wherever. As I will be lugging a suitcase around this option doesn't appeal.

I believe there are also interstate taxis that you can get and while I haven't discounted the option I'm not sure what the prices are or, given that the travel time will be the same, if there are any benefits over coach/bus travel.

So, logically we come to the option I will most likely go for and will check it out whilst in KL. I will look to take a bus from Puduraya Station (people advise to only buy your ticket from the station itself) and seek out one that goes direct as I understand that some will stop off at Ipoh. The trip will take 4-5 hours but will give me chance to see some of the country en-route rather than sitting around in an airport. I'm not too sure of the cost yet but suspect it will be between RM40 - 80. I will update this when I find out for sure.

There is a Malaysian Travel Information site that I found that is quite useful and that I have added under 'Useful Links'.

KLIA, Taxis and Trains (travel to and from airport)

Again on the forewarned is forearmed front, asked a question on the MM2H site about the options for travel to and from KLIA.  The responses have given me a pretty clear picture and answered another question in my mind as to which of the travel options was best.

Essentially there are two popular options.  An express train at a return ticket cost on RM 70 or a taxi at about RM 100. On the cost front alone it only really becomes better value to use a taxi if there are three or more people given that a single fare on the train seems to equate to RM 35 each.  For some, just being able to hop into a taxi may prove too much of an incentive but I understand the express train is easily accessible.  There is also the other issue to consider - time.  The express train will take 30 minutes to Kuala Lumpur City City Centre (KLCC) whereas a taxi will take about 50 minutes if there are no traffic problems and longer and if the traffic is bad, sometimes a LOT longer.

Something else which was pointed out, that is certainly interesting is that both at the airport, and around Kuala Lumpur you can buy pre-paid taxi vouchers which by all accounts were introduced so people were less worried about getting ripped off.  Once in KLCC for instance you can buy an RM 10 voucher that will get you to any KL hotel.  How it works and whether there are any problems getting drivers to accept these etc I'll report on when I'm there.  I certainly may look to keep a few of these vouchers in my pocket.

It does seem that in KL at least there are 2 types of taxi.  Blue cars where the 'flag fall' (the fare that the clock starts off at) is RM 6 versus the RM 3 of the other taxis that sound a little more  be of the 'take your life in your hands" variety.  At the airport the attendants will tend to push tourists towards the pricier taxis.  I may be wrong here but it seems you can get one of these taxi vouchers at the aiport too for about RM 100 which would presumably alleviate the problem and will get you to anywhere in KL.  Again I'll report when there and/or amend this post if it becomes clearer.  All taxis are also fitted with meters but getting the drivers to use them can sometimes be a challenge as they seem to prefer to give you a price.  Once you find a decent taxi driver it can be useful (I did this in the UAE a lot) to take their mobile number and use that/those driver(s) on an 'on call' basis whenever you need a taxi.

Thanks to Phil for pointing out (see comments) you could also take a regular bus from KLIA to KL Sentral (and no it's not a typo) Station for a fare of RM 10.

Once you are in the region you want to be there are of course buses which I gather are good, frequent and cheap at RM 2-5.  I will likely use the bus a lot (101 if I have it right) between Bathu Ferringhi, Gurney and Georgetown.

Districts - Malaysia / Penang

While the blog is still in its early stages I thought that a few words on what I have looked at in terms of areas/districts to consider living in.  Much of this information was gleaned from the very useful sites I have already made reference to and the recently arrived "Rough Guide to Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei" and the "Lonely Planet: Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Penang".  It is worth pointing out that a new version of the latter book is due in June 2011 so it may be worth waiting unless you need it now, which is the position I was in. Another book I have been recommended is the Explorer "Kuala Lumpur Complete Resident's Guide".  I had one of these for Abu Dhabi and it was very good.  It was published in 2008 so I thought I'd contact Explorer (based in Dubai) to see if there was likely to be an update in the near future.  They replied very promptly and at the moment there are no plans to do an update, probably worth getting regardless as they do touch on things that tourists may not be concerned with.

This is not in any way proposed as any kind of cutting edge analysis, merely some scribblings of what I've looked at on the basis of what appeals to me and some of the VERY early opinions I have formed.  It is also not meant to be an advisory on where others should live as our circumstances and needs will all be different.

General Districts

• Kuala Lumpur: Always an option but I do tend to find big and blustering capitals are places I like to visit, not live.  It clearly suits a great many people but I am not sure it will have the character of some other areas and I'm just not sure I fancy somewhere THAT busy.
• Langkawi: Absolute paradise from what I can gather and a wonderful place to visit so I'm told.  I really don't think there would be enough to keep me occupied there though from speaking to several people I know who have been there.  If peace and tranquility are your thing - maybe.  Prices for food etc I believe are higher than on the mainland.
• Penang: Obviously the one that appeals to me more than others at the moment.  It seems to be well placed, popular with expats, has a pleasant enough 'old world' charm (especially in Georgetown), has a heavy Chinese influence, enough going on to keep me occupied and some nice beaches.  Like KL though it can suffer with traffic problems from what I can gather, esp in Georgetown.
• Melaka: A potential contender still.  Less developed with high-rise from what I gather with 'landed property' a real option, very good property prices and quieter than Penang/KL.  It is a place I do plan to check out before settling for good, but maybe not my April 2011 trip.  Traffic can be a problem here too it seems.
• Butterworth: An area I have come across on posts and somewhere I may also check out but I have a feeling it will be too quiet for me.  It is perhaps more accessible for mainland Malaysia (being on the West coast, level with central Penang) and prices seem to be cheaper again, for property and about everything else.  Part of me does crave somewhere with a bit of a buzz though and I'm not sure Butterworth, or indeed Melaka, will have it for me.  We are all different afterall.  In any event, yet to check them out.
• Kota Kinablu: Picturesque and popular with the sailing fraternity I believe.  Again, a place worthy of checking but in my case I think, just for a holiday.
• Sri Manjung/Sitiawan: Again, worth a look.  Good choice of landed property, very good for shopping and again, quieter than places like Penang etc.

So, having come to e VERY premature decision that Penang will likely fit the bill, a word or two what I have been able to glean about the districts within Penang itself:

Penang Districts:

• Georgetown: Clearly an option and well placed in terms of being central.  I think the traffic problems might grate after a while and while I fancy somewhere with a bit of a buzz i think this may be pushing it too far.  It will likely be a place I like to visit, but not live.  A bit like London in that respect I think.
• Gurney Drive:  Now this seems like it might fit the bill.  Far enough out of the hussle and bustle of Georgetown but with enough going on to keep me occupied and contented. This area will be the focus of my trip in April so more to come!!!!
• Tanjung Tokong: Slightly further out than Gurney (towards Batu Ferringhi) but again a real contender.  Some nice developments here and plenty going on.
• Tanjung Bungah: Further still but not too far.  I need to check out this area as again it has some appeal.
• Batu Ferringhi: The furthest out from Gurney (about 15 minutes or so down quite a windy road so I gather) and very popular with expats it seems.  The Miami Green apartments seem to crop up in threads a lot as being quite desirable.  Depending on how things pan out I may end up staying in one while I am there in April.  Some seem to think it's a bit too far out of it and a little quiet but that can be a benefit.  One thing that might bother me is if I had to travel every time I wanted to do anything.  Could become a drag.  Again, an area I plan to hit on the first trip, so watch this space!!!
• Balik Pulau: More central and some really nice developments here.  I will check this out too but would have to see just what is going on locally.  I'm not looking for a rural idyll at this moment in time.  Quite a lot of landed property in this area and at prices which are much more reasonable than the coastal areas.  Again I suspect it might be a bit of a drag if you need to travel for everything.
• South of Georgetown: Not a district in it's own right but a general area, in my case, to avoid.  Considerably industrialised by all accounts so a definite non-starter.  there is however mention of some interesting developments springing up at a very reasonable price, if you can stand the area and the 'views'.

So, as it's getting late, that's about it for today.  Much more to come with an update tomorrow on hotels/accommodation I plan to use for my trip and quick update on any jabs needed.  I had a shed full it seems when I went to the UAE 3 years ago so hopefully many will still be 'live'.