Showing posts with label South-east Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South-east Asia. Show all posts

Kuala Lumpur - "City of Cultual Diversity"

KL, the capital city of Malaysia "truly Asia", has transformed from a humble tin mining village to a bustling metropolis This Asian cyber-city retains the historic temples and mosques along with some of the tallest skyscrapers in the Southeast Asia.The most memorable thing in KL is the culture and coexistence of various ethical groups, Malays, Chinese, Indians and the British.
Photo Credits: www.destination360.com
Facts:
Currency: Ringgits (RM or MYR) [1 MYR = Rs. 14.83] rate at the time of blog post
Language: Malay/ Bahasa Malaysia
Time Difference: 2 1/2 hrs ahead of IST
Best Time to visit: Nov-March

Get in:
Visa: Indian Nationals are no logger eligible for visa on-arrival. Valid Tourist visa is required before entering the country.
Flights: Metropolitan cities in India have direct flights to KL. Air Asia is a Major no-frill airlines to Malaysia. Air Asia flies from Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Tiruchirapalli. Air India Express (Indian low cost airlines) also flies to KL from Chennai and Tiruchirapalli.
Boats, Trains and Buses are also available from the neighboring countries of Malaysia.

Getting Around:
Trains, Monorails and Buses are the major mode of transport. KL Sentral is the major transportation hub. Prepaid cards and maps are available at all the stations. Metered taxi is also a very reliable and can be seen at all major sites and stations.

Attractions:
KL is one of those cities which doesn't boost many must-see. The highlight of the city is the people and their life. Most of the visitors spend at least 2 days to enjoy sight seeing, shopping and eating.
1. Petronas Twin Tower
2. Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC)
3. Aquaria KLCC
4. Menara KL Towers
5. National Mosque
6. Batu Caves
7. KL Railway Station
8. KL Bird Park
9. Petaling Street, Chinatown
10. Cosmo's World Theme Park
Photo Credits: www.destination360.com
Do:
1. If you are in KL during Thaipusum, Hindu Festival, visit Batu Caves to watch the celebration
2. Enjoy shopping and night-life in the KL's Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle covers the busy shopping area of Bukit Bintang, 5-star hotel strip of Jalan Sultan Ismail, The Jalan P. Ramlee party street and KLCC.
3. Chinatown is a haven for shopping and street food.
4. During F1 season, head to Sepang Formula One circuit (50 km from KL)
Tips:
1. If you want an excellent view of the city, head to Petronas Towers. It has a observatory viewing bridge between levels 41 and 42. The tickets to the viewing bridge is free and limited. Reach the tower early in the morning to collect the tickets, there will be a long queue.

Side Trips:
1. Genting Highlands - City of Entertainment. Casino and Theme Park is the mark of the place. The city can be reached in 40 mins by road from KL.
2. Putrajaya - The new Federal Administrative center of Malaysia. Has many beautiful federal buildings. It can be reached by KL International airport Transit.

Jeju Islands - "Islands of the God"

Jeju-do (Cheju Island) is a volcanic island and the largest island in South Korea. The island is formed by the outpouring of lava from volcanic eruption 2 million years ago. The island and its lava tubes not just give the island a unique natural beauty but also provide insights on the history of our planet. Hence the island was designated as a UNESCO natural world Heritage site.
Photo-credits: planetware.com
 Jeju-do is a honeymooner’s paradise and estimated 60% of the newly wed South Koreans travel to Jeju for their Honeymoon. Once an island used to banish prisoner, the island is popularly known as “Island of Gods”. The volcanic rocks, dramatic waterfalls, turquoise beaches and the Korean culture and tradition, makes Jeju-do a not to be missed destination. Jeju-do is an ideal destination for Honeymooners and vacationers looking for places less commonly heard in India.

Best time to visit: autumn (March-May) and spring (June-August).
Time Difference: 41/2 hrs ahead of IST
Currency: South Korean Won (KRW) [1 INR = 25 KRW approx.]

Get-in:
Flights: Jeju International Airport is located Jeju city and all the flights to Jeju, fly into this airport. There are no direct flights to Jeju from India. The major transit points are Seoul, Beijing, Osaka, Hong Kong, Singapore etc.
Boat: There are ferry services between a number of ports in mainland Korea and the Jeju Island. There are also Cruises from Japan.

Accommodation: There are many resorts, hotels and traditional stays in Jeju. The most hotels are oriented in Jeju city and Seogwipo. But there is accommodation on the small islands as well.
Photo-credits: www.jejuweekly.com
Attractions:
1.  Hallasan National Park: It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site and a beautiful park to hike.
2. Sungsan’s Peak: A great sunrise view point.
3. Chenjeyun Waterfall: 3 falls in the lush green landscape
4. Chungbang Waterfall: A thunderous waterfall, very attractive
5. Hallim Park: A beautiful park with many exotic plants and beautiful caves
6. Water hole, a spectacular display of nature's ability to shape and carve yet another visual marvel
7. Yeomiji Botanical Park
8. There are a number of museums
9. There are also many beaches
10. There are many caves and volcanic rocks

Do:
1. Jeju Fire Festival: In Feb, the Jeju island showcases torch relay for a long stretch
2. Diving in Munsom
3. Trekking in the Hallasan National Park

Tips:
1. Having a Korean phrasebook will be of great use
2. The entry fee for tourist spot are costly compared to mainland South Korea

Rickshaws around the World

Rickshaw, a popular vehicle for hire, has been customized around the globe. With a different names, appearance and mechanisms, these three wheelers has a dense presence and commute people in affordably. Here are few rickshaws you may want to have a ride in:

Auto/Tuk-Tuk is a most popular means of transport in Asia. These rickshaws have also started to make their in many countries in Europe. Tourists are quite excited to ply around the cities in these open vehicles. Auto rickshaws are common in Indian Subcontinent whereas Tuk-tuk in south-east Asia. In some regions, these 3-wheeled rickshaws are manual, but mostly motor driven. The appearance is also customized from region to region.  

Traysikels in Philipines is a modified version of tuk-tuk. These Filipinos popular mode of transport is a small side car attached to the motorcycle. Traysikels are affordable priced and offers a great means to see Filipino.
Photo Credits: /www.scientologytoday.org.dev.scientology.net
 Cyclo in Vietnam is another version ok Tuk-Tuk. This economical and ecological is manual driven. Cyclo is a small seat which can hold two people is attached to the front of the cycle and the driver drives from behind the seat. Hence, great cities view for the passengers.  
Photo Credits: http://www.travellingvietnamtours.com/
In Shangai, China, the sidecar remained us of the song ‘Yeh Doshti’ from Sholay. If you don’t get a chance to do that in India, try one in Shangai. These army abandoned vehicle was available for hire in many parts of the city and tourist love them.

Photo Credits: wwwchangjiang750-x.com.
Coco Taxi is a beautiful looking rickshaw in Havana, Cuba. These yellow three wheeled motorcycles is a very affordable and ply around the city extensively.
Photo Credits: blog.hostelbookers.com

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