Phalinn

The Jetty in Lumut

Ferry

The Jetty in Pangkor

Pulau Pangkor is a good place to relax if you like sunsets, history, beaches, seafood, snorkelling and fishing. Internationally, Pangkor is famous for Pangkor Laut Resort, the super high class resort which is the Italian tenor, Pavarotti's favorite getaway.

People get to Pangkor mainly using the ferry service from Lumut. The tickets are cheap as the ferry companies seem to fight for customers all the time. It can get ugly sometimes. The trip take less than an hour. Another way of reaching Pangkor is by air from KL's Subang airport using Berjaya Air. The tickets are really expensive. It's better to drive to Lumut from wherever you are, park your car at the spaces provided and get on the ferry to Pangkor. It's a great experience.

Pangkor local kids

Teluk Nipah

Pasir Bogak

Pangkor is a relatively small island. You can get around by motorcyle or bicycle which you can rent, on your own foot or if you're lazy enough you can take those pink minivan taxis. Basic stuff such as ATM machines and Internet are readily available. Good food can be found anywhere especially at Teluk Nipah. If you love seafood you should try out Restoran Seafood No. 1. Finger-licking-good seafood, trust me.

Grill Fish

Stalls at Teluk Nipah

The beaches here are much better than in Langkawi. Pasir Bogak beach is the most famous and crowded. The beach at Teluk Nipah is much wider and provides more activities including snorkelling, jet-skiing and fishing. Plus, there're a lot of good food stalls around. Other beaches include Coral Bay (the best beach on the island), Teluk Ketapang (they say you can watch turtle lay eggs here if you're lucky), Pantai Puteri Dewi (you need to pay RM40 to access this beach unless you're staying at Pan Pacific Resort) and Emerald Bay at the exclusive Pangkor Laut Resort.

Accommodation wouldn't be a problem as there are plenty of places to stay ranging from budget hotels to exclusive 5 star resorts. If you like birds like i do, you can find Hornbills everywhere. Other place of interest include Foo Lin Kong temple, Kota Belanda (Dutch Fort, Batu Bersurat and those seafood factories (dry fish etc). Overall, Pangkor is good for a short stay (less than a week) i guess as you'll probably get bored if you stay too long.

NB: Some photographs appear 'hazy' here. Somehow for this Pangkor trip i forgot to bring my polarizing filter and lens hood.

Telaga Tujuh is one of the gorgeous waterfalls in Langkawi.

If you take a cable car ride to the top of Gunung Mat Chincang - you can see the breathtaking view of Telaga Tujuh Waterfalls. There are seven waterfalls that flow from one into the other and create seven pools on the face of the hill.

The swift flowing water has smoothed the rock surfaces over the years.

The water slides beautifully from one pool to another - finally cascading 90 metres down into the seventh pool.

The waterfalls are indeed so magnificent.

It is said that fairies were unable to resist the charm and made it their bathing place.

A couple of plants growing around the pools are said to have been left behind by the fairies.

You can go to Telaga Tujuh by car, motorbike or taxi.

Take a short climb to the top of the falls. It will only take about 45 minutes.

You can see so many things created by nature as you make your way through the rainforest.

Watch out also for some delightful & playful long-tailed macaque monkeys and the giant cream coloured squirrel that are well known in these parts.

You may even catch a glimpse of a hornbill hanging out of the treetops - with its huge hooked orange beak it is considered the most unique of all Malaysian birds. Listen carefully and you'll be able to make out the cackle-like call that it makes.

How about having a diving competition with the local kids ? Sounds fun, eh ...

Hello Horse. My friend, Zurin with the horse and the horseman

Pantai Kok, Langkawi

I'm not that familiar with Langkawi despite being there for 4 times now. I haven't been to a lot of islands in Malaysia but from my observation (mainly through photographs since i'm a wannabe photographer)Langkawi isn't that attractive if compared to the smaller islands on the east coast such as Perhentian, Redang or Tioman. My mum is from Terengganu and i haven't to been to any of the island there. Great.

Anyway, for a simpleton traveller like me, i find Langkawi "easy". Easy in many ways. You can get there easily. If you are driving, you can park your car or lorry if you drive one, at Kuala Perlis, Penang, Kuala Kedah or if you're in Thailand, Satun. From those places you can take a ferry from the respective jetties to Jetty Kuah, Langkawi. The ferry ride probably takes around 1-1.30 hours. The easier way to get there is by air from KL, Penang or Singapore. Check out for those cheap Air Asia tickets. Besides that, it is pretty easy to rent a car, get accommodation, get nice food, see animals and do your shopping in Langkawi, mainly because it is considerably big although not that pretty compared to other islands.

Pantai Kok, Langkawi

Yee haa

If you're a horse fan, you should hang out at Pantai Kok. It's on the way towards the cable car station and telaga air tujuh. If you just want to watch some dude riding a horse you can just go to Pantai Kok straight away but if you want ride the horse yourself, you should go to this one restaurant next to the cable car station where they provide the horse riding service. You and your horse will end up in Pantai Kok anyway. Another is, the water at Pantai Kok is much better (clearer) compared to other beaches in Langakwi.

Hotels around Pantai Kok include Berjaya Langkawi Beach & Spa Resort, Tanjung Sanctuary Langkawi, Sheraton Langkawi Beach Resort and Oriental Village Inn. All top notch hotels.

Great Blue Heron, Galway

I assume everyone loves birds. If you happen to be in Galway City, County Galway you should spend some time with the birds, not only watching them but feeding them as well and most importantly, photographing them.

Where to watch birds in Galway?

Well, the Irish should know better, the only place i would recommend is at the point where River Corrib meets the Atlantic Ocean. In other words, from along Claddagh Quay to Nimmo's Pier. It's only a three minute or so walk from the city/town center. Galway city isn't that big relatively, so you won't miss it anyway as i believe those tourist guides will definitely bring you there. Basically, you can find birds anywhere in Galway, but for me personally the aforementioned place is the best.

Nimmo's Pier, Galway

Swan

What Birds?

The most common birds you'll find in Galway (from my experience) are:

- Swans (hehehe, common enough everywhere)
- Mallards (those duck with green necks (male) and mottled-brownish feathers(female)
- Ring-billed Gulls
- Laughing Gulls
- Icelandic Gulls
- Herring Gulls
- Glaucous Gulls
- American Herring Gull
- Little Auk
- Grey Phalarope
- Forster's Tern
- Great Blue Heron

Photography-wise, it's pretty easy to photograph these birds as they quite "friendly". If you are quite serious about photography and love photographing birds in flight, one tip from me is to have one of your friends to feed the birds (especially the seagulls) with bread or other stuff while you photograph the birds floating in front of your friend from 1-2 feet back. A zooming lens is recommended in that case. One more thing, contrary to popular belief, herons tend to sit still. They are not afraid of you actually.

Orang Asli kid, Cameron Highland, Malaysia

Even as a Malaysian I'm still not so sure whether Cameron Highland is actually located in the state of Perak or Pahang. If i get questions regarding this from my Geography teacher, i will obviously fail.

Anyway, last summer was my first visit to Cameron Highland after 24 years being a Malaysian. We drove there and from what my dad told me, Cameron Highland can be reached from 2 different routes. The first option (from top downwards, the option we took) is from Simpang Pulai to Gunung Chabang and to Brinchang, the highest point of Cameron Highland said the Equatorial Hotel people. The other option (bottom to top) is from Tapah, then Ringlet, making your way up. The road is much wider (& safer) using the first option.

There are basically 3 main hill resorts in Malaysia, namely Genting Highlands, Fraser's Hill and obviously Cameron Highland. There are some new ones coming up such as Bukit Tinggi Resort and stuff. Cameron Highland is still the best among all these, with Genting being "too developed" and Fraser's being "too underdeveloped", gosh i would rather climb the hill behind my house than visit Fraser's Hill.

There are many places to stay in Cameron Highland, so regardless of the type of traveller that you are, accommodation won't be a problem, at all. I'm lucky to be a 24 year old baby boy who travels with my family all the time, so I got to stay at Equatorial Hotel Cameron Highland, the best hotel in Cameron Highland, said the Equatorial people (my dad joined this weird club where he gets discount on good hotels). It's a good place to stay, with huge spacious room and nice views. It's more like an apartment than an actual hotel room, so i would recommend it to those traveling with families.

Equatorial Cameron Highland

Old house, Boh Tea Plantation, Cameron Highland

Tea Plantation, Cameron Highland

Things you should do while in Cameron Highland = take pictures,visit the vegetable farms, those shops selling flowers, the strawberry farm, those markets selling fresh vegetables and nice key chains, have a nice walk around the shops in Tanah Rata, visit the tea plantation, have some nice tea, see how teas are made, visit the Orang Asli (indigenous) people, take pictures of them or with them, go down, buy more vegetables or orchids and stop at Lata Iskandar Waterfall to chill out. Great place.

Boh Tea Centre, Cameron Highland

Don't forget these cool mini cactus

Tea Plantation, Cameron Highland

Kasimanis Strawberry Farm, Cameron Highland