Curious to find out what life in a Malay village is like? Try a homestay. Homestays are becoming an increasingly popular activity in Malaysia, both with foreigners and locals. Life in a Malay village is sometimes as alien to the country’s urbanites as it is to the international visitors. With this in mind, Tourism Malaysia, [...]

Why travel to another country when you have great diving at your doorstep? Dive season in the East Coast is eagerly awaited every year, and few places lure the divers in like Pulau Perhentian. We left Kuala Lumpur past midnight and arrived in Kuala Besut at 7am. Stalls open early there and serve great roti [...]

Asia is a vibrant travel destination but there are plenty of unscrupulous individuals trying to make a quick buck out of unsuspecting tourists. Be smart and don’t be caught unawares. You’ve heard many horror stories of tourists getting scammed as they travel around Asia. Sometimes it’s money, sometimes, much worse than that. Know before you [...]

This may be the first time she’s heard of Sungai Inki but ZALINA MOHD SOM has a real fun time at this recreational forest by the river WE have a Sungai Inki? Yes, and it’s in Kalumpang, Hulu Selangor. To get there, drive out of the main Kuala Kubu-Tanjung Malim road and take a smaller [...]

The newly-opened Hard Rock Hotel in Penang is a living museum of rock memorabilia. WHEN I told a friend, who plays in a band, that I was off to Penang for a two-night stay at Hard Rock Hotel, the dude quipped: “Bring along an empty guitar case.” “Why?” I asked. “So that you can carry [...]

The last thing you need when on holiday is to be mugged or robbed. Taking certain precautions will definitely make your holiday a happy one. A HOLIDAY is a great time for relaxing with family and friends but it will turn into a nightmare if you are mugged or robbed. To avoid being a victim, [...]

International backpackers have been raving about this funky, newly opened hostel in downtown Kuala Lumpur, so it got us curious. I’m a serial backpacker. Not because I’m a tightwad, but over the years, I had some of my best holiday experiences staying at quirky and quaint hostels. Take the Point Montara Lighthouse Hostel near San [...]

THE Kham Aid Foundation website provides a guide on what to expect for those who sign up as volunteer art conservators. Although no experience is needed for the wall paintings conservation tasks, volunteers should be “educated, caring and patient”. Kham Aid hopes to get a multi-talented team to help with tasks, besides cleaning wall paintings. [...]

Escape the heat and dust to the cool Cameron Highlands. Story and pictures by ZAHARI ZAKARIA. PART of the joy of holidaying in Cameron Highlands is the journey itself. There are two ways to get there by road. First is the older winding road from the Tapah toll exit of the North-South Expressway. Then, there’s [...]

Nobody likes falling sick when on vacation. Eating properly is one way to avoid food poisoning, writes SHANTI GUNARATNAM NEVER take your health for granted, especially if you are travelling or planning to go on a vacation. There is nothing more miserable than falling ill and having to spend the holidays recuperating in hotel rooms, [...]

Horse riding can be fun, for both children and adults. This is available near Johor Baru. Story and pictures by Peggy Loh and courtesy of Amigos Horse Riding. DECKED out in a cowboy’s outfit, complete with neckerchief, leather boots and fedora, he looked as if he had walked right out from a Western movie set. [...]

LOVE the idea of exploring uncharted grounds but don’t know where to go? Well, for a start, Ulu Chepor in Perak is so “ulu” (remote) that it’ll take your breath away! You can trek in the million-year-old rainforest that escaped the last Ice Age. Wallow in an uncharted creek and “discover” rare plants that may [...]

Some volunteer travel programmes are mere tokenism. For example, which has more value? Volunteers who help out with chores and play with the kids at the orphanage? Or long-term funding for the kids’ nutritional and educational needs? Cambodia-based Pepy (Protect the Earth, Protect Yourself) Tours’ objective is to fund sustainable education projects in rural Cambodia. [...]

A group of adventurous volunteers took the route less travelled, and was greatly enriched by the experience. AFTER their stint in Wayao, the Kham Aid Foundation’s volunteer art conservators journeyed deeper into Kham Tibet to check the state of repairs of temples on their itinerary. They travelled through the more rugged and lesser trodden northern [...]