PORTUGESE SETTLEMENT, MELAKA

I remembered when I was in school and listening intently to the teacher while he explaining the history about Melaka, the invasion of Portugese, and later about the Portugese settlement in Melaka after British came into power.

So I was determined to visit the village during our recent trip to Melaka. After we check out from Riverside hotel, and with the permission of the Tourism officers who take care our trip, our guide took us to the popular Portugese settlement about 5km from the town.

( If you are coming from Dataran Pahlawan on Jalan Merdeka you can use Jalan Parameswara towards Ujong Pasir, then look for the sign on your right pointing to Portugese Settlement)

Our bus took less than 30 minutes to reach the village. It was Sunday noon, but the village look quiet. According to our guide, they probably out in the town, went to the sea or taking a nap..

The settlement is situated on the west of down town Melaka in the area known as Sungai Ujong, it was established by the British Residents in 1933.
More than 11 hectares of land next to the sea was turned into Portugese village and called as St.John village. Later it became  bastion for those with Portugese descendents to preserve their religion, languge, culture and tradition.

Today,  this village with more than 1000 Portugese Kristang descendants live here often called mini Lisbon. It comprises a few streets  decorated and with typical Portugese names such as D'Alberquerque, Sequera, Eredia, D'Aranjo and Texeir.


Once a year in June the Portugese Settlements will be filled with food, music and dance and attracts visitors and tourist due to the celebration of the feast of St John (festival Senjuang) on 24th June and the feast of Saint Pedro on the 29th June.

Food became the top attraction became the top attraction for most visitors. The Sea Terrance Portugese settlement is one of the famous location for seafood in Melaka and often crowded with customers coming from everywhere. Portugese style ikan bakar and sambal ladies fingers is among the popular dishes served.

There is also a museum shows a collection of items of the history of the Portuguese community in Malaysia. Its open to public from Tuesday to Sunday at 10am onwards.

THE Blue Ocean Strategy Tourism Seminar

THE Blue Ocean Strategy Tourism Seminar hosted by the UCSI Blue Ocean Strategy Regional Centre in Kuala Lumpur recently, received positive response from the participants who were mainly tourism industry players.

Amongst the representatives was from Pemandu, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Tourism Malaysia, MyCEB, State tourism agencies and transportation industry, hoteliers as well as industry support groups from theme parks, shopping, food, entertainment and travel and tour operators. It was also attended by hospitality students of UCSI.

The seminar aims at creating a paradigm shift in the mindsets of tourism specialists and practitioners, by sharing their insights, experiences and aspirations in the travel and tourism industry.
It also shared how businesses in the tourism and hospitality industry could explore new markets, rendering competition irrelevant by reducing costs and increasing the value for customers.

It’s a golden opportunity and a platform for the participants to share and learn how to enhance the hospitality industry as well as develop the tourism industry.

The seminar also challenged companies to create uncontested market space that will make the competition irrelevant.

BOTANICAL PARK MELAKA SERVE FORESTSTAY

       Before leaving Melaka during our visit recently, we drop by at several places including Botanical Park Malacca (Melaka).

Our arrival was greeted by the manager and operators of the Foreststay park and we were served with delicious local made icecream contains variety of flavors as a welcome treatment.

 After being brief about the Park, we were than escorted to our lunch venue at the foreststay cafe and served with variety of local recipe.

Different from Homestay, Kampungstay or Townstay, Forestay presents a unique experience for visitors who wish to stay and in a peaceful tropical rainforest.

Botanical Park Malacca which provides forestay concept located just five minutes drive from Ayer keroh tol.

Formerly known as “Hutan Rekreasi Ayer Keroh”  the park spread across more than 92-hectare of forest and surrounded by more than 300 distinct of flora and fauna. It is also a home to various animals including a few species of monkey.

By only walking around the park, visitors will enjoy watching several types of monkeys swinging around the trees as well as enjoying the peaceful atmosphere around the park.

The park provided visitors and tourist with a comfortable and reasonable price of chalet and dorm from RM35 to RM150 pernight for each person who wanted to overnight and experience the foreststay.

As for those who like camping, a wide area of campsite that can accommodate up to 700 people is also available at RM3 pernight for each person.

Various activities including jungle trekking, jogging, camping, motivational activities buggy ride are made available here.

As soon as we finished our lunch, we were taken to visit the surrounding and try a few activities such as paintball shooting and survivor programme.

As for the book lover, you can visit and confine yourself at Kampung Buku (Book Village) which is situated in the middle of this park.

Listed as no two of the Book Village in Malaysia and no five in Asia not only provide reading material but equipped with internet and provide meeting room and including a venue for book launching.

More than 15000 books from local and international publishers can be found here and it operates from Tuesday to Sunday at 9am to 6pm.

BUS BOUTIQUE

In 2012, they took their business mobile by transforming a former bus into mobile boutique. Their "apparel bus" travels mostly around Pantai Cenang in Langkawi.

Earlier, when 27-year-old Izman Malik voiced out this idea on spending RM20,000 to buy a mini bus and turn it into a mobile boutique, many sceptics said it was a ridiculous idea.

And he proved them wrong.

Today, his mobile boutique, in which he sells various types of handicrafts, accessories, clothing including cute baby stuff, is now fully operational and can be seen being flocked by customers almost every night at the famous Cenang beach here.

Ipoh-born Izman told media he got the idea after seeing it in Australia during his visit there in 2007.

"People told me it was a ridiculous idea, but I just turned a deaf ear. All I wanted just to do it for my wife and future children. To rent a shop would be too costly and the costs associated with setting up a brick-and-mortar retail location can be daunting for first-time entrepreneurs,” he said.

Making sure the boutique taking care of good quality and reasonable price products, most of the handicrafts and accessories sold in his mobile boutique were personally made and crafted by his creative Canadian wife, Claudia Hamel, 24.

His boutique also sells Kimono batik as an effort to promote Malaysian batik, especially to foreign tourists.

These new mobile stores are like the kiosks in shopping malls coming back full circle, but instead of being located in one place, they can move around and experiment with different locations.

ART IN THE PARK

Malaysia first Art in the Park festival is now on at Perdana Botanical Gardens until Nov 2 promises a unique cultural experience

The 126 year-Old Park formerly known as Taman Tasik Perdana or Lake Gardens Kuala Lumpur will be a floor for a scrap metal robot, a giant scarecrow, a bamboo house and many others that made from recycle items.

The event also aims to inculcate the interest of young generation to be more creative in art using the recycle material

Hosted by Kuala Lumpur City Hall, the two-week inaugural Art In The Park festival aims to turn the park into one of favorite location to visit by tourist as well as widen the landscape for public art while recognising the significance of public parks.

The unique concept takes artwork and the enjoyment of artwork out of galleries and museums into the parks during the festival for public to enjoy it targeted 15000 visitors.

With the theme “Found In KL”, the sculptures tell a story about the city were made by  local artists, students and art collectives like Abdul Multhalib Musa, Lisa Foo, IM Project by Izan Tahir and Marvin Chan, Nizam Abdullah, Rahman Roslan, Sabri Idrus, Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Umibaizurah Mahir Ismail, Tey Beng Tze from the Findars Art Collective, Yeoh Lian Heng and Tsuji Lam from the Lostgens Art Collective and a Young Artists Initiative with Noor Mahnun Mohamed.

Some International artist, French engraver Marie Hugo, Indonesian sculptor Handiwirman Saputra and Filipino craft and social enterprise Rags2Riches also took part in the event and present their art work.

Variety of programmes from dances to wayang kulit, a tour of the park, a crafts and food bazaar organised in the nearby The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia and Bank Negara museum in addition to sculptures.

City Hall is in the mid of upgrading the 126-year-old park into a botanical garden in stages, The Art In The Park event is an opportunity to reintroduce the Perdana Botanical Gardens to the public.

IMPRESSIVE MILITARY TATTOO PARADE 2014

The thrilling tattoo parade showcased by Royal Malaysian Army, Royal Malaysian Police which took place at Stadium Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur on 10 October 2014 until 12 October 2014 was an outstanding and captivated performances.

Officially launched by the Minister of Defence Malaysia on Saturday 11 October 2014, The Kuala Lumpur International Tattoo showcased performances such as war dancing, bag pipes and brass bands, precision marching, military demonstrations and artillery performances.

The tattoo parade was performed and joined by trained soldiers and armed forces from 12 countries including Brunei Darussalam, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom.

It was also participated by Local Malaysian Band namely Royal Military Police Corps Band , Malaysia Armed Forces Band, Royal Malaysia Police Band, Royal Malaysia Navy Band, Royal Malaysia Air Force Band and Malaysian Multi Ethnic Cultural Group.

The three-day event was also displays of precision marching, theatrical war dances and every kind of beat and rhythm that enraptured 30,000 spectators.

The parade was held in conjunction with the 57th Malaysian Independence Day and Visit Malaysia Year 2014 co-organised by Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia (MOTAC) with the vision of promoting friendship and cooperation between Malaysia and its overseas counterparts.

This tattoo was last held in 2007 for the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence celebration.
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MALAYSIA BEACHES WILL BE FEATURE IN THE FIRST AUTHORITATIVE BEACHES GUIDEBOOK

Malaysia is blessed with some of the best beaches and islands in South East Asia.

A total of 15 beaches from 10 states have been selected for the two-week long inspection trip by the renowned Australian conservationist Brad Farmer.

Together with his photographer and research assistant Jaka Adamic, they are visiting Malaysia since 14 to October 28 to inspect, evaluate and document the beautiful beaches in the nation for his new book, 101 Best Beaches.Com Asia.

The guidebook aims to provide comprehensive and unique experiences to beach enthusiasts all around the world.

The selected beaches in West Malaysia are Pantai Desaru in Johor; Pulau Perhentian and Pulau Redang in Terengganu; Pantai Cenang in Pulau Langkawi, Kedah; Pantai Teluk Kemang in Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan; Pantai Juara in Pulau Tioman, Pahang; Pantai Batu Feringghi in Penang; and Pulau Pangkor in Perak. With its wonderfully diverse wildlife and culture, the country offers a tropical playground for travellers of all types that is unique and without equal.

As for East Malaysia, Tanjung Datu and Pantai Santubong in Sarawak; Tanjung Aru, Pulau Mantanani, Pulau Sipadan and Pulau Sibuan in Sabah; and Pantai United Nations in Labuan were selected for inspection.

Beaches in Malaysia are special due to the location; most of it sits right next to the jungle. It's one of a few places on earth where you can spend a day lounging on the sand and then go hiking in the jungle the next day.

The 101 Best Beaches.Com Asia is expected to be Asia’s version of the 101 Best Australian Beaches, the book will be the first authoritative guidebook of beaches in the world featuring and promoting Asian beaches which are defined as ranging from rivers, lakes, to resort-style beaches.

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