Indonesia - Cultural Performances in Kraton Ngayogyakarta

As I mentioned in the previous post, there are two entrances to Yogyakarta Palace, namely Tepas Kaprajuritan and Tepas Pariwisata, and that the former is not really worth the money to enter even though it is just few ringgits only. It is better to just go straight to Tepas Pariwisata which is just within walking distance from the other entrance.

There are a lot of hawker stalls near the entrance

Bakso for lunch before entering the palace

Indonesia - Tepas Kaprajuritan Kraton Ngayogyakarta

One of the main cultural attraction when in Yogyakarta is a visit to Yogyakarta Palace. After dropping our luggage at Amaris Hotel Diponegoro, we took the public bus from the bus station, which is right in front of the hotel, to get to Jalan Malioboro. The palace is within walking distance from the end of the street.

Kraton or palace in Javanese

Entrance ticket

The palace itself is a huge complex, consists of main hall (Tepas Kaprajuritan) and the main palace (Tepas Pariwisata) itself. There's entrance fee charged at both entrances and each admission ticket is only valid for that particular site. Admission fee for Tepas Kaprajuritan is IDR 7,000 (about RM 2.10, more or less) with an additional IDR 1,000 for camera.

The main hall of the palace

Honestly speaking, there isn't much to see here in Tepas Kaprajuritan other than to marvel at its architecture and dive into its historic significance. This is where the coronation of the king took place back when Yogyakarta was still under the Sultan's rule. 

Family portraits of the royal families

Musical instruments used in those days

Exhibits revolving the lives of the royal family are proudly on display to educate the locals as well as foreigners. It can be quite interesting to read about the glory days of the past, worth a visit if you have some free time. However, if you are running out of time, I would suggest you to go straight to Tepas Pariwisata. This is where you get to see cultural dances and performances. I will get into details in the next post.

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Street Arts, George Town

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Bring out the name Ernest Zacharevic and chances are everyone will be raving about his mural paintings that decorate the streets of Malaysia. While these days, his works can be seen across the country with Ipoh being the latest town painted by him, there is no doubt that George Town will always be linked to him or that the  “Little Children on a Bicycle” will be his most famous piece.

One of Ernest's work, "Boy on a Bike"

The beauty behind this piece of art is that it manages to capture the simplistic childhood moment and the thrill and excitement of riding a bicycle together with your siblings or friends. You will feel nostalgic when looking at the painting. Even though the mural has been there for more than a year, it remains to be among the most famous of them all in Penang, with tourists, both locals and foreigners, queueing up to take pictures with it.

Someone pasted Ernest's infamous work in Johor Bharu in one of the streets

George Town will never be the same again thanks to him. He definitely has left an indelible imprint in the art scene of Georgetown. Besides contributing to the city's art revival, his works also encourage other artists to do the same. 

Georgetown has become an unofficial patron city of street arts, with more and more new pieces popping out along these narrow streets. Most of these artworks, delicately painted by local artists, fuses with the vibe of the city. There are some that are more of an oddity. I mean, the popularity of minions has an expiry date.

Wonderful creation that showcases the cultural beauty of our country

Regardless whether you see them as work of arts or pure vandalism, there is no denying that thanks to these mural arts, George Town has become much more livelier and bursting with energy. Tourists would flock to the city in hunt for these hidden treasures, walking around the narrow streets of the historic city centre in search of them. 

Another gem by local artist, I think

However, if you are planning to see these mural arts for yourself, you better do it quick for some of them has faded beyond recognition. One of Ernest's creation, “This Old Man” mural along Armenian Street, has faded with nothing but the palest outline of a face can be seen while the “Children in a Boat” mural, another one of his works at Chew Jetty, is barely recognisable as the painting peeled off due to the brutal forces of Mother Nature.

Even these arts are not safe from passerbys. The aforementioned “Little Children on a Bicycle” mural endured few vandalism acts back in the early days. Luckily, the locals managed to save the painting and restored it back to its original self. Therefore, do visit the island quick if you are planning to do a mural hunting. It might no longer be there come the next day.

"Little Children on Bicycle"

 Info Box

Street arts along the narrow streets in the historic city centre of George Town. Most of the mural arts are clustered along Armenian Street and its surroundings. 

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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It's already halfway through 2014 which means I have already written almost 26 entries on places to go in Malaysia. Hurray me! Granted, the entries on the past two months were rather insipid and short but what to do? I'm currently in Warsaw and I can't get to explore around the country. But, I will be back soon and there will be better written posts then.

A lot of walking in Labuk Bay sanctuary

As of now, let us shift our focus back to Sabah. Or, to be precise, Sandakan. This town is well known for its two main attractions. One of them is the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (which was already featured here) while the other being Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

Proboscis monkeys

Proboscis monkeys, which coincidentally is the mascot for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, are endangered animals. Also known as the long-nosed monkeys, this species of primates can only be found in the Borneo island. Hence, when you are in Sabah, chances are you will see at least one of them if you visit the national parks.

You can also go to the sanctuary, located about an hour from Sandakan town, for an up close and personal time with them. A former palm tree plantation (and still a functioning one), this piece of estate was turned into an animal shelter when the owner of the plantation witnessed the destruction of their habitats when he was deforesting the land and decided to keep a part of it remained untouched. 

Watching them so close can be such a worthwhile and educative experience. We were told that it is the males that are with the long noses and that the noses are what attract the females. The longer the noses they have, the more females will swoon over and fall head over heels for them. 

They usually live in a group, with one male and his many wives. Other male monkeys are not allowed in the group as the leader often fears that he will be ousted by the other competitors. Even their own sons will be kicked out of the tribes once reached maturity. 

They usually come in a group

Besides proboscis monkeys, you can also find other types of animals here such as silver-leaf monkeys, hornbills, and so on. The silver-leaf monkeys are really adorable and they usually hang around the platforms so you get to interact with them. 

Hornbill

Silver leaf monkeys

They really like her as they kept dangling around her hair

Be sure to make it in time for the feeding time which is at 9.30 am and 2.30 pm for Platform A and 11.30 am and 4.30 pm for Platform B. You would want to attend both as the locations of these two platforms are different. 

During feeding time, they would all come out from their habitats

Info Box

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary,
Off Jalan Labuk, Sandakan.
Open daily.
Entrance fee is at RM 15 for adult (RM 60 for non-Malaysian) and RM 5 for child (RM 30 for non-Malaysian). There is a RM 10 charge on cameras.
For more information, you can go to Sabah Tourism Board here.

Czech Republic - Prague, Phenomenon Indeed

My first trip out of Poland was to Prague. It was a long weekend break in conjunction with a public holiday in the country and I decided to visit this capital city of Czech Republic. Prague is constantly voted as among the most beautiful cities in Europe and I can personally guarantee that those praises are indeed true.

I was mesmerized when I first stepped into the historic district of the city. It feels so magical exploring Prague, just absorbing all the sights and sounds. Getting lost in the city is definitely the best way to explore Prague for you get to stumble upon wonderful scenery. 

I have to say, Prague is, by far, the best city I ever been to in Europe and among my favourites. I will share more but in the mean times, enjoy some photos of the city.  

Dancing House, an architecture gem

The famous Charles Bridge

View from the bridge itself

Prague Castle at night

The Old Town

When in Prague, you have to go on one of its many towers for the aerial views

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Pasar Karat Memory Lane, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Another city, another morning market. This time around, it's the antique flea market in Ipoh. Affectionately known as the Ipoh Memory Lane, this is the place to be in Sunday morning if you want to be immersed within the crowd. 

Welcome to Memory Lane Ipoh

Located along Jalan Horley, right besides The Store supermarket, it might be hard to find some conventional items to buy but if unconventional is what you are looking for, this is definitely where you should be. From secondhand electronic goods to shirts of questionable origins, stamps to minted old notes and coins, ancient plastic toys to antique furnitures, you can find these and many more in this market.

 

 

Some of the antiques and old treasure troves you can find here

Just like the Sunday market in Kota Kinabalu, the road is closed off from vehicles early in the morning untill around noon to make ways for these hawker stalls to open. Between the two morning markets, the items in Kota Kinabalu are more varied compared to this flea market. Yet, you should not brush it off especially so if antique items are what you are looking for. You might find some great bargain here in this Sunday market.

People watching is also a good activity here in the flea market

Info Box

Pasar Karat Memory Lane,
Jalan Horley, Ipoh, Perak.
The market opens from early morning to about 2 p.m. every Sunday.

 

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Kledang Hill, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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The sun has yet to rise and still, people are already gearing up to start the day. The best part is that it is weekend, the days where everyone would slack off and wake up only hours to noon. Welcome to Kledang Hill, Ipoh.

Retirees doing tai chi

Granted, most of the early risers are retirees, uncles and aunties whose staminas are surely better than the young generations but there are young families as well as youngsters. While most of them are here for recreational purposes, some of them are in training, perhaps to prepare them for the upcoming Gunung Kinabalu or Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. I knew I was as I made preparation for Kinabalu.

One of the trails we took

Pavilions for us to rest when tired

Paved road makes driving your cars up the hill a possibility

The trail is relatively easy, a perfect launching ground for beginners. There are a few routes where you can take, each differs in lengths and distances but eventually ends up towards the peak of the hill, fondly known as the RTM Tower. 

RTM tower

However, there is more to Kledang Hill than that as the hill boasts some of the most beautiful aerial views of the city. You do not have to trek them in order to see it for there is paved road for you to take your cars up just for the views.

Aerial view from Kledang Hill

Info Box

Kledang Hill,
Laluan Kledang 1, Menglembu, Perak.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Air Adventure Flying Club, Subang

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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At one point in my childhood, I did consider becoming a pilot. Maybe it was the idea of roaming freely up in the air or the limitless feeling attached to the job. However, the dream didn't pan out for various reasons which was ancient news. 

Cessna-172

Yet, I had the opportunity to live out my childhood dream late last year through Air Adventure Flying Club, a private flying club where you can take flying lessons here and become an official pilot. While my session did not lead me to becoming a pilot, it did give me a chance of seeing the aerial view of Kuala Lumpur. 

Flying with Captain Godric

Manning a small Cessna-172 with supervision of a licensed pilot, we flew around the city and what a view. Everything looked like stacked up Lego toys. We got to see the terrible traffic the city is famous for and mind you, it was still early in the morning, 2 hours before lunch break. 

 

Aerial view of the city

The best moment, however, has to be when we flew right next to the twin tower. I have seen the national landmark up close but not from this angle and this height. That was truly priceless. 

Up close and personal with the twin tower

Captain Godric, the pilot I flew with, told me how much he loves his job. I can definitely relate to that.

Info Box

Air Adventure Flying Club,
Light Aircraft Hangar Site, Subang Airport, 47200 Subang.
Their office starts from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. but if you want to catch sunrise or sunset, you can arrange with them.
For more information about the flying lessons as well as the prices, click here.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Sunday Market, Sabah

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

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Pasar malam (night market) is something that we Malaysians are quite used to. Almost every area has its own night market once every week. In fact, a visit to pasar malam is quite a tourist attraction by itself. However, when it comes to sunday market, there can't be that many around the country and if so, none as big as the one on Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu.

Gaya Street

No cars are allowed during this period

My first visit to the morning market took me by surprise by its massive size. The whole street, which is a backpacker haven and where I was based at when I was in the capital city, was closed from vehicles to accommodate the many makeshift hawker stalls opening just for that day. From one end to another, the whole road was decorated with large, colourful umbrellas, protecting them from the merciless sun.

 

The locals are doing shopping in the market as well

There are surprisingly many things to see and buy here in Sunday Market. I was expecting something along the line of souvenir stalls targeting guillible tourists but instead, there are more locals traversing along the street, looking for some bargain buys or locally produced products. In fact, it reminded me more of the famous weekend market in Bangkok, Chatuchak Market.

Handmade soaps

Unfortunately, these adorable dogs are for sale too

This is definitely one market not to be missed when in Kota Kinabalu.

Info Box

Sunday Market,
Gaya Street, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.
The market starts from 5.30 a.m. and most likely open until 1.00 p.m. Vehicles are not allowed to use the street from 5.00 a.m. onwards.
For more information, click here.