Genting Strawberry Farm, Pahang

The Genting Strawberry Leisure Farm is one of those attractions that domestic Malaysian tourists go gaga over. Not so much an attraction for those who come from countries having real strawberry farms.

Located in Gohtong Jaya, a small township roughly halfway up the hill to Genting, Gohtong Jaya itself is located at the intersection where the road up the hill from the Karak Highway meets the road from Batang Kali before heading upwards to Genting.

Entrance to the Strawberry Farm is free, their income comes from the sale of strawberries, and other produce such as jam.

Since its free, well why not pay a visit and spend a 15 to 30 minutes of your time here?

As is usual in Malaysia, strawberries are not planted in the ground, but hydroponically in rows and rows of elevated containers. To protect the plants from the driving tropical rain, the containers are usually housed under roofed sheds.

It may not be as visually attractive as strawberries in a field, but there doesn't seem to be any other way to grow the fruit in Malaysia, as this is the method also in the Cameron Highlands.

There is no doubt that it is an effective planting method, from the strawberries growing from the containers. You are allowed to pick the strawberries for yourself, or you can buy pre-packed strawberries from the shop on the premises.

Other than the strawberry farm, there is also a section dedicated to a flower farm. The main attraction here is a "field" of purple lavender flowers.

Also planted under covered roofs, the effect of the lavender is still pleasing to the eye.

There are also other flowers planted on the periphery of the lavender including some beautiful red and white roses.

As a backdrop to the roses, you can see the hills of the Genting Highlands, with the profile of the Chin Swee Temples pagoda clearly visible.

Besides the Strawberry and Flower farm, there is also a small section dedicated to other produce, including cherry tomatoes and passion fruit. Vegetables and plants such as cacti are available for purchase. There is also a section selling honey as well as a small cafetaria where you can have a snack. The other section of interest is the Mushroom farm.

Row and rows of containers are stored on shelves in a darkened environment. In these containers, mushrooms are grown. You can purchase the mushrooms at the shop.

At the end of it all, is the usual souvenir shops and stalls where you can buy various tourist tat.

The Genting Strawberry Leisure Farm is something different to do if you are in the Genting Highlands area and need a break from all the theme parks and casinos.

Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, Kuala Lumpur

Terminal Bersepadu Selatan is the malay name for the Southern Integrated Terminal. As the name suggests, it is the bus terminal for Kuala Lumpur serving long distance destinations to the south of the capital city, i.e. the states of Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor, as well as the neighbouring country of Singapore.

Located in the suburb of Bandar Tasik Selatan ("South Lake Town"), 13 km south of the central business district of Kuala Lumpur ("KL"), the terminal is often known by the acronym of "TBS" or "TBS-BTS".

TBS - BTS

Opened in January 2011, the terminal is a modern clean terminal with good connectivity to the city centre and surrounding areas. The Light Rail Transit ("LRT"), KTM Komuter and KLIATransit lines all have adjacent rail stations connected to the TBS building by an overhead walkway.

The LRT can take you directly from Bandar Tasik Selatan station to the stations of Hang Tuah (near Bukit Bintang) and Plaza Rakyat (next to the northern bus terminal of Pudu Sentral, as well as to Chinatown) in KL. 

The KTM Komuter will bring you directly to Kuala Lumpur's main train terminal at KL Sentral. Whereas the KLIA Transit train also goes to KL Sentral as well as the administrative capital of Putrajaya and the two terminals of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ("KLIA").

The overhead walkway also takes you down to road level or Level 1 where you can find the bus stop for the intra-city RapidKL buses to various destinations within the city. Across the road from the intra-city bus stop is the budget taxi rank, which goes by the coupon system.

The budget taxi rank and RapidKL bus stop at Level 1.

The actual TBS building is 6-storeys high. On Level One, as mentioned above is the taxi rank and intra-city bus stop as well as carparking facilities.

On Level 2 is the primary departure lounge, which you can only enter if you have a valid bus ticket. This is where you will board the bus to your destination.

Level 3 is the main floor area where you buy your tickets from the counters, the drop-off area for cars and the access point to the overhead walkway leading to the various rail stations. You will also find storage lockers, information counters, ATM machines and various retail outlets on this level.

The ticket counters at Level 3.

Level 4 is where the food court and most of the F&B shops are located. There is also the executive taxi / inter-state taxi service counter on this level. Besides this, there is a small Rest-And-Go hotel where you can get some shut-eye or store your luggage. Level 4 is wi-fi enabled.

Levels 5 and 6 are the carparking levels. The charges are RM3 per day, and is quite affordable if you intend to leave your car parked here for a few days.

For more information on the TBS, you can refer to the official website here.

Bavanggazo Village, Sabah

Whereas the longhouse is a feature of the major tribal groups in neighbouring Sarawak state, it is not as commonly found in Sabah. Besides the Murut people, the only other tribe that stays in longhouses are the Rungus of the Kudat area.

However, even among the Rungus, it is becoming less and less common to be able to find the longhouse, especially the traditional form of the design.

In Kampung Bavanggazo or Bavanggazo village, you will find the traditional longhouses still in existence. As one of the four villages in the Kudat peninsula which specialises in one type of craft or skill, in this case, the Rungus Longhouse; Bavanggazo is a must visit if you have an interest in seeing how the old longhouses used to look like.

To get there is pretty simple. From the main road between Kota Marudu and Kudat, you will see the above signboard, about 40km before reaching the town of Kudat. Take the turning and follow the road for about 2.5 km to get to the Bavanggazo longhouse.

Buy your entrance tickets from the two chickens manning the ticket counter. RM5 for an adult, RM3 if you are a MYKAD holder. RM3 / RM2 for children under 12.

There are two longhouses here, both done in the traditional style. The longhouses do not house any families but are more tourist attractions than actual houses.

After visiting the Bavanggazo longhouse, you can also visit the Maranjak longhouse down the hill. The Maranjak longhouse is longer and better maintained.

The Maranjak Longhouse Lodge is also a homestay lodge. You can actually chose to stay here and if you book in advance you can actually partake in cultural performances and other activities.

Gombizau Village, Sabah

Traditionally honey has always been prized by the Rungus people of Kudat for its high nutritional value and other health benefits.

Kampung Gombizau or Gombizau village is the third of four villages in the Kudat peninsula where the entire village specialises in just one skill or craft. In Gombizau, the specialty of the village is the rearing of bees to produce honey.

 

As you approach the honey bee farm, you will see the sign as above. Park your car and approach the stall selling rows and rows of honey in bottles.

You will see the signboard displaying the price for entry into the bee farm, basically RM5 per adult or RM3 for children between 6 to 12 years. Pay the fees and sign the guestbook.

Most of the villagers manning the cooperative seem to be either women or children. One of the women will act as your guide and walk you down the road towards the forested area of rubber trees.

 

On the left and right of the road, you will see many 12" x 12" wooden boxes called Golodok. These are where the honey bees make their honey.

Using a strange contraption, your guide will begin to smoke the golodok to send the honey bees into a smoke induced stupor.

 

 

After the bees have been stupefied, you are given a chance by the guide to hold the honeycomb frame. The guide will also cut a bit of the raw honey from the honeycomb to give you a taste.

Soon after you return back to the stall and you may chose to purchase bottles of honey which are displayed for your selection.

While we were there, we were lucky enough to see a baby tarsier, which was kept as a pet by one of the children of the village.

Sumangkap Village, Sabah

Among the Rungus people of Kudat, the Gong was traditionally considered to be not only a priceless instrument of value but also sacred item to be passed down from one generation to the next.

The gong was used for various reasons, including:

1. As a cover for a burial urn;
2. As "berian" or a compulsory wedding gift for a marriage;
3. As a musical instrument during a traditional dance or funeral;
4. Used whilst searching for the lost in the wilderness;
5. Used to warn of danger;
6. Used to mark the occurrence of a lunar eclipse.

Kampung Sumangkap or Sumangkap village is one of the four craft villages in the Kudat region; whereby the whole village only specialises in one craft - in this case gong-making.

The entrance sign is a decorated Gong.

Gongs are found all over the village.

Walking around the village, you will be able to see gong-making workshops all over the place, with craftsmen hard at work.

Craftsmen at work.

Future craftsman

Walking down the village road, you will come to the padang or field, where a huge Gong called the Gong Raksasa ("monstrous gong") is displayed. At more than 20 feet in height, this gong will dwarf anyone standing next to it.

Gong Raksasa

Tinangol Village, Sabah

Kudat and the lands around it are the home of the Rungus people. A sub-group of the Kadazan-Dusun, they have a distinctive language, dress, architecture, customs and oral literature.

The traditional Rungus dress is black, often with hundreds or even thousands of dollars worth of antique beads. This beadwork and its designs easily distinguish the Rungus from the other ethnic groups of Sabah.

Rungus Beads Centre

Kampung Tinangol, or Tinangol village is one of four craft villages in the Kudat peninsula which the entire village specialises in one type of handicraft; in this case beadwork.

You can see Rungus women making beads here.

Beadwork in both modern and traditional style.

The pinakol is an example of traditional beadwork that consists of a pair of flat beaded bandoleer-type belts that are worn crossed-over the chest and back by the Rungus.

The Rungus have four basic figures used in the design of a pinakol. 

At the top is a beautiful flower called a vinusak.

Next is a dangerous river animal "that if it bites your hand you are paralysed. Many years ago they became extinct because the Rungus put poison in the water and killed all of them."

Below that is a spear for catching fish called an inompuling.

At the bottom is a Rungus man named tiningulung.

        The Pinakol.

In the photograph above, note the "dangerous river animal" design at the top of the Pinakol on the right, followed by inompuling design, then the tiningulung below that.

You can see the Pinakol and more at the Rungus Beads Centre in Tinangol. You can also wander around the village and see the modern-type longhouses the villagers live in, complete with satellite tv antennas.

Carey Island, Selangor

In the early 1900's, an English planter by the name of Edward Valentine John Carey acquired an island called Pulau Si Alang from the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sulaiman in order to start a rubber plantation.

The island, separated from the mainland only by the narrow Langat river, at that time was inhabited by the indigenous Orang Asli ("Original People") tribe called the Mah Meri.

E.V. Carey introduced rubber to the island in 1905, and by 1907 had established a permanent workforce comprising mainly of South Indians.

Today, Pulau Carey or Carey Island is still mainly plantation land, mostly belonging to Sime Darby Plantations. Most of the 38,000 acre island still belongs to the plantation with the balance state land comprising of 5 Mah Meri villages and an indian settlement.


How to get to Carey Island

The only real practical way to get to Carey Island is to have your own transport. The easiest way is to drive along the South Klang Valley Expressway ("SKVE") towards Banting. The expressway currently terminates at an intersection with Route 5 of the Klang-Banting road. Turning left at this traffic light would bring you to Banting, instead turn right and head towards Klang.

Eventually you will reach a small roundabout. Take the road on the 9 o'clock position, not the other road at 3 o'clock which goes towards Klang. The 9 o'clock road will eventually come to a crossroads. Take the right turn which will bring you to the bridge which crosses over the Langat river and into Carey island.

Things to do on Carey Island

1. Seafood

If you have timed your visit right, you would be just in time to have lunch at a seafood restaurant. Just before the bridge crossing over to Carey Island there is the seafood restaurant called Kang Guan. Located on the left hand side of the road, there is ample open air parking for you to park your car.

The restaurant is a simple timber framed structure located on the bank of the Langat river, overlooking the mangroves of Carey Island on the other side. Kang Guan is extremely popular and if you do not arrive early, you would probably have to wait for a table.

Kang Guan restaurant

The specialties here are the Butter Prawns, Marmite Crabs, Yam Basket and Crispy Mantis Prawns. Kang Guan is a Pork-Free restaurant.

Kang Guan Seafood Restaurant

Address: No 2, Batu 1 1/2 Jalan Bandar Lama, (Tepi Jambatan Pulau Carey), Teluk Panglima Garang, Kuala Langat, Selangor.
Tel: +603 3122 7737

Operating Hours: Monday-Friday 12pm - 2:30pm; 6pm - 11pm. 
                            Saturday 12pm - 4pm;  6pm - 11pm.
                            Sunday & Public Holidays 12pm - 4pm; 5:45pm - 10pm



2. Heritage Island, Sime Darby

After your big lunch, drive over the bridge and into Carey Island proper. Drive down the extremely straight road pass the palm oil plantations on your left and right of the road. These palm oil plantations owned by Sime Darby have basically replaced most of the rubber trees planted by E.V. Carey. If you are lucky, you may see the palm fruit stacked by the side of the road awaiting pick-up by lorries. If you have not seen the fruit before, stop and take a few snapshots.

After a while, you will see a sign proclaiming the words "Heritage Island" with a road branching off to the right. This is the entrance to Sime Darby's West Estate. A police guard house blocks your entry into the estate which is after all private property. Register with the police sentry in order to gain entrance.

Police Sentry Post

The West Estate is a long drive down the road from the guard house. Inside, it is a little like stepping back in time, with some beautiful colonial mansions left over from British times in the early 1900's. The curiously named Hatter's Castle, the former plantation manager's house is one outstanding example of the colonial plantation architecture from pre-war times.

Hatter's Castle

The West Estate settlement is self-sufficient with a mosque, temple, church, palm oil mill, hospital, school and even a 9-hole links golf course and club house.

Golf Club House

3. Mah Meri Cultural Village

After leaving Heritage Island, you will next come to an intersection to the left with a signboard pointing towards the Mah Meri village of Sungai Bumbun.


The Mah Meri (pronounced Mak Miri) were the original people of Carey Island. The Mah Meri (Mah meaning people and Meri meaning forest), originally known as the Besisi, also call themselves Ma Betisek, which means, "people with fish scales". The Mah Meri are one of the nineteen Orang Asli people groups of Peninsular Malaysia. They are officially classified under Senoi subgroup.

The Mah Meri community has managed to preserve a tradition of spiritual woodcarving that is truly world class in terms of quality of its craft and artistry. The art, which has rich mythological meanings behind the images and symbols, is handed down from father to son.

Mah Meri mask

You can see samples of their woodcarving and handicraft at the Mah Meri Cultural Village. There is a small gallery with exhibits of their exquisite carvings of masks and statues. Call and book in advance if you wish to view traditional dances or demonstrations. Otherwise if you just walk-in it would cost you RM5 per person but there wouldn't be much to see other than the small gallery inside, which will hardly take 15 minutes of your time.

Mah Meri Cultural Village

Entrance fees.

4. Beach

After the Mah Meri village, drive down the long straight road for what seems an eternity. As you drive along the road, you may be lucky enough to see troupes of macaques or spectacled monkeys or maybe even raptors flying overhead. Eventually the road peters out at a few ramshackled shacks where it meets the sea.

This is a muddy rocky beach where the island ends at the murky polluted waters of the Straits of Malacca. Look out over the water at the container ships plying up and down the straits as the sun goes down to the west.

Naughty macaques on a car.