Changkat Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

Changkat Bukit Bintang is the main pub street in Kuala Lumpur ("KL"). "Changkat" is the malay word for "Heights"; and "Bukit Bintang" is the main shopping district in KL and literally means "Starhill".

It is easy enough to get to Changkat Bukit Bintang, it is the road perpendicular to Jalan Bukit Bintang (Bukit Bintang Road), where the Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet is. Walk down this road for 90 metres, and you will see Jalan Alor (Alor Road) to your left. This is the street food road. Ignore it for now and continue walking on for a further 130m until you come to the Radius International Hotel. This is the start of the Changkat Bukit Bintang pub area.

Pre-war buildings have been re-furbished into trendy upmarket bars and restaurants that cater for the tourists and affluent locals alike. During the day, the street may look quiet, but at night the place comes alive.

The bars and restaurants may change over time, but a select few have managed to stay the course. Some of the current line-up includes:

Movida - on the corner of Changkat Bintang and Nagasari, opposite the Radius Hotel is Movida. Bills itself as a restaurant and lounge bar.

Werner's - on the other corner of Changkat Bukit Bintang and Nagasari is Werner's which serves Italian food with a twist.

Green Man Pub  - one of the older establishments from 2002, it is what else but a British Pub.

Healy Mac's - if there is a British Pub, then you must also have an Irish Pub next door.

The Magnificent Fish & Chips Bar - fish and chips, what else?

Pampas - steakhouse featuring argentinian beef

Finnegan's  - why have just one Irish pub, if you can have two?

Pinchos - a Spanish Tapas bar

Ciccio - Italian bar pizzeria

Frangipani - one of the better french restaurants in the city

Flams - french pizza

El Cerdo - everything porcine

While not exactly on Changkat Bukit Bintang, a little further up the road in Jalan Ceylon are:

Bijan - Malay fine dining restaurant

Nerovivo - Italian fine dining

Parallel to Changkat Bukit Bintang on Jalan Berangan is:

Albion - british restaurant

Rail Transport, Kuala Lumpur

(NOTE: This article was originally published in 2012, but has been updated several times to reflect the latest changes. The last update to the article was on 30 July 2017)

Greater Kuala Lumpur is served by five different rail services, LRT, Monorail, KTM Komuter, ERL and MRT. You can see the integrated rail services route map here.

Integrated Rail Map of Kuala Lumpur.

1) LRT 

The "LRT" is an acronym for Light Rail Transit. Run by RapidKL, it has three main lines, the Kelana Jaya line, the Ampang and Sri Petaling lines. The LRT connects Kuala Lumpur to the suburbs in neighbouring Selangor state.

a) Kelana Jaya line

The Kelana Jaya line originally ran from the suburb of Kelana Jaya at one end to Gombak at the other end. It was previously known as the PUTRA LRT after the company that originally operated the line. The name was changed to the Kelana Jaya line after RapidKL took over the operations of the line.

Some of the stations highlights are:

Kelana Jaya - At this station, you can get buses or taxis to major shopping malls in Petaling Jaya like Paradigm Mall, Tropicana City Mall, 1-Utama, IKEA and the Curve. 

Bangsar - the station is about a 1-km walk to the Telawi area of Bangsar where the Bangsar Village mall and trendy restaurants are. On Sunday evenings there is a Sunday market as well. You can also take a bus from the station to the up-market Bangsar Shopping Centre mall or to the Mid-Valley Megamall / Gardens Mall in the opposite direction.

KL Sentral - the main Train Terminal serving Kuala Lumpur. From here you can get trains run by KTM to cities and towns all across Peninsular Malaysia. It also serves as hub for city trains; in addition to the Kelana Jaya line LRT, the KTM Komuter and ERL also have stops here. The KL Sental monorail station is connected via the Nu Sentral mall and the Muzium Negara MRT station by an air-conditioned pedestrian walkway/tunnel. Adjacent to KL Sentral is the enclave of Brickfields, which is also known as Little India, with its large population of Malaysians of indian descent.

Pasar Seni - which means "Central Market" in malay, is the station opposite the old Central Market, which is now the place to find knick-knacks, souvenirs and handicrafts for your visit to Malaysia and no longer a wet market. From Pasar Seni, you can also walk to Petaling Street for the night market for replicas and fake branded items, as well as to test your bargaining and haggling skills. This old part of KL is commonly known as Chinatown. You can also get the free Go-KL buses to Bukit Bintang from here or interchange to the MRT or KTM Komuter line.

Masjid Jamek - this is the LRT interchange station between the Kelana Jaya and Ampang line. It is also located within walking distance to the old mosque called Masjid Jamek which is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, the spot where the city of Kuala Lumpur was founded and where the city gets its name from ("Kuala Lumpur" means "muddy estuary"). The area also houses a lot of indian muslim businesses specialising in fabric and textiles. A short walking distance from the LRT station is the Dataran Merdeka or Independance Square with the colonial era buildings such as the moorish Sultan Abdul Samad building and the tudor Royal Selangor Club.

KLCC - located underground, this is the station closest to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, the symbol of Kuala Lumpur. It is connected in the basement of the Avenue K mall and connected by tunnel to the Suria KLCC mall where you will also find the Petrosains Discovery Centre. The KLCC park adjacent the mall is a pleasant green area in the middle of the city surrounded by skyscrapers. Within the park is the Symphony Lake and its dancing fountains as well as a large children's playground. The KL Convention Centre is connected by tunnel to the Suria KLCC mall; within the convention centre is the aquarium called Aquaria (what else).

Wangsa Maju - from here, you could take buses or taxis to the National Zoo (Zoo Negara).

Gombak - the final station in the Kelana Jaya line. There are Go-Genting buses that depart to the Genting Highlands from here on a regular basis.

As of first quarter of 2016, the Kelana Jaya Line has been extended all the way to Putra Heights from Kelana Jaya; with an additional 13 stations, namely Lembah Subang, Ara Damansara, Glenmarie, Subang Jaya, SS15, SS18, USJ7, Taipan, Wawasan, USJ21, Alam Megah, Subang Alam and Putra Heights.

Of interest to the tourist, would be the following stations:

Subang Jaya - This is an interchange station with the KTM Komuter line. From here, it is also a short walking distance to the Subang Parade mall and the Empire Shopping Gallery.

Putra Heights - The final station on both the Kelana Jaya and Sri Petaling lines. You can change from one line to the other seamlessly at this station.

b) Ampang & Sri Petaling lines

The Ampang line runs from the suburb of Sentul Timur to Ampang. The Sri Petaling line branches off from the Ampang line at Chan Sow Lin towards Sri Petaling. Originally called the STAR LRT after the company that operated the line. The name was changed to the Ampang Line after RapidKL took over operations.

Station highlights include:

Titiwangsa - at this station you can interchange to the monorail line. It is about a 1.5 to 2 km walk to Tasik Titiwangsa park, the Istana Budaya theatre and the Art Gallery. Across the busy highway from the station is the Pekeliling bus stand, where you can take inter-state buses to destinations in Pahang state in the centre of the peninsula.

Bandaraya - connected by walkway to the SOGO shopping mall. You can also change to the KTM Komuter by walking across the pedestrian bridge over the river to the Bank Negara KTM station.

Masjid Jamek - interchange station with the Kelana Jaya line. Read the description under the Kelana Jaya line above.

Plaza Rakyat - this station is located in an abandoned construction site, behind the Pudu Sentral (a.k.a. Puduraya bus terminal). Pudu Sentral was the former main inter-state bus terminal in Kuala Lumpur; the interstate bus terminal has now shifted to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Southern Integrated Terminal) in Bandar Tasik Selatan. However, you can still get buses to the KLIA airport and Genting Highlands from here.

Hang Tuah - at this station, you can interchange to the monorail line. It is also possible to walk to the Stadium Negara and Stadium Merdeka from here.

Chan Sow Lin - this is where the Ampang and Sri Petaling line splits off from each other if you are coming from the Sentul or the city centre. Make sure you are on the right train for your destination, otherwise get off here and switch to the correct train.

Bandar Tasik Selatan (Sri Petaling line) - this is a major interchange station, where you can switch to the KTM Komuter line or the Express Rail Link (ERL). The Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (Southern Integrated Terminal) is also located here. This is the main inter-state bus terminal for Kuala Lumpur.

Bukit Jalil (Sri Petaling line)- this station is adjacent to the National Stadium and other sports complexes where various sports events and concerts are held.

As of first quarter of 2016, the Sri Petaling Line has been extended all the way to Putra Heights from Sri Petaling; with an additional 11 stations, namely Awan Besar, Muhibbah, Alam Sutera, Kinrara BK8, IOI Puchong Jaya, Pusat Bandar Puchong, Taman Perindustrian Puchong, Bandar Puteri, Puchng Perdana, Puchong Prima and Putra Heights.

Of the above, the stations of interest are:

IOI Puchong Jaya  - Closest station to the IOI mall in Puchong.

Putra Heights - The final station on both the Kelana Jaya and Sri Petaling lines. You can change from one line to the other seamlessly at this station.

2) MONORAIL

The monorail system comprises of small 2-car trains that run on a single concrete beam elevated above the road. It is a short single line that runs only about 5 miles within the Kuala Lumpur city limits. Also operated by RapidKL, its ticketing system has been integrated with the LRT lines.

Station highlights include:

KL Sentral - despite its name, it is not located in the KL Sentral terminal itself, but opposite the road in Brickfields. You can walk to the main KL Sentral terminal through the Nu Sentral shopping mall via a link bridge.

Maharajalela - from this station it is possible to walk to Petaling Street and Chinatown from the rear entrance. It is also close to the Merdeka stadium.

Hang Tuah - interchange station with the LRT line. See above.

Imbi - connected to the massive Berjaya Time Square shopping mall and adjacent to the popular Bukit Bintang shopping district.

Bukit Bintang - connected to the Sungai Wang Plaza and Lot 10 shopping malls by walkway, this station is located in the heart of the popular Bukit Bintang shopping district. Other malls within walking distance include Pavilion, Fahrenheit 88, Starhill and Low Yat Plaza. The Jalan Alor food street and Changkat Bukit Bintang pub area are also within striking distance. You can also connect to the MRT line here.

Bukit Nanas - from here it is a short walk to the LRT station at Dang Wangi. Also close-by is the Hard Rock Cafe and the bar area of Jalan P.Ramlee. It is also possible to walk to Bukit Nanas where the KL Tower is located.

Chow Kit - a rougher part of town, this is also where the wet market is located if you wish to have a look-see.

Titiwangsa - interchange station with the LRT. See above.

3) KTM KOMUTER

KTM is the operator of the interstate train services in Malaysia and has been since British colonial times. As well as the interstate services, KTM also operated city rail services in the Greater Kuala Lumpur area under the name "KTM Komuter". There are two main lines: the Batu Caves-Tampin line and the Tanjung Malim-Pelabuhan Klang line.

a) Batu Caves-Tampin line

It used to go between Seremban and Rawang, although it has now been extended to Tampin at the Seremban end and switched to the Batu Caves instead of Rawang at the other end effective from 15 Dec'2015.

Station highlights include:

Batu Caves - the last stop on the line, this is where the Batu Caves is. The caves house a shrine sacred to Hindus, but you must be prepared to climb the 272 steps to the top. A huge statue of Lord Murugan stands at the base of the steps to the top. The station is directly adjacent to the temple complex at the Hanuman statue and the Ramayana Cave.

KL Sentral (common to both lines) - the main train terminal in peninsular Malaysia. Interchange with the LRT, ERL, MRT at Muzium Negara and monorail line across in Brickfields. See description under LRT above.

Kuala Lumpur (common to both lines) - this was the train station for Kuala Lumpur in colonial British times up until when KL Sentral was built. Designed by A.B.Hubback and completed in 1910, the train station building itself is a tourist attraction done in the moorish style. A short walk away is the National Mosque, where you can catch the shuttle tram to the Lake Gardens. Further down from the mosque you can walk to the Dataran Merdeka or Independance Square. In the other direction is the National Museum. Across the river at the back, is the Central Market and the Pasar Seni LRT station.

Mid-Valley - connected to the huge Mid-Valley Megamall and the adjacent The Gardens malls.

Bandar Tasik Selatan - interchange station with the LRT and ERL lines. Adjacent to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan bus terminal. See above.

Serdang - closest station to the Mines Shopping Fair.

Seremban - the capital of neighbouring Negeri Sembilan state. From here you can catch local buses to Port Dickson, which has the closest presentable beaches to Kuala Lumpur.


b) Tanjung Malim-Pelabuhan Klang line

The line used to originally go from Pelabuhan Klang to Sentul, however its end point at Sentul was switched from Sentul/Batu Caves line to the Rawang/Tanjung Malim line on 15 Dec'2015.

Station highlights include:

Setia Jaya - interchange station with the Sunway Bus Rapid Transit ("BRT") line. You can use the BRT to go to Sunway Resort Hotel, Sunway Pyramid mall and Sunway Lagoon theme park. Take the BRT from Setia Jaya BRT station to Sunway Lagoon BRT station, 2 stops away.

Subang Jaya - adjacent to the Subang Parade shopping mall and close to the Empire Shopping Gallery. It is also an interchange to the Kelana Jaya LRT line.

Klang - the station to the royal Selangor town of Klang. Home to one of the biggest "Little India's" in the country, if not the biggest, Klang is also famous for its "Bak Kut Teh", a pork rib broth.

Pelabuhan Klang - which means Port Klang, is the last stop in the line. From here you can hop on to the ferry to Pulau Ketam (Crab island) to see the chinese fishing village.


4) ERL

The ERL or Express Rail Link was set up to connect the Kuala Lumpur International Airport ("KLIA"), approximately 50km to the south of the city of Kuala Lumpur, to the integrated train terminal at KL Sentral. There are two main forms of the ERL, both using the same railway tracks, the KLIA Ekspres and the KLIA Transit.

a) KLIA Ekspres

The KLIA Ekspres is a fast train that plies between the budget KLIA2 airport terminal and the KL Sentral train station in the city. It makes one stop at the original KLIA airport terminal along the way.  Traveling at an impressive 160 km/h, it can cover the distance in 33 minutes, of which 3 minutes is for the journey between KLIA2 and KLIA; and 28 minutes between KLIA and KL Sentral. Tickets originally cost RM35 per adult, from either airport terminal to KL Sentral or vice versa but was raised to RM55 per person one way effective from 1 Jan'2016. For a journey between KLIA and KLIA2 only, tickets cost RM2 per adult.

b) KLIA Transit

The KLIA Transit is a slower train that also traverses the KLIA2 to KL Sentral route in 39 minutes. It is slower as it makes four stops along the way, KLIA, Salak Tinggi, Putrajaya and Bandar Tasik Selatan. .

Station highlights:

KLIA2 - The low-cost carrier terminal of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport that opened on 2 May 2014.

KLIA - The original main terminal building of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Salak Tinggi - a station where you could take a shuttle bus to the old budget airline LCC Terminal before the LCCT closed down on 8 May 2014.

Putrajaya - Putrajaya is the adminstrative capital of Malaysia. A planned city, it houses government ministries in architectural masterpieces, futuristic bridges and has 5 expansive parks. There are 2 mosques you can visit, the Pink Mosque and the Titanium Mosque. Boat rides are also possible on the lake; and you can even visit the Prime Minister's residence. At the station, you can get taxis or hop on the Nadi Putra buses.

Bandar Tasik Selatan - the interchange station with LRT and KTM Komuter, as well as the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan bus terminal. See Above.

KL Sentral - the main train station in the city. See above.


5. MRT

The Mass Rapid Transit ("MRT") is the latest rail public transportation system introduced to the Klang Valley. The MRT Line 1 runs from Sungai Buloh to Kajang and was partially opened from Sungai Buloh to Semantan in Dec' 2016. On 17 July 2017, the entire length of the line from Sungai Buloh to Kajang became fully operational.

Station Highlights:

Kajang - Kajang MRT Station, the Mass Rapid Transit station in Kajang. The station is situated 1 km south from Kajang's town centre. This station is the final station of Sungai Buloh Kajang MRT Line and it is interchange station to KTM Komuter Rawang-Seremban Line at Kajang Station.

Stadium Kajang - Next to the famed Satay of Haji Samuri as well as Kajang's Satay Square.

Cochrane - Nearest station to Malaysia's second IKEA store and the MyTown shopping centre.

Tun Razak Exchange - station for the new financial district of Kuala Lumpur.

Bukit Bintang - The main shopping district of Kuala Lumpur and the place where most tourists will stay. Interchange with the monorail line.

Merdeka - Near the Merdeka stadium and the site of the future tallest building in Malaysia, the Warisan Merdeka tower. Short walk to the Hang Tuah LRT and monorail stations.

Pasar Seni - Station for the Central Market and Petaling Street; and also an interchange station to the Kelana Jaya LRT line.

Muzium Negara - literally means "National Museum" and is located right in front of the museum itself. It is connected to KL Sentral by a pedestrian tunnel / walkway. You can also use it to go to the Lake Gardens.

Pusat Bandar Damansara - access to the upmarket Damansara Heights area and the northern end of Bangsar, including the Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Bandar Utama - will eventually connect to the 1Utama shopping mall when the linkage is completed.

Mutiara Damansara - connects to The Curve shopping mall, IPC shopping mall, the original IKEA and Kidzania.

Sungai Buloh - the end station of the MRT Line 1 and interchange station with the KTM Komuter line.


THE FUTURE

The future of rail services in Kuala Lumpur is expected to improve further over the next few years.

MRT

Two more Mass Rapid Transit ("MRT") lines are being planned by the Government. The second MRT line has also been approved by the Federal Government and will run from Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya.


LRT

A third LRT line from Bandar Utama to Klang is also in the planning stage. The route alignment has been published and is expected to commence construction in the near future.


KTM Komuter

There is also a plan to extend the KTM Komuter service to the Subang Skypark airport.

With all these new improvements, public transportation in Kuala Lumpur will be radically changed in the coming years.

Istana Lama Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan

The Federation of Malaysia today is made up of 13 States and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

Of the 13 states, one of the more unique ones is the state of Negeri Sembilan, to the south of Kuala Lumpur. Negeri Sembilan is Malay for "Nine States" and alludes to its past when it was an independent kingdom made up of nine districts.

 

The original nine districts were Klang, Naning, Rembau, Sungai Ujong, Jelai, Johol, Segamat, Ulu Pahang and Jelebu. Today, Klang is now under the jurisdiction of the neighbouring state of Selangor; Naning under the state of Melaka, Segamat under the state of Johor and much of Ulu Pahang is now in the adjacent state of Pahang.

The history of Negeri Sembilan is inextricably tied to the Minangkabau people of Sumatera and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty. Legend has it that there was once a dispute between a tribe of the Melayu kingdom in South Sumatera and a neighbouring tribe. In order to avoid outright war, a contest between buffaloes was proposed. The enemies of the Melayu brought forth a huge and aggressive buffalo, while the Melayu brought forth a baby buffalo with its horns sharpened.

The Istana in Pagar Ruyung, Sumatera, taken by me in 2013.

The baby buffalo ran forward to the adult buffalo, thinking it was its mother; which the aggressive buffalo did not see as a threat. The sharp horns of the baby buffalo punctured the belly of the aggressive buffalo, killing it on the spot, and giving the Melayu victory. Henceforth from that day, the Melayu tribe was renamed as the "Menang Kerbau" which literally means "Winning Buffalo". Over time, this became contracted to "Minangkabau".

It is believed that the Kingdom of Pagar Ruyung in Western Sumatera in what is now Indonesia, was founded by a Melayu prince called Adityawarman in 1347, possibly as a result of his victory in the "Menang Kerbau" contest. His descendants eventually consolidated power in the form of division of power to three Rulers; the King of the World ("Raja Alam") who was the paramount ruler, the King of Customs ("Raja Adat") and the King of Religion ("Raja Ibadat"). Collectively they were known as the King of the Three Seats ("Rajo Tigo Selo"). The Rajo Tigo Selo were in turn assisted by 4 ministers in charge of different areas of government. The Kingdom was organised into districts called Nagari, each with its own clans and courts, under a Federal system.

While it is not known why so many Minangkabau eventually left Pagar Ruyung to settle on the west coast of the Malay peninsula, it may be related to the tradition of "merantau" or roaming in search of new opportunities amongst Minangkabau males. Whatever the case may be, this constant settlement eventually resulted in a collection of 9 districts organised into Nagari, following the structure in Pagar Ruyung, each with its own clans and courts.

These "Negeri Sembilan" initially looked to the neighbouring Sultanate of Melaka for protection; but after that powerful sultanate fell to the Portuguese and the Dutch, their allegiance shifted to the Sultanate of Johor. When that Sultanate became embroiled in its own problems, the nine districts decided to look to their ancestral homeland of Pagar Ruyung for a new leader, thus paving the way for an independent Negeri Sembilan. The Ruler of Pagar Ruyung sent his relative Raja Melewar, to Negeri Sembilan to become their new ruler. With the consent of the Sultan of Johor, Raja Melewar became He Who is The Highest Lord of the Nine States ("Yang Dipertuan Besar" or "Yamtuan Besar").

Raja Melewar eventually made his palace in Seri Menanti, which remains the royal town to this day. Seri Menanti was a verdant valley surrounded by encircling hills. Legend has it that three stalks of rice were found waiting to grow in the valley, hence the name of Seri Menanti, "Seri" being the javanese term for rice paddy, and "Menanti" meaning waiting. At this site, Raja Melewar built his palace or "Istana".

The present "Istana Lama" or old palace in Seri Menanti is a newer structure which was erected in 1902 and completed in 1908 to replace the older palace which was razed to the ground by British soldiers in the Bukit Putus war.

The four storey timber palace was built by two carpenters in the Minangkabau style at the express wishes of the Yamtuan Besar who wanted to retain the spiritual and cultural connection to the ancestral homeland in Pagar Ruyung. Famously, the Istana Lama's timber structure was built entirely without the use of a single nail.

The four central pillars are made of Penak wood from Jelebu, and are 170 feet long without joints. In total, the whole palace has a total of 99 pillars supporting the four storey structure. The first storey has four rooms and a 160 feet long verandah. The second storey has three rooms for the use of royalty. The third storey was for the Yamtuan's private use, whilst the fourth storey was used to house the royal treasures.

Today the Istana Lama is no longer in use as a Palace, but instead houses a museum. The museum recreates the rooms of the Palace with the use of period furniture, as well as housing some of the royals memorophilia and boards telling the story of the Minangkabau and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty.

Dining Hall on the 1st Storey

Passageway to the back of Palace.

Front of the Palace

Verandah on the 2nd Storey

Steep staircase up to the 3rd Storey.

The 3rd Storey with stairs leading up and down.

The 4th Storey with 360 degree views.

View from the Top.

The Istana Lama Seri Menanti is open to visitors 7 days a week from 10 am to 6 pm, except for Fridays when it is closed from 12:15pm to 2:45pm for Friday prayers. Admission is free.

There is a small resort next to the Istana Lama that you can stay in. Seri Menanti itself is a small tranquil town where nothing seems to happen and time stands still. Along the way to the town, you will pass by pretty kampung houses and experience a slower pace of life.

Army Museum, Negeri Sembilan

Port Dickson has been home to an Army Camp from way back in 1933 when the Kem Si Rusa was set up. Since then, there has always been a sizeable military presence in Port Dickson, so much so that in 2009, Port Dickson was declared as an Army Town ("Bandar Tentera Darat") by the Prime Minister of Malaysia.

You could then say it would be appropriate for a museum dedicated to the Army be located in an Army Town. Located off an intersection from the 4th mile Port Dickson coastal road, the Army Museum is located right next to the army camp.

The museum has both indoor galleries and outdoor displays of army hardware. The indoor galleries are spread out over 8 galleries located in 2 blocks of double-storey buildings. Each gallery is dedicated to a particular era or theme.

One of the galleries is dedicated to the era of the Melaka Sultanate, with dioramas painting a picture of how life must have been in the ancient empire which was the pre-cursor to British Malaya.

Another gallery tells the tale of British Malaya, and the various local heroes and freedom fighters that put up resistance to the colonial rulers throughout their time in the power.

Other galleries are dedicated to the time of the formation of the Malay army, the time of the Japanese conquerors, and the communist insurgency.

As you wander around the various galleries, you will also come across some curious artifacts like this actual elephant skull.

While all the galleries are interesting enough especially if you can read Malay and have an interest in history, the real attraction for boys and grown-up boys are outside the galleries where all the military hardware and ordnance are displayed in all their glory.

 

Another interesting feature is a re-created mock-up of a communist underground tunnel. You walk down into the ground and into a darkened tunnel which has a communist sentry, mock surgery room, mock operations room and ammo store.

 

The Army Museum is open 5 days a week from Wednesday to Sunday at 10 am to 5 pm. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

Restoran Pantai Ria, Negeri Sembilan

One of the few towns in Malaysia that survived the wave of nationalism that swept through the country in the 70's which resulted in British colonial names being dropped in favour of local names, Port Dickson today is now known more for its beaches rather than the town itself. 

The beaches may not be spectacular, but they are the closest in proximity to the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur; making it a popular weekend jaunt for the jaded city-dweller.

Like any other seaside town, sea-food is also a popular reason to head to P.D. as it is fondly known as. Numerous seafood restaurants dot the entire coastal road stretching from Port Dickson town to Cape Rachado.

Teluk Kemang, located about 7 1/2 miles from P.D. town, has the Restoran Pantai Ria which is located on the ground floor of a budget hotel of the same name.

The restaurant is on the ground floor of the hotel of the same name.

You can't miss the restaurant from the main road; just look out for this signboard on the left hand side of the road.

Look for this sign in Teluk Kemang.

The restaurant looks like a typical chinese seafood restaurant, with an open air section with round tables up front and an air-conditioned section at the back. They have obviously chosen to differentiate themselves from the loads of other chinese seafood restaurants by packaging themselves towards a muslim clientele.

The Menu

Order from the menu, plenty of choices are available. For drinks, go for the typical Lime & Plum juice, which is basically lime juice with a preserved plum or "asam boi" tossed in.

Plum and Lime Juice

Previously we had the Butter Prawns, which were good, but this time we went for the Marmite Prawns which were okay but not spectacular.

Marmite Prawns

The Kailan (chinese broccoli) with Garlic was nice, crunchy and not overly salty. A good complement to the other seafood dishes.

Kailan with Garlic

The Salted Egg Crabs are the main reason why we come to this restaurant. Every time we have been here we order this. Recommended.

Salted Egg Crab

The Mantis Prawns cooked with Dried Chillies was also spectacular. Something we would definitely try again.

Mantis Prawns with Dried Chillies

The damage for all of the above came to slightly above RM100, for 2 people. Pretty reasonable for good simple food done well.

Update 11/5/14

Seaweed Soup

Nestum Prawns

Restoran Pantai Ria

Address: Lot 3/233, Jalan Pantai, Batu 7 1/2, Teluk Kemang, 71750 Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan.
Tel: +606-662 5122