Melaka River Cruise

The Melaka River Cruise is a great way to see the sights of Melaka at a leisurely pace, in comfort and without breaking the bank.

The Melaka River is where the town began and it has played a key role in Melaka's colourful history. Taking a river cruise is like seeing Melaka from the back door.

A few decades ago the river was a stinking waterway lined with decaying houses on stilts and the untidy rear side of crumbling shophouses.

In recent years it has had a major facelift. Yes, there has been a lot of new development but at the same time an effort has been made to preserve many of the historic buildings and bridges along the river.

Even the newer buildings have been painted with colourful murals depicting different aspects of Malacca's rich history and culture.

ZOO NEGARA

I have visited Zoo Negara many times but I took my family there again in August 2014 now that they have the recently opened Giant Panda attraction. Here is my review.

Basic Facts

It's Malaysia's largest zoo, covering 44 hectares (110 acres), making it twice as big as the second largest, Melaka Zoo.

It is located on the north eastern outskirts of Kuala Lumpur in the shadow of the spectacular Bukit Tabur (Klang Gates Quartz Ridge). Although urban development has more or less surrounded the zoo, it is still a green and pleasant area.

The zoo is managed by a non-governmental organisation, the Malaysian Zoological Society, and relies on ticket proceeds together with corporate and private sponsorship/donations to offset its considerable running costs. 

Zoo Negara celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 2013. The exhibits are spaciously arranged around a scenic lake and landscaped with mature trees including a sprawling giant banyan, reckoned to be one of the largest banyan trees in the Klang Valley.

Redang Island beaches are some of the best in Malaysia. The beautiful heart-shaped paradise island of Redang is one of Malaysia’s top beach destinations, situated about 30 km off the Terengganu coast, just north of Kuala Terengganu.

Much of the island’s coastline is rocky with jungle-clad hills dropping straight into the sea. These conditions are good for coral reef formation and with deep water close to the shoreline, the island is popular with snorkelers and scuba divers.