2016 is the Year of the Monkey in the Chinese lunar calendar and celebrations begin on February 8. Don’t be concerned if you can’t travel over for the festivities in Beijing or Shanghai which carry on throughout China for around 15 days. From culture to cuisine, there are plenty of options for commemorating the holiday stateside in New York City.
Chocolate Monkey
Karahayit Mah. 147 Seyir Sk. N0:9-1,
Karahayit, Pamukkale, Turkey
(90)-0258-271-4400
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Doga Thermal Health & Spa
This is a destination that had me exclaiming “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this before.” Chances are you’ve never heard of Pamukkale’s travertine slopes that tend to overwhelm first-time visitors. What appears to be a sheer cliff of snow rising above the plains of central Turkey is actually the “Cotton Castle,” a mountain coated with calcified carbonate with thermal hot springs bubbling through it. The ancient Romans and earlier civilizations recognized the region’s “curative” qualities and built Hierapolis, a vast city atop it. The remains of its boulevards, cemeteries, fountains, pools, and bathhouses have been designated a UNESCO Heritage Site. Today Pamukkale (pronounced pa-moo-ca-lay) is, as in Roman times, a destination for modern tourists who flock to soak and swim in its healing waters.
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Turkey’s number one treat may be lokum the sugar gel candy flavored with rosewater, orange, cinnamon, or lemon — popularly called “Turkish Delight,” but the nation stretching from the Aegean to the Black sea encompasses beaches, mountains, rolling plains, endless archaeological sites, an historic blend of East and West, and is a trove of rich and varied travel destinations. For travelers understanding the risks inherent in the region and avoiding southern and eastern borders near Iran and Syria, the country the size of Texas offers a wealth of places to explore . Here are some highlights of a visit to the land with a legacy of Hittite, Phrygian, Roman, Christian, Byzantine, Ottoman influences.
Istanbul’s Ataturk Bridge connects Europe and Asia Continue reading
by Sharon King Hoge | January 2016
Photo: Royal Opera House © Lukasz Kasperek | Dreamstime.com
You don’t have to be a classical music lover to be blown away by the Royal Opera House in Muscat,Oman. Set within landscaped gardens beneath soaring arches, the gleaming white complex houses an auditorium, a concert theater, luxury restaurants and retail shops. Commissioned by the royal decree of Sultan Qaboos bin Said, a classical music fan, it embodies traditional Arabic motifs along with a ceiling of Burmese teak, Italian marble, lights from Austria and the world’s first installation of the Radio Marconi multimedia interactive seatback display system. Completed in 2011, the hall opened with a production of Turandot conducted by Plácido Domingo. Appearances by Andrea Bocelli, Renée Fleming, Yo Yo Ma, the London Philharmonic, American Ballet Theater and Wynton Marsalis followed.
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Photo: © Sean Pavone | Dreamstime.com
Bridges and ferries cross the Huangpu River between the two sides of Shanghai, but a more adventurous option is a ride through the Bund Sightseeing Tunnel, particularly for someone who’s a kid at heart. Not just an ordinary subway, the half-mile-long train ride includes a multimedia sound and light show.
Descending the escalator into a sleek lobby festooned with plants and colored lights, passengers are guided by a red uniformed attendant into a sleek electric capsule of a car. With a galaxy of lights twinkling overhead, the car sets out through arcs of the tunnel illuminated with revolving yellow, blue, green and shocking-pink neon lights while a six-channel surround-sound system plays coordinated music ranging from eerie notes and grand “creation” themes to the roar of water and gurgles. Fish “swim” by in aquariums projected on the walls, and at one point floppy, inflated figures dance and wave hello.
Three to five minutes later, after passing through a “meteor shower,” passengers arrive at the other side. Departing from Chenyi Square in Puxi and the Oriental Pearl TV and Radio Tower in Pudong, the ride costs about $10 for those who choose to “af-ford” the crossing.
Photo: Nizwa’s modernized market © Zwawol | Dreamstime.com
Although Oman is located on the southeast tip of the Arabian Peninsula, apprehension about conflict in the Middle East should not dissuade you and your travel companions from a trip to the diverse, hospitable and delightful sultanate. Since 1970, the absolute monarchy has been ruled by hereditary Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said, known for his liberal policies. While Oman possesses modest oil reserves and 80 percent of the country is desert, the sultan instituted extensive programs of renovation, modernization and education. Despite reports of human rights restrictions and censorship, Oman in 2010 ranked as the most improved developed nation in the world, and it scores as the 59th most peaceful country on the globe.
Tourism remains the compact sultanate’s fastest-growing industry, and visitors are welcome. Picturesque cities, sandy beaches, expansive deserts, accessible mountains, scenic wadis and archaeological sites make Oman an ideal country to explore and enjoy with a companion. Tourists often find the biggest challenge is deciding which of the multiple options to pursue. The charming capital, Muscat, a must see, also serves as the jumping-off point for visits to other regions of the kingdom, such as an excursion northeast through the ancient capital Nizwa for a day or two in the mountains.
Fort and mosque in Nizwa © Zwawol | Dreamstime.com
Metropolitan Muscat runs along the coast from the airport near Seeb to Al Khiran between the magnificent beaches of the Gulf of Oman and the foot of the Hajar Mountains. While the ancient settlements expanded into a city of superhighways and dynamic high-rise buildings, the older enclaves feature pristine white buildings of Arabic design limited by the sultan to seven stories in height. A major motorway runs the length of the city outskirts.
Muttah and Old Muscat form the core of the city. Muttah, the port on the bowl-shaped harbor, once served as the traditional starting point for caravans inland. Modest hotels and impressive merchant mansions now line its crescent seafront. One mansion transformed into Bait Al Baranda, a museum tracing the country’s history from prehistoric times. All of Oman once lay underwater, and an interactive model allows visitors to break apart and reassemble the landmasses to illustrate the formation of present-day continents.
Early in the morning, my companion and I head to the fish market in Muttah, where fishermen display their catches on the floor. Steps away, we explore the country’s oldest souk. Now updated but retaining an air of mystery, the sprawling market offers a covered labyrinth of booths and stalls with merchants selling everything from spices and sweets to scarves and knock-off designer pocketbooks and popular khanjar silver daggers.
From Muttah, a paved promenade stretches along the corniche with seafood shacks and monuments at intervals and a playground for children under a giant incense burner perched atop a cliff at Riyam Park. About three miles away, at the west end of the walkway, an arch through the Muscat Gate Museum marks the entry into Old Muscat, the original political settlement now renovated into an impeccable neighborhood of Arabic buildings, its boulevard lined with plantings and zinnias leading toward the entrance to the sultan’s ultra-modern Royal Palace. Nearby, a traditional townhouse was converted into the Bait Al Zubair museum, where we explore informative exhibits on Omani lifestyles and tradition.
While most of greater Muscat thrives as a conventional metropolis, the grand hotel Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel provides a scenic site backed by the mountains on 200 acres of parkland with its own private, calm beach on the bay. A special project of Sultan Qaboos, this Ritz-Carlton property enjoys a reputation as one of the finest hotels in the world. Multistory arches line the marble lobby with its blend of Islamic and continental décor. At least twice a week, the hotel sponsors a traditional Omani meal in a Bedouin tent on the premises with ethnic musicians and dancers.
Heading out of town in a rental car, a two-hour drive takes us to the lively oasis of Nizwa. The national capital during the sixth and seventh centuries, Nizwa still serves as the key settlement of the interior. The vast circular tower of Nizwa Fort, an engineering wonder dating from 1668, dominates the sand-colored city. Its massive inner tower is half-filled with stones and earth for reinforcement, and the zigzagging staircases once prevented enemies from entering with a battering ram. Strategically located holes allowed defenders to pour boiling dates and bee honey down on potential invaders. Within the complex, a vast maze houses kitchens, storerooms, prisons, sleeping and living quarters, along with a school.
Nizwa’s souk, modernized into a contemporary Arab-flavored version of a shopping mall, features a street of neat stores selling antiques, swords, jewelry, pottery, copper and leather goods. Specializing in local cuisine, Bin Ateeq, up the stairs off the main street, serves kingfish with tomato and spices and rice to guests who dine seated on floor cushions.
Leaving Nizwa, the desert road winds through Bahla, a neat town of colorful crenellated buildings where every man’s home is literally a mini castle. We come upon Bahla Fort, an immense structure of unbaked brick and a UNESCO World Heritage site considered one of Oman’s most significant historic monuments.
Bahla Fort © Zwawol | Dreamstime.com
Farther along, at the foot of the mountains, lies Al Hamra. Never fortified nor at war, it preserved an elegant old town area of historic two- and three-story mud homes, some still inhabited. Within the complex of a former Sufi nunnery, Bait Al Safa now houses a museum where visitors can enjoy tea and view authentic traditional furnishings. Five miles away, 30 modern guestrooms and a terrace restaurant in the eco-luxury resort The View look back toward the village.
Driving uphill into the mountains, we encounter the authentic medieval village of Misfah, built directly into the rock face. Drivers must leave their cars at the edge (literally) of town, and a guide comes to take visitors through the narrow stone alleys to Misfah Old House, a former family home now welcoming guests. Guestrooms are minimalist and feature immaculate linens, storage niches carved into the walls, spectacular mountain views from the shuttered windows and the lulling sound of water gurgling in the brook and irrigation system outside. Dinner and breakfast are included and served on the terrace. The hotel can arrange guides for hikes or excursions into the nearby “grand canyon.” An especially lovely time to visit this area is spring, when the region blooms with damask roses harvested for the highly prized Omani rosewater.
Returning to Muscat, we wish we had more time to set off on any number of additional excursions including camping overnight in the desert, chilling on the beach in Salālah, exploring a wadi, cruising in a dhow on the fjords of Musandam and visiting the Land of Frankincense and Oman’s other UNESCO World Heritage sites.
In planning travel to Oman, be aware the climate is stable but hot year-round, with April to October the recommended months to visit. Arabic is the official language, but many Omanis speak at least some English. Friday and Saturday are the “weekend” days, subject to closures. Varied spelling of place names may be confusing, and alcohol may only be available in international hotels at high prices.
The base for Oman Air and the country’s principal port of entry, Muscat International Airport (also called by its original name, Seeb International Airport) lies near Seeb about 15–20 miles from downtown Muscat. Upon landing, travelers can purchase necessary visas in the terminal, paying the $10–20 fee in currency or by credit card. Taxis, which can be pre-booked online, charge around $20–40 to different sections of Muscat. The airport website lists typical fares and other helpful information about visas and customs. Locate stops for the public buses on the main highway a short walk from the terminal.
AL BUSTAN PALACE, A RITZ-CARLTON HOTEL The coffee man welcomes guests to this magnificent high-rise resort in a private urban setting. Managed by Ritz-Carlton, it earns a reputation as one of the finest hotels in the world. Al Bustan Street, Muscat $$$$
MISFAH GUEST HOUSE Enjoy comfortable, minimalist rooms and delicious meals at this family-run hotel converted from a private home. With neither television nor phones, it offers a total getaway. Misfat Al Abryeen, Al Hamra $$
THE VIEW Take in panoramic vistas of the desert and mountains from the private terraces of 30 ultramodern, pod-style guestrooms at this eco-spa retreat. Hail Al Shas, Al Hamra $$$
AL ANGHAM A costumed doorman greets guests for authentic Omani cuisine and ambience within the posh setting of the elaborate Royal Opera House. Delicious local fare is embellished with plated flourishes and squiggles. Royal Opera House Muscat, Shatti Al Qurum, Muscat $$$
MUSCAT LIGHT RESTAURANT AND COFFEESHOP Visitors dine casually with locals in this centrally located storefront situated in the midst of Old Muscat. Try a prawn biryani and frothy strawberry milkshake. Al Saidiya Street, Old Muscat $$
SEEB WAVES RESTAURANT Beachside in the thriving coastal town near the airport, diners sit outdoors sampling local fish served with rice in a spicy red sauce. Enjoy mixed ice creams for dessert. Corniche, Seeb $$
Find Bliss At The Largest Buddhist Temple In Malaysia, Kek Lok Si Temple
by Sharon King Hoge | December 2015
Photo: © Suronin | Dreamstime.com
Long before Kuala Lumpur’s 88-story Petronas Towers became a “trademark” image of Malaysia, the Kek Lok Si Temple on Penang was an iconic symbol of Malaysia. Carved into and atop Air Itam hill in the center of the popular resort island known as “the Pearl of the Orient,” the Monastery of Supreme Bliss is the largest Buddhist temple in Malaysia, popular with tourists as well as a serious place of worship. Continue reading
Photo: Row of heritage houses in George Town © Markha40 | Dreamstime.com
A short plane ride brings visitors from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok to the island known as the “Pearl of the Orient.” Malaysia’s smallest province, only 200 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, includes a sliver of mainland. Primarily, though, Penang consists of a 112-square-mile island, a microcosm of vacation facilities providing a wealth of choices for studying the local culture, hiking through jungle trails, basking on the beach, sampling diverse cuisine — or partaking of all four.
One of Asia’s most famous resort destinations, the island is officially named Pulau Pinang for the betel nut-producing areca tree. Settled by Capt. Francis Light, who “negotiated” to provide military protection to the local sultan of Kedah, it is the oldest British settlement in the region. Strategically located on the “watery road” between China and India, it served as the major port on the Straits of Malacca until 1819, when it was overshadowed by the founding of Singapore. Today’s population of 1 million combines descendants of Chinese, Malay, Indian, East Asian, Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers who came to trade and prosper here.
Most visitors start at George Town, the charming capital city so dominant in the province it is interchangeably referred to as Penang. With the highest concentration of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia — 12,000 original structures still stand — it exudes Old World charm and achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008. Sightseers stroll its grid of narrow streets lined with low-slung townhouses, tea shops, temples and pastel shop houses with bright red Chinese signs. Besides Old Town, Chinatown, Little Italy and the contrasting 58-story cylindrical KOMTAR shopping mall, visitors wander the city’s must-see sites on heritage walks or wind through town on free on-off shuttle buses with numbered stops at notable sites. Another option is to engage one of the colorful trishaws, though it’s important to haggle with the driver for an acceptable price.
A good first stop is Fort Cornwallis, the star-shaped wooden stockade built in the early 1800s now enclosing a pleasant park. Exhibits in the barracks and gunpowder magazine describe and illustrate important battles and activities. Note the sample Malay wooden kampong house near the entrance and a charming Christian chapel at one corner inside. Said to be a fertility symbol, “Serai Rambai,” an original cannon, has a surface well worn from fingers touching it for luck.
Outside the fort stands the stately Penang Clocktower. Built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, it measures 60 feet tall, one foot for every year she had been on the throne. Monumental public buildings encircle the adjacent expansive town green, Padang Kota Lama, where colonials promenaded. The buildings include Town Hall, the Legislative Building and the Penang Art Gallery, two blocks away. The Penang Museum and Art Gallery is one of the country’s best. Faded photographs, rickshaws and a mother-of-pearl opium bed trace the festivals and history of the diverse local cultures through time.
Khoo Kongsi Clan House temple © Rodrigolab | Dreamstime.com
A vivid example of the Chinese legacy is theKhoo Kongsi Clan House, an elaborately decorated complex of a temple and meeting places built by one of the prominent local clans which formed to safeguard shrines and look after members’ welfare. The statue of a watchman guards the entrance, and the ornate Dragon Hall displays ceramic sculptures of immortals and carp.
The seafront Esplanade offers a pleasant place for an evening stroll. Other tourist stops include the Acheen Street Mosque with its Egyptian-style minaret and the mossy Old Protestant Cemetery at the edge of town which contains the graves of founder Francis Light and Thomas Leonowens, the husband of Anna in The King and I, a movie partly filmed in George Town.
One local structure with its own 2000 UNESCO State Monument award is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Chinese equivalent of a stately home. Built by a local “Rockefeller of the East” merchant and one of Asia’s most carefully restored houses, it oozes ambience — carved moldings, teak and terra-cotta floors, gilded wood-carved doors, ceramic ornaments, stained glass, seven staircases, antiques and replicas. Surrounding its lovely courtyard, 16 “decadent” rooms rent to overnight guests who want the experience of living in the eclectic architecture favored by the wealthy Straits Chinese.
Another heritage accommodation, the stately Eastern & Oriental Hotel, dates from 1885 and was built by the same Sarkies brothers who operated Singapore’s Raffles Hotel and The Strand in Yangon. Designed with the lacy façade and Moorish minarets of colonial-style mansions, the E&O offers an oasis of tea rooms, manicured lawns and tropical gardens. Stopping by to settle into an armchair in the dark wood clubby atmosphere of Farquhar’s Bar for a sundowner cocktail is almost mandatory.
Beyond George Town lies a landscape of jungle, lakes, beaches, a cozy national park and a cool hill station. Touring the island’s 50-mile circumference is easy. Closest to George Town sits the early inland resort Penang Hill, also called Bukit Bendera or Flagstaff Hill. Customarily 41 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in town, its temperate, unpolluted air attracted British vacationers in pre-air-conditioning days. At 2,273 feet above sea level, the summit features a food court and souvenir stalls with panoramic views all the way back to the mainland. Under a broad overhang red roof on nearby Strawberry Hill ridge, David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terraces serves English cuisine — rarebit, bangers and mash, beef Wellington — as well as Penang specialties in an Old World atmosphere. A historic funicular train ascends to the summit in nine minutes, or hikers can walk up the five-mile footpath that starts at the Moon Gate of the Botanic Gardens. Established in 1884 and also known as Waterfall Gardens, the 74-acre preserve of flora and fauna includes pavilions dedicated to orchids, palms, bromeliads and a cactus garden.
Penang National Park — the smallest national park in the world — spreads across the northwest corner of the island. Trails, campsites and canopied walkways introduce visitors to a full range of tropical habitats: hilly forest, wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, beaches and corals interspersed with rocky outcrops. Within the park lie a turtle conservation center and the 19th-century Muka Head lighthouse. In spring and fall, visitors may have the chance to see a meromictic lake formed during the change in monsoons, when the water doesn’t merge but lies in distinct layers, with denser, salty seawater lying under fresh, cool water from the mountain stream. The park’s remote beaches are considered the best on the island, and a clan of crab-eating macaques inhabit one of them, Monkey Beach.
A well-marked network of trails and a forestry museum are situated at Teluk Bahang Recreational Forest on the north coast, where visitors can swim or splash around in pools and a number of small waterfalls. Nearby, an abandoned rubber plantation was transformed into the award-winning Tropical Spice Garden. Said to be the largest showcase of tropical herbs and spices in the world, it offers garden tours and cooking classes. Less than a mile away, 4,000 butterflies of 120 species inhabit the two landscaped acres of Penang Butterfly Farm, scheduled to reopen in early 2016 after a major redevelopment.
While there is so much to see and visit, some travelers prefer merely to chill out at the beach. Around the corner from George Town lie the hot, white sands of Batu Ferringhi beach, described as an upmarket version of the Costa Brava. Once a hippie nirvana, its mile-and-a-half stretch is now lined with a string of international-standard hotels and resorts offering a full complement of water sports: swimming, surfing, parasailing, kayaking, jet skiing and banana boat rides.
A longtime favorite resort is Lone Pine, first built in 1948 and now affiliated with the E&O. Originally a local doctor’s beachside bungalow, the low-rise, upgraded complex retains the casual feel of a surf shack with white shutters and louvered walls. Shangri-La operates side-by-side hotels. Its Golden Sands Resort touts rooms with wraparound balconies in a “cerulean heaven.” The more exclusive Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, designed in distinctive Minangkabau architecture, exhibits Malaysian artifacts and provides signature CHI spa treatments in private villas, with rejuvenating and purifying Wholistic Wellness Escape packages beginning every Monday or Thursday. Palm trees and swimming pools dominate the shore side of the PARKROYAL, offering spa services and located steps away from the local night bazaar, a major daily event. Every evening around 7 p.m. a carnival atmosphere prevails as vendors set up booths selling ornate curios, mementos, souvenirs, beach accessories and food.
laksa Penang © Benglim | Dreamstime.com
All over the island delicious cuisine remains a big attraction, blending influences of the diverse population. Besides native Nyonya dishes, international flavors abound in local specialties such as laksa Penang, a sour fish and tamarind-based soup; ikan bakar barbecued fish; the pasembur“salad” medley of cucumbers, potatoes, bean curd, prawn fritters and fish balls tossed in sweet and spicy peanut sauce; and cendol for dessert — green rice flour jelly served over shaved ice mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar. While restaurants are numerous, the delicious, inexpensive versions sold by hawkers at the outdoor open markets at Bata Ferringhi and on Gurney Drive in George Town make a visit to Penang a gastronomic journey.
Daily shuttle planes from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong fly into Bayan Lepas International Airport, about 12 miles south of George Town. From Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia, Malaysia Air and Malindo Air offer numerous daily one-hour flights. Arriving by car or train, visitors cross over on the ferry from Butterworth or drive across the eight-mile-long bridge, one of Asia’s longest, modeled on San Francisco’s Golden Gate.
Photo: Row of heritage houses in George Town © Markha40 | Dreamstime.com
A short plane ride brings visitors from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok to the island known as the “Pearl of the Orient.” Malaysia’s smallest province, only 200 miles north of Kuala Lumpur, includes a sliver of mainland. Primarily, though, Penang consists of a 112-square-mile island, a microcosm of vacation facilities providing a wealth of choices for studying the local culture, hiking through jungle trails, basking on the beach, sampling diverse cuisine — or partaking of all four.
One of Asia’s most famous resort destinations, the island is officially named Pulau Pinang for the betel nut-producing areca tree. Settled by Capt. Francis Light, who “negotiated” to provide military protection to the local sultan of Kedah, it is the oldest British settlement in the region. Strategically located on the “watery road” between China and India, it served as the major port on the Straits of Malacca until 1819, when it was overshadowed by the founding of Singapore. Today’s population of 1 million combines descendants of Chinese, Malay, Indian, East Asian, Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers who came to trade and prosper here.
Most visitors start at George Town, the charming capital city so dominant in the province it is interchangeably referred to as Penang. With the highest concentration of colonial buildings in Southeast Asia — 12,000 original structures still stand — it exudes Old World charm and achieved UNESCO World Heritage status in 2008. Sightseers stroll its grid of narrow streets lined with low-slung townhouses, tea shops, temples and pastel shop houses with bright red Chinese signs. Besides Old Town, Chinatown, Little Italy and the contrasting 58-story cylindrical KOMTAR shopping mall, visitors wander the city’s must-see sites on heritage walks or wind through town on free on-off shuttle buses with numbered stops at notable sites. Another option is to engage one of the colorful trishaws, though it’s important to haggle with the driver for an acceptable price.
A good first stop is Fort Cornwallis, the star-shaped wooden stockade built in the early 1800s now enclosing a pleasant park. Exhibits in the barracks and gunpowder magazine describe and illustrate important battles and activities. Note the sample Malay wooden kampong house near the entrance and a charming Christian chapel at one corner inside. Said to be a fertility symbol, “Serai Rambai,” an original cannon, has a surface well worn from fingers touching it for luck.
Outside the fort stands the stately Penang Clocktower. Built to commemorate Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, it measures 60 feet tall, one foot for every year she had been on the throne. Monumental public buildings encircle the adjacent expansive town green, Padang Kota Lama, where colonials promenaded. The buildings include Town Hall, the Legislative Building and the Penang Art Gallery, two blocks away. The Penang Museum and Art Gallery is one of the country’s best. Faded photographs, rickshaws and a mother-of-pearl opium bed trace the festivals and history of the diverse local cultures through time.
KHOO KONGSI CLAN HOUSE TEMPLE © RODRIGOLAB | DREAMSTIME.COM
A vivid example of the Chinese legacy is the Khoo Kongsi Clan House, an elaborately decorated complex of a temple and meeting places built by one of the prominent local clans which formed to safeguard shrines and look after members’ welfare. The statue of a watchman guards the entrance, and the ornate Dragon Hall displays ceramic sculptures of immortals and carp.
The seafront Esplanade offers a pleasant place for an evening stroll. Other tourist stops include the Acheen Street Mosque with its Egyptian-style minaret and the mossy Old Protestant Cemetery at the edge of town which contains the graves of founder Francis Light and Thomas Leonowens, the husband of Anna in The King and I, a movie partly filmed in George Town.
One local structure with its own 2000 UNESCO State Monument award is the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, the Chinese equivalent of a stately home. Built by a local “Rockefeller of the East” merchant and one of Asia’s most carefully restored houses, it oozes ambience — carved moldings, teak and terra-cotta floors, gilded wood-carved doors, ceramic ornaments, stained glass, seven staircases, antiques and replicas. Surrounding its lovely courtyard, 16 “decadent” rooms rent to overnight guests who want the experience of living in the eclectic architecture favored by the wealthy Straits Chinese.
Another heritage accommodation, the stately Eastern & Oriental Hotel, dates from 1885 and was built by the same Sarkies brothers who operated Singapore’s Raffles Hotel and The Strand in Yangon. Designed with the lacy façade and Moorish minarets of colonial-style mansions, the E&O offers an oasis of tea rooms, manicured lawns and tropical gardens. Stopping by to settle into an armchair in the dark wood clubby atmosphere of Farquhar’s Bar for a sundowner cocktail is almost mandatory.
Beyond George Town lies a landscape of jungle, lakes, beaches, a cozy national park and a cool hill station. Touring the island’s 50-mile circumference is easy. Closest to George Town sits the early inland resort Penang Hill, also called Bukit Bendera or Flagstaff Hill. Customarily 41 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than in town, its temperate, unpolluted air attracted British vacationers in pre-air-conditioning days. At 2,273 feet above sea level, the summit features a food court and souvenir stalls with panoramic views all the way back to the mainland. Under a broad overhang red roof on nearby Strawberry Hill ridge, David Brown’s Restaurant and Tea Terraces serves English cuisine — rarebit, bangers and mash, beef Wellington — as well as Penang specialties in an Old World atmosphere. A historic funicular train ascends to the summit in nine minutes, or hikers can walk up the five-mile footpath that starts at the Moon Gate of the Botanic Gardens. Established in 1884 and also known as Waterfall Gardens, the 74-acre preserve of flora and fauna includes pavilions dedicated to orchids, palms, bromeliads and a cactus garden.
Penang National Park — the smallest national park in the world — spreads across the northwest corner of the island. Trails, campsites and canopied walkways introduce visitors to a full range of tropical habitats: hilly forest, wetlands, mangroves, mudflats, beaches and corals interspersed with rocky outcrops. Within the park lie a turtle conservation center and the 19th-century Muka Head lighthouse. In spring and fall, visitors may have the chance to see a meromictic lake formed during the change in monsoons, when the water doesn’t merge but lies in distinct layers, with denser, salty seawater lying under fresh, cool water from the mountain stream. The park’s remote beaches are considered the best on the island, and a clan of crab-eating macaques inhabit one of them, Monkey Beach.
A well-marked network of trails and a forestry museum are situated at Teluk Bahang Recreational Forest on the north coast, where visitors can swim or splash around in pools and a number of small waterfalls. Nearby, an abandoned rubber plantation was transformed into the award-winning Tropical Spice Garden. Said to be the largest showcase of tropical herbs and spices in the world, it offers garden tours and cooking classes. Less than a mile away, 4,000 butterflies of 120 species inhabit the two landscaped acres of Penang Butterfly Farm, scheduled to reopen in early 2016 after a major redevelopment.
While there is so much to see and visit, some travelers prefer merely to chill out at the beach. Around the corner from George Town lie the hot, white sands of Batu Ferringhi beach, described as an upmarket version of the Costa Brava. Once a hippie nirvana, its mile-and-a-half stretch is now lined with a string of international-standard hotels and resorts offering a full complement of water sports: swimming, surfing, parasailing, kayaking, jet skiing and banana boat rides.
A longtime favorite resort is Lone Pine, first built in 1948 and now affiliated with the E&O. Originally a local doctor’s beachside bungalow, the low-rise, upgraded complex retains the casual feel of a surf shack with white shutters and louvered walls. Shangri-La operates side-by-side hotels. Its Golden Sands Resort touts rooms with wraparound balconies in a “cerulean heaven.” The more exclusive Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, designed in distinctive Minangkabau architecture, exhibits Malaysian artifacts and provides signature CHI spa treatments in private villas, with rejuvenating and purifying Wholistic Wellness Escape packages beginning every Monday or Thursday. Palm trees and swimming pools dominate the shore side of the PARKROYAL, offering spa services and located steps away from the local night bazaar, a major daily event. Every evening around 7 p.m. a carnival atmosphere prevails as vendors set up booths selling ornate curios, mementos, souvenirs, beach accessories and food.
LAKSA PENANG © BENGLIM | DREAMSTIME.COM
All over the island delicious cuisine remains a big attraction, blending influences of the diverse population. Besides native Nyonya dishes, international flavors abound in local specialties such as laksa Penang, a sour fish and tamarind-based soup; ikan bakar barbecued fish; the pasembur “salad” medley of cucumbers, potatoes, bean curd, prawn fritters and fish balls tossed in sweet and spicy peanut sauce; and cendol for dessert — green rice flour jelly served over shaved ice mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar. While restaurants are numerous, the delicious, inexpensive versions sold by hawkers at the outdoor open markets at Bata Ferringhi and on Gurney Drive in George Town make a visit to Penang a gastronomic journey.
Daily shuttle planes from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong fly into Bayan Lepas International Airport, about 12 miles south of George Town. From Kuala Lumpur, Air Asia, Malaysia Air and Malindo Air offer numerous daily one-hour flights. Arriving by car or train, visitors cross over on the ferry from Butterworth or drive across the eight-mile-long bridge, one of Asia’s longest, modeled on San Francisco’s Golden Gate.
A contemporary conglomeration of highways and skyscrapers, Dubai essentially emerged from the sand in less than a third of a century and its migrating Bedouin populations left few heritage sites behind. Sightseeing attractions are limited but there are still activities for travelers seeking culture and adventure beyond merely shopping and gaping at the overwhelming maze of behemoth skyscrapers — Here are some things to do — in Dubai.
Dubai skyline Continue reading
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” The words of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s famous sonnet could be adapted by travelers to describe the conveniences of a stay at Country Inn & Suites at Minnesota’s Mall of America.
Located beside the Mall, the hotel is steps from the Metro Transit Center with direct bus and light rail access to the airport and downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul, less than a half-hour away. For those who drive, parking is free on the outdoor lot beside the entrance, which leads directly to the reception desk located to the right of the front door. Take-away gourmet coffee is provided all day on a table opposite a comfortable lobby seating area with a blazing fireplace. Quick elevators arrive instantly and whisk guests up as far as the sixth floor.
Technically a visit to Minnesota’s principal city includes additional “must” stops in its capital twin city St. Paul and those are not to be overlooked. But a recent trip revealed there’s plenty to see in Minneapolis and nearby suburbs without even crossing the mighty Mississippi.
A Mississippi River City
Get to know Jeddah’s traditions before arriving in the cosmopolitan city
Photo: Jeddah Old Town © Ulrich Mueller | Dreamstime.com
For 15 centuries, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s largest city, served as the historic gateway to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and every year millions of pilgrims flock there. But Jeddah, the kingdom’s second-largest city and only port on the Red Sea, ranks as an important Middle East commercial center, attracting people from all over the world to do business here.
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Published on Luxury Web Magazine
Kumarakom, Kottayam, 686 563 Kerala, India
www.cghearth.com
Anyone who thinks ecological awareness and luxury are mutually exclusive has a lesson to learn at Coconut Lagoon, a resort in India’s magical province of Kerala. Just two hours drive southeast from the historic seaport of Cochin, the hotel is a “village” of authentic traditional homes perched on the shore of India’s longest lake, Vembanad. A charming wooden boat meets guests at the jetty and floats them down the canal lined with bamboo houseboats past residents catching fish and washing clothes along the banks. With a flautist piping reedy strains, disembarking guests are presented orange marigold flowers, refreshing towels, and coconut drinks before dispersing to their bungalows. Read More
