The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park of Kota Kinabalu is a marine park that is made up of a cluster of five idyllic islands namely: Palau Manukan, Palau Mamutik, Palau Sapi, Palau Gaya and Palau Sulug.

There are also tours that are being offered by various travel agencies. The Tunku Abdul Rahman Park is labelled as the Island Hopping Tour and rates range from RM 100 (US$ 31) to RM 150 (US$ 46 ). The most expensive tour would include the following: Entrance Fee, Port Fee, Boat Fee, Land Return Transfer and even a buffet BBQ lunch at the island of your choice.

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Posted in Beaches, Malaysia, Things to do |

You can tell a lot about a city by what it chooses to celebrates. The Philippine cities hold fiestas to honor their patron saints while Japan holds peach blossom festivals every April to cherish the blooming of its floral heritage . Singapore, which doesn’t have the centuries of culture, instead celebrates what its best known for: shopping and food.

Playing with its strengths, the Lion City holds The Great Singapore Sale (GSS, for short) this May 23 to July 20. For eight shopping-filled weeks, this event, co-organized every year by The Singapore Tourism Board and many other retail companies, stores, and malls, invites shoppers from all over Asia and beyond to participate in the many activities, discounts, and promos. GSS is definitely established as a shopping event that is not to be missed, even among international visitors who spent some $3.7 billion in 2006 on shopping in Singapore.

Here is a sample of the activities you can expect during the GSS:

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Posted in Events, Singapore, Things to do |

Kampong Glam is known as the ”Muslim quarter” of Singapore. Designated by Stanford Raffles as the residential section for Malays and Muslims way back in the 19th century, Kampong in Malay means “village” while Glam is short for ”Gelam”, a type of eucalyptus tree that once flourished in these parts. It is now a heritage site for its many mosques, palaces, and distinct buildings, and one of the best places to immerse yourself in Singapore.

A walking tour in Kampong Glam starts at the Malay Heritage Center at Sultan Gate. Once the palace (istana) of the ruling Sultans of Singapore, it has been restored as a heritage museum, with eight themed galleries, dioramas, multimedia, and other showcases. Cultural performances and workshops are held every Wednesdays and Sundays, such as sarong tying, batik painting, Malay martial arts (silat), and native music. The grounds are free to traverse but the museum entrance costs SGD 3.

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Posted in Attractions, Singapore, Things to do |

It’s to the benefit of Singapore that it contains completely different cultures within reach of a train ride. Walking tourists can thus experience a little bit of Asia all within one island. Such a great example would be the community of Little India.

Little India started off as the designated community for Indian laborers and immigrants under the urban planning of Sir Stanford Raffles back in the 19th century. Although the Indian populace is longer required to reside in this area, efforts have been made to keep the cultural heritage of this place alive. Little India is now the focal point of the Indian community of Singapore, and the last area where many of the traditional trades and practices still thrive.

The best place to start your walk is right off Little India MRT station at Exit C, facing Bukit Timah Road. A few shops down the path and you will see Tekka Market, a wet market that provides for the daily needs of the residents in the area. Along Dunlop Street is the Masjid Abdul Gapoor, a mosque that is fitted with a sundial at the entrance. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Attractions, Singapore, Things to do |

So you want to go to Japan, but do you know the acceptable manners by Japanese standards? These manners are very much different than in other countries. One must know them in order to not offend or embarrass your host and other people around you.

BOWING

Bowing is probably the most well-known Japanese etiquette outside of Japan. Bowing is extremely important in Japan. Even though kids learn to bow at a very young age, companies still provide training for their employees on how to bow.

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Posted in Food, Japan, Things to do |

Among the Asian cities I’ve traveled to so far, it is The Lion City that has most gone out of its way to welcome visitors like me. Through the support of the Singapore Tourism Board, this island-state offers a wide array of means to see the sights. From DUCKTours to bumboat rides, any tourist with even a few hours to spare can check out the cool places and historical sites Singapore has to offer.

For travelers who wish to immerse themselves into the true SG experience, nothing beats a walking tour among its heritage spots. And one essential place for any SG walking tour would have to be Chinatown. Singapore’s Chinatown is unique in that its middle kingdom culture has harmoniously blended in with the other ethnic groups in the small island to create a wonderful blend of Asian influences.

A good spot to start your personal exploration is right off the Chinatown MRT station along the blue line. From Exit A, visitors will immediately see Pagoda Street, so-named because of the Sri Mariamnam Temple located at its end. This festive street is bedecked with colorful red lanterns criss-crossing along its length, and packed with an assortment of Chinese shops on both sides. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Attractions, Singapore, Things to do |

Your ultimate Asian tour will never be complete without stopping by Malaysia. You can sample Malaysian culture and tradition by visiting its wonderful capital, Kuala Lumpur (KL).

As a first time visitor in KL, I can still recall my excitement when I was on-board my flight to KL from Manila when the plane’s captain announced that plane would be landing in a few minutes. I immediately looked out of my window and strained my neck to catch a glimpse of the famous Petronas Twin Towers of KL. I was disappointed when I didn’t get to see the Petronas Towers. I must have been seated on the wrong side of the plane.

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Posted in Attractions, Malaysia, Things to do |

Previously, we’ve discussed about the Electric Town of Akiba and Gadgets. This time, let us take a look at another popular reason to visit Akihabara: anime and games. Akihabara or more commonly called as Akiba has been strongly identified with anime and games in recent times, mostly because of anime, TV shows and movies that takes place in the said area. Akiba is also home to legions of otaku that flock its streets everyday. It is mainly thanks to them that Akiba is what it is now.

Akihabara is best known as a Gamer’s Mecca, no one can possibly miss the huge towers of Sega and Taito, along with other amusement centers in the area. Akiba is home to numerous eighties games which can be found in the amusement centers all over. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Japan, Things to do |

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, is considered as the largest city of South Korea and one of the most highly populated cities all over the world. It is a favorite destination in Asia not only because of its colorful culture and historical landmarks but because of its growing reputation of being every shopping addict’s version of heaven on earth.

I have very fond memories of my shopping escapades in Seoul. I remember that after I checked in at my hotel in Seoul, I deposited my bags in my room and prepared myself to shop ‘til I drop. My heart was even pounding in my chest the moment I stepped out of my hotel.

I got to visit this bustling city in April when lovely Magnolias and Cherry Blossoms line the streets. The weather was also quite cool — perfect for a entire day of shopping!

There are a number of shopping areas in Seoul. For starters, I visited the Namdaemun Market, one of the popular shopping stops in Seoul. This was my first stop as it only took me about ten minutes to reach this place from my hotel. This market is so huge that it occupies many city blocks and has a couple of entrances. You can buy absolutely everything here! Enter one store and the store owner will try to make you buy all kinds of tea from Green Tea, to Jasmine Tea to the local Ginseng tea and roots. You can even sample Ginseng Tea in some stores! In another stall, you can purchase all kinds of Korean souvenirs like key chains, to mobile phone charms, Korean dolls, chopsticks, paper weight, and many others. There are dozens of stores that sell clothes, shoes, bags, and even jewelry. Retailers are known to purchase their goods at the Namdaemun market at wholesale prices so that they can sell again in their own stores.

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Posted in Korea, Things to do |

Have you ever thought of a haven for gadgets, games and anime? Wonder no more because such a place exists. Conveniently nestled in the heart of Tokyo, Akihabara or Akiba as it is often called, is the place to be if you happen to be a techie, a gamer, a toy maniac or an anime fan. In short, it is the place for different otakus to meet and catch up. One can easily gain access to Akihabara as its station runs along the JR Yamanote, Keihin-Tohoku, and Chuo train lines. Also, Akihabara is just walking distance of the Ochanomizu and Ueno areas.

One of the main reasons for coming to Akiba is to shop for gadgets. Akiba does not disappoint, it’s not called Electric Town for nothing. In here you can find every gadget conceivable, both new and second hand, from PC parts to household appliances. As long as it exists, chances are there’s one for sale somewhere in Akiba and most of the time they are very reasonably priced.

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Posted in Japan, Things to do |