28th November 2019

Today we took ourselves off to the Batu caves -(a train journey of about 30 minutes from the centre of KL )to see Hindu temples set into the cliffs.

Biggest disadvantage is that you have to climb 282 steps to get to the temple!

 

Alongside the steps is a golden statue of Lord Murugan – a hindu deity. The statue is 140 ft and is the largest one of Murugan in the world.

All around the site are monkeys who will eat anything – coconuts, flowers and a lolly dropped by a child!

Back to the hotel and after a quick change we had supper and then watched the fountain display in the park. A day full of colour.

27th November 2019

An opportunity to do the Petronas towers justice. Views from the outside.

The complex under the towers houses a concert hall for the KL symphony orchestra, a huge shopping mall  (decorated for Christmas)…..

….and an aquarium. (Which is where we went after a little retail therapy – everyone knows I can’t resist a branch of Sephora)!

we also walked around the park and viewed the large Christmas tree outside the Suria Centre.

in the evening came one of the highlights of our trip so far – a visit up the towers at dusk. First we went to the sky bridge on 41st & 42nd floors (170m above ground level) then up to 86th floor.

 

26th November 2019

A walk along rather riverside one final time before we set off to Kuala Lumpur. Seeing a water dragon amongst other things and getting a view of the infrequently operating monorail.

On arrival at the Hotel we only had a little time to settle in before we me5 a guide tomtake us on a culinary tour of the city. We took the MRT to near Chinatown; anD began by visiting the point where 2 rivers meet and then explored the  colonial heritage of the area. Then we wandered through the Central market and Petang night market

The food we had was varied and delicious but one of my favourites was the clay pot chicken produced at the hawker stall that has been family run for over 60 year

Finally back to the Mandarin oriental to just sit and admire the view from our window!

25th November 2019

A cooking course this morning.

First stop was a tour around the market – how come foreign markets are always more exciting than our local supermarkets at home? (Except perhaps the catfish)!

After a brief cool off and light refreshments we began cooking

The hotel Chef (Khay) guided us through the preparation of 2 dishes – devils chicken (usually cooked and served on feast days) and aubergines in a line sauce. I chopped  more ginger and chillies than we would have thought possible to consume in one sitting!

The end result was delicious.

24th November 2019

The Majestic hotel (where we are staying) conducts a walking tour every morning an£ so we decided to get our bearings and join in. The guide was called Wati and she took 5 of us on a really informative trip.

On our travels we visited the oldest bar in Malacca

Visited a traditional family run sign making business.

Saw traditional houses in the centre of the city (a UNESCO heritage site)

Crossed the river at the bridge of sighs – so called because it is said to be haunted by the Chinese who were killed and hung from the bridge by the Japanese in the Second World War.

visited a street known locally as harmony street as a Hindu temple, a mosque and a Buddhist temple coexist happily together.

 

23rd November 2019

Only a 2 hour journey from Singapore to Malacca but several hours more just to cross the border. We hadn’t been aware that the school holidays have just started – hence the exodus.

Having arrived later than than anticipated we had time to freshen up and then head out to Jonker street for the weekend night market. A stroll along the  river with  a very confusing local map meant it took a little longer than anticipated but we were rewarded with colour, atmosphere and great food from the street hawkers.

 

In the centre of the long road is a stage where karaoke and dance performances abound.

I wish I had Hattie with us, she would have provided the excuse to go on one of the brightly lit tricycles!

22nd November 2019

Another busy day in Singapore. We started with a riverboat cruise which showed us the city from a different perspective.

The old Hill street police station…

Boat Quay….

and the incredible edifice that is the Marina Bay Hotel which has over 2000 rooms!

Lunch was an opportunity to try the city’s signature dish of chilli crab. Delicious.

feeling replete we set off for the Gardens by the bay. An extraordinary place to visit. First stop the floral fantasy dome

 

Then to the flower dome where they we’re gearing up for christmas

And finally to the cloud forest, where for the first time ever I was fine about taking photos of pitcher plants!

As dusk began to fall we got tickets for the skywalk so we could see the super trees close up. Then down for a short wait until the fantastic sound and light performance which was crazy and incredible in equal measure. My photos could never do it justice.

 

As a footnote- we ended the evening last night with an obligatory (and delicious) Singapore sling.

21st November 2019

A day spent wandering around the botanic garden – a wonderful free space full of delights.

A turtle a water dragon and a lizard….

The orchids……

And the rest.

A special mention for the stone steps which were constructed by prisoners of war held by the Japanese. Some bricks are marked with arrows to signify that the person making the brick was a detainee. Very poignant.

20th November 2019

 

A guided walking tour in the morning that took in the colonial district and then on to the Marina. Here we saw the Merlion –  the symbol of the city and the opera house which is currently being cleaned (hence the men on top).

We continued through the Central Business District until we came to Chinatown. It is so odd to see temples and churches nestled at the bottom of multi-storey buildings.

We were also struck by some of the city sculptures.

Left to our own devices in the afternoon we headed towards Littlia India but the experience was slightly marred by another rainstorm of epic proportions. Once over we strolled around the area and saw the signs of the recently celebrated Deepvali.

Back to the hotel for a quick change before heading back into Chinatown for supper.

 

Singapore

An early arrival at the Parkroyal @ upper Pickering in Singapore and feeling a little jaded after our flight.

A short restorative nap and we were ready to explore the local area. The weather prediction of thunderstorms and rain were accurate so we took shelter in a bar (as you do) until it eased off. What a coincidence that it was also happy hour!

We walked around Clarke quay andhad supper there in one of the many restaurants that run alongside the river. A touristy area but buzzing and colourful so we enjoyed it.