CENTRAL Market (Borneo Native Festival │Carol's Beading Project)

Borneo Native Festival is back!

We visited this festival exactly a year ago and were happy to visit it again. 

Dubbed the "Weekend for the arts: Borneo Native Festival in KL, master printmaker celebrated" by The Star Publications, this year's festival now in its second edition, was held in conjunction with Sabah's Kaamatan and Sarawak's Gawai festivals, respectively. There was bound to be a joyous harvest festival mood for all Malaysians and visitors to enjoy.

Shopping was also on the cards as the indoor area of Central Market had been transformed into a crafts bazaar with all things traditional and contemporary Borneo, while workshops, forums, film screenings, food demos and fun competitions were set to take place throughout the festival.

"This festival is held to introduce the culture of the Borneo communities to the people of the peninsula, as well as to bring the Kaamatan Festival and Gawai Day celebrations to the Sabahans and Sarawakians who cannot return to their villages."

Sadly, the colourful Borneo Native Festival parade that was set to take place with the route taken being Dataran Merdeka to Central Market did not materialise.

We entered Central Market and walked its entire length then headed out the other end where there were even more stalls. The place was lively with a Bornean beauty pageant being held and we strolled along to visit each stall.

We eventually parked ourselves at the stall that we truly intended to visit all along, which was Caroline's. It was just a month ago that we first met Caroline at the Gateway @ KLIA2, and Cat was chuffed to bits. She made sure to take her time perusing each item on display before deciding on a few items, namely a couple of Kabo necklaces and some bracelets as well that came to RM220.00 (approximately USD48/EUR44).

We then bade Caroline farewell and left the festival site, with a promise to meet up with her again in August at NU Sentral!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Central Market (Pasar Seni) - https://goo.gl/maps/bzUo327XZcg73rXT9

SUNDAY Stroll (Dataran Merdeka, Central Market │ River of Life)

We're on a walkabout!

The last week was not kind to me as a few health issues flared up. As soon as I felt a little better we decided to go on a (what else?) walkabout. We read that the Borneo Native Festival was back, and again held at the Central Market (Pasar Seni).

We left our condo at noon and headed out onto Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. We walked the entire length of the street in relative peace since City Hall closes it off to traffic every Sunday. At the end of the street we walked across the intersection with Jalan Tun Perak, and continued south along Jalan Raja which was also closed off to traffic.

We walked past the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) then turned left onto Jalan Lebuh Pasar Besar. We continued east until we reached the Masjid Jamek Lookout Point and walked across onto Jalan Hang Kasturi before eventually entering Central Market.

We spent almost an hour here taking in the sights of the Borneo Native Festival and met up with our favourite beadstress, Caroline.

All done with Central Market we walked out and had lunch at Taste of Medan at the Central Market Annexe building next-door. I had the Nasi Lemak with Chicken while Cat had the Nasi Lemak with Squid Sambal, and with a round of drinks our meal came to RM51.15 (approximately USD11/EUR12).

A little pricey by our standards, but it was the weekend, and we did not want to stray any further that we would have to.

We then took a stroll along the River of Life a.k.a. the Klang River headed north past the Kolam Biru and the Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad mosque. We then walked across Jalan Tun Perak and headed down Jalan Melayu before we turned right onto Jalan Masjid India. While I headed to the ATM machines at Maybank along Jalan Bunus Cat continued on headed to Haniffa Department Store to run an errand.

We met up again at Haniffa and headed home. Thus ended our Sunday stroll that garnered seven thousand steps. We will probably not be posting any blogs in the coming weeks as my day job will again consume all my time. Catch you all soon!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/c3itMGWSg5Wbepk69

Sultan Abdul Samad Building - https://goo.gl/maps/NDumnjsefW48MmuHA

Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) - https://goo.gl/maps/gPvgaU1VMmyUL8A79

Masjid Jamek Lookout Point @ River of Life

- https://goo.gl/maps/t5w9go8JGTfNL2JHA

Central Market (Pasar Seni)

- https://goo.gl/maps/bzUo327XZcg73rXT9

Taste of Medan (Central Market Annexe)

- https://goo.gl/maps/n4wFLxX9Xh74oexKA

River of Life - https://goo.gl/maps/uFWNLCtcsByZxean9

Kolam Biru - https://goo.gl/maps/mM9EXuJGanYUYF616

Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad - https://goo.gl/maps/ymjAtgShaEoc4LU68

Masjid Jamek LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/McA3Q5BzTSYnWYvr9

Flea Market Masjid India - https://goo.gl/maps/d1Q4i7JVgwbLSLqh6

Maybank (Jalan Bunus Branch) - https://goo.gl/maps/GxpLf2MFTCTCrkyw8

Haniffa Department Store - https://goo.gl/maps/heBiv4kUt561ERZd9

FRIDAY Frolic (MAEPS │ Restoran Kader)

We're off to Serdang!

There was much hype surrounding this year's autoshow, that promised to "feature hundreds of the latest cars, EVs, motorbikes and technology showcases, taking place at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) from 4th to 7th May 2023."

We had originally planned to go yesterday (Thursday, 4th of May) but it was Wesak Day, a public holiday and we feared large crowds will swarm the autoshow. We bade our time and made plans to go today instead. We walked out of our condo to Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman where we caught a free GOKL Red Line bus and disembarked at the Muzium Negara stop.

We then caught an MRT train first to the Tun Razak Exchange station, then switched to another train headed to the UPM station where we hailed a Grab car to MAEPS. We spent about an hour or so at the autoshow and then hailed another Grab car to the Putrajaya Sentral MRT station where we caught a train to the Ampang Park station.

At Ampang Park we switched from the MRT to the LRT but mistakenly caught a train bound for Gombak when we should have caught the Kelana Jaya bound train. We switched trains and the Damai Station and eventually disembarked at the Masjid Jamek LRT station.

We walked a short distance to our favourite Banana Leaf restaurant at Lebuh Ampang, Restoran Kader where we had our usual banana leaf rice with Chicken Fried Varuval and Tenggiri Fried Fish. Together with a round of Masala Tea we took away a packet of rice with fried chicken and curry for Brendan as well as two more packets of the excellent Masala Tea our late late lunch came to RM66.50 (approximately USD15/EUR14).

We then walked into the store next door to replenish our stocks on incense. A very colourful store, we got RM15.00 (approximately USD15/EUR14) worth of incense. We then walked along the same alley we took earlier and got a couple bunch of Pisang Emas (Lady Finger bananas?) for only RM6.00 (approximately USD/EUR1). We then proceeded to walk back to our condo, as always taking the scenic route.

Do stay tuned as we plan to go on a market hunt next week!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
MAEPS Serdang - https://goo.gl/maps/eXmNKLfesoGG4E9P8
Restoran Kader - https://goo.gl/maps/S7kwwNmYSqYaTjw5A
Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/TxggWHoYJ7fJTvzg9

MRT - LRT Train Rides (to MAEPS and Back)

We're riding the trains again!

There was much hype surrounding this year's autoshow, that promised to "feature hundreds of the latest cars, EVs, motorbikes and technology showcases, taking place at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) from 4th to 7th May 2023."

We did a little research and found that taking the train from the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) MRT station to the UPM MRT station was our best bet to get to MAEPS. After a bus ride to the Muzium Negara MRT station we caught a Kajang-bound train and disembarked at the TRX MRT station. Here we caught the Putrajaya-bound train and disembarked at the UPM MRT station for a total fare of RM4.30 (approximately USD/EUR0.90).

We then hailed a Grab car to MAEPS for a fare of RM17 (approximately USD/EUR4), and after the autoshow hailed another Grab car to Putrajaya Sentral for a fare of RM13 (approximately USD/EUR3). We caught a Kwasa Damansara-bound train and disembarked at the Ampang Park MRT station for a fare of RM3.80 (approximately USD0.90/EUR0.80). 

We exited the station and walked into the LRT station where we mistakenly caught a Gombak-bound train. We disembarked at the next station (Damai) and switched to the Kelana Jaya bound train and disembarked at the Masjid Jamek LRT station for a final fare of RM1.80 (approximately USD1/EUR0.40).

Thus ended our train hopping session, be sure to catch more videos of us riding KL's awesome public transport in the future!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Muzium Negara MRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/WhcQVX94HBRHx88Y7
Tun Razak Exchange MRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/Wt1xoZz3mjmRgSrL9
UPM MRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/YUHK8mWiyv82AQFu6
Putrajaya Sentral MRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/kNhSdLP74SXr3zxH7
Ampang Park MRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/RnnSiiHQQZkhj2Se6
Ampang Park LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/ppJoAXnpro9kYkj16
Damai LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/N81UMPBCffYGdzen7
Masjid Jamek LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/KHeCQjG3UQimY4fQA

MALAYSIA Autoshow 2023

Malaysia Autoshow 2023!

There was much hype surrounding this year's autoshow, that promised to "feature hundreds of the latest cars, EVs, motorbikes and technology showcases, taking place at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park Serdang (MAEPS) from 4th to 7th May 2023."

We made the effort to get to MAEPS which just a few years ago housed the biggest Covid-19 quarantine centre in Malaysia. Once there we paid the entrance fee of RM15.00 via QR Code and were admitted in.

Before entering the exhibition halls we grabbed a light meal and drinks from the food trucks that lined the street outside. We entered Hall A, then Hall A1 and finally Hall C.

We hope you will enjoy the twenty minutes worth of footage from the autoshow. Truth be told, we felt a little let down as the autoshow was merely various car brands transplanting their showrooms into the exhibition halls. There were no concept cars, no new innovations and no "wow factor" at all.

We then left the exhibition halls and took a shuttle bus to the main entrance of MAEPS where we hailed a Grab car to the nearest MRT station. Would we recommend this autoshow to you? We're really on the fence on this one!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
MAEPS Serdang - https://goo.gl/maps/eXmNKLfesoGG4E9P8

Midweek Romp (Mid Valley │ Kajang │ KL Sentral)

We're going on a walkabout!

After a stressful month at work I decided to take a week off to allow for my lower back to heal sufficiently. However midway through the week the walkabout itch reared its head, so we (as we always do) went out for an impromptu walkabout.

We left our condo at about nine in the morning and headed to Jalan Melayu for some breakfast at Jai Hind. We both had the Potato Paratha with a round of Masala Tea that came to RM15.00 (approximately USD/EUR3).

We then took a short walk to the Masjid Jamek LRT Station and got off at the Abdullah Hukum LRT Station. We then walked across the KL Eco City Link Bridge and into The Gardens Mall. We proceeded on into Mid Valley Megamall.

We spent some time browsing before having drinks at KOI Thé. Cat's Bubble Milk Tea and my Honey Milk Tea both cost RM12.40 each (approximately USD/EUR3). I then went for a potty break, after which we headed back to the Abdullah Hukum LRT Station. We were stopped by a curious couple who wanted to know more about the camera that we were using. I explained that we have a channel that they could watch for more details.

We caught the train and feeling adventurous we switched trains from the LRT to the MRT at the Pasar Seni hub. An hour later we arrived in Kajang, where we disembarked at the Stadium Kajang MRT Station to have lunch.

After running around in circles for a little bit we eventually made it to Restoran Sate Kajang Hj Samuri. We ordered 10 sticks each of Beef Satay and Chicken Satay, a plate of Nasi Himpit (rice cubes) each and a round of drinks.

Much to our dismay Haji Samuri has let his standards slip somewhat. The satay was cold, dry, and not grilled enough. The disappointing lunch came to RM42.10 (approximately USD/EUR9).

We then headed back to the Stadium Kajang MRT Station to ride the MRT to its last station, the Kajang MRT Station where we switched over to the KTM Komuter. Three quarters of an hour later we arrived at KL Sentral, and headed to the Parkson Store in NU Sentral that was holding a clearance sale. We got a bagful of clothes, then headed to MAX Fashion to get another bagful of work pants.

We then headed to the KL Sentral Monorail Station and eventually disembarked at the Bukit Nanas Monorail Station before catching a free GOKL Blue Line bus back to our condo.

Be sure to watch our upcoming video as we visit the Kuala Lumpur Auto show!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Restoran Jai Hind - https://goo.gl/maps/2SFYckG5ckHFMaNW8
KL Eco City Link Bridge - https://goo.gl/maps/9UA521GVQdgVSnkf6
Mid Valley Megamall - https://goo.gl/maps/YEr3bATTn5GpdwY46
Restoran Sate Kajang Hj Samuri - https://goo.gl/maps/XR5Kyzn9Uoq1PX3L7
NU Sentral Shopping Mall - https://goo.gl/maps/DYi84G1RpMdKkJLe7
Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/JmR6TK8yRmMhg3NP9

Trains & Buses (LRT │ MRT │ Komuter │ Monorail │ GOKL)

KL's public transport is awesome!

Our train hopping session began at the Masjid Jamek LRT Station. A fare of RM1.90 (approximately USD/EUR0.40) got us to the Abdullah Hukum LRT Station where we walked across the KL Eco City Link Bridge and spent some time at Mid Valley Megamall.

We then returned to the Abdullah Hukum LRT Station to catch another train to the Pasar Seni hub where we switched to the MRT headed to Kajang. An hour later we arrived at the Stadium Kajang MRT Station for a total fare of RM4.80 (approximately USD/EUR1) and headed for lunch nearby.

After lunch we headed back to the Stadium Kajang MRT Station to ride the MRT to the end of its stop at the Kajang MRT Station for a fare of RM1.20 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) where we walked over to the Kajang Komuter Station. The Komuter train took us all the way back to KL Sentral for a fare of RM3.70 (approximately USD/EUR0.80).

This time we spent productive time shopping in NU Sentral, and armed with several bags of clothing we headed out to the KL Sentral Monorail Station. We eventually disembarked at the Bukit Nanas Monorail Station for a fare of RM2.70 (approximately USD/EUR0.60) before catching a free GOKL Blue Line bus back to our condo for a fare of RM0 (approximately USD/EUR0).

Thus ended our half day expedition around Klang Valley, be sure to catch more videos of us riding KL's awesome public transport in the future!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

LRT Masjid Jamek - https://goo.gl/maps/kbkceiSrcvsmAnD79

LRT Abdullah Hukum - https://goo.gl/maps/eJeXDRydk2q4zUK78

Pasar Seni - https://goo.gl/maps/JGwGekhdhh45Br2B8

MRT Stadium Kajang - https://goo.gl/maps/4hiXYiY57Sjchg8K7

Stesen Komuter Kajang - https://goo.gl/maps/e771KxYJs8sDz6cp8

KL Sentral - https://goo.gl/maps/xzBSHxwSz68mCoz6A

KL Sentral Monorail Station - https://goo.gl/maps/X9BsDivpsQQ2CPx79

Bukit Nanas Monorail Station - https://goo.gl/maps/3Z9y1biq8k1xR9UX7

Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/JmR6TK8yRmMhg3NP9

Sepang Stroll (gateway@klia2 │ Mitsui Outlet Park │ Carol Beads Project)

Another impromptu drive!

As mentioned in our previous video my day job consumed all of my time, with all hands needed on deck to overcome a large obstacle. Apart from that the project that had demanded so much of my time and energy was reaching a very important milestone.

At the same time however my lower back began to show signs of giving in to the demands of my day job. Dr Chin at Nova Chiropractor did all he could to tend to the aching bones and joints. This meant that we would not be going on any walkabouts any time soon. Bummer!

While the large obstacle at my office remained a menace I was glad that the project was finally approved by our board of directors, which meant that we could proceed with the next phase. Ecstatic by the good news we thought we’d celebrate by taking a drive to Sepang.

We planned to visit the “Warnai Raya KLIA2” event that included several booths from Sarawak. One booth in particular was selling traditional beaded bracelets and other adornments much like what Ashley had gifted us during our last trip to Kuching. 

Since we were early we decided to have breakfast at Bungkus Kaw-Kaw. We both ordered the Nasi Lemak and with a round of drinks our typical breakfast came to RM25.10 (approximately USD6/EUR5). After breakfast we walked into the Skechers store in search of a reasonable priced pair of work shoes but none were on offer.

We then went in search of the booth selling the beaded bracelets, and after a little while found it. Alas the booth was not yet open, so we headed out to Mitsui Outlet Park to continue our search for a pair of reasonably priced brown work shoes.

At the same I had a birthday voucher to redeem from Puma, but as soon as we arrived at Mitsui Outlet Park we discovered that the voucher had already expired by one day! We then looked for the Skechers store here, while there were plenty of shoes were being offered at a discount no brown work shoes were available. 

After this double whammy we made our way back to KLIA2 and as they say, third time's the charm. The booth we hoped to visit was finally open. Be sure to watch our previous video for a twist in the tale. We then headed home. 

We are planning for another road trip in a few weeks’ time. Catch you all soon!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang - https://goo.gl/maps/NPmZWMZGcKsZHG5y6
gateway@klia2 - https://goo.gl/maps/ccuKYQMswwwcp4B49

CAROL Beads Project

We went beady-eyed!

We eventually visited the “Warnai Raya KLIA2” and paid much attention to one booth in particular, traditional beaded bracelets and other adornments much like what Ashley had gifted us during our last trip to Kuching.

It was indeed a small world when we discovered that the artist Carol Ruran-Joseph was in fact Ashley's Aunt, her mother's cousin to be exact! We spent quite some time at her stall before eventually spending RM430.00 (approximately USD98/EUR88) on an assortment of items which we suspected was heavily discounted. 

My necklace was a little short that it looked more like a choker (not my kind of thing!) so she asked us to come back a little later while she extended the necklace. With nothing to do we decided to have drinks at the restaurant across her stall and in no time at all my necklace was ready. I added a Lava Stone bracelet that I could wear to work for RM45.00 (approximately USD10/EUR9).

You can find her at https://www.instagram.com/carolbeadsproject/ and we absolutely love her caption that says "The Gift of my hands is for the glorification of my King".

Her involvement with the Warnai Raya event at KLIA2's Gateway will end this Wednesday the 19th of April 2023, so please hit her up on her Instagram page to browse the various works of art that she produces.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Mitsui Outlet Park KLIA Sepang - https://goo.gl/maps/NPmZWMZGcKsZHG5y6
gateway@klia2 - https://goo.gl/maps/ccuKYQMswwwcp4B49

Roadtrip Day 4 (Sin Yoon Loong │ Havironia Music)

Today we head home!

We again had an early night last night but awoke at half past eight. We took a shower and packed up all our belongings before heading down to check out of Ipoh Downtown Hotel.

We then loaded all our belongings into the car and drove a short distance in search of Ipoh's original white coffee along Jalan Bandar Timah. Torn between the modern looking Nam Heong and the authentic looking Sin Loon Yoong we finally opted for the latter.

I ordered a large glass of their white coffee while Cat opted for the usual Iced Milk Tea. We both ordered a set of toast bread with half boiled eggs and added a small plate of custard pudding for dessert.

Our quintessential Ipoh breakfast came to RM21.80 (approximately USD/EUR5), apart from this we also took away five packets of Wan Ton Mee for RM37.50 (approximately USD/EUR8) that settled our lunch for later. We then strolled back to the car and began our journey back to Kuala Lumpur.

The drive took about two hours and a half that included a pitstop at the Petronas Sungai Buloh Layby for a potty break. We arrived home at about one in the afternoon and began the arduous task of unpacking.

We will probably not be posting any blogs in the coming weeks as my day job will again consume all my time. Catch you all soon!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Ipoh Downtown Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/p13QrXce2dck4GCr7
Kedai Kopi Sin Yoon Loong - https://goo.gl/maps/iCKtmVLiqaG8qQZU9
Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/swtNfVmjFK4FgRsf8

Roadtrip Day 3 (Ipoh Downtown Hotel │ Gerbang Malam │ Ong Kee Chicken Rice)

Today I deliver a lecture!

We had an early night last night and I awoke at the crack of dawn to go through the slide deck for my lecture the Bandar Darulaman Community College. Two hours later I left Cat to continue with her beauty sleep and made the fiften minute drive to the college.

The lecture was to commence at 10:00am and would involve 140 community colleges around the country with an expected 37,000 students in attendance. It promptly started at the appointed time and the lectures began simultaneously at the colleges.

In the end these lectures were successfully entered into the Malaysian Book of Records!

I left the collge at noon to make my way back to the hotel and check out. We left the hotel at a quarter to one to begin our drive back down south to Ipoh. Along the way we stopped for a petrol refueling as well as lunch at the Gurun Rest & Recreation area.

We arrived in Ipoh at ten past four and soon made our way to the last hotel in our itinerary, the Ipoh Downtown Hotel. An old hotel it had seen better days, but to our surprise our twin book was modern, clean and spacious. 

We deposited our belongings in the room but had to wait a while for the sudden downpour to subside before making our way across the street for an appointment with a laundromat. An hour later we sorted out our laundry and then headed out to the general vicinity of Gerbang Malam for dinner.

We ordered our customary steamed chicken rice at Ong Kee Restaurant. Together with a round of drinks our dinner came to RM34.00 (approximately USD8/EUR7). We then paid Happiness Authentic Local Delights a visit and ended up spending RM194.00 (approximately USD43/EUR41) worth of goodies that included 7 packets of instant Ipoh White Coffee (mostly for our neighbours), a packet of Lime Tea and Milk Tea and an assortment of snacks.

We then walked past Gerbang Malam and headed back to the hotel. We end our blog for today and with nothing planned for tomorrow except for the final leg of our drive back to Kuala Lumpur we'll see what transpires.

Good night!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Raia Hotel & Convention Centre Alor Setar

- https://goo.gl/maps/BprWTkqAq7yXwG5b8
Bandar Darulaman Community College - https://goo.gl/maps/PvhSbCmJ1XLo1dbj8
Cleanpro Express Self Service Laundry - https://goo.gl/maps/QabgrvP3Vjw9jYPV8
Ipoh Downtown Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/p13QrXce2dck4GCr7
Ong Kee Restaurant - https://goo.gl/maps/bym5cPZh4jHvuzWV6
Happiness Authentic Local Delights - https://goo.gl/maps/dbhXwyJxoMaGusGMA

Roadtrip Day 2 (Raia Hotel │ Sri Pumpong │ Padang Besar)

Today we continue with our road trip!

We rose at half past eight and went down to the hotel's coffee house half an hour later. As hotel breakfast buffet goes it was okay.

Breakfast out of the way we went back to the room to start packing and even had a short nap. We checked out at a quarter past eleven and began our drive to Alor Setar. The drive took approximately three hours that included an hour's delay due to a fatal accident near Sungai Petani. You can watch the hyper lapsed footage of the drive in our previous video.

We arrived at Raia Hotel & Convention Centre (a mouthful!) at forty past two in the afternoon and promptly checked in. We again booked a twin room for RM230.00 (approximately USD51/EUR48) which was wholly claimable from my employers.

We went up to the room and deposited our belongings before heading back down to the car in search of lunch. A friend had suggested a "mixed rice" (rice with assortments of side dishes) restaurant nearby. Barely ten minutes away Restoran Sri Pumpong was touted one of the best non Nasi Kandar restaurants in Alor Setar.

We arrived after lunchtime and dishes were scarce but we made do. I had a mix of fresh and dried squid in sambal while Cat had the fish curry. Together with a round of drinks our first lunch in Alor Setar came to RM21.00 (approximately USD5/EUR4). 

We then decided to make the hour's drive to Padang Besar. Here we strolled along the various arcades and bazaars within the Arked Niaga Padang Besar and found ourselves with bagful of Siamese merchandise that included a dozen bar soap, a compact powder, a box of Siamese instant noodles, a bottle of Tom Yum Paste, a Nirvana T-shirt for Brendan and various other snacks and goodies.

We had a drink later at Restoran Nurhasiah nearby and decided to take away food for our dinner as well. We then made the hour-long drive back to the hotel but made a detour to check out the venue for my lecture tomorrow.

We end our blog for today as we spent time reorganising our luggage bags to accommodate the goodies from Padang Besar. Good night!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Flemington Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/ysGHwgfa7nsyZ1876
Raia Hotel & Convention Centre Alor Setar

- https://goo.gl/maps/BprWTkqAq7yXwG5b8
Restoran Sri Pumpong - https://goo.gl/maps/7NCMpWS6TNP59ipQ8
Arked Niaga Padang Besar - https://goo.gl/maps/zAPKvkHGBZcDLcrn8
Restoran Nurhasiah - https://goo.gl/maps/HwSf7XvYRetjbzBe8

Taiping Lake Gardens Stroll

We're going on a stroll!

We checked into Flemington Hotel then took a nap hoping to take a stroll along the Taiping Lake Gardens in the evening. Alas a heavy down put paid to our plans. We waited a while and left the hotel at sunset once the rain had subsided. 

The Taiping Lake Gardens was originally a mining ground before it was established as a public garden in 1880. The idea of a public garden was the brainchild of Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker. The garden was developed by Charles Compton Reade, who was also responsible for planning the Kuala Lumpur garden town, together with Lady Swettenham.

The abandoned tin mine ground was donated by Chung Keng Quee as a recreation park for public use. In 1884 the gardens were planted with grasses, flowers, and trees; a part of the gardens was fenced, to keep bulls out.

The 64 hectares (160 acres) site was the first public garden in Malaya, and was cherished for its beauty; it has been well-maintained since its opening. There are ten scenic lakes and ponds, which highlight the gardens. Along Residency Road, near the gardens, were golden rain trees (Malay: Samanea saman) or hujan-hujan (pterocarpus indicus) planted along the pathway. 

There are few private and government houses located near the gardens; among them are the Old Residency (home of the Secretary to the Resident), the Raja’s House at the junction of Birch Road and Residency Road and the army officers' residences on Batu Tugoh Road. The gardens were so striking that they attracted many travelers to write of their beauty, us included!

Fifteen minutes later we arrived at Tai Hu Food Court, and after dinner we took another stroll doubling back where we came from to make our way back to the hotel. 

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Flemington Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/ysGHwgfa7nsyZ1876
Taiping Lake Gardens - https://goo.gl/maps/iNhPPV8kgkwZEWhS7
Tai Hu Food Court - https://goo.gl/maps/dTnJjBg5WYXH8MXY7

Roadtrip Day 1 (Bismillah Cendol │ Taiping Lake Gardens │ Tai Hu Food Court)

We're going on a road trip!

A week ago the office asked me to give a lecture to students of a community college in Jitra, Kedah on Monday 20th March 2023. This lecture would be a series of simultaneous lectures at over 140 community colleges all over Malaysia involving an estimated 30,000 students and would be worthy of entry into Malaysia's Book of Records (MBOR).

At such short notice and with the Malaysian school holidays ending this weekend ETS tickets headed north were all sold out. Since a bus ride would take between six and seven hours anyway we decided to drive instead.

The distance to Jitra in in the northern state of Kedah is approximately 450 kilometres so we decided to split the drive into several days. The plan was to drive to Taiping on Saturday, then Jitra on Sunday.
The plan was also once I was done with the lecture on Monday we would drive back south to Ipoh before driving back to Kuala Lumpur the following day.

We managed to book the necessary hotels and today began our impromptu road trip. Our good buddy who dabbles in the used car business was kind enough to allow us the use of a very comfortable sports utility vehicle so that we could drive the considerable distance in some measure of comfort.

We left our home twenty minutes past nine in the morning and arrived in Taiping at twelve noon. You can watch the hyper lapsed footage of the drive in our previous video.

We then made our way to the hotel but were told we could only check in at three in the afternoon. We then made our way into town and had lunch at Bismillah Cendol. We had:

• a bowl of Pasembur each for RM8.00
• a bowl of Kacang Jagung Cendul for RM2.20
• a bowl of Pulut Jagung Cendul for RM2.60

which came to only RM12.80 (approximately USD/EUR3). With about two hours to burn we decided to drive back to the vicinity of the hotel and drove into DoubleTap Cafe's parking lot.

We decided against having a drink here since we wanted to first take a drive around the Taiping Lake Gardens. We circumnavigated the Lake Gardens and then headed to a Petronas Station since the car we were driving was 'thirsty'.

We again made our way to DoubleTap Cafe and ordered the:

• Dalgona Coffee for RM15.00
• Iced Honey Lemon for RM8.00
• French Toast (shared) for RM8.00

that came to RM31.00 (approximately USD/EUR7). We were seated by a large window overlooking the lake and spent a pleasant hour here. We then made the short drive to Flemington Hotel next door and checked in. We booked a twin room for RM208.00 (approximately USD46/EUR44) which was wholly paid from monies in our Booking.com wallet, monies that we had garnered from previous bookings.

We then took a nap and then wanted to take a stroll along the Taiping Lake Gardens in the evening but a heavy down put paid to our plans. We waited a while and left the hotel at sunset once the rain had subsided. Be sure to watch our next video on our stroll along this beautiful part of Taiping.

We then arrived at our dinner destination, Tai Hu Food Court. We had:

• Mata Kuching Drinks for RM4.80
• Plate of Lor Bak for RM19.70
• Grilled Stingray for RM26.00
• Kueh Teow Thng for RM6.00

which came to RM56.50 (approximately USD13/EUR12). We then took another stroll along the Taiping Lake Gardens and made our way back to the hotel. The room rate came with breakfast for two, so we hoped to have an early night.

Catch up with you tomorrow morning!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/HQ3NCQcv6SA3dDDK8
Flemington Hotel - https://goo.gl/maps/ysGHwgfa7nsyZ1876
Bismillah Cendol - https://goo.gl/maps/7eVeNx3NgCm2qdUt8
New Clock Tower - https://goo.gl/maps/VNEEQUD7oC2exM868
DoubleTap Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/GPNrvnte4mTJV7QH8
Taiping Lake Gardens - https://goo.gl/maps/iNhPPV8kgkwZEWhS7
Tai Hu Food Court - https://goo.gl/maps/dTnJjBg5WYXH8MXY7

Drive to Nilai (Mahaban Bikum │ Nilai 3)

Nilai!

Two weeks on from our trip to Kuching and we had not planned on making any videos. My day job demanded all of my time and concentration, so editing videos was the last thing on my mind.

We had recently repainted our condo and wanted a change in our fittings so we took an impromptu drive to Nilai, a small town in the state of Negeri Sembilan about forty five minutes south of Kuala Lumpur.

We arrived at Nilai and made our way to Dataran Nilai (Square) to have lunch at Rumah Makan Dataran. We read about the positive reviews that Restoran Marhaban Bikum received online, and were game to try. 

We then scanned the QR code and placed our order for the:

• Roasted Chicken with Arabic Rice
• Grilled Chicken with White Rice
• Sirap (Rose flavoured cordial drink)
• Watermelon Lychee Juice

that came to a respectable RM40.00 (approximately USD9/EUR8). Lunch out of the way we drove out of Nilai Square and headed to Nilai 3 Wholesale Centre six kilometres away. Here was a large concentration of large retails stores selling textiles, curtains and related paraphernalia and carpets.

We strolled around for a little while but could not find the appropriate railings for our home. The heat was especially unbearable and dissuaded from exploring this vast network of textiles, curtains, and carpets.

Thus ended our unplanned vlog for this week. We hope to take you on another excursion next week when we visit the Malaysian Association of Tour and Travel Agents (MATTA) Fair!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Restoran Marhaban Bikum - https://goo.gl/maps/61Y6PLzw6RV73EhP6
Nilai 3 Wholesale Centre - https://goo.gl/maps/DJfiyUM7eb1iskQaA

Kuching Day 6 (Going Home!)

Kuching Day 6!

We're leaving Kuching on the Malaysian Airlines flight MH 2545 later at 6:00pm. We woke up and headed out to a laundromat to give our bedsheets and covers a wash as well as have breakfast.

We drove around for a while before eventually settling on myDobi at Queen's Court. Brendan had a debate tournament over the weekend and because of that we extended our Airbnb till Monday. At the same time the Airbnb will be the control centre for his group of debating friends over the weekend hence the need for clean bedsheets and covers.

He is scheduled to fly back to Kuala Lumpur on Monday once the debate tournament is over.

Once our clothes were in the washer we thought of having breakfast at the noodle restaurant Little Skill across the street but it was full. We then wandered around a bit but found nothing of interest and doubled back to Little Skill where a table was free.

We both ordered the Mee Pok Kolo Mee and with a round of drinks our final Sarawakian breakfast came to RM43.95 (approximately USD10/EUR9). We then drove back to the Airbnb where the debate tournament was in full swing. We retired to our room and after some time spent organising our luggage bags we took a shower.

We bade Brendan farewell and drove the rental car to Kuching Airport where good old Awang Amirul was waiting. We handed the car back to him and walked into the airport. We were worried that our luggage bags especially the large red bag of Brendan's would excess our baggage limit. True enough, we were in excess of 8 kilograms and had to pay a hefty sum of RM301.00 for it (approximately USD68/EUR64).

With our flight three hours away we settled down to have drinks at Starbucks. An hour later we walked into the departure hall and made it through Immigration unscathed. We then sat patiently at Gate 4 until we were allowed to board.

Cliched as it sounded but time sure did fly by when we're having fun. We had an actioned pack five days in Kuching, and we were truly sad to leave, taking solace in the fact that we will be back next year for Brendan's convocation ceremony. To commemorate our visit to Kuching we pieced together highlights of our five days into a short montage that we hope you will like in the video attached below.

At around 5:15pm we boarded MH2545 and after a slight delay took off an hour later. The flight was largely uneventful with very little turbulence except for the fact that our landing had to be delayed due to traffic congestion into KLIA (is that even possible?).

Please enjoy snippets from the flight we took in hyper lapse mode in the video attached below.

We were eventually given the go ahead to land and touched down at 8:00pm. After a short time taxiing we were docked and we were then told to collect our luggage bags from Carousel K which was quite a distance away. We were glad to see the shops lining the long, long walkway had come back to life, unlike a year ago when it was all closed and cordoned off.

We picked up our very heavy luggage bags and debating whether to take the ERL train to KL Sentral or hail a six-seater Grab car home. In the end we went with the door-to-door option that the Grab car accorded us.

We got home at half past ten and began the arduous task of unpacking the two mammoth bags while dreaming of our next trip to Kuching! With that we end these series of vlogs on our trip to Kuching. 

Please stay tuned as we make plans to explore Kuala Lumpur in the weekends to come and show you the full glory of its public transportation.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Little Skill - https://goo.gl/maps/pEm4XzKMfmWibC4L9
myDobi King Center - https://goo.gl/maps/7oNzFnp2Lofhw6it8
Kuching International Airport - https://goo.gl/maps/8ei2VZArmivJHuwR6
Kuala Lumpur International Airport - https://goo.gl/maps/YzCAt7GGta382YKk7

Kuching Day 5 (Jong Hua Kopitiam │ Mita Cake House │ Unihaus)

Kuching Day 5!

It's our penultimate day in Kuching and with nothing planned we walked out of the Airbnb toward a row of shop houses. Brendan decided to sleep in and did not join us on our morning meandering. We wandered for a while before deciding on Thian Fock Cafe.

We've been having Kolo Mee the past few days and for a change ordered two sets of toast bread with half boiled eggs. It took a while for the eggs to be ready and together with drinks our breakfast came to RM16.00 (approximately USD4/EUR3).

We walked back to the Airbnb and I spent the rest of the morning in an office call.

The online meeting ended at half past twelve and we drove out of the Airbnb toward Jalan Satok in search the famous butter cheese cake at Mita Cake House. Alas they were out of stock. We then strolled along the row of shop houses until we reached Jong Hua Kopitiam where we decided to have lunch. 

After browsing the various stalls here we settled on:

• Sarawak Laksa for RM8.00
• Beef Noodles (Kueh Teow) for RM6.00
• Chicken Rice (packed for Brendan) for RM9.00
• a round of Wheat Grass drink for RM5.10

Cat ordered the Sarawak Laksa while I tried the Beef Noodle (Kueh Teow) and together with a round of drinks our lunch came to RM28.10 (approximately USD/EUR6).

After lunch we drove around and found success with the fabled butter cheese cake at the Mita Cake House in Eastmoore Centre. We then drove back to the Airbnb to begin packing for our flight back to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow evening.

Our car rental guy Awang Amirul called in the evening to explain that he had the rental dates mixed up for the car he gave us. Turned out he had also promised another renter the same car today, so he had to collect the car from us.

In exchange he gave us the use of a Toyota Camry till tomorrow! As nightfall approached we drove the replacement rental car to UNIMAS to pick Ashley up from Cempaka Residential College and take her our to dinner then proceeded to the general area of Aiman Mall.

We were in the mood for western food and wanted to try GBS Hanbāgā but alas it was closed, probably for good. Brendan then suggested we try Unihaus instead.

We got to Unihaus and got ourselves seated, but quickly moved to a bigger table when the opportunity arose. After browsing their menu we settled on:

• Beef Cheezy Fries
• Chicken Chop
• Lamb Chop
• Nasi Goreng Daging (Beef Fried Rice)
• Nasi Goreng Seafood
• Green Ice Tea
• Iced Teh C Special
• 2 glasses of Ribena Sprite Longan

that came to RM76.00 (approximately USD17/EUR16). We enjoyed our time at Unihaus as we got to know Ashley a little better, and after an hour we drove Ashley back to Cempaka Residential College before heading back to the Airbnb.

Tomorrow we'll be leaving on a jet plane!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Thian Fock Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/WA3oWXxXLq1Lxtbg6
Mita Cake House (Tabuan Baru) - https://goo.gl/maps/92VbyjVbNrFKyquF7
Jong Hua Kopitiam - https://goo.gl/maps/JXwz2DxNJGQu7Zox7
Mita Cake House (Jalan Tun Jugah) - https://goo.gl/maps/wfaL5Tddso6or2FbA
Unihaus - https://goo.gl/maps/e3G74prkfUHzyhxN9

An Evening in UNIMAS

UNIMAS!

Brendan enrolled in University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS) in September 2019 to pursue his Bachelor Of Arts In English For Global Communication (With Honours). It was then that we began acquainting ourselves with this little known suburb of Kuching, though it is a district in its own right.

Brendan was assigned Cempaka Residential College as his dorm and in his first week of enrolment during the Minggu Aluan Pelajar (or students' welcoming week?) together with two other students brought glory to the college when they won the inter-college English debating tournament.

Brendan then came back for his semester break in March 2020, which was when the pandemic hit, and for the next four semesters or two years he attending lectures remotely from our home in Kuala Lumpur.

Last November he was asked to come back to attend face to face classes. Alas Cempaka Residential College turned their backs on him and did not offer him a room. We know for a fact that cronyism is practiced but will not say anything further on the matter.

We had no other choice but to put him up at the paid Dahlia Residential College for the remainder of his seventh semester.

A few days ago was his last day at Dahlia College, which was why we flew to Kuching. Apart from his convocation next year this would be among the last times that we will be visiting UNIMAS.

Despite the ungracious experience with Cempaka College Brendan still had far more fond memories of this place, which is why we decided to take a drive around most parts of UNIMAS as well as take a walk along his most frequented places here.

We hope you will enjoy the video, whether or not you are or were a student of UNIMAS.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
UNIMAS - https://goo.gl/maps/GUTPcimXJgtFWthj8
Student Pavilion - https://goo.gl/maps/XZgp5L9JD4RjkLNF8
Jambatan Cinta - https://goo.gl/maps/szNWSy5FgGXhnhU28

Kuching Day 4 (Muara Tebas │ UNIMAS │ Siang Siang)

Kuching Day 4!

During our previous trip here we drove to Bako and chanced upon an interesting riverside seafood restaurant. It was however closed at the time, so this time around we made it a point to visit Muara Tebas Seafood for lunch.

Described as "a little gem of a place that only the knowledgeable few know about" we were eager to have lunch at a restaurant on stilts by the Kuching River.

So we began our drive at ten in the morning but went in search of a padlock for Brendan's luggage bag that was to be shipped back to Kuala Lumpur. That out of the way we then drove to a shipping company called Nizaf Movers over at Jalan Keruing.

We got there and found out that they only catered to bulk shipping and a flat fee of RM250 was charge regardless of number of items or weight, so long as it fit a 'pallet'. Undeterred we decided to postpone our search for a reasonable shipping company and continued on with our drive in the general direction of Bako.

Half an hour later we arrived at Muara Tebas Seafood and were immediately approached by a local gangster asking that we pay him RM5.00 for the privilege of parking at the restaurant. Rather than attract unnecessary attention we quietly paid the thug.

We walked into the restaurant and were immediately taken in with the view of the Sarawak River. We perused the menu and settled on the:

• Deep Fried Ikan Mancung (Indian Threadfin)
• Cangkuk Manis (Sweet Leaves?)
• Deer Meat in Soy Sauce
• Chicken in Soy Sauce
• Oyster Omelette
• Plain Omelette
• 3 servings of Rice
• Several rounds of drinks

Our riverside seafood feast came to RM172.80 (approximately USD39/EUR37) which was a little pricey but the novelty fish alone was RM70.00 (approximately USD16/EUR15) so it was to be expected. 

Lunch of the way we then decided to settle the shipment of Brendan's large luggage bag.

At Nizaf Movers we were told to try Microlink Express that catered to individual item shipping. We keyed in the name of the company into Waze that suggested the company TJ Pacific so off we went. A half an hour later we arrived at TJ PAcific which appeared closed.

We then tried the second alternative, CTSI that Waze interpreted as K.C Logistics. We arrived have an hour later and were thankful that they accepted Brendan's single luggage bag, we were told that we were only expected to make payment once the bag arrives in Kuala Lumpur.

The rate was quoted at RM5.50 per kilogram and since Brendan's luggage bag weighed 20.25 kilograms the estimated cost would be RM111.40 which was less than half of what Nizaf would have had to charge us.

Mission accomplished we drove back to the Airbnb where I spent the afternoon organising and editing the footage from the last few days.

We emerged in the evening and went on a leisurely drive to UNIMAS. Once there we switched from hyperlapse to normal mode and dropped Brendan off at his old college (Cempaka) before continuing our drive around most parts of UNIMAS before parking at the Student Pavilion to talk a stroll along the bridge of love or Jambatan Cinta.

We then drove to Siang Siang Corner for dinner. This was the first food court that we had ever been to the first time we came to Kota Samarahan in September 2019. It was only fitting that our last time in Kota Samarahan would be spent here as well.

Time has not been kind to Siang Siang, with only a handful of stalls still operating. Cat ordered the Fried Beehoon (what else) while I settled on the Rice with Fried Chicken and shared two set of chicken wings. Together with drinks our dinner came to RM26.60 (approximately USD/EUR6). We then drove back to the Airbnb.

Tomorrow would be our penultimate day in Kuching, and with nothing planned we will be playing it by ear.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Nizaf Movers - https://goo.gl/maps/cropddg9C6RUCdVU6
Muara Tebas Seafood 青山岩海鲜 - https://goo.gl/maps/v4jVhpgiRnXPP4vG8
K.C. Logistics - https://goo.gl/maps/XeSmw72a2jpJhk1x6
UNIMAS - https://goo.gl/maps/GUTPcimXJgtFWthj8
Siang Siang Corner - https://goo.gl/maps/epkQPUgT1cC1stbi8

Kuching Day 3 (EPIC Sarawak Cultural Village)

Kuching Day 3!

Today is the day we visit the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV). We tried to book tickets to the SCV during our previous trip to Kuching to no avail. This time around we booked the 1 Day Admission with Lunch for RM117.00 each a month beforehand.

We were especially eager to watch their Cultural Show where "the Sarawak Cultural Village’s award-winning dancers and musicians present their famous multi-cultural performances. Spectacular costumes and elegant dance routines provide an entertaining and enjoyable introduction to Sarawak’s ethnic groups and their cultures". 

We were hoping to catch the cultural performance morning show at 11:30am.

We awoke at seven in the morning and had breakfast just outside the Airbnb before starting our drive at half past eight in the general direction of Mount Santubong. Forty-five minutes later we arrived at SCV and parked out rental car at the designated lot.

We produced our proof of payment to the counter and were issued three tickets as well as stickers to affix on our person. We had to pinch ourselves since SCV has been at the top of our bucket list for a very long time.

We began our walkabout with a visit to the Rumah Cina (Chinese House) then the Rumah Melayu (Malay House). With each passing House we noticed that it got bigger and grander, starting with the Melanau House, then the Orang Ulu House, followed by the Bidayuh House and finally the Iban House.

We hoped that our footage did justice to these magnificent houses.

We reached the entrance where I asked for a fresh sticker since the one affixed to my T-shirt had dropped off. We then strolled over to the Budaya Restaurant to have a breather and wait for the Cultural Show to begin. The doors to the Theatre opened at 11:15am and we entered with excitement.

The show was everything it was hyped to be, and we could not recommend it highly enough to everyone. So as not to take anything away from the show we only provided snippets of the various dances and performances. We insist that you attend the show in person!

The ticket prices are:

• 1 Day Admission at RM85 per adult (approximately USD19/EUR18) and RM55.00 per child between the ages of 2 – 12 (approximately USD/EUR12) 
• 1 Day Admission with Lunch at RM117 per adult (approximately USD26/EUR25) and RM80.00 per child between the ages of 2 – 12 (approximately USD18/EUR17) 

We opted for the 1 day admission with lunch and did not regret it, since we were served with:

• Steamed Rice
• Manok Pansoh (Chicken cooked in Bamboo)
• Ikan Asam Pedas (Fish cooked with Golden Brinjal)
• Bandong Tutok (Squashed Tapioca leaves)
• Labu Masak Lemak (Pumpkin cooked with Coconut Milk)
• Paku Belacan (Wild Fern cooked with Prawn Paste)
• Beverages of Sirap Selasih (Basil Syrup)
• Local Fruits (Honey Dew)

We enjoyed our exotic local lunch immensely and highly recommend that you opt for the 1 Day Admission with Lunch if you do decide to visit SCV.

We walked back to the rental car and drove back to the Airbnb. We spent the rest of the day indoors and briefly walked out to get dinner off camera. We will be busy tomorrow as we attempt to look for the cheapest way possible to ship Brendan's belonging back to Kuala Lumpur.

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Thian Fock Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/4kVcZLZEpDa2zRom8
Sarawak Cultural Village - https://goo.gl/maps/pVyzA9NS8jWCcSdq9
Restaurant Budaya - https://goo.gl/maps/6rKMGZ4a5YgPnhTp6

Kuching Day 2 (Kenyalang Park │ Makansari │ Kuching Waterfront │ Langkau Arau)

Kuching Day 2!

We woke up and after a shower headed out to the Kenyalang Food Centre for breakfast. Brendan was tired out from his debate tournament of the past few days and declined our invitation.

Not many stalls were open this morning at the food court here, but we were glad that the noodle stall was in business. I tried the 'black' Kolo Mee while Cat tried the 'white' Kolo Mee. Together with a round of drinks our first Sarawakian breakfast came to only RM11.50 (approximately USD3/EUR2) with the Kolo Mee only costing us RM4.00 each (approximately USD/EUR1).

We then took a stroll along the Kenyalang Park Market taking in the sights and sounds before dropping by an Everwin Supermarket for some provisions. We walked back to the Airbnb where I spent the morning in an office call.

We emerged at lunchtime and took a drive to UNIMAS where we dropped off some souvenirs with Brendan's favourite lecturers. We then headed to Dahlia College to collect a shoe horn and then made our way to Aiman Mall where we sent the rental car for a wash while we headed over to Makansari Street Food for lunch.

We browsed for a bit and settled on the following Dayak dishes:

• Pork Curry with Rice for RM10.00
• Crispy Pork for RM12.00
• Mixed Pork Soup for RM12.00
• Cangkuk Manis (Sweet Leaf) for RM12.00
• 2 servings of Rice for RM1.00 each
• 3 glasses of Special Iced Milked Tea for RM3.50 each

Our delectable Dayak lunch came to RM59.50 (approximately USD/EUR13). We then walked back to the car wash and drove our rental car back to the Airbnb, where I spent the afternoon on another office call.

We re-emerged at six in the evening and hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM10.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) to Kuching Waterfront where we hoped to catch a river cruise. Alas we narrowly missed it and will have to come again some other day since it only runs once a day at 5:30pm.

Unfazed, we started an impromptu walkabout along the Kuching River until we reached the Burger Station where we hailed another Grab car for a fare of RM18.00 (approximately USD/EUR4) to our dinner destination.

Twenty minutes later we arrived at Langkau Arau Rumah Asap Dayak Stutong, a mouthful we know. Basically its yet another smokehouse (together with seafood are our kryptonite). With no idea what to order we started ordering and before we know it we ended up with:

• Fried Cangkuk Manis (Sweet Leaf) for RM12.00
• Medium Barbecue Set for RM28.00
• Butter Pork Rice for RM9.00
• 3 Lemon Wheat Grass for RM11.50
• Grilled Crispy Pork for RM25.00
• an unknown Nasi Goreng for RM11.50
• 3 Coca Cola for RM7.50

Our smoking supper came to RM104.50 which was a little pricey but with the rising prices of pork was to be expected. We may stick to seafood in the future?

We then hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM8.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) and hoped to have an early night since we will be headed north in search of a cultural village tomorrow morning!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Kenyalang Food Center - https://goo.gl/maps/Y9eHCx2uTTU2Jz7i6
Faculty of Language and Communication

- https://goo.gl/maps/9EhvZLK4qBHY7p1n6
Dahlia College, UNIMAS - https://goo.gl/maps/jn9yvFM25WsV1WyaA
Makansari Food Street - https://goo.gl/maps/2fu15X4Zzos3Zx8bA
Aiman Mall - https://goo.gl/maps/Fw7VszAkvpDqYXor7
Kuching Waterfront - https://goo.gl/maps/UaeyhDp9eqiiEokx5
Langkau Arau Rumah Asap Dayak Stutong

- https://goo.gl/maps/uPYn6rtWFrdWrg6r6

Kuching Day 1 (MH2520 │ UNIMAS │ Premier Food Republic)

Kuching Day 1!

Brendan enrolled in University of Malaysia, Sarawak (UNIMAS) in September 2019. Pursuing his Bachelor Of Arts In English For Global Communication (With Honours) he recently concluded his seventh and penultimate semester.

The 19th of February was his last day at his residential college in UNIMAS and he will be coming back home to serve his internship at an agency in Kuala Lumpur. With this in mind we made plans to come to Kuching.

We woke up at half past five and were out the door a quarter past six in the morning. We hailed a 6-seater Grab car for a fare of RM16.00 (approximately USD4/EUR3) to KL Sentral and from there rode the ERL for a fare of RM55.00 each (approximately USD/EUR12) to KLIA.

We arrived at half past seven and rode an elevator up to the departure hall. Here we checked in our luggage and collected our boarding passes before going in search of breakfast.

We initially thought of the "Noodles" stall but Cat eyed a Taco Bell nearby and we went there instead. I ordered a Quesadilla with a side of Fries while Cat had the Shredded Chicken Nacho set that came to RM46.20 (approximately USD/EUR10).

We spent the next hour here people-watching and with two hours till our flight departed we strolled into the domestic departure gates. We were catching the MH2520 from Gate B10 that would take off close to eleven in the morning.

We spent another hour or so people-watching at the boarding gate waiting area and boarded at a quarter to eleven. The flight took off at twenty past eleven and we spent the next hour in the half in the air experiencing some turbulence over the South China Sea.

MH2520 landed at a quarter to one in the afternoon. We got past Customs & Immigration then collected our luggage from Carousel D and walked out of Kuching Airport where our regular car rental guy Awang Amirul was waiting. He offers very attractive rates and you can reach out to him here at https://bit.ly/3IlMUIA

He handed over the keys to the blue Perodua Bezza to us and after fixing the DJI Action 3's mount onto the windscreen made our way to UNIMAS.

We arrived at Dahlia College half an hour later. Brendan was waiting for us and after a round of hugs & kisses started loading his belongings into the car. We then headed to our Airbnb in the Kenyalang Park area of Kuching. We plan to review this home once we get permission from its owner.

After a quick shower we headed back to Dahlia College to collect the remaining belongings. We then drove to Aiman Mall to run a few errands and since I was a little hungry we stopped by a cafe for a drink.

We then drove back to UNIMAS but this time to Cempaka College to pick up Brendan's (ahem) friend Ashley. We then headed to the Premier Food Republic, a food court in Tabuan Jaya. It was a large and sprawling food court and after much browsing:

• I had the Bak Kut Teh for RM11.00
• Cat had the Laksa Sarawak for RM8.00
• Brendan had the Minced Pork Noodles for RM8.00
• Ashley had the Beef Noodles for RM8.00
• and a round of drinks for RM11.20

Our first Sarawakian dinner came to RM46.20 (approximately USD/EUR10) which was exactly what we spent for our breakfast at Taco Bell in KLIA!

After dinner we sent Ashley back to Cempaka College before returning to our Airbnb in Kenyalang Park to retire for the night.

Apart from an office call tomorrow morning we had nothing planned, so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Kuala Lumpur International Airport - https://goo.gl/maps/YzCAt7GGta382YKk7
Kuching International Airport - https://goo.gl/maps/8ei2VZArmivJHuwR6
The CountryMan, Terrace House - https://goo.gl/maps/ASdsS7d7Qqo718vs8
Dahlia College, UNIMAS - https://goo.gl/maps/jn9yvFM25WsV1WyaA
Cempaka College - https://goo.gl/maps/A9BMmesQfTGzToU19
Premier Food Republic - https://goo.gl/maps/dBE1dUqpPKUWTyos7

Saturday Stroll (Nova Chiropractic │ Suria KLCC, Lot 10)

Let's manipulate some joints!

Ever since our Penang trip I've been meaning to seek chiropractic help, but didn't get round to doing it till recently. Off camera I went to Nova Chiropractic on Monday, and after consulting with Dr Chin was sent to get an X-Ray taken of my lower back and neck from Sunway Medical Centre Velocity.

We went back on Wednesday (again off camera) and he confirmed that a slipped disc of the L4 & L5 had indeed occurred. He then administered adjustments to my lower back and neck which provided immediate relief and increased mobility.

My third appointment was at ten in the morning so we left our condo bright and early to hop on a Rapid KL Bus #300 for a fare of only RM1.00 (approximately USD/EUR0.20) to Corus Hotel. We walked across the overhead pedestrian bridge and stopped by a diminutive Mamak stall for breakfast. We each had a packet of Nasi Lemak and Cat had Iced Milk Tea while I had a hot Nescafe Tarik that came to only RM9.20 (approximately USD/EUR2).

We then walked over to Wisma MCA and into Nova Chiropractic and found Dr Chin waiting for us. I underwent further adjustments to the lower back and neck. Dr Chin was pleased with my progressed and hoped to see me often in the weeks to come.

Seeing as I would be coming often we decided to sign up for the package that offered a ten percent discount for ten sessions.

We then set our next appointment and walked out onto Jalan Ampang headed to Suria KLCC. Cat wanted to look for a blouse she liked at Marks & Spencer, a blouse she bought at their Gurney Paragon Mall during our recent Penang trip. Alas she could not find the blouse she liked.

We then hopped on a free GOKL Green Line bus to Bukit Bintang where we got off and walked to Lot 10. After a quick pitstop at their washroom which cost RM0.50 (approximately USD/EUR0.10) we took a couple of escalators down to the Hutong Food Court. We browsed for a bit and settle on the Penang Famous Fried Koay Teow stall where we ordered the:

• Curry Mee (Yellow Noodles)
• Duck Egg Fried Kueh Teow
• 2 cups of Iced Herbal Tea 

Unfortunately our lunch attracted service tax and came to RM42.60 (approximately USD10/EUR9). We then walked over to the bakery on the same floor and got ourselves a bagful of pastries for RM39.30 (approximately USD9/EUR8), and our dinner was sorted.

We then walked out of Lot 10 and walked across Jalan Bukit Bintang's mini version of the Shibuya crossing toward the bus stop. After a little wait we caught the free GOKL Blue Line bus to our customarily bus stop along Jalan Munshi Abdullah.

We have nothing planned next week and look forward to our flight to Kuching the following Monday!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Nova Chiropractic - https://goo.gl/maps/CFK7w2RgotjAWK8p9
Suria KLCC - https://goo.gl/maps/6cRRUrGVKsJp6ypC9
MARKS & SPENCER Suria KLCC Store - https://goo.gl/maps/xRwg7xo23ErjbagC9
Lot 10 - https://goo.gl/maps/WTfWE2UAwqrh1hhT9
Hutong Food Court - https://goo.gl/maps/TS5q12hd2Ft86wfb8
Penang Famous Fried Koay Teow - https://goo.gl/maps/3F58BvA7FUhBVAj96

FT Day Walkabout (Mechimakali │ Petaling Street │ LRT Ride │ Rapid KL #250)

It's Federal Territory Day!

Federal Territory Day is an annual regional celebration that is observed on February 1 in Malaysia to mark the anniversary of the formation of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur in 1974. Kuala Lumpur, the much newer Putrajaya, and Labuan are the three federal territories of Malaysia.

It is a public in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan while everywhere else is a normal working day. We took the opportunity to visit a friend who had moved his eatery.

Dipendra and Rabitha were running Hamro Nepali Restaurant over at Medan Pasar, and after a while could not cope with the rising rental. We kept in touch and after a period of inactivity they were finally able to re-open their eatery under the name Mechimakali Restaurant.

We made it a point to visit them first chance we got and today was the perfect opportunity. We left our condo late morning and began our walkabout along Jalan Munshi Abdullah headed south. We then continued onto Jalan Melaka until the Masjid Jamek LRT station before walking across Jalan Tun Perak onto Jalan Benteng.

We continued southwest and paid the Old Market Square Clock Tower where Dipendra's old restaurant was situated before continuing across Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin. We turned left onto Jalan Tun H S Lee and arrived at Mechimakali Restaurant.

We met up with Dipendra and Rabitha, and after a short chit chat we ordered the:

• Chicken Kanna set for RM20.00
• Lamb Kanna set for RM25.00
• A set of Momo (dumplings) for RM15.00
• Coca Cola for RM3.00

that came to RM63.00 (approximately USD15/EUR14) which in our minds was a little expensive but accepted that novelty cuisines come at a premium.

We bade Dipendra and Rabitha all the best with their new eatery and continued our walkabout towards Jalan Tun Tan Siew Sin and across Jalan Yap Ah Loy before turning right onto Lebuh Pudu. We then continued on along and turned left onto Jalan Petaling.

We walked across Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lok and past the Chinatown entrance archway. The last time we came here it was very quiet unlike today, where it was hustling and bustling. we walked to the end of Jalan Petaling then turned right onto Jalan Sultan then right onto Jalan Hang Kasturi.

We walked across and rode the escalator up to the Pasar Seni LRT Station and caught a Kelana Jaya LRT to Wangsa Maju. Do enjoy the hyper lapse footage of the journey in the video below.

We disembarked at the Wangsa Maju LRT Station for a fare of RM3.20 (approximately USD/EUR0.70) and walked across the overhead pedestrian bridge where we caught a Rapid KL Bus #250 to Sogo Kuala Lumpur. Please enjoy the hyper lapse footage of this journey as well in the video below.

We eventually got off at SOGO Kuala Lumpur for a fare of RM1.70 (approximately USD/EUR0.40) and walked back towards our condo. However we had some errands to run so we continued along across Jalan Munshi Abdullah to LuLu Hypermarket where we got a loaf of bread.

We then doubled back across Jalan Munshi Abdullah, and I stopped by the Murukku stall where I got several packets of nuts for RM10.00 each (approximately USD/EUR2) while Cat continued on to Haniffa Department Store where to get a can of butane gas lighter refill. We then headed home, content with the fact that we managed to meet our daily quota of 7,000 steps

We have nothing planned this weekend, so we next videos will probably be centred around our trip to Kuching. Please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Old Market Square Clock Tower - https://goo.gl/maps/FsDfA2ZCK5Jygs199
Mechimakali Restaurant - https://goo.gl/maps/Jn1Mf9vD3izXKFdZ7
Chinatown Kuala Lumpur - https://goo.gl/maps/YD72Qu3wFW2CRVTb8
Jalan Petaling - https://goo.gl/maps/eZUp534APkRta27Q8
Pasar Seni LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/iUAkWzskTCzGnJmu5
Wangsa Maju LRT Station - https://goo.gl/maps/sNxheG5NKi917Unr5
SOGO Kuala Lumpur - https://goo.gl/maps/MYU4cGzGiEzX8kMy6
LuLu Hypermarket Kuala Lumpur - https://goo.gl/maps/ycBhN3fBC2SJ7Uub6
Haniffa Department Store - https://goo.gl/maps/ZpQyNGJKkvJC1LX88

Melaka Day 6 (Going Home: Baba Charlie │ Lao Gan Bang)

Melaka Day 6!

All good things must come to an end, and we woke up bright and early to pack our bags. We checked out of the Airbnb at half past nine looking to end our Melaka trip where we started it at Odeon Western Food but as expected it was closed for Chinese New Year.

We then drove a few kilometers to the original Warong Baba Low Café at Tengkera but the place was full. We then drove on and tried Baba Charlie Cafe a short distance away as well but it too was full. We then decided to have breakfast at Lao Gan Bang Kopitiam at the opposite end of the row of shop houses.

I had the a packet of Nasi Lemak while Cat had her customary Fried Beehoon (Rice Vermicelli), and together with drinks our breakfast was only RM10.00 (approximately USD/EUR2). I loved the packet of Nasi Lemak so much that I took away another six packets at RM2.00 each (approximately USD0.50/EUR0.40).

After breakfast we walked back to Baba Charlie Café and got ourselves RM63.00 (approximately USD15/EUR14) worth of Nyonya sweet cakes.

We then set off on our drive back to Kuala Lumpur.

Like what we did for our Penang trip, to commemorate our stay in Melaka we pieced together highlights of our five days into a short montage that we hope you will like.

The drive was uneventful, so be sure to catch our previous vlog dedicated entirely to this relatively calm three hour drive.

We reached home at half past one in the afternoon, and began unpacking. With that we end these series of vlogs on our trip to Melaka. Please stay tuned as we make plans to visit Brendan in a month's time at Kuching!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Imperio Residence Seafront by Perfect Host 

- https://goo.gl/maps/8UdsDiF8pJYHtchh7
Baba Charlie Cafe - https://goo.gl/maps/tg752wnKGJVXN6pP9
Lao Gan Bang Kopitiam - https://goo.gl/maps/iMCkEMWBQt3P5jaS8
Dengkil R&R (ELITE Expressway North Bound) 

- https://goo.gl/maps/hz4h5tZP9yUcFmsa7