HOT in KL

Wanna get 'hot' but dont want to go that far away from KL city? Not to worry. There are actually a few 'hot spots' that you can reach within 1/2 hour to an hour from KL. One of them is Hulu Tamu natural hot spring.


Where exactly is this Hulu Tamu place...? Well first of all it is located in the Hulu Selangor district. There are a number of ways on how you can reach the place.

Nevertheless, you may want to try out this route:

First of all, head on to Batang Kali town. At the traffic light junction in Batang Kali, turn to the road that leads to Genting Highland. The Hulu Tamu hot spring is located about 7 km from this traffic light junction. After passing a residential area called 'Ligamas', turn to left at the 1st junction you see. The 'Kampung Sungai Masin' signboard will then come into your view. Keep on driving.
This will take you through some traditional villages as well as rubber and oil palm plantations. Nice view, fresh air, friendly people... what more could you ask for?

Not long after that you will be able to see the 'Majlis Daerah Hulu Selangor' signboard placed strategically right infront of you.
The signboard gives the direction pointing to your destination... the Hulu Tamu natural hot spring.

There are only 2 pools built in the area.

And, yes... they do look a bit 'old' and somehow as if they have been 'abandoned'. Indeed, some visitors may find that they do look a bit 'eerie'... hmmm. I leave the rest to your own 'creative imagination'...

Anyway, about those 2 pools - one has 'not-so-piping-hot' spring water in it, while the other one is much more hotter.

Or, if you dont want to take the trouble of changing & getting yourself wet... you can always do the 'skinny dipping' thingy. Ooops. I mean 'feet dipping'.


Any which way you choose, the natural hot spring would definitely make you feel rejuvenated, de-stressed and relaxed. Enjoy!

Turkish Delights

Lets try something different this time. A different location in a different region and ... an experience that was oh sooo, sooo very delightfully amazing that I feel the need to include it in this site which I normally dedicate to places of interest found in the Malay Archipelago region only. Yup, as the title suggests, I want to share with you the heavenly experience of immersing in the warm, calm pools... lounging like a seal in the middle of the night... enjoying the mesmerising view of the twinkling lights of a small town below and the sparkling bright stars above... in a place known locally as the 'Cotton Castle'... or famously known as 'Pamukkale' located in Turkey.

I took a bus from Istanbul to a small lovely sea-side town called Izmir. 2 days later I wanted to continue my journey to Antalya, a popular sea-side resort town. That was when I found out about this fantastic and unique hot-spring spot which has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site back in 1998. Almost instantly I made some slight changes to my trip plan - It then became a trip to Antalya via Pamukkale! And I thanked God for that last-minute-change-of-mind:)

The bus trip to the little village of Pamukkale ( located on the western side of Turkey and in the Denizil Province) was itself a very interesting experience for me. I met some 'fast- but-nice-friends' on the bus. I enjoyed the view of beautiful and captivating scenery along the trip. But on top of everything, upon approaching the Denizili village ( a town closest to Pamukkale), my heart beats started to pound so heavily when I saw the glimpse of 'Cotton Castle' from afar. It was truly one of the most AWESOME sight I had ever encountered in my whole life!

First, I saw a rock platform which was about 100m high rising up suddenly, out of nowhere, from the plain. A white, mega, tall 'tower' in the middle of nowhere. It looked like something which was done of snow...or cloud...or cotton(then I understood why they called it such). It was really something which should be seen to be believed! No amount of photos or videos could do justice to the actual sight of the phenomenon.

As the bus approached nearer to Pamukkale,

I soon began to see that it looked or resembled more like frozen waterfall instead.

I was getting so excited already. Couldnt wait to climb up that white-cotton hill and take a closer look at this 'out-of-the-world' phenomenon.

Pamukkale village had many small hotels and 'pensions'. Indeed, at the foot of that 'Cotton in the Air' hill, there were numerous budget hotels, restaurants and such services as shops and bus ticket offices. And, not surprisingly, many of these small hotels had their very own small and warm mineral water pools! After hurriedly checking into one of the pensions (the one I chose was indeed very 'cute' looking, homely, clean and friendly small home which had been turned into a budget residence) , I started 'marching' up onto the 'cotton' hill.

It turned out that the slopes of the hill, which from a far looked like a white speck, were covered with large number of pools and terraces. The hill was a pristine sparkling white! And the pools of water a serene green, or blue, or... what color was that? The water could change color, indeed! How unbelievablely amazing! I was later informed the color of the water change in accordance with changes of the solar light that illuminates them. At times the water looked white, others looked blue or green. Whateverrrr. The only thing I remember was that the effect was SURPRISING!

Later... much, much later that night... I climbed up the hill again. It was almost at the end of a summer season and fall was approaching fast in Turkey at that time, so it was a bit cold but not that kind of 'freezing-cold'. Just nice. And the water in the pools was comfortably warm. So when I finally dipped my whole body into the pool... the feeling was... unspeakably enjoyable!

Sitting quietly in the pool...watching the flickering lights coming from Pamukkale Village down below... feasting my eyes on the thousand twinkling stars in the clear sky above... i thought I had died and went to Heaven!

No wonder then this 'cotton-in-the-air' hill has been a SPA since the Romans era. Indeed, the Romans had built the 'Hierapolis' (somesort like a spa resort of the ancient time) right on this very hill, and the 'Sacred Pool' - one of the spa pools they built - is still very much there, littered with marble colums from the Roman Temple of Apollo. How grand!

I finally continued my journey to Antalya TWO DAYS later (initially I planned to stay only for a night in Pamukkale...but then again... phewwwww...just look at the pictures... it was not easy at all for me to leave that heavenly 'eden'). From Antalya, I continued to Ankara. And on my last leg of the journey, I decided to ride a train from Ankara all the way back toIstanbul.

IZMIR

ANTALYAANKARA

Me enjoying 'Turkish Delights'...

HOT in Bandung

No... not that 'kind' of hot:) I'm talking about the beautiful natural hot-spring located at the foot of Mount Tangkuban Perahu in the region of Subang Mountain Range in Bandung.

As usual, I did not opt for any package tour or hired a guide. Instead, after some reading from the brochures and Internet, I took an 'angkut'-some kind of a modified pick-up truck which is used to carry passengers (Bandung's version of a mini bus, if you may call it...) to the city's Terminal Station. From there I hopped on to another 'angkut' which is bound to go to Subang via Lembang. The 'angkut' then dropped me at the entrance to Mount Tangkuban Perahu. The whole trip took about 1 hour 30 minutes and cost me only RP8000.

Note: 'Angkut' literally means 'carry'. This is another aspect of Bahasa Indonesia which I truly love. Practical, unpretentious and it does not even bother to 'glossify' words in order to make them sound good or proper or even 'politically correct'. Awesome:)

And what da ya know... the place was closed for the day due to safety reason! Apparently there had been some minor 'seismic movements' around the area of an active crater called 'Bomas'. So, naturally the officials did what there were supposed to do: closed the place and chased visitors away from the area. I was so dissappointed, devastated!

Well... me and my bright idea:(
In order to 'cool down' and console my sorry self, I decided to hang around at a nearby 'warung' (kiosk) and had a few cups of 'Kapal Api' coffee. Hmmm... they were so yummy!

But wait... my disappointment did not last that long though. I was later approached by one local who 'whispered' to me that he was willing to take me on his motorbike all the way to the mouth of the volcano(... of course for a price).

And did I take his offer? You bet I did! And what a ride that was! I would tell you more about that 'little adventure' of mine at Mount Tangkuban Perahu in another post. Now, let me continue with my story of 'getting hot' at the foot of Mount Tangkuban Perahu.

After I came down from the volcano crater, my local biker/guide/saviour offered to take me for a sight-seeing at the nearby tea plantation. And would finally drop me at 'Taman Wisata Air Panas Alam Sari Ater' (Ciater Natural Hot Spring Park) - without any additional charges. All inclusive, said my local biker/guide/saviour! Well... that kind of 'kind' offer doesn't come that often, does it? I gladly accepted his 'generous' offer:)

Anyway, the short trip to the natural hot spring via the tea estates was truly amazing! The view was superbly fantastic! And when I finally arrived at the Siater Hot Spring, I could not wait any longer to jump into those very 'inviting' looking hot pools! The entrance fee: RP9000

I was told that the pools at this resort were probably the BEST of all the hot spring pools around Bandung (yes, there are a few others scattered all around the region). Siater Resort has actually pools in which you can either just sit around and soak your tired feet or swim. These pools were fed by hot mineral springs which were created by the heat of the nearby volcanoes. All in all, the size of the park was about 5 hectares. Besides the pools, it also offered accommodation, restaurants, playground, shower & changing rooms and also lockable cubicles.

At the end of the day, I walked out of hot-spring park feeling very fresh, rejuvenated and satisfied. And then, as if in 'cue' from ' some heavenly conspiracy' in ruining the beautiful day that I had till that moment... I was told that I had to walk for some distance in order to catch an 'angkut' to take me back to Bandung. Well... surprise, surprise! I did not complain at all.

Truth is, the cool mountain air in the area had such a

special effect on me. Thus, I then enjoyed a truly nice 'leisurely' evening walk through a small village and upon reaching the end of the village, a sardine-packed 'angkut' was already waiting for its last passenger to board... ME!

Unfortunately, the 'angkut' didnt go all the way to Bandung! Instead its last stop was at a place called 'Lendeng'. And from there I had to take another 'angkut' to bring me back to the city. At the end of the day, I had enough of 'angkut' experiences that I was so tired and felt like I need to be 'angkut' to my bed in the hotel:)))

KLAH Hot Spring... simply the BEST!

I believe this is the BEST natural hot-spring complex in Malaysia! The place is really,really very clean and well kept. It is also a very 'friendly' place for children, elderly and handicapped people. But, most of all... I truly admire & love its lush and shady green surroundings. A modern hot-spring park located right in the middle of mesmerising and exotic rainforest surroundings! I could not have asked for more....:)

Its pretty easy to get to this place. I took the PLUS highway (north-bound) out of KL city and enjoyed my long-distance drive by feasting my eyes on the beautiful view of the Titiwangsa mountain range. I later took the Sungkai Exit and from there on one could easily follow the numerous signboards placed on the roadside leading all the way to the resort. Not that far really (from the Sungkai Exit)... it took me only about half an hour to reach the main entrance of the hot-spring complex. Along the way one could observe the 'laid-back' life style of a typical 'kampung'(village). Phewww... what a contrast to the one that one normally see in a city like KL...

I paid RM5 for the entrance fee(normal price for adult). My mom, who was almost 80 years at the time, was charged a bit less - only RM4. The management actually gives special privileges (ticket price) for senior citizen and children. So my niece who was only 9 years old was charged for RM3. And they even give an extra discount for handicapped children - only RM1! And it is FREE entrance for kids under 2 years old. Very thoughtful indeed. I was already feeling very good about the whole thing before I even had the chance to step into the pool!

But then again, before I could do anything else, my mom and my niece had already started complaining of wanting to get something to eat and drink. Welll... mind you... its not always that fun travelling with elderly people and small kids. Especially if they decide to 'gang-up' on you! They are THE boss:) Luckily, we found a nice small cafeteria not far from the parking lot. Actually its more like a 'mini' food-court, really. There were at least 4 different stalls managed by different operators selling varieties of f&b. There was even one small gift shop! I was impressed even more...

When both my 'babies' were stuffed and happy, then we began to proceed to the pool. My oh my.... it was just truly amazing! A huge pool surrounded by shady, tall, matured trees. One could also enjoy the beautiful background of scenic tropical hills and jungle. Don't believe me...? Look at these pictures:)


I must say that I had no complain whatsoever with the facilities and amenities provided at this place. And, as I had mentioned earlier... the cleanliness of the place in general, and the changing rooms/toilets in particular was very satisfying. I really, really hope that they would maintain it that way for a very, very long time to come....


After almost half-day spent at the Hot Pool, we then ventured to the other side of the resort. The Cool Pool. 'Strangely' designed (a giant squid and all...) but nevertheless still an impressive sight to see. I guess children & young ones (and those 'young ' at heart too) would really love this place, as proven by my niece who was so extremely awed by the sight of the 'squid' and I guess I don't have to tell you that she ended up jumping into the pool at no time at all!

Honestly speaking, I like the place very much. Indeed, I actually went back there again, twice, after that very first trip! To me, Klah Hot Spring IS the best (of its kind) in Malaysia. Otherwise, you could always advice me on other places (in Malaysia) which you think could overtake the top-spot placing of this wonderful hot-spring resort on my list...?

KRABI's Hidden 'Twin-Jewels'

Normally when someone talks about Krabi (Thailand), he or she would normally mention the beautiful beaches of Ao Nang, the exotic nearby islands or even the serene and laid-back town of Krabi itself.

Not many would speak of the rarely-talked about 'twin-jewels' of Krabi: the natural hot spring & the emerald pool of Klong Thom. And even rarer to hear of anyone who rides a bicycle to go those two places. And yet, I did exactly just that!

I started my 'little-adventure' by taking a 'mini-bus' from Krabi town to the Krabi Bus Terminal. A short trip of about 15 minutes (for 30 Bhat). From there, I took a bus that was destined to go to Trang. About 45 minutes later I got down at a small town called Nam Phrong. The bus ride-

50 Bhat.

It was from this small town that I cycled, 10 km altogether, all the way to .... a junction that would lead me to the Emerald Pool! And from the junction, that would be another 7 km of cycling over hills & slopes!!! So, I decided to leave my bicycle at a small shop by the junction and then looked for, found and paid a local boy to take me to the pool on his motorbike! Cost me another 50 Bhat:)

And as the pool itself... well... just look at these pictures. Also please try to watch the short videos. Upon reaching the pool... I was ... actually... hmmm... speechless, mesmerised! The Emerald Pool was truly a 'hidden jewel' of Krabi. Oh yes, the entrance fee to this 'Eden of Krabi' is only for 20 Bhat!

A young couple from Haadyai were kind enough to gave me a lift in their car on the way out and dropped me at the shop. I collected my bike and started to ride to the other pool- the natural hot spring pool. It was for another 8 km from the junction.

The hot-spring was really some sort of a nature's own hot-tub jacuzzis! The pleasantly-hot water actually comes from thermal springs originating underground.

The water flows out and fills the naturally, hollowed-out 'bath-tubs' in the smooth stone.

By simply lazing in the hot water up to my chin, watching the clouds go by, enjoying the green and shady trees surrounding the pool... it had certainly made me feel that I had truly found the 'hidden-jewel' of Krabi!

And then... the ride back to Nam Phrong town! 10 km to go, all over again. Now... why in the world did I choose to cycle instead of joining a 'package-tour' like everybody else?

'Gadek' WHAT?

Hang Tuah, Hang Li Poh, A Famosa, 'Chencalok', 'Asam Pedas'... all these always remind me of Melaka. But, when I first heard of 'Kg. Gadek'... I was totally lost! Didn't quite know what or how to relate this 'cute'-sounding name of a place with anything or everything to do with Melaka. Then, I was told that it is a very good place for enjoying a 'therapeutic' dip in a very, very hot natural spring pool. Wah! Another hot-spring spot with a 'cute' name like that? ... that I must go & check it out!


Gadek Hot Spring is 30km from Melaka city. It is actually situated in the Alor Gajah district and indeed is only 5" away (driving) from Alor Gajah town. Its really quite easy to locate the Gadek Hot Spring complex. There are many signboards leading to the place along the way... just keep your eyes wide open:) And enjoy the scenery... typical Melaka villages, lush greenery, friendly people... and oops! Be careful with those chickens... goats... cows... and small children playing by the road side.

I later found out that the hot spring complex was .... just the way i like it! No 'water-theme-park' ambiance, surrounded by greenery, clean toilets/shower rooms... and more importantly... it was only RM2 for an adult to enter the place! And only RM1 for children.

I would say that the place was actually a 'semi' traditional hot spring complex. There were 2 main pools. One was 'just nice' hot and it was big and deep enough that you can actually swim in it. The other one was 'quite but bearable' hot. I preferred this one, of course.

But... there were another 4 more 'hot-tubs' located close to the changing room building. And these were my favorites. Each of these 'tubs' was big enough to accommodate a maximum of 4 average size adults. I guess they are very ideal for a family kind of 'hot-dipping-session' activity. The temperature of the hot spring water in each of these tubs was different! They ranged from... 'very-nice-that-i-want-to-dip in-for-as long as possible' to 'WHOA!-its sizzling hot-that-i-would-just-soak my feet-for awhile-only'! So... you choose:)

I was told that this place is frequented by visitors from far and wide. Infact, it seems that it is also very popular with Singaporean tourists. Some believe that the hot spring has strong healing elements and it is good for those seeking therapeutic cure for skin ailments. Well... I dont know about that, but one thing for sure, I truly enjoyed dipping myself in one of those 4 tubs. Which one of those 4? Hmmm...., definitely not the 'WHOA!-its sizzling hot-that-i-would-just-soak my feet-for awhile-only':))