LUXURIOUSLY KOBE available from 13 – 26 OCTOBER

While waiting for another great food review session at Le Meridien, I have tried the illy Coffee for the first time. Suggested by the lovely waitress, Cappuccino is one of the best on the menu. Look how cute! The coffee taste is strong and the most important is that the coffee texture is smooth. It is unique and delicious.

There is a taste, a feel, an aroma that is all illy’s own. Velvety, immediately sweet, delicately balancing floral and fruity notes with caramel, toast and chocolate, naturally fragrant with aromas of almond and honey.  You just might hold the sugar, for the very first time.

Now, let us back to the main character for tonight.

The Master Kobe Beef is Flames Steak Restaurant’s current special. 

So this is how it looks like when its raw. Photo courtesy of the Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu

Kobe beef is certainly one of the must try for anyone visiting Japan, along with the Matsusaka and the Ohmi beef. These three are indeed the best in the world. But now, grab this chance to try out the Master Kobe Beef here at Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu before it’s too late! Last day of offers is 26^th October 2014. 

We started our food review by having a light starter. Bread with butter, tuna, and balsamic vinegar. The bread is so soft and it goes well with the tuna. This trio is a sinful spread! 

Also, we have tried the Flames Steak Restaurant's Wild Mushroom Soup. The first sip was delightful. Well, I am a soup person and not everywhere in KK that you can find mouth watering soup. It was smooth and there's no chucks; my plate was squeaky clean!

Le Meridien also offers the Pink Mocktail till 31 October

In conjunction with the Breast Cancer month, enjoy the delicious Pinktober Pleasures, a vibrant concoction of pink guava, key lime and raspberry at Sante Hour or as a refreshing drink throughout this month of October!

Now, here comes the real deal.

Lava Stone Grilled Kobe Sirloin Beef 

with Classic Yorkshire Pudding, Oven Roasted Vege and Light Herb Jus 

Oh yes. I am still thinking about that huge piece of Kobe Beef. Remembering from the moment that I gently cut it into pieces and put it into my mouth. As you chew, the Kobe beef melts within 5 bites. Priced at MYR 300++ per serving of 200grams with a marble score of 6, and meat quality score of 5. Available daily from 13 October – 26 October for lunch and dinner at Flames Steak Restaurant, Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu.

Care to try?

SPG members get a complimentary glass of wine, beer or juice with every serving of this steak.

Flames Steak Restaurant is located at the Lobby Level of Le Meridien Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Opens daily from 12PM - 2.30PM for lunch, and 6PM - 10PM for dinner. Expect quality food from the grill as well as creatively-crafted desserts and mocktails.

3 Starwood Malaysia Recognized in Smart Travel Asia’s Best in Travel Poll 2014

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Malaysia were honoured to have three of its hotels recognized, which made it once again to the recent Smart Travel Asia’s Best in Travel Poll 2014 voted by its readers.

·         Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur – Top 25 Business Hotel in Asia

·         The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa – Top 25 Conference Hotel in Asia and Top 25 Leisure Hotel in Asia

·         The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi – Top 25 Leisure Hotel in Asia

Smart Travel Asia’s Research & Marketing Manager, Tenzing Y Thondub was at Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur to present the certificate of excellence. Representing the properties were Stephan Sieberg – General Manager of Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur, Sherrilyn Charles – Director of Sales & Marketing of The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, and Cindy Yoong – Director of Marketing Communications, Malaysia (representing The Andaman, A Luxury Collection, Langkawi).

Smart Travel Asia is one of the region’s dedicated online travel magazine with over one million readers worldwide. Best in Travel Poll 2014 ran from May to July and readers from around the world contributed to the results of the three-month poll. This prestigious award includes Asia's best business hotels, spa hotels & resorts, conference hotel, holiday destinations, cities for business and the world's best airlines and airports.

Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel

Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel is an urban oasis for both business and leisure travelers seeking the true Malaysian experience and impeccable service. Inspired by the finest elements in Asian heritage, the hotel takes its place among the city's grandest landmarks such as Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, KLCC shopping centre and is located within short walks to the light rail transit (LRT) and monorail service. Magnificently laid with elegant marble - the centerpiece is most certainly the sweeping staircase from the lobby to the mezzanine. The hotel’s 385 guest rooms reflect designs inspired by Malaysia’s colourful landscape, culture and people. The hotel offers exquisite food and beverage products in 5 venues and other 5-star facilities such as - 13 meeting options including the magnificent Nusantara Ballroom and @M event level, Link@Sheraton, a Business Centre, splendid massage treatments by renowned Mandara Spa and a free-form swimming pool.

Photo by: www.starwoodhotels.com

The Westin Langkawi Beach Resort & Spa

Nestled amongst 104 acres of lush tropical gardens, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa features 202 spacious rooms and suites as well as 20 ultra luxury Ocean View Pool Villas. All the guestrooms, suites and villas feature luxurious amenities such as the iconic Heavenly Bed®, 42” plasma TV with satellite channels, DVD player and surround sound system, amongst others. The resort offers excellent food and beverage, including SuperFoodsRx™ in 3 venues along with a pool bar and other 5-star facilities such as its 4 unique pools, the Westin WORKOUT®, and Heavenly Spa by Westin. Set in an idyllic natural retreat of the island, adorned with an exclusive beach front location up to 500 metres, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa is strategically located just 20 minutes from the Langkawi International Airport by car and within 1 km of the Jetty Point. The main shopping area of Langkawi, Kuah Town, which is only 3 km away from the Resort, acts as a further attraction to the Resort guests.

Photo by: langkawinow.diveasianow.com

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort, Langkawi

The Andaman, a Luxury Collection Resort located in an idyllic tropical setting on Malaysia's Langkawi Island, is cosily tucked away between a 10 million year old rainforest in the tranquil Datai Bay and an 8,000 year old fringing coral reef. The resort’s 178 exquisite rooms and magnificently appointed suites reflect a contemporary Malaysian style, with sweeping views over the beckoning Andaman Sea and the ancient rainforest. The resort also houses 14 units of Direct Pool Access Rooms, the first of their kind in Langkawi. Catering to all food aficionados, the distinctive yet equally alluring 3 restaurants at The Andaman, namely The Restaurant, The Japanese Restaurant and Jala, along with the Jentayu Lounge and Beach Bar, offer a variety of local specialities and International favourites. V Botanical Spa, perched on a verdant hillside is a perfect sanctuary for a pampered bliss. As part of the resort's Coral Conservation project, guests are presented with the opportunity to give back to nature through its unique Coral Nursery and Coral Reef Activities.

Photo by: www.tourismlangkawi.com

Kadaiku™ model bah ni.

Who’s that girl!?

I haven’t talked about my working experience here right? Well, we can make it another day to talk about it! Now let me focus another thing here, which also related to my work.

I used to model for clothes and trained people to walk (wanna see my pictures? :P ).

But then I didn’t continue much on that path which I rather choose to be more focused in my work – the tourism, publicity and publication industry. I just love people! At this point, some people say “all things will eventually come back to you” which I can also apply to myself now.

Kadaiku™ – Sabah Souvenirs and Handicrafts at Sinsuran Complex is proud to bring you quality local Sabah souvenirs. Kadaiku™, which means ‘my shop’ in our local dialect, is a treasure cove of mementos that represent the magic and essence of the Land Below the Wind. Rest assured that you will always find an endless choice of authentic traditional handicrafts.

Website: http://www.kadaiku.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kadaiku/338038438915?fref=ts

It’s something different, which I do not need to pose as if we are taking a high-end photoshoot. But we always had fun during the photoshoot. 

Look out for Kadaiku™'s advertisement in the Sabah Malaysian Borneo Bulletin publication. MONTHLY!

Do swing by Kadaiku™ and explore the beauty of each souvenir. What I like about Kadaiku™ is that they have this small little tag that explains each souvenir that you picked. Good information for all local and international tourists who are interested in our Sabah culture.

Til then! Buzz me!

Eating at Pasar Besar Kota Kinabalu @ Central Market

Besides buying groceries at the market, what else can you do?

I remember I used to go to the market with my dad when I was still a kid. I love to go to the dry area, but not the wet – which is the fish market. Normally, one of my tasks is to buy the most delicious Tau Foo Fah in town and to look at the vegetables; poultry is still fine, but definitely not the fish market because – you know it. I would cry.

This is the first time for me to try out the food stalls at the market. We called it Pasar Besar in Malay or just Pasar – Sabahan style. If you want to know how the local Chinese call it? PA-SA. It’s the same anyway. Haha.

The food stalls are located on the second floor. There are about 4 to 6 stalls there (if I’m not mistaken – need to check it out again) and they separated it into Chinese and Malay section, which is good. This is because people like us; we might want to have non-halal or halal food.

We went to the Chinese stall.

Picture below: The view overlooking KK Plaza (taken from the side of the staircase)

See those baskets? Choose your preferable vegetable and meat by pointing them to the person who is serving you. Tell them if you want them to cook it with rice or noodle after he or she took note of your choice. That simple.

I have ordered Kon Lau Mihun with vegetable, chicken, and char-siew (pork). While waiting, I actually worried that it might be oily but it wasn’t. It was simply delicious yet affordable to have a simple lunch here. There’s only one thing I would like to highlight – the char siew have some unwanted fats because I don’t take that since young. So, I just have to remove it. For certain people, I know you like that.

Don’t forget to buzz me when you are there. I'm just nearby! ;)

AWE '14 Conference is here in KK!

Are you a woman passionate about changing your world? 

Do you want to meet other passionate women? 

Now this might be a good chance that you must not miss!

Asian Women's Empowerment - AWE is an organisation that aims to inspire and empower Asian women. Last year it was held in Kuala Lumpur, in the month of November 2013 and eventually I have planned to go to the conference but I am tied up. The AWE ‘13 conference had a great lineup of talks, on conservation, solo travel tips and  workshops on improving your writing skills, travelling stylishly or becoming a freelancer. Interesting right?

If you have been looking for inspiration, here’s where you can find it, with motivating speakers and a schedule packed with creativity, leaving you fired up and ready to take on the world. AWE is now open for the registration to participate the AWE ‘14 conference in Kota Kinabalu, from 31 October to 2 November 2014.

Purpose of AWE conference 
Like AWE ’13, AWE ’14 wants to empower modern Asian women to follow their dreams and thrive in an independent lifestyle. Breaking the mould, and standing out is tougher for Asian women in a male-dominated society. We are restricted by culture, religion, and social convention. 

Many ambitious women have even gone abroad, where it’s easier to follow their passions on an unconventional path. The world is changing, and Asia is slowly participating in the movement. While it is still difficult to choose your own path in Asian society, there are inspirational Asian women who have made an impact in our global world. 

The AWE ’14 conference will showcase and celebrate successful Asian women, as well as giving you an opportunity to discuss your life goals through workshops and plenty of time for networking.


Who this conference is for
The AWE Conference is designed for Asian women and expatriates in Asia who want to:
✦ Thrive with unconventional life choices
✦ Celebrate and discuss just what ‘success’ means to different women
✦ Belong to a community of inspiring women
✦ Seek more opportunities in life
✦ Be inspired to achieve their dreams

How to join
1. Save your seat at this link: Online Registration
2. Early Bird Registration: US$50  (Student discounts are available)
✦ Sabahan discount 20%: US$40 | RM130
✦ PayPal: proceed through http://conference.aweasia.org/register/
✦ Bank Transfer: email info@aweasia.org for information 

#Early Bird registration ends June 30th, 2014
#Please visit http://conference.aweasia.org/register/ for more information


What your ticket includes?
1. Official meals
2. Pre-AWE Events
3. Attend All Sessions
4. Keynote Addresses
5. Access to AWE profiles
6. Networking opportunities
7. AWE '14 goodie bag
8. Discount for local hotels

So my dear passionate women out there, especially in Sabah. 

What are you waiting for when the opportunity to attend an amazing conference like this is here in Kota Kinabalu?

First in Sabah - Zip across the South China Sea with Coral Flyer!

Borneo’s longest Zipline and the longest island to island Zipline in the world is ready for you to ride!

Mind you, not the whole South China Sea. Hehe. Look at the picture!

Many of you could have tried Ziplines in the jungle, but zipping from an island to another island is another exciting activity that you can now experience it in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah! The Coral Flyer at Gaya Island is a new tourism product here in Sabah. Fly across two islands – from Gaya Island to Sapi Island, you may need to take a short hike up to the platform. But before that, of course, there will be a safety procedure and briefing. 

Buy your tickets at Sapi Island Jetty! Where is that? It’s the smallest island compared to the rest of the islands in Tunku Abdul Rahman Park. You can either travel to the islands from Jesselton Point, or Sutera Marina Jetty. The current rate for the Coral Flyer is MYR50. The package includes boat transfers from Sapi Island to Padang Point at Gaya Island, Zipping equipment, (not including boat transfers from KKCity), Harnesses, and the awesome experience.

Question: Why must be at Sapi Island? Can we buy tickets straight from Padang Point?
Yes you may. You can purchase Coral Flyer ticket straight from their staffs who are always ready to serve you.

Open daily from 10:00am to 4:00pm, it is built and operated by Ropeskills Rigging Sdn Bhd - www.ropeskills.com.my. The Coral Flyer is built for the thrill. Visitors are able to experience 250 metres long Zipline, and it’s up to average 60 km/h.

Now let us go in detail.

We have 15 bloggers (sponsored) and friends tried out the Coral Flyer for the first time. I have tired the Ziplines at Kiulu but this is definitely my first time ever. All of us gathered at Jesselton Point and we sailed off around 9.30am. Thanks to Beverly who had our tickets discounted!

Before stepping onto the jetty at Sapi Island, we saw some visitors zipping away from Gaya Island and it certainly excite us all. Listening to the guest’s scream, it even thrills us more! As the boat set at the jetty, most of us can't wait to try out the Coral Flyer. While you have reached the Sabah Park counter on the left, besides paying for the Conservation Fees, you'll see the registration for Coral Flyer at the small corner of the counter. Simon Amos, the owner greeted us and helped us with the registrations and he gave us a short brief too. Thanks to the good service, Simon!

“With a fifteen year history of building Ziplines in Asia, Ropeskills Rigging have an impressive pedigree in the world of high ropes courses. The Coral Flyer is going to be our own facility right from the start, the first facility that we have built to operate and own so it was designed without a pre-determined budget.” - www.coralflyer.com

Walked ourselves to the most furthest table that we can see the cables, we had our perfect spot to keep all our belongings and a great open space to swim. As we take turns in groups, we (Bev, Derrick, Faisal, and I) was in the last group. While the others are trying to shout their life out at the platform, we took a good swim at the sea. How can we miss out a good outdoor workout right? Especially with the beautiful sunny day at KK City.

Alright, now is our turn and here's how we spent the MYR50.

The four of us gather and waited *while munching junk food* for our boat at the Jetty in Sapi Island. We were supposed to be transferred to Padang Point, where the main base of Coral Flyer is. But, we then follow the boat to one of the platform to get the equipments first. While fetching the equipments, here come the screaming of my sister.

Faisal was telling me that most of the divers gather at this place as we were walking into the main base from the Padang Point Jetty at Gaya Island. All helmets, harnesses, and zipline equipment are ready for us get onto our hands. Once we are ready, we took a short jungle trek to the platform.

FYI. It's like someone helping you to wear a pants. I'm so shy so I pull it up myself after snapping this picture!

And here we are. Trying to keep calm. We looked calm but actually we are not.

And, OFF YOU GO!

Beverly and I actually waited for another team to go first because we were like stunted for a while after the boys left us all alone at the platform. Creepy, not. Sometimes it’s better to be the last so that we know how we are going to pose for the camera at the end point. Funny! Smiles. Well, even though both Beverly and I were adventurous monkeys, but still our hearts was like pumping fast as if it almost jumped out from our mouth.

*Special thanks to this guy who make sure that I am safe*

Thanks to this guy who make me feel calm. I was holding my camera and was planning to take a video shoot while I’m doing the Zipline. As usual, I questioned a lot before my foot was the last to leave the platform. Holding the handle and my DSLR with another hand, it was not an easy task. If you planned to bring along your camera, make sure it is secured, and make sure you have the strength to hold the handle with one hand.

Oh. What about sandals? They will have a safe place to hang it. No worries because you need the sandals for trekking. 

Couldn’t take a picture of myself while zipping. This might be a perfect view for you to have a good look while you're actually "flying". See, how beautiful is the islands in Sabah? Even it is just 15 minutes away from Kota Kinabalu.

*Yeps, that's me in white T-shirt, green shorts, and a camera. While Bev is actually screaming hehe.

After all, who doesn't like adventure?

Give a try, or regret afterwards.

The Official Opening Ceremony this Friday for the Coral Flyer! Dato' Seri Tengku Dr. Zainal Adlin bin Tengku Mahmood will be the VIP to come along and be the 'first' rider and who better in Sabah to showcase adrenaline tourism in Sabah! Why not come along and join us on Sapi Island on Friday morning? There will be free rides all day for journalists and people working in the tourism sector, and I WILL BE THERE! So, see you later aligator! 

I'm gonna upload the video soon! So, bear with me.

For more info, Coral Flyer Island to Island Zipline :-

Operated by Ropeskills Rigging Sdn. Bhd.

Facebook : Coral Flyer Island to Island

Operating Hours : 10.00am to 4.00pm DAILY

Contact No. : +6011 298 42023

Fax No. : +6088 484 934

Email : simon@coralflyer.com or yong@coralflyer.com