An afternoon walk at Penang Botanical Gardens

June 2012. After sightseeing at Georgetown and Batu Feringghi in the past 2 days, today I bring the to Penang botanical gardens for a walk after lunch. Despite the humid weather - well it's 2pm when we arrived, they enjoy the walk with beautiful landscape and fresh air. The only complaint probably is they didn't expect they need to hike-up a little when we go round the park. lol. From the Main Gate, we first ride on the tram and go round in the Botanical Gardens. Tram ticket is RM2 per adult. The tram will go round the park via the Lower Circular Route. Basically the park is divide into 2 circular routes: 

1. Higher Circular Route :-

Begin from the main gate, head straight until the two-way junction, keep LEFT and hike-up a little on a winding road, you will pass by the hiking route via staircases to Penang Hill, waterfall and reservoir. Keep going until reach a T-junction, keep left and you will pass by Orchidarium and various gardens along the way till you back to the beginning point.

2. Lower Circular Route :-

The garden tram's route - the ground is flat and less slope compare to higher circular route. Begin from the main gate, head straight until the two-way junction, keep RIGHT and head straight all the way and you will pass by the T-junction that connected from Higher Circular Route, Orchidarium and various gardens till you back to beginning point.

After the tram ride, we further walk via the Higher Circular Route for more views! There is a short up-hill part on the winding route however is not that tough as you think. It will make you breathing hard and sweat a little when you walk-up but you will find the view and landscape is rewarding! It is my most favourable landscape site inside Botanical Garden.

Tips: Go clockwise (from the divide point) if you wish to avoid walk up-hill yet don't want to miss all the views along the Higher Circular Route. The up-hill will become down-hill which make the walking more easy. The route for both higher or lower circular is not entirely flat but you probably won't feel it much since it's going up gradually.

Share with you another favourite spot of mine inside the botanical gardens - a hidden Lily Pond inside the lush jungle. There is a secluded paver paths on your left hand side if Orchidarium (Rumah Orchid) is on your right side. Take the path and walk up a little and you will find this secret garden.

Beautiful isn't it? I love to stop by here for a while to calm my mind and soul however the mosquitoes attack can be somehow disturbing.. especially when we sweat a lot due to exercise lol. Thanks to the students, I able revisit this place where I used to came for exercise sometimes after works. These pictures will preserve my memories of Botanical Gardens forever.

Parasailing~ Batu Feringghi, Penang

June 2012. Continue to bring IHEP Batch-5 Korean students to visit around Penang and today we are here at Batu Feringghi as they wanted to try para-sailing. The beach where we did para-sailing is located behind the Golden Sands Resorts, Batu Ferringhi. There's a public alley next to the hotel (on the left hand side) can be access to the beach directly without going thru the hotel. I've tried para-sailing before, I would say it is fun and unforgettable experience. Since it is their first time para-sailing, they prefer to go in pairs. I manage to captured pictures of them when they ready take off, flying and landing. 

Hyun Young & Young Shin fly in pairs

After the girls done wearing the gear & life jacket, one of the beach boy is briefing them on some safety tips and rules before take-off. The girls need to pull this string gently to lowering the parachute for landing after the beach boy give them a signal on the ground.

After double confirm the girls understand the rules, they are ready to take off! The beach boy is holding the string that attached to both parachute & motor to prevent the girls rush forward while the motor boat drives off - pulling the parachute so it can rise up fully before take off. Once parachute start rising, he then ask them run towards to sea. I would say beginning is the hardest part for para-sailing as it is really not easy to 'run' on the sand!

Yeah, the girls are now up on the sky. Not too worry, if you follow the rules well, you will no rush into the sea. You will eventually 'take-off' before you reach the sea and fly-up to the sky. We could hear them screaming at first but after that they totally enjoy it on the sky.

After 2 big rounds - approx.5 mins later, beach boys is giving the instruction for landing and the girl start to pull the string as what they been taught earlier. Landing smoothly or not is depends on individual skill of lowering the parachute via the string and control your body balancing while you feet touch the ground. Yeah sounds not easy but not too worry you won't get injured by plug into the sand. The beach boys will be there to assist all the time.

Next, Hyo Tae & Kyung Mi fly in pairs  

Since it's gonna be the same, I won't repeat and let the pictures speak. 

Interesting isn't it. Price range is around RM70 - RM100 depending on the size of the parachute. The beach boys told us there are small & big size parachute available. Bigger size more costly but it will be more stable when flying. The students are flying in pairs so they have to go for the big size parachute. You may bargain for a better price if you have more people playing (like us).

Last glimpse of Komtar Top 60th floor

June 2012. Bring my IHEP batch 5 students went up to the Top of Komtar observatory 60th floors while touring around Georgetown. I can't recall when is the last time I was here at the top of Komtar. For sure it has been more than a decade, I was here with my family for dinner at the Chinese restaurant at 59th floor. As Penang state governments has launched plans to renovate the upper sections of Komtar with top up three more floors - where Komtar will be up to 68 floors (817 ft tall) upon the construction complete; the observatory will closed by end of this year for the construction to begin and probably take 2-3 years to complete. I was lucky to be able to catch the last glimpse of Penang island view from the 60th observatory before it closed.

Lighthouse Coffee~ Logan Heritage, Beach Street

June 2012. Back to Penang for business trip for a week. First thing first after arrived is, go for coffee date with besties. Seems like everytime I come back there's always a new coffee place to explore. Today we came to this Lighthouse Coffee housed inside Logan Heritage, recommended by bestie. Our coffee and rum cake are good. Bestie said the cafe usually crowded during the day, but seems like we had the whole place by ourself  this evening after the one and only male customer who was there earlier left not long after we arrived. 

Dae Jang Kem & Dae Bok Jang Korean Restaurant, Desa Sri Hartamas

June 2012. A Korean Restaurant we have been go for Korean food especially Jajjangmyeon since 2009. The restaurant located at the first floor has two names, Dae Bok Jang and Dae Jang Kem. Both own by a same Korean owner and it is inked thru a door between a wall. Bae Bok Jang is Korean Chinese Restaurant selling Jajjangmyeon, Jjampong~ while Dae Jang Kem is a Korean BBQ places and Korean cuisine. But regardless where we sit, besides BBQ has to be sitting at the table with BBQ grill, any food from their menu can be order and serve. Jajjamyeon usually serve with pickle radish, pickle green onion and chunjang only. If you go for Korean stew such as Sundubu jigae (Korean soft tofu stew), it is serve with white rice and banchan (side dishes). There are up to 8 banchan serve. After meal free coffee will be serve as well. Price is reasonable too. This is one of the reason we why we like to dine in here whenever we are in Desa Sri Hartamas.