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MATF (Malaysia Airline Travel Fair) will be a wholly virtual affair much like 2007. And just like last year, it should be a 10 day event with some likelihood of extension depending on the reception and their sales figures. Too bad the travel fair will only last for 3 days.
This year, MAS will be holding its annual Malaysia Airlines Travel Fair (MATF) from Friday to Sunday at eight locations nationwide and offering six million seats with up to 70% discount. The offer is valid for a seven-month travel period from March 1 to Sept 30, to encourage travellers to plan their trip and to experience the national airline’s Malaysian Hospitality.
You can visit MATF at:
1. Kota Kinabalu – Magellan Sutera Harbour Resort
2. Kuala Lumpur – Kuala Lumpur Convention Center
3. Johor Bahru – Persada Johor International Convention Center
4. Kuching – permata Exhibition Center
5. Kuala Trengannu – Trengganu Trade Center
6. Penang – Penang International Sports Arena (PISA)
More on MATF, visit http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/main_MY.aspx?lang=en-US
One of the finest Buddhist temples in South-east Asia, Kek Lok Si temple stands majestically on a hill in Air Itam. Known as “The Temple of Supreme Bliss”, it is built in tiers culminates the beautifully crafted ”Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas”. It took more than 20 years to build which features gardens, a turtle pond, shrines and beautiful buddhist sculptures.
The temple consist of many prayer halls, pagodas, bell towers and just about every other typical temple structure you can think of, in varying styles from Burmese to Chinese to Thai.
It is known that The Kek Lok Si project was inspired by the chief monk of the Goddess of Mercy Temple of Pitt Street. With the support of the consular representative of China in Penang, the project received the sanction of the Manchu Emperor Kuang Hsi, who bestowed a tablet and gift of 70,000 volumes of the Imperial Edition of the Buddhist Sutras.
The main attractions that dominate the scenery will be the 7-storey pagoda and the huge bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy, Kuan Yin — a popular diety in Penang. If you want to get a close-up look of the Kuan Yin statue, walk to the furthest hall and take an incline lift to the hilltop. The air-condition incline lift is more like tram and it could bring you up with a cost of RM2 each way.
The 7-storey pagoda or “Pagoda of 10,000 Buddha” is another interesting attractions. This pagoda combines a Chinese octagonal base with a middle tier of Thai design, and a Burmese crown, reflecting the temple’s embrace of both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism. It is located at the new prayer hall where you must pay a ‘voluntary’ donation of RM2.
At the Kek Lok Si Temple ground, there is a beautiful gardens and sacred pond. One of the famous ones will be of course “The Liberation Pond” (Sacred Turtle Pond). Chinese tradition believes that a turtle is a symbol of longevity, strength and endurance. It is an act of spiritual liberation when a turtle is captured and set free in this pond.
There is no admission fee to the temple itself. Small fees is needed if you want to visit the pagoda and Kuan Yin statue. It is best that you wear a comfortable running shoes and bring a bottle of mineral water before visiting the temple. For more information on kek lok si, visit www.penang-vacations.com
Penang Botanical Gardens or fondly refer to as “Waterfall Gardens” was established by the British back in 1884. The garden are bound by evergreen tropical rainforest and divided by a cascading stream and sprawling with 29 hectares of prime and undulating grounds.
The lush greenery gardens are Penangites favorite park and a popular tourist destination. The garden also act as an institute of learning, studying and researching of live specimen both in-situ and ex-situ. Every year, countless groups of undergraduates, students, government agencies and private sectors will come to the gardens to acquire wealth of information and knowledge on aspects of botany and horticulture.
Some of the interesting plant that can be found there includes:
- Cannon-Ball Tree: A beautiful fast growing tree which reaches 25m in height. The leaves have a life span of approximately 6 months after which they are shed rapidly so that the crown is usually bare for a day or two.
- Candle Tree: An evergreen tree with brown trunk and growing up to 6 to 10m. The flowers are big, solitary, bell shape and white in color, measuring 8cm wide.
- Argus Pheasant Tree: A tall deciduous tree reaching 31m in height with rounded crown and strong buttressed trunk when old.
- Ebony Tree: An evergreen, stout and shady wide spreading tree with dense dark green glossy leaves. It has a compact, dome shaped conical crown.
Besides being a botanic centre, the garden is a popular recreational spot. Some of the recreational activities include jogging, walking, jungle trekking and aerobics.
The Penang Botanic Gardens has been the permanent host to usher the annual international floral fest normally held in May. Participants from overseas, government agencies, private sectors and local councils are invited to participate in this annual event. The colorful events provides a wonderful experience and is and event not to be missed.
Entrance to the garden is FREE and is open daily from 5am to 8pm.
Bird enthusiast has another thing to look for when visiting Penang bird Park comes December. After import ban was lifted, the park saw a new breed of rare water birds making its way into Penang most famous birdpark. Visitor can now view five rare Black Swans and five Mute Swans which were imported from Holland at a hefty cost of RM50, 000.
The Black Swans with a scientific name – Signus Atratus, is a large water bird which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Black Swans are mostly black feathered, with a line of white flight feathers of the wing edges that sometimes show when at rest, and are conspicuous in flight. The bill is bright red, with a pale bar and tip; and legs and feet are greyish-black. Cobs (males) are slightly larger than pens (females), with a longer and straighter bill. Cygnets (immature birds) are a greyish-brown with pale-edged feathers.
The migrating mute swans species (Signus Olor) are normally found in the wilderness and temperate areas such as Europe. The Mute Swan is one of the heaviest flying birds, with males averaging about 12 kg (27 lbs) and females more than 9 kg (20 lbs). An exceptionally enormous Polish cob weighed almost 23 kg (50 lbs), surpassing the longer-bodied Trumpeter Swan to make it the heaviest waterfowl ever recorded. Its size, orange-reddish bill and white plumage make this swan almost unmistakable at close quarters. Surveys done by airplane, however, often mistake the species, creating questionable counts. The most similar species is the Whooper Swan, but it has a yellow and black bill, lacks the curved “swan” neck, is longer and heavier, and lacks the characteristic projection above the bill.
The park plans to breed the cygnets (immature birds) of both species and supply them to others Zoo’s in Malaysia. According to the park director, this is the 2nd attempts by the park after more than 10 years ago, more than 10 swans has been devoured by python from the nearby pond. Others new bird can be found here include African guinea fowls, three species of African starling, barbets, hornbills and finches from Africa.
Photo by Flickr
