My travelogue to Malaysia and Singapore in 2010

Picture courtesy :Google Images

Having written my travelogue to Hampi and Dubai visited by me during 2018 which was well received  by many readers, I wish to post my experiences of travel to Malaysia and Singapore in the year 2010. Except a few photos taken from Google Images, all other photos in this article were taken by me in Canon Camera.

Links to my other Travelogues:

• Travelogue to Hampi
• Travelogue to Dubai

Preparation for the visit:

Getting VISAs for the journey:

After my retirement in June 2010, my son who was working in Malaysia wanted me and my wife to make a short visit to Malaysia and Singapore for sightseeing. We planned to start to Malaysia from Chennai on 20.8.2010 and return from Singapore to Chennai on 26.8.2010. After booking the flight tickets, I went to a Travel Agency for getting VISAs for both Malaysia and Singapore visits. On the day of getting the visas from the Travel Agency , my car broke down on the way and after one hour struggle it started. Since the air conditioner in the car was not working the driver drove the car keeping all the windows opened. I felt uneasy with  winds of lot of pressure hitting my ears.

Vertigo attack:

On the next day morning when  I tried to get up from the bed, I felt that the room was spinning around me.( I had a doubt if it had happened due to the entry of lot of air inside my ears with so much force.) It happened many times and I was taken  to a Doctor by my wife and the landlord of the house where I was staying. Doctor advised me to undergo many tests including MRI. Even during the tests by the doctor and during various tests conducted in the Clinic, I was unable to lie down due to the dizzy feeling and I was unable to walk steadily. All the tests conducted showed nothing wrong with me. After seeing the reports the doctor diagnosed my illness as Vertigo and prescribed medicines. My wife asked the doctor if I could go for the trip to Malaysia, he said that we could visit and continue to take the medicines.

So during the entire trip to Malaysia and Singapore I was suffering from Vertigo problem though not severe as on the first day of attack.But I could manage to walk and see the places visited by us without much difficulty.

Trip to Malaysia:

On 20.8.2000  myself and my wife boarded Jet Airways and after three hours journey reached Kuala Lumpur. We were received by our son at the Airport and he took us to Cyber View Resort and Spa in Cyber Jaya  where he had booked room for our stay. (Cyberview Resort & Spa is a 5-star boutique resort, a veritable paradise set on 28.8 acre of award-winning landscaped gardens, featuring world-class quality of service and unparalleled Malaysian hospitality. Surrounded by towering palm trees, lush foliage, splendid tropical gardens, and meandering paths, the resort effortlessly blends rustic charm and with its state-of-the-art comforts in all its one hundred and twelve lovely chalets, suites and bungalows. )

For further information and  booking  http://www.cyberviewresort.com/.

The resort's location and environment was very beautiful with plenty of  flower plants and trees.

Cottage in the resort where we stayed

After taking rest in the room,we boarded a train in Kuala Lumpur railway station to go to Kota Bharu where my wife's sister's daughter and her husband were practicing as doctors. Kota Bharu is about 450 kms from Kuala Lumpur and we had to travel through forest area with tall trees and we enjoyed watching the beauty of the nature.

On the way to Kota Bharu

The nearest railway station to Kota Bharu is called Wakaf Bharu which is just a couple of kilometres to the west of the city. My sister in law's daughter came to the station to receive us and took us to her house. 

Sight seeing on 21.8.2010

After a good night sleep ,next day we visited some Buddha temples.

Wat Phothivihan :About 15km from Kota Bharu, this temple houses what is claimed to be one of the longest reclining Buddha in the world. At 40m long, it is even longer than the reclining Buddha housed in the more famous Wat Chayamangkalaram in Penang.

Part of reclining Buddha

In another Buddha temple visited by us  was at Wat Machimmaram where we could see a tall sitting Buddha

Sitting Buddha

After visiting the buddha temples and some shopping in Kota Bahru we returned to Kuala Lumpur on 23.8.2010 by train.

Sight seeing on 23.8.2010 in Kuala Lumpur:

On 23.8.2010 morning after taking breakfast in the Resort we went to Putra Jaya Railway station and took a train to go to Kuala Lumpur. We visited The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers. We went inside the tower and spent some time in watching  a music program.

Petronas Towers

Music Program inside the tower

In the evening we went to see Putra Mosque in Putra Jaya. It is located next to the Perdana Putra, which houses the Malaysian Prime Minister's office and man-made Putrajaya Lake. In front of the mosque is a large square with flagpoles flying Malaysian states' flags.

Putra Mosque on the left and Perdana Putra on the right of the picture

Picture courtesy: Google Images

Putra Mosque

Perdana Putra  (Image Wikipedia)

We also saw the Seri Wawasan Bridge which is  the most elegant of the bridges in Putrajaya. Its futuristic design combines cable back stays and standard steel tie backs. Its curvaceous and slender profile is easily visible from many vantage points in the city. At night the bridge is illuminated with changing coloured lights. The bridge is 240m long and the main span is 168m long. There are 102 cables used in its construction.https://www.malaysia-traveller.com/bridges-in-putrajaya.html

 Seri Wawasan Bridge

Sight seeing on 24.8.2010

On 24.8.2010 we went to the famous Batu Caves Hill temple of Lord Muruga. Batu Caves in short also referred as 10th Caves or Hill for Lord Muruga as there are six important holy shrines in India and four more in Malaysia. The three others in Malaysia are Kallumalai Temple in Ipoh, Tanneermalai Temple in Penang and Sannasimalai Temple in Malacca.(Wikipedia)

While we could worship the deities at the bottom of the hill and saw the tall Muruga Idol, I was unable to climb the steps of the hill due to vertigo problem to see the deity on the top of the hill .

Temple at the foot of the hill

                                Idol of Lord Muruga at the bottom of the Hill

Travel to Singapore on 24.8.2010 by train:

On 24.8.2010 night we boarded the train at Sentral station Kuala Lumpur  to reach Singapore. I was surprised to see the railway station at Kuala Lumpur looked like a airport in appearance and maintenance:

Sentral station in Kuala Lumpur

We traveled in sleeper berth coach and slept well. Basic amenities in the train were just like the amenities available in India, The train stopped in one station in the middle of night when all the passengers had to get down from the train for stamping the Passport at the Immigration counters in the train. After the formalities of immigration check up we had to board the train again which reached Singapore next day early morning after about 9 hours journey. 

Sight seeing in Singapore on 25.8.2010

On reaching Singapore Station we were picked up by my friend and bank colleague Mr.Moreira who was kind enough to accommodate us in his house.After taking breakfast we went for sightseeing by one of the tourist bus Duck and Hippo tour . 

Duck and Hippo bus

We rode around the city sitting on top of the bus  covering sites such as Chinatown, Little India, Botanical Garden. We could listen to commentary as we passed the most important landmarks in the city.  

We got down at  the Botanical garden where we could see many beautiful flower plants and trees.

Plants in the Botanical garden

After visiting the Botanical gardens we visited a Hindu Temple and worshiped the deity there.

Temple in Singapore

Lord Ganesha in the Temple 

After taking lunch  we went for the tour again in the bus and could see many places on the route like Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel  etc.

                         Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck

 Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel

 We also had the experience of going round in the  Singapore Flyer Ferris Wheel which is  one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world. Standing in the glass capsule on the Singapore Flyer, we could gaze out upon sights including the sculptures springing out from Gardens by the Bay and the gleaming architecture of the Marina Bay Sands. It was really a thrilling experience for us.

View of Singapore from the Capsule

During the end of the day after taking our dinner we spent some time sitting in a place watching the illuminated buildings  and the laser shows from the high rise buildings.

Return to Chennai on 26.8.2010

After completing our trip to Singapore  on  26th Morning we reached Changi Airport, Singapore which is  one of the largest transportation hubs in Southeast Asia. 

Picture Courtesy : Google Images

It gave us an opportunity to see  and admire the grandeur of the Airport which is rated as World's Best Airport for many years. We returned to Chennai by flight on the same day.

My travelogue to Hampi

I enjoyed a sight seeing trip to  HAMPI  for  three days from 21.11.18 to 23.11.18 with my wife,son and his friend . Hampi in the South Indian state of Karnataka, is dotted with numerous ruined temple complexes from the Vijayanagara Empire. 

All the pictures in this article are taken by me and  my son.

ABOUT HAMPI

Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India. It became the centre of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital in the 14th century. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, state Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins.

Located in Karnataka near the modern-era city of Hosapete(Hospet), Hampi's ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares (16 sq mi) and it has been described by UNESCO as an "austere, grandiose site" of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India that includes "forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others"

Source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

The details of my trip are given below:

TRAVEL FROM BENGALURU TO HAMPI ON 21.11.18

We  started the travel from my son's apartment in Bengaluru in his car on 21.11.18 at 7.30 am. Hampi is 352 killometers from Bengaluru. As guided by Google Map we took the route via Chitradurga. The road up to Chitradurga is very good.since it is a National Highway. But once we took  a deviation from Chitradurga towards Hospet/Hampi the road condition was  deteriorating and the journey was horrible with very rough road all the way upto Hampi. Further since there were no restaurants en route we had to skip our lunch at usual time. After undergoing the strenuous  journey of  nearly 7 hours we could reach Hampi around 3 pm.  We stayed in Heritage Resort,Hampi which is near most of the monuments.

After taking some food and rest we went for sight seeing around 6 pm but could not see much since it was very dark by that time and there were no lights near the monuments to see them clearly in nights. 

SIGHT SEEING ON 22.11.18

VIRUPAKSHA TEMPLE

After having breakfast at the resort we started for sight seeing by fixing Auto for taking us to all the important places. First we went to Virupakasha temple which  is the oldest shrine, the principal destination for pilgrims and tourists, and remains an active Hindu worship site. Virupaksha is the only temple that continued to be a gathering place of Hindus and frequented by pilgrims after the destruction of Hampi in 1565. The main deity of the temple is Shivalinga.

Inside and outside the temple there were many monkeys and the visitors must take precautions to protect their valuables which might be snatched by the monkeys.

SHIV LINGA IN WATER AND LAKSHMI NARASIMHAR MONOLITHIC STATUES

Our next visit was to a place having two big statues of Shiva linga and Lakshmi Narasimhar. Both are large monolithic statues.(Made of single block stone). Lakshmi Narasimha statue is of 22 ft height. Due to passage of time many parts of the statue are in broken condition. On the left side of Narasimhar initially there was the statue of Lakshmi which is now missing. So the Statue is now called as Uggira Narasimhar.

Within a short distance we could see the huge Shiv Linga statue of 9.8 ft height. It is immersed in water  and has three eyes sketched on its top

UNDERGROUND SHIVA TEMPLE

The next place visited by us was  Prasanna Virupaksha temple which is also known as the underground Shiva Temple.An interesting fact about the Prasanna Virupaksha temple is that it is located a few metres below the ground level. 

The roof of the temple is at par with the present ground level while the main structure of the temple stands on a low lying area. We have to climb down the steep stairs to go inside the temple .The place is infested with a lot of bats. A Shivalinga is there inside the Garbagraha. A Nandhi  with mutilated face is facing Shivalinga.

ELEPHANT STABLES AND ZENANA ENCLOSURE

Next place visited by us contained the famous elephant stables and Zenana Enclosure. Entry fees for the place is Rs.40 per head and we were told that the same entry fee ticket can be used for entry to Vithala temple also.

 The Zenana enclosure contains the Lotus Mahal, the latter being a two-storeyed pavilion in the royal centre.

                                                               

Gajashala, or elephant stables, which consist of eleven square chambers aligned north-south. The openings to the stables are arched; above ten chambers are alternating fluted and plain domes. In the middle of the stables are stairs to reach the roof.

    

QUEEN'S BATH

After leaving Zenana Enclosure we went to see  the structure called as Queen's bath .Though named as the Queen’s Bath, it was in all probability used as the private bathing chamber of the king and his queens. The Queen’s Bath is a rectangular building. The structure has an area of 30 square metres. A large sunken bath constructed in the centre of the structure .

After visiting Queens bath we went to Tamarind tree restaurant  on the way to our next place of visit and took lunch. Quality of the food was not bad but the hygienic condition was not satisfactory.

VITHALA TEMPLE

Since Vithala temple is about one and half kilo meters from the road they have arranged battery operated vehicles to pick up about 12 persons at a time for which they charge Rs.20 per person.

The Vithala Temple is also known as Shri Vijaya Vitthala Temple. It is dedicated to Lord Vitthala, an incarnation of Lord VishnuVithala temple as such is a very big complex with many independent mantaps  with beautiful and delicate  images carved on the pillars. 

The temple has also an amazing stone structures of a stone chariot with four stone wheels which look very realistic.

There is a mantap with Musical pillars inside the temple complex which we could not visit since it was under maintenance.

Though there were many other interesting monuments to be visited we restricted our tour by visiting Vithala Temple due to shortage of time. It will be ideal to spend minimum two days to cover all the interesting places in Hampi.

After completing our visit to the monuments we checked in Evolve Back Kamalapura Palace resort. Evolve Back is located just 4 km from the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hampi. The resort  is inspired by the architectural splendour and magnificence of the Vijayanagara Empire. The resort features all the charms of the bygone era like the fort like entrances, stone-paved boulevards, arched hallways and regal chambers. 

To know more about Evolveback resort,Hampi and for booking click the link below:

https://www.evolveback.com/hampi/

RETURN JOURNEY TO BENGALURU ON 23.11.18

After enjoying the facilities of the resort and taking rest in the night we left Hampi next day around 12.30 pm. Since we did not want to undergo the horrible journey in the route through Chitradurga we took the other route via Bellary and Anathapur which was really very good. After taking lunch in a restaurant in Bellary and tea  break in Ananthapur we reached Bengaluru around 8.30 pm.

The trip to Hampi was a memorable experience  for me which gave an opportunity of  seeing the ruined monuments which reflect the glory and splendour of Vijayanagara Empire. 

UNSPOKEN COUNTRY RULES THAT EVERY TOURIST SHOULD KNOW

Japan

Don’t tip anyone: “Tipping is just not part of the culture. Don’t even leave the small change. People will come running after you with it.”

Don’t wear your shoes in someone’s house: “If you see other people taking their shoes off, do the same. (Note: there’s a small area right inside  the entrance called a ‘genkan’ which is usually one level below the rest of the house, where you take off your shoes. You don’t take them off outside the house!)”

 

Don’t hug people you just met: “Most people don’t like it, especially older folk.”

Don’t stand on the wrong side of the escalator: “In Tokyo you stand on the left. In Osaka you stand on the right. Follow what other people are doing.”

Germany

Don’t do the Nazi salute: “Not even in jest. It’s a crime and every year there are tourists arrested for it. Also don’t carry any Nazi symbols on you.”

 

Don’t stare: “You’d appear either uneducated or mentally ill.”

Don’t be overly friendly: “Germans like to gradually warm up to people and take time to really get to know them before acting like BFFs.”

Don’t wish someone a happy birthday before the actual day: “The origin is a superstition that something bad will happen to them (they might die) before their birthday if you do, however this rule is not limited to superstitious people. Even bright, rational Germans will feel uncomfortable because it’s just not done.”

Norway

Don’t stare at naked people: “People are pretty relaxed about nudity, and both men and women will for example change on public beaches without any attempt at covering themselves up. You are however expected to look away.”

Don’t unwrap flowers before you give them as a gift: “Germans do this.”

Don’t ask people about church: “Most attend none, and asking this is seen as intrusive, rude and downright weird.”

Don’t expect special treatment: “People are very informal here and being on a first-name-basis with anyone short of the King is the norm.  Even the prime-minister of Norway is most often referred to by first name.”
  
Russia

Don’t give an even number of flowers as a gift: “That’s for dead folks. Proper bouquet will have 1/3/5/7 flowers.”

Don’t rely on a credit card: “There are lots of places which only accept cash.”

Don’t assume the people support everything the government does: “Quite often we don’t. Don’t criticize our government. We do it a lot by ourselves, we don’t need your help in that.”

Singapore

You can get fined for a lot of things in Singapore, including: feeding the birds, spitting, urinating in public, smoking in public,  having your pet in public, eating or drinking on public transportation, and littering, among other things.

Kenya

Don’t disrespect religion: “Almost everyone you meet is religious; religion here is always in fashion, so if someone asks you if you are religious, don’t take offense because it is common for everyone to follow a religion, and around 80% of the population are Christians.”

Don’t be impatient: “Hardly anything runs on time, with an exception of a couple of business meetings and bank closing hours and most other businesses. Everything runs late, don’t get pissed off or impatient, learn to go with the flow, things will happen, just not on time.”

Don’t talk about sex in mixed company: “It is wrong and is frowned upon and people might not want to be in your company after that.”

Don’t call someone by their first name: “Miss, Mrs, Mr., Dr. and Engineer so and so (mostly the surname) are totally accepted.  If you want to call someone whose name you don’t know, refer to them as madam or sir. You get quite a lot of bonus points for that. Only refer to someone by their first name if they introduce themselves as such.”

New Zealand

Don’t confuse New Zealanders with Aussies: “We don’t like it!”

Don’t expect to see Kiwi birds: “They are almost extinct. Irony!

”

Don’t make fun of rugby, Lord of the Rings, or the Queen of England: “All Blacks is a rugby team and probably a religion.  Haka is a war-cry performed before a war or, nowadays, a rugby match. Do not make fun of it!” “Kiwis are proud of Lord Of the Rings!”“The Queen of England is still a big deal here! We still celebrate her birthday and swear allegiance to her.”

Don’t freak out about people not wearing shoes: “It’s perfectly normal to go about in public places without footwear, and in some cases a shirt. You will still be served.”

Turkey

Don’t make the okay sign with your thumb and forefinger: This is considered obscene in Turkey.

Lay off the alcohol: Turks don’t drink much — maybe an occasional glass of wine every once in a while — and being drunk is considered a disgrace.

Don’t blow your nose or pick your teeth in public: Turks consider both of these impolite when done at a restaurant, cafe, or bar.
  
India

Don’t kiss in public: “In some jurisdictions this can get you into jail under ‘public obscenity’ (a lot of our laws are stuck in the Victorian era).”

Don’t make physical contact with the opposite sex: “Hugging and handshakes are still frowned upon in most parts of the country among members of opposite sex.  Unless the local offers to hug or handshake, don’t.”

France

Don’t expect a huge amount of vegan options: “Notify people you visit and be careful in which restaurants you go. Very few people are vegan in France   compared to some other countries, and although the situation is slowly improving, the awareness and acceptance of it are still quite poor.     Some older people especially can consider it a ‘weird’ or even radical behavior.”

Don’t talk about money: “For example, you can tell you quit a job because you were underpaid, but you should not mention how much exactly. There are old taboos about speaking of money in the French culture, many people consider it a ‘dirty’ topic.”

Don’t expect people to speak English: “The French educational system is bad at teaching foreign languages, with an excessive focus on reading and   writing compared to conversational skills. Many older people will only know a bit of bad and heavily accented English and/or possibly German or Spanish.”

Mexico

Don’t patronize people: “We’re a developing country and we’re aware that some stuff is just backwards over here. Don’t ever imply that you are ‘better’ than anyone, especially if that hinges on you being a foreigner.”

Don’t be easily offended: “We have a huge sense of humor as a culture. Nothing is out of bounds for us! We’ll mock, ridicule, insult,  pick on and put down just for the fun of it, on a regular basis!”

Don’t be afraid to try everything: “We love it when you try to say that ridiculously difficult word in Spanish, and you’ll be met with  proud cheers if you brave a bite out of that horrifyingly spicy pepper, or down that shot of tequila.”

United Kingdom

Don’t cut in line: “Queue jump — this is the only crime that the population would consider bringing back capital punishment for.”

Don’t ask how much money someone makes: “Instead play a curious guessing game by asking someone what they do, where they live,  where they went on holiday, and figure it out by correlating this with their accent.”

Don’t invite someone to your home: “Unless you know them very very well.”

Ireland

Don’t say “Top of the morning to you”: “I don’t know how this phrase became associated with Irish people, perhaps it was used in the distant past. But it’s not now, and it’s just really irritating.”

Don’t attempt an Irish accent: “To us there is no Irish accent; there are Cork accents, Dublin accents, Kerry accents etc. For us an accent contains reams  of unspoken information about a person (Urban/Rural, social status) aside from the local information.”

Don’t be cheap: “The classic is in a rounds situation at a pub. If someone is offering to buy the first round, it is perfectly acceptable to say  ‘Oh I’m on a budget, I’ll get my own.’ It is not ok to join the round and then not pay for one.”

Don’t call the UK the mainland: “As far as we’re concerned, France is the mainland.”