In my last blog post, I wrote about my family’s trip back to Penang Island after a long period of almost 30 years. I ended my article after my family members checked into the Berjaya Hotel.

After resting for a while and having refreshed ourselves in the hotel, most members of our entourage then decided to proceed to a shopping supermarket which is located next to our hotel to browse around.

The weather that day was rather bad. It was raining quite heavily. This spoilt our programme of having dinner outdoors at the Esplanade.

Kek Lok Si Temple, Penang

As the weather was poor, the group then decided to have all types of Penang food, especially Thai fare, which was available at the ground floor of the supermarket. I remember having fried prawn fretters, asam laksa and kuih pulut stuffed with bananas.

Later, with many members of our group fancying to opt for Chinese food, we then adjourned to a nearby Chinese outlet for fried koay teow Penang style, fried rice, mee hoon goreng, koay teow soup, and many other varieties of food. With drinks all round, the entire bill for the group came to a total of about RM80 or so.

Being free, with nothing much to do on Saturday 22nd October 2011, the group then went sight seeing. At Burmah Road, the group visited the famous Sleeping Buddha Temple and the Burmese Buddhist Temple. Our next visit was to the Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam. Prayers were made and without a doubt lots of photographs were taken.

At the foot of the famous Kek Lok Si Temple, we stopped at a restaurant to have our lunch and refreshments. After lunch, some members of our group went shopping. Others decided to go back to the hotel for our much needed rest.

My Family Getting Ready For Dinner At Corner Club, Penang

On Saturday evening, the group was supposed to attend a Chinese dinner which was held at the Corner Club in nearby Pulau Tikus. The above dinner was given by my son’s in laws in our honour. The dinner ended at approximately 10pm.

On Sunday, the 23rd of October 2011, we were to leave Penang for home. We finally left the island at around 2pm. The journey back home seemed to be more tiring. At Tapah, our van stopped for a rest. We bought a big sour sop for RM16 and a few other fruits as well. After 4 hours, we finally reached Klang at 6.45pm.

What did I learn from the trip to Penang this time around?

The journey to and back from Penang was a smooth ride. The weather was cool and not very hot. Penang Island after all these years, has undergone much development. One thing that was observed was that the city these days appear much cleaner. But the roads there were as usual traffic congested.

The 2nd Penang Bridge is currently being constructed. With it, without a doubt, the amount of the traffic in Penang will become even dire. How will the authorities deal with this problem, is left to be seen.

After completing my studies, I finally left Penang Island in 1982. That was nearly 29 years ago. Before leaving the above island, I remember selling off my Suzuki 150 c.c. motorbike to a friend. It was sold for RM150.

Another thing I recall was the Penang Bridge was then being constructed. I still remember very vividly, how I used to sit on a slope, in front of the USM chancellor’s office, every evening looking across the sea towards the mainland. The view was just enchanting.

Back in October 2011, my family and I had to come back to Penang Island again. Our entourage consisted of my wife, my daughter and my son. It also included our niece, San Fa from Hong Kong and her 2 children both boys.

My granddaughters and my niece’s sons

Not forgetting also my sister-in-law and her husband. The total number of people that went to Penang was nearly 10 people. As Penang from Selangor was approximately 560 – 600 kilometers in distance, it was decided that the family rent a 12 seater van for our 3 days visit to the island this time around.

In my earlier postings in this blog, I remember telling readers that my wife, does visit other countries for her holidays. To date, she has visited China, Europe, Turkey, and Korea, just to name a few. We therefore got hold of the taxi driver who used to fetch her and her friends to and from Klang to the KLIA in Putrajaya.

Incidentally, the van driver was an experienced driver about 50 years old. Besides driving us all the way to Penang, the driver Mr Phua B.T. was also entrusted to take us sight-seeing in Penang.

Among the places we intended to visit were the Esplanade, the Siamese Sleeping Buddha Temple, and the Burmese Temple, both of which were located in Burmah Road. And of course, there was also the famous Kek Lok Si Temple in Air Itam.

Readers might want to know how much it costs the entire entourage for our 3 days visit to Penang. Well, we or rather Mr Phua used a Mercedes 1200 van with registration number MBK 2511. The above van was not only comfortable, the air-cond was cool and travelling all the way to Penang and back was indeed delightful.

In short, there weren’t any complaints at all. But the most important of all was this driving instructor of 45 years experience who was sitting in the front seat next to the driver Mr Phua, was very impressed and felt very safe with Mr Phua’s mode and manner of driving.

Mr Phua, in my humble opinion was indeed a good and safe driver. I feel one cannot get a better driver as compared to Mr Phua. We were in fact, in safe hands, so to say.

Later I will proceed to describe to you why he considers Mr Phua to be a good, if not an excellent driver. I have been coaching or teaching people how to drive for so many years now should be able to assess another driver’s capability to handle a vehicle. I’m sure you will agree.

Before continuing any further, how much did we pay for the 3 day endeavour to Penang Island? In reality, we had to pay RM1200. Some may contend it maybe a little expensive. Besides the above, we had to provide a place to lodge for the driver, Mr Phua.

Wherever possible our driver was to join us for “makan” or during “meal time”. A good working rapport between the driver and members of our entourage was very important if our trip was to be made interesting, enjoyable and less tiring.

Me and my wife visiting the Siamese Sleeping Buddha, Penang

Besides our van travelling to Penang for a period of 3 days, my eldest daughter, Swan Nee and her hubby, Kin and their 2 children Joey and Raey, were also travelling to Penang by themselves in their Toyota Prius. They left their Kota Kemuning home, one hour later than us, at 10.30am and they reached Penang at around 6.45pm.

Before leaving for Penang, the group decided to take breakfast at Rantau Panjang, 4 ½ miles from Klang. The group had and assorted menu of wan tan mee, kueh teow soup, chee cheong fun, and toasted bread. For drinks, some took barley water, kopi oh, soya bean, ice tea and so forth.

We in fact had our breakfast at a restaurant called “30-30”. Food and drinks in the above place was rather cheap on the whole. And about 10.00 am or so, the group finally left Klang, heading towards the north, for Penang!

Let me tell readers why our driver, Mr Phua B. T. was considered a safe and good driver. Relating to readers the qualities of a good driver is important. Readers might wish to imitate the antics of this driver and drive safely when they have to drive long distances to Penang or Singapore, which is more than 500 – 600 kilometers away.

Among the good habits this instructor observed about our van driver, Mr Phua were the following:-

i) He does not exceed more than 110 km/h all the way to Penang. This is well within the limits of expressway driving in Malaysia.

ii) When Mr Phua meets heavy traffic on his way to the north, he is sure to slow down as he realizes it is dangerous.

iii) In his attempts to overtake the vehicles in front, Mr Phua is sure to make certain that there are no vehicles approaching behind him.

iv) Mr Phua, as a driver does not make sudden swerves in order to overtake vehicles in front of him. This is indeed a good practice which other drivers travelling long distances should try to emulate. All in all for the entire 500 – 600 kilometers journey to the north, we were lucky to be in the hands of a very good driver indeed.

v) One further good practice which was followed by our driver Mr Phua was after travelling every 150 kilometers or so, the above driver was sure to make stops at R and R (Rest and Recreation) spots which dotted the entire north to south highway. This provided the opportunity for passengers, which included both children and elderly folks, a chance to ease themselves.

Mr Phua himself will get the opportunity to take a short much needed rest and also stretch his legs as well. Occasionally, the van driver takes a puff. I’m sure this makes him a better and alert driver as well.

For readers information, we stopped at Kuala Kangsar, Perak’s royal town, at Selama and also at Bukit Mertajam which was opposite Penang Island.

For lunch, Mr Phua took us to a Chinese restaurant which located opposite Penang Island. We order six dishes; we had fried squids or sotong, lemon chicken, two or three types of fried vegetables and taufu or fried beancurd as well. With assorted drinks all round, the bill came only to RM108.

If we were to have the same type of dishes in our hometown in Klang, I would not be surprised if the entire bill comes to well over RM200. So readers, how about it? Stop at Bukit Mertajam, which is directly opposite Penang Island and enjoy your lunch there.

After a 4 ½ hour journey, our van finally pulled into the compounds of Berjaya Hotel, which is located in Burmah Road, Penang. Our entire group occupied a total of 5 rooms at the 25th and 26th floor of the 29 storey hotel. In less than half an hour, we had already checked in.

Since this post is getting rather long, I will continue to share my experience returning to Penang Island after a span of 3 decades in my next article.

The British, under the auspicies of the East India Company, came to colonialise Malaya during the 2nd half of the 19th century. J.W.W Birch, Sir Frank Swettenham, J.G Davidson and Sir Hugh Low, were amongst some of the early and well known residents to arrive here from England.

In the 1950’s, a British High Commissioner, Sir Henry Gurney, was ambushed and assassinated by the Communists, near Fraser’s Hill, another well known and famous hill resort. Early British residents and commissioners, infact dreaded coming to Malaya in those early days. Malaya, in the 2nd half of the 19th century, was not only hot, wet, and humid. It was also infested with malaria laden “mosquitoes” as well.

The British administrators of early Malaya, were more accustomed to the cool, temperate atmosphere which they found in England. Due to the above, the British residents high commissioners and other district officers, very soon found an alternative solution to solve their predicament here in the tropical heat of the Malay Peninsula.

That was the reason which soon led to the opening of “hill” resorts or “tempat-tempat peranginan” all around in our country. Amongst the cool, hill resorts, opened by the colonial folks, must surely be Cameron Highlands, Fraser’s Hill and of course Penang Hill.

My wife and I once had delicious Penang laksa while we were up Penang Hill in the 1970’s. Genting Highlands, of course came to be opened very much later. The 6,600 meter gambling resort, started when its founder Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, made a decision to set up the now famous resort approximately 45 years ago.

Hill resorts in this country – Cameron Highlands, Penang Hill and Fraser’s Hill were in reality, places where early colonial administrators and high ranking British officials went for their holidays, rest and recreation. Even after the British, had finally left the shores of Malaya, in 1957, when we finally achieved our independence, Malaysians, still fancy visiting the cool and beautiful hill station of Cameron Highlands, Perak, even up till today.

As early as the 1950’s and 60’s, bus loads of tourists, especially young Malaysians, used to visit Cameron Highlands. It can be said that if you were young once a upon a time, and you have never visited Cameron Highlands before, then you would have missed a valuable experience in life.

But then, to travel up Cameron highlands, to Ringlet a town, which is more than 6,666 feet high, is no easy, matter. Travelling by chartered bus, up the winding road to the top of Cameron Highlands is no easy matter. For those who easily become giddy and prone to vomiting, will obviously find going up Cameron Highlands a big struggle indeed.

Why do so many people fancy going up to Cameron Highlands, one might ask? Amongst some of the reasons why this resort is very popular, even with Malaysian are:-

1. Then cool temperature and fresh air there.

Compared to lowland temperature of 38° – 40°C, the temperature in Cameron Highlands is around less than 20°C. Even with the sunshine shining through during the daytime, the atmosphere is cool and very relaxing. At night, the temperatures can sometimes be even colder. Spending a few nights holiday there would be very relaxing indeed.

2. Beautiful flowers and plants thrive in abundance down there.

Cameron Highlands is reknown for its large blooms and flowers. Many people go up to Cameron Highlands to see the beautiful and colourful flowers that grow there. With such beautiful flowers around, taking photographs of ourselves and our family, for the sake of remembrance, is a favourite hobby of many people.

Most people opt to travel up Camerons, during long weekend holidays and school holiday. As a result, the Cameron Highlands is indeed a popular resort, not only with Malaysians, but even foreigners are attracted by many things which the resort has to offer.

3. The abundance of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Being a cool place, fruits and vegetables tend to be able to grow well up in the Cameron Highlands. As a matter of fact, most of our daily vegetables and fruits come from this highland.

Visitors who go up the Cameron Highlands, usually come down with armfuls of vegetables and fruits. These items are not only fresh, but they are cheap as well. Not buying these items on our visit to Cameron Highlands would indeed be a waste of good opportunity.

4. Availability of strawberries in Cameron Highlands.

Besides the Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands appears to be one of the few places in Malaysia that is known for strawberries. The strawberries found here in the Cameron Highlands may not be as big or as sweet as those in other countries, nevertheless, having the chance to taste our own strawberries is indeed a great joy. However, strawberries here may not be cheap. This fruit is as a matter of fact, rather limited and are therefore expensive.

5. An opportunity to see tea plantations.

Cameron Highlands is also reknown for the cultivation of “tea”. Malaysia’s most famous brand of tea, “BOH” tea is infact grown up in the cool temperatures of the highlands.

On a visit here, now you can see tea plants are grown and how workers, especially women, harvest tea in the highlands as well. I have not been to the Cameron Highlands now for well over 30 years. Therefore, I am not very certain if visitors there are allowed to purchase a few packets of this famous item.

6. A chance to see English “Tudor” architecture in Cameron Highlands.

One of the things few things our once colonial masters brought to this country was “architecture”. Some of the older buildings built during the English colonial era were styled according to “Tudor” architecture.

Such buildings nowadays are rarely seen in our country today. In Cameron Highlands, a visitor will have the opportunity to see such old buildings still standing around in our country. Therefore, Malaysians should take the opportunity to go up to Cameron Highlands to see those old colonial buildings.

This short article on why people choose to visit Cameron Highlands, was meant as an introduction before I begin to talk about the recent “horrific” bus accident which befelled a double-decker bus. 28 foreigners, mostly Thais died in this fateful accident that day.

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