Recently in Malaysia Category

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

When I was living in Langkawi, I started to purchase Royal Selangor photo frames as a memento of my stay in Malaysia.  I did not know a great deal about the history of pewter or Royal Selangor until a recent visit to the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre. Thank goodness that visiting friends force you to do a few touristy activities!

Founded in 1885, Royal Selangor is the world's foremost name in quality pewter goods.  The company employs more than 600 skilled craftsmen & women today.  Their pewter is made of tin, copper and antimony, but unlike the olden days, pewter today does not contain lead. The brand, originally known as Selangor Pewter, changed its name in 1992 to Royal Selangor to reflect its royal endorsement by His Royal Highness.
 
Your tour begins with an overview on the history of pewter in Malaysia.  Despite modern technology, every piece of Royal Selangor is still handcrafted.  During your tour of the factory floor, you will have the opportunity to test your skills with the professionals in areas such as hammering the perfect patterns onto the products that I was sure were machine produced, as well as soldering, polishing and engraving.
 
The School of Hard Knocks is a half-hour workshop where you can produce your very own piece of pewter, complete with your engraved initials, using just a few simple tools such as a hammer, mallet and wooden mould.  After polishing your new pewter dish, it's yours to take home with your certificate.  The class costs just RM50 (US$15)/person. Of course, at the end of the tour you can simply relax in the café or head for some retail therapy. With over a thousand different pieces available, you'll have a whole new appreciation for the time and effort that goes into each piece of Royal Selangor pewter. 

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

The island of Langkawi is one of 99 magical islands on the Northwest coast of Malaysia, close to the Thailand border. Luxury has arrived with the opening of The Andaman, Langkawi, Starwood's newest resort on the island. Set amidst a 50 million-year-old virgin rainforest between the Mat Chicang mountain range and the sparkling Andaman Sea, Langkawi is just a 60 minute flight from Kuala Lumpur or a 90 minute one from Singapore, and an ideal vacation destination.
 
An island full of historical legend, stories and activities, revel in the view from Mat Cincang, Langkawi's second highest mountain with a cable car ride. Wander throughout the island on private guided nature tours which include exploring the local area on mountain bikes, bird watching on Gunung Raya, the highest point of the rainforest, as well as observing the island from above the tree canopy.  Tours to the Lake of the Pregnant Maiden, the largest freshwater lake in Langkawi, and The Seven Wells are also highly recommended.
 
Langkawi was granted Geopark status in 1997 by UNESCO, the first in Southeast Asia and only the 52nd park in the world, due to its geological and geomorphologic heritage.
 
My tip:  Langkawi is a duty/tax-free island .. ideal for shopping!

Kuching is the biggest city on the island of Borneo, having emerged over the past two decades as one of Malaysia's economic and cultural capitals, and if you've never had the pleasure of visiting, here's a great chance. The Four Points by Sheraton Kuching is one of this week's participating Starpicks properties, with last-minute rates of at least 20% off regular rates for stays during the next eight weeks. Conveniently located just two kilometers from the airport and 15 minutes from the heart of the city, Kuching's newest international hotel has everything you need to look and feel your best, from a state-of-the-art fitness center to a full-service spa, where a pampering massage is just the thing for sore muscles. Then there's the big, beautiful outdoor pool (pictured), which is lined with palm trees and lounge chairs to relax in while enjoying a good book and a refreshing beverage. Spend a day hiking in nearby Bako National Park, with its proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, and flying lemurs, and then come back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner at The Eatery and cocktails at The Lounge. It's the perfect end to a great day in Malaysia. Of course, the Four Points by Sheraton Kuching is just one of dozens of Starpicks properties this week, so check the list to find the destination of your dreams.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

My family recently visited me in Kuala Lumpur or 'KL' as the locals call it! Given that they were traveling with friends and in town for six nights, I thought it best that they take up residence somewhere a little more heavenly than my lounge room. So, we headed to The Westin Kuala Lumpur's Executive Residences. With a choice of 63 one & two bedroom apartments, you are sure to feel at home here. Of course, all the things you love about Westin are available in these residences. There's Service Express®, WestinWORKOUT, Heavenly Shower® - a dual showerhead with five adjustable jet settings - and the world famous Heavenly Bed (which turns 10 this year) all turn this hotel into your home away from home - ideal for long stay visits to the city.

The Westin Kuala Lumpur, located right on the bustling Jalan Bukit Bintang in the heart of the city's famous shopping area, is an easy stroll to Star Hill Gallery, Pavilion and Lot 10 shopping centers. The Petronas Twin Towers - the world's tallest twin towers at 88 stories - are just a five minute drive from The Westin. The two towers are connected by an aerial sky-bridge at the 40th floor, providing spectacular views of the city below.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

Kuala Lumpur Design Week is set to make its inaugural mark from March 28 - April 4, 2009. For nine days, the city of KL will play host to a number of events which have been designed to inspire and foster talking points within the community such as art installations, exhibitions, forums and workshops. Creative design has become an important national strategy for many countries and cities as a process to develop their own identity and to build national pride. Look at the success in Beijing and all of their newly designed buildings and national monuments built for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Showcased at KLDW will be Chris Bosse, one of the designers of Beijing's acclaimed Water Cube. He joins such designers as Stefan Sagmeister, Aya Kato, David Carson, Kuntzel+Deygas, Tokyo Plastic and Studio 4ºc to showcase and discuss their work. For tickets and more information on the event, visit the design week website. The official hotel of KL Design Week, Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur is offering special room rates for the event, which is open to the public. Do you have a question about our Starwood Preferred Guest program? Click here to go to our forum.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

Recently, I traveled between Kuala Lumpur & Hong Kong and using the airport trains in both cities, I was able to leave Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and arrive at W Hong Kong with out taking a taxi or getting wet in the tropical rain storms of the day. Both airports offer very convenient airport - city rail links with airline check-in facilities in their city stations.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (or KLIA as the locals fondly call it), is some 50 kilometers or a 60-90 minute drive from the city centre. However, the KLIA Ekspress travels between KL Sentral's CAT (City Airport Terminal) and KLIA every 15 minutes during peak hour and every 20 minutes off-peak. The journey will take you just 28 minutes. The KL CAT allows you to check-in for your flight between 2 and 12 hours before your scheduled departure time. Your luggage is tagged to your final destination, saving you carrying your bags to the airport. The train staff takes care of this for you!

So, next time you are arriving or departing KL, try the KLIA Ekspress. Tickets are RM35/way (approx: US$10/way). First train departs at 5:00 am whilst the last train departs KL Sentral at 12:30 am (midnight) or KLIA at 01:00am.

The Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur is located at KL Sentral and is within walking distance of the CAT station, while The Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur and The Westin Kuala Lumpur are a short taxi ride from KL Sentral.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

Last weekend, I ventured to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, West Malaysia and stayed at the Le Méridien Kota Kinabalu. The Le Royal Club lounge offers sweeping views of the South China Sea and Mt. Kinabulu Peak (pictured). Upgrade if you can! KK, as it is commonly known, is a two and a half hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, KK, and an ideal get away from the hustle and bustle of KL. Direct flights are also available from Taiwan and South Korea.

Whilst we spent the day island hopping, it is fair to say that the food is one of the draws for visitors to KK. Of course, the hotel's restaurant - Circle - offers elements of Le Méridien's Jean-Georges Vongerichten breakfast experience to start your day, but at night we ventured a little further from the hotel .. but not too far. About a fifteen minute walk or RM7 (US$3) taxi fare is Ocean Seafood Village. Here, we chose our seafood from the live tank displays - seafood doesn't get any fresher! The restaurant and the whole town is very casual; shorts and flip-flops are ideal for the tropical climate.

Opposite the restaurant is a broadwalk that offers more restaurants & bars and an outdoor massage area under the cover of an overhead canopy. Lie back, enjoy the sea breeze and have a one hour foot massage as I did, for RM45 (US$17) ... Ahhh!