Pangkor Laut is a privately owned island located three miles off the West Coast of Malaysia along the Straits of Malacca. This piece of paradise has been 2 million years in the making, and here you will find one of the world’s premier resorts nestling in the shade of forest giants as old as the land.

You will find no other resorts – just secluded bays curled around pristine beaches, evening skies woven with colour, and a deep sense of serenity reserved exclusively for our guests. A combination of luxury, natural beauty and age-old wilderness woven together to produce an environment where peace and magically memorable moments are the currency.

Of the island’s 300 acres, only a fraction has been developed to house the Resort and its eight Estates. Wooden buildings blend seamlessly into the forest as if nature had been the architect dictating how walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up to allow trees to continue on their journey to the sky.

Nature is respected here, almost revered, and it rewards visitors in ways that simply need to be experienced.

Welcome to paradise.

Originally settled in the 4th century, the island’s name translates from the Tahitian to “first born.”  Lush tropical rainforests and its location at the edge of an azure lagoon make Bora Bora one of the most beautiful, romantic places in the world.

Le Méridien Bora Bora’s 99 tropically themed bungalows either perched over the spectacular lagoon or nestle at the edge of ivory sands, shadowed by tall coconut trees. Over-water bungalows feature a glass-bottomed floor, providing stunning views of marine life beneath the surface. Beach bungalows offer private beaches and hammocks. Savor the gentle ocean breeze as it wafts into your room, rippling the delicate curtains of your canopied bed. 

Le Tipanie restaurant features a different themed cuisine each night of the week. Swim with the turtles in the turquoise lagoon before heading to dinner to watch the sun set in all its glory over the water, with the silhouette of the imposing extinct volcano, Mt. Otemanu, towering in the background.

The Turtle Sanctuary at Le Méridien Bora Bora, an effort to help save the magnificent hawksbill, green sea turtles, is the only one of its kind in French Polynesia. The hotel offers educational presentations to teach guests about these beautiful creatures, and guests can swim with the turtles in the picturesque lagoon or even “adopt” a turtle and help in the quest to return these animals to their natural wild habitat.

Exhilarate your senses at the Kaïnalu Club, which offers traditional Polynesian outrigger canoes, jet skiing, sailing, feeding Blacktip Reef and Lemon Sharks and scuba diving.

Hurry, log on to www.tigerairways.com now before seats get snapped up!

Buy between 15 Oct to 21 Oct 2007 and fly from 7 Jan to 31 Jan 2008.

Booking period is from 5 Nov to 11 Nov 2007 and travel period is from 15 Nov 2007 to 31 Mar 2008.

You must purchase your ticket at least 14 days in advance. 

List of Budget Airlines

 

 I personally stayed here the last time I was in Cameron Highlands (which was about Dec 2006) and I loved it here.

Service was personal and friendly and I paid something like RM60 for a double room with attached bathroom (it was shoulder season I guess).  For more details on the rates, please go to their website as the rates may change from time to time. Or you can email danielslodge@hotmail.com for exact rates.

Location of this lodge is just 3 minutes away from the Tanah Rata bus station (you have to walk up a slope to get to this lodge; which is great coz it means you’re away from the hustle and bustle of the main road).  Please note that Cameron Highland’s main town is at Brinchang and not Tanah Rata which is a quieter part of Cameron Highlands.

However, you can also ask the staff at the lodge to book for you bus tickets to Kuala Lumpur (city of Malaysia) and the bus will depart from the Tanah Rata bus station. Do book your bus ticket at least a day in advance if you don’t want to be disappointed.

Foodwise is not a problem for us as we just had to walk down the slope and turn left before coming into several eating places.  They serve local fare as well as the more popular steamboat.

The best part I love about Daniel’s Lodge besides the reasonable rates is that they have a real campfire (with logs and all) right behind the Jungle Bar.  As the weather can be quite cold in Cameron Highlands, it’s really nice to gather around the fire and make friends with other lodgers or simply sit and enjoy the warmth.

For a better idea of what to do in Cameron Highlands, check my sample itinerary which can be found somewhere in this blog.

Matahari Cottage Bed & Breakfast
Tel:62-361-975459
Fax:62-361-978079
Address: Jl. Jembawan, Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Email: sales@matahariubud.com

Matahari Cottage Bed & Breakfast is situated on a secluded ravine, only a five to seven minute walk from Ubud Palace. Numerous birds and butterflies weave through the surrounding lush green jungle and garden of colorful, exotic flowers. Flocks of white herons fly in a V formation as the glowing Balinese sun sets. The birds are on their way to their native habitat, the village of Bedulu, located a fifteen-minute drive from Ubud. Bedulu is a popular spot for tourists.

Matahari Cottage Bed & Breakfast is dedicated to your comfort and pleasure. An occasional guest familiar only with chain hotel offerings might find that Matahari does not match his or her expectations; however, those who would enjoy a more natural ethnic experience in grass huts carefully prepared to make guests feel pampered in the jungle surroundings, will find a pleasurable and memorable experience at Matahari, and at a reasonable price.

Matahari Cottage Bed & Breakfast offers a five-star quality breakfast and an exquisite afternoon tea free to in-room guests. Many utensils at Matahari are antique porcelain and silverware, courtesy of our master innkeeper, who enjoys sharing his Bali lifestyle with his guests. Our breakfast menu is changed daily to satisfy all palates.

Matahari is a green bungalow, which means that ceiling and floor fans are used in place of air conditioning in all guest rooms (the Indian Pasha Room is the only guest room with air-conditioner.) Air conditioning is used only in the library where numerous antique books and furniture require protection from excess humidity. Matahari’s solar water heater, imported from Australia, accommodates hot baths and showers while saving electric energy.

Although Bali is located only eight degree south of the equator, Ubud is located near the mountainous area where temperatures vary as much as 5 degrees Celsius between nighttime and daytime hours. Matahari Cottage Bed & Breakfast offers six rooms decorated in six different themes. A 25% discount is applied on the daily room rates for guests staying 7 days and up.

Rates for the theme rooms start from USD25 (a 25% discount will be applied on the room rates for guests staying 7 days and up) and airport transfer (1-way) is 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah (around S$24.41 approximately). Check their website for more information.

Please note that Matahari Cottage is located at Ubud. Ubud is located 35 km northeast of Bali’s International Airport. It is attractive to tourists for a variety of reasons. On a relatively small island with a horde of attractions, Ubud is centrally located, and even the closest beach is only 15 minutes away. Click here to find out more about Ubud.

Low Season:

• 01 Feb 07 – 15 Feb 07
• 19 Feb 07 – 04 Apr 07
• 07 Apr 07 – 30 May 07
• 02 Jun 07 – 08 Aug 07
• 11 Aug 07 – 11 Oct 07
• 13 Oct 07 – 07 Nov 07
• 10 Nov 07 – 19 Dec 07
• 23 Dec 07 – 31 Dec 07

High Season:

• 16 Feb 07 – 18 Feb 07
• 05 Apr 07 – 06 Apr 07
• 31 May 07 – 01 Jun 07
• 09 Aug 07 – 10 Aug 07
• 12 Oct 07
• 08 Nov 07 – 09 Nov 07
• 20 Dec 07 – 22 Dec 07

Sales Period: 01 Feb 07 – 31 Oct 07
Travel Period: 01 Feb 07 – 31 Dec 07
Last date of departure from Singapore must be : 31 Dec 07
Travel completed by: refer to maximum stay

Economy Class: Min Stay 3 Nights, Max Stay 3 Months( Return Trip)

Low Season: from S$618 (excluding airport taxes)

High Season: from S$705 (excluding airport taxes)

The other budget hotel in Kuala Lumpur was launched by AirAsia a couple of months back and it’s called Tune Hotels. Rates start from RM9.99. This hotel is located near the KL monorail, “Medan Tuanku”, 2 stones throw away as claimed by the hotel. Its address show No. 316 Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, a bit far from the Chinatown area that I love in Kuala Lumpur.

Rates quoted are for room + breakfast for 2 pax

First World Hotel

• Standard Room – Rm38.88 to 78.88 (low season), Rm88.88 to 138.88 (shoulder season) & Rm118.88 to 158.88 (peak season)
• Deluxe Room – Rm78.88 to 118.88 (low season), Rm98.88 to Rm138.88 (shoulder season) & Rm128.88 to Rm168.88 (peak season)

Theme Park Hotel

• Superior Room – Rm78.88 to Rm98.88 (low season), Rm108.88 to Rm128.88 (shoulder season) & Rm138.88 to Rm158.88 (peak season)

Resort Hotel

• Standard Room – Rm98.88 to Rm118.88 (low season), Rm138.88 to Rm158.88 (shoulder season) & Rm168.88 to Rm188.88 (peak season)
• Deluxe Room – Rm128.88 to Rm148.88 (low season), Rm168.88 to Rm188.88 (shoulder season) & Rm198.88 to Rm218.88 (peak season)

Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Resort

• Double Deluxe Room – Rm88.88 to Rm108.88 (low season), Rm108.88 to Rm128.88 (shoulder season) & Rm138.88 to Rm158.88 (peak season)

Click here to see the seasonal chart. For more information on the above packages, please click here.

The following travel agents in Singapore offer direct coaches/tour packages from Singapore to Genting Highlands (they are ranked in no particular order):-

1. Grassland Express & Tours Pte Ltd
2. Gunung Raya Travel
3. 707 Travel Services (Pte) Ltd
4. Enjoy Holiday Tour Pte Ltd
5. Five Stars Tours Pte Ltd
6. An-An Travel & Tour Pte Ltd
7. Nam Ho Travel Service
8. T & L Tours Pte. Ltd