All posts by Shem MD

Shem MD is a young doctor who really has a passion for travel and food. He started his hobby of writing about travel and food when he graduated from medical school and became the founder of Travelfore.com. Through a blog created by him, he aspires to gather stories from people all over the world about their experiences in travel and food. He also was a true lover of the art of magic, musical instruments, and mind-blowing movies. And most importantly he is a big fan of Liverpool Football Club. The words often out of him were "Nomad is my middle name !" Shem MD also get Internet Marketing Fundamentals Practitioner Certification, Social Media Practitioner Certification, Content Marketing Practitioner Certification, Display Advertising Practitioner Certification from Marketmotive.com and a member of OMCP Organization. Shem MD also get Hootsuite Certified Professional and a Hootsuite Media Inc. Community Ambassador for Asia Pacific (ID) (Volunteer) Passionate in Digital Marketing, Internet Marketing, and Social Media. Specialties: Entrepreneurship, Business Building, Creative Strategy, Social Media Strategist, Travel and Food Blogging, General Medical Practitioner, Skin Care Business, Magic Props, and Concept Consultant.

Food, Street Food Guide

Must Try Famous Food at Orchard Road

05/20/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

Singapore is a heaven for culinary adventure; you can find everything here from cheap street foods to fine dining restaurants. However, Orchard Road is definitely the place you must visit to if you want the real deal of hearty Singaporean foods and refreshing beverages. Most are very cheap and perfect for culinary adventure for the backpackers or budget tourists.

Famous Orchard Road Foods You Must Try
Most of famous foods on Orchard Road you can find at Taman Serasi Botanical Garden Food Center, which is a kind of food court area. Here are some famous foods to try here:

Roti John

This savory ‘roti’ (bread) is popular in Singapore, but only at Orchard Road you can find the original stall. Original Roti John Stall is famous because you can actually taste the ingredients on top of the the French bread, since it is not slathered in so much BBQ sauce or mayonnaise. The toppings can be cheese, chicken, beef, onions or eggs.

Orchard Road Nasi Padang

Nasi Padang is proof of the Indonesian culture that influences culinary tradition in Singapore. Basically, this is rice dish with various side dishes such as fried chicken with turmeric and ginger spices, chili chicken and fish, fish and chicken curry, mixed vegetables, chili paste (red and green), rendang and many more. Famous ‘nasi padang’ restaurants are Mansor D’ Café, Punggol and Minang.

French Food

If you prefer your fancy French food, do not miss Les Amis at Scotts Road Shaw Center. The restaurant serves French food with slight Asian touch without obliterating the actual taste. This restaurant is also famous as the first fine dining French restaurant, and the quality of food is amazing. Recommended dishes are smoked eel, roasted monkfish, scallop with uni, and amazing choices of petit fours.

Lim Kee Banana Fritters

Banana fritters are simple street food, but Lim Kee at Maxwell Food Center makes them amazing. Although only has small stall, Lim Kee offers delicious, creamy and crunchy banana fritters made only from a type of banana called ‘pisang raja,’ which has creamy texture and natural sweetness. However, you can also find other delights such as green bean fritters. They are very cheap snacks to accompany your Singapore adventure.

Uncle Ice Cream

Uncle Ice Cream is a nickname for ice cream sold from simple carts by (usually) senior citizens around Orchard Road; ‘uncle’ is a call for the male sellers and ‘auntie’ for females. Uncle Ice Cream is basically handmade ice cream sells in a cup, cone, and the most popular sandwich ice cream, which is an ice cream block between two slices of bread. The ice cream comes in flavors like chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, durian, mint, and many more.

Killiney Kopitiam

Killiney Kopitiam often becomes favorite venue to find cheap breakfast. Favorite combinations are simple but very hearty: thick coffee or tea (with milk or not), eggs and bread slices with kaya, a type of sweet and soft spread made of eggs, pandan leaf and coconut milk.

Orchard Road is surely a great start for your Singapore culinary adventure.

Lists of Most Popular Food Trucks in America in 2014

05/19/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

Food trucks once considered as cheap food sources that people only chose as the last or quick meal option. Now, hunting for food trucks is one of the most favorite culinary adventures in United States. Food trucks nowadays provide various types of foods even with restaurant quality, but of course with all the practicality and casual feeling of eating from flexible food establishments.

Best Recommendations for US Food Trucks
Interested in eating at America’s best food trucks? Here are the newest lists of mobile food establishment you can find:

Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Located in Boston, Roxy’s Grilled Cheese usually travels around locations such as Cleveland Circle, FT. Point and Dewey Square. Grilled cheese sandwiches are elevated with unique recipes, such as grilled cheese with Portobello mushrooms and tomato, Gouda cheese, pepper ham and pineapples, and grilled cheese with smoked apple wood bacon.

Taceaux Loceaux

Located in Texas, this taco truck usually makes its round at Uptown Nola area. The truck is easily recognized because it has unique ‘Dawn of the Dead’ artwork. It serves tacos with unique ingredients such as brisket, taco with salsa picante, spicy chipotle aioli taco, smoked bacon taco and many more.

Korilla BBQ

Hunt for this Korean food truck around Soho, Midtown, Flatiron and Dumbo in New York City. The concept is pick-your-own ingredients, where buyers can choose to eat with bowl, wrap, rice, various kimchi condiments, bulgogi and other Korean delights in take-away style.

The People’s Pig

If you love eating pork, go to Portland and find The People’s Pig truck around SW10 & Washington. You can get everything from pork brisket to pulled boar, from smoked bacon to even wild boar dish.

Easy Slider

Located in Dallas, this food truck sells various sliders with thick patties from Angus cows. The schedules can be checked from their official website. The filling variations are limitless: goat cheese, strawberry jam, bacon, peanut butter, mayonnaise and such.

Beaver’s Coffee & Donuts

This food truck sells various delicious donuts and coffee beverages (hot brew, cold coffee beverages, and milkshakes) in Hyde Park, River North and The Loop areas in Chicago.

The Fat Shallot

This is a popular sandwich food truck in Chicago that has rounds in similar areas like Beaver’s Coffee& Donuts. The most famous menu is their Pretzel Salami Sandwich…which is a sandwich with pretzels instead of regular bread slices, and filled with salami.

Via 313

Located in Austin, Texas, this food truck is famous for selling pies and square pizzas. There are options of various savory pies, such as pepperoni pie and cheese crusted pizza. The truck usually makes rounds on 1111 East 6th and 61 Rainey Street.

King of Pops

This truck makes rounds around various locations in Atlanta and can be tracked through its official website. They sell authentic flavored paletas, but the most famous treats are popsicles with various flavors, including seasonal fruits like apple and pear.

John Mueller Meat Co.

Located in Austin, this truck is heaven for all meat lovers. The truck sells its goods on 2500 E. 6th Street, and sells sausages, smoked beef, bacon, ribs, smoked beef brisket, chicken and smoked turkey.

What are you waiting for? Make these food trucks your next stops when you travel across the United States.

Cultural and Historical Heritage, Editor's Picks

Eleven Most Iconic Statues in World

03/31/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

Recalling the word “statue”, what do you think will cross in your mind? A creative way of expression realized into a statue by the sculptor with accentuating the form of Art and beautiful side of the creator’s mind. The statue is dedicated as the icon of a country or region that can be the characteristic of it so that people will always remember the place.

There are 11 most iconic statues in the world that you should know, like some below will be explained in order to gain much knowledge about it.

1.Statue of Liberty
This statue is always at the top list of the most famous statue in the world. Located in Manhattan, New York, United States, this statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886. This is actually a gift from the people of France. This statue also was given to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the US Declaration of Independence. It becomes the icon of freedom and an inviting signal to immigrants who visit the USA.

2.Christ the Redeemer
This is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world. Located in Rio de Janerio, Brazil, this statue is also considered the 5th largest statue of Jesus in the world. With 30 meters of height, 8-meter pedestal and 28 meters of width, this statue has long served as a landmark of Rio de Janeiro. It is the most famous monument in Brazil so far.

3.The Great Sphinx
In Giza, Egypt, this Sphinx statue has been known for years of people in the world. It is a limestone statue of mythical creature with a lion’s body and a human head. It has been standing on the Giza Plateau on the west bank of the Nile in Giza, Egypt for centuries. This statue is also known as the oldest monumental sculpture and has been built by ancient Egyptians around 2558-2532 BC.

4.Moai
Located in Easter Island, these statues are monolithic human figures, which were carved by Rapa Nui people from rock between the years 1250 and 1500. These statues have overly large heads three-eight the size of the whole statue. Paro is the tallest Moai and it is almost 10 meters in height and weighs 75 tons.

5.David Statue
This statue is actually the dedication to David, who is a masterpiece of Renaissance created by the famous Italian artist, Michelangelo between 1501 and 1504. This statue represents the Biblical hero, David, located in the Academia Gallery in Florence since 1873.

6.Olmec Colossal Heads
This statue is located in south-central Mexico. There are 17 colossal heads and they range in size from the tallest at 3.4 m high to the shortest at 1.47 m.

7.The Motherlands Calls
This statue is located in Volgograd, Russia. This statue is commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad.

8.The Thinker
This is a bronze sculpture by August Rodin which appeared in figure of man without clothes at about life-size sitting on a rock while his chin is resting on one hand. The figure is pretending like drown in a deep thought. This statue is often used as an image to represent philosophy.

9.The Little Mermaid
This bronze statue, which is depicting a mermaid, is located in Copenhagen, Denmark based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen.

10.The Terrace of the Lions
This unique statue is located in Delos Island, Greece. It is known that the island is one of the most important mythological, historical and archeological sites in
Greece.

11.The Faceless Crawling Horror Babies
These are the statues of crawling baby in black, double-life size, wandering around Prague.

Those 11 most iconic statues in the world can be your tourism destinations whenever you go abroad. Just do not forget to make a list for the next destinations to visit in order for you to not wasting your precious time some places.

Editor's Picks, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Street Food Guide

Famous Asian-Specific Foods in Little India Singapore

03/28/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

When you visit Singapore, you cannot miss the chance to visit Little India street. As the name suggests, it is the center for the large Indian community in Singapore. You can find a lot of entertainments here, from amusement places and of course, the food stalls or stores spread all the way around. There are a lot of famous foods in Little India Singapore to satisfy your crave for tasty cuisines.

In Little India, you can find a lot of menus of Indian foods, most of which are cheap even according to Singaporean standards with the generous portions and vegetarians. Therefore, this location is not only going to satisfy your needs of Indian foods but also for other types of foods, especially from Asian countries.

The Best Chapatti at 170 Norris Road

This store offers you the best chapatti in town. The store is called as Azmi Chappati Thye Chong, which offers halal foods for Moslem. Most of people who have visited this store suggested trying the keema, dhal and aloo masala. Those are the names of foods served by the store. Some even said order two pieces of chapatti would secure your tummy for a whole day.

Gandhi Eating House

This store also offers you some famous foods in Little India Singapore. Located at Chander Road, this Gandhi eating-house serves many kinds of Indian Food. This is what Little India offers you, a lot of Indian foods to try.

Fish Head Curry

Muthus is one of restaurants to offer you the most famous fish head curry in Singapore. However, you can also try the almond chicken, saag paneer, the garlic naans, and a beef vindaloo. You can find the tasty fish head curry. However, you should prepare for poking around to get some respectable chunks of fish. The restaurant is clean and modern, and you can see the process of cooking as it is located right in the middle of the restaurant.

As for the fish’s head curry, it is believed as the melting pot of culinary cultures (Indian, Chinese and Indonesia). Therefore, you can find this kind of foods specific for those three countries easily. However, Little India claims to have invented this food.

Raw vegan and vegetarian treats at Brindavan

If you are a vegetarian, do not be afraid to try hanging out in Brindavan vegetarian rest and café. This restaurant offers you vegetarian foods with raw vegan and vegetarian treats to fulfill your needs for tasty foods.

Other popular restaurants

The Madras New Woodlands restaurant offers you Indian vegetarian staples, such as dosai, appam, upuma paratha, and idli. Then, Sungei Road Laksa sells the tastiest laksa in a big of bowl. There are also Komala Restaurant which serves Indian fast food, the Original Fried Hokkie Mee with its famous Panggul Nasi food, and a lot of Singapore seafood restaurant which have been known as the most popular place to find cold crab. Those are some famous foods in Little India Singapore.

This culturally rich part of Singapore offers you not only food stores to fill up your tummy with delicious cuisine, but also other stores like record shops, spice vendors, and flower stalls. Before moving to the business, to get in to this location, you can use the northeast MRT line at Farrer Park Stations near Serangoon Road. Those are the convenient entry points into the area.

Cultural and Historical Heritage, Destinations, Editor's Picks, North America

John F. Kennedy-Related Tourist Spots in the United States

03/20/2014 Shem MD 1 Comment

If you have an opportunity to visit America, you should consider filling up your ‘Where-to-Go’ list with some of John F. Kennedy-related tourist places, which are spread around the states. Those places were built to remember the 35th President of United States and can be one of spots to spend your precious time in America. Here are some recommended tourism places that you can visit in relation to John F. Kennedy in the USA.

John F. Kennedy Memorial

The first one is the memorial, which was built as a tribute to John F. Kennedy for what he had given to the USA. Located in Dallas, Texas, this place was built on June 24, 1970 and it has become an important part of the city’s urban landscape and of course, a cultural heritage. This building is designed by the architect, Philip Johnson, using a cenotaph or “open tomb,” which symbolizes the freedom of the President’s spirit. This tomb is a square and roofless room with the 30-feet height and 50-by-50 feet width sitting gracefully in the middle of the block. The openings of this squared-white building are facing the north and the south.

You can enter this room whenever you are done with the short walk up on a slight concrete, embossed with concrete squares. You will then confront the low-hewn granite square in which the name of John Fitzgerald Kennedy is carved right inside of this roofless room. His name is painted gold in order to capture the light from the pale concrete floor and the white floating column walls. This building is intended for reflection and remembrance of John F. Kennedy.

John F. Kennedy Statue

This is one of great places of John F. Kennedy tourist places to find in Boston. You can visit this statue if you have registered for the Kennedy Tour of Boston in the first place. The tour usually highlights some sites and landmarks, which are related to John F. Kennedy in the city. Anyway, you can still visit the statue on the State House Lawn along with any tour that you had enrolled. The statue was dedicated on May 29, 1990 and subsidized by private citizens. Isabel McIlvain is the designer and the sculptor of this statue. In the State House Lawn, lied also both of Kennedy’s grandfathers.

Rose Kennedy Greenway

This is another John F. Kennedy-related tourist place, opened publicly in Boston. This is actually a beautiful park named for the matriarch, Rose Kennedy that will afford you a moment to reflect on the Kennedy legacy in Massachusetts, the nation and the world. This park was built because of the great role of Rose Kennedy as the mother of three U.S. senators, two war heroes, an Attorney General of the United States, an Ambassador to Ireland and a President of the United States. This is why she is remembered and forever enshrined.

There are still some tourist places related to the Kennedy family. They include the Omni Parker House Hotel, which was believed as the location of many famous Kennedy and Fitzgerald moments, including the site where JFK announces his bid for Congress in 1946. There is also the Irish Famine Memorial, which commemorates the millions Irish immigrants, the Old City Hall and so on.

Destinations, Indonesia

Interesting Tourist Spots in Jakarta

03/19/2014 Shem MD 1 Comment

Jakarta, despite its problems related to traffic and flood, still becomes a primary option for local people to spend holiday. Jakarta is the country’s capital and largest city in Indonesia with several districts and becomes a representative of multicultural city. As the center of government, commerce, industry, and culture, Jakarta has various means of transportation and accommodation choices. Located in the northern coast of West Java, Jakarta offers varied holiday options from sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife, historical sites, to many other tourists’ destinations.

Famous Tourist Destinations in Jakarta

Landmarks

The most famous tourist destination in Jakarta city is Monas or the National Monument. This 137-meter monument is located in the center of Merdeka square and offers you a great spot to observe the city’s view through its observation deck. Here, art and culture performances are frequently held by the community to gather people from any social status. At the basement of the monument, there is Gajah Mada Museum with various dioramas that portray Indonesian history, and it becomes the home to various art and cultural properties of Indoesia. Another famous landscape in Jakarta is the Presidential Palace, which is the official residence of the president of Indonesia. You can visit this place free on weekend, with preferably formal clothes.

Theme Parks

The major and most-visited theme park in this city is Ancol. In Ancol, you can get lots of excitement from rides in Dunia Fantasi (Fantasy World) to experiencing the underwater excitement in Gelanggang Samudera (Ocean Park). Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is another place to enjoy Jakarta. Here, you will see Indonesian culture as a whole through its exciting tour to the miniature of the 33 province in Indonesia.

Historical Spot

Kota Tua (Old Town of Batavia) is the most famous historical site in Jakarta, located near Glodok China Town. This area is home to many historical museums, such as Museum Fatahillah, Museum Wayang, Museum Mandiri, Museum Maritime, cafes, and street foods.

Things you Need to Prepare before Visiting Jakarta

The heavy traffic and terrific pollution do not stop people to visit this city, as Jakarta is a one-stop holiday spot, filled with exciting nightlife and dynamic lifestyle. With its status as the most populous city in Southeast Asia, you need to plan your visit carefully to Jakarta. Not does it only offer exciting holiday experiences, Jakarta is also filled with crowd of people and heavy traffic. In order to get the maximum experience, pay attention to some of these important tips:

Time management; Jakarta has many tourist destinations from historical landmarks, museums, theme parks, and other. Therefore, make sure you already have a schedule to visit each of your destinations by looking for reference and make a list. If you plan to spend couple of days in this city, you can visit up to three places on each day, and explore the place to the fullest.
Monitoring the traffic, you don’t want the traffic ruins your holiday, right? It is a common knowledge that Jakarta is the ‘paradise’ of traffic jam. Before you decide to go to a certain place, try to find a route that has less dense traffic. If the destination requires you to take crowded road, try to leave earlier.

In addition, calculating your budget is essential before you go on a vacation. With so many attractive spots to visit, you could spontaneously want to go to the ‘unplanned’ place; it means more budgets.

Asia, Destinations, Indonesia, Sport and Adventure

Must-Do Tourist Activities in Kuta and Seminyak, Bali

03/15/2014 Shem MD 3 Comments

Undoubtedly, Bali is the major tourist attraction in Indonesia. This island offers lots of excitements and adventures for budget travelers to executives, with many outdoor or indoor activities to choose. In Bali, the most popular tourist spot is Kuta with its white sandy beach, perfect for surfing. However, there are also other interesting places in Bali to visit. One of them is Seminyak.

Seminyak is more preferable for those who look for more luxurious holiday with the up-market resorts and quiet seaside to enjoy. It is definitely less crowded than the busy Kuta, yet offering the same excitements. Are you ready to explore Bali? Here are some of the reasons why you should visit Kuta and Seminyak during your free time.

Kuta: The Surfing Paradise of Bali

Kuta is a famous, best-know place of tourist resort areas in Bali Island. This place has a great surfing beach, with a long and broad Indian Ocean in front of it, making it achieve its status as surfing paradise. Kuta can be a perfect choice for your one-stop holiday excitement since it offers various tourist activities and accommodations from budget hotels to the luxurious ones. Not only does it serve a perfect beach line for surfing, Kuta is also a great spot to enjoy the sunset. The nightlife of Kuta also becomes one of the major attractions since it offers all-night parties, bars, pubs, and endless shopping facilities.

Are you a surfing enthusiast? Kuta has a long sandy beach with lack of dangerous rocks and corals around it, making it a perfect place to surf. In Kuta, there are even surfing classes and professionals that offer private lessons. If you are not into outdoor activities, you can try spa/massage in Kuta. Since this is the main place for tourist attraction, Kuta has the most competitive price amongst other areas in Bali, with around Rp120.000 for 2 hours of spa. In addition, the endless shopping centers also make Kuta the best place to buy souvenirs or local handicraft.

Luxurious Holiday Experience in Seminyak

While Kuta is more of a party and surf area of Bali, the next town, Seminyak, offers you different types of excitement. This town has more luxurious accommodation types like private Seminyak villas and sophisticated restaurants and bars. The atmosphere is very different from the crowded Kuta, and the beach activity is usually quieter during the day. This place is built for different segments of tourists to offer sophisticated shopping places, with the mix of designer brands and local patterns. Fine restaurants and bars offer you excellent dining with various local and western cuisines to match your taste.

Take your day off to the historical site at Pura Petitenget located near the beach. Seminyak Beach is one of major attractions in this city, with calmer waves, and relaxing atmosphere. Relaxation in Seminyak can be done by looking for spa/massage studios. Seminyak, unlike Kuta, offers higher-end spa facilities, so you can enjoy luxurious and sophisticated relaxing afternoon after spending the day exploring attractive places Kuta has to offer.

Asia, Cultural and Historical Heritage, Editor's Picks

Plastic Surgery as a Tourist Attraction in South Korea

03/13/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

What makes a perfect holiday; a quiet, deserted island that provides optimum privacy or an exciting adventure by exploring the wildlife? Or, do you like sailing through the sea in a luxurious cruise? Well, those are the common holiday choices for most people. However, do you know that there are some peculiar holiday packages to choose for different holiday experience? One of them is plastic surgery tourism. Yes, although it sounds weird, believe it or not, this type of activity is now gaining more attention of majority of socialites in around the world. This unique tourist activity is usually combined with other travel vacation packages. So, what is so interesting about this type of attraction?

The Changing Perspective

Undoubtedly, the increasing popularity of plastic surgery or cosmetic surgery in South Korea is one of the major factors that make this so attractive. Though some people point fingers at those who do the plastic surgery, but some other think, ‘hey, it’s your body, do what you want to do’. The increasing popularity is also due to the public attitude that becomes more optimistic towards the cosmetic surgery. As a result, people do not feel embarrassed anymore after undergoing the surgical intervention for beautification purpose.

Generally, people who undergo plastic surgery think that it is a form of future investment; shaping slimmer body, prettier face, and better overall figure. Some also testify that the result of the plastic surgery is like a stepping-stone; it can help them achieve significant gain in education, marriage, and career, particularly for those who work in entertainment sector. However, this does not only apply to women, but also men. The beauty arguably brings gratification and improves one’s social status in Korean society.

Guarantee of Success

The increasing popularity of plastic surgery as a tourist attraction in South Korea is also due to the government policy that currently promotes this medical tourism. The government of South Korea even shows great optimism in promoting this tourism program, because South Korea has well-qualified surgeons, hospitals, and plastic surgery clinics. The government even guarantees the success of the procedure by setting a standard that must be followed by the practitioners.

This attraction is now heavily promoted because it gives additional income to the country compared to other tourism packages; therefore, the important thing to ensure is the public trust. It has to be done in a proper procedure, performed by licensed surgeon, so that the customers’ satisfaction can be achieved.

Plastic Surgery Attraction Packages

If you are interesting in this type of tourist attraction, some travel agents can help you out. In Indonesia, for example, a travel agent can arrange a vacation trip for the customers who like to visit South Korea, and undergo cosmetic surgery at once. The travel agent will help organizing the traveling schedule, and looking for a deal with the surgeons or the hospital.

Because this type of tourism is still uncommon for majority of people, those who like to do that must submit a request first to the travel agent. The price to do plastic surgery in South Korea is relatively less expensive compared to it is in the western countries. In average, you only need to spend $18.000 to get the surgery done.

Asia, Destinations, Editor's Picks, Indonesia

KarimunJawa – The Paradise of Tropical Islands

03/11/2014 Shem MD 1 Comment

Are you trying to get away from your hectic weekdays and looking for a quiet and relaxing spot? If so, Karimun Java is one of the best places to go. You will hardly believe what such small islands can offer to you. There are white-sand beaches and palm trees and reef as the fringe, bright and clean turquoise water as far as the eyes can see, warm weather, and more than enough resorts or lodges for you to spend the rest of the day.

The Ideal Tropical Paradise

Located in Central Java, precisely about 90 km off the northern part of Central Java’s coastline, initially, Karimun Java was designated as a National Marine Park. The natural beauty is extraordinary; this is by far one of the most common reasons for tourists to visit this island, although there are many other reasons. However, fewer people means being less crowded and it will give you more private and relaxing atmosphere in enjoying the beauty of the islands.

Karimun Java consists of 27 small islands, with Karimunjawa and Kemujan as the main islands. The Karimunjawa Island is larger and it has everything to offer to backpackers or divers who enjoy both underwater and trekking activities. The landscape is quite hilly and steep in particular spots, with the highest peak is about 570 meters, and other peaks are about 150 meters or more. The idea of perfect vacation is about enjoying your free time to the fullest, and Karimunjawa is the perfect place for sunbathing at the daytime, or having romantic dinner at the local restaurant. If you visit the place during the non-peak season, it is most likely that you can wander around the island without being disturbed by other tourists.

Must-Try Activities in Karimum Java

What can you do once you land on the island? With so many marine populations under water, diving and snorkeling are the most favorite activities to spend the day. Take a plunge and enjoy yourself exploring the marine life such as the coral reefs or colorful fishes, the black coral or the organ pipe coral. If you want to experience a different diving sensation, try the wreck diving. The wreck of Panamian ship, Indono, in 1955 had become an ideal and healthy platform for the fish to grow. You can find the shipwreck dive spot around Kemojan Island.

Within about one hour of travel time with boat from Karimunjawa, you will discover a beautiful sandbank that only appears during the low tide called Gosong in the middle of the sea. This spot makes a perfect place to swim and capture the moment under stunning scenery. To get around the islands, you can rent a motorcycle or bicycle, and rent a local boat to get to other nearby islands. This will cost around Rp200.000,- for the whole day.

To fulfill your outdoor excitement, trekking is a challenging alternative that is not limited by height. You can trek the highest peak of the islands, enjoy the beautiful trekking panorama through the forest, and discover the tropical wildlife such as deer, long-tailed macaques, sea eagles, and various species of birds. After you spend the daytime exploring the islands, you can enjoy yourself in a relaxing afternoon, looking at the sunset from your resort or lodge. Some resorts also provide the tourist with diving activities as holiday package.

Asia, Destinations, Editor's Picks, Restaurant Reviews, Street Food Guide

Exploring Malaysia’s Tourism and Cuisine

03/08/2014 Shem MD Leave a comment

Since some years ago, Malaysia has become main and foremost tourist destination in Asia Pacific. This county offers a distinctive yet adventurous experience. You can enjoy the city view, learn the diversity of cultures, or relax in its beautiful beaches. However, culinary tourism must be an integral part of your visit to Malaysia. Before you visit those tourist destinations, it is time to relax and enjoy the rest of the day.

Extraordinary Malaysian Local Cuisines

In Malaysia, you will find various types of delicious local cuisines that can melt your tongue. Nasi lemak is one of Malaysia’s favorite dishes. It is suitable for breakfast. This dish is made from fragrant rice, cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaf to create a unique taste and to arise your appetite. Traditionally, Nasi Lemak was served with various additional dishes such as fried chicken, fried anchovies, hard-boiled eggs, and sambal (spicy sauce). The most recommended place to eat Nasi Lemak in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is the Village Park restaurant, located in Damasara Jaya, Petaling Jaya.

Enough with the breakfast, now let’s skip for the lunch. The best lunch dish to have is pucuk ubi sambal tempoyak with ikan bilis. This is a traditional Malaysian dish, perfect for lunch, because it’s quite spicy. You can eat it for lunch at Restoran Salero Negori for the best service. Besides Pucuk Ubi Sambal Tempoyak with Ikan Bilis, another perfect dish for lunch is Sup tulang ketuk, which is made of beef bone; best place to eat this dish is at Geylang Kopitiam. In this restaurant, the guests can taste the delicious and original Melayu dishes.

In the night, you can free yourself by visiting famous food streets in Kuala Lumpur, called Jalan Alor. This place is popular for night culinary tour in the evening in Kuala Lumpur. You can find almost all of Malaysian traditional and modern foods and drinks offered at affordable prices.

Exploring Malaysia’s Top Tourist Destinations

Malaysia offers distinctive holiday destinations. If you enjoy exploring the beauty of nature, Mulu Caves is a must-visit place while you are in Malaysia. Located in Gunung Mulu National Park in Borneo, the park has an incredible view of rainforest setting. Deep down inside the cave, you will find a chamber called Sarawak chamber, which is the biggest cave chamber in the world.

Still in Borneo, there is Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation that has rescued baby Orang Utan since 1964. Here, you can interact with trained Orang Utan, or just see the beauty of the rainforest nature of the island. If you are a budget traveler, Perhentian Island is the perfect destination. You can get the view of beautiful sandy beach and turquoise blue see, diving experience, and it has many cheap accommodations. Besides Perhentian Island, Langkawi Island is also a great choice to spend your holiday at white beaches, jungle-covered hills, and craggy mountain peaks.

If you prefer to spend time ‘inside’ the city, you do not have to worry, since Malaysia also has so many tourist destinations to enjoy. Petronas tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world, and features Sky Bridge connecting the two buildings on the 41st and 42nd floors. Georgetown Inner City is another city spot to spend your time. This town is located in the northeast corner of Penang Island, and mostly occupied by Chinese descendants. If you visit this place, you will find most local head out to the street to have meal or drinks in the evening.

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