‘Tokong Swee Nyet’ in Kampug Pulai, Gua Musang, Kelantan has been a place of worship for Chinese settlers who moved to the area about 600-years ago. These settlers (mainly from the Hakka clan) were in search of fortune from gold deposits found in Sungai (river) Galas. Their descendants, who have over the centuries intermarried with…
Tag: Malaysia
Drive Thru: Central Spine Rd
One of my favourite drives – low traffic and amazing scenery! The partially opened Central Spine Road that will link Kuala Lipis in Pahang to Kuala Krai in Kelantan once it is completed. It currently terminates just outside Gua Musang town.
Xin Nian Kuai Le!
Wishing my Chinese friends, family and followers a Happy & Prosperous New Year! A special shout out to those born in the year of the pig. To everyone else in Malaysia and around this region – enjoy the holidays! Guan Yin temple, Raub, Pahang, Malaysia.
Mythical Langkawi (via Ferry)
It’s been 15 years since we last visited Langkawi Island, the mythical island believed to have been cursed for seven generations by a young woman – Mahsuri – who was falsely accused of adultery. Locals believe the curse has been lifted as the island began to prosper over the last few decades after at least…
Heritage Trail: Assumption Church, Penang
The Church of the Assumption on Farquhar Road in Penang was built in 1786, the year Captain Francis Light and British settlers landed on Penang island. They settlers set foot on this tropical island just off Butterworth/Seberang Prai on the mainland of Peninsular Malaysian on Aug 15th – the feast of the Assumption of the…
Thin: Tea-time treat
Tea-time is a big deal in my family home. My mum and our neighbours used to team up to bake, steam or cook up a variety of delicious sweet and savoury afternoon snacks and delicacies. Us kids used to be the guinea pigs for experimental cookouts – we didn’t complain very much until we grew…
Place in The World: Home
Cliche but true – home is where the heart is.
The Fading Façade Of A Quaint, Reverent Place
No this is not a haunted house, but a chapel that served at least three generations of Catholics in the town of Kuala Krai in Kelantan, East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. This year we spent Good Friday at this old dilapidated chapel along Jalan Geale located along the Kelantan River near…
Food Trail: Kelantan
Kelantan, previously a territory of the Siamese empire is probably one of the most underrated food destination in Malaysia and is usually given a miss by most tourists – including Malaysian travellers. It’s close proximity to Thailand in the north gives the local cuisine a different taste and aromatic twist compared to other parts of…
Explore: Down The Path Less Travelled
During my occasional outstation stints as a writer, I often had to go down paths less travelled, which led me to people and places I would otherwise have not taken the effort to explore on my own. Sometimes the people who know of these spots would rather not share their knowledge for fear of ruining the…
Thaipusam: Feast of Cleansing & Renewal
Today marks the eve of Thaipusam, an annual religious festival celebrated by Hindus in the Tamil month of Thai. Over the past week, devotes have been trickling into the Batu cave temple to participate in ceremonies and prayers. For many, this festival is a culmination of a period of fast and abstinence. Various forms of…
Chasing Ghosts: Birth of the Kellie Saga
Based on what we were up to, one would expect a “Booooo! Instead of the”Mooooo!” we got as a greeting when we pulled into Kellas Estate located in the rural district of Dallas, Scotland. “You’d really look good on my plate right now … a nice juicy steak!” exclaimed an exasperated Terence as we passed…
