Cameron Highland

Date of visit : 25 June 2011

Hotel : The Bala's Chalet (http://www.balaschalet.com/)

We took the new road up the hill and thankfully it's not as twist & turn as the old one! So I had a nice 2D1N stay without having headache~ The hill is filled with Strawberry Farms, Bee Farms, Cactus Farms, Rose Garden & Tea Plantations...

The night market was quite popular too as the road was flooded with people and we had trouble moving our car. But if you're out there at night, do bring along a jacket & a shawl to keep you warm, especially if it's raining. Cameron may not be as cold as before but on a rainy day it's still chilly at night.

If you're looking for a stay that's a little more than just a room, do check out the Bala's Chalet... We took the Raffles Suite which cost us RM300 on weekend Saturday but I'd say it's much more worth it than having to stay in a classy hotel. The Bala's offers an environment that resembles England Cottage. If you're a photography fan, this place will bring smiles to your face :) Don't expect a high class service though, because there are no lift & you'll just have to walk your way up the stairs to your room carrying your own luggage :p While you're there at the Bala's you can try out their dinner too... the price is reasonable & in very pleasing proportion! Definitely will ease your hunger to the fullest! The only down side we found was the water heater... they're using gas and the heat is not constant... but the owner is considering to change them all to electrical...

If you're leaving on Sunday, would be advisable to take the old road back because the new one will most probably be jammed up and being jammed half way on a hill is torturing for your car & your nose (break & clutch smell are terrible!) Taking the old road home you'll come across a water fall. You can take a break, get some snacks and shoot some photos there too ^_^

Pulau Ketam, Selangor

An island in Klang known famous for their wooden roads. Although it is an island, do not expect beaches here... To get there, you'd have to board on a speed boat at Port Klang with a fee of RM7.00 each per one way trip and it takes about 30-45 min. to reach destination. When arrive, the first 2 row of shops will be their town area and after that are mostly houses & temples. Well, there are many who said you can get cheap sea food there but beware as not all as so... We were warned especially the ones you see in front as you arrive... We didn't take any food there so can't comment much on that...

If you wish to stay over night there are hotels too... The price is range below RM100 per night. Else you can just rent a bicycle & ride around the island for R

M5 per day. Be careful though as the road are rather narrow and once you fall over, it's down to the mud or into the water straight away! You won't see any cars around coz the road condition definitely do

esn't allow. Even motorcycles are very rare... You'll see bicycles everywhere and almost all of 'em are modified! The villagers are practically pro in that sense... As you walk, look out for the "ring ring" sound from behind cause that means a bicycle is coming your way and you'd have to move a side (again, be careful not to fall over...)

The "waste" condition is pretty much improved as now they have garbage bins around the island. Yet, I guess the habit is hard to kill, you'd still find rubbish under the house and all over the mud (we even saw old TVs under the bridge...) Some of the road are made of cement now but still most of 'em are wooden... You may want to keep looking straight as you walk because some of the woods are not in very good condition, but even so it should be safe as the locals are riding their bicycles through very comfortably... :p