Palace of the Golden Horses Malaysia

Some pics from my short stay at the hotel. Was there for a conference - Global Conference on Business and Economics Research 2013, organised by the Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia.

View from my window:

Artificial waterfall

The Horse theme is everywhere:

Table Lamp

Even on the ceiling

With my brother-in-law

For a 5 star hotel and all the hype, did not really live up to my expectations:
There was no food in the mini fridge, cracks on the tiles, no extra tea bags or coffee (though they did refill it once I asked for it), limited TV channels, stationary with worn out covers.

To be fair, I did not really use all their facilities and did have the chance to go for a stroll around the huge hotel grounds. The room they provided was huge and clean, the conference rooms were good, the food was fantastic and the staff were really friendly.

Trip to the highlands 2013 - 2: Great Glen, Scotland

Updated 22/8/2013 with more pictures

Some more pictures from our trip to the Scottish highlands during the Easter break.

This was a short trekking trip from the Great Glen Water Park, where we were staying, to The Eagle Barge, a floating restaurant at the South Laggan Locks. The weather was great and the distance (about 1.5 miles) was just right for the kids. It was my son's first trekking trip as well.

The path was really nicely maintained with some great views of the Caledonian canal.














Moss on the ground






Boats passing by

By Road to Malaysia: Bidding farewell to Jamalulail Ismail and family

A couple of days ago, I blogged about Jamalulail Ismail and his family who are travelling "By Road to Malaysia" on their motorhome (Read post here). They dropped by at Coventry for a few days and we were able to meet up with them and have a chat just before they left.

Jamal gave us a brief tour of their motorhome and their equipment. It was quite pleasant inside even though it was around 27 degrees outside. I was quite surprised that they did not have air conditioning and wondering how they would cope when they pass some of the warmer countries on their journey.

I asked them how they intended to keep in touch with all their friends, family and fans following their journey. They told me that they would try to update their progress via their Facebook page, Twitter and blog wherever they had internet access. They do not have a satellite phone but they have a DeLorme in Reach two-way satellite communicator with GPS which allows text messaging from anywhere in the world (according to their site) and post their location on a map. They can also send an SOS in case of an emergency though I hope it will never come into use.





They are looking for sponsors now. Please contact Jamal (advertise@byroadmalysia.com) if you want to sponsor a satellite phone, fuel or part of the cost of their journey.

We wish them all the best and pray that they have a safe journey which I am sure would be an amazing adventure.

We bid Au Revoir to them (till we meet again). Selamat Mengembara!!

Visit to Cardiff 2013

Just came back from Cardiff. I had gone there to attend the Academy of Marketing annual conference which was hosted by the University of South Wales this year.

I stayed at the Park Plaza Cardiff, which was about 5 minutes walk from the conference venue. It is the only 4 star hotel in the city but I was not really impressed. No free water bottles, no free newspapers, tiny holes in the bath tub, tear on the bed sheet, limited channels on the TV and room facing the main road and NIGHTCLUBS. I could not sleep till late because of the noise. I think they should take the manager for a tour of some 4 star hotels in Malaysia or Singapore to see how it is done over there. Next time I will stay in Premier Inn - at least I will get free water bottles. Positives: the lady at the reception was warm and friendly, hairdryer, ironing board and iron in room. They apparently have a great restaurant, spa and swimming pool but did not get the chance to use them.


An interesting sculpture in my room

Here are some pictures from my short trip:




Cardiff Castle. Unfortunately it was closed by the time I freshened up and went for a bit of sightseeing.













The best part of the conference was the reception at the National Museum Wales. They have an amazing collection of artwork by some of the greatest masters including, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, Cezanne, etc.









Will definitely be visiting again.

Note: The pics here were taken by either my Samsung Galazy SII or my Nokia Lumia 900 and hence the quality which is actually not that bad. Definitely need to get my hands on a Nokia Lumia 1020.

From UK to Malaysia

Our friend Jamalulail Ismail, his wife Sofinee Harun and their 4 kids are embarking on a fantastic journey. They are embarking on long trip, from the UK to Malaysia by road on their 2.9 L Turbo Diesel Mercedes Benz motorhome, fulfilling a dream that Jamalulail had for a long time.



Right now they are busy preparing for the trip which will take them across more than 30 countries and some hot spots.


Their planned route.

They post regular updates on their By Road to Malaysia Facebook page and also on their blog .

Check out their website for more information about their project - it is a huge project.

Wishing them all the best on this amazing journey.