Useful links - Penang Tourism
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Jalan Alor, Kuala Lumpur Food Street
Kuala Lumpur (KL) is all about eating and the best place to try local food is along Jalan Alor. It is formerly the red light district of KL but the area has since undergone a number of facelifts and the hosts now cater more to delight the gastronomical passions of its patrons.
Just a short walk away from the shopper’s paradise of Bukit Bintang Walk, the road looks desolate during the day but when night falls, the place comes alive with many food stalls lining up along the street. Unlike Jonker Walk in Malacca where roads will be closed to traffic from 7pm, the road here remains open so you have to take extra care when navigating it.
I absolutely love the durians here as they are luscious and lip smackingly good! Just thinking about it makes me salivate!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Mooncake Festival
Every year, on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, when the moon is at its brightest for the year, the Chinese celebrate "zhong qiu jie" (hanyu pinyin) – the Mooncake Festival, also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival.
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A typical mooncake is round or rectangular and contains a thick pastry including the yolk of salted egg to symbolize the moon. It is coated with a relatively thin crust. Chinese families traditionally gather outside their homes to admire the moon while partaking of mooncakes. The Chinese delicacy is rich, heavy, and dense, compared to most Western cakes and pastries.
There are various accounts as to the origin of the festival. One story usually told to children is about a moon fairy who lived in a crystal palace, who came out to dance on the moon’s shadowed surface.
The legend dates back to ancient times, to a day when ten suns appeared simultaneously in the sky.
The story says that the Emperor ordered a famous archer to shoot down the nine extra suns. When the task was accomplished, the Goddess of Western Heaven rewarded the archer with a pill that would make him immortal. However, his wife found the pill, took it, and was banished to the moon. It is believed that her beauty is at its fairest on the day of the Moon Festival.
Another legend tells of a “Man on the Moon” who was spotted at an inn, carrying a writing tablet, who claimed to be recording the names of all the happy couples who were fated to marry and live happily ever after. Accordingly, many Chinese weddings are held during the 8th lunar month, with the 15th day being the most popular date.
The most popular legend, however, is related to Chinese history. It says that during the Yuan dynasty (A.D. 1280-1368), China was ruled by a Mongolian emperor. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D. 960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set out to coordinate a rebellion. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Hidden in each mooncake was a message containing a plan for the attack. On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government.
This year 2010, the mooncake festival happens to fall on 22 Sep, Chinese families celebrate the festival with dances, feasts, moon-gazing, and partaking of mooncake sliced in small wedges with Chinese tea. So, if you happen to be in some part of Asia now, do join in the revelry.
Happy mooncake festival to all!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tokyo Tower
With 333 meters, Tokyo Tower is 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, and the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol for Japan's rebirth as a major economic power, and serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction. Visitors can ascend to the main observatory at 150 meters and the special observatory at 250 meters to get a bird's eye view of Tokyo. Under good weather conditions, Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance.
An aquarium, wax museum and several more attractions can be found on the ground floors of the tower. Separate entrance fees apply.
Location : 4-2-8 Shiba-Koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011
Constructed : 1957–58
Cost : ¥2.8 billion($8.4 million in 1958)
Architect(s) : Tachū Naitō[1]
Structural engineer : Nikken Sekkei Ltd
Owner : Nihon Denpatō(Nippon Television City Corp.)
How to get there
The closest subway stations to Tokyo Tower are Onarimon Station on the Mita Subway Line and Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Subway Line. You can also walk there from Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote and JR Keihin-Tohoku Line in about 15 minutes.
location map
Useful links - Tokyo Tower official website.
10 steps to follow when buying a property
Buying a home is the biggest purchase most of us will make in our lives. Yet many people rush to buy a property with less preparation than they would planning a holiday. This can have financially disastrous consequences, especially in light of the new measures announced by the government on August 30th, which have created a lot of uncertainty in the market’s direction.
Follow the steps laid out below when buying a property, and you will be much less likely to make an expensive mistake.
1. Decide whether you want to rent or buy
Buying a home is often an emotional decision. That’s fine - just make sure it’s a rational one too. Honestly ask yourself if you need to buy a home, and whether renting might be a viable option.
2. Calculate how much you can afford
First look at how much money you currently have, including cash and CPF. Note that based on the new measures, if you already have at least one loan outstanding, your minimum cash outlay will increase from 5 percent to 10 percent. Next, figure out how much you can borrow, taking all your outstanding debts into account. You can work with a banker, or use the affordability calculator available on LoanGuru (https://www.loanguru.com.sg/mortgage_affordability_calculator). Most banks will only lend up to a 35-50 percent Debt Service Ratio (your total debt payments divided by your monthly income).
3. Figure out what sort of home you want
What are your current and future housing needs? For example, a newly married couple that buys a studio or one bedroom unit might find within a year or two that they need a two or three bedroom apartment once a baby is on the way. Would you prefer HDB or private property, if you can afford it? Which districts or areas do you prefer to live in? What are the amenities and public transportation options you want?
4. Build a list of options
You can choose to either use a buyer’s agent and/or go DIY. Look at both options offline (e.g. classified ads in the newspapers) and online (property websites) to get the largest pool to choose from. Based on what you’ve figured out from Steps 2 and 3 above, come up with a list of potential projects to consider.
5. Do market research and narrow down your choices
You can check the recent transacted prices of these projects from the PropertyGuru website. Compare prices there with surrounding projects. Compare the transacted prices with the asking prices. If you are buying for investment, look at the market rents and rental yields. Eliminate the projects that do not look attractive.
6. Go for property viewings
Based on this smaller list of projects, arrange viewings of at least a few different units in each project. It’s helpful to take photos and notes to help you remember what you saw. Visit each project at different times of the day and night to see if it is noisy or otherwise unpleasant. Narrow down your list to your top few units and do a second viewing if necessary.
7. Get indicative valuations and your mortgage pre-approved
Don’t miss this critical step! Before you make an offer, ensure that you have gotten an indicative valuation from a bank and an in-principle approval for a mortgage. You can approach the different banks yourself or use a mortgage broker to save time. Based on the new measures, if you already have an outstanding loan, your Loan To Valuation (LTV) limit has been lowered to 70 percent from 80 percent, so you’ll need to cough up more cash. Also, banks will only lend to you based on the LOWER of the valuation limit or purchase price, so if you are buying above the bank’s valuation, you will need to pay the difference in cash. If you are selling your existing home to purchase a new one and hope to borrow at 80 percent LTV, you now need to present proof to qualify (in the form of a signed purchase agreement for your current home and certification showing that stamp duty for your existing property has already been paid for by the buyer).
8. Make an offer and negotiate the purchase
Once you get the indicative valuations and at least one pre-approved mortgage from the bank, you can then make an offer knowing you can borrow what you need. There have been a number of unfortunate cases of buyers who have lost their deposits because they realised later that banks would not finance their purchase. When negotiating the purchase price, it helps to have a number of options on hand so you are not forced to overpay due to a lack of options.
9. Sign and exercise the Option To Purchase
If the seller accepts your bid, typically you have to put down a 1 percent deposit to get the Option To Purchase (OTP), and have 14 days to exercise it, by which time you will have to pay another 4 percent of the purchase price. Make sure you have the funds on hand to do so. Once you get the OTP, liaise with your conveyancing lawyer and mortgage banker to settle the procedures.
10. Complete the sale and collect the keys
Before the completion date, do an inspection of the home to confirm that all agreed on fixtures and items are still around. On the date itself, collect the keys and check that you have a complete set. Congratulations! You are the owner of a new home. Time to think about renovation and furnishing…
Source - Property Guru
Should you buy or rent property?
Home ownership is a big deal for Singaporeans. The most critical part of the 5 Cs in the Singapore Dream is the one that stands for Condo (the other four being Cash, Car, Credit Card and Career).
Thus buying a home is often an emotional decision rather than a rational one, sometimes with financially distressing consequences. To make a better decision, you should consider the pros and cons of buying a property.
Advantages of buying
1) Capital appreciation
Your home may go up in value, boosting your net worth and earning you a profit when you sell it.
2) Building equity
Rather than paying rent to a landlord which becomes an expense, by buying a place, your mortgage payments are helping you build equity (once you subtract the interest payments) in your own property.
3) Rental yield
If you are buying a property for investment, you can rent out the property and get a rental yield. Even if you are staying in it, you can rent out a room to get some income.
4) Hedge against inflation
During times of inflation, the purchasing power of money gets eroded, whereas hard assets (e.g. gold, property) tend to keep their value and rise in tandem.
5) Ability to leverage
Leverage magnifies your returns if the price goes up, but it also magnifies your losses if it goes down. Leverage also allows you to buy a more expensive place than you would have been able to without it.
6) Ability to make capital improvements to enhance value
When you buy a place, you can renovate it (e.g. by painting it, or changing the fittings) to raise the value of your property. Contrast this to buying stocks where you are a passive investor (unless you own a significant percentage of the company).
7) Tax savings
When you sell your property and make a profit, there is typically no capital gains tax (unless you are deemed to be a property trader by the IRAS). Also, the portion of your CPF that you use to make your mortgage payments is tax-free, while rent payments come from your post-tax income.
It’s also nice to have a roof over your head that belongs to you. There’s no need to worry about a landlord raising your rent, or chasing you out.
Disadvantages of buying
1) Transaction costs
When you buy, you have to pay stamp duty (up to 3 percent of the purchase price). And don’t forget the lawyer’s fee and other administrative expenses. When you sell, there may also be stamp duty (if you sell within three years), the agent’s fee etc. As a rule of thumb, the property price has to rise by around 5 percent for you to break even.
2) Holding costs
When you own a property, you suddenly find you have more bills to pay – maintenance fees, property tax etc.
3) Have to deal with home repairs
If you are renting most of the time, when something breaks down, you can call the landlord and get him to deal with it. As an owner, you have to deal with it yourself.
4) Less liquidity
Unlike a stock which you can buy and sell immediately and get your cash within a few days, selling a home and completing the sale can take several months or more.
5) Exposed to falling asset prices and rising rates
Remember the leverage mentioned above? If prices are falling, your equity in the house will fall even faster. And if you are in a negative equity situation, the bank may even ask you to top up the difference in cash. This could be devastating financially. Also, if interest rates rise, your monthly mortgage payments could rise as well (especially if they are pegged to SIBOR/SOR), causing stress on your monthly cash flow situation.
6) Financial and psychological burden of having a mortgage
I’ve found that for many people, when they realise they have to service their mortgage payment every month for the next few decades, it becomes an emotional burden and they become much more risk averse. So they would think twice about switching jobs (even for a better opportunity), starting a business, investing, or doing other things that could be risky in the short term but have a long term benefit to their lives. Also, they tend to feel more stressed out in general from the large financial commitment, and this could affect their health.
So before you commit to a home purchase, carefully consider the above list of advantages and disadvantages of buying, and ask yourself: “Is buying a home really the best option for me?”
Source - Yahoo News
The 10 Best Questions to Ask at a Job Interview
You're interviewing for a job. After 20 or 30 minutes, you're asked: "Do you have any questions?"
The worst thing you can do is ask, "What is it your company does?" (Hey, it has happened.) The next worst thing you can do is say, "Um, nope, I don't have any questions."
You need to ask some questions! Asking questions shows your interest in a company and makes you look smarter (smart people tend to be inquisitive). Asking questions gives interviewers a chance to talk about themselves, a thing most people love. And--this is important--asking questions is a way to find out if you really want to work for these people.
Bottom line: Don't make the interviewer do all the heavy lifting. Take an active role in the interview process and improve your chances of landing a job.
So what should you ask? Here are 10 suggestions:
1. "Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?" If your interviewer appears to be nervous or ill at ease, a non-abstract question like this is a good way to get the ball rolling.
2. "Could you talk about the history of this position?" Specifically, what you're trying to find out is how long the position has existed, how many people have held it, and why it is now available.
3. "What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the last person who held this job?" Or in other words, what kind of act would you have to follow. This is also a chance to find out what happened to your would-be predecessor. How this question is answered will tell you a lot about the dynamics and expectations of this workplace.
4. "What are this position's biggest challenges?" You're naturally curious about the downsides of the job. But find out in a way that makes you look confident and unafraid to tackle problems.
5. "In what area could your team use some improvement?" Do you get an honest-sounding answer? This is important. It's also an opportunity to talk some more about how your skills specifically match this company's needs.
6. "What are the prospects for advancement?" Asking this demonstrates that you have ambition, and makes you look like a big picture person.
7. "How would I be evaluated?" If you want to know an employer's true priorities, and what is really important about the position under discussion, ask this.
8. "Who are the most successful people in this company and why?" A clever way to get a glimpse of a company's values/ethos/culture and how the powers-that-be measure success.
9. "Why do you enjoy working at this company?" Okay, it's a softball question. But the answer, and the tone in which it is given, should tell you a lot. Basically, you are looking to see some sincere enthusiasm here.
10. "Do you have any reservations about me or my ability to perform this job?" It's a gutsy thing to ask. But consider doing so because it's a great way to get real-time feedback on you and your interview skills. Asking for criticism not only earns you points for courage, it could result in some very helpful information.
P.S. Do not ask questions that would be easily answered by consulting the company's website. You will look unprepared, even lazy. You'll also lose the opportunity to gather some valuable insight about this employer and the job on offer.
Source : U.S.News
'You've got to find what you love,' Steve Jobs says
I am inspired by his third story about death. Are you?
[When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.
About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.
I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.
This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary]
Text of Steve Jobs' Commencement address (2005)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 (traditional Chinese: 台北101 / 臺北101), also known as the Taipei Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The name of the tower reflects its floor count.
Location : Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
Constructed : 1999-2004
Owner : Taipei Financial Center Corporation
Mixed use: communication, conference, fitness center, library, observation, office, restaurant, retail
Floor count : 101
Cost : NT$ 58 billion(USD $ 1.80 billion)
Architect(s): C.Y. Lee & partners
Structural engineer : Thornton Tomasetti
Symbolism
Taipei 101, like all spire structures, participates in the symbolism of a world center where earth and sky meet and the four compass directions join.The height of 101 floors commemorates the renewal of time: the new century that arrived as the tower was built (100+1) and all the new years that follow (January 1 = 1-01). It symbolizes high ideals by going one better on 100, a traditional number of perfection.
The main tower features a series of eight segments of eight floors each. In Chinese-speaking cultures the number eight is associated with abundance, prosperity and good fortune. In cultures that observe a seven-day week the number eight symbolizes a renewal of time (7+1). In cultures where seven is the lucky number, 8 represents 1 better than 'lucky seven'.
Entrance of Taipei 101
From experience, most of the observatory towers have long queues so its advisable to avoid peak periods to beat the crowd!
LCD panel inside the lift
The million dollar view from the top
Be mesmerized by the changing colours of the neon lights!
Thornton-Tomasetti Engineers along with Evergreen Consulting Engineering designed a 660 metric tons (728 short tons) steel pendulum that serves as a tuned mass damper, at a cost of NT$132 million (US$4 million). Suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor, the pendulum sways to offset movements in the building caused by strong gusts. Its sphere, the largest damper sphere in the world, consists of 41 circular steel plates, each with a height of 125 mm (4.92 in) being welded together to form a 5.5 m (18 ft) diameter sphere. Another two tuned mass dampers, each weighing 6 metric tons (7 short tons), sit at the tip of the spire. These prevent damage to the structure due to strong wind loads.
One of the unique feature of Taipei 101 is the annual fireworks show which is preceded by the sequential display of numerals in lights on each section to count down the last eight seconds to midnight. Since 2007 the building has been completely darkened, then fireworks begin to launch sequentially from the lower to upper sections.
location map
See comparison with other skyscrapers
Useful links - Taipei 101 official website
Petronas Twin Towers
Located at Suria KLCC, the Petronas Twin Towers (Malay: Menara Berkembar Petronas) (also known as the Petronas Towers or just Twin Towers), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, when their height was surpassed by Taipei 101. The towers remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.
Type : Office
Location : Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Owner : KLCC
Started : 1992
Completed : 1998
Height : 451.9 metres (1482.6 feet)
Floor count : 88
Cost : $ 1.6 billion
Architect : César Pelli
Structural engineer : Thornton Tomasetti
Suria KLCC is an upmarket retail podium measuring 1.5 million sq. feet located at the feet of the Petronas Twin Towers. It features mostly foreign luxury goods and high-street labels. Its attractions include an art gallery, a philharmonic theater, an underwater aquarium and also a Science centre.
Interesting to know - The Petronas Towers were a setting for some scenes in the 1999 film Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It ends in a dramatic pursuit of the two stars by the Pasukan Gerakan Khas, eventually leading to Connery's capture and Zeta-Jones's escape.
location map
See comparison with other skyscrapers
Useful links - Petronas official website
39 Ways to Annoy Your Co-Workers
Came across this article by Karen Burns which I find extremely hilarious. Truth be told, we will definitely have one or more of these characters in our workplace!
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Coworker relationships are like no other. You don’t (usually) get to choose your coworkers. Yet you have to spend considerable amounts of time with them, and you have to get along with them well enough so that you as a team can produce whatever product or service it is that you produce.
All this, whether you like these people or not!
Sometimes dealing with problem coworkers is your biggest job challenge. But mostly, coworker trauma arises out of the little annoying everyday stuff. No one (usually) sets out to drive coworkers crazy. But it happens, and it happens every day.
In fact, it’s possible that maybe even you, wonderful you, are guilty of a few less-than-ideal behaviors. Not likely, mind you. Just possible.
Therefore, in the interest of greater workplace sanity and happiness, not to mention productivity, here’s a list of things not to do in the workplace. They’re not illegal or immoral. They don’t all apply to every kind of work. Some are even not that bad in small doses. But there’s enough here to provide food for thought for pretty much everyone.
(Who knew there were so many ways to be a pain?)
Your workstation is a sty.
You brown nose.
You complain.
You gossip.
You carelessly “reply all.”
You come to work sick.
You try to convert coworkers to your religion.
You try to convert coworkers to your political cause.
You tell dirty jokes.
You use bad language.
You loudly chew gum.
You conduct personal grooming, such as clipping fingernails, in the workplace.
You bring smelly food for lunch.
You over-share about your personal life.
You forward junk E-mail.
You smell of strong perfume or cologne.
You smell.
You brag about your successes.
You are a drama queen or king.
You borrow things and do not return them.
You steal people’s lunches/snacks.
You leave long rambling voice mails.
You stand behind people and read over their shoulders.
You shout over cubicle walls to ask questions or make remarks.
You play music loud enough for others to hear.
You leave a mess in the workplace kitchen.
You burn popcorn in the workplace microwave.
You walk so noisily that others can hear you coming and going.
You make maddening little noises (tongue-clacking, knuckle-cracking, humming).
You click your pen, or tap it on your desk.
You set your cell phone to an annoying ring tone.
You talk on your cell phone in the restroom.
You make loud personal phone calls others can hear.
You share detailed descriptions of medical procedures.
You repeatedly use “amusing” expressions such as “Working hard or hardly working?” or “Are we having fun yet?”
You take credit for other people’s work.
You are frequently late.
You are never around when you’re needed.
You are dishonest, or unreliable, or just plain bad at your job
Source : U.S News Money
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Park Royal Kuala Lumpur
This was our 2nd stay at the hotel within a span of 3 years. The first was in Year 2008 at the orchid executive club which even though the room was at a premium, was a pleasurable experience. This time, we decided to opt for a deluxe room instead due to a longer travel period.
Location
The location was main reason for choosing park royal. With close proximity to major shopping centres like lot 10, sungei wang and times square, you could spend days just shopping in this area alone.
Room
We loved the king size bed as it virtually can fit 3 normal sized adults no kidding!
I am also pleased with the full range of amenities provided and the spacious room. Our room rate also came with free internet service which was great and we encountered no problems with connection or speed. Generally, we had a comfortable stay but we do have a few complaints –
* the furnishings are outdated even though it’s a deluxe room. As commented by some reviewers, most hotels have upgraded to flat screen TVs but not this one and the channels are rather limited. I agree we are not here to watch tv but then we need some entertainment in the early morning and late evenings.
* There is some problem with the water heating system. On our first morning, the water took sometime to heat up. On our last morning, the water refused to heat up and worse, the water that came gushing was yellowish. We had to call housekeeping and problem was fixed after the technician looked into it. We don’t know what was done but imagine waiting around for almost half an hour just to fix this.
* I was spooked by the centralized room system one night. I remembered I tuned the air con to low but it turned full blast in the wee hours and the alarm also suddenly went off when I did not set it.
Facilities
The pool was not fantastic but it was good enough for us to lounge around and for a good swim. We did not try the gym though.
Food
We enjoyed the breakfasts as it has a good variety so we do recommend tagging this to your room. We did not try the other restaurants though.
Service
Most of the service staff are all smiles and polite. The concierge was useful for arranging day tours for us and there is a free shuttle to twin towers at about half hour intervals.
General Comments
There is some improvement in KL taxi system as some taxis are now willing to turn on the meter rather than haggling over a fixed price. In fact, most taxis now have a signage on their doors that spells “metered taxi”. Still, old habits die hard and there are still many who refused to abide.
We also do not recommend getting a taxi from the hotel driveway. We tried getting a taxi from there with our luggage in tow and the concierge was all too eager to persuade us to take the blue limo taxis, which I think charge a premium. When we asked for a normal taxi with meter, he looked unhappy. In the end, the taxi that came charged a fixed price and obviously, the concierge lent us no helping hand.
There are also some hits and misses in terms of food outside of the hotel. One thing we learnt is that while some are bang for buck, there are a few eateries that charge tourist prices and worse, the quality does not justify these prices. If you have recommendations for good eateries around the area, do share!
view from our room
bath room
working area
minibar area with outdated TV
lift lobby
location map
Useful links - Park Royal KL
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