Malacca Butterfly And Reptile Sanctuary (Part 1)

The Malacca (Melaka) Butterfly and Reptile Sanctuary (N2 17.993 E102 18.692) is located at the right just after the Ayer Keroh Toll Plaza from North South Expressway. They open everyday from 8.30am to 5.30pm. The entrance fee is MYR5.00 for adult and MYR3.00 for children and MYR10.00 (adult) & MYR5.00 (children) for foreign visitor. If you bring your camera, you gonna pay additional MYR3.00.

There were not many visitors on the day when visited this sanctuary. It's quite free to move around...

Once you enter the main entrance, you will see a big cage with Full of Colourful Parrots!


Follow by the souvenir shop...in front of the souvenir shop, there were many reptile...I believe they are belong to the Lizard family...

The entrance to the Butterfly area...

The butterfly park is rather small, and limited butterfly around...I managed to capture some of them...

Colourful butterflies at the Sanctuary

Passed by the butterfly park, we entering a cave called "Insect Area." It was dark, and I didn't manage to snap a good photo beside this one below...The Group of Scorpions.

Exiting the cave, there was a garden with nice landscape...wooden bridge and others...
I like this area...

Exit of the cave...

I can't figure out what so special about this tortoise, because they situated between this garden...maybe you can tell about it?

Visitors enjoying the green environment...

"This Crystal Rock was only discovered on 14th May 2006 at this part of the aviary - approximately 16 years after the park's officially open. Though at it's very beginning of the Crystal life, many believe that the discovery of crystal formation will bring good luck, which we sincerely hope it will spill over to all visitors that come to see it." - from the signage beside the rock.

There are few American Alligators at the right of the Crystal Rock.

American Alligators

We had a rest over here, and I noticed there are many trees have this kind of fruits (below) surround it...


I took many photos of the sanctuary, so I break it and will continue in Part 2...the next stop will be the 'Koi Garden'...

Related post :-
* Malacca Butterfly And Reptile Sanctuary (Part 2)

Location map of Malacca Butterfly & Reptile Sanctuary

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MY TRIPS - Home

Tom Bourdon: Varanasi Holy Man

Photo © Tom Bourdon -All Rights Reserved
I thought that Tom Bourdon's photograph of a sadhu offering water to the sun on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi would be a perfect choice to end my blog posts for 2009. It projects the optimism we ought to feel today while we are at the cusp of welcoming a brand new year.

Tom Bourdon is UK born, and is an award winning international travel photographer who specializes in photographing religious and cultural festivals/celebrations across the globe. To my knowledge, he's one of the very few who specialize in documenting festivals, and if I'm not mistaken he might be traveling to the Kumbh Mela this year in Haridwar. If he does, you can bet he'll have splendid images to show.

Happy New Year to all my readers...and looking forward to see you again next year!

NGS' Traveler: Best of 2009

National Geographic Traveler's Editor-in-Chief Keith Bellows presents his favorite pictures published in his magazine throughout 2009. The audio slideshow features 14 photographs made by various photographers in countries ranging for Malaysia to Peru.

I'm always intrigued how photo editors choose the photographs that are published, but I haven't learned much from Bellows' narrative. This collection actually mystifies me...sure, there is a bunch of lovely photographs but many are pedestrian and unimaginative, to say the least. The photograph of the four women on a bench in Shanghai is one of those. I looked at it for a while, trying to figure out the reason(s) for its inclusion here, but honestly couldn't.

I don't know if this was rush job put together by novice interns, but it's certainly not a shining effort by the National Geographic.

Michael Bednar: Eagle Hunters of Mongolia

Photo © Michael Bednar -All Rights Reserved
I like big pictures, and Michael Bednar's website galleries have such large photographs, that viewing them is a virtual immersion into his imagery. His photo story about the Eagle Hunters of Mongolia is a visual treat...especially since it features not only environmental portraits of the hunters and their eagles, but also breathtaking imagery of the stunning Mongolian landscape.

For Kazakhs, hunting with eagles is ingrained in their cultural heritage, and historians believe hunting with birds of prey was practiced by nomadic tribes in Central Asia almost 6000 years ago.

Michael Bednar is a travel and documentary photographer based in Vancouver. He started by discovering the diversity of life and cultures in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. After some years of globetrotting, Michael returned to Canada to attend the Western Academy of Photography and secured a diploma in Professional Photography.

He worked at daily newspapers in Southern Alberta, and eventually turned freelance, with his photographs published internationally.

Anak Nyonya Restaurant at Jonker Street, Malacca

We love to try all the famous Nyonya food at Malacca. This time it's the turn of Anak Nyonya (Little Nyonya) Restaurant (N02 11.874 E102 14.716) located at Jonker Street, Malacca.

If I'm not mistaken, this restaurant was open after the Famous Singapore Drama Series - "Little Nyonya". (Correct me if I'm wrong). What a good marketing strategy! :)

The restaurant was rather small cause it's only can cater 5 big table and others small table and the back 'Lane'.

We found our table at the back which gave us a different dining experience! :)

Small lane behind the main hall

According to the boss, the famous drink here is the Pineapple juice. We had it double, and taste good!

Pineapple juice of Anak Nyonya Restaurant

Our order :-
1) Assam Prawn
2) Cincaluk Omelette
3) Nyonya Chap-Chai (Mixed vege)
4) Chicken Pongteh

Assam Prawn

Cincaluk Omelette

Nyonya Chap-Chai (Mixed vege)

Chicken Pongteh

Overall the food was acceptable and I love the Cincaluk Omelette! But the Assam Prawn was not fresh!! The mixed vege and the chicken were average to us...

The damage was MYR55.00 for 2 adults and 1 child. Quite expensive compare with other Nyonya Restaurant at Malacca. Maybe because it's situated at Jonker Street...

I rated : 3/5

Anak Nyonya Restaurant
88, Jalan Tokong,
75200 Malaka. (Jonker Street)
Tel/Fax : +606-2882626
Business hour 10.30am - 9.30pm (close on Wednesday)

Location map of Anak Nyonya Restaurant

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Related post :-
* Nyonya Suan Restaurant at Malacca
* Ole Sayang Nyonya Food Restaurant, Malacca (Melaka)

MY TRIPS - Home

Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer

Photo © Mathias Braschler/Monika Fischer -All Rights Reserved
Vanity Fair magazine has featured the work of Mathias Braschler and Monika Fischer, who dedicate themselves to documenting in portraiture the human cost of the climatic changes.

Schlepping large-format cameras from Timbuktu to Siberia, and from Australia to the Alps, Braschler and Fischer visited 21 countries during 2009, and have photographed the inhabitants of deserts, mountains, forests, and glacial valleys....thus documenting examples of accelerating environmental changes.

Both photographers were nominated in Vanity Fair's Hall of Fame for their work.

Via Photojournalism Links

New York Times' 2009's Travel Photos

Photo © Justin Mott/NY Times -All Rights Reserved
Continuing the wrap up of the "Best Of" for the year, here is The New York Times' best travel photographs as picked by their own photo editors, and which were published in the newspaper's Travel section during 2009.

The photographers whose work is shown in the feature are Chris Bickford, Peter DaSilva, Lalo de Almeida, Josh Haner and Todd Heisler, Andy Isaacson, Michael Kamber, João Pedro Marnoto, Kevin Moloney, Justin Mott, Michael Nagle, Jeff Pflueger, Susana Raab, Scott B. Rosen, Brian Sokol, Vanessa Vick and Dave Yoder.

I was surprised at the statement made in the feature that 19 photographs are the maximum number for The New York Times slide-show player, and wonder why that is so.

Java Jamboree: A Drinking Spree

Walking from Kraton to Kraton under the hot Indonesian sun was not an easy feat even when we had umbrellas to protect our heads from the scorching sun. Upon leaving Kraton Puro Mangkunegaran, we were glad then to come across an eating shop called Malioboro. The name, Malioboro, seemed to have been stripped from Malsboro, the brand of cigarettes famed for billboard advertisements and the Malsboro Man but nay, we were at Malioboro not for a smoke but for a drink. The shop offers a variety of fruit juices and we ordered every type available, from star fruit juices, water melon juices, carrot juices to even durian juices, the last was a surprise and a novelty as it is not available in Malaysia. We shared the drinks and each of us had had the opportunity to try out each of the juices. They were all thick, creamy and indeed heavenly! My friends and I did have a lot of fun out of all those juices! That was a hell of a drinking spree!

Can you spot the fun drinks and identify which one is a durian juice?

Traveling Tip: Share!

Java Jamboree: Inside a Kraton

I suppose we could count our lucky stars. Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat may be closed when we were in Solo but Puro Mangkunegaran was not. Umbrella in hand, we walked down the streets in the opposite direction under the hot tropical sun. Taking a trishaw would be nice, I think, since the two kratons were really not so near to each other. We bought our tickets immediately and hired a guide too, who explained to us the intricacies of Javanese dance and took us around the kraton. If you have seen great palaces of the world, maybe you'd not mind missing this kraton unless of course, you want to view the gold chastity lock for the past Sultan or ogle at portraits of the royal family...

Can you spot our guide?

Traveling Tip: Use your umbrella!

Java Jamboree: From Kraton to Kraton

Kratons abound in Java Island. Kratons are palaces and in Solo, there are two, Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat (Palace of Pakubuwono II to IX) and Kraton Puro Mangkunegaran. The two are not really far from each other and you can visit them all in one day. If you are fit and wishes to burn the calories, you can forgo the trishaw and walk like we did. We went for the Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat first. You would know you have arrived if you come across high white walls. Just look for the entrance and buy a ticket to enter its compound. My friends and I were there when the kraton was closed; so, we just walked on to the nearby Pasar Klewer which is the biggest textile market in the region. If you love batik, you would love this place; otherwise, you would find it a bit drab, dark and even seedy. Don't hang too long here then and move on to the other kraton...


Off to the kraton...If you are wondering what the woman wearing the scarf is doing by the roadside, well, she buys gold from anyone who cares to sell!

Traveling Tip: Walk!