Idyllic and perfect: Eastern Canada

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Not necessary laid back, but it is more of the undisturbed, regions; this is one where the nature can be best viewed as nature, without manmade structures to clutter up the sight, and jumble the scenery.

Be one with the creation, and feel the serene quietness of the undefiled ground.

Read on...

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Cottage country

Summer time, and the living is easy in eastern Canada

by Mark Malby
travel@mediacorp.com.sg

IT'S dawn, and on a lake as flat as a mirror, the mist swirls and rises. It's so quiet you can almost hear the last of the night's stars winking out, or the sun's first light tickling the trees. Maybe a fish splashes somewhere, or a loon's haunting call wafts across the water. But mostly, it's as though the world has paused in waiting.

"I remember the silence being deafening," says Singaporean Karen Teoh, who first visited these lakes a few years ago. "It was even more beautiful than I'd imagined. Purer, if that makes sense. Asia is always noisy."

In the stillness, it's hard to believe that Canada's largest city - metropolitan Toronto, with its 6 million residents - is just an hour's drive to the south in the province of Ontario.

Welcome to cottage country, eastern Canada's summer playground. While Singaporeans define a weekend escape as boarding a plane to Phuket, a boat to Bintan, or trundling the family off to that chalet in Pasir Ris - for many Canadians, it means hopping in the car and driving to the family cottage.

Nor is it a new phenomenon. For more than a century, towns such as Orillia, Peterborough, Huntsville and Parry Sound have been storied gateways to the northern hinterland. Many family cottages have been passed down through the generations as heirlooms. Jill Trennum, who runs bed and breakfast Daytripper's Delight, says her property has been in her family for four generations, since 1905.

Ontario's cottage country comprises three main areas: The Kawartha lakes, Muskoka and the more rugged reaches of Georgian Bay further north. The Kawarthas are even linked by a long series of lift-locks, so that a yacht or houseboat can travel hundreds of miles through scores of lakes.

But don't expect the wild grandeur of the Rocky Mountains or the barren landscapes of the East. Cottage country is more of a gentrified wilderness, a cosy borderland where human comforts and wilderness coexist in friendly alliance.

That said, the scenery is unforgettable. Stretching pine forests, blue waters and countless islands. Stark, rocky landscapes of pink granite, sculpted by the glaciers that swept through here 14,000 years ago (and left all these lakes as a legacy.) It was enough to inspire Canada's most famous art movement, The Group of Seven, whose sweeping brush strokes and stylised scenes reflect these same landscapes.

"What struck me were the stunning views," says Lucretia Hung, a recent visitor from Hong Kong. "All those lakes make people feel the tranquility, peace, serenity and freedom of nature."

Tranquility. Peace. Solitude. These words frequently come up when describing the region. And wildlife, too, of course. Whether it is lakewaters that brim with fish, bird life, chipmunks on the deck or deer in the forests, meeting local animals is part of the experience.

"City people aren't used to the wildlife," says Jill Trennum, who has hosted guests from Europe and Asia. "Turtles basking in the sun, the splash of a beaver, loons calling at night. Our visitors love this nature, which they don't find back home."

Cottage country, however, is not just time out from hectic city life. There's a rich community of summer residents, many of whom come year after year. Marinas, general stores and island churches often serve as focal points. There's also no shortage of activities to keep families active: Canoeing and sailing regattas, art festivals, water-skiing, fishing, hikes and nature walks - not to mention cottage upkeep.

Fortunately, it's still possible for the passing traveller to experience this amiable wilderness. Alongside family cottages, venerable hotels - some a century old - dot the lakes. In those days it was trains and steamboats that brought city masses, escaping hot summer weather. Now, it's more likely to be a family van.

Times may have changed, but in cottage country, you can still get a taste of simpler days - a swim in a lake, paddling a canoe or catching a fish for breakfast before the sun fully rises above the trees.


Cottage checklist

Getting there: Reaching Toronto is easy. Airlines such as Emirates ($2,500) and Air Canada ($3,000) ply the route. The best option for reaching cottage country is to hire a car and drive, because public transport is limited. Ontario highways are safe and well-marked. You might also be able to work out an arrangement with your hotel. But be warned - driving times range from one to four hours.

Stay: Even without your own cottage, options abound. Venerable old hotels such as Muskoka's Windermere House (www.windermerehouse.com), Stony Lake's Irwin Inn (www.irwininn.com), or Georgian Bay's Killarney Lodge (www.killarney.com) offer lakeside luxury. Private bed and breakfasts are seasonally available through the area. The more adventurous can even rent a houseboat to travel at their leisure (www.houseboat.on.ca).

Do: Many lakeside hotels offer canoes and kayaks for guest-use, barbecues, guided nature tours and boat trips. Some also provide sailing and swimming lessons. Don't forget your fishing rod, too. Local towns and villages are worth visiting for antique and art-shops, farmer's markets and even fruit-picking. Most of all, cottage country is a great place to just kick back and relax.



From TODAY, Travel - Thursday, 29-April-2010
Cottage country
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A lush lesson in spices

PENANG

Step back into the island’s illustrious past at the Tropical Spice Garden

Valery Garrett, traveller@newstoday.com.sg

A waterfall runs down the hillside at the Tropical Spice Garden.

Think of Penang and what comes to mind? Lazy days under palm trees, hawkers calling to passers-by to try their curries and always the scent of spices: Nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.

Famous as one of the Spice Islands, the British founded a base here in the 18th century to grow this precious commodity. Now a short bus ride from Batu Ferringhi’s beach hotels, the award-winning Tropical Spice Garden celebrates Penang’s importance in producing these little seeds.

Brainchild of the son of a Chinese mother and an English rubber planter, Frederick Walker went to boarding school in Britain, graduating from the prestigious Royal Agricultural College. He and a partner opened the garden in November 2003.

Previously a small rubber plantation on a hillside overlooking the sea, Frederick struggled to clear over 40 rubber trees to form terraces and allow more light for plants.

View across the bay

Three trails wind through the 3-hectare garden: Yellow for Spices, red for Ornamental plants, and green for Jungle plants, each taking a leisurely 20 minutes. The paths are cool and shaded from the sun, meandering up and down the hillside with seats at intervals to rest and reflect on the garden’s beauty.

The air is infused with the pungent scent of crushed spices; hidden amid foliage of myriad shades of green, waterfalls trickle down the hill. Overhead is the koel bird’s incessant call.

There are over 500 exotic varieties of plants in the garden from tropical regions around the world. Given their importance, the spice plants look surprisingly insignificant.

Used nowadays mostly to improve flavour, spices in earlier times were vital in preserving foods and were part of many medicines. So, in centuries past, European sailors headed east in search of the legendary Spice Islands.

Dish of dried ginger, limes, pineapple flower, nutmeg, fresh turmeric, red ginger, betel nut and lemon grass.

Tropical Spice Garden Open: 9am to 6pm daily www.tropicalspicegarden.com

Spices can also be bought in the streets around Lebuh Pasar and Lebuh Penang in Georgetown.

In 1786, Captain Francis Light, a British East India Company trader, took possession of Penang and the Company formed a 53-hectare spice plantation in Ayer Itam valley, near the centre of the island.

Pepper was Penang’s first major crop, introduced in 1790 from Indonesia. One of the oldest and most valuable spices, its use as a currency in Roman times gave rise to the term “peppercorn rent”.

The Government Botanical Gardens were established in 1822 to supply seed for the Company’s plantations and vegetables for the officers’ tables. At the same time, private landowner David Brown had large plantations of nutmeg and cloves at his Glugor House estate south of Penang’s capital, Georgetown.

Dried nutmeg seeds produce the spice, while the outer skin is mace. Cloves come from dried, unopened flower buds, the oil used in perfumes and medicines. One of the most important spices grown in Penang, cloves were among the earliest and most valuable spices to be traded, used by ancient Egyptians and Romans to flavour food and freshen the breath.

There are edible plants on the Jungle trail too, like the palm, whose Malay name “pinang” was given to the island. The betel nut inside its fruit is mixed with lime, tobacco or cloves, wrapped in a leaf and chewed. The tamarind tree has long seed pods in a sticky brown pulp which go into making curries and chutneys. The cinnamon tree, one of the oldest spices, is mentioned in the Bible and ancient Sanskrit writings.

All three paths end at the hilltop Spice Museum which traces the trade’s history and houses displays of spices and harvesting equipment. Next door in the Spice Café, a one-time rubber planter’s home, freshly picked spices are sold in little packets. Sit and savour a selection of coffee and teas made from spices, ginger or lime, together with some home-made cakes, and enjoy tranquil views across the bay.

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Valery Garrett is the author of Discover Hong Kong, a City’s History and Culture Redefined, published by Marshall Cavendish.

SilkAir flies to Penang twice daily. For details, visit silkair.com

From TODAY, Traveller – Thursday, 11-Jun-2009

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Kakadu for kids

Turn the June holidays into an Outback adventure, discover the wild side of Australia's Northern Territory

Mark Malby, traveller@newstoday.com.sg

With school holidays fast approaching, many parents may be scratching their heads right now, wondering where to go. Depending on the size and age of your posse, there will be the usual destinations: The grandparents in Malacca, kid-friendly resorts in Bintan or Phuket, and for the more flush, perhaps Disneyland in Hong Kong, Tokyo, or Anaheim. It's the "safe" and mostly familiar destinations that grab the lion's share, but if you're up for something more offbeat, step off the well-worn track.

Australia's Tropical North

A Jabiru stork at sunset

What's a family vacation without a little adventure, and Australia's northern Outback offers it in droves. From man-eating crocodiles to 20,000 year old rock art to termite mounds 6m tall, the vast green stretches of Kakadu are the extreme opposite of any theme park.

As the gateway to this wilderness, Darwin itself is a surprisingly family-friendly place. No rough-housing frontier town is this — but a pleasant, mid-sized Australian city with an easy charm and a surprising array of attractions. Even within the city limits, you'll still come across exotica such as chortling cockatoos, night-time possums, and — in the wet season — the odd crocodile in a swimming pool.

One must-see, especially for the kids, is Aquascene, where once a day masses of hungry fish ride in from sea on the incoming tide. Spectators toss bread and wade into the churning waters for a spectacle that's part Underwater World and part feeding frenzy. Nearby Doctor's Gully also offers a primeval forest home to a squawking colony of fruit bats.

For a more intense feeding experience, catch the live crocodile shows at Crocodylus Park. "Salties", as they're fondly called, are among the world's most ferocious predators — a fact that's sure not to be lost on the kids. At the Darwin Museum, they can gawk over the stuffed remains of 'Sweetheart' (a 5.4 m crocodile), who gained fame during life by trying to eat the motors off local fishing boats.

In addition to wildlife, beaches, lawn bowling, and sailing, Darwin boasts a lively arts scene. There are local theatre productions, and the memorable Darwin Deckchair Cinema offers a chance to watch movies under the stars. With the kids asleep, mum and dad can even slip off to the MGM Grand Casino, or one of the many local pubs and clubs.

Kakadu National Park

Join an adventure tour in Kakadu and try to spot a kookabura.

No trip to Darwin is complete without a visit to Kakadu National Park. With young kids, a day-trip might suffice. But the best way to explore the park's highlights is over a few leisurely days, either staying at park lodges or — for the more intrepid — camping.

Wilderness camping is not for the uninitiated, however. One excellent option is a guided camping tour through one of the 'adventure companies' based in Darwin. Not only will you see the best of Kakadu at economical prices, it will give your children the chance to wake up in a tent, swim in waterfalls, tend campfires and sample some exotic local fare. Kangaroo, crocodile, or camel steaks, anyone?

Slipping south of Darwin, one of the first features you'll notice are nature's highrises — the giant Cathedral termite mounds which can soar three times human height. This is just the beginning of Kakadu's striking landscapes, which range from the tablelands of Nawurlandja Lookout to the 200m waterfall of Jim Jim Falls.

Even in the dry season, there's plenty of water around — and the rivers and billabongs make focal points for the park's wildlife. Birds abound — so bring some binoculars and an Aussie bird book, and compete with your children on who can sight the most. It's also worth visiting the Aboriginal rock paintings at Nourlangie, which are far older than the pyramids.

The advantage of staying in the park is that you get to see Kakadu at all times of day. A sunset Yellow Water Walk, for instance offers some spectacular wildlife views — including the strangely prehistoric Jabiru stork. If it's crocodiles you're looking for, then try an afternoon's boating on the Adelaide River. You're almost guaranteed to see a few of the deceptively sluggish reptiles on the shore. Remember not to let your kids trail their hands in the water!

With wildlife and adventures, chances are, a trip to Darwin and Kakadu will linger in your children's memories more than another beach vacation or meeting Mickey Mouse.

From TODAY, Traveller – Thursday, 28-May-2009

OK, ok, below articles does include some of the dangers in the wild of Australia. They are included, and they serve their purpose to warn anybody who dares venture in to the unknown. So parents, never lose sight of your kids. And kids, never go astray, and just stay by your parents' side. Don't play with the unknown of the wild...

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Sprees for tight budgets

HONG KONG

It’s known to be a costly city but Hong Kong on the cheap is easier than most people think

Shermaine Wong, shermainewong@mediacorp.com.sg

Having travelled to Hong Kong numerous times for leisure, I never fail to hear disdainful comments from my friends in response to yet another trip. “Again?” or “Not sian (bored) ah?”

They have a point — 10 trips in three years, with my latest foray just a month back, probably does make me a boring traveller. Yet, every time I visit Hong Kong, there are new things to experience. The city never seems to run out of energy, and it is this allure that makes me return.

Of course, the wide range of shopping and food options is a draw as well. Visitors can find some extraordinary bargains here, despite the city being one of the world’s top 10 most expensive cities to live in.

To shop, the best time to go is at the peak of the summer sale from July to August, when goods in just about every store are steeply discounted. On the other hand, trawling the city’s nooks and crannies for the best buys will pleasantly expose one to the real deal — experience and value-wise.

Small budget, big finds

As much as Hong Kong is known for high-end designer labels, high street knock-offs at bargain prices are widely available, too — as long as shoppers know where to go.

Granville Street on Tsim Sha Tsui (Tsim Sha Tsui station) or Fa Yuen Street (Mong Kok East station) in the Mongkok district are hubs for trendy fashion that won’t break the bank.

A pair of trendy ballet flats that cost about $20 in Singapore can be got for $12 a pair there. Knitted tops and quality cardigans are priced from $8, while jeans go for about $20 a pair.

While most of the shops sell women’s wear, men can also find factory rejects of popular casual labels such as Nautica and Abercrombie. Polo tees start from around $15. The only setback is that many shops do not allow customers to try on the clothes, though they do allow for exchanges.

Warehouses are a good compromise for shoppers who love their designer labels but baulk at the sky-high prices. Space (2/F, Marina Square East Commercial Block, South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau) exclusively stocks Prada and Miu Miu. While prices are not bargain basement, they are significantly less than those at the main boutiques.

I scored a silk Prada blouse for $140, a price I consider a steal because the label’s clothes normally cost $500 or more.

A five minute cab ride from Space is the Lane Crawford Warehouse and Joyce Outlet which are housed in the same building (25/F and 21/F, respectively, Horizon Plaza, 2 Lee Wing Street).

Multi-label retailer Joyce stocks brands such as Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Anna Sui at unbeatable prices, though Lane Crawford, known as the Harrods of Hong Kong, offers a bigger selection — menswear, ladieswear, bags, shoes and even home decor. Prices are significantly lower than those in the downtown stores. J brand — a jeans label widely favoured by Hollywood celebrities such as Heidi Klum and Eva Longoria — may be hard to find in Singapore and cost about $300 a pair on the brand’s website, but it was going for $170 here. Shoe lovers will find themselves in joyland — the likes of Giuseppe Zanotti and Christian Louboutin, normally priced from $900 a pair in Singapore, can be got for $200.

For techies, the good news is that electronic goods in Hong Kong are generally 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than those in Singapore. Try Mongkok Computer Centre (8 Nelson Street) for computers, related products and miscellaneous electronic goods.

At smaller, independent stores, shoppers can get better deals by bargaining, which is a widely-accepted practice that can see 20 per cent knocked off the bill.

Eat more for less

Some of the best dining experiences to be had in Hong Kong are easily affordable.

Street food, as any seasoned traveller will tell you, often offers a true glimpse into a country’s culinary heritage. Not only is it tasty and cheap, the experience of hunching over a gritty sidewalk tearing into freshly-prepared chow is unbeatable.

In Hong Kong, stalls hawking street food ranging from grilled squid and stewed innards to the quintessential Hong Kong snack of curry fishballs can be found on most street corners. Prices start from $1.

Cha chan tengs (teahouses) are to Hong Kong what coffeeshops are to Singapore. Try the popular Tsui Wah Restaurant (15-19 Wellington Street, Central). Its menu is diverse — Indian curry, Hainanese chicken rice, comfort food such as vermicelli in rich broths and more — and portions are huge. A must-try is their soft toasted buns drizzled with butter and condensed milk. The place gets so crowded during lunch that customers will find themselves sharing tables with strangers. A meal starts from $8.

For restaurant-standard food at low prices, a dai pai dong is the tourist’s best bet. Similar to Singapore’s zi char stalls, dai pai dong hawkers once roamed the streets selling their fare by the roadside but have since cleaned up their act and moved into more sanitised environments.

Gi Kee Seafood Restaurant (Shop 4, 2/F Wong Nai Chung Municipal Services Building, 2 Yuk Sau Street, Happy Valley) is popular. Try the sharks’ fin soup, roasted garlic chicken and fresh seafood, which cost roughly a third less than restaurant prices. There is another dai pai dong beside Gi Kee and once the lift doors open, staff from both stalls will shove menus at undecided customers, so indicate which stall you’d like to patronise. The setting may be basic, but the cuisine, like the shopping in Hong Kong, will no doubt entice patrons to return.

From TODAY, Traveller – Thursday, 30-April-2009