Received feedback from Alvin that he tried the new road from Bertam Valley to Bentong, Pahang / Kuala Lipis. I would have thought they would open the new road in August but looks like they have already open it. The road is still a little rough according to Alvin but he made it all the way to Bentong without any problem.
Excerpt from his comments as follows:
Interest route that you may like to know of. When I returned, I head to Pahang Bentong. Instead of going through the coming route, I took the road to Ringlet where I will head to Bertam Valley. This is a very very new road and it lead you to Raub and so on. This road comes with a very scenic view and farms, orang asli along the road side selling stuff. Oil plantation along Raub area. Few cars, of course due to new road, but interestingly is, it took me only about 2h45mins to reach Bentong town. One of the look out is don't drive too near to the road edge where I saw few road/land slides but they were already blocked it out. So relatively safe. I believed another 3 to 6 months time, the road will be 100% in operation. Highway nothing much to see but people who are adventurous can choose above path.
If it goes to Bentong, I think I can head all the way to Raub where my aunts are staying. Can take them to Cameron Highlands too without taking a big round from Batu Caves. Anyway that will be future trip planning to Cameron Highlands.
All quiet on the highlands front
To take the pun, "All quiet on the western front", well school holidays is over and most people is back to work so Cameron Highlands is having a little peace and quiet for now. Good for relaxing but not good for the people who are working the tourism industry in Cameron Highlands.
And yes, as for the Malaysia economy is not quite picking up as what the government says. That's propaganda for you. On paper or Malaysia news, they will say hey GDP is up and what's not and the fund allocation to spur the industry is spent and all that. Funny I get a different feedback from the people that I met.
Hari Ray Puasa is coming up but the food sales is not picking up as it should. My customer says that usually this time their sales will pick up for the food industry, so if they go down my sales go down.
My day job is varied and do meet interesting people from various industries. So the food industry is down, but other supporting industry is up. I get lots of inquiries for non-woven for various uses, and withing that sub-sub-category, there are sectors that up and sectors that are down. Still it is going well.
And as for the automotive, now that seems kinda slow. And I have customer that cry out for rescue coz protong is not picking up as it should be. Hmmm... can't really do much there. If raw material prices goes up but customer's customer not willing to let your price go up, soon they may end up in the red.
As for us lay people out in the market, working on this and that and trying to catch where the income comes so we can put food on the table, this is certainly mix signals in the market. Anyway, hopefully tourism do pickup as my buddies in Cameron Highlands and my website is depended on such arrivals to do well.
July look set to be slow. Also noted there isn't any public holiday to spur travel vacation domestically. Ah, Malaysian holidays are based on various ethnic calendars so it will never fall on the same date every year. You get bunches with months that have many public holidays and some like dessert waiting for rain.
I myself have been kept busy and trying to find the free time to update my website. Still got pages to add. Maybe the world cup is making the economy slow down. Productivity do goes down when people don't get enough sleep from watching some people kicking a ball around in a field. But that's the passion, and where there is passion that's where your heart lies.
I guess I rambling aimlessly here so better sign off till I have something better to blog about, especially information about Cameron Highlands which is what you guys are looking for, ain't it?
And yes, as for the Malaysia economy is not quite picking up as what the government says. That's propaganda for you. On paper or Malaysia news, they will say hey GDP is up and what's not and the fund allocation to spur the industry is spent and all that. Funny I get a different feedback from the people that I met.
Hari Ray Puasa is coming up but the food sales is not picking up as it should. My customer says that usually this time their sales will pick up for the food industry, so if they go down my sales go down.
My day job is varied and do meet interesting people from various industries. So the food industry is down, but other supporting industry is up. I get lots of inquiries for non-woven for various uses, and withing that sub-sub-category, there are sectors that up and sectors that are down. Still it is going well.
And as for the automotive, now that seems kinda slow. And I have customer that cry out for rescue coz protong is not picking up as it should be. Hmmm... can't really do much there. If raw material prices goes up but customer's customer not willing to let your price go up, soon they may end up in the red.
As for us lay people out in the market, working on this and that and trying to catch where the income comes so we can put food on the table, this is certainly mix signals in the market. Anyway, hopefully tourism do pickup as my buddies in Cameron Highlands and my website is depended on such arrivals to do well.
July look set to be slow. Also noted there isn't any public holiday to spur travel vacation domestically. Ah, Malaysian holidays are based on various ethnic calendars so it will never fall on the same date every year. You get bunches with months that have many public holidays and some like dessert waiting for rain.
I myself have been kept busy and trying to find the free time to update my website. Still got pages to add. Maybe the world cup is making the economy slow down. Productivity do goes down when people don't get enough sleep from watching some people kicking a ball around in a field. But that's the passion, and where there is passion that's where your heart lies.
I guess I rambling aimlessly here so better sign off till I have something better to blog about, especially information about Cameron Highlands which is what you guys are looking for, ain't it?
Hari Raya Puasa Malaysia holidays Coming Up
It is kinda early to blog about Hari Raya Puasa but this is one big Malaysia holidays festival. The other biggie is the Chinese New Year holidays. These two Malaysia holidays have to really watch out when you are planning for a trip to Cameron Highlands. If you are self drive you can have some measure of control over your transportation. But if you are without your own car and have to rely on public transportation like bus and coaches, then you have better think twice about your holiday planning that will clash with the above Malaysia holidays.
I received a comment from a tourist in India who was planning to travel to Cameron Highlands on the eve of Hari Raya Puasa. Definately the bus and coaches would be fully booked if there was no prior arrangement made for a bus ticket booking.
He could try Kang Tours and Travel which run a private minivan service, but then again if their driver go on leave during that time (who knows? He may want to balik kampong!) then their minivan service would be disrupted too.
So the best is to avoid going during this period since logistic would be a big problem. Especially when almost the whole of Malaysia would be on the move. Hey, not just the Malays go balik kampong, the Chinese and Indians and various others would take the opportunity to do so too!
If he can, he should try to change his flight ticket and his hotel in Cameron Highlands booking to another period and avoid the clash with Malaysia holidays festival. Of course he is welcome to join in the mad rush fun!
Hari Raya Puasa is on 10 and 11 Sep 2010 (Friday and Saturday)
I received a comment from a tourist in India who was planning to travel to Cameron Highlands on the eve of Hari Raya Puasa. Definately the bus and coaches would be fully booked if there was no prior arrangement made for a bus ticket booking.
He could try Kang Tours and Travel which run a private minivan service, but then again if their driver go on leave during that time (who knows? He may want to balik kampong!) then their minivan service would be disrupted too.
So the best is to avoid going during this period since logistic would be a big problem. Especially when almost the whole of Malaysia would be on the move. Hey, not just the Malays go balik kampong, the Chinese and Indians and various others would take the opportunity to do so too!
If he can, he should try to change his flight ticket and his hotel in Cameron Highlands booking to another period and avoid the clash with Malaysia holidays festival. Of course he is welcome to join in the mad rush fun!
Hari Raya Puasa is on 10 and 11 Sep 2010 (Friday and Saturday)
Sunny days again
And today it is back to hot weather in the lowlands. Good for a car wash though. May as well clean up the car.
Funny, I always experience rain after a car wash. And some my friends and family says the same thing. Must be something to do with Murphy's Law!
Wet weather in Malaysia
And when it hits the cool mountain range like the Titiwangsa range it will precipitate. So you just might experience a cold wet weather in Cameron Highlands not just the lowlands in Malaysia!
4 ways to go Cameron Highlands
I found out that there are four ways to go Cameron Highlands. Well almost 4 ways, as the latest route is still under construction. I learned it from Kang Travels the last I was up, and some weeks ago it was reported in the newspaper. So in future you can take your pick on how to travel to Cameron Highlands or even make your connection to another holiday travel destinations from those routes!
These are the routes:
1. From Tapah via North-South Expressway
2. From Simpang Pulai via North-South Expressway
3. From Gua Musang
4. From Kuala Lipis which connects to Bertam Valley
The last on the list is still under construction and should be completed by August 2010. Now the east coast people will have an easier route to travel to Cameron Highlands rather than take one big round via Karak Highway to Batu Caves then from there to North-South Expressway and take either Tapah or Simpang Pulai entry!
These are the routes:
1. From Tapah via North-South Expressway
2. From Simpang Pulai via North-South Expressway
3. From Gua Musang
4. From Kuala Lipis which connects to Bertam Valley
The last on the list is still under construction and should be completed by August 2010. Now the east coast people will have an easier route to travel to Cameron Highlands rather than take one big round via Karak Highway to Batu Caves then from there to North-South Expressway and take either Tapah or Simpang Pulai entry!
Now may be a good time
School holidays is over, traffic in the cities is back to a crawl with rush hour traffic a chore to grind through everyday. Well for those who traded one congestion of the cities to the congestion of Cameron Highlands resort, just too bad. I know, I know, your children cannot take time off from their school studies and you just have to schedule some cuti-cuti Malaysia during the school break, so happened everybody thinks the same and what have you? Voila! Traffic nightmare in the highlands. It can't be helped, the roads are narrow and can't be widened anymore to accommodate the tourist.
But wait! How about those of you who don't have a full nest or even those whose children has grown and left the nest? Yes, DINKS, and retirees, this will be the best time to head on over to Cameron Highlands for a REAL relaxing break. No maddening crowd. Perhaps just the two of you, have yourself a romantic dinner, hmmm, a romantic getaway vacation sounds just enticing, don't you think?
Now this would really be great!
Cameron Highlands Blog
Decided to change the Cameron Highlands blog look and feel a little bit. Well actually I was using the old HTML style, but would like to use the new Blogger layout to use those new features. Oh, well since I'm a one leg kick kinda guy, creating this Cameron Highlands travel website writing content, researching and photography, and of course doing web hosting maintenance and design and who knows what!
Fortunately I know how to do it and have learned quite a fair bit ever since starting out on my Cameron-Highland-Destination.com website adventure. It has been a great long 5 years (how time flies!) and I have just renewed my expensive but very good SBI package. And yes, it has been growing steadily and I should believe it is one of the best website about Cameron Highlands judging from the heaps of compliments that I receive from my comments section. Drop me a line would ya?
Meanwhile, it is back to hacking my Cameron Highlands website, so I'll be kinda slow in the article writing department. Not withstanding my first baby was also born so looks like I'm going to be super busy!
Fortunately I know how to do it and have learned quite a fair bit ever since starting out on my Cameron-Highland-Destination.com website adventure. It has been a great long 5 years (how time flies!) and I have just renewed my expensive but very good SBI package. And yes, it has been growing steadily and I should believe it is one of the best website about Cameron Highlands judging from the heaps of compliments that I receive from my comments section. Drop me a line would ya?
Meanwhile, it is back to hacking my Cameron Highlands website, so I'll be kinda slow in the article writing department. Not withstanding my first baby was also born so looks like I'm going to be super busy!
Worker Shortage In Cameron Highlands
Seems like worker shortages might spell the end of Cameron Highlands. I hope the government will lift the ban coz this is not good for the Cameron Highlands tourism industry, the tea industry, the nurseries, vegetable farms, and all round causes a bad name for Malaysia. If government is sincere about their efforts to promote tourism Malaysia, they need to look into the manpower problem.
Sure there may be unemployed locals, but are they willing to take up the vacancy? Agriculture is not for everyone, you got a green thumb? But that is not the same. Doing gardening work and actually keep an acre of vegetable growing well without weeds and insects wrecking havoc is not everyone's cup of tea.
There may be vacancies available in Malaysia, but those types of job aren't just suitable for locals. It could be because of social status, like, "die from hunger also don't want to do because how will I face my family/relatives/neighbour/blah blah blah" you know that kind of thing. If you ask me, yep there are certain kind of jobs I wouldn't want to do either. And so it is that we will have labour shortage in certain job sectors, and over supply of employees in other industry because it looks great, hip even and glamorous, because everybody wants to do it. IT seems to be one of them. And when you have oversupply, the pay gets depressed. Grads pay are still the same since the last ten years, but inflation has eroded the disposable income.
Let's hope the government will come to its senses unless they need a stand off just like the sugar, flour licensing issue just so to wake them up to do something positive about it!
Sure there may be unemployed locals, but are they willing to take up the vacancy? Agriculture is not for everyone, you got a green thumb? But that is not the same. Doing gardening work and actually keep an acre of vegetable growing well without weeds and insects wrecking havoc is not everyone's cup of tea.
There may be vacancies available in Malaysia, but those types of job aren't just suitable for locals. It could be because of social status, like, "die from hunger also don't want to do because how will I face my family/relatives/neighbour/blah blah blah" you know that kind of thing. If you ask me, yep there are certain kind of jobs I wouldn't want to do either. And so it is that we will have labour shortage in certain job sectors, and over supply of employees in other industry because it looks great, hip even and glamorous, because everybody wants to do it. IT seems to be one of them. And when you have oversupply, the pay gets depressed. Grads pay are still the same since the last ten years, but inflation has eroded the disposable income.
Let's hope the government will come to its senses unless they need a stand off just like the sugar, flour licensing issue just so to wake them up to do something positive about it!
School Holidays
How time flies! It is already pass the middle of school holidays. Days are hot and sometimes it rains. Cameron Highlands is no different when it comes to kooky weather. The world climate is topsy-turvy and so is Cameron Highlands. So take your chances and see if the weather in Cameron Highlands is cool or just plain balmy like the English weather. Then you can go for a dainty afternoon tea and scones top up with Devonshire cream and go a bit English.
With World Cup going on, might be nice to hole up in some bistro that has World Cup feature in their nightly watering hole. Perhaps the Jungle Bar at Kang's Travelodge? Or Father's Guesthouse video room? Twinpines perhaps? Or go all snobby and try out YTL Cameron Highlands Resort?
I'll catch the World Cup finals later. Too many things to do. Still have to slog it out at work. But I like the school term break rush hour traffic. It's not as bad and I can get to work several minutes ahead than non-school holiday traffic. Just one of those little silver linings in life to be thankful for!
With World Cup going on, might be nice to hole up in some bistro that has World Cup feature in their nightly watering hole. Perhaps the Jungle Bar at Kang's Travelodge? Or Father's Guesthouse video room? Twinpines perhaps? Or go all snobby and try out YTL Cameron Highlands Resort?
I'll catch the World Cup finals later. Too many things to do. Still have to slog it out at work. But I like the school term break rush hour traffic. It's not as bad and I can get to work several minutes ahead than non-school holiday traffic. Just one of those little silver linings in life to be thankful for!
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