Stanley Chuah Photography: Blog

Siem Reap, Cambodia

Fri, 08 May 2015 13:53:58 GMT

Siem Reap, Cambodia. All I can remember was the tourist crowd, cameras, tuk tuk, and of course lots of temples.

Aside from the Tomb Raider temples, I didn’t know much about Siem Reap, Cambodia (I actually didn't know Tomb Raider was filmed in Siem Reap...shhhh).

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Siem Reap itself does not have its own identity, apart of the temples. You may find yourself walking down the street in an European country as I could see only foreigners wherever I went. It is indeed a very touristy place. I think we spent most of the time trying to find rooms to stay away from the tourists posing at every single tower, entrance and staircase. As we ducked from one photo shot, we would find ourselves falling into another one. Yes, we did some photo shoots as well, but not right in front of a crowd and expect people to move away.

Apart from that, I think Siem Reap overall is an Okay place to visit unless you are into heritage and enjoy being in the tourist crowd.

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Recommendations:

Entry Pass:

To enter the temples, you either pay for the 1-day, 3-day or 7-day pass. I highly recommend getting the 3-day to visit all the temples. Remember this, bring a passport photo of yours to avoid crowd at the photo booth. I heard they have upgraded the system where your beautiful portrait can be taken on the spot. Well, the system could be just like those in the Malaysian government public service centers (most of the time not functioning). So I still recommend visitors to bring along your passport photos with you.

Food and Drink:

Bring some snacks or sandwiches with you as the food could be quite pricy. Bring a lot of water with you, though there are locals selling drinks and water at almost every temple.

Transportation:

I would advise visitors to rent bicycles and ride around the temples!

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Lake Garden, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 14:28:58 GMT

I am from Taiping, it is a small heritage town located in northern Perak (north of Ipoh), Malaysia. It emerged with booming of Tin Mining in 19 century. One cannot claim to have visited Taiping without spending some time strolling around the famous Lake Garden.

Taiping lake garden (Taman Tasik, Taiping) was established in 1880, and it is one of the oldest garden in Malaysia. It has a few lakes, where they were formerly tin mines and as the mineral ran out, it was since transformed into a beautiful park. It's a beautiful gift to the Taiping langs (residents) , like me. Spending time at the Lake Gardens in Taiping was a real treat, as one would enjoy not only the tranquility but it serves as one of the best place for bird watching too. It hosts a collection of flora and its famous century-old Angsana tree (Rain tree as the locals call). The Angsanas stretch the branches across the lake and they form a shady and natural boulevard around the lake. The park is especially magical at dawn and dusk, and those are the best time to get surreal effects. It is indeed a perfect picturesque. Below are some of my shots.

Located near the Lake Garden and just next to the ancient (colonial era) Taiping Prison, Perak Museum is a definite must see attraction. This museum is the first in the country. I forgot to add that the Taiping Prison is one of the earliest permanent penitentiary institutions in Malaysia too. Indeed it scored a number of firsts, also the first zoo in Malaysia - Zoo Taiping.

Don't forget to go to the Maxwell Hill, waterfall, and the streams at the foothill. Taiping has a good underground water table rich in mineral content and that's where Spritzer draws their water to bottle into their brand of mineral water. Remember when you take a sip of Spritzer, the water is from my home town.

The best place to stay to enjoy the morning breeze of the lake - The Flemington Hotel

Little India, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 09:45:35 GMT

Little India, Brickfields, is one of the pioneer settlements in Kuala Lumpur. During the English colonization, it was required that buildings in Kuala Lumpur be constructed of bricks and tiles. There was when the brick industry took off and it started here, Brickfields. Since then the Indian community have lived and remained here and became citizens of Malaysia. Apart from Indian food and culture, one can also find Buddhist temples, mosque and churches in Brickfields. Walking down the sidewalks makes you feel like you are in India, except there is no cow roaming around the street.

Little India normally is decorated with colorful deco in the weeks leading up to Deepavali in mid October, and Thaipusam

in the beginning of the year (January - February).

One could also do the heritage walk around the Brickfields (http://www.malaysia-traveller.com/brickfields-heritage-walk.html). To reach there, you can either take the Putra LRT and stop at KL Sentral or take the KL monorail and then stop at KL Sentral.

Khoo Kongsi, George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Tue, 07 Apr 2015 11:13:14 GMT

Hidden in a maze of alleys and pre-war houses is the breathtakingly beautiful Khoo Kongsi – clan house built by the early Khoo clanmen more than 100 years ago. The Khoo clan constructed what is considered to be the most magnificent clan house in all of Penang. It is regarded as being one of the most distinctive and influential Hokkien clans in Malaysia, the Khoo clan can trace their lineage back at least 650 years.

The Khoo Kongsi compound was completely self-contained. A massive meeting hall, opera stage, shops, educational facilities, temple, and self-run government ensured that the clan family remained safe and had everything that they needed during Penang's turbulent past.

Khoo Kongsi is open every day, including public holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasionally the compound closes for weddings, VIP visits, or other events. The public is welcomed inside to take photographs and enjoy the intricate murals, engravings, and other artwork.

Khoo Kongsi
18 Cannon Square, 10200 Penang, Malaysia.