Of all possible investments that are within the reach of the average investor, none ofter the combination of outstanding benefits that are available to real estate investors. And, do you want to know something, banks and life insurance companies recognise this fact!

 

So they invest your money in real estate. While they pay you 1 to 3 percent for the use of your money, they are making 10 to 20 percent on it.

 

Why is real estate such a good investment? It offers the investor at least five different returns or ways of making money, on his investment.

 

Gross spendable income – cash flow

Investors also refer to this as “cash flow” or how much money that you can spend at the end of the month or year after all the operating expenses and mortgage payments have been made. We also call this as “gross” spendable because we have not taken income tax consequences into consideration at this point.

 

We always purchase properties that cash-flow. It takes time to find them, but it is well worth the effort. The simplest definition of positive cash flow is that you collect more revenue, usually in the form of rent, than it takes to pay for and operate the property.

 

A big advantage of real estate over other investments is that it can produce cash flow on a monthly basis. The cash generated by a real estate investment will always be a much larger percentage cash-on-cash return than any other investment.

 

The beauty of a cash-flowing real estate property is that it can help you become financially free. We discussed two real life examples of such real estate property in “How to know if a property investment is worth investing?”

 

Equity income

This is also referred to as equity buildup or principal reduction. Anyone who has had a mortgage on a home or car recognises that each time a payment is made, a certain portion of that payment is for the interest charged by the lender and the balance goes toward reducing the balance on the loan.

 

In a real estate investment, this equity income can be a sizeable amount. Although you cannot spend it each month, when the time comes to sell your property, you owe less on the mortgage, so you will receive more money at closing. It’s like putting money in the bank each month.

 

Making inflation work for you instead of against you – appreciation

Like inflation, you do not see it but it’s there. Only now, it’s working for you instead of against you. How does it work? Each year, because of inflation, your real estate is appreciating in value. Those of you who own a home, for example, would you sell it today at the same price you paid for it five or ten years ago?

 

We keep on having babies but God quit making land a long time ago. The supply is limited.

 

What does this mean in terms of existing land values? It means that existing land is becoming more and more valuable each year. It explains why investment real estate, whether in single family homes, apartment buildings, office buildings, shopping centres, ware houses and even vacant land, has become the most secure and profitable way to beat inflation. Existing land in most parts of the country, is appreciating at a rate greater than that of inflation.

 

How real estate stacks up against other investments – leverage

Leverage is an interesting thing about investing in real estate. It’s more than likely you have heard the term Other People’s Money, or OPM. The concept is simple and powerful.

 

The OPM concept is using money generated from someone or something other you in order to start a business or acquire an asset. While it is true that you can do this to an extent with stocks through buying on margin, the fact is that there is no investment where the application of this tool is more powerful than in real estate.

 

In real estate the leverage is based on the asset itself and you can get a bank to loan you the money up to 90 percent, and sometimes even 95 to 100 percent, of the total asset value. Why do banks do this?

 

Because they can repossess the physical asset itself should you default. Buying stocks on margin, however, allows you to borrow no more than 50 percent of the stock portfolio value. Just try to get bank to loan you the money for buying stocks – let alone your margin! Instead, you have to buy through a brokerage – at a high interest rate. In other words, when you buy stocks on margin, you are taking the risk. But when you take out a loan to buy real estate, the bank is assuming the risk.        – Ken McElroy in “The Advance Guide to Real Estate Investing”

 

You can see the power of leveraging demonstrated by real life cases in our article “Why you want to take up a loan for your real estate investment?” No other form of investing allows an investor the opportunity to control so much with a small amount of his own cash.

 

We further discussed in “How to finance your real estate investment for maximum return?” the ways to structure a mortgage loan in order to get the maximum return from your cash investment in real estate.

 

An investment that allows you to control

A unique advantage to real estate is that you can control it. In other types of investments, you give your money to a financial advisor and they place it for you in a company’s stock, a bond, or a mutual fund. What happens after that is completely out of your control. You have no ability to make operating decision for the company you have invested in; you are at the mercy of its managers.

 

Similarly, you have no control over financial markets when you purchase bonds or futures. You make a calculated guess, and then you sit back and watch. With these types of investments, the only control you have is choosing whether to buy or to sell.

 

Real estate is different. You purchase a tangible asset and you manage it. While there are still external market conditions that affect your investment, the difference is that you have the ability to manipulate the operations of your investment to respond to those conditions. Instead of being reactive (buying or selling), you are being proactive.

 

For example, if you are a landlord, you have the ability to manipulate rents based on changing market conditions in order to maximise income. This doesn’t always mean raising rents. The goal is to maximise income. Since it is a dynamic process, that might mean lowering rent or offering an incentive. A property’s occupancy comes into place here.

 

If you have the highest rents in a market, chances are potential tenants will rent from a direct competitor. Then all your high rents become lost potential income. The dynamic of real estate require you to keep occupancy, as well as rents, high.

 

You have the power in real estate to control the operational performance of your asset more than any other investment.

Coming from a humble little town called Tangkak in north Johor state of Malaysia, OngKL has chances to learn and work both in Johor Bahru and Singapore – a conurbation with 6.49 million still fast growing population – since year 1996. He is now having a chance to contribute back to the community by sharing what he sees, what he knows and what he learns in this wonderful place.

http://reijb.com

Liberalization in Government policies after late 1990’s has aided profound growth in Malaysian economy with continued average 6% economic growth rate. For fresher who wants to apply for job can collect little information on existing employment resource.

Manufacturing based and export oriented economy Electronic goods are the major products World leading exporter of semiconductors, computer hardware, audio/ video gadgets, air conditioners etc.

Major Malaysian companies:

Astro, Genting group, Maxis communications, Maybank, IOI Corp, OYL industries, Petronas etc.

MNCs:

Dell, Intel, Motorola, Nortel ,Panasonic, Accenture, Ernst & Young, Avon cosmetics, Tesco, ICI paints, Procter & Gamble, Exxon Mobil, Unilever,  Sun Micro system, Samsung, Rolls Royce, ABN Amro Bank, Citi Bank, HSBC etc. to name a few.

Working Culture:

Malaysia maintains labour laws in particular that acts as a safeguard for employers and employees. The employee   needs not to work more than 8 hours a day and 48 hours a week except few circumstances. Most government offices work for five and half day in a week where as private sector for five working days. Annual leave is for 14 days along with national holidays. Public holidays are for 14 days and sick leave is usually up to 14 days per year. Unemployment rate is around 3-3.5% which is pretty good sign for job seeker in Malaysia.

How to apply for jobs:

It is not mandatory to have a job experience before you apply for a fresh one in Malaysia.  But to enrol for a permanent job you need to secure the work permit which your employer will apply on your behalf. Newspapers, websites, recruitment agencies and recruiting company websites can be a good source of information. For employment vacancies Jobstreet- Malaysia and JobsDB.com are good websites to consult. Cover letter with a formal CV targeting your specific skills would be required along with passport size photograph and photo copies of relevant certificates. The Global Resume and CV guide a popular website carries useful tips for CVs, cover letters and interviews.

Interviews are based on inter personal skills along with academic achievements for Malaysian companies. These are taken in English language as well as mixture of English and Bahasa Malaysia. In larger companies Psychometric tests are arranged for one day assessment that includes group activities. For technical positions your technical skills and knowledge are being reviewed. For part time tutoring jobs in Malaysia get in contact with online tuition agencies.

Finally before setting out for job resources and random search get handful information on visa and immigration if staying abroad. Other wise local contacts and resources would be fine.

Chun Lee a tutor in Johor bahru has rich experience in home tuition jobs. He is connected with http://www.myprivatetutor.my, a well recognized online tuition agency.

You have located the investment property that you feel has what you want. Before you get involved with the detailed analysis of income, expenses and financing, you need to find out more about it. Although our property investment evaluation tool (which you can download it free when you subscribe to our newsletter at http://reijb.com) contains most of the items that are of interest to you, let’s discuss some that are not on the analysis, and see why they are important.

Age of the property

When the property is older, repairs or appliance replacement expenses may be expected in the near future. This should be taken into consideration in the price you are willing to pay for the property. Do not pass up an older building just because some repairs or replacement are needed. Those expenses can be written off through tax deduction. Assuming you are in a 28 percent tax bracket, for example, you are only spending 72 cents for repairs – Malaysia government is contributing the other 28 cents. This makes the cost of repairs quite inexpensive.

For example, say your taxable rental income of a new investment property is RM1000. You are supposed to pay a tax of RM280. But you spent RM100 for repairs when you first bought the property. Now your taxable rental income become RM900 and the tax you need to pay is RM252. The RM28 saving in your tax is exactly a 28% discount on your repair cost!

Good examples of deductible repairs include repainting, fixing gutters or floors, fixing leaks, plastering, and replacing broken windows.

Rental history

Look at a property that is a few years old. Has it enjoyed a high occupancy level over the past few years? What happened to its occupancy or rent level during the period of economic slowdown?

There are three easy and inconspicuous ways of finding out whether or not the building is fully leased. We stress inconspicuous because you do not want to alert the tenants that something is going on,

The least accurate check is to look at the mailboxes. Blank slots may indicate vacant apartments. A more accurate check is to look in the meter room where each apartment is individually metered for electric. See how many meters have been turned off by TNB, indicating those apartments are unoccupied. The final check is designed for the night owl. Drive by the building at three or four o’clock in the morning and see if the parking spaces are filled. This test won’t work during the day because most of the tenants are usually gone. You can also observe how many units are lit on after eight o’clock at night if you don’t like to be a night owl.

This inspection also gives you an idea of the quality of tenants in the building. When the parking lots are filled with motorcycles, for instance, don’t expect the building to be occupied by wealthy, retired people.

Neighborhood

What kind of properties surround the property you are considering acquiring? Is yours the only well-kept building on the street? You may have trouble keeping it that way. Deteriorating areas are usually followed by difficulty in renting apartments and, therefore, vacancies climb.

Building condition

What is the physical condition of the building? Your sell and purchase agreement (SPA) may give you, at your expense, the option of having at least a termite inspection made by a licensed inspector. Are the apartments well maintained? This will not only tell you what repairs you may be facing, but will also give you an indication of the type of tenants that are renting the apartments.

Amenities

Amenities such as clubhouse, swimming pool, tennis courts, and laundries affect how you’re your property can compete with other rentals in the area. Major amenities, such as tennis courts and swimming pools, however, may not be justified on smaller complexes because in return the management cost and sinking fund required may be relatively higher.

Parking

In today’s society, parking has become a serious problem. Almost every family in Malaysia has at least one car. Unless the building you are considering has at least one parking space for each apartment, plus a proportionate number of “visitor” parking spaces, you’d better think twice. Two parking spaces per unit are desirable, but not necessary.

If the complex is situated on a mojor street, do all or part of the parking spaces front on the street? If they do, what happens to your parking if the street is widened?

Furnished or unfurnished

There is something to be said both for and against furnished apartments. First, the good news. Furnished apartments usually demand a higher rent.

For the bad news, furnished apartments deteriorate more quickly. The furniture will not last too many years and tenants will not be as careful with your furniture as they are their own. Tenants in furnished apartments tend to be less stable. It’s easy for them to pack up and move, so they do. A tenant who has to hire a moving company will probably think twice, unless circumstances other than finding a better place for less money are his motivating factors.

These basic details concerning the property you want to purchase will add to your evaluation of the investment. You are now ready to gather the income, expense and financing information from the seller and make your own analysis of the property to determine how much you can afford to pay for the investment property that you wanted.

 

Read more about real estate investment tips at http://reijb.com

We write regularly about real estate investment. Some of our featured articles include:

“Why apartment can be the best real estate investment?”

“How important is location to an investment real estate?”

Coming from a humble little town called Tangkak in north Johor state of Malaysia, OngKL has chances to learn and work both in Johor Bahru and Singapore – a conurbation with 6.49 million still fast growing population – since year 1996. He is now having a chance to contribute back to the community by sharing what he sees, what he knows and what he learns in this wonderful place.

http://reijb.com

Malaysia is one of the most pleasant, hassle-free countries to visit in Southeast Asia. Malaysia is divided into two major regions: Peninsular Malaysia, which lies just south of Thailand, and East Malaysia, which can be found north of Indonesia on the island of Borneo. The Southeast Asian nation experienced a financial boom and underwent quick development during the late 20th century. The travel packages wrap Malaysia’s famous and well-liked destination that includes cities, resorts, beaches, island and beautiful as well as themed packages such as diving, adventures, fishing, mountain climbing and cultural tours. Malaysia, after all, thrives on nature and on the archeological, cultural and historical attractions which react very sensitively to environmental influences. You plan to visit Malaysia related honeymoon.

You select a Malaysia honeymoon vacation package that fits your budget if price matters to you, and then you should know locate discount or special rate honeymoon package. You consult joy-travels. I suggest you book the vacation package this website. Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang to famous tourist’s designations. Malaysia is a shopping Mecca for garments, electronics, computer goods and much more, with very aggressive prices. The cheapest place to easily buy national souvenirs is in Kuching, East Malaysia, and the most expensive place is in the major, posh KL shopping centers. While trying to attract the flow of tourism,’ citing cases of new eco- resorts such as Datai Bay Resort in Langkawi and the Karumbunai Resort in Sabah. Malaysia’s tourism sector expects to benefit from this boom Sabbaruddin puts the situation in proper perspective, saying that there is, generally, lack of information in Europe about the Southeast Asian region. He says one of the most attractive features about Malaysia for tourists are prices have declined further for foreign tourists. `Malaysia is the only country in the region where prices are quoted in the local currency and not in US dollars.

This makes Malaysia a low-priced destination for foreign tourists whose currencies have appreciated considerably against the ringgit. Sabah is basically an agricultural state. He says Sabah’s unique location right in the heart of Southeast Asia makes it an attractive designation for foreign visitors on a jaunt to any of the Southeast Asian countries. `Sabah has two major attractions. We have first of all Mount Kinabalu and second, the Danum Valley which is a huge rain forest reserve bigger than Singapore.’ The Sabah government is promoting three aspects of tourism – the western coast with a cluster of hotels, resorts and other tourism facilities, the eastern coast noted for eco-tourism, and the interior of the state with Mount Kinabalu as a major attraction. The region is generating considerable interest in a number of European countries as a tourist destination, according to Mohamed Idros, the director of the Frankfurt-based Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. We provide customized and regular tour packages. German tourists prefer jungle tracking, scuba diving and such things while Asian tourists prefer comfort and well-arranged facilities for them,’ she says. Our services are nature and culture oriented.

We have been marketing public relationship which has proven to be popular with the worldwide that come and stay with local hosts with whom they establish a long-term relationship. Accustomed to taking even two vacations a year and considered a major contributor to the country’s flourishing tourism industry; he has now become tight-fisted and even denomination aware when it comes to travel. While financial constraints will prove to be a major stumbling block, foreign tourism promoters will have to resort to imaginative ways of attracting tourism. Singaporeans, for instance, have embarked quietly on what is described as `dental tourism’ – tourists from developed countries, unwilling to pay the high costs of dental treatment and prosthesis fixtures at home, are being lured to Singapore where they are also offered dental treatment services plus a holiday in a good hotel as part of an attractive airfare- cum-hotel package.

Priya Singh wrote this article on behalf of Malaysia Holiday Resorts. For more information on Travel and Tourism in Malaysia, discount airline tickets and travel tips for visiting malaysia you can visit joy-travels.com

Thinking of buying a property and not sure whether the price is right?? To estimate the value of a property is not as difficult as you think. With some information from the market, you can do the estimation just like a professional valuer.

Always remember that the value of a property depends on the potential income the property can generate – annual rental income. This has been the guideline for valuer to perform property valuation and for government to derive property tax (quit rent & assessment fee).

A simple term used to estimate value of a property is rental yield. However, we call it capitalization rate instead of rental yield when we talk about valuation. But the formula is similar, i.e. capitalization rate = (annual rental income)/(property value)

To determine a property’s fair value, simply change a bit of the same equation:

Expected property value = (expected annual rental income)/(capitalization rate of property in the same market)

For example, in Johor Bahru normally the capitalization rate for apartment we use is around 6.0%-6.7%. Say if you have a unit with average monthly rental income of RM1000 in the market, annual income will be RM12,000 (RM1000×12). From the equation, your property value should not be more than RM200,000 (RM12,000/0.06).

Capitalization rate depends on the type and location of the property. You can easily estimate the capitalization rate for your property by asking the latest average rental income and selling prices in the same area from your property agents.

On the other side of the coin, valuers and government get the data of market average rental and property prices from the stamp duty records (tenancy agreements, sell & purchase transactions) of Inland Revenue Board and land office.

Estimating the value of a property is important for us to negotiate with seller, as well as to estimate return on investment (ROI). You can read more about how to finance your real estate investment for maximum return.

 

Read more about real estate investment tips at http://reijb.com

We write regularly about real estate investment. Some of our featured articles include:

“Why apartment can be the best real estate investment?”

“How important is location to an investment real estate?”

Coming from a humble little town called Tangkak in north Johor state of Malaysia, OngKL has chances to learn and work both in Johor Bahru and Singapore – a conurbation with 6.49 million still fast growing population – since year 1996. He is now having a chance to contribute back to the community by sharing what he sees, what he knows and what he learns in this wonderful place.

http://reijb.com

You limited a Malaysia wedding trip packet that hysterics your finances if value matters to you, and then you should know locate disregard or exclusive measure wedding envelop. You consult joy-travels. I evoke you book the feast packet this website. Kuala Lumpur, Klang Valley, Johor Bahru and Penang to legendary tourist’s designations. Malaysia is shopping Mecca for attire, electronics, computer wares and much more, with very aggressive prices. The cheapest place easily to buy native souvenirs is in Kuching, East Malaysia, and the most dear place is usually, exclusive KL shopping centers. While difficult to attract the tide of tourism,’ citing bags of new eco- resorts such as Datai Bay Resort in Langkawi and the Karumbunai Resort in Sabah. Malaysia’s tourism sector expects to benefit from this boom Sabbaruddin puts the condition in suitable perspective, saying that there is, commonly, require of information in Europe about the Southeast Asian district. He says one of the most attractive features about Malaysia for tourists prices have declined advance for distant tourists. `Malaysia is the only country in the section where prices are quoted in the narrow currency and not in US dollars.

This makes Malaysia a low-priced destination for external tourists whose currencies have appreciated considerably against the ringgit. Sabah is really an agricultural splendor. He says Sabah’s exclusive locality right in the spirit of Southeast Asia makes it an attractive designation for exotic visitors on a break to any of the Southeast Asian countries. `Sabah has two chief attractions. We have first Mount Kinabalu and jiffy, the Danum Valley which is a colossal torrent forest reserve superior to Singapore.’ The Sabah government is promoting three aspects of tourism – the western coast with a cluster of hotels, resorts and other tourism facilities, the eastern coast imminent for eco-tourism, and the interior of the state with Mount Kinabalu as a foremost attraction. The district is generating considerable hobby in several European countries as a tourist destination, according to Mohamed Idros, the boss of the Frankfurt-based Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board. We supply customized and fixed tour packages. German tourists rather jungle tracking, scuba diving and such equipment while Asian tourists prefer comfort and well-given facilities for them,’ she says. Our army was type and mores oriented.

We have been marketing open relationship which has proven to be popular with the worldwide that come to vacation with area hosts with whom, they start a long-phrase relationship. Accustoming to pleasing even two vacations a year and considered a foremost contributor to the country’s flourishing tourism business; he has now become taut-fisted and even denomination aware when it comes to voyage. While financial constraints will attest to be a foremost stumbling thwart, foreign tourism promoters will have to remedy to imaginative behavior of attracting tourism. Singaporeans, for example, have embarked quietly on what is described as `dental tourism’ – tourists from urban countries, unwilling to pay the high expenses of dental remedy and prosthesis gear at home, are being lured to Singapore where they are also existing dental behavior services bonus a holiday in a good lodge as part of an attractive airfare- cum-hotel packet.

Visit the Facts About Asia website to learn about rivers in asia and east asia countries.

Singapore is one of the beautiful, very clean, fastest growing, secured and well developed countries in the

world. Very nearest countries are Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. The island is located in a good

geographical location. The official languages are English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil.

Do you know the interesting places to visit in Singapore?? There are many places to visit but there are certain places which must not be missed are Sentosa Island, Zoo, Night safari, Birds park, Raffles place etc.

Singapore is good for shopping at places Little India, Orchard, Vivo city and many malls covering almost all areas in Singapore.

Singapore is surrounded with over 50 islands. The most visiting places are Pulau Ubin, Kusu Island and St.Johns Island. The interesting part is you can hire a ferry and visit the islands by yourself. You can reach to Johor Bahru, Malaysia from Singapore with in 12kms through Road link.

What can we purchase in Singapore? There are many to buy ,many shopping malls and complexes.

Most people prefer to buy Electronic goods and Gold. So where can the electronic goods available in

Singapore? Most Electronic items available at Mustafa Centre, Sim Lim square, Naranjan Electronics. And one interesting things is there would be IT show for every 3-4 months arranged in Singapore where you can get electronic goods at a very cheaper price. And Yellow Gold is offered to sell mostly at Mustafa Centre and many shops at Little India, where as Silver Gold is available at many complexes in Singapore.

Singapore always welcomes and encourages foreign talent each and every year & creates many Jobs especially in IT many more. More banking jobs, financial jobs, Telecom, manufacturing & construction

Jobs etc.

 

Do you know what are the budget or economical International flights to Singapore?? There are many flights to Singapore from almost all Countries. The budget flights are CEBU Pacific, Air Asia & Lion Air are operating budget flights and Tiger Airways, Jet Star which are Singapore based budget flights.

The food in Singapore is more influenced by Chinese, Malay, Indonesian, Indian and of western traditions.

The food in Singapore is standardized meaning each and every food stall or restaurant must be issued with grades which must maintain certain levels of food quality. And the fantastic thing is there would be food festival arranged every year where you can find a unique combination of different kinds of food of various

cultures.

Still there are many interesting things and topics to know who are new and would like to come for Singapore. Please visit

http://www.singapore-infoguide.com for more detailed and complete information.

IT Prof.

Sarawak Regatta is Kuching’s top boat-racing event, and has 15 different race categories. Traditional Chinese dragon boats, along with other colourful models, are paddled through the waters of the Sarawak River along Kuching Waterfront. The Sarawak Regatta is an annual event held at the Kuching Waterfront at the Sarawak River. This year Sarawak Regatta will be held from 31st July till 2nd August 2009.

Sarawak is known to international visitors primarily because of the extraordinary natural wonders of its national parks, including Gunung Mulu, the Niah Caves, and Bako. Sarawak’s cultural treasures are also fascinating, reflecting the influence not only of the state’s many ethnic peoples, but also the odd western influence of Sarawak’s “White Rajahs.”  The capital of Sarawak is Kuching. Malaysia Airlines flies regularly to Kuching International Airport as well as to Miri from Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Singapore, and Kota Kinabalu. Boats are a common mode of transport in Sarawak, as its the dense vegetation of its interior is crisscrossed with rivers. Travel in areas not reachable by boat is often by light aircrafts and helicopters. Major towns are serviced by buses.

Sarawak’s endless rivers form the vast state’s transportational backbone. The most common crafts used along the rivers are called perahus; they are low-lying pencil thin canoes equipped with outboard motors, and they curl along with surprising speed and agility. The experience of riding in one, while the impossibly dense jungle wall breezes past, is unforgettable. Join the crowd for a weekend of watery boat races, sweaty paddlers and enthusiastic crowd which thronged the banks of Sarawak River in the wee hours of the morning to watch paddlers battling their strengths and skills amidst the shouts and cheers.

Watch out for the crowd’s favourite races and the ‘must watch events’, where the ‘Bidar’ boat races take centre stage. Adding to the variety and excitement are the ‘tambang’ boat races, jet-ski races, kayak races and the traditional water sports events. The highlight of these races will be the King of the River title for His Excellency’s the Governor’s Challenge Trophy. The tourist category of a 15 paddlers team and 20 paddlers International category are available to foreign tourists to compete in the race.

A wide array of side events such as tourism, handicrafts, science and technology exhibition trade fairs, cultural and food extravaganza, are an added attraction for this year Regatta. These will certainly bring in more crowd, more excitement, more thrills and spills to the Sarawak Regatta 2009. It will definitely be an event you will not want to miss.

The author is an entertainment news editor and works for many websites related to event, bollywood, music, movie, concerts and theater. Visit one more interesting article of author: Chaos Theory – Play or http://www.buzzintown.com/?115921

On-Board the Super Star Virgo luxury liner

We started our getaway with a cruise on the Superstar Virgo from Singapore to Port Klang. We spent 2 days 1 night on board. We departed Singapore at 10:30pm and reached Port Klang the following afternoon at 3pm.

Our cabin was on the 11th floor without a pothole. We were surprised by the welcome gifts awaiting us on the dressing table. The room was cozy and have comfortable beds that will definitely allow you to have a beautiful night’s rest. The cabin isle is long which shows that its a long ship

The meals onboard were sumptuous. There was a choice of Western, Chinese and Mediterranean, each having a separate restaurant. We tried both the Chinese (for breakfast) tim sum style and Mediterranean (for dinner) buffet style. The breakfast was average but good enough to feel you. The dinner was better, evidenced with us going for a 2nd round to eat our fill. There are other restaurants onboard but you have to pay for them and is not included in the tour package

We toured the ship and used its facilities. Our first stop was the spa pool, hot bath and sauna. This was the first time I visited the hot bath and sauna. It was really hot and I had to open the door to let off some steam… Good thing no one was in it. hahaa. There was a theater for live performance. When there was no performance they would screen a movie. There are 13 floors in all in the ship, when you take the lift, it gives you a breath taking view of the beautiful interior. There are 2 swimming pools, one at the front and another at the rear of the ship. Last but not least we visited the casino. There were many tables for card games, roulette and others. There were many rows of slot machines too. One of the biggest casino on board a ship I have seen thus far.

Heading to Genting Highlands

We arrived Port Klang as scheduled and got off the ship to take the bus ride to Genting HighLands. The bus journey lasted 3 hours. It was like the expressway as there were no traffic lights to stop us. Along the way we got to see the majestic twin Petronas Towers at Kuala Lumpur. After a brief toilet break we started to ascend the hills of Genting HighLands. The road is not as winding as before as there are now 3 lanes going up and down. After an hour we reached the peak and proceeded to First World Hotel . It was already foggy and visibility was poor.

First World Plaza Indoor Theme Park

After dinner, we proceed to the First World Plaza Indoor Theme Park . We were amazed how a theme park could be within a building. As time was limited, we managed to ride only on the:

 

4D Motion Master (Fast) Euro Express (Fast) Ferris Wheel (Slow) Funtasy World (Slow) Reindeer Cruiser (Slow) Venice Gondola (Slow)

 

Genting Outdoor Theme Park

The next morning we visited the Genting Outdoor Theme Park. It rainded alittle in the morning, however it stopped. We noticed that some rides have to be paid as it is not included in the entrance fee. We took rides on the following and these are included in the entrance fee:

 

Boating (Slow) Bumper Boat (Slow) Cyclone (Fast) Dinosaurland (Slow) Flying Dragon (Moderate fast – Fast) Grand Prix Fun Kart (Moderate fast – Fast) Matahari (Slow) Monorail (Moderate fast) Pirate Ship (Moderate fast) Pirate Train (Moderate fast) Space Shot (Very Fast) Spinner (Fast) Super Toboggan (Moderate fast – Fast)

 

Out of the 13 rides, we had the most adrenalin rush from the Space Shot ride. A word of advise, only ride it with an empty stomach. We left at about 4pm to explore the hotels and casinos

Hotel exploration

We exit from the outdoor theme part main entrance. The shopping path we took connected us to all the hotels like what we have at City Link at City Hall in Singapore. First we visited the Resort Hotel. It looked like it was under some renovation. Next we walked to Genting hotel and then to Highlands hotel . Highlands hotel look the most grandeur.

Casino exploration

We visited the casinos at First World hotel and Genting hotel. We only tried our luck on the jacpot machines and not the card games. It was thrilling and exciting though we did not win anything, its more how long can our $10 last. Haha. Btw, the air of the casinos are filled with smoke and many people tend to light up in there. After dinner we headed back to the jacpot area and later walked back to our hotel to turn in.

Going home

We left Genting at 3pm. It was a 6 hour bus ride back to Singapore. We stopped at Chong Pang Johor Bahru for a light dinner. On the way I noticed that street lamps only appeared when there is a major junction and the rest of the way was mostly dark. Our coach returned by the second link through the Tuas immigration check point which was much faster. We returned home with fond memories of our trip and had the feeling of wanting to stay there longer and not return .

Raymond Heng is a full time Test Consultant specializing in IT testing (software, hardware, integration). He is conversant in internet marketing and experienced in driving traffic using SEO, article marketing & blogs. He is also well verse with digital product creation. He enjoys investing in stocks, options, raw land. He is also a part time budding author who released his first online book on how to succeed on your first date with a Singaporean girl, can be found at http://www.express-learner.com/successful_first_date/great-first-date-singapore-girl.htm. He reads widely during his free time, travels and enjoys playing with his children. His personal home page is at http://web.singnet.com.sg/~raindeer. His business web site which provide solutions to help singles make a smooth transition to dating and courtship to married life is at http://www.express-learner.com.

Pulau stand for island in Malay language, and Pulau Sibu is one of the attraction island in Malaysia. In  english direct translation for it means ‘big sibu island’, but most places in Malaysia will have no name translation. Pulau Sibu is the form part of Seribuat chain islands that lies 12 kilometres off the east coast of west peninsular

It is a pleasent hideway with tropical vegetation, golden beaches, clear blue sea surrounding the island making it full of attraction. The island is also have numerious sea caves carved out rocks. The sea pounding during monsoon season gave the beautiful appearance to the island, with beauttiful fascinating coral reefs and colourful marine lie.

Shipwrecks off also be found here. In the old day, Chinese junks and pirate vessels oftenly exchane cannons fire around the island, and the remain of battles lie scattering around the sea bed. Nowadays, facilities are found for scuba diving, windsurfing, sailing, and angling. Tourists can also go for a hike through out the jungle leading the unspoilt mangrove swamps or visit, the kelong/jetty, when anchovies caught. Alternatively, tourists can also head for the village there and get the first hand look on how coconuts are smoked in order to produce copra.

What attractions found here are the diving activities, with approximately 30 dive sites dotted around the area including Sibu Besar, Sibu Tengah and Pulau Tinggi, with general depth of 15-18 meters, but on average visibility about 10 meters, according the the Sea Gypsy Village Resort, Linda. One of best sites here is Dolly Parton, 20-25 minute speed boat ride to the dive site and 50 minute dive, so if you are not too sure about diving in currents, plan to trip your visit accordingly. Another best activites on Pulau Sibu is snorkeling area on Pulau Sibu Besar on the stretch at Rimba Resort. The other area for snorkellers is at Pulau Sibu Kukus, yet another attraction for Pulau Sibu.

How to get to Pulau Sibu, Malaysia

If you are coming by plane you can either fly to:

Senai Airport, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Private vehicle hire (up to 10 passengers) to Tanjong Leman:  RM300

Travel Time:  2 hours

Changi Airport, Singapore.

Private vehicle hire (up to 10 passengers) to Tanjong Leman:  RM400

Travel Time:  3 hours

Alternatively, you can also catch a boat ride to Pulau Sibu from Tanjung Leman Jetty, south of Mersing, Johor. From the Mersing town, travel to south along the Mersing-Kota Tinggi (Highway 3). From Kota Tinggi town, travel north on Kota Tinggi – Mersing trunk road for 48 kilometres and Pulau Sibu is about 20 minutes boat ride from Tanjung Leman jetty. Be sure to upload you gps navigator with malaysia/singapore maps to get the right direction to head there. Have fun and joy!

Hanep is a blogger, free writer who wrotes thoughts, technology, internet, design and much more. He is also a writer of Travel Blog, blog at AutoMagazined, the automotive blog, and Ohmobiles, the technology blog.