It's halfway March and again I have a newsletter for you. Too soon? The thing is, I have much to share with you. I have the bus page of the Pangkor website totally renovated, added some photos and it's now totally updated to your needs for 2010.

Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut informed us about their 2nd consecutive award for the hotel. I wasn't surprised, knowing the quality of the Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut, but it's still great others see it too. Congratulations from pulau-pangkor.com!

Further we visited some amazingly cool new property project in Penang. Eileen Chang informs us about the Malaysian Tapir, an animal that desperately needs our help.

We have some exciting info about cruises around Penang and I found a great little story about a tour I once did in Sikkim India.

Rest me to say that the newsletter next month will be released in early May because I will spend the whole month in Indonesia for a bicycle journey from Bali to Jakarta and back to Pangkor. Until then I hope you enjoy this newsletter.

• Updated bus info from Lumut to the rest of Malaysia
• Real Estate: Seri Tanjung Penang
• Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut!
• Do a cruise in Penang
• A story about traveling in Sikkim
• The Ultimate Guide to Free Lodging
• Cooking in Penang - UPDATED
• Pangkor Hotels
• The Malaysian Tapir

Happy reading!
Peter van der Lans
Sitiawan

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Updated bus info from Lumut to the rest of Malaysia
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We got some complains that certain buses didn't go anymore. Shame on me, of course. So I checked the whole page. Went to check all the info I could get in Lumut and Seri Manjung and made, I was there anyway, some photos. The bus to Pangkor page is now completely up to date.

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/bus-to-Pangkor.html

Additionally I would like to put again attention to the direct shuttle bus that connects Sitiawan with KLIA and LCCT. Sitiawan? Sitiawan is only 10 km away from Lumut. It is a better deal to travel with the shuttle bus to Sitiawan then to travel first into Kuala Lumpur and change at Puduraya bus station. If you do not want to go to KL but still want to travel to KLIA, this is an excellent service (6 times a day):

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/transport-in-perak.html

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Real Estate: Seri Tanjung Penang
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Two weeks back our real estate agent in Penang, Mr. Yeoh pointed us to a new project in Penang. Contrary to previous visits, this time I got really excited. Why? This project, Seri Tanjung Pinang, by the E&O development group is really cool. The apartments, bungalows and Semi-D's are build with a clear plan on a reclaimed piece of land. And, we visited one of our customers in his new bought Semi-D.

Mr. Scott Loar Satterfield was kind enough to give us a view of his new home in Penang. I admit fully, Penang is not my kind of city. Too busy, too crowded, too many cars. There are two exceptions in Penang I would consider to live though. Balik Pulau is one, the other is where Mr. Scott Loar Satterfield lives. It's quiet and beautiful. This is the future of Penang. Trust me.

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/seri-tanjung-penang.html

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/sri-tanjung-pinang.html

We also thought it was important, if not essential to give you an idea who our real estate and property agent is. But who am I to say he's good? Best is to let one of our customers explain why he loved working with Mr. Yeoh. Mr. Scott Loar Satterfield has lived in Taiwan and Shanghai so he could make the comparison between a good and a so-so agent. And he does.

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/real-estate-agent-penang.html



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Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut
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The Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut informed us about their Malaysia Tourism Awards for the second consecutive time! Here is what Mr. Ian Riley wrote us:

We are pleased to announce that Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut was awarded the prestigious Malaysia Tourism Awards 2008/2009 for Best Hotel Services – 4 Star Resort Category for the 2nd consecutive time.



The award validates our continuous commitment to create the ultimate guest experience with the initiation of a series of refurbishment exercises, enhancing accommodations and services with our guest’s comfort in mind. The new lobby is a distinctive blend of contemporary setting incorporating the all new Swiss-Deli creating a welcoming ambience for the ultimate experience. The guest rooms reflect a confluence of traditional motifs accentuated by contemporary décor while the new Honeymoon Suite is replete with intimate interiors and unparallel privacy. The Garden Terrace Coffee House imbued in ivory hues offer diners an option of dining in an air-conditioned enclave or al-fresco style amid tropical greenery and panoramic views of the Straits of Malacca.

It would indeed be our pleasure to arrange for a site inspection should you wish to visit the award-winning resort. For enquiries and reservations, please contact our KL Sales Office at 03-2145 3833 / sales_sgrsdl@swissgarden.com or alternatively you may contact the resort at 05-684 3333 / resvns_sgrsdl@swissgarden.com. We look forward to welcoming you and your guest to our resort.

Warm Regards,

Ian Riley
Resort Director
Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut

Reason enough to stay at Swiss-Garden Golf Resort & Spa Damai Laut. I've stayed here a few times and it is a really good hotel with excellent service. It doesn't surprise me they got again the award. From Pulau Pangkor.com we send you our congratulations and regards.

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Swiss-Garden.html

The golf course: http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/damai-laut.html
The Damai Laut golf holes: http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/damai-laut-holes.html
The Iguana Bar: http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/iguana-bar.html
The Villas: http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/swiss-villas.html

Trust me, this is where you want to spend your holiday!

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Do a cruise in Penang
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Cruises have always been popular. Not for nothing. It's good fun to escape to a less traveled part of the country. And the sea is always less traveled then the land. Penang is not different. I was lucky to join a Penang cruise by Blue Whale Cruises. I always enjoy being on the water. It's never boring. Some years back I did a 5 day sea trip to the Andaman Islands in India and 5 days mostly without any views other then water was not enough for me. So the trip with the Blue Whale was short but excellent.

It was a whole day trip, starting at 10AM, arriving back at the Tanjung Marina at 5PM. This included an excellent kingly lunch, no, I am not exaggerating. I really enjoyed it. And so should you! I can really recommend this trip:

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/penang-cruise.html

And talking about a trip... Blue Whale Cruises have still space for their Sunday Night Trip. Click here to download their flyer for Sunday 21 March Night trip around Penang.

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/support-files/21-march.pdf



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A story about traveling in Sikkim
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The last couple of weeks I continued working on my India section of my bicycle-adventures.com website. In my diaries I found a funny story about an organized 2 days tour I did into North Sikkim, a small state switched in between Nepal on the west border and Bhutan at it's east border. The north borders China (Tibet). Because of this, it's obvious that you find a lot of Nepalese and Tibetans in this area. Plus a lot of Bhutanese refugees. North Sikkim for that reason is mostly only accessible in organized tours.

I am not keen on joining tours but sometimes there's little choice. This was one of them and as it turned out, quite hilarious! Here's the story:

- http://www.bicycle-adventures.com/north-sikkim.html

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The Ultimate Guide to Free Lodging
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Who wouldn't want free hotel rooms! Crazy? A Scam? No way. The system, strange enough maybe, it works!

The Ultimate Guide To Free Lodging

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Cooking in Penang - UPDATED
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I didn't expect Nazlina's cooking classes would be THAT successful in such a short time. Her classes have not only attracted foreign students, that was expected but also some foreign media (an article in an Australian Magazine for example). Several blogs and websites mention her classes, even one in Chinese I can not read. Thus it was time to give you some ideas what Naz' class not only is, but also how people enjoy it. Nothing better then a recommendation, right?

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/cooking-traditional-food-class.html

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Pangkor hotels
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Should you want to visit Pangkor in the school holiday, make sure you have booked your room:

- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Pangkor-Island-Beach-Resort.html
- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Swiss-Garden.html
- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Coral-Bay-Resort.html
- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/puteri-bayu.html
- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Teluk-Dalam.html
- http://www.pulau-pangkor.com/Pangkor-Laut.html

More hotels in Malaysia: