Kendra Thornton Writes On Chicago/ Rose Rahim Writes On Langkawi Island

Hello readers,
Today is the 1st.day of New Year and I'd like to wish each and everyone out there a very Happy New Year!
And to mark the 1st.day of New Year,I was honored to receive an invitation from Ms Thornton into collaborating with her and write something that is close to both our hearts, our hometowns.
Kendra writes about Chicago whereas I write about my island, Langkawi.
Kendra Thornton was a Director of Corporate Communications at Orbitz.com, one of America's largest travel agencies. She now owns Thornton Public Relations LLC. Ms Thornton appears regularly on ABC, CBS, NBC network as a travel expert spokesperson.
She says she's currently a full time mom enjoying her daily life with her three children. I second to that, Kendra!

Kendra Thornton

Travel Guide to Chicago: Where to Eat, Sleep and Explore

Travel Guide to Chicago: Where to Eat, Sleep and Explore

Exploring Chicago will likely take you around all different time periods of history. There's some incredible museums, art events, food festivals and much more to enjoy in the Windy City, but visiting this city can be a little overwhelming when you consider how many different parks, shopping districts and museums there are. These are some of the best places to see unique Chicago history, landmarks, locally owned boutiques and world-renowned restaurants. Some of the best places to check out include DePaul's Reskin Theatre, Museum Campus, Millennium Park and the Ralph Lauren restaurant.


The City of Bridges

There's a reason that Chicago's called the "City of Bridges." The Chicago River runs through the metropolis and as such there are a few different waterways and connecting bridges that go across town. One of the more famous bridges is the Michigan Avenue Bridge. This is because it's a historical landmark in addition to being a popular walkway in downtown Chicago. You'll find sculptures on each of the four pylons that designate important events for the city. Built in 1920, the bascule bridge is simply an architectural wonder that will give you a great view of the city and offers some fun photo opportunities. Some of the city tours actually start here including the Wendella boat tour.


A Chef's Place to Live

Chicago is a mecca for world-class chefs. You'll find every type of cuisine here as well. If you're looking for a good deep-dish pizza and other treats, you should check out Glenn's Diner on West Montrose Avenue. Breakfast is also served all day here, and you'll get a ton of seafood specials. Glenn's is also known for providing all types of breakfast foods including any type of cereal. This is a favorite for families visiting Chicago, but it's also just a casual place to grab something to eat while looking around downtown.

Where to Stay in Chicago

There are plenty of luxurious, historic hotels in Chicago. It's hard to decide which one is the best. They each provide something different and unique. One of the best places with a relaxing spa is The Peninsula. The spa is well known for its many treatments and massage packages, but you'll also find some of the city's best restaurants here. You can even eat out on The Terrace overlooking the Chicago skyline if you want a romantic night out. It's located on East Superior Street in downtown. One site in particular I find helpful is Gogobot, it enables you to read user reviews of the various hotels Chicago offers, whether you’re looking for on in the city limits or outside.

Arts and Culture Spots to Explore

There are a number of places that will take your breath away or spark your imagination to run wild in Chicago. One of those places is the City Gallery in the Historic Water Tower. You'll find all kinds of work by local photographers and artists in Chicago. It's truly a wonder to see if you want to know more about Chicago's artistic side or just to take a break from shopping in the nearby Millennium Mile.

A Passage to Langkawi

Ever heard of Langkawi Island? Yes? No? Most probably no for those who lived on the other side of the world, and ... you’re forgiven for not knowing where it is.

Let me enlighten you a little about the whereabout of this beautiful island. It is located in West Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia). It is situated in the northern part of the country. From this island ( Langkawi Island I mean), one can board a boat that carries you to the southern part of Thailand. This island was surrounded by 99 other little islands during high tide and 101 islands during low tide.


There’s a myth about this island that some believed to be true. It happened somewhere in the 18th.century. According to older folks there was this beautiful girl named Mahsuri and she was married to a local warrior. However while her husband was away in the line of duty, she was accused of committing an adultery. She was stabbed to death. Minutes before her death, she cursed the island will not prosper for seven generations. Indeed Langkawi was nothing but a dead island for a long time and it started to prosper only later on, that was in the late 1990’s.

This island of mine has become famous among local travellers due to its free duty status. Chocolates, table wares , cigarettes and many other items were at a steal price. One can get a can of beer at USD 0.80 on this island.

If you’re thinking of spending your next vacation here, I assure you, this will be the right place for you especially those with families and children.

Here are some tips for you to browse upon:

1) Accessibility : One can fly from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi and it will only take an hour. The flight interval is at least one flying at every hour.

2) Try looking up Air.Asia.com for booking within Malaysia as they provide the best and cheapest rates among other airlines. Sometimes it is as good as paying nothing.

3) If at any time you’re travelling from one place to another by car, you can access to this island via boat that leaves either from Kuala Kedah Pier or Kuala Perlis Pier. Boats operate daily from 0730hrs to 19:00hrs.

4) Our culture : The majority on this island are Muslim. However the Muslim in Malaysia are moderate Muslim. One can tell the difference between the Malays, Chinese and Indians by their looks. To recognise Malays by the skin color alone is a bit confusing as we comes in variation of dark, fair and tan and at times big round eyes or small eyes. The Chinese are easy to tell as they are fair with small eyes whereas Indians have beautiful sharp nose, big eyes and darker in skin tone. Most of us understand and speak duo languages, Malay and English.

5) What can be done on the island :

i) Aplenty! First and foremost, sun, sea and sand. The hotels with good beaches are The Datai Langkawi, The Andaman Resort, The Four Seasons Langkawi, Tanjung Rhu Beach, The Danna Langkawi, Pelangi Beach Resort, Langkawi Holiday Villa, The Frangipani Langkawi and a few little hotels that located on the famous Pantai Cenang area and beach. You are allowed to be in your bikini by the beach and at your hotel lobby.

ii) Sea sports are in abundance by the Pantai Cenang area. (By the way, Pantai means beach) It is slightly pricey even to us the locals but it’s worth a try. There are jet skiing, parasailing, banana boat and many others.

iii) Sight - seeing : You may rent a car on your own from as low as RM60.00/ USD 20.00 per day (24 hours). However don’t expect any insurance coverage as these are done on trust basis. You may ask for insurance coverage but the rate is visibly higher. There were many other things to be done like, mangrove tour, island hopping, scuba diving/snorkelling and fishing.

iv) Shopping : Shopping didn’t really fit into Langkawi itinerary. Of course there were outlets in abundance but it’s just not the place for shopping unless you’re one of those who collected China for home display.

v) Food : Malaysians are known to be good eater. Thus one can see food joints and cafes and restaurants everywhere you turn your heads to. There’s a row of international restaurants at Telaga Harbour namely the Russian Restaurant, the Italian Restaurant, The Grill Restaurant, a local Pizza house and plenty more. One restaurant that has great view is The Cliff which is built within the water.

vi) Night entertainment is not as vibrant as Bali or Phuket as Malaysia is an Islamic country. So no strip joint or sex related outlet on the island. That is why I had made a remark earlier on this island about it being ideal for family with children.

I guess I had wrapped up some of the things needed to know before you pack up your bags to head to my island.

                                      

Rose
1st.January 2014