Trishaw a firm favourite in the old part of George Town

Trishaw a firm favourite in the old part of George Town



Iconic draw: Tourists walking past a row of trishaws lining the Swenttenham Pier entrance as the ‘Mein Schiff I’ berths for the day in the background.

The modernity of planes and cars has not rendered obsolete that old port city feel of Penang.

People still love to visit by ship and when they get here, they still want to use the trishaws, an icon of the island.

A whopping 22 cruise ships will be calling on Swettenham Pier this month alone and it has become almost a daily sight to see fleets of trishaws lining the pier entrance.

Trishaw fleet owner Saw Chin Choon said tour companies organising day trips for the passengers would book up to about 100 trishaw trips from him when the ships arrive.

“We take the passengers to Khoo Kongsi or the Peranakan Mansion, anywhere in the heritage hub that the tour companies organise. It is usually a two-hour excursion. We take the passengers out three times a day,” he said.

Saw added that his riders were booked all the way until March.

A Penang Port Sdn Bhd spokesman said the pier would see between 80,000 and 100,000 cruise ship passengers and crew members in December alone.

He said yesterday that Mein Schiff I and Superstar Gemini came from Singapore with a total of almost 4,000 passengers and crew.

“Every week, four to five cruise ships are calling and this doesn’t include Superstar Libra and Amusement World, which have their homeport here,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

AirAsia to deploy 84 more flights this CNY

There’s good news for travellers with more flights servicing selected domestic and international routes ahead of the Chinese New Year festive period.

AirAsia Berhad will deploy an additional 84 flights from Jan 25 to Feb 1.

“We would like to encourage travellers to book their flights early for the upcoming festive season,” said AirAsia’s head of commercial Spencer Lee in a statement.

“These flights will have an added capacity of 15,000 seats to facilitate the high demand of air travel during that period.”

Among the routes are from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore, Penang, Sibu and Tawau, as well as from Penang to Singapore and from Johor Baru to Miri and Sibu.

“Whether it’s a family reunion or a quick getaway, we hope that these additional flights with everyday low fares will help everyone to have a memorable Chinese New Year celebration,” Lee added.

Travellers are advised to book their flights early at airasia.com or through the airline’s mobile app on the iPhone and android devices. For more information, follow AirAsia on Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsia).

~News courtesy of The Star~

Malaysia’s highest skywalk opens to public

Malaysia’s highest skywalk opens to public

For those scared of heights, taking the first step out on the Rainbow Skywalk can be a daunting experience.

Situated at the top of Komtar, Penang’s tallest building, the semi-circle glass walkway gives thrill-seeking visitors the chance to feel as though they are walking on air. And at 68 floors up and almost 250m from the ground, looking down to the roofs and roads below through the glass floor can be slightly nerve-wracking.

The Rainbow Skywalk officially opened its doors to the public on Sunday (Dec 18), as part of a rejuvenation plan for the building by Malaysia-listed company Only World Group (OWG).

I’ve seen people with their knees knocking, and some of them have to be led out by their friends,” said OWG’s chief operating officer Jean Koh. “They won’t even dare open their eyes.

“But once they go out, the view is amazing. Some of them even lie down on the glass floor and take selfies,” she added.

Komtar was completed in 1986 and is Malaysia’s sixth-tallest building. In 2012, OWG won a 45-year lease to revitalise the building.

“A lot of people have been talking about the tower being rundown, the tower has been neglected, so we thought it would be something that we can do to make it great again,” said OWG’s chief executive officer Richard Koh. “We want to enhance the whole tower and bring more family attractions in.”

Speaking on Sunday at the opening, Penang's Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng described the refurbished Komtar as a symbol of the "incredible journey Penang has taken over the last eight years to pick itself up after falling into decline".

"We have seen a revival of both the tourism and manufacturing industry to be a dynamic Penang, and now (the) new Komtar is reborn as a symbol of success from the wreckage of failure."

NEW ATTRACTIONS

Three more floors have been added to the building, bringing it to 68. An observatory deck at level 65, the original top level of the building, features floor-to-ceiling glass windows that allow visitors to enjoy panoramic views of Penang.

A host of family attractions was also developed at level five to cater to both locals and tourists. The Jurassic Research Center is an interactive walk-through attraction featuring animated dinosaurs and educational exhibitions, while a 7D Discovery Motion Theatre features virtual reality and simulators.

But for Mr Koh, the main highlight remains the top. And he has more grand plans for the place. “There is a lot of potential for doing unique things here and to polish it up … we’re going to put up a full-scale orchestra here for weddings, make it a romantic place, and maybe we could even see a wedding proposal up here,” he said.

It costs RM118 (S$38) for an adult ticket to the observatory deck and Rainbow Skywalk, while a child ticket costs RM88.

~News courtesy of Channel News Asia~

Happy Deepavali!

AirAsia CEO: Build LCCT in Penang

AirAsia CEO: Build LCCT in Penang

Penang should have a low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT), said AirAsia Berhad chief executive officer Aireen Omar.

“Ideally, we would like to see a dedicated LCCT in Penang, because then we can easily build that connectivity and link it to all the destinations that we have already established.

“The Penang International Airport is becoming quite congested. There are a lot of opportunities to grow and build more connectivity into Penang but unfortunately there is infrastructure constraint,” she told reporters after her speech at the World Tourism Conference 2016 at E&O Hotel Penang yesterday.

She also said that the country’s aviation industry looks promising.

“The Government is now realising that the returns from the aviation industry is far larger than any other industry in the economy.

“The contribution to the economy is 12 times multiplied.

“It is not just about aerospace or aviation industry, but it is also about tourism and all other industries that fit into it as well.

“Aviation industry definitely benefits tourism and tourism is one of the fastest ways to build the current account balance for any country.”

Aireen also said that the group was looking at introducing new routes to Langkawi by next year.

“Next year we will create a hub in Langkawi and place two aircraft there, as we want more international connectivity in Langkawi.

YTL Group of Companies managing director Tan Sri Dr Francis Yeoh, who was among the other speakers at the conference, said that culture is one of the important assets in promoting tourism.

“People will go to a tourism destination as long as the culture and the experience is real.

“We cannot ‘fake’ culture. Either we have it or we don’t have it.

“If we have it, we have to preserve it,” he said.

~News courtesy of The Star~

Penang Bridge

Air services not hit in airport blackout

Manager: Air services not hit in airport blackout

The flight operations at the Penang International Airport were not affected despite a power outage which lasted about 40 minutes.

A netizen took Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to task on social media about the incident which started at 10.35am yesterday.

“Penang International Airport got no electricity? Soo ‘International’ wow..@cmlimguaneng tido lagi ka?” the message read.

In his reply, Lim’s page administrator said the situation was not under the jurisdiction of the state government.

“Unfortunately, neither the airport nor TNB (Tenaga Nasional Bhd) is under the state govern-ment but we will follow up with the Federal departments for you.”

Airport acting manager Hassim Duman said the power outage happened in a few areas at the terminal.

“Power supply was restored in stages from 10.50am onwards and all was back to normal by 11.15am.

“No flight was delayed or cancelled,” he said via WhatsApp.

Penang TNB general manager Zubir Hasshim said: “Our system shows there was no interruption.

“The power failure may have been due to an internal problem.”

~News courtesy of The Star~