fter
less than an hour on a boat from the east coast of Malaysia, the laid-back
atmosphere and the natural beauty of the Perhentian islands immediately transport
you to a different world. The white sand is dotted with sun-worshipping holiday
makers, some retreating to the shade for a glass of freshly squeezed juice. A
group of scuba divers are boarding a boat to venture out into the turquoise
waters and submerge themselves in the underwater wonderland. Later, as the sun
sets, a quiet buzz of music and chatter fills the air, together with the thin
wisp of smoke from the barbeque fire.
The Perhentian Islands are two islands named Pulau Perhentian Kecil (Small
Perhentian Island) andPulau Perhentian Besar (Large Perhentian Island).
The Malay name Perhentian is translated as “place to stop” and this
is exactly what these two islands were for traders travelling between Mala
ysia
and Bangkok in years gone by. These islands are still a gorgeous place to stop
and rest today, albeit for tourists disconnecting from the stress and routine
of everyday life and not for weary seafaring traders.
The islands remain relatively untouched and the only permanent inhabitants live
in a small fishing village on Perhentian Kecil. Apart from footpaths that cut
through the jungle, there are no roads on the islands. The only way to get
around is by walking through the jungle or taking a sea taxi. If you tread
carefully, you may even encounter some of the islands’ shy wildlife on the way,
such as monitor lizards, fruit bats, squirrels or even the elusive mouse deer.
Simple chalets and some
moderately luxurious resorts line the
picturesque beaches along with restaurants, dive centres and boat operators
advertising their services with hand-painted signs.
Perhaps it is the stretches of white beach or the crystal clear water and the
superior scuba diving. Perhaps it is the untouched forests or the relaxed
atmosphere and unspoiled charm. We like to think that is a little bit of all of
this that makes the Perhentian Islands the perfect place to stop and take some
time out.
The weather
in Langkawi is consistently hot and humid all-year-round, with occasional
rainfall and cloudy skies, but thankfully it’s never too drastic. Located on
the north-western coast of Peninsular Malaysia in the Malaccan Straits, this
enduringly popular island is shielded from major winds and storms by the
mainland on one side and Sumatra on the other. As Langkawi is situated near the
equator, the town enjoys a tropical nature with the Andaman Sea remaining
relatively calm all year long, and due to its consistent climate, locals and
travellers can visit this tropical island at anytime of the year.
Best Time to Go to Langkawi
Between the months of November
and April, Langkawi weather is a good balance of sunshine and light rainfall,
making it the best time to head there for holiday. Temperatures are fairly
consistent during the day, ranging from 30°C to 35°C while at night, between
28°C and 29°C. That being said, visitors can expect sunshine lasting till the
afternoon and overcast skies toward the evenings. The weather in Langkawi also
has a rather high humidity level, so locals and tourists are often seen
relaxing on the Pantai Cenang and Pantai Tengah during more sweltering
afternoons. The island is also well-frequented at this time of the year for
excellent diving opportunities and water-based adventures such as jet-skiing,
parasailing, and banana boating.
Rainy Season in Langkawi
Due to its tropical landscape,
Langkawi weather experiences of heavy rainfall due to monsoon winds between the
months of September and October. While showers are sometimes accompanied by
violent thunderstorms, the weather in Langkawi is not usually adversely
affected. Therefore, the sea surrounding Langkawi is relatively calm compared
to destinations on the east coast. During the rainy season, visitors still
flock to the island to enjoy a wide range of activities such as shopping for
duty-free goods or enjoying pampering massages at the island’s numerous spa
centres.
Mount Kinabalu is situated in the East Malaysia state of Sabah on the island of Borneo. It is the place where you could see breathtaking sunrise from above the clouds, 13,435 feet (4095 meters) above sea level.
Although you have made the decision to climb Mount Kinabalu and have all the information about your planned expedition, you could still gain some more information from this website. You may want to tweak your expedition yourself rather than having to follow tour operator packages that has been made up for you.
If you still have not made any decision, please feel free to navigate through the website. You may find something that could make your decision making easier.
Or, are you just surfing around? That is even better, as we hope that you could gain more information about the highest summit in Borneo, the people of Mount Kinabalu and the diverse natural habitat of Sabah, also known as The Land Below The Wind.
For those of you who have climbed Mount Kinabalu, please share with us your experiences. Tell us your story, the good things and the bad things (if necessary!) of the journey to the summit. Was it worth a climb?
It does not matter whether you are a seasonal traveler, a mountain climber, a nature lover or just an ordinary person who is looking for something extraordinary to be done once in a lifetime, you may find valuable information regarding Mount Kinabalu climbing here.
Before starting your adventure, make sure to collect some information about Mount Kinabalu, Sabah and Malaysia in general, in order to avoid unpleasant experiences like paying too much money for a low quality accommodation, or not using your time to see as much as you would like to. These information could be easily obtained from travel advice and accommodation search engines like trivago, you can use it to compare hotels prices and preferences such as family friendly hotels, Spa hotels, attraction hotels and much more.
Pour yourself a beverage of choice, bring along a pen to jot down some information and make yourself comfortable. This is only a guideline of the journey to the summit of Mount Kinabalu before the true journey begins.
You will be shown the way to the highest peak in South East Asia from where you are now. Hmmm... You don't think that you would be able to climb Mount Kinabalu? Well, think again. Mount Kinabalu is extremely climber-friendly and compared to other lower mountains around the world, it is an ideal first mountain for novice mountain climbers to conquer.
With good mental and some physical preparation, you should be able to reach the Summit of Borneo - soon.
Manukan is
the most popular island withKota Kinabaluresidents.
Manukan has some good stretches of beaches on the southern coastline. The best
beach is on the eastern tip of the island. Offshore of Manukan arecoral reefs, which is ideal for snorkelling, diving and
swimming.
Out of the 5
islands making upTunku Abdul Rahman
National Park, Manukan features the most developed tourist
facilities that includes 20 units of chalets, a clubhouse, and few restaurants
and a diving centre. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, football
field, Volleyball and Sepak Takraw courts. Infrastructural facilities include
support-water, electricity,desalination plant,seweragesystem,
and even a solarpublic telephone. It is covered in dense vegetation and has
hiking trails.
Jesselton
Point Ferry Terminal in downtownKota Kinabaluis
the ferry terminal for those heading to the islands inTunku Abdul Rahman
National Park. This ferry terminal is also the departure point for
patrons staying at the Manukan Island Resort.
The Eiffel Tower was built by Gustave Eiffel for the 1889 Exposition Universelle, which was to celebrate the 100th year anniversary of the French Revolution. Its construction in 2 years, 2 months and 5 days was a veritable technical and architectural achievement. "Utopia achieved", a symbol of technological prowess, at the end of the 19th Century it was a demonstration of French engineering personified by Gustave Eiffel, and a defining moment of the industrial era. It was met immediately with tremendous success.
Only intended to last 20 years, it was saved by the scientific experiments that Eiffel encouraged, and in particular by the first radio transmissions, followed by telecommunications. For example, the radio signals from the Pantheon Tower in 1898; it served as a military radio post in 1903; it transmitted the first public radio programme in 1925, and then broadcast television up to TNT more recently.
Since the 1980s, the monument has regularly been renovated, restored and adapted for an ever-growing public.
Over the decades, the Eiffel Tower has seen remarkable achievements, extraordinary light shows, and prestigious visitors. A mythical and audacious site, it has always inspired artists and challenges.
It is the stage for numerous events of international significance (light shows, the Tower’s centenary, the Year 2000 pyrotechnic show, repainting campaigns, sparkling lights, the blue Tower to mark France’s Presidency of the European Union or the multicoloured Tower for its 120th birthday, unusual fixtures, such as an ice rink, a garden etc.).
A universal Tower of Babel, almost 250 million visitors regardless of age or origin have come from all over the planet to see it since its opening in 1889.
Like all towers, it allows us to see and to be seen, with a spectacular ascent, a unique panoramic view of Paris, and a glittering beacon in the skies of the Capital.
The Tower also represents the magic of light. Its lighting, its sparkling lights, and its beacon shine and inspire dreams every evening.
As France’s symbol in the world, and the showcase of Paris, today it welcomes almost 7 million visitors a year (around 75% of whom are foreigners), making it the most visited monument that you have to pay for in the world
Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a Walt Disney World Value Resort hotel consisting of family suites and standard rooms themed to popular Disney animated films. This review features room photos, thoughts on the suites, and whether they are worth the money. The majority of the hotel is the larger, family suites that can sleep up to 6 guests, with distinct areas themed to The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Cars. The standard rooms are themed to The Little Mermaid.
In the sense that it mostly consists of family suites, Art of Animation is a bit of an anomaly as compared to the other Value Resorts. Granted, All Star Music has had family suites since before Art of Animation opened, but it doesn’t have many. Basically, the other Value Resorts are all standard rooms that cater to parties looking to experience Walt Disney World on a tight budgetwhile still enjoying the full on-site experience, including benefits like Disney’s Magical Expressand Extra Magic Hours. Art of Animation offers these same benefits, but the family suites push the envelope a bit with the Value Resort designation. We’ll cover this in detail later in the review, and offer comparisons to some other comparable hotels.
In terms of its theme and style, Art of Animation is pretty much exactly as described above. The main lobby has a strong animation motif, with details that suggest various stages of the animation process. Outside of the main lobby, the artistic process is mostly glossed over. There are some sketches of characters on the sides of the buildings, but other than that, each individual section is more about recreating environments from their respective films than about taking a peak behind the curtain at the underlying process.
Design-wise, I think this was a good decision. Kids are the target audience here, and they probably care more about the animated film itself than taking a look behind the scenes. While the execution of some of these environments, particularly the Cars area, is well-done, it’s worth noting that these are still the “big box” Value Resorts you might be used to at Walt Disney World. Most of the ‘theming’ is window-dressing consisting of oversized characters and objects, and vivid colors on these large, big box hotel buildings.
Because of this, Art of Animation is one of those love it or hate it things. It seems like there is very little middle ground. I’d liken it to Crocs, those shoe-like things that were popular for a while a few years ago. The people who love Art of Animation love it because it just makes them happy. To them, it’s fun, whimsical, and reminds them of the magic of Disney animation. To the people who dislike Art of Animation, it’s tacky, loud, and abandons traditional means of nuanced Disney theming in favor of something that gets by on clunky looks and characters. Sort of the same idea with Crocs, and any of the above adjectives could be used to describe the footwear. For the record, I hate Crocs.
Given that and since I am a fairly traditional Disney fan, you might be inclined to think I dislike Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. Actually, that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, Art of Animation is my pick as the best Value Resort at Walt Disney World. The difference to me between Art of Animation and Crocs (I really can’t believe I’m keeping up this ostensibly absurd comparison) is that Art of Animation visually does work on a certain level, whereas Crocs are universally hideous. No, Art of Animation doesn’t hit the same high notes thematically as Wilderness Lodge, the Port Orleans Resorts, or BoardWalk Inn, but it does have redeeming qualities and brings something worthwhile to the table. It is not the pinnacle of themed design nor is it something that academics or even fans of themed design will someday devote thoughtful analysis and critique. The short and simple of it for me is that it is a fun resort thematically. That’s it, and in this case that’s enough.
With that said, let’s take a look at the rooms, which some will describe as fun…and others will describe as obnoxious. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and you can be the judge.
First up: Cars. Excuse the fisheye lens here, but I wanted to give you an idea of the layout of the family suite. The door to the left (just barely in the frame) is a full bathroom. Moving around the room, you see the living room, then the main bedroom with its attached bedroom, and on the right is the kitchen table, which converts to a pull-down queen bed. In total, the room is about 565 square feet, which is just over twice the size of a standard room. The space is used incredibly well in these rooms, so it truly feels like a suite.
A closer look at the main living area. As you can see, it’s heavy on the Cars theming. Great for kids and those who are kids at heart, possibly not ideal for honeymooners.
Same idea in the bathroom. These rooms are themed from top to bottom. Great plus if you have kids, very busy in a general design sense.
Here’s a closer look at the main bedroom.
A look at the outside of the Cars wing. We both agree that the Cars wing is the best in terms of exterior theming. It’s like Cars Land except with skimpier theming, no restaurants, and no attractions. That’s not meant to be a dig–for a value hotel area it’s really cool. Sarah and I disagree in terms of interiors. I prefer Lion King, whereas she prefers Cars. She actually returned to the Cars wing on girls’ trip with her sister, who also liked the hotel. The less scrutinizing, casual young-person Disney guest perspective on the hotel from her was that it was a really fun and cute hotel.
Layout in The Lion King suites is exactly the same. This table is just inside the door. Here’s how it looks as a table, and how it looks as a bed…
The perfect arrangement if you’ve ever wanted four of your closest friends to sit in chairs around your bed and watch you sleep!
The Lion King rooms are just as over the top as the Cars ones, but I feel like there are fewer clashing pieces of decor, although the color scheme itself does clash more. Pick your poison, I suppose. What I prefer is that it pretty much is “jungle stuff,” even if that presents a wide array of colors. I just think it’s more harmonious for whatever reason. Then again, maybe I’m just biased towards The Lion King.
Restroom adjacent to the main bathroom–note that it’s a walk-in shower as opposed to a bathtub with shower.
Standalone bathroom with a tub. All of these rooms are consistent in terms of layout, so the Finding Nemo rooms are just like these, except with Nemo stuff. After looking at rooms online, we weren’t wowed by those rooms, but if there’s a Finding Nemo fan in your party, you should look at those rooms. Also, they are the closest ones to the main lobby.
On the exterior, we agree that The Lion King is the weakest. There’s a lot of dead space, and none of it is illuminated at night. Don’t let the photo above fool you–that is a really long exposure and looks better than it would look at night when viewed with the naked eye.
Another thing to take into consideration when booking a room at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is the walk. The Finding Nemo suites are closest to the main (Finding Nemo-themed) pool, with The Lion King and Cars wings being about the same distance away, maybe a 5-7 minute walk from the lobby. The Little Mermaid standard rooms are a bit of a hike, maybe 8-12 minutes from the lobby depending upon how quickly you walk.
The Little Mermaid rooms are also disadvantaged in that they do not have internal halls, whereas the suites do have internal halls between the rooms. To this extent, the suites are less like the other Value Resorts and the standard rooms are more like the other Value Resorts.
Disney’s Art of Animation has some excellent amenities. Landscape of Flavors, the food court, is one of the most inspired food courts at any Walt Disney World hotel, and is superior to any other Value Resort. Additional amenities include a play area, arcade, free a jogging trail, WiFi, and movies under the stars. These are all fairly basic amenities standard to all Walt Disney World hotels. The biggest amenity of all, though, is that it does not share bus transportation service with any other Walt Disney World hotel. This means that, along with Pop Century, it has the best bus transportation in all of Walt Disney World. Sort of odd that two Value Resorts would share this crown, but whatever, I guess. All guests receive MagicBands and can make FastPass+ reservations. Learn more about this in our MyMagic+ FAQ.
Above is the main, fittingly named “Big Blue” pool. The Big Blue Pool is the only Value Resort pool to not allow pool-hopping (likely to keep the riffraff from Pop Century out! ;)) and is pretty cool. Disney really hypes up the underwater music, which is a cool touch. I actually prefer the Cars pool, which is quieter and has a neat look with the Cozy Cones nearby.
My biggest issue with Art of Animation is the pricing of the suites. These suites range from about $300/night to about $500/night. For rooms categorized in the “value” tier, these prices strike me as high. For me, this is doubly true when you consider that two standard value resort rooms combined will cost you less than a single family suite. Now, this isn’t an apples to apples comparison as there are certainly benefits to the single family suite as opposed to two adjacent single rooms, but that still gives me pause, and makes me question just how much of a value these suites truly are.
Interestingly, though, if Walt Disney World were to re-classify Disney’s Art of Animation Resort in a higher (or its own) tier, I think it would pass for something higher. If you actually like the theme at Art of Animation, it might pass muster as a Deluxe-caliber resort. I still don’t view them as rooms that are worth over $300/night, but if you can score a discounted rate at one, I do think ~$250/night for a party of 6 is reasonable. Everyone’s opinion of value-for-money differs, though. Transportation, pool, and other amenities are all top-notch, and really the only significant amenity missing as compared to the Deluxes is a nice table service restaurant and a good location in relation to a theme park, and these two things aren’t even something all Deluxes have. We aren’t suggesting that you should compared Art of Animation to a Deluxe when determining whether you should book it (we do not think it’s Deluxe-caliber), just pointing out that the argument could be made.
In terms of theme, price, and category, Art of Animation compares interestingly to Cabana Bay Beach Resort over at Universal Orlando Resort. In the interest of full disclosure, we have not yet stayed at the new Cabana Bay Beach Resort at Universal, but have done a lot of research on it and drooled over photos in preparation for an upcoming trip later this year. For those unfamiliar with it, Cabana Bay is very similar in nature, offering both value single rooms and value family suites. Its family suites max out price wise in the low $200/night range, with prices beginning at around $175/night. Its look is one of a 1950s retro, with a lot of Mid-century modern and Googie architecture, and styling drawn from beach and car culture. It’s the kind of style that has become popular in recent years thanks to stores like IKEA and shows like Mad Men.
Cabana Bay has a lower price, superior amenities, and from what I’ve seen, a theme that appeals more to me. What it lacks is the Disney theming and on-site advantages of a Walt Disney World hotel. To many people, this will be an absolute deal-breaker. When we our Florida visits focus primarily on Walt Disney World, staying on-site in a Disney-owned hotel is a must. Your mileage may vary on that, depending upon your priorities in Orlando. I think both hotels have their place, and each will be the ‘clear-cut’ winner for some guests depending upon their vacation plans, design preferences, and budget. With that said, I think Cabana Bay is closer to the sweet spot in terms of value-for-money. The Art of Animation family suites being priced a bit too high to make them something we can strongly recommend unless you want to be on-site at Walt Disney World, need to sleep 6 people, and the layout of a family suite is something you want. If the Art of Animation family suites cost exactly twice the cost of a standard room, they’d be a solid bet in my mind. However, I can’t quite wrap my head around what makes them worth over twice as much as a standard room. Then again, prices aren’t set so much by ‘eyeballing’ value as it relates to similar products, but rather how much the market will bear. Perhaps there are few enough family suites at Walt Disney World and the demand is high enough that the current rack rates are the “right” price.
In fairness to the Art of Animation suites, maybe viewing them solely in terms of capacity and thus comparing them to two standard rooms at a Value Resort is missing the point. One bedroom villas might be the more apt comparison, and both in terms of Disney Vacation Club points and actual dollars, these rooms are sometimes more than the cost of two standard/studio villas. The living area in the suites is totally different than simply doubling a standard room, after all, and the suites are actually larger than two standard rooms combined, even if the total capacity of the suite is only 6, versus 8 between two standard rooms.
Overall, this way-too-long review was probably no help to anyone. While we both really enjoy Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, we also have concerns about it and how it compares to similarly-situated options. We realize this review is very indecisive, but we are trying to play devil’s advocate and present all of the pros and cons as we see them. Ultimately, we like Art of Animation and will definitely return here. We will probably stick with The Little Mermaid standard rooms in the future, but if we had a party of 6 and we wanted more of a “resort” type room for our Walt Disney World trip, we wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again–especially in the Cars wing.
For overviews of all of these topics and so much more, the best place to start is our comprehensive Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide to make the most of your experience!
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ysia
and Bangkok in years gone by. These islands are still a gorgeous place to stop
and rest today, albeit for tourists disconnecting from the stress and routine
of everyday life and not for weary seafaring traders.
For those of you who have climbed Mount Kinabalu, please share with us your experiences. Tell us your story, the good things and the bad things (if necessary!) of the journey to the summit. Was it worth a climb?
