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PDFMost Westerners who’ve travelled to Malaysia will almost invariably have covered Penang, so they’re often surprised to find they know the place better than I do. I have to admit being a “southerner” – I was born and raised in Seremban, 40 miles south of Kuala Lumpur – Penang has always been a little outside my radar.
My recent trips back to Malaysia have allowed me to spend a bit more time up north, and I hope to build on that with future visits. During my shoot with Mediaprima’s Asia:Food.Travel.Mystery, we were hosted by the Shangri-La chain of hotels, including Penang’s Rasa Sayang Resort.
Unbeknownst to me, it was a big selling point when I put the word out that I was looking for a nanny/PA to travel with me for the entire duration; the candidate Chrys’s eyes positively lit up when I rattled through the accommodation arrangements and Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort came up.
Is anyone old enough to remember the 1973 movie, Lost Horizon? I loved it as a kid, but didn’t draw the connection until I checked into my suite and saw a copy of the James Hilton book on the dresser – it is about a utopia called Shangri-La.
The Lost Horizon in my Shangri-La Rasa Sayang suite.
We arrived very late at night and I could see once we stepped inside the lobby, why it’s held with such a high degree of reverence among Malaysians I’d spoken to prior to my departure. Such an elegant, old-world charm that instantly makes you feel like you never want to leave. Much like this (fast forward to the 27-sec mark) –
Late-night check-in by our crew at Shangri-La Rasa Sayang Resort.
#babyNoah comfortably settled into his bed.
Sadly we only had 2 days at the resort (plus 2 days at its sister property, Golden Sands), and a jam-packed filming schedule, starting first thing after breakfast the next morning. We filmed 2 segments with Rasa Sayang Resort’s Chef Chai, plus several others for the show we were making.
Filming a segment for Asia:Food.Travel.Mystery in the resort grounds.
We ate some wonderful food during lunch at the resort. The Mediaprima crew gravitated towards steak, whereas I stayed faithfully Malaysian –
When in Penang, eat Penang Char Kway Teow, I say. My scrumptious lunch.
My PA Chrys’s Indian Butter Chicken.
My gigantic meal-in-itself Ais Kacang, ie. shaved ice dessert.
One of the segments we shot was of the show’s presenters ie. Syai, Robb Demarest and myself, attempting a game of Sepak Raga on the beach behind Shangri-La Golden Sands Resort next door.
Screenshot of our Sepak Raga (traditional Malay game) segment from the show.
Rasa Sayang Resort’s lounge area, where they served refreshments throughout the day.
A behind-the-scenes outtake from one of our Penang segments –
My thanks to Chrys Voon, my PA and baby Noah’s nanny during the trip, for taking most of the photos/clips I’m posting.
Next up – recipe and cooking segment with a fellow Hakka – Rasa Sayang Resort’s Chef Chai 🙂