Visit to Chin Swee Caves Temple at Genting Highlands

29 July 2019

Chin Swee Caves Temple is a religious site located on a scenic location that is 4,600 feet above sea level and just beneath the peak of Genting Highlands where the Resorts World Genting is located.

Access to Chin Swee Temple from Resorts World Genting

Most visitors to Resorts World Genting would use the Awana Skyway cable car and alight at Chin Swee Caves Station. There are connecting escalators to take visitors down to the temple.

Since we had our rental car, we drove down from Genting Highlands to the temple. The drive took only a few minutes. Entrance to the temple site is free of charge and there are free car parking spaces within the temple site and along the road leading up to Resorts World Genting.

What we did at the temple

The first place we visited at the site was the 9-storey pagoda. It is worthwhile to take the spiral stairs to the top of the pagoda to get a nice overview of the temple site. Many small images of the Buddha lined the walls inside the pagoda. Little swifts could be seen nesting on the ceilings of the pagodas as well.
Obviously, the best view is at the topmost level. We could see the tiny cable cars in operation leading from the peak down to the Genting Premium Outlet.

What I like the most was the views of the temple site with clouds rolling in from behind. It made me feel like I am in heaven looking down on the tiny mortals beings.

View of the temple from the pagoda.

 
Coming down from the top of pagoda, we joined the mortal beings at the temple’s main square. Here, a statue and memorial of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, founder of Genting Highlands could be seen.

Statue of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong at Chin Swee Caves Temple.

Chin Swee Caves Temple’s main square also houses several prayer halls for devotees to pray and meditate during their visit. The prayer halls were quite attractive and colourful.

Statues of Buddha, Goddess of Mercy (Guan Yin) and Luohans are among the attractions around Chin Swee Caves Temple.

A row of luohans at the Chin Swee Caves Temple. The Pindola or taming tiger luohan is in the foreground.

Statues of many Luohans or Arhats lined the wall along the path leading to the giant statue of Buddha. In Buddhism, the Arhats are original followers of Gautama Buddha. They have attained the four stages of enlightenment, are free of worldly cravings and are charged to protect the Buddhist faith.

15-metre tall statue of Buddha with the swastika symbol on his chest.

I overhead a local tourist guide explaining the meaning of the swastika symbol on the chest of the huge Buddha.

“The horizontal line unites light and darkness, while the perpendicular line symbolically connects heaven and earth. These two combined, form a cross representing the universe in harmony beyond the limits of time and space.”

On the hill slope facing the temple’s main square is the Journey to Enlightenment or 10 Chambers of Hell. This is one of the most unique and interesting things to see at Chin Swee Caves Temple.

Entrance to the 10 Chambers of Hell, also known as Journey to Enlightenment.

The 10 Chambers of Hell or Journey to Enlightenment is based loosely on Buddhist concept of Naraka and traditional Chinese beliefs about the afterlife. It depicts a subterranean maze with various chambers, to which souls are taken after death to atone for the sins they committed when they were alive.

I remember seeing a similar exhibit in Singapore’s Haw Par Villa when I was a kid. The gruesome scenes depicting the punishments that bad people would receive in hell was enough to make me be a good boy during my growing days.

I will only share what happens at the First and Last Chamber of Hell. The punishments depicted in Chamber Two to Nine could be quite gruesome for some people and I will leave you to find out it for yourselves….. I mean when you visit Chin Swee Cave Temple!

The First Chamber of Hell, also known as Registration Office, is where the King Qin Quang (or Qin Quang Wang) conducts preliminary trials. After death, each person is judged according to his deeds in his past life.

A good person with no misdeeds would be sent for rebirth in the Heavenly realm while a person who has done equally virtuous and evil deeds will be sent to Tenth Chamber of Hell for rebirth back into this world. Those who has seriously committed unwholesome deeds and done more evil than good will be sent to the relevant chambers (Chambers Two to Nine) for punishment.

Experiencing the 10 Chambers of Hell, also known as Journey to Enlightenment.

After serving their sentences or punishments in the other chambers, the prisoners are sent to the Tenth Chamber.

The controller at the Tenth Chamber, also known as King Zhuan Lun, will determine whether the prisoners will be reborn rich or poor, male or female and so on, based on the merits and demerits of their past actions. 

Here, the prisoners are given a cup of magic tea which, upon drinking, make them forget their past life. They are finally reincarnated into one of the six realms.

Depicting reincarnation into one of the six realms. Depending on the prisoner's past life, he would be reborn either as a human or an animal.

Other attractions at Chin Swee Caves Temple are exhibits depicting scenes and characters from Chinese mythology and literature such as the Journey to the West (Chinese: 西遊記).
The Journey to the West is one of the four classics of Chinese literature published in the 16th century during the Ming dynasty. The novel is based on the actual 7th-century pilgrimage of the Buddhist monk Xuan Zang (602–664) to India in search of sacred texts. The Ming dynasty novel adds elements from folk tales and the author's invention.

The Bodhisattva Guan Yin provided the monk (referred to as Tang Sanzang in the novel) with three protectors who agreed to help him as an atonement for their sins. These disciples are Monkey King (Sun Wukong), Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) and Sandy (Sha Wujing), together with a dragon prince who acts as Sanzang’s steed, a white horse.

Monkey King (Sun Wukong), Pigsy (Zhu Bajie) and Sandy (Sha Wujing), together with a dragon prince who acts as Sanzang’s steed, a white horse.

Monkey King (Sun Wukong).

Plenty of photo opportunities at Chin Swee Caves Temple.

Overall, Chin Swee Caves Temple is worth seeing while visiting Resorts World Genting. Learn a bit about Buddhism, Chinese folklore and culture and enjoy the cool weather and scenic views at the same time.

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Enjoying the King and Queen of Fruits at Genting Highlands

28 and 29 July 2019

One of the highlights of my trip to Resorts World Genting was eating durians, also known as the “King of Fruits” in South East Asia.  There are many varieties of the large and thorny fruit. They can be distinguished by the different shapes, sizes, colour of husks and colour of flesh that ranges from pale yellow to red.

Baskets full of “Musang King” durians.

Durians emit a unique smell that some find pungent and foul smelling while others find nice. It is like cheese. Some people find the smell of cheese disgusting and revolting while others loved it. It is hard to describe the smell and taste of durians. So, one got to try it to find out. Fortunately, the four persons in my travelling group love durians.

Although durians are common in Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia, I would say the durians from Malaysia are the best. It is no surprise that Malaysia is one of the dominating durian exporters in the world. 
Malaysia has some of the best varieties of durians and once a while, new varieties are discovered or cultivated. Currently, the Musang King durian is the most popular variety. Musang King has other names like Rajah Kunyit or Mao Shan Wang (loosely translated from Chinese - Cat Mountain King).

July is one of the best times to visit Genting Highlands as it is the peak season for the Musang King durians that are actually grown in plantations near Genting.

We had our first durian even before reaching Resorts World Genting. On our drive to Resorts World Genting from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), we stopped by Gohtong Jaya, a small town located on the foothills of Genting Highlands for lunch. Many fruit stalls could be seen in Gohtong Jaya, offering Musang King durians at competitive prices.

Choosing our durians. We bought 2 durians weighing 4.7 kg in total at 50 MYR per kg.

The durians are typically sold based on the weight of the entire fruit with shell and all. It costs about 50 to 60 MYR per kg, with guarantee that the durian would be “fit for use”. This means the seller would take back the durian if it is too ripe (watery flesh) or not ripe enough (flesh is hard like a potato). It is good to confirm that the vendor is offering the guarantee for the price quoted before opening the durian.

At some places, durians sellers pre-opened the durian fruit, removed the seeds from the husks and packed the fleshy yellow seeds in plastic or Styrofoam boxes. It is not advisable to consume such durians since there is no guarantee of freshness nor assurance that you are actually getting the variety of the durian you paid for.

The Musang King durian is one of the most expensive varieties because of its superior taste and demand. Some unscrupulous vendors may pass off cheaper varieties as the Musang King to the uninitiated. To ensure that you get the real thing, look at the fruit’s bottom to find the distinctive brown star-shape marking. It is good that the internet provides plenty of information and guides on how to identify or even select the best durians. Fortunately, my travelling companion is an expert in choosing durians so we left the task to him.

After selecting our durians, we sat at the stools and tables by the stall to enjoy the fruit. Disposable plastic gloves are provided so we don’t end up with messy fingers. The durians are finger licking good so I don’t bother with the gloves.

The Musang King durian is known for its thick, golden yellow flesh and small seeds. The bitter sweet flesh is sticky with creamy texture and little or no fibres.

After eating the “heaty” durians or king of fruits, it is a good practice to also eat some “cooling” mangosteens, also known as the queen of fruits to balance the yin and yang in our diet.

The purple coloured mangosteen is a fruit that is native to South East Asia. The tennis ball sized mangosteens have an inedible and hard exterior. A gentle squeeze would crack the shell to reveal soft, tangy and sweet fleshy segments resembling those of a mandarin orange. Some larger segments have an inedible bitter tasting seed in the middle.

Soft white flesh of the mangosteen inside the purple hard shell. You can tell the mangosteen is fresh by its pure snow-white flesh.

The durian vendor at Gohtong Jaya also sells freshly harvested mangosteens at competitive prices. We bought a dozen for only 18 MYR.

Annual Genting Durian Festival

We had our second durian feast the following day when we were at Resorts World Genting.

Every year, Resorts World Genting would hold its Durian Festival where many premium grade varieties of durians grown all over Malaysia will be available at one place. This includes varieties like Musang King, XO, Tekka, Udang Merah (Red Prawn), D24 and Black Thorn

For 2019, the festival ran from 25 May to 16 Sep 2019, 12 PM to 10 PM, at the Genting Grand outdoor car park on level 16.

This is the perfect opportunity to try various varieties of Malaysia’s best durians at one place. It was here that we sampled the Black Thorn durian for the first time.

This rare variety of durian originates from and is successfully cultivated in only a few plantations near Penang. Hence the Black Thorn durians are not readily available and very expensive. 

Most of the stalls at the Genting Durian Festival sells pre-packed Black Thorn durians. We managed to find one stall at the Genting Durian Festival selling the fresh Black Thorn durian fruit for 80 MYR per kg. In comparison, the Musang King is sold at 58 MYR per kg at Genting (slightly more expensive at the hilltop location of Genting Highlands compared to Gohtong Jaya).

The black thorn durian could be recognized by a tiny black thorn that protrudes from the bottom of the fruit.  Another signature mark is a thick core with a rust-coloured “drain” or line running down the middle of the opened fruit.

The flesh of the Black Thorn durian with its rosy, orange hue.

In terms of taste, the Black Thorn was slightly better than the Musang King. Sweet, flavourful and no fibres. The Black Thorn could be the durian that dethrones the Musang King in terms of taste but its availability and higher price is a show-stopper.

We also ate the D24 durian. The D24 durian was a very popular variety before being overthrown by the Musang King durian. The D24 is much cheaper as a result.
The first D24 durian that was opened was rejected by us for being hard and under-ripe. The seller took it back and replaces it with another.

This D24 durian that was not ripe enough, as shown by the pale colour and hard texture of flesh.

The second D24 was perfectly ripe with softer flesh and deeper yellow colour like all good D24 durians should be.

The D24 that we ate and pay for. Perfectly ripe with softer and more yellowish flesh.

It terms of taste, the D24 is more fibrous. Compared to “non-branded” durians, the D24 is good. But it loses out significantly when compared to the Musang King or the Black Thorn. It also comes with much larger seeds.

Once again, we bought some mangosteens from the durian stall to eat with the durians. The seller removed the shell from the mangosteen so expertly that the white fresh was presented like a bouquet.

Mangosteen with the purple shell removed, exposing the soft succulent white fresh.

Overall, we enjoyed our durian and mangosteen feasts very much during our trip to Genting Highlands in Malaysia. Eating the King and Queen of Fruits is certainly a highlight of any trip to Malaysia. 

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Trip Overview – 3 days in Krabi with extended family

Krabi is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places on Earth. It is known for its steep, limestone karsts, and offshore islands with white sand beaches and clear emerald waters. Being close to Singapore and well served by budget airlines, it is a good destination for a short trip during the June school holidays for families with kids.

My wife and I were tasked with organising a 4 days/3 nights trip for the extended family to Krabi since we had visited Krabi in 2018. My travel group consists of 17 persons, including kids and a granny.

My itinerary included a day out on a long-tail boat to visit some the offshore islands. We also included a free and easy day where individual could choose to go shopping, swim and relax by the pool in a resort quality hotel.

Krabi is hot all year round, with a rainy monsoon season which runs from May to October, and a dry season from December to March. So, June is not the best time to visit due to unpredictable weather. We could get rain on some days but also days with excellent weather. Even if it rains, it only rains for an average of an hour or two each day, often late in the afternoon.

However, there are some advantages in visiting during the rainy season. The temperature would be slightly cooler during the day. Hotels and tourist-related services also offers steep discounts during the rainy (low) season.

We had the whole beach on Poda Island to ourselves.

For me, I find the biggest advantage is that there would be much lesser visitors at the beaches and restaurants. The beaches could be unbearably crowded during the peak season (December to February).

Where we stayed in Krabi

For a beach and seaside holiday with good access and day trips to the attractive offshore islands in the Andaman Sea off Krabi, the seaside town of Ao Nang would be the best place to stay instead of Krabi Town. Ao Nang Beach is one of the places where visitors could board the long-tail boats to offshore islands like Tup, Poda and Railay Peninsula.

Swimming pool of Pranan Krabi Resort.

While there were many hotels offering deals during the low season, Pranan Krabi Resort was selected due to its convenient location in Ao Nang town, good reviews, excellent facilities including two swimming pools and competitive prices.

This is the overview of our short stay in Ao Nang, Krabi.

Day 1 (15 June 2019)

This is the day we travelled from home to Krabi, arriving at Krabi Airport at about 11 AM. From the airport, it took us 40 minutes to travel by 2 vans booked via Krabi Shuttle to our hotel in Ao Nang.

After checking into our hotel at 2 PM, we had lunch at the Thanya Kitchen restaurant. Although it was past the normal lunch hour, the owner of this small restaurant, located just outside the hotel, welcomed us warmly and served up some delicious Thai food to our hungry group. The dishes that our group had included pad thai, tom yum seafood soup, beef/pork/chicken noodle soup, pineapple rice and popular Thai desserts like mango with sticky rice.

Mango with sticky rice – a  “must-eat” Thai dessert especially during the mango season.

It was free and easy at the hotel till it was time for dinner. Some of my travel companions went to explore the main street of Ao Nang, lined with shops, restaurants and tour desks. 

Nice views from Hilltop Ao Nang Restaurant.

We had dinner at the Hilltop Ao Nang. As the name implies, the restaurant is located on the top of hill in Ao Nang, offering dining with probably the best views of the Krabi sunset.

We ended the day with a simple foot massage at Atta-rak massage and spa, located just outside our hotel.

Trip report: Dinner at Hilltop Ao Nang.

Day 2 (16 June 2019)

This was the day forecasted with good weather, despite the rainy season.

Beach on Poda Island.

We did a full-day boat trip by private long-tail boat to 4 islands off Krabi namely Chicken Island, Poda Island, Tup and Mor Island plus Phra Nang Cave Beach located on the Railay Peninsula.

We had dinner at the Family Thai food and Seafood Restaurant. This small and not so prominent restaurant is located along a small alley off the main road of Ao Nang. 

Trip report: 4 Islands Tour - day trip by private long-tail boat.

 

Day 3 (17 June 2019)

This was a day that we planned to stay and enjoy the facilities in our hotel.

We were notified by the hotel that whole of Ao Nang would have power outage from 9 AM to 5 PM as the Provincial Electricity Authority is performing some upgrade on the power grid. As a result, the hotel would be running on emergency generators and only basic level of electricity would be available for the elevator, internet and pools.

Pranan Krabi Resort.

This did not stop us from having a good time at the hotel’s swimming pools. The hotel did well to provide complimentary cocktail party with drinks and snacks in the afternoon for all the guests.

It was also a day for some shopping along Ao Nang Beach for local products.

We ended the day with a walk along Noppharat Thara Beach at sunset and dinner at a seafood restaurant located along the beach.

Trip report: Evening at Noppharat Thara Beach and dinner at Noppharat Seafood.

Planning a trip to the islands off Krabi? Here are some tips to share.

• Getting on and off the long-tail boats requires wading into the sea as there are no jetties. Many wore sandals or flip-flops. We wore aqua shoes. i.e shoes that are designed for water activities. 
• Protect your electronics, e.g. phones and cameras, with a waterproof bag or waterproof casings for your mobile phone. This are sold at many shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• Bring beach mats or pool towels.  Alternatively buy a beach mat at one of the shops along Ao Nang Beach Road.
• No need to bring snorkelling gear for trips to offshore islands. The tour operators typically provides them. In any case, snorkelling at Krabi is disappointing.
• There are few restaurants selling food and drinks at the offshore islands. It is best to arrange for packed lunch to be provided by the tour operator or bring your own. You may get decent food and drinks from the “food boats” during the peak season but there is no guarantee these would be available during the low season.
• Bring a hat, sunglasses and plenty of sunscreen. 
• Go on a weekday and go early in the morning to enjoy the beaches without the crowds.
• Preferably hire your own long-tail boat for your own private boat trip to the offshore islands.
• If going only to the beaches on Railay Peninsula, there is no need to pay any National Park fees.
• If going only to the beaches on Railay Peninsula, there is also no need to join a tour. Take the “water taxis” (the long-tail boats to and from Ao Nang to Railay) from Ao Nang Beach. Buy return tickets instead of single trip tickets. With a return ticket, you may have the option to board a boat at Phra Nang Beach back to Ao Nang. I did see any ticket booth at Phra Nang Beach. The regular boats operate from 8 AM till about 6 PM (before sun down). Thereafter, you may have to pay more or charter our own long-tail boat back to Ao Nang. In terms of water quality, I think Phra Nang Beach is the best beach that is on the Railay Peninsula or even the Krabi mainland. Do not miss and it is best to go during the low tide where more of the white sandy beach is exposed. See my trip report: Day trip to Railay Peninsula in Krabi from Ao Nang.
• Tup island is best visited during the low tide. If chartering a boat for the day, your boatman would know when is the best time to go.

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Hilltop Restaurant Ao Nang

15 June 2019

The coastal province of Krabi, at the southern end of Thailand on the Andaman Sea, is well known for the spectacular limestone cliffs, beautiful islands with clear emerald waters and white sandy beaches. On some days, one can also enjoy the stunning red sunsets.

The last time I was in Ao Nang, Krabi with my wife, we enjoyed dining at one of the beachside restaurants along Ao Nang Seafood Street, with nice views of the Krabi sunsets.

This time, I was travelling with a large group of 17 persons and I wanted to ensure that my travel companions would enjoy a memorable first dinner in Ao Nang. After some research, my wife and I selected the Hilltop Ao Nang. As the name implies, the restaurant is located on the top of hill in Ao Nang, offering dining with probably the best views of the Krabi sunset.

It is prudent to make reservations and also arrange for free shuttle pickup in advance at their website. We planned to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to enjoy the fantastic views from the restaurant. Travel to the restaurant was by songthaew (covered pickup trucks used as taxis in Thailand) and we were picked up promptly from our hotel in Ao Nang.

The drive to the Hilltop took only a few minutes. Although it was cloudy day, with no red Krabi sunset, the panoramic views from the restaurant were still quite nice.

I was happy to see my travel companions enjoying themselves snapping photographs even before we sat down to order our first evening cocktails.

Enjoy pre-dinner cocktails at the Hilltop.

A mock-up dining table with a view.

Actual dining area at the Hilltop.

My travel group.

The Hilltop Ao Nang has an extensive menu of classic Thai dishes, a fresh selection of seafood ready for the grill and a good selection of cocktails and wine. Based on reviews from the Internet, we ordered mostly Thai food and skipped the grilled seafood.

Delicious Thai cuisine.

It was a nice experience to be dining on delicious food while enjoying the views of the sea.

What my group enjoyed as well was the live band that performed on that night. Stevie, the singer with the hat, was awesome.

View of the restaurant at night.

Overall, my group had an enjoyable evening at the Hilltop. Although the prices were slightly higher than other restaurants in Ao Nang, this restaurant delivered value with its awesome location, good food and beverage service, delicious Thai food and excellent live entertainment.

Only let-down was one of shuttle bus driver who sent us back to our hotel. This person really needs to learn some basic customer service skills.

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