SEAFOOD BUFFET DEPTHS OF NEPTUNE

FROM THE DEPTHS OF NEPTUNE

Manjaro kicked off its first Sat Nite Buffet last week and are having another this Saturday, March 6th. From the Depths of Neptune is the theme and starts at 7 pm.
Some of the dishes on the menu are Seafood Empanadas, Som Tam Salad, Crab on Ice and Chilli Crab, Tom Yam Spaghetti and Vongole, Prawns, Squid and the list goes on. Please listen out for give aways on Pilihan RTB. To book for reservations, we are 223 6493. Thank you.

OCRA BRUNEI IBC SHOW CASE

I made it to shanghai and I have done the Brunei IBC showcase seminar with Brunei International Financial Centre and Baiduri Bank. It was tough in the beginning but as things warmed up I guess as all seminars it went great with people leaving with lots of information for them to bring back to think about Brunei International Companies

68 guest arrived from Trust, Company formations, Shanghai Largest law firms and Offshore intermediaries. Great audience spread but next time I am going to speak chinese to make things easier for me.

Some pre seminar prepartions cropping up for the real thing

Team members from OCRA Shanghai, BIFC and Baiduri Bank.

SHANGHAI NOON

First and foremost the hotel I am staying in is a 4 star but its comparable to most five star hotels I have stayed in. The extras you get like for example the functional toilet seat is a must to try if you ever come to Jing Jiang Tower. Check this out, it comes with seat heater, blow dryer, deodoriser, male and female directional water jets with controls for temperature and pressure for every function. This my friends is a five star toilet seat.

Apart from the toilets we managed to squeeze half an hour in the Thai Kang Street before our meeting. This is the equivalent to Covent Garden of Shanghai. Arty and retro cool cafes and shops lurking in the every corner of the mazey streets. Had coffee here with Helen of OCRA, Suriati and Yazeed of BIFC. This cafe had a Hot chocolate that came in a soup size cup. They might as well called thsi the hot chocolate soup.

Daring myself to leave the comforts of my hotel at night I ventured to Sin Tien Ti (New Sky Earth Street). Very stylish vey funky expat hang out area with cool and posh restaurants and bars but trust me to end up trading the option of eating here and instead I headed to a noodle ramen fast food restaurant which was ultimately delicious.

Caught ten guys trying to tip this pagoda upright onto the first floor of a Thai restaurant in Sin Tien Ti.

Hope to see more tomorrow.

BUSING IT SEMPORNA TO SANDAKAN

Part 3 of our honey moon. We bused it from Semporna to Sandakan and it took us 5 hours with a half way stop at a palm oil and timber town the size of 2 X 300 meter wooden shophouses sandwiching the highway.

You will find little towns along this route built out of wooden structures with tiny mosques and churches for the community. Everyone looks sleepy and shopkeepers uninterested in business recommending you to go next door and have a bite or coffee instead of their own store. Kids are seen everywhere playing on their own and we found a bunch of kids using a pick up as their temporary playhouse till the unfettered driver comes back.

Half an hour before sandakan is the Sepilok Orang Hutan Reserve. Entry fees are at RM30 for foreigners and RM5 for Malaysians. You will have to add RM10 to use your camera and its well worth it to catch the orang hutans during the feeding times. You will get to see the orang hutans swinging down from deep in the jungle on man made ropes leading to the feeding grounds. Only Rangers are allowed to feed these beautiful peaceful apes so don't expect any hand shakes and ape hugs. Most of these Orang Hutans are orphans that have been rescued and given sanctuary at Sepilok and this conversation activity has been on going since the 1960s. I guess this is one of the few good acts that came out of the British colonisation of this part of the world. Save the apes but exploit the people and take Sabah away from Brunei.

Another thing you must do in Sabah towns like Sandakan and Tawau is to try out their seafood. Fish is a big industry in these parts of the state and the seafood restaurants deals with only live seafood. We tried the OCEAN KING RESTAURANT which is almost the size of half a football field stretching from edge of the beach into the sea tied to fish net cages in the sea to keep the fish fresh. You can choose your catch of the day from these cages if you dare to walk the plank or form their fish tubs in the restaurants. Seafood is cheap adn good here. I don't think I have found a place that can give so much deliciously cooked seafood and such good prices till we came to this part of the world.

Temburong Our Jungle

360 Angle from the canopy walk. The Highest Point of the national park at Temburong.

A really must go see place in Brunei. I must say that the local guides seem to be surprised to have locals visit the national park but we made sure it was a very pleasant surprise for them every hour...hhahah

With a continuos river flow down the Ulu
Temburong rivers creates an amazing view of smaller to larger rounded stones smoothly eroded over time.

Not many large animals are present in Temburong due to the thick, dense forest which makes it very hard for any larger animals to move around the forest but we did manage to find a Wild terrapine called ORANGE. His shell was not green like the ones we normally see. Check this out his shell was orange brown.

I swear i saw this in National Geograhic channel some time ago but hey nothing beats witnessing it live and taking a picture and posting it up yourself. This one is ours to keep. Check out the baby hair-like fungus mushrooms growing on a dried leaf in the Wasai Apan Waterfalls.

Is everthing orange here? Our guide MutaKIM found this spider for us to view in the middle of a jungle night walk. Man! The guides here have real jungle eyes.

If you look closely, you'll see a lady from the Iban tribe aptly named Demit steering the long boat through tough spots which were difficult to get through. She made it single handedly with one stick.

We had been looking forward to the trek up to the Canopy walk even if it meant getting up in the early morning hours to await the promise of a beautiful sunrise, which it was, a totally Beautiful Sunrise to be experienced visually first hand. To breath the air and watch the amazing 360 degree view....

Whoever said Temburong Jungle is boring is a liar or has never been there... LOL and this is precisely the reason why I never, ever wanted to go the "Green Jewel". I suppose based on your own individual likes, one could come to this conclusion. I, however beg to differ. Temburong National Park is definitely in my recommendation A COME VISIT PLACE. Do try to make a trip here. It is good for your soul.

never thought i'd hear me saying this but I LOVE TEMBURONG.

Will Pris and I ever come again?

Definitely. And did I say this was our part deux of our little honeymoons. Glad we made it here.

Feel free to drop us an email or call us if you need any details how to get here and items to pack. We would love to see friends of Manjaro visit this place at least once in their lifetime.
Save our planet by understanding nature.

GOOD TIMES @ MANJARO

Good Food Good Times with Manjaoroeans.
Hope you guys get to see this great picture.
I have put this picture as the Manjaro front for Sungkai advertising at the Restaurant.
Yes, you guys are now the Honoured Sungkai Models of Manjaro 2008

5.45pm and counting.
Manjaro get its food out just in time for manjaroeans diners to keep it hot and coming.

Our Semporna, Singgah Mata Tour Information guide for our next holiday. We are going to this place called Singgah Mata in the southern part of Sabah soon. Its been told to us that they keep a live sea aquarium under the Water Villas with Giant Garupas, Clams, Sharks and other interesting giant fishes. Yes right under the Villas on top of the Sea. In a month we will show you pictures of our intended trip and if its great we will tell you all about it. hey! I wonder is the resort will let me bring some fishing lines and cath em big fish to eat..??? Intersting Idea. I will try!! Pris will cook and the resort will just have to catch some more fish to put back into the live sea aquarium.

Ryan and Leilani Riches showing kids how Drinking bandung is done in manjaro.

Please do keep coming our fellow manjaoreans. A big thank you your your great support this Sungkai 2008. Manjaro Love s you all and lets keep saving our planet.

AHOY !! SSEA YOUTH SAILORS @ MANJARO

SSEAYP KAPAL BELIA having their yearly gathering at Manjaro restaurant.

SUCASA MICASA Glad you all felt at home and many thanks for the well wishes for our recent wedding.

As you command : WE will stay Green and Save the Planet