Top holiday destination in Kedah

Langkawi is the top holiday destination in Kedah. Today langkawi is a World heritage Geopark.
Learn about Kedah at:

• Kedah at myMalaysiabooks
• myFood, recipes from Kedah

Merry Christmas and A Very Happy 2009 from Kedah!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

SELAMAT HARI RAYA and HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL OUR READERS
...from mymalaysiabooks

Ramadan Recipes - Peanut cookies

Peanut cookies
INGREDIENTS
180g peanuts, roasted
30g white sesame seeds, roasted
180g butter
180g icing sugar
200g plain flour
60g corn flour
1 egg yolk, beaten
Peanuts, halved

...check out how to make peanut cookies at myFood Domain

Ramadan in Kedah

Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that falls on the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims observe fasting, they do not eat or drink anything from sunrise until sunset. Fasting also teaches the person patience and humility.

(Photo: Kedah, Malaysia. There are often numerous stalls selling food for the breaking of fast and goodies for the coming Hari Raya celebrations at the end of Ramadan)

Kedah's Prime Ministers

FIRST PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA - Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah Fondly known as "The Father of Malaysia"

The Longest Serving Prime Minister of Malaysia - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, Ex Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Read more on Kedah at History of Kedah in myKedah

Recipes from Kedah

Some great recipes from the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia.

Here's our Simple Ayam Rendang Kedah:

Ingredients
I whole chicken
1 ½ cups santan or coconut milk (freshly extracted from grounded coconut / prepare from 1 cup coconut cream)
1 cup desiccated coconut
3 leaves of limau perut or kafir lime
2 tumeric leaves
2 star anise bunga lawang
5 cloves or bunga cengeh
2 cinnamon stick or kayu manis
5 cardamoms or buah pelaga
2 tbsp brown sugar or gula melaka/merah
Salt to taste

Grounded ingredients:
- 100 gm dried chilies
- 10 shallots
- 10 cm piece lengkuas or blue ginger
- 5 cm piece ginger
- 3 cm piece kunyit or turmeric
- 5 serai or lemon grass

Method
Cut the chicken to bite pieces.
Grind or blend the chilies, shallot, lengkuas, ginger, turmeric and lemon grass with a little water.
Heat oil in a wok/pan/pot. Add the grounded ingredients, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and cardamom and fry unit fragrant and the oil surfaces.
Put in the chicken pieces and mix well in the pot. Cook with the lid partially close for about 15-20 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, kafir lime leaves and turmeric leaves.
Lower the heat and add in the desiccated coconut, sugar and salt to taste and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Ensure that the chicken is cooked and remove the rending from heat.

more recipes at http://food.mymalaysiabooks.com/

more on food and where to go at http://www.mymalaysiabooks.com/

Bujang Valley Archaeological Site

Not many visitors from outside Kedah, even Malaysian, have visited this part of Kedah, which is the site of the largest archeological findings in Malaysia. It is located near the town of Merbok, Kedah, about 15 minutes drive from Sungai Petani, Kedah.

The Bujang Valley (Lembah Bujang) is an archaeological area that was an area which is the site of an ancient Hindu-Buddhist kingdom that ruled the region from the 4th century AD.

Over 50 Hindu and Buddhist temples or chandis (or candi) have been excavated from various sites in the valley. Artefacts and relics found at various sites, dating back to the 4th century, includes pottery shards, stone statues of Hindu icons, inscribed stone tablets, Song and Ming Dynasties ceramic wares, etc are on diplay at a museum located here. Some of the chandi have been relocated to the museum area.

This is certainly one place every historian studying about South East Asia should visit.

Read more about about the Bujang Valley here

Tropical fruits of Kedah

Its the start of the fruit season in Malaysia. Its the best time to enjoy many of the tropical fruits - rambutan, langsat, dukong, durians, mango, etc. Kedah is a fruit growing state with fruits orchard scattered in the north, south and east of the state. Baling is onf of the major fruit growing district in Kedah. For those travelling through Kedah (and Langkawi) be sure to enjoy the many exotic tropical fruits of the state.
You can buy cheap local fruits at pasar tani (farmer's market) or at stalls just along the roadside in many towns in Kedah.

If you are preparing to visit Langkawi, which is in Kedah, be sure to book your vacation early, especially if you are travelling around the school holidays of Malaysia and Singapore (check calendar of 2008 holidays here). This is the time when many locals travel or take their holidays.
Enjoy your stay during the months of May - August sampling some of these local fruits:

• Cempedak is oval in shape and contains many seed covered with a rich flesh. It is eaten fresh or deep-fried with batter.
• Durian is an exotic football-sized thorny fruit, also known as the ‘king of fruits’
• Jackfruit or nangka contains many seeds covered with bright yellow and fragrant flesh.
• Langsat and dokong are marble-sized with a yellowish skin.
• Mangoes are commonly grown in Malaysian gardens.
• Mangosteen is about the size of a tennis ball and dark purple when ripe.
• Rambutan (nephelium lappaceumare) is red and hairy, the size of a ping-pong ball.The fruit inside is white and very sweet when ripe.
• Sapodilla or ciku (manilkara zapota) looks like the kiwi fruit on the outside but the inside is brownish, soft and sweet

Learn more about Malaysian food here.

Your help is needed

We appeals to all readers to response to requests for support to assist victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar. Go to websites such as:

• Red Crescent Malaysia
• mercy.org.my
• or your country's charity organisations

from myMalaysiabooks

Shopping in Malaysia

Traveller will find Malaysia one of the best places to shop in Asia. You can find many good quality merchandise and food reasonably priced. If you are thinging of getting what is typically Malaysian, shop for:

• Malaysian crafts and textiles such as batik and songket (weaved cloth)
• Local dry food such as keropok (local chips), belacan (shrimp paste), local biscuits
• Local fruits such as rambutan, durians, dukong, mangos
• Crafted items such as pewter, ceramic wares, weaved product
• ...learn more at Shopping in Malaysia

To shop online for local crafts, books, gagets, etc. check out my select online stores

What's happening in March in Kedah

2008 is Visit Kedah year with numerous events lined up for locals and visitors to Kedah

Events in March 2008

Kedah Hot Air Balloon 2008 - 18 March 2008 Until 23 March 2008
Kedah Hot Air Balloon is a the first hot air balloon festival in Malaysia.
Venue : Padi Museum, Jalan Gunung ,Alor Star

Kedah Padi Festival 2008 - 21 March 2008 Until March 2008
Two-day Kedah Padi Festival is held on the muddy padi fields at the foothills of Gunung Keriang
Venue : Padi Museum, Jalan Gunung ,Alor Star

School holidays in Kedah and all of Malaysia and Singapore - 7 to 15 March

Travellers to the state should take note thatthe school holidays in March starts on the 7th of March and ends 15 March. Be sure to make your travelling arrangements early, as many Malaysians and Singaporeans travel during this period!!

Learn more about Kedah

My Kedah at http://www.mymalaysiabooks.com/Kedah/kedah.htm

More about travel to Malaysia here:

myMalaysiabooks

Transportation to Malaysia and Singapore

Free hotel search tool

Visit Kedah Year 2008

The Visit Kedah Year 2008 is held in conjunction with the golden jubilee celebrations of the reign of the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah. A total of 70 events, including 29 to be hosted in Langkawi is schuduled for 2008. Among the national and international events that will be held in Kedah in 2008 are:

• Royal International Langkawi Regatta (5 – 11 January)
• Kedah Hot Air Balloon (18 – 23 March)
• The Launch of National Water Festival 2008 (4 – 6 April)
• International Jet Ski Competition (9 – 10 May)
• Islanders Music & Dance Festival Langkawi 2008 (30 May – 1 June)
• Kedah International Media Hunt (29 – 30 June)
• International Tomoi Competition (13 – 16 August)
• Jerai International Mountainbike Challenge (7 – 9 November)
• International Kedah Golf Border Challenge (29 – 30 November)

Learn more about Kedah, how to travel there and get free maps at My Kedah

Check out these free downloads from mymalaysiabooks for 2008

• Free printable calendars: 2008 calendar
• TheChinese Year of the Rat begins on 7th Feb 2008. A free printable Chinese calendar for 2008
• Free search tool to search lowest hotel rates from multiple websites: Hotels
• Free maps and brochures: Maps and brochures

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR 2008!

& HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR (7 February 2007)!