Eating Out - Santai Place, Bt 8 1/2 Jalan Gombak

We are always looking for some new places to eat out with the whole family. Well since it was my dad-in-law's birthday, we decided to treat him to a dinner at  Santai Place which is located in Bt 8 1/2, Jalan  Gombak, Gombak Utara, Selangor. This is actually the 2nd time we're here, the 1st being my wife's birthday.

Well, I like the place and food is good too. Parking might be a problem during peak hours where people flock to Santai Place and a few other restaurants within the area. There are actually 3 restaurants in the vicinity and they're are actually next to one another. I did not bring my camera so please excuse the photo quality... Anyhow, hope you will give this place a try..

The Siakap Masam Manis (Sweet Sour Barramundi) is a must
try at Santai Place and so is the Brokoli Udang (Prawn and Broccoli)

Enjoying dinner with Dad-In Law...

Day Outing at the Zoo....

I was surprised when my wife told me that it has been 8 years since we had visited Zoo Negara, our national zoological park. Has it been THAT long??

Well, I guess it certainly is time to give them a visit.

Sure enough we were there at about 11 am and purchasing the ticket was a breeze.. no hassle. Tickets for weekends are priced at RM30 for adults and RM6 for child below the age of 12. What a huge gap in ticket price. We were given wrist tags unlike the normal tickets which were the usual 8 years ago..

So off we went and since it was already 11am, we headed straight for the Multi-Animal Show. It was interesting to see the well trained animals namely the sea-lions, birds, and even a binturong (try google up this animal).

Then we proceeded to the Akuarium Tunku Abdul Rahman which houses various fish life.

Next it is time for lunch.. and we picked a small cafe/restaurant called "Mane Delicious". Try out their steamed rice and chicken rendang - quite commendable. There are various eating outlet at the zoo namely The Wild Restaurant, Hari Harimau cafe (located near the entrance), Wall's cafe, Mane Delicious cafe and various smaller kiosk all around the zoo. After lunch we're off to cover the entire ground of the zoo.

Well, after 8 years I would expect some major differences of our beloved zoo. Too bad that I may have expected too much as Zoo Negara is still Zoo Negara !!! Nothing much changes except for a few renovated and upgraded facilities. The enclosures and exhibits are still more or less in the same state as it was years ago. The Bee Museum and Insect Zoo are an additional interesting point.  

For an ordinary person, there's not much interesting thing to look at other than animals that would be more interesting watching on Animal Planet or National Geographic. Zoo Negara seems lacking in interesting   activities/events for visitors. Educational wise, it is at a minimum. For an entrance fee of RM30.00 (on weekends) per pax, it just seems not worth it for me. Here's a few pics of the exhibits.

Forget about what you see on their website www.zoonegaramalaysia.my  ..... Things are just different when you go there.The food is another matter - overpriced I would say! But then again at places of interest such as this, most are overpriced I guess and not just limited to Zoo Negara.

I also noted that most areas are not really wheelchair nor baby strollers friendly. I noted that various places where the floors are raised/split-level, there are no ramps provided. This would be difficult for disable persons on wheelchairs and also for parents with baby strollers. Hope Zoo Negara management would do something about this.

Nevertheless, Zoo Negara is just one of those place that you just need to visit at least once or twice in the life of a Malaysian so why not, just give it a shot and pay them a visit....

A whole new tram... I once remembered the Zoo Train hauled
by a tractor in the old days. Now it's electrically powered which
is good for the environment and very quiet...

My son is always comfortable with snakes.... (just like me...:) )