Get your Britannia on! Prince William and Catherine Middleton, the Duke and
Duchess of Cambridge - or as royal fans like to call them, Will & Kate - will
be in Malaysia from Sept 13-15 on official business. They'll spend Thursday and
Friday in the capital before zooming off to Sabah for one day.
Their schedule is packed with royal affairs - dinner with the King, meeting
with the PM, lunch with the Commissioner, tea with the VIPs like Michelle Yeoh
and Jimmy Choo, a visit to the hospice, a cultural walkabout at KLCC Park where
they'll be entertained with "traditional performances", and a jungle trek with
conservationists in Danum Valley.
Exciting stuff... if you were the Queen of England. But perhaps young Will
and lovely Kate would prefer something less, well, stuffy? On that note, we
asked a few Malaysian celebrities and famous personalities for their
suggestions to Will & Kate for that quintessential Malaysian experience.
Your Highness, if you're reading this, ditch the old geezers and have your
own royal party. Here's your travel advisory according to the stars.
Elaine Daly, actress
"They should definitely holiday on one of our islands. Just chill on one of
the beaches on the east coast or dive in beautiful Sipadan."
Sipadan, just off the Sabah coast, is rated by diving journals as one of the
top destinations in the world. Divers who go there often report seeing manta
rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead and whale sharks. See but don't
touch!
Nazrudin Rahman, TV host
"Visit a random mamak for a hearty Malaysian breakfast-nasi lemak, sambal
sotong, bergedil, roti bakar satu set, and wash it down with bubbly pulled
tea."
"Visit a random public toilet to experience a truly intimate Malaysian
moment. And the rakyat shall rejoice and cry tears of gratitude while enjoying
clean mamaks and public amenities."
"Make a special stop in Sipadan and take a dive in one of the 10 most
beautiful experiences on earth."
"A fly-by above the Royal Belum Temenggor forest for a glimpse of the oldest
rainforest in the world, truly a living archive of history."
The Royal Belum State Park, in the northernmost corner of Perak, reputedly
dates back 130 million years, making it older than the Amazon and Congo
jungles. It houses over 300 species of birds and is the last bastion of hope
for quite a few endangered animals. Public toilets, on the other hand, are the
last resort when you've got to go.
Kuah Jenhan, comedian
"I'd recommend the royal couple check out Marini's On 57. It's got a good
atmosphere and a great view of the city."
Marini's On 57 is one of the hottest new fine dining Italian restaurants in
the capital, located at PETRONAS KLCC, Menara 3 Level 57. It's got a cigar and
whiskey lounge, and the view is spectacular-you can see the traffic jams all
the way across the city. Visit their Facebook page for details.
Rizal Kamal, Comedy Club Kuala Lumpur
"The Prince should perform three minutes of stand-up at our comedy open mic
night. Kate will surely get a laugh!"
The Comedy Club KL takes responsibility for the funniest gigs in the country
with both Malaysian and international stand-up comics. Scheduled performances
include The Comedy Club KL (every third week of the month), Comedy Kao Kao
(every second Thursday) and the annual Kings & Queens Of Comedy Asia. Visit
their website for
details or see their Facebook page for
updates.
Ida Nerina, actress/director
"I agree with Rizal Kamal. That and go on the suspended bridge walk at FRIM.
Dive in Sabah. Dance in Sarawak!"
