Travelfish correspondent Pat Fama

Pat is a freelance writer and journalist based Kuala Lumpur.
Website: http://we-write-stuff.com

Posts by Pat Fama:

• Where to get a good cup of coffee in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 07 Jul 2011
  

  Malaysia is one of the few places I can think of that has a deeply ingrained culture of both tea and coffee drinking. For the most part, coffee (like tea come to think of it) is served up strong, milky and sweet; an anti-skinny decaff latte if you like. The quality is higher at traditional … read the full post

• End of era in Kuala Lumpur to Singapore travel: Tanjong Pagar closes

  First published: 05 Jul 2011
  

  June 30, 2011 marked a sad day for rail travel in Southeast Asia, with the last Malaysian train rolling into Singapore’s historic Tanjong Pagar station. Such is the charm of the art deco station that starting or finishing a journey there was one of the main reasons for travelling by rail. Neither Singapore nor Malaysia … read the full post

• Kuala Lumpur welcomes football’s Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal

  First published: 01 Jul 2011
  

  Without wishing to offend anyone, Malaysia really sucks at sport. Apart from the odd medal in badminton, this nation of more than 27 million people rarely gets anywhere near the winners’ podium. This is particularly embarrassing with football, where enthusiasm for the game is hardly ever matched by success on the pitch. The Malaysian national … read the full post

• Kuala Lumpur Festival 2011

  First published: 28 Jun 2011
  

  A few months ago, I was reading a Tourism Malaysia leaflet and stumbled upon a reference to the Kuala Lumpur Festival. I was somewhat surprised, as despite living here for more than four years, I was completely unaware of the city even having an arts festival. It turns out I was not alone. I asked … read the full post

• Kuala Lumpur’s “hop-on hop-off” tour bus

  First published: 23 Jun 2011
  

  It sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it, a comfortable double-decker bus that links the major sights of a city, which you can get off and on, as you wish? An a la carte tour, if you will. And what better city to operate such a service in than Kuala Lumpur, with its inadequate public … read the full post

• It’s Mega Sale time in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 22 Jun 2011
  

  I hate shopping. Not for food, or anything useful, you understand. No, I hate shopping as a leisure activity. The idea of spending hours on end shuffling aimlessly round an air-con mall, fills me with a horror normally reserved for repeated colonic irrigations. I understand this puts me in somewhat of a minority, not just … read the full post

• Tengkat Tong Shin: Kuala Lumpur’s best hub for independent travellers

  First published: 17 Jun 2011
  

  For a city that sees as many young independent travellers as Kuala Lumpur, it is peculiar how few services have sprung up to serve their needs. Compare the situation with Bangkok say, which has a whole travel industry centred on backpackers, and more recently flashpackers too. While KL might not want the fully fledged Khao … read the full post

• World Music Day in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 15 Jun 2011
  

  June 21 marks World Music Day, an event which originated in France 30 years ago as a celebration of the summer solstice (the longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere). Also known as the Fete de la Musique, it now spans more than 100 countries round the world, including Malaysia. Thanks to the … read the full post

• Kampung Baru: Kuala Lumpur’s most traditional neighbourhood

  First published: 09 Jun 2011
  

  As recently as 20 years ago, Kuala Lumpur was a predominantly low-rise city, with hardly any buildings more than a few storeys high. Fast forward to today, and the situation could not be more different. KL is awash with shiny new high-rises, and on every street it seems that yet another temple to modernity is … read the full post

• An introduction to Chinese coffee shops in Kuala Lumpur

  First published: 08 Jun 2011
  

  When I first came to Kuala Lumpur, a workmate of mine offered to take me to their favourite Chinese eatery. I readily accepted the offer, but as we entered the place, I began to have second thoughts. Our “restaurant” was a collection of plastic tables and stools, located inside a car park. Once the food … read the full post