Batu Ferringi  Dad's Diary  Malaysia 1994
The Restaurant was beautifuly fitted out like all the hotel facilities and we were treated like Royalty.  Back through the other restaurants along lighted paths and floodlit palm trees to the main hotel and back to our room/.  Nic decided to go for a walk outside the hotel as there were dozens of stalls outside with all sorts of wonderful things for sale.,Anyway Nic returned to our room and we were awakened at 3 am by his return. Then about an hour later we were again awakened  by the Muezzin in the mosque under our window. This went on for about 15 minutes.
Sunday 14th August
We had a lovely cookeed breakfast and went into Georgetown where we visited a big Chinese temple KEK LOK SEE and spent an hour in and around it.  Underneath was a large car park!!and almost a shopping parade  Quote "You have made my temple a den of thieves'   Later we returned to the hotel and had a swim in the pool. In the evening we decided to try the Italian restaurant but it was fully booked, so we walked on until we went into the GRILL room.What a beautiful room this was and again we were treated like Royalty.  We had a bottle of red  Bordeaux wine. I had fish soup and ZURICHOISE veal ie strips of veal cooked in a delicious mushroom sauce. Nic had rack of lamb and M had dover sole.  It was a lovely meal, as good as I have ever had.  Nic was good company and we spent a lovely evening with M having a sweet of strawberries and cream. Nic had ice-cream , but I was so ful, I decided to forgo the sweet!  afterwards we went outside to look at the 'market and I bought a lovely looking watch a Rolex, the man said ' you can tell by the crown printed on the back.  only about £12, but it certainly looked genuine! About four years later in Chinnor, we had a burglary and I lost my  'Rolex'. M bought a lovely bracelet of green stones and some lovely earrings. Also stolen from our house in Chinnor, but we were well insured and collected the'value' from the Insurance.
We returned to our room after our explorance in the market. Nic and I watched MU and Blackburn on the telly. Then as we were sleepy we turned in,
Monday 15th Aug.
We could sense that Nic was not keen to leave us, and he even thought of accompanying us on our next  stopover, in Phuket. But in the end he knew he had to get back to Sg. We all had a cooked breakfast and packed our gear ready to leave this wonderland,  for our next stopover, in Phuket.  We called into the Hertz office in Georgetown for Nic to explain why we were late, then went to the airport, which we reached in spite of the fact that there were no direction signs!
Our flight was not due until 12 noon but we bid Nic a tearful adieu and we eventually caught the THAI AIR flight to Phuket., An hour later in this lovely little half empty six across plane with beautiful Thai maidens , after a salad meal, we landed in Phuket and were met by the AMARI rep who told us to get a taxi for 450 baht.  One hour and 50 kms later we were deposited at KATA TANI.   The taximan wanted 850b but I settled for 500 only.  After settling in we had a walk round the complex.  Once again a resort in a beautiful small bay with swimming pools and palm trees and this time - crashing waves.
Thais are cheerful and polite but with their strange writing are not easy to understand.
We learn that 80% of the island is covered in rubber and coconut trees.  The side of the hotel facing the sea is fringed with palms around the pools, but before entering we had an hour or two in and around the pools - not sun bathing but sun hiding.  We went for a walk outside the hotel, towards the small village. Bought some postcards and met a family of M&D plus two grown up sons from London who had come out east to meet their son,just as we have done. They recommended that we do not spend too much time in BKK as it is very crowded ad stuffy, so we decided to take their advice.. We had a cool drink at a beachside cafe called the Shady, and slowly walked back to the hotel, taking care not to get too hot. Again we met our acquaintenances and stopped for a chat.
We decided to make up for our failure at the Italian restaurant in Penang by eating at the (not full) restaurant in the Kata Tani.  Again,, a very elegant restaurant, faultless service and a lovely meal of spagetti with tomato sauce and basil for M (and Minestrone soup)  and I had Zuppa fish fruit de mer  followed by a lovely meat dish of spag bol.for me. We had lost an hour by then and the excellent meal made us sleepy and we turned in at 9.30.
Tuesday we tried to change our accommodation to Chiang Mi, for couple of days with no luck.It had to be done through Trailfinders.  Never mind - perhaps we can go on a day trip. We took it easy for the morning and booked a trip to PHANG NGA for tomorrow and also to Phuket town at 2pm.  Read our books by the pool.  Had a light lunch in the hotel then caught the 2pm taxi for PKT. We were not surprised to stop on the way outside a jewellers shop, but no go!. Went into PKT shopping centre looking for souvenir. Spent a lot of money as we bought things, like a shirt for me and some trinkets like Thai lions etc. Went into a discount store and bought a conch shell (Still got it) Caught the hotel taxi back at 5pm and on the way back stopped at a super shopping complex but we were running short of bahts. Good job our bank cards were left in the hotel safe.  In the evening we had a Thai food and buffet meal, a band and some Thai dancing girls with their extravagant hand movements gave us a lovely cabaret.but we went a la carte and had a light meal of prawns and chips for M and tomato soup followed by beef stroganoff for me. Bought a skin carving for 850 baht (very beautiful) I hope to frame it when we get home.  Changed $150 for 3516- roughly £90. Not bad. No stamps in reception so Nic and Cathy will have to wait for their cards