Category Archives: ACTIVITIES

Buguey: The "Crab Capital of the North" (Cagayan)

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El Presidente Beach Resort

After breakfast at Eastern Hawaii Casino and Resort, we next headed west, to Ilocos Norte, with stopovers at Buguey and Claveria. We arrived at Buguey by 10 AM and were dropped off at the El Presidente Beach Resort where we were welcomed by town officials led by Mayor Licerio Antiporda III and his wife. The skies were overcast and it was very windy.  Before entering the conference hall, we were given a welcome drink of fresh buko juice, still in its shell, plus crab sandwiches.  While waiting for the start of the press conference, some sampled the Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight, a cocktail consisting of a 1/3 cup each of the following: native Buguey lambanog (nipa palm wine), sparkle and red berry juice, plus half a teaspoon of sugar; then garnished with lime and cherry and, finally, all the ingredients are shaken, strained and poured into a cocktail glass.

Lamba Sparkle Berry Delight

In his speech at the presscon, Mayor Antiporda enumerated his efforts to further boost the town’s tourism potential as well as to fortify its claim to being the “Crab Capital of the North.”  He also informed us that the local government-run El Presidente Beach Resort will soon be undergoing a total makeover, thanks to a PhP32 million loan from Land Bank, and will be turned into a U-shaped, bungalow-type hotel with 15 guestrooms and two dorms and will be renamed as the Buguey Crab Hotel.

Crab claws anyone….?

Afterwards, we were all invited to partake of the feast prepared for us: steamed shrimps; brackish water crabs, both steamed and cooked in the half shell; breaded prawns; seaweed, oysters, fresh fruits (mangoes, bananas) and bocayo (coconut candy). Some, foregoing the use of spoons, forks and knives, decided to dine kamayan style. While we were doing so, we were regaled with a bevy of native dances performed by schoolchildren and young adults.

Driftwood by the beach

After dining, some of us slipped out the conference hall to burn the excess calories gained as well as to check out the windswept black sand beach, observe people harvesting shells or children playing and to admire the high, turbulent waves breaking on the shore, a consequence of the converging waters of the South China Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Cagayan River.  Prior to our leaving for Claveria, everyone in the media group was gifted with a bottle of Buguey lambanog to take home (I was given two).

Breathtaking Palaui Island (Sta. Ana, Cagayan)

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Palaui Island

We woke up very early in the morning to overcast skies and rain.  After breakfast at the Cagayan Holiday & Leisure Resort, we all checked out of our villa.  We left our luggage at the hotel lobby for transport to the Eastern Hawaii Resort, later to be our second home in Sta. Ana.  Thus unburdened, we all boarded our CEZA coaster for the fish port at Brgy. San Vicente. Point Escarpada, in Brgy. San Vicente, the sailfin capital of the Philippines.  It has the best fishing grounds for marlin, being at the confluence of several ocean currents that carry baitfish and the larger pelagic predators that hunt them.

White sand beach at Punta Engano

At the port, 5 motorized outrigger boats were chartered to bring us to the undeveloped and seldom visited, 3,850-hectare and volcanic Palaui Island, a 7,415-hectare Protected Landscape and Seascape with a shoreline of 20.6 kms., a length of 10 kms. and a width of 5 kms..  The island is inhabited by a community of Dumagats administered by a Filipino church group and is also home to different monkeys, wild pigs, deer, sea turtle and various endemic and migratory birds.  

Cape Engano Lighthouse

The skies were still overcast when we left port.  With me in the boat was Astra Alegre, Izah Morales, Kara Santos, Nina Fuentes and Kim Madridejos.  Our 45-min. boat ride was uneventful until we reached open water when the sea suddenly became choppy, creating mild to wild panic among the other boats but childish exhilaration (except for the visibly worried Astra) with me and my companions with every rising wave.  We first made short landfall at a gray sand Siwangag Cove for some photo ops then returned to our boats for our final landfall at a gorgeous bay with a curving white sand beach and well-preserved coral.  The beach looked really inviting but we weren’t here for swimming or snorkeling.   Instead, we opted to visit its picturesque old Cape Engaño Lighthouse (Faro de Cabo Engaño), the northernmost Spanish-era lighthouse in the country.  Located on the windswept headland of Punta Engaño, it was designed by Engr. Magin Pers y Pers, started in 1887 and completed on December 30, 1892. Upon reaching the end of the beach, we began our ascent up a mildly sloping to steep trail up the 92.75 m. high, cone-shaped hill, pausing at intervals to admire the Batanes-like scenery of its surroundings.

Dos Hermanas

After a 30-min. hike, we finally reached the lighthouse.  Though now run down and a little eerie, it was obviously a sight to behold during its heyday.  The back of the lighthouse had a panoramic view of the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean breaking on the beach and rocky shore, the rolling, green-carpeted hills below, the two rocky islands of Dos Hermanas beyond and, farther off, the Babuyan group of islands, leaving all of us awestruck by the sheer beauty of nature before us.  It was already drizzling when we went down the hill and returned to our boats.  The return trip was just as exhilarating as the previous.  Upon arrival at the port, a prepared lunch adobo and rice awaited us at the nearby picnic huts.  

Roughing it up in San Lorenzo Ruiz (Camarines Norte)

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The Hike Begins …..

From the second day onwards, right after the Pabirik Festival, it was raining from time to time and heavy rain welcomed us early in the morning of the third day, the day we were to travel to the Calaguas Islands and camp overnight. A phone call confirmed our worst fears – the trip to the Calaguas Islands was cancelled due to rain and high waves.  Regretfully, we switched to Plan B – a hike to Nakali Falls in San Lorenzo Ruiz town, rain or shine.  We were all driven to the municipal hall where two guides were assigned to us by the mayor.  Amable Miranda and Roufel “Raffy” de Vera of the Provincial Tourism Office also accompanied us.  As it was still early in the morning, we expected the round trip trek to the falls to be over in four hours and that we would be back at the municipal hall by lunch time.  How wrong we were.  Regretfully, for the trek, we only brought bottled water and some snacks we bought at Daet.

Me with Kara, Raffy and our guide

The trail was understandably wet and muddy due the previous night and today’s rain and I regretted having worn slippers instead of sandals which, more often than not, got stuck in the muck.  The uphill, downhill and sometimes flat trail brought us hiking through coconut and pineapple plantations, boulder-strewn river banks as well as crossing the Matacong hanging bridge.  I also made a wrong turn along the way, hiking alone for some time before retracing my steps and catching up with them.  A number of times, media colleague Lito Cinco wanted to quit, uttering his famous line “This is where I draw the line” a number of times, only to continue on his way, goaded on by Kara Santos.

Dining on coconut meat and juice

We all finally drew the line when we neared the falls as the strong river current, even with a guide rope thrown across, prevented us from hurdling the final leg.  Even if we did, heavy rain would have prevented us from using our cameras much less get a good, clear shot.  We just contented ourselves with bathing the cool river waters.  It was now late in the afternoon and we hadn’t eaten lunch, just snacks, water and the juice and meat of some coconuts plucked from trees at a shack where we made a stopover and rested.

Contenting ourselves with bathing at the river

The thought of a late lunch waiting for us at the municipal hall plus a hot shower and warm bed at the resort goaded us to reduce the return hike from the original 4 down to 3 hours, helped along by my walking barefooted in the mud, however risky it may be.  The others made better time than us and Mark Nunez and I brought up the rear, as we finally staggered back to the town, so weak that we bought and gobbled up chocolate bars at the first sari-sari store we saw just to get us again walking the last few strides to the municipal hall.  Upon arrival,  town mayor Nelson P. de los Santos welcomed us with a much anticipated but very late lunch.  The others were already eating when we arrived.  Back at Bagasbas Lighthouse Resort, we had to coax our weary and aching bodies just to eat our dinner.  Sleep came easy to us the weary that night. Check out my Business Mirror article “Camarines Norte: 400 Years of Keeping the Faith.”

 

Water Fun in Subic (Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales)

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The popular and entertaining banana boat ride. 
That’s me up front


Aside from our relaxing overnight stay at Lighthouse Marina Resort at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, members of our Lakbay Norte 2 media group were treated to a round of watersports activities courtesy of Networx Jetsports along the Subic beachfront.  While the others opted to just watch or swim, a number of us, me included, dabbed on a lot of sunblock lotion and donned  life vests to try out what was on offer.  While others eagerly jumped into the jetskis, a number of us (Nina Fuentes, Melissa Dizon, Karlo de Leon, Ivan Mandy and yours truly) hopped on the popular and entertaining banana boat ride.  The boats, pulled by a powerful jetski, could accommodate a maximum of 10 persons.

Returning to shore after our dunking


Once on board, we all held on to the bar in front of us and tried to balance ourselves as the jetski  slowly pulled the banana boat. We all bent down to maintain our balance and when the boat turned left, we leaned to the left, when it turned to the right, we leaned to the right.  The jetski tried to catch the us off guard (and off the boat) by going fast and slow and succeeded on two occasions. It was fun for me but distressing for Karlo and Mel as they both irretrievably lost their expensive shades to the sea (luckily mine was hooked to my ears).  Getting back on board the boat was also difficult for some (including me).  I’ve tried banana boating before in Boracay but that ride was tame and uneventful compared to this one.  Rates for the banana boat ride are PhP250 er person, minimum of 4 and maximum of 10.


Jetskiing is addicting


Next on my itinerary was the addicting jetskiing, a first for me.  It is said by many that by riding the waves, it quenches the need for speed and gives one a feeling of power.  Upon climbing the jetski, a safety strap was attached to my wrist to ensure an automatic stop in case I should fall off, thus avoiding possible injury.  After basic instruction on how to operate the jetski, I was off and on my way, riding the waves standing up but making sure to get back on my seat as I made a slow turn.  I avoided places where people were swimming. Jetskiing was truly what it is hyped up to be.  Too bad there was no one to record my moment, either on film or video.  Jetski (Yamaha VX 110, 4-stroke engine) are  rented for PhP1,900 for 30 mins. and PhP3,000 for 1 hour. 

A Hobie Kayak Tandem

Karlo and I also tried out the Hobie Kayak Tandem.  The clear, calm waters surrounding Subic make it an ideal kayaking site for novice and experienced paddlers.  Our kayak was different from the kayaks I’ve tried before as this one had a kick-up rudder system and a hand-controlled steering system at the rear (where I was seated).  The Hobie Kayak Tandem rents for PhP500 for 30 mins. and PhP800 for 1 hour while the single rents for PhP300 for 30 mins. and PhP500 for 1 hour.. Networx Jetsports also offers parasailing (PhP1,500 per person, 10 mins. airtime), speedboat cruises (XR 1800-2001 models, maximum of 5 riders, PhP10,000 for 1 hour) and Pelican pedal boats (PhP400 for 30 mins. and PhP700 for 1 hour).  Networx Jetsports was established in 1997 by Emmanuel “Dong” B. Arcilla, an avid jet ski racer.  

Networx Jetsports: Waterfront Road, Subic Freeport Zone, Zambales (beside Gerry’s Grill).  Tel.: (047) 252-3469 .  Mobile number: (0922) 812-9832.  Email: jetsportssubic@yahoo.com.  Website: www.networxjetsports.com.ph. 

Pinatubo: Scratch This from my Bucket List (Zambales)

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Our 4 x 4s  traversing dry lahar fields and small streams

Mt. Pinatubo was prominent in my Bucket List of places to visit and I readily joined the 5-day, North Philippines Visitors Bureau (NPVB) and Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC)-sponsored Lakbay Norte 2 Tour as it figured prominently in the itinerary.  We were now in the third day of the tour and we left Microtel Inn & Suites Luisita  (Tarlac) very early in the morning, eating our packed breakfast on our special Victory Liner bus along the way.  By 7 AM, we arrived at our jump-off point for the trek to Mt. Pinatubo’s 2.5-km. wide Crater Lake – P.D.C. (Pull Travel Destination Corp.)  Spa Town in Brgy. Sta. Juliana in Capas in Tarlac.

The Trek Begins….

Normally, trekking via the Capas Trail (the easiest route to Mt. Pinatubo), passing by lahar deserts, would have taken us a grueling 6-8 hours on foot. However, five 4 x 4, 5-pax (including our driver) all-terrain vehicles, a mix of short wheelbase land cruisers and homemade jeeps, were made available for our use.  These were to negotiate some of the watery and rocky paths across Crow Valley, unreachable by other kinds of vehicles.  The drive through the valley, though at times bumpy, was exhilarating, with spectacular views of the Cabusilan Mountain Range.   After an hour, we arrived at the base of the mountain, the jump-off point of our trek.  From here, it was to be all 2-3 hours (dependent on our fitness and ability and the size of our group) of footwork, through the valley and up a mountain path, to the Crater Lake. Normally, a very hot trek, especially during the summer months (when the light gray volcanic ash reflect the rays of the sun), we were fortunate this day as it obviously rained the day before and it was quite windy.  Just the same I applied sun block lotion and wore a cap, shorts, sturdy rubber  sandals, plus my a comfortable light blue and white MNTC-supplied T-shirt.  

A surreal but serene landscape

The trek, though very tiring, was truly exhilarating as we traversed sometimes fairly flat and dry lahar riverbeds and oftentimes rocky ground and crossed numerous small creeks and rivers by jumping from boulder to boulder or, in my case, I just getting my feet wet under the cold water (truly a different kind of experience).  After a short, final hurdle up paved steps, we reached our destination – viewpoint for observing the magnificent crater and it turquoise-colored lake created during the 1991 Pinatubo eruption.  The viewpoint was developed to cater to us tourists.

Boating at the Crater Lake

After a few minutes of rest and quietly admiring the beautiful scenery set before us, most of us went down the paved steps down to the lake where a number of us rode boats, in two trips, and were rowed to the other side of the lake by an Aeta boatman.  The others, including me, contented themselves with dipping our feet in the cool lake waters while two others (Karlo de Leon and Melissa Dizon) took to swimming its deep water. Upon the arrival of the second boat load, we all made our way back up to the rest area, bade farewell to this magnificent creation of nature’s fury and made our way back to our respective vehicles.  The return hike was easier and done in half the time it took to get there as it was mostly downhill. The uphill climb to our vehicle’s parking area was the most strenuous.  As soon as everyone was accounted for, we all returned to our assigned 4 x 4s, too tired to even take pictures, and made our way back to P.D.C. Spa Town.

The Pugad (Pugo Adventure) Tour (Pugo, La Union)

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Four-wheeled, all-terrain vehicles (ATV)

We were now in Lakbay Tour’s second day and, after an art-filled first day in Baguio City, we were now in for some adrenalin pumping adventure featuring zip lines (3 to be exact) with some all-terrain vehicle (ATV) excitement thrown in at Pugad Pugo Adventure Park in Pugo, La Union.   Pugad, “bird’s nest” in the vernacular, is actually a hybrid of the two words Pugo, the name of the town, and “adventure.” We alighted from our special Victory Liner tour bus (its body sticker-wrapped with the tour’s sponsors), at the Flying V (incidentally also a Lakbay Norte 2 tour sponsor) station along Marcos Highway in Brgy. Cares in Pugo and transferred to a smaller Pugad shuttle bus.  DOT Region 1 representatives Evangeline M. Dadat (senior tourism operations officer) and Reynaldo Gesmundo (tourism operations officer II) joined us.  After a 300 m. drive over a narrow road (unfit for our big bus), we finally arrived at the resort. Though this inland swimming resort has 2 crystal-clear outdoor swimming pools (adult and kiddie), picnic cottages, clean toilets, shower rooms, conference halls and a hanging bridge over a clean river, Pugad Resort  is more known for the extreme adventure it offers. Pugad’s famous 380-m. long and 240-ft. high Super Man Zip Line 1, one of the resort’s  three zip lines, stands out as the longest zip line in Luzon and is reportedly the second longest in the country.  Rates for the 3 zip lines is PhP900 per person or PhP1,000 if it includes wall climbing and breathtaking rappelling.This was too good to miss out.

Pugad Pugo Adventure Park

But first we had to wait in line as only five people can be accommodated at a time.  While waiting, we opted to try out out the  4-wheel, all-terrain vehicles and dune buggies at the nearby dirt track.  Unlike the zip line, this was a first for me and I drove cautiously over the winding and hilly but well-designed, 2.5-km. long course with its numerous bumps and turns, at one time falling into a ditch in spite of my caution.   My other companions confidently drove like seasoned racers. However, I soon speeded up midway round the course, only slowing down as I tackled the final 4-ft. high and steep hill back to our starting point.
 
Hannah Barrios finally enjoys Zip Line 3


This initial adrenalin rush now over, it was now time for some state-of-the-art zip lining. There were no more waiting lines as only three of us were left, the other two being Studio 23’s  Hannah Barrios and Joshua “Red” Nietes, both reluctant and scared first-timers. After filling up the necessary waiver forms, we were suited up with the necessary Petzl C29 Pandion harness and Petzl helmets for our safety then bundled into the back of a pickup truck, then driven up the cliff,  We then made a short hike, up a concrete stairs, to our first zip line—the Super Man Zip Line 1 (so named because we had to do it in a flying Superman pose), the highest and the longest in duration (30 seconds) of the three.

I tried it first, as Hannah and Red  were reluctant.  Soon I was harnessed parallel to the ground and on my way. It was everything it was hyped up to be, with picturesque views of a smooth flowing, boulder-strewn river, small rice terraces and lush, forested mountains. It was sometime before Red then Hannah took the plunge but, after having done so, liked it so much that they were both first at the succeeding 2 zip lines. The 280-m. long, 160-ft. high and less picturesque Zip Line 2, the fastest among the three (10 seconds with its 100-m. descent), and the 250-m. long, 60-ft. high and relaxing, 20 second long Zip Line 3, the basic and beginner’s zip line, were both done in the sitting position.  The last passes over the swimming pool and the river before ending at the campsite. It was starting to rain when I finished the last of the zip lines, making rappelling and wall climbing out of the question as the wall had become quite slippery. Besides, it was now time for lunch at the resort’s restaurant prepared by resort owners Eugene Martin, a retired police director, and his wife Pricilla, a Pugo councilor.  Heck out my Business Mirror article “Pugo’s 3 in 1 Adventure Tour.” 
 
Pugad Pugo Adventure Park: Sitio Kagaling, Brgy. Palina.  Mobile number (0927) 667-2619.  Tel: (072) 603-1592.  E-mail: pugoadventure@yahoo.com.

New Year’s Day (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

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Upon our return to our hotel from our Melaka trip, we decided to rest a bit. It was now just a few hours before New Year’s Eve, our first outside home and country, and we asked around at the front desk on where to spend our countdown party.  They suggested watching the free, spectacular fireworks displays at either the Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka) or the Petronas Towers.  We opted for the latter.

The Last Dinner of the Year at Sushi Tei (Pavilion Mall)

Before anything else, we still have to take our dinner so we all walked to Pavilion Mall along Jalan Bukit Bintang and dined on Japanese cuisine at Sushi Tei.  Here, we were surprised to find out that our waiters were Filipinas.  One was already a supervisor.

Waiting for the New Year at Petronas Towers

After dinner, we returned to our hotel to change clothes and decided to start our long walk all the way to Petronas Tower.  Others were doing the same. The numerous pubs we passed by were also filled with countdown revelers.  When we arrived at the park in front of the iconic Petronas Towers, it was already packed full with local residents and foreign tourists.

The Brightly-Lit Petronas Twin Towers

At the stroke of midnight, the street party started, with kisses, hugs, greetings and shouts of “Happy New Year!,” just as spectacular fireworks started to lit up, coloring the sky near the brightly-lit, landmark towers, Mandarin Hotel and the other buildings around us. The show was over when the fireworks stopped. There were no crackling and exploding firecrackers like in Manila, just horns and merriment in the streets.  What a unique way to start the New Year.

The Spectacular Fireworks Show

Sushi Tei: Level 1, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603 2141 4640. Fax: +603 2141 466.

Jonker Street (Melaka, Malaysia)

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The last leg of our walking tour, prior to our return to our tourist bus waiting for us at the Tamil Methodist Church, was all shopping at the narrow but busy Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat). From Stadthuys, we crossed a bridge over the Melaka River to get there. The Melaka River is now canalized to resemble an Amsterdam (Netherlands) canal, with a popular river cruise service running along the river.

Melaka River

Once the rich man’s street, Jonker Street is famous for its more than 15 antique shops (antique furniture, Chinese porcelain, brassware, cast iron beds, lamps, etc.).  Also along this street are cafes (Hai Nan coffee, Nyonya cuisine, beer, etc.), several art galleries,  mini-markets and souvenir shops among others. Souvenirs sold here include items made in Melaka, China and other Asian countries (Thai puppets, Balinese masks, etc).

Jonker Street

Local food stalls sell local delicacies such as cendol (a cold mixture of coconut milk, brown syrup made from the local gula melaka, and shaved ice), laksa (spicy noodle soup), durian puffs, grapes-dipped in chocolate, caramel encrusted kiwis. kaya (a spread made from coconut) filled waffles, etc. The festively-decorated Restoran Famosa, occupying a century-old former goldsmith shop, specializes in dishes served with unique chicken rice balls, actually Hainanese Chicken Rice in the form of golf ball-sized, sticky rice balls cooked in butter and ginger.

Restoran Famosa

Pedestrians here share the same road with passing vehicles and trishaws during daytime but, during weekend night markets (6 PM-12 midnight, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays), the road is closed to traffic and its atmosphere turns carnival-like.

Jonkers Street

A living proof of Melaka’s rich Baba-Nyonya heritage, its buildings are immaculately constructed with elaborate carvings on its pillars and walls.  Also along this street is the Hokkien Huay Kuan, a well-preserved clan house. Its front porch has a pair of symmetrical pillars with dragon relief.  Beyond it are a striking set of door and wall panels with intricate carvings and bold colors. Two rows of Chinese characters frame the entrance door.

Hokkien Huay Kuan (Clan House)

Restoran Famosa Chicken Rice Ball: No. 28-30, Jalan Hang Kasturi, off Jonker Street, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. Tel: 06-286 0120. Website: www.chickenriceball.com

Genting Highlands (Malaysia)

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We arrived at the resort by lunch time and our van driver dropped us off at the First World Hotel which, in 2006, was listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest hotel with its total of 6,118 rooms.  The resort has three theme parks – the Genting Outdoor Theme Park (set around an artificial lake), the First World Indoor Theme Park (arcade games and children’s rides) and the Water Park.

The Outdoor Theme Park

Among its 20 signature attractions are the Flying Coaster (a hang-gliding roller coaster), the Corkscrew (the only double-loop roller coaster in Malaysia, it speeds and spins up to a height of 90 ft. above the ground), the Genting Sky Venture (Asia’s only free-fall skydiving simulator), the Haunted House, the Ripley’s Believe It or Not!Museum, Solera Space Shot (a rapid vertical ascent and descent open-air amusement ride) and SnowWorld.

Snow World

We all tried the last mentioned attraction, donning thick winter jackets and gloves as we tried to last 30 mins. in this 6 degrees below zero winter wonderland. We only lasted 15 but within that time we went tobogganing and bravely ate ice cream before calling it quits.

Genting Skyway

Another welcome treat was our spectacular 3.38 km. (2 mile) cable car ride on board the relaxing Genting Skyway which, at its opening on February 21, 1997, was recognized as the “World’s Fastest Mono Cable Car System” (with a maximum speed of 6 m. per second or 21.6 kms. per hour) and the “Longest Cable Car in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.” Open 24 hours, our gondola lift ride took all of 11 mins. as we glided above a blanket of montane vegetation at its lush rain forest.

First World Hotel

Coffee and pastries at First World Hotel’s Starbucks outlet, prior to our being picked up by our tourist van and return to Kuala Lumpur, capped this cool, fun-filled day.

Jadi Batek Gallery (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

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From Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom, we moved on to the Jadi Batek Gallery, a family-owned batik and handicrafts retailer.   It has a spacious 30,000 sq. ft. gallery.  Though we didn’t buy any of their impressive array of batik and handicrafts merchandise, we did observe, up close, the batik making process.

Jadi Batek Gallery

Batik is a fabric dying method using wax to create patterns and designs. This method makes use of a resist technique; applying areas of cloth with wax (a dye-resistant substance) to prevent them from absorbing colors when the cloth is dipped into dye. Not only as a dye-resistant substance, the wax applied is also used to control colors from spreading out from a particular area to create motif when the dye is painted.  The use of batik has also extended from clothing to everything from home furnishings and table cloths to handicrafts.

In Malaysia, there are two major types of batik: hand-drawn batik and block-printed batik.  We observed the making of the former.  In the hand-drawn batik is usually produced in 4 m. (used for women’s wear) or 2 m. (for men’s wear) lengths.  Designs are drawn on the fabric (cotton, rayon, linen, voile and silk) with hot liquid wax by using a metal object called canting.

Design Outlines Being Drawn on the Fabric

When the wax outlines are done, artists use the brushes to paint the dyes within the outlines. The use of brush allows for the creation of shaded and multi-hued designs.  The fabrics are patterned with floral and geometrical motifs, arranged in various layouts as dictated by current trends.  Besides shirt and dresses, hand-drawn batik is also made into scarves, pareos, craftans and even as framed art.

Brushes are Used to Paint the Dyes Within the Outlines

In block-printed batik, the canting is replaced by a copper block or a wooden stamp with artistically patterned bottom.   The block is dipped into the wax and printed onto the fabric, which is then dip-dyed. Then the wax will be removed and batik with single color is produced. To create multi-colors and complex batik, waxing with different blocks, dying and de-waxing has to be done many times.

A Gallery of Framed Batik Art

Jadi Batek Gallery: 30 Jalan Inai, Off Jalan Imbi,  55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Tel : (60) 3 – 2145 1133.  Fax : (60) 3 – 2141 0179.