Wednesday, April 20, 2011

about gayana

Wake up to the call of exotic birds. Take a leisurely hike through the jungle canopy. Snorkel among colourful marine life. Watch fishes swim by from the privacy of your own balcony. Dine al fresco under the moonlight…… Treat yourself to the tranquility of this little patch of tropical paradise where you can completely unwind and immerse yourself in the natural beauty that surrounds you.

Idyllic Gayana Island Resort is an ecological paradise nestled away in a beautiful bay on the far side of Gaya Island, off the shores of Kota Kinabalu. Crystal clear waters and secluded beaches wrap around the inlet, with lush tropical rainforest and mangrove forming a serene backdrop.

Just minutes away from the bustling city, Gayana Island Resort offers a secluded island escape, designed and operated with nature in mind. Gayana features 22 semi-detached overwater chalets built on timber stilts constructed out of sustainable local woods with thatched roofs.

Gayana Island Resort also features a gift shop, offering a selection of beach wear, leisure wear, handicrafts, postcards and snacks. Conveniently located at the reception lobby, it is popular with guests and visitors alike.

Gayana Island Resort offers non-motorised watersport facilities including canoeing, snorkelling, sea kayaking and scuba diving. Island hopping, fishing and crab catching can also be arranged upon request. As the forest is virtually at your doorstep, you can also go jungle trekking.

The challenging 6 Km trial leading from the resort through the thick canopy of high dipterocarp trees to the nearby Malohom Beach is well-marked and can be explored with a guide or on your own.

The resort's ground is also a sanctuary to many of the island's wildlife such as the pied hornbills, long tailed macaques, monitor lizards, wild boars, green imperial pigeons, jungle rats, geckos, snakes, buffy fish owls and various species of insects.

So keep your camera handy…… you'll never know who or what you'll bump into. However, it is important to remember to keep your distance. Do not feed or provoke the animals in any way.

Swimming in the open sea can be fun, but do watch out for stonefish, sea urchins, scorpion fish and sharp rocks.This is because the resort is sitting on a reef. Do wear shoes or any other suitable footwear if you insist on swimming in the crystal clear waters. The Nature Pool is just as fun!

Being one of only 6 such facilities in the world, Gayana offers you the unique opportunity to observe the various species of giant clam and marine life housed in 19 display aquariums at close range at the Marine Ecology Research Centre (MERC). The MERC focuses on the conservation, rehabilitation and restoration of the coral reefs and its key organism, the giant clam. Several interactive programmes are currently being offered to interested guests and visitors, including the Marine Ecology Seminar and Field Trip.

salad with spicy peanut sauce from brunei

Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

-----------------------FOR THE SALAD-----------------------
  • 3 tb Vegetable oil
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 lb Firm tofu; patted dry -- and cut into 1/4" cubes
  • 2 sm Potatoes; boiled -- cut into bite-size wedges
  • 1/2 lb Fresh spinach; cleaned -- steamed, and chopped
  • 1/2 sm Head green cabbage; shredded -- and lightly steamed
  • 1/2 lb Mung bean sprouts -- washed thoroughly
---------------------FOR THE DRESSING---------------------
  • 4 Garlic cloves
  • 1/4 c Roasted peanuts
  • 5 ts Soy sauce or tamari
  • 3 tb Lime or lemon juice
  • 4 ts Brown sugar
  • 1/4 ts Cayenne pepper
  • 2 tb Water

Directions

Heat the oil and salt in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the tofu in small batches and saute until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
Arrange the bean curd, potatoes, spinach, and cabbage on individual plates.
Prepare the dressing by placing all of the dressing ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. If the dressing seems too thick, add another teaspoon of water.
Top the vegetables and bean curd with the bean sprouts and dressing, and serve immediately. Preparation time: 1 hour

brunei food noodles and tofu

Noodles & Tofu

Ingredients

  • 13 oz Tofu, dried -- sliced
  • 9 oz Chinese dried wheat noodles
  • 13 oz Firm tofu -- cubed 1/2"
  • 3 tb Chinese semsaem oil
  • 3 tb Fresh ginger -- minced
  • 1/2 ts Yellow asafoetida powder*
  • 1 bn Choy sum**, leaves and -stalk -- chopped in 1" -sections
  • 3 tb Soy sauce
  • 2 tb Plain sambal oelek***
  • 3 tb Fresh lemon juice
  • 2 c Mung bean shoots
Soak dried tofu slices in hot water for 15 mintues. When softened, cut into 1" squares, drain, and pat dry. Cook the wheat noodles in boiling water until al dente, a little firm. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Heat oil in wok over high heat, and deep-fry the tofu cubes until goldenbrown. Remove from pan and drain. Next deep-fry the squares of dried tofu until golden brown andslightly blistered; remove and drain. Heat sesame oil in another wok on full heat; saute the minced ginger for 1 minute. Add the asafoeitda and choy sum and stir fry until soft. Add the soy sauce, sambal oelek, lemon juice, tofu noodles. Stir fry for another 2 minutes or until the noodles are hot. Serve immediately.
*asafoetida powder: available at Indian grocers **choy sum: also known as rape ***sambal oelek: a hot condiment made from ground fresh red, hot chilies, popular in Brunei, Malay and Indonesian cuisine. Available at Asian grocery stores. To make your own, pound together 2 red hot chilies and 1/2 tsp salt, making 2 tsp

from brunei food

Sri Lanka Sinhalese Fragrant Masala Spice Powder

  • 30 g cumin seeds
  • 6 cardamon pods
  • 4 coriander seeds
  • 30 g fennel seeds
  • 1 clove
  • 2 cm stick cinnamon
  • 2 c Rice, brown
  • 1 t Sea salt
  • 2 Onions, green
  • 1 c Radishes
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1 sl Cucumber (2-inch)
  • 3 tb Cooking oil
  • 1 t Garlic -- finely chopped
  • 1 tb Sesame tahini
  • Soy sauce
  • Lemon juice

Directions

Wash the rice three times and boil in plenty of salted wter util tender. While the rice is cooking, wash and prepare the vegetables. Slice the green onions finely. Cut each radish in half. Cut the carrot diagonally, then cut each slice in strips. Slice the cucumber (not too thinly), and cut each slice in four. Heat the oil in a wok or plan and stir0fry the garlic for 39 seconds. Add the prepared vegetables and stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the sesame seeds after 2 minutes. When the rice is tender, drain and stir in the fried vegetbles and sesame seeds. Stir in the sesame paste. Sprinkle with a little soy sauce and lemon juice and serve hot with sesame tahini to taste.

hyat regency hua hin hotel

Hyatt Regency Hua Hin enjoys a prime stretch of 200-metre long white sandy beachfront. Dotted around 12.5 acres are cluster-style low-rise buildings in the tropical village ambiance. Our 204 guest rooms surrounded by beautiful landscaped gardens and interconnecting pools. Extensive on-site recreational facilities including water sports, health club, tennis court and cyber room is available.
Guestrooms are a haven for relaxation and comfort, with light wood funishings and original works of art. All rooms feature a private balcony and, with garden level rooms these form an additional living area, ideal for families.
For the discerning guest, Regency Club accommodations feature its own private two-tiered swimming pool and an exclusive pavilion lounge serving complimentary continental breakfast and evening cocktails.
Dining at Hyatt Regency can be romantic or fun, with a selection of innovative restaurants and culinary delights : You can dine all fresco or indoors at Figs-Mediterranean Restaurant and Bar where seafood specialties and Mediterranean flavours are prepared in an impressive show kitchen.
More detail Hyatt Regency Hua Hin Hotel
If you are looking forward to have one of those quite holidays in a place removed from the maddening crowds of urban life, while also having the assurance of not being too far off from the urban hub either, then a stay at the All Seasons Nai Harn in Phuket in Thailand is your ideal holiday solution. In fact, the All Seasons Nai Harn affords you many pleasures during your stay at the property. Of the many, the room facilities at All Seasons Nai Harn in Phuket are probably the choicest of them all.

Thailand food

Thai food is internationally famous. Whether chilli-hot or comparatively blands, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. The characteristics of Thai food
depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked to suit all palates. Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plants and herbs were major ingredients. Large chunks of meat were eschewed. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking.
With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and laced with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese. Chillies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600s by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America.
Thais were very adapt at ‘Siamese-icing’ foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other daily products. Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting dinners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.
A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by non spiced items. There must be a harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.