Shopping in Malaysia

CEBU, Philippines - Whatever the destination, FAM Tours are always exciting and fun. It affords the participants the opportunity to admire the beauty of the place, the fascinating historical landmarks whose buildings often times bring stories that can never be told in a day, and  experience the rich diverse culture of its people from  traditional backgrounds  and different ethnic groups.

But what is most interesting about any journey is the chance to savor culinary delights, as well as street hawker fare. And let’s not forget shopping for shopaholics.

Our recent FAM tour was to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the invitation of Cebu Pacific Airways and Tourism Malaysia in conjunction with the 2010 Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival that kicked off last July and will run till the 16th of September.

A grand total of  119 participants comprised the fun/fam group made up of journalists, crews from five TV stations, and travel specialists from the following 19 countries – Australia, Bangladesh,  Belgium, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Nepal, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Yemen and the Philippines.

This year’s biggest sale carnival brings a whole range of bargains on various merchandise from home-grown products, exclusive designer goods, exotic local handicrafts, latest gadgets and enticing dining experiences to fabulous holiday packages.  Many of the retail goods are tax exempt or duty free.

The highlight of the tour and surely the most anticipated was the exclusive Media Shopping Mall Race at Sunway Pyramid Complex. Each team was given a set of 50 questions whose answers were to be found on the different boutiques and stalls spread over five retail levels. Some questions were trivial though most needed imagination, business acumen, calculations and common sense. The Philippine team represented by media from the Visayas and Mindanao finished the race way before the cut-off time.

The awarding ceremony was held at the Sun and Surf Café at Sunway Hotel and Resort. While our team was a little confident, admittedly we also had our reservations on winning. After a superb buffet dinner, the winners were announced. Participants from Yemen came in third while Australia placed second. And the champions, the Philippine Team. Beaming with pride and elation, we all gathered to claim our prize, a huge basket filled with goodies.        

Established in 2000, the Mega FAM program is part of Tourism Malaysia’s promotional strategy to create greater awareness of Malaysia as a tourist destination. Its main objective is to offer the participants a personal experience of the attractions, tourist destinations, products and services in Malaysia in order to develop tour packages and generate publicity on the country as a preferred destination for business, pleasure,  leisure, fun and entertainment.

The thrills and fun spill over from the big shopping centers onto the side roads where street markets and bazaars buzz with a fusion of colours, sounds and of course more bargains, making the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival a must-see.