A TRIP TO SEREMBAN

I am introducing another new segment in my blog - A vegetarian gourmet travelogue. This will cover all the places I have visited & will be visiting and where and how to find vegetarian food there.

Being a vegetarian and traveling has never been easy. But it’s not fun to cook when you are traveling.

A TRIP TO SEREMBAN

I decided to accompany my husband (Yo) for a trip to Seremban since it was our wedding anniversary and he was traveling for work and we wanted to be together to celebrate our 10^th wedding anniversary which is a not to be missed milestone for us.

About Seremban

Seremban is the capital of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan, located within the district of Seremban, one of the seven districts of Negeri Sembilan.

Seremban is situated about 30 kilometres inland from the coast. It is in the Linggi River valley, at the foothills of the Titiwangsa Range. The terrain is generally hilly, and the soil is mostly reddish laterite soil, suitable for the cultivation of rubber and palm oil, thus making Seremban the agricultural centre for the state.

Since the establishment of Seremban, the Linggi River has played an important role in the development of the town.

During the boom period of tin mining, the Linggi River was the major transportation route for tin traders. Today, it is one of the major sources of water for Seremban and Negeri Sembilan.

Transportation

Negeri Sembilan is one of the two states in Malaysia that are not accessible via air transportation (Perlis being the other state). However the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is less than a 30 minutes drive from Seremban, essentially making the airport closer to Seremban rather than Kuala Lumpur.

Weather

The climate of Seremban, like most parts of West Malaysia, is generally hot and humid (tropical) with a mean temperature of about 27-30 degrees Celsius. Most rainfall is experienced during the inter-monsoon periods of April and October. The weather remains generally dry for the rest of the year with occasional showers.

Economy

The state, which been home to a number of multinationals from Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union. The manufacturing sector today forms the backbone of the state economy, contributing almost half of the state’s gross domestic product (GDP), followed by services and tourism (40.3%), agriculture (6%), construction (2.2%) and mining (0.3%).

Shopping

Jusco Seremban 2, one of the premier shopping destinations in the town was the only outlet operated in the state. Besides this there are many shopping outlets are concentrated in town centre. Wisma Punca Emas, KM Plaza, Parkson Seremban Parade, The Store, Terminal 1 and Era Square, Giant Hypermarket, Tesco Extra, Econsave and Carrefour.

Apart from shopping complexes, Seremban has designated numerous zones in the city to market locally manufactured products such as antiques, textiles, fabrics and handicrafts.

Cuisine

Seremban is famous for its special delicacies comprising Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisine. There’s not much of vegetarian food available is what I thought, but I was surprised to find an Indian pure vegetarian restaurant in the heart of Seremban city. The name of this restaurant was Vasantha Bhavan.

VASANTHA BHAVAN

Speciality: Srilankan & Indian Vegetarian Food

Landmark: The location is opposite peoples' square or city square in town center, neighbour is Chevrolet car shop,

It’s a bit difficult to find, VB is the one with yellow signboard in between car and bike.

Parking: You can park car at behind, approximately 150 meters walk able distance from Carlton Star Hotel.

Menu: The menu of Vasantha Bhavan has many Indian vegetarian dishes and many varieties of beverages.

While I was waiting for my order, I saw many Seremban locals (Indian and Chinese) come and take away food.

The staffs are very friendly I spoke to the guys working there and they told me that it is the only Indian vegetarian restaurant in Seremban and it’s popular because they serve mock meat and food with local flavors in it other than the traditional Indian dishes.

There is a fair amount of Indian population in Seremban, “that” coupled with the fact that tourists like us who visit this restaurant is what keeps it running is what the friendly waiter told me.

I asked them if they provide delivery to the hotels nearby. They said as of now they don’t provide any deliveries.

The food was fresh, the prices were very reasonable, the ambience simple & practical with some wooden table and chairs and some colored plastic chairs.

My husband Yo ordered a Masala Thosai RM 2.50 only and it was very yummy.

The royal Bintan Hotel

ROYAL BINTANG HOTEL

We stayed at the Royal Bintang Hotel which is a 4 star hotel and suggested as one of the best in Seremban. The city and national train station was just a 15 minute walk away. It overlooks the beautiful and serene view of the Seremban Lake Gardens.

Beautiful view from our room

Seremban is the centre of the Minangkabau culture in Malaysia. Minangkabau, derived from the Malay word menang kerbau, which means "winning buffalo", are famous for their unique roof architecture which resembles buffalo horns.

A view of the lake at night from our room

A walk by the lake in the late evening

The lake at night

What I liked about the place was the friendly & helpful staff and the free wi-fi that they provided, which kept me occupied while my husband was working.

Breakfast- We were provided complimentary breakfast at the hotel. The breakfast is a buffet, with a mix of Western and Asian dishes. There aren’t much of vegetarian dishes available, but when I made a request the chef was kind enough to rustle up some vegetarian noodles without egg (please mention not to add in eggs if you don’t eat eggs)

The restaurant also serves a buffet dinner. The hotel has a well stocked bar with a band of Filipino singers crooning some very melodious songs and also sing songs on request providing a soothing ambience. All the staffs were friendly and helpful. The hotel is only a few minutes walk into the town.

Word of caution- Be alert with your handbags or personal belongings if you go for a walk in the late evening, the hotel staff warned me about a gang of purse snatchers on a motorcycle (bike) operating in the city.

Lunch /Dinner – On request the chef can cook for you vegetarian noodles or fried rice.

SHAN KAFE VEGETARIAN CUISINE   

317, Jalan S2 B13, Uptown Avenue, Seremban 2  +606-6017424

Chinese, Take-out

SEREMBAN RED TEA GARDEN SDN. BHD. (紅茶园素食店)

AddressNo 2-D Jalan Temiang, 70200 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

Telephone(60) 06 7670887

Chinese vegetarian

FAST FOOD RESTAURANTS

There are a lot of fast food restaurants like McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut etc. You can order for burger minus the meat patties, French fries, potato wedges etc or a freshly baked huge vegetarian Pizza with fresh ingredients.

Who says you can’t be a vegetarian when you are traveling. If there is a will there is a way.

I stayed for 2 days in Seremban and enjoyed the Malaysian hospitality and also indulged in some luxuries which I would love to mention about. While you are in Malaysia in a manicure, pedicure – A special mention to the Doctor Soho’s foot spa which was the best foot spa I ever had. My feet felt like that of a baby, supersoft, I couldn’t help touching my feet and enjoying the softness.

Yo and me also called for the in house masseuse @ Royal Bintang who was a specialist in cracking sprains in your body. The massage was pretty painful, but after it was done you felt very free and relaxed.

Myself and Yo also got a facial done at the Inner Sense Beauty & Wellness Spa at Jusco Seremban 2, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan(this is something most tourists don’t miss). This place is very crowded.

I also got a hair treatment at the Loreal parlor. All these royal indulgences were priced very reasonably.

Stay safe

Seremban is a pretty safe town to travel to. Crime rate is amongst the lowest in Malaysia. Just take the usual precautions when travelling to any town/city: avoid carrying large amounts of cash, wearing excessive jewellery & leaving valuables visible inside one's vehicle

Day 3 - I was off to Kuala Lumpur (KL) one of my favorite places to visit. I went by Taxi and the hotel staff warned me that since I was traveling alone, I must take a taxi from the hotel and chose a driver with the cab company which has its booth at the hotel, as the driver would register all their details with the hotel before they pick up the passenger. The staff also advised me to preferably travel during the daytime. I preferred to listen to them. I left in the afternoon and Yo joined me after work. He took the train to KL and said it was great and light on his pocket as well. I am going to try the train the next time too.

Bye!!! Seremban – I would love to come back here again!!!!!!