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 10th 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.
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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.
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Beautiful view from our room |
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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.
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A view of the lake at night from our room |
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A walk by the lake in the late evening |
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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!!!!!!