The Battle for WondLa - Review

Author: Tony DiTerlizzi

Title: The Battle for WondLa

Publisher: Simon and Shuster (HBK)

Published: 2014

The future holds a mysterious world and Tony DiTerlizzi wields the full extent of his imagination to bring us on a spell-bounding adventure. What we knew as Earth is now Orbona and it is no longer ruled by the humans who are fighting for a place in this new world filled with alien immigrants.

12 year old heroine Eva Nine and her reluctant companion, Hailey Turner, are on a quest to stay alive long enough to stop the powerful and sinister Arsian being, Loroc, from overthrowing the Ojo royal family and claiming power. Each page turned brings you deeper into a compelling story filled with hope, betrayal, friendship, and a fight for survival for Eva Nine and her friends against seemingly impossible odds.

The artistic brilliance of DiTerlizzi is conveyed not just through his words but with illustrations with each one providing a visual glimpse of the unusual characters and the strange world that Eva Nine and her companions are navigating through. The book also contains a glossary, a map, and even the Orbonian alphabet.

The Battle for WondLa is the third instalment in Tony DiTerlizzi’s WondLa trilogy and it is highly recommended that you read The Search for WondLa and A Hero for WondLa before preparing for battle. Despite the available glossary, to fling straight in will leave you initially struggling to come to terms with the commonplace terminology but once you do, prepare to be captivated in Eva Nine’s engrossing adventure in this modern day classic.

One Night in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

Planning to explore South East Asia before finishing off your travels with Australia? For many people who are set to embark on or finish up this particular adventure, they often have to spend a night in Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, due to having to catch a connecting flight. As the question is often posed to us – ‘how should we spend our one night in K.L,?’ we’ve come up with a few suggestions of things to do in Kuala Lumpur.

Changkat

If you want to kick start or end your travelling adventures with a bang, head to Changkat. Located just off Bukit Bintang, the street is simply alive with people who are blowing off steam. It is the expat’s weekend retreat (we miss it so much!) and is often the destination for visiting celebrities with plenty of food and drinking options available all along the bustling street.

Our recommendation: It’s hard to choose where to go in Changkat but if we could, we would go back to Pinchos Tapas Bar for food and drinks in a heartbeat. This was our favourite place to go. It gets very busy after 7:30pm so you may want to reserve a table if you're going to be venturing out after then. If you want to get your dancing shoes on after, then head across the road to Havana Bar& Grill for more drinks with a nightclub located on the second floor. For the Irish who want to experience an Irish Pub in Malaysia, several bars down the road is the popular Healy Mac's.

Shop

Kuala Lumpur wasn’t named by CNN as one of the top shopping destinations in the world for nothing. Some of the largest and most prestigious shopping centres can be found in Malaysia’s capital city. Kuala Lumpur also offers tax free on many items, making it the ideal shopping haven for many.

Our recommendation: Start off with a stroll around the luxurious Starhill Gallery, which houses award-winning restaurants and prestigious brand names that include the world’s largest Louis Vuitton. Across the road from Starhill Gallery is Pavilion where there are over 450 high-street retail outlets and eateries. If you still have the time and the energy after that, continue your shopping expedition with a walk along the suspended bridge walkway which will lead you to Suria KLCC, which not only offers more upmarket retail outlets but is situated beneath The Petronas Towers.

The Petronas Twin Towers

Once the tallest building in the world, this magnificent structure is worth a visit and the landmark has to go down as a must see. Pictures do not do this building justice. It is beautifully designed and you will get a creak in your neck from staring up in awe at Malaysia’s iconic towering towers.

Our recommendation: Stroll around KLCC Park, which offers a view of The Petronas Twin Towers from every corner. It gets dark in Malaysia every night around 7pm so try and time your visit so you can see The Petronas Towers in daylight and when it’s lit up at night. At every turn of the hour, there is a water display which becomes a show of vibrant colours at night for you to enjoy.

Fine Dining with a View

It may not be noted for it but Kuala Lumpur is a foodie’s city of heaven with so many different options available to explore. If you would like to wine and dine for your short stint in Malaysia, you couldn’t have picked a better city and there are some which even come with a stunning view.

Our recommendation: Cantaloupe at Troika SkyDining. Located on the park, this French restaurant serves delicious food with a view. It is located on the 24^th floor of The Troika. Floor to ceiling window panes overlook the park and The Petronas Towers. Troika Sky Dining is segregated into Cantaloupe (French restaurant), Strato (Italian restaurant) and Claret (wine bar). Each offer a stunning view of KLCC Park and the city but you can only see The Petronas Towers from Cantaloupe.  

If you have the foresight, book in advance to make sure you not only have a table reserved but one with a view. You even have the option of dining on the balcony, which can be very romantic and pleasant but this will leave you exposed to the humidity and segregate you from the restaurant’s atmosphere.

Sky High Drinks

If you want to unwind with a few drinks but can’t find the time to fit Changkat and a visit to The Petronas Towers into the one night, don’t worry, you can combine the two experiences. There are several establishments located around the park which offer a choice of drinks, including wines and cocktails, and a skyline view of The Petronas Towers.

Our recommendation: The Skybar. Winner of the best bar award numerous times, the Skybar is located on the 33^rd floor of the Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur. A casual place to visit by day, after sunset it becomes a vibrant venue as the cocktails are on the flow and a DJ sets the tone. Book in advance if you have the foresight and ask for a booth with a window view of the towers. With happy hour deals on every night of the week, the Skybar is a great place to go to. Smart casual is the dress code so try not to look like a fish out of water by falling into the pool located inside!

Whether you're travelling around South East Asia, going for a holiday to Australia or even looking for things to do in Malaysia, we hope our list of suggestions allows you to make the most of your visit to Kuala Lumpur.

Discover Ireland's Copper Coast

Are you planning on doing a Kimye and discovering Ireland?

Ireland is a very popular tourist destination with its rolling hills covered with different shades of green and sparkling surrounding ocean often located just a stone’s throw away from quaint villages and towns. It is a serene country and every time I return after being gone for a while, I feel the same sense of inspiring awe that instils an adventurous urge to explore. 

There was a pleasant Australian couple who I met in London who were very enthusiastic about visiting Ireland for the second part of their trip. Almost as excited as finding out that I’m a Kelly (and yes Australia, you can stake a claim to me if you would like). What they were really looking forward to was “feeling the grass between their toes and stepping barefoot on top of the soil where their ancestors originated from”.

Fortunately Ireland isn’t that big and most tourists can hire a car and explore most of the country in the space of time that they have. But one particular route that often gets overlooked which I recommend for anyone visiting, or any Irish residents themselves who are unfamiliar with it, is the Copper Coast drive.

Located in Co. Waterford, the Copper Coast stretch is recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark. It’s about an hour’s drive from Waterford City to the town of Dungarvan which diverts off the main road (N25). If your destination from Waterford is Cork then don’t fear, this route will keep you on course while only adding an extra twenty - thirty minutes to your journey.

The Copper Coast drive is a wealth of scenic beauty as you take a road which runs along the Southern coastline and through several villages. There are the required photo ops available all along for the perfect selfie where you can stand on top of a cliff with the stretching ocean or the Commaragh Mountains as your backdrop. There are also spots to have a peaceful picnic, whether next to fort ruins or a secluded cove. You can discover more of Ireland's Copper Coast on foot with several different Heritage Walking Trails.

The end of your drive will see you arrive back onto the N25 and into a quaint town known as Dungarvan. This beautiful town is often noted as one of the most beautiful towns in Ireland. Worth a visit if you have the time and you can read more about Dungarvan in a later review.