Meeting media from the Middle East

 

When I received the invitation from Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas to meet media members visiting from the Middle East, I did not hesitate to ask for more information about the publications they were writing for.

 

With media representatives from the Middle East
along with Dane Halpin [2nd from Right]

This was of interest to me because I was once the Johor-based writer for Travel Times, a pull-out section dedicated to travel that came with The New Straits Times, a leading English newspaper here that also had an online version.

 

Last October, when Anantara Desaru Coast invited me to meet with German media representatives from leading newspapers and magazines based in Austria, Switzerland and Germany, I had the pleasure to relive moments when I was in their shoes, visiting destinations to write from my experience for the Travel newspapers.

 

Once again, this event will be hosted at The Observatory, the bar which overlooks the beach and swimming pools, with a panoramic view of the resort and beyond to the South China Sea in the horizon.

 

An inter-active time with the media reps

When I arrived at The Observatory, dark clouds were low and heavy with threatening rain. The wind that evening in early March was at such a high velocity that whipped my signature chic hairdo into what I would call, a wind-blown look.

 

I gave up on styling my hair back into shape when I was introduced to Dane Halpin, Director of Public Relations & Communications, MINOR Hotels, who was visiting from their corporate office in Thailand.

 

As always, Anantara Desaru Coast General Manager, Christian Gerart, gave me a warm welcome to the Resort.

 

Isabella [Left] and Dane [Right] kept me
engaged in a lively conversation over dinner

After a brief chat, Christian left for another appointment while Dane joined the guests from the Middle East in getting to know more about Johor through My Johor Stories.

 

When we gathered around the table prepared for the event, introductions were made and I was able to put a name to each face.

 

Isabella Sullivan who writes for Near+Far, an online magazine that covers luxury travel, including know-how, travel trends, up-and-coming destinations and tried-and-tested hotels.

 

Sharing an old photograph with the media reps

The Near+Far website was launched in March 2023 for curious, modern Middle Eastern travellers who are in search of beautiful places, things and experiences.

 

Selina Denman who writes for Conde Nast Traveller Middle East, a regional edition of US-based Conde Nast Traveller magazine, and covers luxury travel, providing inspiration and advice for discerning travellers seeking unique, unforgettable and luxurious travel experiences.

 

And Emily Baxter who writes for Destinations of the World News, a luxury travel magazine that covers the hottest destinations, most luxurious hotels and extraordinary travel experiences.

 

Guests at The Observatory can enjoy reading
the trilogy of My Johor Stories placed there

Launched in July 2006, this monthly magazine is for first and business class travellers, five-star hotel guests and travel professionals.

 

Joining these media representatives was Duaa Radwan of Dash Consultancy, a Public Relations agency in Dubai that represents Anantara properties in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

 

The guests then received the trilogy of My Johor Stories tied up in pretty ribbons.

 

I encouraged the guests to untie the ribbons and flip through the pages of my 2017 MPH Non-Fiction Bestseller, My Johor Stories: True Tales, Real People, Rich Heritage, along with My Johor Stories 2: Interesting Places and Inspirational People, and the final instalment, My Johor Stories 3: Proudly Johor, Then and Now.

 

Enjoying a chat with Duaa Radwan
while Dane looks on

I am glad that Anantara Desaru Coast understands that people liked to stay in a place with a story and have been presenting My Johor Stories books to VVIP guests and foreign media so that they may continue enjoying their experience in Johor by getting to know more about Johor from my books after their stay at the Resort.

 

Then I learnt that this media group visited downtown Johor Baru that morning and passed Sungai Segget – our city’s main waterway – with stops at the Johor Street of Harmony to see flower stalls and dessert stalls in Little India, Johor Old Temple, Sikh Temple and traditional bakers at Salahuddin.

 

Showing Dane some old photographs that
support my stories in My Johor Stories

I also learnt that they were well-travelled media and have stayed at various Anantara properties in worldwide locations.

 

Their brief experience in downtown Johor Baru gave me the starting point to share with them about Johor culture and heritage and welcomed them to interrupt me with any queries so that I may clarify and provide any relevant info they may need.

 

Among interesting snippets about the Johor rulers, it was my pleasure to share with them briefly about how Johor developed from the time when forests were felled to produce timber for export, the first industry in Johor, the rich heritage in road names, as well as our pepper and gambier heritage and how the motif of these plants were recognised as a Johor icon.

 

I was happy to autograph my books for the guests

Because “A picture is worth a thousand words,” I encouraged them to turn to various pages in my books to refer to the photos there for them to better understand what I was talking about.

 

As we enjoyed a delightful dinner together, I continued to answer their curious questions and also took the opportunity to get to know them.

 

While the media representatives are based in Dubai, Isabella and Selina have lived there longer than Emily and are respected writers who have earned a reputation as credible sources of information.

 

With Duaa and My Johor Stories books

That evening when I met Duaa, it marked the first time I ever met with an Egyptian.

 

When she explained that the meaning of her name was, ‘prayer’ it struck me that her name, Duaa, sounded similar to doa, the Malay word for ‘prayer.’

 

In the course of conversation, I learned that this was the first time the media from the Middle East visited Johor and felt deeply honoured to be part of their experience.

 

It was very encouraging to know that their experiences in Johor will be published in their Travel publications and personally, I was more than pleased that they will also take home a bit of Johor in My Johor Stories books.

 

Thank you, Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas for letting me share with your guests a bit more about Johor and for your continued support to My Johor Stories.