Makati and Boracay Island

Day 1 – Makati

1400: Arrived at terminal 1 international airport, took the fixed rate cab at 330 pesos

1500: checked in at New World Hotel which is near GreenBelt 3. The hotel was modern and the location was great. It is within walking distance to Greenbelt and the Ayala Centre where you can get great food and entertainment. There is a nice garden in between the GreenBelt which has nice cafes and restaurants just for you to chill.

1530: Walked around greenbelt; had Jollibee for lunch. It was pretty crap and so I had my Aunty Anne’s pretzel. Jollibee is their local fast food chain. The portions were super small and they were tasteless. Their seasoning is only just ketchup. However, it was cheap. We then walked around the shopping centres and people watch.

1800: Went to The Spa at Greenbelt 1. It was really good and clean with shower facilities and steam bath for 1100 pesos each=2200 with tip 200 in total.

1930: For dinner we went to a very interesting chain called “Krazy Garlik“. Living up to the name, we had Great hara kiri and pizza which was awesome! Franchise idea? There was even a  SMS feedback with regards to the waiter that was assigned to our table to serve us.

Day 2 – Ayala Centre

1100: Had brunch at glorietta’s food court. Mongolian beef and seafood and Kalbi chicken which was interesting; cheap and filling

1200: Chilling by the centre and had one of the best coffee and ensaymadas at Bo’s coffee. Also to utilise their Wifi

1400: Tour around Manila, stop at memorial park, Rizal park, Manila cathedral and fort Santiago passing by Intramunos at 2100 pesos each = 4200 plus 100 tip

1900: Dinner at Nam Nam Comfort Filipino in GreenBelt 2

2000: Had bad coffee at Seattle’s Best Coffee at GreenBelt 3. But there were a lot of tourists and locals just chilling there.

Day 3 – Boracay Island

0900: Breakfast at Budu near GreenBelt which was a French place but super expensive and food wasn’t great.

1400: Arrived earlier due to change in flight. We flew Airphil Express which allowed us to change to the earlier flight because we were early. We were greeted by shuttle van, air conditioned boat with cold water and Quaker oat biscuit and offered mint all the way (as part of the services by Discovery Shores Hotel at Station 1).  Arrived at suite 304 with complimentary foot wash.

1500:  Had lunch at their restaurant called Island beef with tomato and cheese

1800: Walked by the beach – had Ice cream and Jonah’s shake – one of the best shake/smoothie on the island

1900: Went to D’mall near Station 2 – walked around the mall and had a caricature that costs 300 pesos  and tshirt painted with our names at 1700 pesos. Thought it was a creative souvenir. You get to choose your background etc. Every tuk tuk ride from one station to another is about 120 pesos. However, the hotel provides free shuttle.

2000: Dinner at Don Vito – an Italian restaurant at Station 3 which was mediocre

Day 4 – Boracay Island (Watersports)

1000: Island hopping 1500 pesos and snorkeling 40 pesos. One of the best snorkeling sites in terms of clear water and white sandy beach. The good thing about Boracay Island is that it tries to preserve itself. No smoking is allowed on the beach and all water activities is centred in the middle of the ocean.

1300: Lunch at Army Navy. Great Freedom Fries!!

1400: Jet ski 1800 and jet boat 2600

1900: Dinner at  D’mall at Cyma Greek cuisine; calamari, Greek onion soup, gambas pasta and crab pasta. One of the best meals we have ever had

2100: Had a drink at Hobbit House where everything is like the book and the waiters/ waitresses were small people

2200: Foot massage at Foot Seez; clean rendered by dept of health

Day 5 – Boracay Island (Watersports)

1100: Massage at Palassa spa 350 each = 700

1200: Helmet diving and Zorb 1000 each= 2000

1400: Lunch at yellow cab pizza at Station 2 by the beach

1600: Saw a Korean wedding by the beach which was super lovely. The best thing about the private beach in the hotel is when you choose your deck chairs; the waiters will come with an ice cold drink, cucumber for your eyes, cold tower and even clear your sunglasses for you. Talk about first class service! Definitely one of a kind.

2200: Dinner at Aria – mediocre Italian place by D’mall

2300: Had drinks and people watch at Summer Palace

Day 6 – Return

Advise is to fly into makati and take the Airphil Express to Caticlan as it is closer than Kalibo island. It only takes 2o minutes boat ride from Caticlan to Boracay. Discovery Shores also provide comfortable guest room for us to wait at the airport. All the other flights were delayed except for Airphil Express which was pretty much on time.

Verdict: Boracay is a beautiful clear and untouchable island!

Edinburgh, Scotland

Day 1 – Arrived at Scotland 

Arrived in Edinburgh via flight from London, we found our nice big apartment just of Royal Mile at Fisherman’s Close – St Giles Apartment. It was extremely beautiful, only pictures could explain. The cobbled road is closed for vehicles and only pedestrians which added to the richness of its heritage. Although it is in the early summer, it was fairly cold. For dinner, we stopped by a great seafood restaurant called Creelers.

Day 2 – Highland Tours (below was our route)

TOUR DETAILS

Head into the Highlands…

From Edinburgh: Board the world-famous ‘Nessie Bus’ and get ready for a day of adventure. As you head towards the Highlands you’ll see the amazing Forth Railway Bridge. Then try some delicious home baking in the beautiful Highland town of Pitlochry.

From Glasgow: Board the world-famous ‘Nessie Bus’ and get ready for a day of adventure. As you head towards the Highlands you’ll pass through the beautiful scenery of Perthshire. Then try some delicious home baking in the beautiful Highland town of Pitlochry.

Through the spectacular Cairngorms…

Enjoy the stunning scenery as you travel through the spectacular and unique wilderness of the Cairngorms National Park.

Lunch at Loch Ness…or take a cruise…

Loch Ness is justly famous all over the world for its beauty and mystery. We stop here for lunch and you’ll have ample time for some delicious food and a thrilling ‘monster spotting’ trip out on the waters of the loch*.

Relive the massacre of Glen Coe…

Glen Coe is broodingly beautiful and steeped in history. As you stand at the mouth of the glen, you’ll feel the past come to life as our guide tells you about the terrible massacre of the MacDonald Clan.

Salute William Wallace and head home…

The route home takes you past the beautiful city of Stirling and you’ll be able to see its stunning castle and learn more about the exploits of William Wallace that were dramatised in the film Braveheart

Day 3 – Edinburgh Castle and the city

The castle was beautiful although it is not as magnificent as the ones in France. We took the audio tour and finished the tour in about 4 hours. Amazingly, there was the sun shining while we had lunch outdoors at the RedCoat Cafe which has the best scones and clotted cream I have ever tried! Would have loved to go back there but we always have to pay a full entrance fee to the castle just to get to the scones unfortunately. After lunch, we took the bus city tour covering the heritage sites. My brothers and I climbed up the St Giles Cathedral – of course I was too scared to climb all the way to the top.

Day 4 – Head back to London

Hanoi and Halong Romance

29Apr     Kuala Lumpur – Hanoi 

We met the local tourist guide who brought us back to our hotel which is very centrally located, right in the middle of the market Hang Doa street in the Old Quarter – Serenade Hotel. We went for a city tour and they brought us to Ho Chi Minh’s residence and mausoelum where the preserved Uncle Ho’s body. It was chilly although I wasn’t sure if it was me looking at a dead body or the air-conditioning was freaking cold. The queue to enter was long but it was moving quite fast. After taking a city tour and a great lunch at Madame Hien (colonial French and Vietnamese fusion), we went back to the hotel. After checking in, we checked out the market around the area. Hanoi is very different from Ho Chi Minh City, there were streets full of clothes, then jewellery (where they are money changers as well), coffee and of course, local food (of which half the time we were trying to guess what animals or what parts were they from as they are known for eating anything that breathes). Vietnam is also known for its coffee and we bought a bag load of weasel coffee which is similar to kopi luwak. I know the thought of it is quite revolting but the coffee is just that good. Before dinner we went to one of it’s famous coffee shop in a little corner and up the spiral staircase –  Ca Phe Pho Co. In the evening, we attended the  performance of the famous Vietnamese traditional art of water puppetry at Thang Long Theatre. The experience was “riveting” with calming music and little puppets that jump out of the water. It was all in Vietnamese but we could guess the story line.

30Apr   Hanoi to  Halong Bay (on Junk)   

Depart for  Halong Bay (165km east of Hanoi) listed as World Heritage Area of Outstanding natural beauty. Dragon descending to the sea” as it is known in Vietnamese, picturesque Halong Bay has more than 1,000 limestone islets rising from the sea, many of  them containing beautiful grottoes. On the way to, the bay, we stopped by a ruby jewellery shop. We went in the room where they did a typical demo on how great their ruby was. Then suddenly came a girl with a strong  Thai accent saying “oh, they said my relatives from Malaysia were here”. Then she went on how she treated us as family and that she knows Poh Kong and Habib etc. In the shop, there was a sign saying “No Discount”. Then after forcing herself to being our so-called relatives, she gave a discount of what was initially USD 300 to RM300! Then the shop assistant said with a sad face “But boss say no discount!” She reassured her that her father would pay the difference because the father owns the mine. Wow what a drama!! So we hurriedly left the shop and back to the van. At noon arrived in Halong city, where we boarded the wooden junk. While cruising through the bay, seafood lunch is served on board (food was not bad considering there’s not much variety in Vietnamese cuisine).

Visit then visited Man’s Head and Tortoise islands, canoed into Luan Caves Bai Tu Long Bay, Toad island and Bai Tho Mountain.  ; circle Tuan Chau, Ga Choi, Dinh Huong, Dog and Sail islands. Stop at Titop Beach where it was super packed because of the long holidays in Hanoi (independence day). There was not an inch of sand which was free, so we ended up climbing the tower to have a great view of Halong Bay. Though it was extremely crowded and touristy. So we decided to get back on our junk, sail a bit to the open sea before we jumped into Hanoi’s water to refresh ourselves.   Dinner and overnight on board Oriental Sail Junk where we had cocktail and speculating the life stories of the group of Russians who were on board our junk.

01May  Halong Bay– Hanoi        

Cruise continue to Thien Cung & Dau Go caves where it was also called the amazing caves – the biggest in the bay which was actually beautiful. In the Western countries if you were to see some form and shapes of stalactites and stalagmites, they would explain to you the erosion etc but here in Hanoi, everything is described like “that looks like a couple dating”, “that looks like a turtle head” – and immediately the would pray to the turtle because it is a sign of longevity. After lunch we disembark at Halong Pier. In the afternoon, drive back to Hanoi enroute stopover Hong Ngoc biggest shopping centre. Continue free shopping at Old Quarters and we went to look for the famous french restaurant – La Badiane. Typical of a tourist, after walking for a good 1 hour and getting lost, we reached there and found out that it is closed. So we went to the food court – Quan An Ngon – next door which was very clean and had all the local delicacies there. It does look like a tourist trap, but service was good, place is clean and had lots of varieties.

02May Hanoi – K.Lumpur         

After breakfast, prepare to check out of hotel and transfer to Hanoi / Noi Bai International Airport, to catch our flight home.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Day 1

We flew into Ho Chi Minh City, the industrial hub of Vietnam, via Malaysia Airlines. This dynamic city being the cultural trendsetter constitutes the core of Vietnam. It is also the biggest city of the nation and considered as the economic capital of the country. The Ho Chi Minh City features French colonial architecture mingled with Chinese influences. The city was once known as Saigon. Later the government of Ha Noi changed its name to Ho Chi Minh City. However its previous name, Saigon, is still more popular among people of Vietnam. The city with its bustling street markets, cafes, shops, pagodas and museums offers a microcosmic view of the entire nation. As such, we stayed in Sheraton Hotel. The first day as it was right smack in the middle of the city, we walked around the city where there were a lot of arts being sold along Dong Khoi Street. We walked along that street and visited the Notre Dame Cathedral which is like the mini version compared to the one in Paris. For dinner we walked to Thi Sach street which was next door to our hotel and ate at Four Seasons which served halal food. We had a very interesting steamboat dish there.

At night we went up to the outdoor Wine Bar on Level 23 which is an unforgettable place to watch a stunning skyline of the Ho Chi Minh City.

Day 2

We went on a city tour where we visited the Jade Emperor Temple, one of the oldest Chinese temples in Saigon. Then we were headed to the Reunification Palace, the former palace of President Thieu and his predecessors. Today this building is a museum and venue for official receptions. We visited the private rooms of the president, the “War Room” from where the South Vietnamese forces were controlled, and the room where the North Vietnamese army finally took control in 1975. Nearby is the Post Office and the Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, built between 1877 and 1883 and one of the city’s major landmarks. The last sight we visited was the Ben Thanh market. We had a one-hour trishaw ride around that area .

After that we stopped by at Kem Bach Dhang to taste the local dessset – coconut ice cream. It is a shop of 3-storeys high but just selling coconut ice cream!

Day 3

On Day 3, we went to the Cu Chi tunnel which was an hour and a half drive away from Ho Chi Minh City. The Cu Chi Tunnels are a maze of interlinked tunnels that were built by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. Theses tunnels were barely one meter high and ran 80 cms across (imagine how paper thin they were!) and were used as supply routes, kitchens hospitals and training facilities. These tunnels were the strategy  in winning the Vietnam War as these tunnels formed an effective base for the Viet Cong while launching guerrilla attacks. The area had literary become a “free fire zone” during the Vietnam War as the American carpet bombed the area. The Viet people answer was to literally take everything underground.

This underground tunnel has a combined length of more than 200 km! Considering that the soil in Cu Chi is very hard and that very basic tools were used to dig the elaborate network the Cu Chi Tunnels are a fascinating example of what man can be driven to do if pushed hard enough. It is also said that the mammoth task of creating wells, hospitals kitchens, sleeping areas were all fueled on a measly diet of tapioca sugar and peanuts.
For added atmosphere there is also a shooting range where, for $1 per bullet, firing various kinds of guns- anything from a shotgun to an AK-47.

For lunch, we headed back to the restaurant near the hotel called Halal Saigon which was also very good before we headed back to the airport.

 

Manila, Phillipines

Day 1

Flew in to Makati City via Malaysia Airlines. We took a van from the airport for the 6 of us. The porters were rushing to get tips from us – that they indicated that all currencies are accepted including RM50! We gave them RM10 because the ride from the airport to our hotel is about USD30 for a 6-seater van which was not metered (still cheaper than the airport transfer arranged by the hotel). The traffic was quite bad; almost equivalent to all South East Asian major cities without efficient public transport – Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. We arrived at the hotel after about an hour. We stayed in Mandarin Oriental in Makati city with the Amex promotion which was super awesome that we had ourselves upgrade to the Club level. We had complimentary wi-fi and access to the lounge on the 17th floor for meals. After we arrived at night, we took the free shuttle to Glorietta and walked towards Hard Rock Cafe Makati in Ayala Centre. There were live performances by the local band Nyoy Volante whose music were very much Indonesian-like. The music quality and the vocalist was very good.

Day 2

The morning my sister and I went swimming in the big pool which was very nice as the temperature was slightly warm but not too hard. By about 2, we went on the city tour around Metro Manila that will show us the old and new city. The tour starts right in the heart of the country’s financial center – the City of Makati where we drove through Forbes Park, an exclusive residential enclave fittingly dubbed Millionaire’s Row on your way to our first stop – the American Cemetery and Memorial – reputed to be the largest and most beautiful of American memorials outside the Continental United States. l.  It spans across 152 acres of land with headstone lined up very orderly and the trees that symbolises those who were given the medal of honour. The memorial was right next to The Bonifacio Global City which is now a rich district with a high number of skyscrapers, even if the city is still rising. Apparently, the woman with 3000 pairs of shoes has a unit in one of the apartments there.

We then proceed to the old city of Manila via scenic Roxas Boulevard (also known as Dewey Boulevard in the recent past), passing through Luneta Park (also called Rizal Park in memory of the country’s national hero) on to the “Walled City” of Intramuros. There were ancient walls, church ruins and other relics of the Spanish Conquistadores and we then made a stop at San Agustin Church, the oldest stone church in the country. We were lucky that we get to witness a wedding ceremony at that time.

At the end of the day, we wrapped up the tour with a visit to Fort Santiago, a Spanish fortress that watched over the entrance to Manila’s Pasig River. There is where the national hero Dr. Jose Rizal spent his last days and wrote the famous “My Last Farewell”.

At night, we went for our Chinese New Year Eve Dinner at a seafood restaurant at Glorietta called Marina. It has authentic cooking and fresh seafood at a reasonable price right smack in the middle of the city. At night, there were fireworks right outside our hotel where half the roads were closed for this celebration to welcome the year of the Dragon.

Day 3

Again in the morning we took the shuttle to Rockwell to the Power Plant Mall which was the poshest mall in town. It was equivalent to Pavilion and then we headed back to Glorietta. It was a day of shopping, sitting at cafe at Bo’s Coffee people watching. At night, we went to the hotel’s bar – The Martini’s Bar. There was a performance by the local Samba school and there were many locals who danced to the music. The way they moved their body was “electrifyingly shocking”. Most of them were very good and the energy was so strong in that room that it was the perfect way to spend our last night in this city.

Day 4

Headed back home with memories and dried mangoes as well as their local water biscuits. ;P

Marrakech – Fez – Tangier – Rabat – Casablanca – Marrakech, Morocco (9D8N)

Day 1 : Marrakech

We arrived at Menara Airport from London Gatwick airport on EasyJet. Over night at Riad Chorfa. Although we were led into a dark alley, the riad was not bad at all (although it was a first time experience for my family). As most Riad ,it have a lot of stairs and are extremely colourful with tiled patterns and orange trees in the middle of the house. It is only 5 minutes walk into the Medina. So our first night at the Medina, we had the usual kebab dinner and tagine at one of the best restaurants – Chez Chegrouni just at the Djema el Fna. The best thing I know from that Medina is only worth 4 dirham or 40 pence which is the awesome orange juice. It is so naturally sweet that it is unbelievable.

Day 2 : Marrakech 

Today was a free day for us  to explore the city its ramparts and heracus whole. We spent almost the whole day getting lost in the markets. The funny thing is that all the stalls tend to sell the same thing. In the end, it is up to us to haggle. We had lunch and started people watching at Mubarak restaurant. It is also a hotel. While we were there, we say some “illegal merchants” setting up their mats with their merchandises. People were flocking until you see some policemen chasing them. They were so quick to just bundle up their stalls and run away. Only to be back again after half an hour. We thought that this was hilarious especially when even the customers who were busy choosing continued their shopping and chasing them while they were being chased by the policemen.

Day 3 : Marrakech 

Today we were accompanied by an English-speaking guide, Muhammad who actually did English Literature in University. We visited the Koutoubia Minaret, Saadian Tombs, and the Bahia Palace. He also brought us to a herbalist store right in front of the palace where they started selling herbs that could cure any disease that you have ever heard of. Sure, bought some but has yet to see the results. Then we had set lunch at Riad Omar. I am not sure if the food was really good or that we are just hungry. But the portions and what was given in the set menu was extravagant! Although, we saw similar sights to the right, left, front and back of us. All of them were tourists brought in by a tour guide. The owner of this place must have had a deal to turn this place into a tourist trap. Muhammad also brought us tour the walls of the old medina, the markets, and the famous Djemaa el Fna Square. The famous square is animated with: storytellers, vendors of Magic potions, dancers, snake charmers, and acrobats. He managed to bring us to corners that we have yet to see. Then we went to Jardin de Majorelle where Yves Saint Laurent spent most of his life there breathing the fresh air. At night, we were craving for other cuisine as we have been having tagine almost everyday, twice a day. We managed to find an Indian restaurant Les Jardins de Bala which is in one of the 5-star hotel near Djema el Fna. We were quite impressed with the food…and thought we could handle their spice when we confidently requested for extra spicy.

Day 4 : Marrakech – Ouzoud – Beni Melal – Azrou – Ifran – Fez

We had to depart early from Marrakech heading to Fez. We crossed nice landscape along the way and arrived at Ouzoud cascades for a visit. It was breathtaking – both the scenery and the fact that we couldn’t really see it as all of us were afraid of heights and did not dare to stand by the cliff to see the waterfall. Throughout the journey, we took the scenic routet via a forested mountain to enjoy the beatiful scenery of middle Atlas. We stopped for lunch in Beni Melal. Here we couldn’t find a descent restaurant until the owner of the restaurant brought us to a private sports club where we had really good tuna salad and a range of western food. Then our next stop is at Azrou a name that means rock. After a long 12 hous journey in total!!! We arrived in Fez and was greeted by a couple of exuberant staff/owner of Riad Tafilalet – Ibrahim. Their energy level was extremely impressive and I doubt that we would ever get this kind of personal service and attention from the butler in your 5-star hotel. As Ibrahim said, the big palace near to the entrance of the riad is 5 stars, but his is a thousand stars.

Day 5 : Fez

The authentic city of Fez, where the old medina offers a step back in time – it is exactly like the Prince of Persia. A well preserved medieval city of donkey-wide alley ways and souks, the medina is encircled by an unbroken line of ramparts and gates. We visited La Mederssa Attarine, Nejjarine fountain, and the mosques of El Karaouyine, Medersa Bou Inania, and Baba Jloud. After the walk, we spent the evening on the rooftop of the Riad with our mint tea and dates, while enjoying the breathtaking view of Fez accompanied by the sounds of Azan during Maghrib from all corners of the city.

Day 6 : Fez – Chefchouan – Tetouan – Tangier

After breakfast we travelled from Fez along a part of the middle Atlas and a part of the Rif mountains with their picturesque sites and panorama. We had lunch at the symbol of the north area “Chefchaouen”. The city was beautiful and had a medina withwhite walls and blue gates. Afterwards, we continued our trip to the city of Tangier and had dinner in Riad Tanja. The entire family was the only occupant in this 5-bedroom riad and we managed to get the beautiful suites.  So happened that the restaurant is one of the country’s first to offer nouvelle Marocain which is Moroccan with a French twist to it and the food is definitely considered as fine dining.

Day 7 : Tangier 

Tangier, also known as the White City, revolves around its state-of-the-art import and export port and you are sure to see many millionaire yachts on this stretch of Moroccan coastline where the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean meet. The tour guide brought us into one of the millionaire’s house to look into his collection of classic cars. We managed to even sit in them.  Then we walked around Place de France which  is a small French-looking square right in the middle of the Ville Nouvelle with many friendly, inviting street cafés. We also visited the Kasbah before going to  the Grand Socco Market Square with its good street cafés and absorb the city life. The market sells everything including arts and crafts, fruit and vegetables and an assortment of trinkets.  We then continued walking to the the inviting shade of Mendoubia Gardens that surrounds the Grand Socco Square in the midsummer afternoons. This garden contains a fascinating banyan tree that’s over 800 years old. The Caves of Hercules was another not-to-be-missed site in the Cap Spartel area. It is a place of great beauty and archeological significance.

Day 8 : Tangier –  Rabat – Casablanca – Marrakech.

Today we took the highway and headed straight to the capital Rabat to visit Hassan tower  and Med V mausoleum. We,then drove towards Casablanca to visit Hassan II mosque. After lunch, we arrived at Marrakech which brings our journey to a total of 8 hours. We checked in to Hotel Tichka and got ready for our New Year’s Eve Dinner at the desert. The journey to the beautiful tents were dark and quiet but when we arrived, the tents were so beautiful and we were welcomed by folk musician. The dinner was shocking as each family had a whole goat to eat! then a huge portion of couscous of which we couldn’t finished. Then it was a night of dance and fun with shows from the fire acrobats and belly dancers. Although I think it is very overpriced for what we had.

Day 9 : Marrakech – Back to the airport.

After breakfast, we had a few hours before heading back to London on a 3 hour plane journey. Tour is courtesy of Sahara Services.

Krabi, Thailand

Day 1

Flew to Krabi on Airasia for a 4-day trip. We decided to stay near Ao Nang beach, the famous beach which is very much like Kuta, Bali or your much cheaper version of Cannes, with small street shops along the road facing the beach. Our hotel, Krabi La Playa Resort is right at the end of the road, a 4-star hotel which was quite reasonable using the CIMB discount.  We were welcomed by two cute elephants on our bed, and the room was very spacious and clean with a balcony facing the pool. Best of all, it has wi-fi. After we have settled down, we head towards the city to plan for our trip in Krabi. We bought our tickets for the activities throughout the holiday for a cheap price. Along the streets, there were finger food selling for very cheap, most of the food there is Halal as 90% of the population is Muslim. Hence, that makes it easier for us. We then walked towards a few tailor shops and decided on John’s tailor. I liked the material that I chose for my pant suit and for a two-tone shirt. I brought my own sample so that I know for sure that the design is exactly what I wanted. The price is fairly reasonable which was about RM400 for the suits and RM80 per shirt. For men, it was slightly more expensive. Although this was after long hours of bargaining. For dinner, we went to Tanta’s seafood which wasn’t great at all. The food was tasteless. We tried to play it safe as there was a huge crowd in the restaurant but we were proven wrong. Probably a lot of people just had bad taste.

Day 2

We started our day early to head off for our water rafting and atv. The trip to the water rafting was long! We went to Songpak river near the elephant sanctuary, it was my first time going water rafting. For that one hour, there were a lot of rafts around. Apparently, the water was released from the dam at a certain hours and that was when all the water rafting companies “release” their party for the activity. The river was crowded but it was fun. It was pretty mild and hence, if you are looking for more adventure, this won’t be the right activity for you. After being soaking wet, a nice hot tom-yam served was bliss. After lunch, we headed off to our ATV challenge for another hour. This is my second time and I must say it was awesome. We literally went through hills, off-roads, river bank, river in hot and rainy weather for that one hour. It was challenging and such a great experience. One hour is more than enough as the heat from the engine really tires you out and for me my thumb was already cramping from pressing the gear too hard and too long. Then it was another hour back to the hotel. It was a pretty tiring day. We then ate at a road side stall with the sign “Clean Food, Great Taste”. It was one of the best tom yum I ever tasted in my life. They were selling a lot of crepe by the streets as well just beside the market. 

Day 3

We woke up early for our 4-island hopping trip – Koh Talu, Koh Hong, Koh Tap and Koh Mor. The first island has one of the most beautiful rock formations. Swimming in the clear water with a view of the rocks forming above you was incredible. There is only one luxurious hotel on the island. The island is famous for rock climbers. Later on, we went for lunch at Koh Hong. It is one of the bigger islands where divers like to stay in.  Along the way, we passed by “Chicken Island”. Because it does look like a chicken not that it was a chicken infested island. Amazing! At the end of the day, we finished off with the two islands that were somehow connected. These two islands offer easy snorkeling. If the tide is low, you can walk along the white, sandy causeway from one island to the other.

Then we headed back to Pranang beach which is only about 10 minutes away from our hotel. Then of course, we went again for our usual massage at one  of the shops behind the main road. It is a bit secluded but there is a cocktail stand in front and you just need to walk into the alley to reach to a house that has been converted into a massage parlour. It even has a mini saloon outside the house if you want to get your hair done. At night, we found a place to eat next to our hotel. It is a typical Malay hawker place like we have in Malaysia. The food was pretty amazing.

Day 3

On the third day, we went kayaking to Bor Thor. It was kayaking through mangrove forests and caves. There is a good concentration of caves and ‘Hongs’ that can be accessed by sit-on-top kayaks, and the geology is amazing. There isn’t as much wildlife  but Bor Tor is rich in archaeology.
 It has history of the people who used to live in the caves and some of their drawings still.  It was just a half-day trip. We were quite lucky as it started raining after.  Then later that afternoon, after we cleaned up and rested, we went to Ao Nang shooting range. The range was only about 10 minutes away and it is best to get the tuk tuk to wait for you as it will be difficult to get a cab back to your hotel. It was not as cheap compared to Siem Reap. However, they have hand guns so I tried shooting as well. We collected our suits that night which was completed to our satisfactory although we had to go for fitting almost every other night and the sales man keep telling us that we looked good despite some alterations that needed to be done.

Day 4 – Flight back to Kuala Lumpur. Overall, one of the most fun-filled and activity-pack holiday ever.

Taman Negara, Malaysia

Day 1

The adventure began even as early at 7am when my friend and I decided to take the LRT to Mandarin Pacific Hotel in town. We thought that we could beat the traffic and be there on time. At the same time, my other friend was worried that our friend who came to visit from London will not wake up in time. Then, we were feeling excited on the train, being the only ones in t-shirt and khakis with our backpacks whilst the others were in their work blues staring into the books or phones or just merely people watching. Suddenly, there was an inaudible voice making announcement. We tried as hard to listen but could only make out a few words and we heard train terminates at pasar seni (which was one stop before our destination). We panicked and called our friend who was driving, but then his father missed the turning to fetch us. At that time I was ready with the idea of just turning back and have a holiday for myself. But luckily we made it for our 3-hour bus journey uphill. I was sleeping most of the time and the next thing I knew, I was already at the port to get our licence to enter the forest reserves and where we went on a “sampan-look-alike longboat” for another 3 hours!  I’ve got to admit that the mangrove forest was kind of beautiful and just resting while the boat cruises in between the forest blanket it is definitely quite peaceful (no signal to the phones so my phone stopped buzzing!).

When we reached, we saw the floating restaurants and shops. The guide told us that our accommodation was on the other side of the hill. There were no proper stairway to climb up and we just had to make sure we don’t roll down the hill especially after the slippery mud covering the slopes. Our room was very basic, the toilet was bearable – at least it wasn’t like camping. But we had some time and we stayed at the verandah to play some cards before dinner. After dinner at the floating restaurants and after getting out head lamps and torch lights ready, I was walking on the plank to get out of the restaurant but instead stuck my foot into the quick sand. I had to carry all that mud around during the night trekking.

During the night trekking, we actually saw tapir and deer. The rest were mainly bugs. I was lucky enough to not get leeches on me. It was an hour and a half trail which was a very new experience. Never have I actually trekked at night.

 

Day 2

We actually went on a canopy walkway. It was a great experience for me as I have never walked at such heights, on just a plank for 5km amongst the canopy. It was beautiful and fun.  The tour guide claimed that it was the longest canopy walkway. But then another Dutch tourist said that the tour guide in Sabah, claimed that theirs was also the longest. Oh well, it is the longest for me as I have never experienced it anywhere else before. Then we went on jungle trekking up to Terasek Hill.It was a simple walk, with nice trails and good view at the end. After that, we went back for lunch and change. Then we were heading off to the Orang Asli Village. The locals looked like Aboriginals. I never knew as most of the Orang asli I met actually looked more Malay. It was very interesting to see the way they live their every day lives. To a certain extent, that we felt like we were invading their privacy. Not until we found out how much the tour cost and how much they were getting paid to be an exhibitionist. Is it wrong if it is a willing trade? Well, I don’t mind I think to get some cash to bring people touring around my house for a few hours. Oh well.

The best part of the trip was what we had after. A wet and wild adventure (well, sort of). We went to the shooting rapids. The rapids were pretty tame and we were all in the long boat. Hence, it was more of the guide splashing us with water. But they made it fun nevertheless. Our last stop was just to have a swim in the river, but we saw a rope hanging from the tree. Time to experience Tarzan! So first few attempts were crap and we got better after. I know it is not a big deal for my dad but our generation had slides in the pool. We didn’t have a challenge of holding on tight to the rope and jumping into the water at the right time. Then we went back and had our meals.

Day 3

We headed back to the boat that brought us back to Kuala Lumpur. All in all, it was a fairly quick but fun weekend trip. Quite minimalistic but not too “bare essentials”. A quick trip via a package from NKS Travels. 

Siem Reap, Cambodia

A 4-day trip to Siem Reap was absolutely one of the best Asian spots to visit. It is not too touristy like Bali and kept its characteristic and uniqueness. Rich in culture and history I think Siem Reap is one of the most understated coutries in Asia. We flew in via AirAsia at wee hours of the morning but yet the LCCT airport was bustling with crowd like a bus station on Christmas Eve. We started off our tour almost immediately after we landed and had an awesome driver that was recommended by a friend. A business own by 2 brothers – Vuthy and Thung.

Day 1

Had breakfast at one of the local restaurants along the main road and had its local cuisine. Very basic ingredients – noodles/ rice with soya sauce and meat. Then we head off to the Artisan’s d Angkor where we saw the students creating art and handicraft. We were quite impressed with the nitty gritty details and the quality of work done by the students. Then we went around Old Market and search for cheap sunglasses and shorts in anticipation of a hot day during our temple visit the next day. Things were reasonable and cheap although it has a lot of variety of the same stuff (such a paradox). Then it was time for check-in and we stayed in this nice little hotel just off Pub Streeet – Steung Siem Reap Hotel. The location was just awesome in the French Quarter and the most convenient. It was clean and has all the basic neccessities for a good price. We had lunch just across the street at a place that was recommended by Lonely Planet called Amok. Paying homage to the national dish of Cambodia, amok (a delectable baked fish curry in banana leaf), this smart pavement diner offers traditional Khmer food. We had the pickup to Tonle Sap fishing village. It was one of the most interesting experience ever. I can’t imagine living like a normal person on water in such limited space. However, the township is complete with grocery shops, workshops, schools, and even karaoke joints. They have “garden” and keep pets. In this day and age, we have people who live in extreme poverty, who depends on the lake for its livelihood and during rainy season, they move into the nearest jungle. It’s interesting that there are a mix of Vietnamese and Cambodians living there.

At night we just walked around Pub Street looking for nice dinner. Heard about Happy Pizza, choose any pizza you want but “make it happy”. We didn’t have the guts to try it though.

Day 2

We hired an English tour guide to bring us around the temples. We started off with Banyon Temple, which was one of the newest temple that has been discovered. We also looked around Ta Phrom where they shot Lara Croft: The Tomb Raider. It was indeed beautiful to see nature protecting this old city. City that was built by humans with their bare hands without technology, serving one king after another as if they were God. The measure of power is the magnificence of building. Perhaps nothing has changed over these centuries. Then we moved to Angkor Wat which was extremely magnificent. It was so beautiful and it has a lot of interesting stories from before. Words can’t describe it but it was one of the best temples that I have ever visited even compared to Borobodur.

After that we moved to the Shooting Range at one of the army base camps not far from the temple. It was absolutely an experience. We went there expecting hand-guns but the minimum we could shoot was AK-47 and M-16! There is also an option of throwing grenades! Although I banned my boyfriend from doing so. Once that was done, we headed off for some pottery class. It was a place just opposite the Angkor National Museum, a pottery owned by a Belgian man. He had his workers actually teaching us how to make pottery. We can do up to 3 and choose one to be burnt and painted. It was definitely a good experience for that one hour plus. For dinner, we went to your typical tourist place where we had buffet dinner and entertained by Apsara dances. At night again, we just went around Pub Street and Bar Street. We even had our massage at a parlour next to our hotel. It was reasonable and clean and we had body massage for an hour at least everyday. There was a restaurant called NYDC where it is actually a charity restaurants against human trafficking most particularly children. The Elephelicious was an awesome Hershey’s chocolate drink we have ever tasted!

Day 3

On the last day, it was mostly chilling, shopping, eating, relaxing. We visited the Angkor National Museum on their famous tuk tuks. At night we went to a fine dining French restaurant where you can wear shorts called Le Malraux. The food was ok but it has very interesting decor.

Day 4

Head to airport – end of tour.

 

Foodie in Sydney, Australia

I have decided to jot down my travel experiences here as I think it is such a waste to not share the itinerary. So will start with the latest one – Sydney. Went there for 5 days from Wednesday to Friday. It was pretty much to visit my sister who had a conference to attend. She was to present her project that included her visit to Fiji and proud enough to say that she won the university challenge. Kudos sis!

After the 8 hours overnight flight of which the flight attendant was kind enough to give me a spot with an empty seat so that I can lie down and sleep. I managed to get a good 3 hours sleep before they annoyingly woke me up for breakfast! So then begins my Sydney trip.

Day 1

Visited Circular Quay where we had our breakfast at Guylian Cafe – how sinful is that. The pancake with strawberries and bananas was excellent and the waffle with praline icecream was sinful. It is not everyday that you get waffles and icecream for brekkie ;p  After that we just walked around the quay and the Sydney Opera House. Later on we just walked further to the Botanical Gardens and lazed there for a good hour or two before heading back to the station for some fish and chips served in paper. We headed back to the hotel to check-in and the size of the apartment was excellent that my sis decided to stay with us. We stayed in Medina Executive Central. I think we were all knocked out and fell asleep until it was time to meet my dad’s friend’s family for dinner in Subsolo – an award-winning Spanish restaurant which had excellent pit-roast. The best I ever tasted – it was marinated and cooked perfectly. And its churros filled with hazelnut praline with chocolate sauce was divine.

  Day 2

Second day was a walk around the city or rather the shopping centre. So we covered Myers, Westfield, No. 1 Martin Place and the shops  around it. We had lunch at Cloudy Bay Fish Co in Westfield after visiting the Sydney Tower which to me was ok. But I really like the whole upmarket Food Court concept. Then we just continued shopping the whole day and then walked over to Darling Harbour for dinner with my dad’s best friend and his family in Zaafran – an Indian restaurant at Harbourside. We had the set dinner and to me the best thing was its Mushroom Naan ;p.

Day 3

Today was just another day of shopping in Queen Victoria Building. The shopping selection here is much better and it reminds me a lot of Harrods because of the English influence in the architecture and the things that the sell in the basement. It even has the tea room of which we couldn’t get into because it was closed for a private event unfortunately. On the way back to the hotel, we say a long queue and people were carrying pints of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. We walked over and saw this sign – saw we ended up queuing for a good half hour and got six pints!

That night we went to the Rocks and had Italian dinner at Caminetto. The portion is huge!!! And the pizza was good. It was tucked away behind the Rocks. Then after we went for dinner at Pancakes on the Rock where we had to queue for a good 15 minutes. In the end, the plain pancake was the best – super fluffy and buttery.. emmm yum!

Day 4

Early in the morning we went to Paddington market which was a huge disappoinment because we finish going around the market in 15 minutes. So we decided to sit at the Micky’s cafe which had awesome smoothies. Then we went to Sydney Fish Market and had lunch in Doyle’s with our old neighbour. We absolutely vacummed the food! The lobster was super fresh and best to have it grilled with butter. For dinner we went to another town called Leichardt. In a place called Italian Forum we had Italian dinner (surprise surprise) at Sapore by the Fountain.

My mom was more excited to get the new recipe of my Linguine al Scampi which is just made out of olive oil, chillies, spring onions and lots and lots of garlic with grilled scampi. It was simple but excellent. Then for dessert we went to a quaint little cafe in Glebe called Badde Manors Cafe which to me has a lot of character and excellent dessert. Its Hungarian Baked Cheesecake is one of the best I have ever tried.

Day 5
Visit to Sydney that ended up where we hang out at the airport. Oh yes – another important tip – keep your receipts of goods which are over 300AUSD. It is simple to claim tax refund here. No forms and direct charge to your credit card. But they do check every item claimed in the receipts!

Till then – will update the rest of my trips in due course.