I promise to update my travel blog!and put more pics..haha

Its obvious that the soonest I write about those countries I visited (soonest means, as soon as I arrived at LCCT), the better memories I had on that travel, thus, more valuable information can be shared. Haha. And I should more photos too since I love taking photos, and why limit people to only words?(Lots of it..haha, sorry..sometimes I just love writing, even though my English is not that good...haha)...So, yeah. I will spend one day to do that (which I do not know yet when), and I gotta make sure, all posts are full with informasions!!LOL 

Its Summer in Beijing!-Aug2010-

Fuh, finally I can spend some time to continue writing on Beijing (life is pretty hectic lately).

It's supposed to be a trip to France (huhu), but it was changed at the very last minute. But its ok, as long as I got to travel wif Rahim, on business, Beijing is good enough! Rahim went there first,and I followed him a week later. Its pretty much travelling alone from here though..haha..

Its a long 6-hour flight from Msia to Tianjin airport, since there's no direct flight to Beijing (of course Air Asia, the super-low-cost airline). There's a couple way to go Beijing from Tianjin airport;

1) Taxi (USD150 = RMB1000?)

2) Bullet train from Tianjin station to Beijing south station (RMB58/RMB69)

3) Bus (always the cheapest option, but takes longer time) costs only RMB40 for travelling time is 2.5hours..sigh~

Of course, I couldnt choose other than the famous 300km/hr bullet train which takes only less than 30mins to reach Beijing. To get there, you can take either bus or taxi to the train station. We took a bus because well (taxi costs RMB45), its cheaper (RMB20), and at the same time, you got to see Tianjin city. Tianjin is not as exactly what I've pictured. There are many sky-scrapers, modern building, structured highways...ahh, arent China supposed to be filled with hutong-like places?Yes, to tell you the truth, that is exactly what I've imagined. Too much watching Chinese movies I guess. We didnt managed to see that much of Tianjin, since we're in a rush. Its fasting month, and we just want to arrive exactly before break fast, so I can prepare a home-cooked meal for Rahim. (Its been a week for him, and I do think that he missed my cooking a lot!oh yeah, I cook every night for him)

The transportation is so convenient in Beijing,the subway system its even better and cheaper compared to Msia, of course. It covers the whole city, and you are only paying flat RMB2 (1 ringgit) to anywhere, regardless of your distance. And I dont think you need a car since most stops are located near top tourist attractions and mall!

We stayed at Haidian Sommerset ZhonguanChun - Serviced Apartment located in Haidian district. I am not that fussy if come to selection of place to stay, but this time, since its going to be for 2 weeks (and in China, during fasting month), I got to find place that has a small kitchen (at least) so I can cook. And Sommerset ZhongguanChun seems to fit all of our criterias; its located near Haidian and ZhongguanChun subway station, surrounded by digital malls, and shopping malls, provide a one-bedroom apartment with full kitchen and its located near carrefour!

Got to continue writing soon.Da~

SINGapore music FESTival! -July2010-



Katy Perry in action!

Katy Perry from far

I won 2 free tix to watch Katy Perry, Tokio Hotel, Wondergirls, Orianthi in Spore ! And it was awesome!!That concert was held at the Fort Canning park located at the city center. This time around, we weren't driving to Singapore because it was during weekdays. I am pretty sure that driving to Spore is not a good idea considering that we're going to be pretty tired before and after the concert, and therefore not able to drive (plus the heavy traffic during weekdays?No, no..cannot handle that one). So we parked our car at Johore Bahru (a very convenient option), and took a bus to Spore instead. It was a long queue but it was worth an experience, and the bus ticket price is incredibly cheap. I think we've paid around RM2.50 entering Spore, but I couldnt really recalled how much we've paid for the bus fees going back to Johor bharu. We then took a cab from Spore bus station to Fort Canning park for only SING4 (more info on http://wikitravel.org/en/Johor_Bahru)

Its Tokio Hotel hottie, Bill Kaulitz!

Superb performance by WonderGirls!

Orianthi in action!

Phuket beachin..again -July2010-

I never regretted my choice on going to Phuket for the second time. If I have more time and more money, I would definitely go again.And again. And again...I just love the islands around Phuket. Especially the beaches. And pretty much everything there.

This time, I brought more friends with me, my BFFs, and family. Rahim (my husband), Nelly (my sister), Kaf, Jam and Lina (my BFFs) were my companions. And they only confirmed on going with me at the very last minute...phewwww~kalu tak aku g ngan Rahim jek la..

Kaf;just arrived from Dubai that day, "jet lag", he would say, Jam: just arrived from Mauritannia and got to make time for his ACD assessment preparation, Lina: no more cheap tix (starting price RM600), in fact, no more tix for the day, and she got to take the afternoon flight (MAS) instead, Nelly: badly required to be in the office for audit (or whatever it is) , Me: need to prepare for a workshop (supposed to be organized by me), Rahim: no prob!

Haha, but the good thing is, we've all made it to Phuket, all of us!!Happy me! Happy us!

Yeah, and again, I'm the travel planner, and I got to make sure there's a whole lots of fun in it!

So we stayed at the Patong Beach area, the most happening beach in town. I've stayed there last time, and it occurs to me that if you want the noise, you've just got to choose Patong area. Karon beach, and the other beaches are the quiet one (couple of friends told me that), and if you prefer romantic and quiet environment, I dont think Patong is the good choice.

Accomodation.....The hostel that I chose this time is Adonis Guest House. www. adonis-phuket.com. Not a very good choice though, but we were fine with it, location-wise, its ok~ it is very near to Patong town. If the taxi driver is asking for nearby landmark, just tell them that its near the Royal Paradise hotel, the highest building in Patong beach area

**a simple conversion to Malaysian Ringgit: 10 baht = RM1

We took the minibus from the airport(150bath per person), and definitely a waste of time!! The driver waited for 9-10 people to fill in the minibus first before starting the journey, and we've waited for 2 bloody hours for that. Unless that you are travelling 9 in a group, I suggest you to take other options. We should just go for taxi, or a private car instead, which costs approximately 500 baht per car (slighly expensive but better) but at least we have experienced riding on a minibus. I remember taking taxi last time when I visited Phuket.


Since Lina took the afternnon flight, we decided that we should wait for her first to begin exploring the real Phuket. Therefore, we spent our first day strolling down Patong town, and familiarized ourselves with the area (of course everything seems familiar to me..:P)..We spent time shopping, eating ice creams at the beach, watching Inception at Jungceylon Mall (hey, the movie theatre is cool man, love it there, they even got tomyam popcorn, and it is not supposed to sound delicious..haha), and many more. We went to the beach, but not to swim, just to hang out ( and of coz because we didnt feel like it)

We've booked couple of tours for the next day, and got the greatest bargain! (Remember, you dont have to buy the tour packages at the airport, coz there are many tour booths at the Patong area and there's a wide selection of tour packages there). We've paid only 950baht (~RM95) for Phi Phi island hopping, and 1400baht for the safari @ Phanga

Food....There's a couple of choices for the halal food around town; Cairo Restaurant, Orient Restaurant (mostly Arabian restaurants), McD, KFC, etc. You might want to ask the owner whether they serves halal food before you order especially the fast food.The price of foods are ranging from RM15 - RM40 per person. Its cheaper if you choose KFC or McD, but if you prefer eating rice, the food price starts at RM20. We had our lunch at Cairo's restaurant that day, and below are the common price for the meals;

1) Morning glory (Kangkung) with oyster sauce = RM20
2) Tomyam = RM30
3) Fried beef slices = RM20
4) Mango juice = RM15
5) Seafood for ~ 6 ppl = RM250
6) Roti naan = RM6
7) Chicken curry (to go with Roti naan) = RM25

I believe we spent more than RM100 for lunch that day, but its ok, we dont have the luxury to choose anyways (halal food is only served in couple of restaurants), and once in Thailand, you just got to experience Thailand. The tomyam of course, it taste better somehow. Orient Restaurant is a MUST-GO-RESTAURANT. The seafood there taste soooo good, like heaven! (Nah, I must be exaggerating).The fish BBQ, the tomyam, the butter squids, the curry crab,...OMG, i must go there again. Must go!

The drink price starts from RM10 (or RM7.50 if you wanna go for hot tea). And the mango juice at Cairo's is the best in town (well, since Jam mentioned it over and over and over again..haha)

Day 1.....We went to Phi Phi island the next day. The tour package for Phi Phi starts from RM200 above, but because of the low season, we got it for only RM95 per person (7.00am to 4.00pm). Remember to bargain with the tour packagers, they will usually give you good discounts if you are travelling in group, and remember to request for halal food for the food (normally lunch is included)

Its a sunny Sunday morning, and we just couldnt wait for the rest to come. It started to raining in the morning when we're on the boat (Bad sign..bad sign~). And yeah, its raining heavily one hour after that. And because of the high tide, we couldnt make a stop at the famous Maya bay to go for snorkelling. But we did make it to Khai island (Khai is the best, of course), and the rest.

I dont know whether these guys love snorkelling or the underwater photo session better. But we did take a lotss of photos underwater. Of coz not using my DSLR. Thanks to Kafri for bringing waterproof/water-resistant/shock-proof (tahan lasak la ni) camera. And I just love being the photographer for the guys. Khai island is the best. And the camera ruined our day, because as soon as we arrived at Khai island,the camera's out of batteries.huhu.

The overall tour was awesome. Its double thrill somehow, because of the rain. Alhamdulillah as none of us got seasick (and we saw almost everyone's throwing up on the boat). The bestest experience we got so far in Phuket.



I like this one, she's a cutie!

We went to the ladyboy shows that night, "Simon Cabaret", and we're offered VIP tix for about 600baht per person (and thats a good bargain knowing the fact that the original price for VIP is 900baht). We were amused with the fact that these ladyboys look much better than a real girl..hahaha..they are even sweeter, more beautiful, sexier, and etc.. And Simon Cabaret is not just about showing the ladyboys, but its to also prove that these ladies (boy) can even dance!!Its one hell of a show, highly recommended. These ladyboys would wait outside the theatre before and after the show, waiting for people to take photograph with them. Remember, its not free. They'll demand for you to pay them some tips, which costs around ~40baht or more, depends on their popularities.

Day 2.....It is a day for outdoor activities!

Day 3...shopping, shopping, shopping!

Gtg, got to go to sleep now...to be continued..daa~

The least planned; Ho Chi Minh city -Jun2010-

I am not used to travelling without having to plan the entire visit, coz thats what I am,a travel planner. Last month was pretty hectic (tonnes of drawings/reports on the desk) for me, n I couldnt googled anything on Ho Chi Minh City, just have enough 15mins to book the hotel. I was really looking forward for something like "Boddhi Tree Guesthouse" that we discovered in Phnom Penh, but HCMC?no, they dont have one of those... sigh~~I think we prefer PP for that, and we definitely gonna be back to PP for Boddhi Tree.

Just before I went there, my Vietnamese friend , Duong DD, emailed me. Thank you girl, you saved our travel life..haha..she wrote on couple of useful things; where to stay, where to shop, where to find "HALAL" food, etc..which is very2 useful to us..

So we went straight to the money exchanger and got all of our money converted to USD (assuming that Vietnam is a lot like Phnom Penh, when everything is in USD), but we thought wrong. Be always prepared with Vietnam Dong (VND). Always. They will still accept your USD though, but the exchange rate is quite small, so you'll ended up paying more each time. Most boutiques accept USD though , rather than VD


Transportation....always and always trust only MaiLinh and VinaSun taxi service.Dont use others. Its a metered taxi, and its reliable.We've read earlier that it supposed to cost us USD7 getting to our hotel from airport (for 30mins ride), but we were told to pay this taxi driver (not from either Mai Linh, and Vinasun) USD20. We chose to not believe what others said, and we're paying for it..hahah

Taxi in HCMC
SG.Tourist: (84.8) 346 4646
Mailinh: (84.8) 3838 3838
VinaSun Taxi: (84-8) 38 272727

From airport to city center ~ USD7

Accommodation......since that it was a last minute booking, and less time to survey good guesthouses/hostels, we managed to only get "Mini Saigon Hotel 3", which is located on at Cong Quynh Street, District 1, near to the city centre, and most photo-stop places (i.e. Independent Place, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ben Thanh Market) (www.saigonhotel-link.com/saigon_mini)

The rate is quite cheap, we paid USD 44 for 2 nights stay, and that covers breakfast for two. You'll be surprised by the surrounding though, coz its located along a dark alley (bukan la dark alley sgt, cume lorong2 kecik jek), but yes, as a backpacker, I dont complain much. At least the room is nice, and clean, and the service is not bad!

Since that we have no idea where to go, we thought of taking tour packages. Its quite cheap, around USD15 for halfday city tour for two, but the tour guide never showed up. So we decided to just follow our steps.. and we were stopped by this nice pakcik (Pakcik Song, we called him), offer to take us around the city with his "cyclo", a chauffeur-pedaled tricycle, for 200 000VND (approximately 10usd), and we said yes. Guys, dont be fooled by such offers. In reality, cyclo ride will costs you 100 000VND per hour/per person. Yah, ok, so we were cheated by him, coz we ended up paying him ~500 000VND for 2 hours ride..Eurghhhhh.. Lesson learnt, lesson learnt..But, it was a fun ride, totally....Taxi gonna be boring (since we have a lot of it in Msia). I would definitely recommend anyone to experience cyclo ride, cos you'll be experiencing a near-death situation at all time (imagine the heavy traffic, the suicidal motorists, etc). I screamed all the time.

Since we dont have much time in HCMH, we chose the selected places to visit only. Of coz, none other than the War Remnant Museum. The World War. I've seen how Red (in the 70's show) got so pissed off over this war, and now I know why. They should be.They're so damn cruel to the Vietnamese.I got so emotional seeing all those photos..the war...how cruel it was...I couldnt stand seeing all those, so I just left Rahim in the museum with me being outside, taking photos of the jets, etc..Entry cost: 15000VND per person




After that we straightly went to the so-called Saigon "white house" known as "Independence Hall". Entry cost: 15000 VND per person. The place was pretty crowded with tourists, so we didnt really managed to explore the entire building. Enough to see what we want to see; the president's room, meeting room, bla bla bla...(ya, I know, I'm not really into history)..haha, actually its not true, I wish that I can stay longer, but the heat, the crowd and the limited time that we have in HCMC, I quickly decided that it would be more wise to spend longer time at the market..:D
Pakcik Song brought us to some other places in the town too (yelah, since we were paying him hourly kan, penipu nye pakcik Song), like the unknown pagoda (how am I supposed to remember the name?haha), the street where they sell the "DEUTERS", etc. But since that we were quite hungry for food, and for shopping(tentula!), we asked Pakcik Song to quickly send us to Ben Thanh Market instead.

Ben Thanh Market, which is surprisingly, only 15mins walking distance from our hotel. We went to take our lunch first. Luckily there was a halal food restaurant 5 mins walking distance from Ben Thanh. V.N Halal. The food is nice, and the price..well,USD17 ~RM50, lunch meal for 2 persons, quite pricey for a normal meal in Msia though..huhuh..Dont ever convert, or else u'll die of hunger..haha.Since the food is quite nice, and its near to our hotel, we stick for V.N Halal for every meal.
Halal Food Restaurants

• Halah @ Saigon * (31 Dong Du Str., Dist 1.) Tel: (84.8)38246823
• Four Seasons Restaurant* (2 Thi Sach Str., Dist 1) Tel: (84.8) 38257186
• Dong Du Mosque* (66 Dong Du Str. ) Tel: (84.8) 3825012
• Song Ngu Restaurant**(70 Suong Nguyet Anh Str., Dist 1.) Tel: (84.8) 3832 5017
• Ngoc Suong Restaurant* (19c Le Quy Don Str., Dist 1.) Tel: (84.8) 3930 4209
  * Muslim / Malaysian ** Seafood

My colleague Muhsin, who stayed in Vietnam for couple of years told me that HCMC was previously famous for cheap, non-imitate"Deuter".Well, Deuter (and also North Face, etc) products mostly made in Vietnam, and the trick is, the same manufacturer produces the exact same product, but for this they are using different materials instead (of coz, cheaper material). That way, they can be selling it at lower price (I mean, cheap price), and sell it to their locals.Nowadays, its even harder to differentiate the real one and the fake one. We bought 5 bags (despite the fact that it might be the fake one),haha, coz one bag costs us approximately USD13 only, what a bargain!
There are many things that they sell in Ben Thanh; paintings, bags, tshirts (good quality), jewelleries, crafts, coffees, nice fabrics,etc. They even sell A&F and Hollister (t-shirt for USD5, and I've got it for only USD2.5 in Cambodia..sigh~). Nevertheless, I bought 10 pieces..hahah..well, the fact that A&F,etc (that they sell in America) costs USD39 each, makes me think that its already a good bargain. Woman~.

..............................................................................
Below are some of the items with their prices;
...............................................................................

Embroided sandals ~ USD15
Shiny heavily-beads bag ~USD15
Hazelnut home-made coffee ~USD2 for 100grams
Embroided silk purse ~USD2
Silk fabric ~USD6/meter

I've spent more than USD200 in Ben Thanh. Haha..After Ben Thanh, we went to Saigon Square, where you can find A&F, Hollister,Gaps, Victoria Secrets, etc with more varieties, and cheaper price. This is where HCMC teenagers go to shop. Its 5 mins walking distance from Ben Thanh, along Nam Ky Khoi Nghia street (Yes, everything is within vicinity).

HCMC is also famous for quality- "telekung", headscarfs, and "baju-kurung", and one of the Hong Anh branch located near to Ben Thanh, and we walked ourselves there. The good news; they accept VISA!hahah. I bought pair of tudungs for my in-law, and embroided/heavily beads baju kurung for myself. Baju kurung, thai silk with full beadings costs only USD20. And Vietnam silk costs USD6 per meter.murah2!!!
* Central Saigon Area Shopping Area

• Kim Phuong Hand embroidery - Broidery Artisan
  125 Le Thanh Ton St., Tel. 3827 7091
• Hong Anh Telekung, tudung, embroidery,
  110 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Dist.1, Tel. 38277191
  93/7 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Tel. 3822 8991
• Kenly Silk Tailor & silk,
  84 Le Loi St. Tel. 3829 9754
• Phuong Anh Telekung, tudung, embroidery,
  14 Nguyen Thiep, Tel. 0903 809758
• Hai Yen Model wooden ships/ planes,
  9 Lam Son Square, Tel. 3822 0280
• Fatima Lacquer ware, souvenir,
  3Ton That Thiep St., Tel. 3914 2403
• Thai Tuan Brocade, 57-69 F Dong Khoi. Tel 3822 681
• Ngoc Trai Swarovski Crystal101 Le Thanh Ton St., Tel. 3827 3596
• Minh Duc Marquetry, Lacquerware, Fine Art, Ceramic
  113 Le Thanh Ton. Tel. 3823 3977

We went to Ben Thanh too the next day, to continue our shopping trip, and head to the airport at 4.00pm. We'll definitely be back for the famous Chu Chi tunnel, floating market, and Ben Thanh.

The saddest part of this trip, I left my DSLR at home, so I have to live with compact camera..sigh~



to be continued~

Its Bali again; double sweetness - May2010-

If I could own a personal jet, and fly to the land of Bali as I please, I would definitely do so. Well, that's my first impression when I landed in Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport, even though going on a second trip. I was more excited this time and definitely looking forward to this one. This time, it's on a honeymoon, and my working life was not dat good..:P

And since that we have covered Kuta area, part of Nusa Dua, GWK and Jimbaran Beach (on the south side) in our previous trip, I want to cover North area this time around. Beach?Maybe next visit.

Accommodation.....We booked Legian Tune Hotel approximately 8 months ago, when it was first launched and opened for booking, and for 3 days and 2 nights, we're only paying RM70! (okla, besela tu, kalu first bukak, konfem murah nye). Tune hotel concept is very simple, you're paying only for services that you want, if you want more than the basic (i.e. AC, hair dryer, etc), you need to pay more. That's a concept that I like.

I was pretty skeptical about Tune Hotel when I first saw it at LCCT, because it does look like a 1-room flat to me (with limited facilities, no swimming pool, bla bla bla), but I was totally wrong. It wasnt bad at all; clean fresh linen, big bed, clean environment (oh maybe bcoz its new), clean bathroom, safekeeping box, big mirror on the wall, big shower head (it's all about big and clean bebeh!). And Legian branch is even better, I think, with "Es Teler 77" cafe and that affordable "Well Being Spa" (balinese massage for only Rp80000-90000), and the fact that it's not in a gray area. I would definitely vote for Tune Hotel if I were to visit again next time (next year!). It's also convenient staying in Legian Tune Hotel (and cheap of coz). Its 2 mins walking distance to Sicisli Spa, 3 mins walking distance to 2 halal-food restaurants, "Warung Melati" and "Warung Murah", 5 mins walking distance to a beautiful Legian beach (near to a bungy-jumping station), and 3 mins walking distance to "Double Six Road", a famous road for street shopping. It's conveniently convenience!

I'll continue writing next time on my journey to explore Bali, and below are the top 10 attraction places in Bali that you shouldnt miss when you visit Bali

1. Ubud (yap, went to Ubud Market)

The centre of Balinese painting, Ubud's Museum "Purl Lukisan" has a permanent collection of modern works of Balinese art dating from the turn of the century. There are also several art galleries and homes of famous artists here, including that of Dutchborn Hans Snel and American Antonio Blanco. The "Young artist" style now popular in Balinese painting was introduced by the Dutch painter Arie Smith. In the past, other foreign painters inspired Balinese artists to adopt western techniques but traditional Balinese paintings are still made and sold another museum called "Neka Museum" has a wide collection of paintings both by Indonesian as well as foreign artists who used to live in Bali. Ubud has several small hotels. Located on a higher altitude with a pleasant climate.

2. Kuta (covered during first trip)

Once a lonely village on the road from Denpasar toward the Bukit Peninsula, Kuta is now a thriving tourist resort, popular mainly among the young. It is a popular beach for surfing although currents make it less suitable for swimming. Coast guards, however, are on constant duty during the day. Kuta faces toward the west offering beautiful sunsets.Accommodation ranges from international hotels to home stays. The village abounds with restaurants, shops, discotheques and other tourist facilities. It is easier to find regular performances of Balinese music and dance in Kuta, staged specially for tourists, than anywhere else in Bali. Some performances are staged nightly. The village is ideal for meeting and mixing with other people, locals as well as visitors from abroad

3. Nusa Dua (covered during first trip)

The Nusa Dua tourist resort is part of the Bukit Peninsula in southern Bali. Some of the most beautiful and luxurious hotels are found here. The resort is known for its clean white beaches and clear waters. The surf is gentle along the northern side of the peninsula, bigger along the south. The most convenient form of transportation to and from Nusa Dua is by taxi.

4. Tanah Lot (yap, not for sunset trip though)

One of Bali's most important sea temples, the temple sanctuary at Tanah Lot is built atop a huge rock which is surrounded by the sea.Built by one of the last priests to come to Bali from Java in the 16th century, its rituals include the paying of homage to the guardian spirits of the sea. Poisonous sea snakes found at the base of the rocky island are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruder.The best time to see Tanah Lot is in the late afternoon when the temple is in silhouette.

5. Batubulan (covered..indirectly, as we just passed through Batubulan)

Driving northeast from Denpasar, stone figures on the roadside mark the village of Batubulan. Divinities and demons are carved from sandstone for ornaments of houses and temples. Workshop can be visited to watch artists at work.

6. Gianyar (Nope!)

Once the capital of one of Bali's more powerful kingdoms, the town of Gianyar is today a centre of the textile industry. The specialty here is the ikat weaving the Balinese use in traditional wear. A number of factories hold informal tours.

7. Pura Besakih (Nope!)

Known as the "mother Temple of Bali, the sanctuary of Besakih on the slopes of Mt. Agung is the biggest and holiest of all Balinese temples. Over a thousand years old, steps ascend through split gates to the main courtyard where the Trinity shrines are wrapped in cloth and decorated with flower offerings.Around the three main temples dedicated to the Trinity: Shiva, Brahma and Wisnu, are 18 separate sanctuaries belonging to different regencies and caste groups.To the Balinese, a visit to the temples sanctuaries is a special pilgrimage. Each has its own anniversary celebration or "Odalan". The sight of the temple against the background of the mountain is impressive and during festivals, coloured banners add a touch of gaiety.

8. Terraced rice paddies (Yap, n it was a beauty)

Whether it is bright and sunny or rainy and gloomy, the trip through the landscape of terraced rice paddies between Candidasa and Amlapura is one of remarkable scenic beauty. Allow plenty of time for photo stops.

9. Pura Kehen (Nope!)

Pura Kehen is the religious heart of Bangli's many temples. One of the largest religious complexes in Bali, its origins can be traced back to the beginning of the eleventh century. A huge banyan tree shades the first courtyard.

10. Gunung Batur (Yap, n the view is breathtaking)

The still-active Gunung Batur volcano, at an altitude of 1,717 meters (5,635 ft), is revered by the Balinese as the sec-ond-holiest mountain on the island (after Gunung Agung) and symbolises the female element next to Agung's male.

http://www.balidaytour.com/full-day-tour.htm

A road less traveled; Phnom Penh -Apr2010-

It was intentionally a short trip. 2 days and 2 nites only (the first day doesnt count since we arrived very late in the evening), but the experience is one of a kind, I would say. I personally arranged evrything myself, n I never prefer Phnom Penh, as Siem Rheap is more popular if u were to compare . But it was surprising for us to find so many tourists in PP. N I think dats y they use US dollar as their common currency. Its very rare to find ppl in PP using Riel (Cambodia currency) to make purchase. But I think the local does. I have to pay everything in USD (n dats not cheap), even in the market!


We took a Tuk-Tuk(motorcycle wif roof) from the airport for USD7 (n u have to add USD2 more for taxi, if u dont prefer Tuk-Tuk). We never take taxis as we can easily find it in Malaysia..:D..Well, u might want to consider having mouth-cover since the air is not dat clean in PP. There's a another option which is using Motodop (3-seaters motorcycle) and its even cheaper, but its not really convenient if u r travelling long distance (more than 5km)


Accomodation..........We stayed at BoddhiTreeGuestHouse (http://www.boddhitree.com/boddhitree_del.php) , "Del-Gusto" branch , and it's a bliss..Its actually a French Colonial House being converted to guest house, they have approx. 5-6 rooms (diff selection), and we took the second room, which is located onthe second floor. The place is similar to a house, rather than hotels, where they have shared living rooms (2 living rooms on the second floor), shared bathroom (a very clean one), shared verandah, etc...We didnt feel like stayin in a hotel at all. It is more to feeling like staying over ur fren's house.:D..(i dunno y, but i think the mosquito net seems like a romantic idea). The place is so clean, and the staff are very friendly. Its a tip-top service, they'll serve u cold warm water wif lemon everytime they see u..hahaha...I hope to find similar guesthouses/hotels in other countries.

Boddhi Tree Del Gusto Guesthouse - our room!

MUST VISIT.......We took our own sweet time here, not to rush anything. Its basically our second honeymoon! And there's not much to see in PP (but there's many places to shop!!) Well, basically the top attractions (and the places that we went for) are ;

1) Toel Sleng Museum : ex-prison, its kinda spooky, so I chose not to go..but again, its a MUST VISIT tourist spot, so if you have the courage, just go

Royal Palace

2) Royal Palace : completed before WW1, wif involvement from French administrators, and Thai designers n architects. You have to pay for the entrance, its around 25,000riel,person,which is around usd6 per person. And dont wear short skirts, pants coz they will not allow you to go in then.

3) Silver Pagoda : its part of Royal Palace, located on the south side of Royal Palace

4) National Museum : houses cool collection of Khmer art, sculptures, etc. And the building structure is cool too. The entrance fee is around USD3 per person
5) Tonle Sap River Cruise : among the top ten to do in cambodia. The ride starts around 5 (for you to experience sunset), and the sunset trip is for 1 hour, and you have to pay around usd10 per person. Excellent view on phnom penh city, the fisherman and the nomades living on the other side of the river

6) Russian Market : a place to find good silk products, HOLLISTER, ABERCROMBIE & FITCH, etc t-shirts (that costs only usd2.5 each), local crafts, CDs, DVDs and many other cool stuffs. You'll be surpised, coz everything is in USD. Its a confined space, and the route is pretty haywired. Its a better option for bargainers though, but not for those who are not used to small spaces, and congested area

Shopping spree at Russian Market

7) Night Market : Its located in the middle of the city, and its smaller compared to Russian Market.

Eating places at the Night Market

8) Central Market

9) Foreign Correspondent Club Cafe (FCCC) :located somewhere in the riverfront. Its one of the top recommended restaurant/bar


FOOD!!!You don't have to worry because there's a lot of restaurants/eating places you can enjoy in PP. Worst case scenario, don't take meats (for the Muslims). Always go for vege food..haha..We usually have our breakfast at Boddhi Tree; plain bread with strawberry jam, bananas, and tea/coffee. The price is not that bad, USD1 for tea/coffee, etc. And if we're not going anymore until lunch time, vege pizza is always our choice..haha. 


There's one halal restaurant that we went couple of times when we were in PP; Warung Bali, located very close to National Museum, an Indonesian restaurant (well, its spelled Bali, so it must be Indonesian right?). I think the price is cheaper if you were to compare with other restaurants (maybe the cheapest among all). We discovered this small restaurant when we were about to go to the famous Friends restaurant, which is located nearby.I heard the place is famous among locals and backpackers, and is operated on basis to help Cambodian childrens.


Don't forget to try out Khmer food while you are in Cambodia. Check out Foreign Correspondent Club Cafe (FCCC),quite an awesome place for you to hang out.
We tried Khmer fish curry, and the coconut milk and the tamarind sauce were served separately. Erm, couldn't describe much on the food, since my taste bud is prone towards original Malay and Indian curry.


Gonna visit PP again for these;

1. Eating for a cause -Friends on Street 13, very close to National Museum. http://http//www.streetfriends.org
2. Romdeng on Street 278 just near the Independence Monument also trains former street youth and serves up traditional Khmer cuisine 
3. Le Rits, on Street 310 just off Norodom Boulevard . Food is a good mix of European and Asian. http://www.nyemo.com/
4. The Lazy Gecko on Street 93 is one of the most well-established lakeside restaurants and offers a large selection of tasty, reasonably-priced Western dishes served in a comfortable environment. 
5. Jars of Clay, located near the energy-sapping Russian Market, is an expat-oriented coffee and lunch place where the food is reasonable and the setting peaceful. 
6. Cafe Fresco, a trendy coffee shop and deli, below the FCC and run by the same people, for a cool smoothy and sandwich in air-con comfort or an early morning java on the patio. A 50% discount applies to baked goods between 17:00 and 20:00. 
7. Java Cafe and Gallery is a funky, airy place overlooking Sihanouk Boulevard -- it has an excellent breakfast menu with generous portions but somewhat high prices. 
8. Kiwi Bakery on Sisowath Quay is a good place to head for baked goods, as well as Western dishes and meat pies. At night, it doesn't have the best atmosphere of the riverside places
9. Khmer Surin is generally the first Khmer place to be recommended to visitors, hence the touristy feel to the place. The restaurant doubled in size in late 2008, and you can now enter via the original restaurant or at the "South Gate." They claim authentic Khmer cuisine and their menu is exhaustive, though leaves out market standards. The ambience resembles that of a high-class restaurant, but the prices are budget, with most mains costing about $3.50.
10. Khmer Kitchen is a similar setup to Khmer Surin with reasonably priced Thai and Khmer food. 

I think there's a lot more to crave for.Check below link; http://www.travelfish.org/eatandmeet/cambodia/phnom_penh_and_surrounds/phnom_penh/phnom_penh/eat

I'm gonna come back for Phnom Penh very soon, in fact, I'm gonna come back for more BoddhiTree guesthouse, just lav it!

The Posh Melbourne, 1st honeymoon -Feb2010-

Dunno y, but Rahim and me chose Melbourne to be the place for our honeymoon. Its kinda cool, coz this is my first time having to go to "Mat Saleh" place (disregard the fact that Rahim has been to US, UK,etc...envy him)..

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Travel Tools for Backpackers

1) Camera: From coolpix to D40 to D90 (Nikon loyal customer..:D), I think by now, I am more than ready to explore the world. Hope this "honeymoon year" will not end that soon..

2) Travel Bag: Yes, absolutely. And thank you Deuter 60L for always be by our side.

3) Universal adapter: A must have, well for your laptop, camera, phone...like duhh~~

4) Laptop : Coz most hotels/hostels provide free Wi-Fi and not to waste it right? You have to google the places/maps you want to go to once in a while, bukan nye ade garmin all the time pun

(action item: buy garmin maps)

5) Iphone : MUST HAVE. It has all kind of applications; i.e. compass, maps, etc
6) Packed foods? : Especially when you are visiting countries where their Muslim population is minority (i.e. Beijing, etc)