The Breathtaking Bali, Indonesia - 2009

The land of paradise, that’s how people described Bali. After a year of not travelling abroad, my hubby and I (and my son, of course) decided to try Bali this time. All arrangements on flight tickets, hotel and ground itinerary were handled by ME. After several bouts of travelling, I think I’m getting really good at it! I made my homework before departing to Bali on where to go and what to do there. We ended up staying in a small-but-pleasant Balinese hotel in Kuta-Legian district, Bali Sorgawi.



We made our way on foot to explore the Kuta area as we arrived, taking the opportunity to window-shop along the Kuta Road from one end to the other. It was quite a long street with rows and rows of outlets selling souvenirs, clothing, paintings, home décor, food and even massage parlors, all of which came at a good price.


We took a few pictures at the Bali Bombing Monument, somewhere along the Kuta Road. It was rather poignant and heart-wrenching to see the long list of names being engraved on the monument – a memoriam dedicated to those who didn’t survive during the Bali bombing a couple of years ago.

Sightseeing was one of our main agenda in Bali. We went to almost all the must-see places. Mount Batur in Kintamani was an incredible sight. The view of this volcanic mountain from afar, surrounded by a lake was so overwhelming. Good thing we had our al-fresco lunch there, overseeing the mountain in a chilly-crisp mountain air. It was so beautiful that I almost cried. Seriously!!





The charm of Bali was so ever-present at Uluwatu. The view from the pura (temple) right on top of the hill cliff overlooking the Indian ocean was so astounding. There are no words to best describe how beautiful the scenery was.




But, beware of monkeys here! Better keep your shades, hair crunchies and even your camera pouch properly guarded or these creatures will snatch them away before you know it.


We managed to get to Tanah Lot even though it was quite late in the afternoon. There were thousands of people, mainly tourists wanting to see the sunset but the weather was not that kind on us that day. So cloudy was the day and so, there was practically no sunset for us. We ended up having a drink at the Sunset Terrace and just enjoying the scenic outline of Tanah Lot Temple. This ancient Tanah Lot Temple is set on a big rock surrounded by the sea water. Simply amazing!





Since we haven’t completed our itinerary, we continued our journey to Ulun Danu, Bedugul the next day. It was far from Kuta. The road was meandering, as we had to climb a steep mountain. The Pura (temple) was set on a lake, the most picturesque temple in Bali, I would say, because of its traditional Balinese architecture and the reflections on the water made a remarkable silhouette. Absolutely great for photography.




Goa Gajah was our next stop. It was another temple yet with another astonishing history behind it.



Tempak Siring was another old temple we visited. We reached there just in time for their prayers to set forth so we didn’t quite get to see the interior of the temple.
Well, it’s ok though. I’ve had enough of temples in Bali anyway. Let’s talk about some other things.


Dinner at Jimbaran was truly, truly amazing. It was a good spot for eateries where you can find a whole stretch of Food Outlets along a beautiful sandy beach, with each and every outlet offering gorgeous and sumptuous looking seafood dishes at a reasonable price. But, of course, you are not there just for the food, but also for the ambience i.e. dining by the Beach, entertained by a 4-piece Musician and if you’re lucky, you will also be served with cultural performances on stage. Sunset is also breathtaking at Jimbaran.




Oh, the Jagung Bakar (baked corn on cob) was pretty enticing too, you must try it if you ever get the chance to be in Jimbaran. It makes a very good appetizer before your hearty dinner is served.


Shopping can be everywhere in Bali, be it in Ubud, Seminyak, Kuta or Tanah Lot, but the best shopping ever would be at Sukawati.




We didn’t forget to hop-in to our must-buy outlet, The Hard Rock Café Bali.



Overall, what did we buy in Bali? The list will go on and on, from fridge magnets (of course) to dresses, flip flops to placemats to handbags, t-shirts to paintings and many many more, just name it, it will be in our list.

And oh yes, the Kecak Dance also known as the Ramayana Monkey Dance, you just have to see it to believe it! The story of Ramayana and Sita was beautifully choreographed into an astonishing musical theatre… but without any music. Just the sounds and voices of hundreds of men chanting their prayer –“Kecak…cak…cak…cak…kecak!! …”

The Calming Chills of Cameron Highlands - 2008

After going abroad for 3 times in a row for vacations, I chose to spend my holiday domestically this time. After having a lot of discussions with my sisters, and put all matters into consideration, we made up our decision. Cameron Highlands it is!

We booked a 6-room penthouse at Dahlia Apartment in Brinchang to fit my huge family members (my eldest sister, her hubby and her three kids, my youngest sister, her hubby and her daughter, my parents, my maid and my sister’s mom-in law). A lot uhh? Yeah... so that 6-room penthouse was actually a great choice. It could may well be considered as a ‘Trip of a Lifetime’ because this was probably the only, only time that we could get all of us together, holidaying.


The penthouse was equipped with kitchenette so we did our own cooking for most of the meal time. It was hilarious that one morning when my scramble eggs went way too salty that no one could eat them. But there was nothing to worry about because the dining table was always full to the brim during meal time and it has more than enough food for everyone :-).


The spacious penthouse enabled us to eract an in-house tent for the kids to play with. Thanks to my brother in-law who brought the tent along for the trip. The kids had a whale of time 'camping' in it. :-)

Our journey commenced from KL, and we took the Tapah exit to climb up the hill. The road was narrow and winding. When we stopped by at the waterfall area, Lata Iskandar, it was already half way to the top. The breezing fresh air and clear water from the waterfall was so invigorating. After a few snaps of photos, we continued our journey.



As we reached Ringlet, we came across an exclusive Lake House, a beautiful building with a colonial facade, strategically located on a hill.

We went to the Boh Tea and Bharat Tea Plantation as we arrived. It was so scenically green, as though you are actually seeing them on postcards. We had the chance to sip a cup of hot tea near the plantation, all freshly brewed. We also bought few packets of teas in different flavours to bring back home.



The strawberry farm was pleasant too. We wanted to go and pluck our own strawberries but the staff in charge for pluck-your-own-berries was not there. After a quick stroll and photo snapping, we decided to just buy the packed strawberries and the fresh strawberry jam, that we later had them with scones. It was really, really scrumptious. I guess the cold chilly weather in Cameron Highlands easily made one’s appetite grow bigger!



We went to the Butterfly Garden the next morning and kids had their whale of a time chasing this beautiful insect. There were lots of them and they were flying everywhere. The prominent one was the Rajah Brooke, which was about the size of your palm or bigger, in black and green color. I was not into insects that much. I just made a quick walk and went to the gift shop, looking for souvenirs. As usual, I bought some fridge magnets and a t-shirt for my son.




Can you spot the baby-sized Rajah Brooke behind us? Luckily they were small ones. I was actually too scared to go near the big ones! So, this small one will do for me :-). Oh, there were other insects and tortoises too at the Butterfly Garden. :-)


Talking about shopping, there’s nothing much to buy up here but Kea Farm is the best place if you ever need to shop for fresh veggies and fruits.


Various types of fresh flowers and ever-lastings were sold at a reasonably cheap price. But I didn’t buy them, afraid that they won’t last that long due to the difference in weather back home.


Shopping at Brinchang’s Night Market was really a great experience too. Night at Cameron Highlands can be really cold, so we had to put on sweaters and proper shoes with our socks on. And in cold weather, even the crispy Apam Balik tasted so yummy! We had a lot of eating there and yet when we went back to our rooms, we could still manage to munch some cookies and sandwiches :-).

One thing for sure, I never tasted fried sweet potatoes so deliciously until the one I had in Cameron Highlands. My hubby had to make a turn-back to purchase more of these sweet potatoes which is dipped in batter and simply deep-fried. The taste, voila! The scones with strawberry jam in Tanah Rata was our late supper menu for almost every night. You can have them in any restaurants, even in Mamak Shops. I wasn’t too sure how many kilos I gained throughout my 4D/3N stay in Cameron Highlands… but for sure we had a real good time and great makan-makan! :-)


Traditionally, a trip to Cameron Highlands would not be complete without a visit to "Ye Olde Smoke House". A cool trip to a cool place...

Bargaining at Bandung, Indonesia - 2007

Unlike my Jakarta and Bangkok’s family holiday, Bandung was a trip I had with my best buddies. It was great to be with them but I must tell you the truth that I missed my family so very much throughout my stay in Bandung. I texted home almost every hour and called them at night.

We had our room in Samudra Hotel, a small Bed and Breakfast Inn along Cihampelas Road. Our first visit in Bandung was the Tangkuban Perahu, a volcano crater which is still active, it seemed. As we reached the place after an hour and half of a zig-zagging road ride, we were delighted to actually view the crater so closely that it is worth the journey!




It was chilly that morning so we had to put our sweater on. The pungent smell of sulphur was so strong that it took us some time to get ourselves accustomed to. There were many street-sellers approaching us the minute we stepped our foot out of the car. Yup, I bought a few things from them at a very good bargained price. My best purchase so far from Tangkuban Perahu was a couple of horns resting on a small stand with Quranic verses engraved on it.

The Sari Ater Hot Spring was our next stop after the crater. I had quite a spin on my head, thanks to the winding road and the sulphur smell at Tangkuban Perahu, but the stop at the Hot Springs really made my day! We had a great time dipping our tired feet into the warm water. The green surroundings and the pleasing sound of waterfalls around us really blew my headaches away.




We went around shopping the next day since there were a lot of branded outlets there in Bandung. The Rumah Mode, Mode Plus, Heritage, and other factory outlets located just next to each other almost became our second-home! At night, we strolled along the Cihampelas Road and did our shopping again at the Cihampelas Walk. It was oh-so cheap that I can’t resist myself but to shop!




Pasar Baru was another shopping heaven in Bandung! The textiles were dirt-cheap! We had a few unbranded handbags and shoes from there too. And to make our trip in Bandung town more memorable, we tried the public transport they called Angkutan Kota. It was a mini-van that can be loaded up to 10 persons or so. But with 4 of us and our unbeatable amount of shopping bags, only 5 persons can be loaded at one time! And the ticket fee, Rp5.000 for four of us per way! Unbelievable!!


Besides shopping, there are other things that got me hooked on Bandung. Food!! Nasi Timbel, Bakso and Brownies! We had our Nasi Timbel at Dapur Sangkuriang for lunch. It was a set of plain rice accompanied with Vegetable Sourish Soup, Fried Salty Fish, Fried Toufu, Fried Tempe (fermented soya beans) and Sambal Belacan. It was kind of OK for me and I believe it could may well be an acquired taste to some.



I bought some Brownies Amanda to bring back home - a home made specialty. I’m not so much of a brownies’ fan but their steamed brownies and cookies were really out of this world! I heard Bakso Malang at Chihampelas Walk was delicious too but I did not get the chance to try it.

For dinner, I would suggest you to try heading to The Peak. It was quite far up on the hill, but once you reached there you would love the place to bits. Please mind that it is always chilly in Bandung especially at night. And eating al-fresco right on top of the hill in a posh restaurant would be really romantic for couples. There were live band performances at night and you are free to make your song requests, or even make a request to sing your favourite number accompanied by the band.


The restaurant was lovely especially if you opt for outdoor seats under the moonlight and shiny stars but it was too cold that night that we had to move in to dine. It serves fusion food, but it was not just about the food. It was the ambience and the company I had which were second to none!


My special thanks to my Bandung friends, Citra and Anin for their hospitality and warmth, and for being really helpful throughout my stay there. I’ll be back in Bandung one fine day, and that time it will be with my beloved husband and my little boy!

The Beautiful Bangkok, Thailand – 2007

We did not have any bad experience with Airasia during the last trip, so I decided to grab the opportunity to fly with them again this time around. And Airasia made it possible for us and our overflowing needs to travel with its RM0 promo... :-)


Again, with the whole lot of my family members i.e. my mom & dad plus my baby sister and her hubby joining us together this time, I never realized that I had all categories of travelers in my list. My son, aged 3, falls under the ‘Child’ category, my mom & dad falls under ‘Senior Citizen’, while my younger sister, in her 7 months pregnancy, falls under ‘Priority’ category.

We were allowed to board the plane first because obviously the preggy mom, my son and my old folks should be given the so-called priviledge during any flights. At that time, “Priority Lanes” were never a practice for Airasia flights. However, thanks to the friendliness and concern of the Airasia staff, we managed to board the plane earlier than the rest of the passengers.

If there’s one thing you should know (or already knew), we Malaysians are so ‘Kiasu’, just like the Singaporeans. So you can only imagine how our so-called ‘friendly’ Malaysians will rush to board the plane and start to book the seats not only for them but for their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and the rest of the clans. You wouldn’t want to know...

OK now, Thailand is well-acclaimed as the Land of Smiles. Throughout our stay we were greeted with smiles by the soft-speaking Thais, be it the people by the roadside, the hotel staff or the shop promoters. The hotel, The Eastin in New Petchaburi Road, was a nice hotel smacked right in the middle of the city centre.


We took the tour to Damern Saduak Floating Market and The Grand Palace on the first day. On our way to the floating market, which was quite a distance from our hotel, we stopped by at a few places plainly to see how salt was produced on land and we then dropped by to one of their local coconut factory.

The salt-making process was particularly incredible because there was no sea in sight but yet there were tonnes of salt being produced.



And at the coconut factory, we had the chance to quench our
thirsts with their ever-popular coconut drink. It was so cooling and refreshing.


As we arrived at Damern Saduak, we chartered a boat and rode off to the market area. We had to go through a small canal before reaching the main market.


It was truly remarkable to see how marketing (literally translated) was actually done from boat to boat. All sorts of things were sold on this narrow boat, handled by one person, normally a woman. I was amazed by the whole experience, it was something you can never get to see elsewhere, definitely not in Malaysia.


Next, the Grand Palace. There are no words to describe the beautiful architecture and intricate details of the luscious Grand Palace. It was simply, simply breathtaking. If there is a must-see sight in Bangkok, than this would be it.






Menam Chao-Phraya, is another attraction in Bangkok that one should not miss. Wat Arun, a temple by the river was one of my favourites.


We took a ride on a boat and we were explained about the history of the river, the many Wats (Temples) along the river, the Royal Barge and the stories of the many famous buildings in the city by the friendly and well-versed tour guide. And I also learned that Bangkok’s old name was very, very long indeed. It was something like “Krung Thep Makhanakhon...blah...blah”, obviously I can’t get it in full. It’s too complicated. Let’s google for it later… :-)

Holidaying without shopping is sinful. It’s my own theory, so don’t bother to follow. Mah Bun Krong (MBK) shopping complex offered an array of middle-to-high range of handbags, clothing, household items, crafts and souvenirs and many food outlets too. We went to Suan Lum Night Market to find some souvenirs to bring back home but Chatuchak Weekend Market was the best offer to quench our shopping thirst!



Hundreds of stalls selling mainly everything from clothing to bags to souvenirs to household items to pets and food, all in one huge area. And one word to best describe it was “Cheap-Cheap”!!

Oh, one important stop for shopping (for me & hubby) was The Hard Rock Café Bangkok, to get ourselves some T-shirts. It seemed that this was the only expensive item we bought for ourselves in Bangkok! The rests were all at a bargained price... :-)


And of course we also stumbled upon the best ever Tomyam in Bangkok. It was a Halal Restaurant by the Darul Aman Mosque area. The chef had personally “cooked up a storm” for us when he learned that we were Malaysians.

One more thing, don’t be afraid to jump onto their Tuk-Tuk transport, a small 3-wheeler bike that will bring you from one point to another without having to worry how bad Bangkok jam is! Just hold your breath and you’ll make it! ... :-)