[Travel Asia] Mabuhay!! City of Baguio

8:09 AM AIR ASIA, ASIA, BACKPACKING, PHILIPPINES, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY No Comments

One of the most delayed travel promise I had was a trip to the Philippines. Although I was basically based near to the country, there were so many times that plans were left untouched or abandoned. So, when I finally confirmed my attendance to a dear friend's wedding, it was really excited. The last thing that I had to do was to convince my family that the Philippines is safe for a solo lady traveler like me - MISSION SUCCEEDED!!!

Despite having to change the original travel plan, I basically had so much fun discovering and experiencing a new country, new places and new culture. Over the years, I have heard so many people saying that I look "soooo Filipina" and immediately after I reached Clark, it was confirmed - I do look Filipina. The best thing about having the face of a local, is all my anxiety of being treated as a tourist was immediately dismissed. Thus, making my entire journey more exciting, as I could embrace the local culture and its people without much reservation.

Upon the arrival at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, it was an easy task to look for a jeepney to get to the main bus terminal in Dau. Before I went to look for the jeepney, I took the opportunity to buy some snacks and water at a small sundry shop at the airport - I was informed that the journey by bus to my next destination is a long long one. The Air Asia flight from Kota Kinabalu arrived in Clark slightly passed four in the afternoon. With my next destination located way up north of the Luzon Island of the Philippines, it was expected that I could only be arriving slightly later at night.

Dau bus terminal is a big terminal, which I didn't get a chance to actually discover. Immediately after I jumped out of the jeepney, a good samaritan actually helped me to stop a moving bus that was bound for Baguio City. It was a comfy, but super cold, coach bus. I was also happy to know that even on a moving bus, there was internet connection available. The entire bus journey was about 5 hours, with a couple of stops in between. Every time the bus stops, there will be small traders coming on to the bus to sell some food and snacks. Since I already bought buns and snacks from the airport, that became my late lunch and dinner.

At around 10pm, the bus arrived in Baguio. That weekend was the record breaking lowest temperature for the city. Baguio is the summer capital for the country. I was merely lucky that a friend of mine reminded me to put on warm clothes, the night before I flew to the Philippines. Else, I would have frozen like crazy assuming that the place share the same weather like the other Southeast Asia countries. 

Filipinos are kind and nice people in general. Even when I was looking for hot drinks at the bus terminal, I was greeted with smiles and with a few short sentences, I was already on a taxi heading to the place that I was supposed to stay. Extremely hungry upon reaching the guesthouse, my request to get something to eat was greeted with kind hospitality - finally I had rice and fish soup for supper.

~Where did I stay?
Iggy's Inn - 25A, South Drive, Baguio City
~How much did it cost me?
US$100 for 3 nights stay inclusive of breakfast
~How was the guesthouse?
Pleasantly surprised by the hospitality and the service received. Read detailed review here.  

I had a day to roam the city, so the next day I chartered a taxi for 5 hours and began my discovery adventure. I was amazed by the amount of experience that I had gained despite being a bit low on cash. These are the highlights of my self adventure:

Mines View Park

There is no need to travel to Greece or to Italy to experience such weather and beauty. It was one of the most breathtaking view I have ever seen in my entire life. It is said that here is the highest point of the city where people could see the entire city from such height. 

Philippine Military Academy (PMA)

Not only I could see cute army-to-be, I was mesmerized by the beautiful surrounding. With its panoramic views as well as its lovely pine forest, it is hard to believe that the whole area is actually a military academy. 

Camp John Hay

As a legendary and historically important, this area is now a country club with variety of amenities available alongside its 18-holes golf course. Also, I had a chance to do some window shopping at the branded outlets inside the camp area.

Lion's Head

This huge monument of a lion's head is actually at the side of the main road heading towards Baguio. Located at the edge of the escalating road, I was amazed by the size of the monument as well as the surrounding view.

The Mansion

The main building itself is the official summer resident for the president, but the landscape and the area nearby are so beautiful in addition to the horseback riding activity that are openly available for people.

The following day was my first time attending a Christian wedding. It was a new experience and of course I learned more about the culture of the Philippines' people - goshhhh...they do know how to party and have fun. The wedding reception was held at Baguio Country Club. Since the party ended late, I was only able to meet up with my awesome friends, whom I have not met in 10 years, the following morning - for breakfast.

Before I departed down to the city of Angeles, I had great experience discovering Session Road (the heart of the city) as well as had a uniquely great time at Oh My Gulay, enjoying tasty vegetarian meals with my friends.

  

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Help me to raise fund for this special project. I will be traveling specifically to complete certain voluntary and charity mission across Asia in 2014.

For every dollar raised, I will spend them to help those needy throughout the entire journey. Click HERE to for details and donate.

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[Travel Asia] Backpack and Indochina

6:32 AM ASIA, BACKPACKING, CAMBODIA, CHINA, FROM KL to TAIWAN, HONG KONG, MACAU, MALAYSIA, TAIWAN, THAILAND, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY, VIETNAM 1 Comment

For anybody who loves traveling but still are thinking about “how-to-do-it” without burning their pockets, you can now easily find information via reputable travel websites as well as reliable travel bloggers who shares more than their experiences about traveling. 

In 2011, I began a journey that is one of the most memorable to me. Immediately after I resigned from my job, I packed my bag and began a two months exploration trip across the Indo-china route. Starting from this post, I will share (more likely continue) the story behind that travel.

I went to seven countries via land – alone. It is true that I did not have anybody committed to the traveling route from day one next to me. However, later along the solo journey I realized that I was not completely alone, I was able to meet with so many interesting, friendly and awesome people. 

The backpacking trip was my first adventure. I began in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. For the next two months, I had managed to discover:

1. Thailand (Ayutthaya and Bangkok)

2. Cambodia (Siem Reap and Phnom Penh)

3. Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh, Danang, Hoi An, and Hanoi)

4. China (Nanning, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Fuzhou)

5. Hong Kong

6. Macau

7. Taiwan (Nankan and Taipei)

Along the trip, I had actually written the journey and experience. Due to certain circumstances, the entries halted half way. Now that I am fully recovered, I shall continue the story and republish a freshly view of the existing entries of the said journey.

To begin with, why not go through the original posts made for the first part of the said journey? Below are the entries of the places I discovered after I cross over the starting line:

Packing and unexpected change of plan

Ayutthaya on Foot

Ayutthaya on Water

Pit Stop in Bangkok

Crossing Thailand to Cambodia

Revisiting Siem Reap

It’s all about history in Siem Reap

Going to Cambodia city center, Phnom Penh

A recovering city, Phnom Penh

The bachelor, the King of Kingdom of Cambodia

An interesting bus ride, entering Vietnam and meeting someone

Cu Chi Tunnel, living proof of Vietnam’s strength

Subscribe to my Facebook Fan Page to get the latest update when I publish new entries here. Also, check out my Youtube channel to watch the previous and new episodes of “Makiko Travel Journal Series”.

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[Travel Asia] One day in Brunei Darussalam

3:36 AM ASIA, BACKPACKING, BRUNEI, FLOATING VILLAGE, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY 18 Comments

Last December (2012), I traveled by sea to visit Brunei Darussalam. Check out my entry on traveling by sea from Kota Kinabalu to Brunei via sea, http://makiko-saba.blogspot.com/2013/02/how-to-from-kota-kinabalu-sabah-to.html for details.

Since I only had a solid one day to roam around the country and with limited budget, it was indeed a scary adventure. Nonetheless, it didn't stop me from having so much fun exploring the city; mainly Bandar Seri Begawan as much as I could. Compared to Malaysia, the Brunei currency exchange rate is higher. Thus, everything in Brunei is more than double of everything in my country. Having said that, I was slapped with almost having to pay an equivalent of RM90 for a taxi ride from Muara Ferry Terminal, soon after arriving in Brunei. Fortunately, there was a bus waiting at the same time.

Anyway, if you only have one day to visit a new country, please do take time and browse information of where and what to do while you are there, in advance. This, would definitely save you time and money but at the same time maximizing your experience within the limited amount of time you have. Brunei is famous for its ecotourism. There are loads of interesting floating villages that would allow you to experience nature and culture while cruising on speedboat along the beautiful river. 

I stayed in Gadong, an area that is about 20 minutes taxi ride from Bandar Seri Begawan. The hotel I stayed is more or less for business traveler, so the services offered are pretty much basic. Surprisingly, this is one of few hotels that offered cheap rates. With very little option of public transportation, I recommend you to find hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan itself to gain easier access to places of interests as well as public transportation. 

I was advised by a fellow friend to ask the hotel reception counter for a private day tour. Basically there are individuals who offer drive-around services; much cheaper than the organized day tour by travel companies. Me and my friend were picked up by the driver after our breakfast and we went around the city for several hours. 

Since Brunei is a Muslim country, it is a MUST to visit significant mosques that are known to be the landmarks of Brunei. We visited two very beautiful and unique mosques that are highly recommended in travel websites; the 1) Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and 2) Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque. Each mosque is unique by design and architecture. While Jame'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque has a very distinct and bold design with beautiful landscape surrounding, the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is located next to the famous Sungai Kedayan with its own articifial lagoon. Luckily for both my friends and I, later that evening one of our friend drove us to visit both mosque again - giving me the chance to experience the beauty of these landmarks after the sun down.

After the visit to these mosques, our driver made a pit stop in front of Istana Nurul Iman, the home for the Brunei royals. It is said to be the biggest residence building in the world, with more than 1000 people residing in the 'palace'. If you happened to be in Brunei during Eid'fitr, probably you would be able to enter the palace area, as the Sultan will open the gate and invite people to join him and the royals for feast. Nonetheless, a visit to the entrance of the palace would also bring a lot of amazement, at least to me. 

Soon after we left Istana Nurul Iman, we had the chance to learn a bit about Brunei history at the National Museum. The museum itself is not that big but at least I was able to learn more about the country. Coming back to town from the museum, I was able to see floating houses - it was the famous Kampung Ayer. Some reviews said that Brunei's Kampung Ayer is the Venice of the East. The riverbank were in the process of beautifying, that would allow better infrastructure and more comfortable sightseeing to be done. We made a stop at a newly built rest area, facing exactly towards the floating village. I was approached by a guide asking if I would like to ride on a boat and tour the village. I didn't have enough time at the time, so I had to skip the offer. It was a bit unlucky, but a river tour is actually recommended.

Our day tour ended early, since we had to get ready for a dinner on board a cruise ship at Muara Port. My schedule was so tight we had to skip lunch and had snacks instead. The area nearby the main Bandar Seri Begawan bus terminal has many choices for food. If you are planning to tour by foot, which is relatively safe and comfortable, just take note that Brunei's weather can be quite hot and humid. 

For more information about Brunei, check out the official Brunei Tourism website. 

Here is the episode for this short travel from the Makiko Travel Journal Series.

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[How-to] From Kota Kinabalu, Sabah to Brunei Darussalam by SEA

8:05 AM ASIA, BACKPACKING, BRUNEI, SABAH, TIPS, TIPS AND ADVICE, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY 9 Comments

This is a delayed post for a short travel journey completed in December 2012.

After so many years being in Borneo, I finally had the chance to make my way and get my passport stamped. For those who are wondering why am I making it such a big fuss over passport-stamping while I am being in the famous Borneo Island, here is a question for you - Do you know that Borneo, the third largest island in the world (minus the continental landmass), is home for people of three countries?

Did you manage to google the fact? YES. Borneo Island is the home for Malaysian, Indonesian and Bruneian. Enough on geography trivia, here is the travel story of Makiko sailing the South China Sea and exploring Brunei Darussalam.

With only three (3) days of working holiday given in December, I wanted a quick yet convenient method of traveling for me for this trip. I was in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah MY. It is not a hidden secret over the options available for Kota Kinabalu - Brunei route. For many people who loves traveling by land, hiring a car or getting on a bus from the capital city of Malaysia's land below the wind state to Brunei are probably the best choice. Whether you do it by car or bus - both are popular options.

Making your way to Brunei from Kota Kinabalu by wheels will take few hours (approximately half day). However, the roads conditions are something that you need to be concern of. Those who are not used to driving on narrow roads with big vehicles passing (a lot), may want to rethink of self-driving. Buying bus ticket would probably a better choice - this of course would include you sitting in a bus with adventurous drivers using the same roads mentioned; if you were to drive on your own.

When it comes to traveling, I have this weird obsession with doing it differently (or in other words - following less popular methods or/and routes). I have heard about going to Brunei by ferry; so I began to surf around the internet hoping to get usable information about this. After reading few blogs and recommendations, I decided to take the sea for this Brunei's adventure. 

This is what you should do if you decide to follow this option:

• Make sure you wake up very early* on the day of departure,
• Find your way to Jesselton Point in Kota Kinabalu,
• Buy a ticket at the designated counter at Jesselton Point,
• Walk straight up to the jetty,
• Wait for the ferry until being called for embarkment.
• After 3 hours of ferry trip, you'll arrived at the Labuan International Ferry Terminal.
• Disembark the ferry - you'll have a short break here.
• Before going back to the terminal, make sure you head to the ticketing counter - you need to pay terminal tax separately.
• Hop into another ferry (but before that you'll need to go through immigration scanning and check),
• Another one and half hour journey on water; and you'll see the Muara Port  out the window of your ferry.
• Disembark at Muara Ferry Terminal and go through the immigration procedures. 
• You have arrived on the land of Brunei Darussalam. 
• Oh!!! Just in case if you felt dizzy after you stepped foot on the ferry terminal - don't be surprised. You've just travelled a total of four and half hours on sea.

Important notes:

When I say wake up very early; this is because there is ONLY two ferry services available from Kota Kinabalu to Labuan (required transit before heading to Brunei) in a day. If you want to arrive in Brunei on the same day, then you MUST take the first ferry - that departs at 08:00hrs. For more information, you can check out Jesselton Point official website.

If you missed the first ferry, you could still get on the next one in the afternoon, but you would need to spend the night in Labuan Island. The day I went to Brunei, the second ferry to Labuan was cancelled. Had I missed the first ferry, I probably would have to run to the bus station).

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Brunei is probably one of the few small countries in South East Asia, but that doesn't mean it is easy to travel from point A to point B.

After arriving at Muara Ferry Terminal I had to find my way to the capital city of the country - Bandar Seri Begawan (BSB). There was a taxi waiting outside the terminal building. Although I kinda knew that the taxi would be a bit expensive (due to the exchange rate between MYR and BND), I went on to ask the taxi driver. The journey from Muara to BSB would be about half an hour, and the expected taxi fare would be around BND 42-45. Of course I immediately panicked - my brain started to make the calculation. If I choose taxi, probably I would end up starving the next day. 

Lady luck was on my side. While my head was spinning from the exchange rate calculation, I saw a small purple bus ahead of me. I said thank you to the taxi driver and walked up to the bus. I asked the driver and he said the bus fare from the ferry terminal to BSB's bus terminal was (ONLY) BND1.00 - thank god!!! He also mentioned that the I need to change bus at Muara bus station (which is more like an empty parking lot where many busses rest); that doesn't cost me anything - I just had to show the same ticket to the bus conductor.

My general opinion on the local bus ride - If you are not an adventurous person, you might be taken by surprised by the comfort level of the entire 45 minutes journey from Muara to Bandar Seri Begawan. The bus was small, soon packed with the locals, cruising relatively fast on regular bumpy roads and of course with no air-conditioning - natural air flowing from the opened windows. By the time I arrived at BSB bus terminal, it was already almost 4pm.

On that day alone, I have taken two ferries and two busses; but my actual pit stop was a hotel in Gadong - another 15 minutes' drive from BSB bus terminal. Since my friend from Kuala Lumpur was already waiting for me at the hotel, so we could both go for some food (she was waiting for me for her lunch, errkkk...late lunch I supposed); I had no choice but to take a taxi instead of looking for connecting bus. In the end, at least I only spent about BND15.00 for the taxi fare (I did cry in heart while paying). The taxi driver, however, was kind enough to recommend me few places to visit and gave his contact card, just in case I needed transport while I was in the city.

If you all are wondering how I felt when I reach the hotel, I must say that I had so much fun while traveling from Kota Kinabalu to Gadong district in Brunei. It's just me, "when Makiko travels, she always look for challenging ways doing it".

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Interrupted postings - writer's apology

8:47 PM BACKPACKING, FROM KL to TAIWAN, QUICK NOTES No Comments

It has indeed been an interesting journey of mine while on my personal Indo-China route. To date, I am in the last city of this stint - Taipei. Albeit reasonably good internet connection in almost all the places I have stopped, for certain reasons many of the websites (including blogger) are not always available for access.

I shall resume writing about my experience for the past month or so once I have returned to Malaysia (for my break). To all dear followers and readers, my sincere apology for not keeping up to my promise.

See you all next time...!!!

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Day 13: Cu Chi Tunnel, living proof of Vietnamese strength

11:28 PM BACKPACKING, CU CHI TUNNEL, FROM KL to TAIWAN, HO CHI MINH CITY, HOANG LIEN HOTEL, TRAVEL, VIETNAM No Comments

This was my second time visiting Ho Chi Minh City, after almost nine years. The momentum is different because this time I am on full control of things I can and cannot (or shall I say, would?) do. History of Vietnamese, on its French and American wars is well-known to the South East Asia region. I did not have the chance to visit some of the famous historical sites while I was in Saigon, first time, so I decided to follow a day trip to the famous Cu Chi district where the remnants of the Vietnamese soldiers (i.e. VietCong/ VC) are still kept intact for future generations.

After an early pick-up from the hotel, a bus load of tourists was driven to the Cu Chi district, about 30 minutes drive from district 1 (where we depart). Cu Chi district has always been known for the Vietnamese fighters during the French and America wars. After gaining its independence in the 1940’s, the country had gone through tremendous ordeal to really gain their true liberation. Vietnamese soldiers who were seen as terrorists had built an underground life (best known as a mini local city) in order to fight the war.

Depending on the tour package, one must know that to visit the Cu Chi Tunnel site, there is an entrance fee. There is a ticket counter and English guide available for visitors. The first stop after the entrance is a short video presentation of Cu Chi history and about the war itself. Do take note that for many, this presentation is a heavily biased. I personally felt that the video presentation (or even the guided presentation of the tour later) is an honest opinion of the Vietnamese side, especially of those who have fought so hard to getting their country full liberation.

 There is nothing special on the ground of the visiting area. It was just a normal forest, but as you proceed, the guide will further amaze you with the underground life of Vietnamese fighters. Secret underground entrances, small walk-ways underground, 3 levels of tunnel stretching more than 200 km and various other remnants from the actual war are carefully explained and showed by the professional guides of Cu Chi Tunnel. Additional to this, the site also offer the visitors the chance to experience the underground living, if you are not claustrophobic and are not too big sized. Vietnamese are known to be very innovative especially during those times. One can see few samples of self made weapons and nasty booby traps done by the Vietnamese fighters during the war.

At the middle of your visit, visitors can also try to use weaponry from the war times first hand. Just purchase the bullets and you are ready to shoot the guns. The shooting are administered by the Vietnamese Army, so there are professional guides to help you use the weapons. At the end of the visit, the host will serve local delicacy; which was one of the main dishes during the war period, for visitors to taste. If you are observant enough, the food are still cooked traditionally in an underground kitchen. For those who want to buy souvenirs, there is a small shop selling goodies for visitors.

While walking over the ground, I was trying to imagine of the difficulties the Vietnamese fighters had to endure for about 30 over years here in Cu Chi. Their perseverance and willingness to keep on fighting were for their future generations, and for those who have died doing so – I personally believe they will be very happy to see Vietnam now.

After a day in the “jungle”, I was hoping to be able to join Saigon river dinner boat cruise. This was not materialized especially since many of the dinner packages are for couple, rather than single dining. Instead I decided to walk around the area whereby I was staying. There was a cute bar nearby the hotel, so I hang out for a couple of hours sipping local coffee while listening to live music. It was a nice way to end my day.

Click on the web album cover below to see pictures of today’s adventure >>

Day 13 - Cu Chi Tunnel, living proof of Vietnamese strength

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[Hotel Review] Sawasdee Krungthep Inn (Bangkok, Thailand)

12:05 AM BACKPACKING, BANGKOK, HOTEL REVIEW, KHAO SAN ROAD, SAWASDEE KRUNGTHEP INN No Comments

Sawasdee hotel chain has four premises located in the vicinity of backpackers’ heaven in Bangkok. Via Asia Rooms users can make reservation at bargain price. Sawasdee Krungthep Inn is about 20 minute’s tuk tuk ride from Hua Lam Phong train station.

It is located at Soi Rambutri, Phanakorn; an area full of budget accommodations, café and restaurants and, most importantly, numerous tour & travel agent services. This budget hotel is slightly at the end of the street, which is near to the shortcut way heading to Khao San Road as well as to the Grand Palace (about 10 minute’s walk).

The hotel provides clean and comfortable room for guests including bed, towels, and toiletries and in some package may include breakfast. Wireless internet is complimentary but if your room is located on second floor and above or your room is at the end of the walkway, you may not be able to catch the signal. Users can always bring down their laptop to the lobby to enjoy faster WIFI connection. Those who do not have any laptop, computers with internet services and printer are available for use.

There is also a tour desk at the lobby that provides booking and reservation services for variety of tour or/and travel arrangements. As the hotel is located at the end of the street, you can expect reasonable amount of quietness when you are asleep in room. At the reception counter, you can also leave your valuables for safekeeping in locked locker at no charge. It is highly advisable not to leave your valuables in the room as the area is so busy with people. The hotel even put up a notice at the room door advising guest to use extra locks when you are asleep in room.

The only minus point for this hotel is the restaurant is located in another Sawasdee hotel, which is about 3 minutes walk from this hotel building. If you are worried of not having a place to eat, rest assured that you will not be starving. There are huge selections of café and restaurant to choose the moment you walk out the hotel’s entrance.

This is highly recommended for backpacker, especially single travelers. 
My personal rating: 4 stars

Read my journey in Bangkok in Day 5: Pit Stop in Bangkok

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Day 12: An interesting bus ride, entering Vietnam and meeting someone

12:02 AM BACKPACKING, CAMBODIA, CIRCUIT HOTEL, CROSSING CAMBODIAN BORDER, FROM KL to TAIWAN, HO CHI MINH CITY, HOANG LIEN HOTEL, MEKONG EXPRESS LIMOUSINE BUS, PHNOM PENH, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY, VIETNAM No Comments

Similar to the bus journey from Thailand to Cambodia, the trip from out of Cambodia was also an early venture. 10 minutes to 8 am the pick-up service arrived to bring me to the bus station. This time my seat was not in the front rows, but almost at the end. Since it was nearly the Khmer New Year, many people were taking opportunity to travel out of the city. I noticed that there were also many Vietnamese who seem to be working in Cambodia were on the bus as well (surely they are in “balik kampong” mode).

Shortly before I board the bus, the bus company representative requested for our passport and was busy asking for our names and nationalities. I thought that the passports were collected to ease the procedure at the border later - I was wrong.

I was seated next to a tall and dark haired European gentleman. I saw him on the same pick-up van earlier. He had a small bag, which made me wonder, “Gee…how can this guy travel this light?”

Apparently he has some sense of humour. A brief exchange of greetings led to a very interesting conversation, almost all the way of the journey. I hope to be able to meet him again when I reach Hanoi. It was good to have company while on this trip. It has been quite a lonesome journey ever since I reach Cambodia. Somehow we had something in common, which made it more interesting - we have mixed blood running in our body =.=”

Anyway, the journey from Phnom Penh to Ho Chi Minh City was really an interesting experience. Cambodia and Vietnam are known for the extensive river channels which are part of the longest river in South East Asia, Mekong River. Infrastructure is perhaps still a challenge for Cambodian. There is no bridge connecting two towns nearby the country border. I had the opportunity to be on a ferry bringing our bus crossing the Mekong River. After almost 4 hours on the road, the bus reached the city of the border. However, before crossing the border the bus made a stop at a restaurant. I had something to eat and took the opportunity to get myself refreshed. I have to admit that the Cambodian immigration check was very easy and quick, except for the method where the immigration officer was calling name of the passengers before all of us could get into the bus again. Entering Vietnam however was an hour queue before my name was finally called by the immigration officer. The immigration building is a big and seems to have many modern facilities, but the entry systems they have are surely full of areas for improvement. You will need strong legs to withstand the long queue.

The distance between border and Ho Chi Minh City is less than 100 km but since the road was not as good as our highway, the journey was about 2 hours. The moment the bus entered HCMC, it was something new for me. The city had definitely changed tremendously for the last 9 years. I was here back in 2002 and the scene of the city is nothing compared to my first visit. The bus stop nearby a park in District 1, which is actually where the hotel I was to stay, is located. I (and Mr Gentleman) had a drink before saying goodbye. The coffee shop had wireless internet connection, so I took the chance to google the direction to the hotel. I decided to walk from the coffee shop to the hotel after finding out that it was only 800 meters away.

Again, upon check-in, I was amazed by the room provided by the hotel. Minus the window, everything else is far better than Seri Malaysia hotel chain, and the rate is only $18 per night (including breakfast). I took the chance to get myself refreshed and wanted to go to the railway station. Unfortunately due to the language problem, it was almost impossible for me to safely go to the said destination by taxi. Slightly tired and frustrated, I started walking the same route as I came from the bus stop. After about 15 minutes walking I reached at the area. The area is full with travel and tour arrangement service businesses. Greeted by a kind man, I decided to check out the service of the travel service. He was very helpful at getting my train ticket arranged and purchased. The prices however had slightly increased compared to the charges I saw from the internet. For the trip from HCMC to Danang, it cost me 950,000 Vietnamese Dong and for the trip from Danang to Hanoi, the cost was 870,000 Vietnamese Dong. Due to the nature of travel, which will take about 16 hours each trip, I had purchased the soft sleeper coach.

While trying to find a place for dinner, someone had passed me a flyer. Surprisingly it was an Indian and Pakistani restaurant, serving Halal food. Too tired of walking further, I ended up eating at the restaurant – Taj Mahal Restaurant. I had garlic naan with Chicken Tandoori Masala and mango lassi.

I had booked a half day tour from the reception desk that requires me to wake up early. Pick-up from hotel was at 7.30am – lucky the hotel have wake-up call service.

See some interesting pictures snapped for the day here (or click here Day 12 Web Album)

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Day 11: The bachelor, King of Kingdom of Cambodia

12:49 AM BACKPACKING, CAMBODIA, CIRCUIT HOTEL, FROM KL to TAIWAN, PHNOM PENH, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY No Comments

If anyone to ask, I would say Phnom Penh can be easily toured in only one day. A Cambodian friend, who is currently abroad studying, recommended activities (including places) to do while in Phnom Penh which can be completed in a day – he was right. Since I had two full days in Phnom Penh, so I decided to go slow with the sightseeing. Yesterday I was adapting to the dusty town, yet I had managed to experience the sound and smell of Phnom Penh city during the fair share of walking around town.

The day must start with a good breakfast, but I somehow slipped of the alarm. Like it or not, I had to miss my breakfast because my ride was already at the hotel doorstep before I even finish combing my hair. LOL..!!!

I hopped on Mr Vuf tuk tuk heading to the Grand Palace. Yesterday I heard that the King was in China and if I were lucky I could see the King (as he was supposed to return home today). This is my first time seeing a palace, where a King actually resides, that is located in the middle of city. The Kingdom of Cambodia Grand Palace is a significant structure right in the city centre, facing the main river. The entrance fee for foreign tourist is US$6.50 and since I wanted to learn about the history of the monarch and palace, I paid additional US$7 for an English guide. He was extremely jovial and funny – especially when he kept on saying if I am lucky enough, I can marry the King – he is still single.

At the age of 58, the present king of Cambodia is still a bachelor. He was a ballet dancer until he assumed the throne a few years back. Many royal items on the premise had to be changed to accommodate to his royal highness. The palace compound was huge, and I figured his royal highness must be very lonely staying in the big palace by his ownself. The guide had told me that his royal highness could not be that lonely since he has about 1,500 staffs working in the palace. The building of the palace is mainly influenced by the current Buddhist architecture, with a spice of Hinduism touch. Among the many building structure there is one building that was donated by French, and it was completed French architecture. I could see it clearly even though it was undergoing restoration works.

Within two hours of my journey inside the palace I learnt that Cambodia was a wealthy country, rich with gold. The royal gifts or items kept in the palace are mostly made from gold. There was even a pagoda known as Silver Pagoda – the temple floor was made out of pure silver tiles. At the end of the tour I asked the guide, who will assume the throne since the present King is not married? With full confident he answered, “His royal highness has a brother and he will assume the throne.”

I was getting hungry but it was nowhere near lunch time. Immediately after the palace, I head to the Russian Market. Apparently, Trip Advisor rated Russian Market visit better than going to Central Market. As I wanted to see the local in action, my trip to the Russian Market was the closest I could get to be with the local. If you are a shopper, this would be heaven. You can find almost everything here, from jewelries to clothes and from fresh ingredients to cooked dishes. If I were to go on a shopping spree, I would need more than 2 hours in this market. After roaming around to see all the dry stuffs, my feet brought me to the food section. Struggling with language, I was very happy to finally buy a local delicacy – banana wrapped with sticky rice and banana leave (similar to Malaysian pulut dakap but this is bigger). Outside the market there was a street vendor selling another local delicacy. This time I tried the thin pancake with crushed peanuts (tasted like apam balik but a crispy one). It was not easy to find a food shop around the market area, but there was small make-shift vendor selling drinks. I sat down at the place, sipping coconut juice, while waiting for my tuk tuk driver.

Cambodia is a country of flat land. So far I have not seen any elevated land (not even a small hill) ever since I came to Poi Pet. I am still at awe trying to imagine the looks of the country during the flood season. There is a man made hill in the city that also house Wat Phnom. It was not a high climb, but the fact that the temple was on an artificial elevated land somehow creates an excitement. On the way heading to the stairs, I saw a friendly elephant waiting for people to ride him. The elephant seemed very happy when people feed him bananas. You can pay the care taker of the elephant US$5 to take pictures while feeding the elephant. It was a good exercise for me climbing the stairs.

The day was supposed to end early – I wanted to do some packing for my early morning bus ride, the day after. At around 4pm, Yusuf, my guide from Siem Reap called me to ask if I wanted to join him and his small group for a dinner on boat. How could I say NO when my original intention was to have dinner on boat..?? I had joined a couple of ladies from Malaysia and it was a good time when all of us where talking in my native language.

My last tuk tuk ride cost me US$2, from the night market (last pit stop after dinner) to Circuit Hotel. I just had to quickly pack all the stuffs because I need to be in bed by 11pm. I can’t remember what time I actually doze off.

Click album cover below to see Day 11 pictures from the web album >>

Day 11 - Tour in Phnom Penh

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[Hotel Review] Moradok Thai Guesthouse (Ayutthaya, Thailand)

12:10 AM AYUTTHAYA, BACKPACKING, HOTEL REVIEW, MORADOK THAI GUESTHOUSE, THAILAND No Comments

If you are an adventurous and not “fussy”, this guesthouse is a good bargain. Located in Ayutthaya, this small guesthouse is run by a friendly Thai lady (married to a Swiss man), Gina. It sits next to one of the many temple ruins of Ayutthaya.

Do not attempt to walk from the railway station because it is not that near (despite google map saying otherwise). Instead, you can easily request for a pick up – free of charge, from the guesthouse owner herself. At bargain price you will get basic room with beds, blankets, ensuite bathroom and a cheerful entertainer, Samsee. The bar starts early and you can make friends here (I am not joking!!!). Breakfast is pretty standard – toast, eggs, fruits and coffee; and it is usually included in the price you pay for the room.

In front of the guesthouse is a traditional Thai massage place and a restaurant. You can also rent bicycle from the guesthouse at a very cheap price. Additional service at the guesthouse includes tour packages for many activities in Ayutthaya you want to do.

Location wise – this place is within walking distance to many Ayutthaya main attractions. Take a map at the counter and start exploring this ancient city. If you need to buy anything, you are only 2 minutes away from the 7eleven and the local night market.

You can book Moradok Thai guesthouse from AsiaRooms easily. My personal rating: 3 ½ stars.

Read entries on my experience in Ayutthaya

Day 3: Ayutthaya on Foot

Day 4 - Ayutthaya on water

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Travel updates : Check out my web albums

3:41 PM BACKPACKING, CAMBODIA, FROM KL to TAIWAN, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY, VIETNAM No Comments

When you are on the move, one of my many challenges is getting a stable internet connection. I had promised my dear followers and readers of the journey updates, regularly.


Entries on the journey is on the way. Meanwhile, enjoy some of the pictures snapped while I traveled in Cambodia and Vietnam >>

Day 11 - Tour in Phnom Penh

Day 13 - Cu Chi Tunnel, living proof of Vietnamese strength

Day 14 - Experience Mekong Delta; what a scene

Day 15 – A new sight of Ho Chi Minh City

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Day 10: A recovering city, Phnom Penh

3:29 PM BACKPACKING, CAMBODIA, CHOEUNG EK, CIRCUIT HOTEL, FROM KL to TAIWAN, KILLING FIELD, PHNOM PENH, TRAVEL, TRAVEL AND JOURNEY, TUOL SLENG GENOCIDE MUSEUM No Comments

Breakfast was the same menu – toast, egg and coffee. The evening before, I saw list of attractions in Phnom Penh, on the tuk tuk. History had many stories about Pol Pot and devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge to Cambodia. I wanted to see for myself so I opted to go and see the famous Killing Field and S-21.

Advice for others if you are going to Phnom Penh on traveling around the city – either you hire a car/taxi service or if you choose to ride tuk tuk, gear up yourself with a protective mask. The city is indeed a dusty city; even the locals are seen to be wearing protective mask.

Killing field is located outside the Phnom Penh city centre, which took me more than half an hour of tuk tuk ride. I managed to snap a few pictures of Independence Monument, while I was on my way that morning. It would be nicer if I could snap more pictures, but since the monument is the main structure of a very big roundabout, it was not so easy to get the tuk tuk stop in the traffic.

The Khmer empire was huge during ancient civilization. Even during the French colonization era, Cambodia was still prosperous with promising development of both its people and country. Sadly after the country’s independence, and like many other South East Asian countries, the country was torn by civil war and soon after was affected directly by the influence of communism. The term Khmer Rouge will always be remembered by history and especially the Cambodian people. During the reign of Pol Pot regime, the country had to witness a complete meltdown of the growth Cambodian people had been working hard for centuries.

It was more than a crime, whereby almost half of the Cambodian population was slaughtered during the Khmer Rouge era. Killing field was the place where all prisoners from the S-21 prison were executed. When I entered the Choeung Ek gate, I thought I was anxious, thinking of how would the ambiance be. I hope all the souls buried here had found their solace. Although it was a sad view seeing all the remaining skulls and some clothes; which were dug out from the mass grave, I felt serenity walking around the compound.

Coming back to town was not an easy ride, especially with the dust from the road. I arrived at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum after traveling about 30 minutes. It was a high school which was turned into a prison (S-21) during the Khmer Rouge reigned. The compound was not big, but you may need about 2 hours to go through everything. Since the International Crime Court had just settled, there was also exhibition on the inhumane crime trial of the four highest administrators of the Khmer Rouge. One thing that would give impact to visitors is the massive display of photos of all the prisoners held, tortured and killed here at S-21. I was trying to search for fear in the eyes of the people photographed, but many seemed not to show the sense of fear even when they already know their tragic fate, back then.

There were 7 graves in the compound for the last 7 bodies found after Pol Pot regime defeated and the army fled of the S-21. Among them was a female prisoner. I took about 15 minutes seating at the bench facing the buildings in the area trying to reflect how lucky my country was for not having such heinous experience like Cambodia had to endure.

After a dusty day, I went back to hotel for a shower and short rest. Determined to see Mekong River in action, I started walking (helped by a map) trying to reach the riverside. After about half an hour of walking, I reached to a big road intersection. I could see the big river in front of me. Another objective while in Phnom Penh was to ride the water of the big Mekong River. The hotel staff told me that I could find the boat ride service along the river side. Somehow I could only see many boats cruising the river, but no sight of the boat stop or pier. I continued walking, but after about an hour walking and losing sight of the river bank, my worry surfaced.

Knowing that language is the biggest barrier, I decided to walk into a 5 star hotel, The Cambodiana, to inquire about the right destination. To my surprised, I had gone to the wrong direction. An English speaking concierge helped me to show the location on a map and advised me to take a tuk tuk, especially because of the distance. I paid US$2 for the tuk tuk ride. Unfortunately, since it was already dark, no more boat with dinner was available for me to ride. I could take a boat by myself – an hour ride cost me US$15. The tuk tuk driver was nice enough to accompany me on the ride; otherwise it would be an extremely lonely journey.

It was indeed a great view of the city from the water. Soon after I hopped off the boat, I knew that I need to get something to eat. The tuk tuk driver brought me to a halal small eatery, ran by a Malaysian. I was lucky that he understood my original request of wanting to eat Muslim food.

Since I still have another day tomorrow, I decided to head back to hotel for rest and sleep. Having to see the city and its history gave me a conclusion – the country is in its recovering mode. They are still at infancy stage waiting for the new generations to start developing the country; since all the intellectuals were assassinate by the Pol Pot regime.


Check out pictures from my web album by clicking the album cover below >> 

Day 10 - Phnom Penh, a recovering city

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