kbguy

Day Trip To Malacca

2012-02-02T22:13:00.002+08:00

Malacca is located towards the Southern-West of Penisular Malaysia, about 150 km away from Kuala Lumpur. You can get there by bus, taxi or train. There is no train station in Malacca. The nearest train station is in Tampin, Johor which is about 38 km from Malacca city. And there is no airport in Malacca too. You'll have to go through either the Kuala Lumpur International Airport or Johor Bahru Airport first.

We took a day trip to Malacca recently. For a short trip like this, the must visit place is the Jonker Street and it's surrounding.And do take the decorative trishaw ride which cost about RM40.00 per hour to tour around famous places instead of walking. Of course you can opt for walking too instead. There are many interesting and historical places within the city. Jonker Street is some sort similar to a China town and they are famous among shoppers and food lovers. But beware, most of the goods there are from China, Thailand and Indonesia.

Although Malacca is the third smallest state in Malaysia after Perlis and Penang, it has one of the highest inbound foreign visitors to Malaysia. And it is a very clean city and well taken care off by the town municipal council.

Hotel Diplomat, Kolkata

2011-11-04T12:44:00.001+08:00

I booked the hotel just a few days before my trip through agoda.com. It was a last minute deal. I wanted a clean budget hotel. Just as I expected, the hotel was a decent one, clean room and clean toilet. Except the entrance to the hotel which was dusty just like any other budget hotels in India. They claimed that was because of the renovation going on. Anyway, I think that was the best hotel for that price.
The location was good too. It's about 45 minutes from the airport if the traffic is smooth. Located at NO. 10 Sudder Street, Hotel Diplomat is closed by to many shopping area. The Metro Station, the new Market, Park Street, Indian Museum, McDonald, KFC and Subway are also within walking distance. There are a lot of restaurants at Park Street. To me, McD, Kfc and Subway are important because that's where I have my daily meal most of the time in Kolkata.

I booked the rooms for two days online. I decided not to change room after the two days because of the clean toilet and bed room over here. I wouldn't take any risk of paying higher bill for another hotel because in India, most of the budget hotel rooms are very bad condition. So I extended for another two days. This time I negotiate for a better room rate.
In India, it's better that you book your room is advance. The best way is through online. Because the walk in price is extremely high. I scouted around for room price. Almost all hotels quoted publish price knowing that you need the room badly if you walk-in. Unless you have a big group, you can always negotiate for a better deal. And always ask for a net price because they always twist around. And during all my stay in India, these hotels never issue receipt even though they collect your money in advance. I think they either try to evade tax or they charge us more than the local price.

At Sudder Street. taxis are available the whole day because there are a lot of budget hotels and tourist around. There are a lot of taxi drivers sleeping inside their taxi too during the night time. Also, Sudder Street is the most happening place in town.

Kolkata or Calcutta

2011-11-02T22:35:00.003+08:00

Kolkata or Calcutta, what's the difference ? One is the new name and the later is the old name. Just like the name, I was expecting to see the two sides of the city. I didn't plan any sight seeing as I do not wish to encounter the same trouble and hustle which I experienced while I was in Delhi. What I mean is the traffic, the horrible attitude of the drivers and the strict securities at every entry point of tourist spot. They are so rude. So my 5d/4n tour is strictly street photography and shopping.
The moment I step out from the plane, I realize there is no two sides of Kolkata. There won't be any glittering or colorful side for my photography. Everything look so old and run down. The coach which supposed to take us to the airport terminal is so old. I think it's more than 30 years old. We don't even have this kind of bus servicing at our place anymore. These buses can even overtake and honk at each other at the airport runway. I see some passengers decide to walk to the terminal on their own. And the airport building itself is old too.
I bought the taxi ticket from the counter. But as I walk through the departure hall, it was almost dark. There is no sign where to wait for the taxis. There are a lot of plain cloths and untidy men approaching me for taxis. They asked for my tickets. I couldn't identify who is the right person to approach as none of them is wearing uniforms. They past around my ticket and finally I got one. This guy can't speak English at all. I end up having difficulty locating my hotel. I booked my hotel on-line. It was a last minute holidays deal. But somehow I managed by using my phone to call the hotel directly.
I stayed at Sudder Street, the most happening place in the city. For 5 days 4 nights, these are the photos that I would like to share with. Sad but true.

Where human (a rickshaw runner) share with stray dogs sleeping along the street. Rickshaw runners are homeless people too, other than taxi drivers, street sellers, hawkers, beggars, drug addicts etc.

Kolkata - Where city never sleeps. Only the people do.

These are the 3 Ds of Kolkata. Dirt, dusty and dump site. Humankind searching at the dump site near the most crowded Market in the city. Dogs, crows and pigs can be seen too.

Building houses without toilets. People have to queue every morning for their turns to use the public toilets.

These are the brave people of Kolkata. They are construction workers without any safety precaution and wearing 'sarong' climbing up high buildings to do their work.

So much talk about corruption but who take care of these homeless people ? They are everywhere in the city. Dirt, dust, noise and all kind of pollution. They cook, bath and sleep along the road side. They don't even have the 3 basic needs of a human being which is food, clothing and shelter.

There are lots of huge buildings left by the British, but these people have to live outside the buildings make of tents.

Bathing along the walkways on the busy streets are a common sight. Water pumps are installed for the homeless instead of homes.
If you don't like this place, you may consider going for a cheap holidays to Florida.

Wada Hostel, Guilin

2011-10-09T20:38:00.001+08:00

I made the right move when I decide to change hostel on my way back from Yangshuo. And I wanted to try different hostel in different part of Gulin. Backstreet hostel in located downtown whereas Wada Hostel is located slightly outskirt but neared to the main bus station and the train station. Both stations are about 600 meters away from the hostel. You can actually walk to the stations.

The hostel provide clean and cheap dormitory beds and rooms. A single room with bathroom attached cost about RMB130. Free WIFI, DVD room, Bar and courtyard design cafe are available serving local and western food. And opposite the hostel is the biggest Shopping Mall in Guilin. And the staffs there are friendly and speak fluent English.

If you are keen to stay in this hostel, you may contact:

Wada Hostel,

No. 212 Huanchengxi 1 Road,

Guilin.

Tel: 86-773-2154888 / 2154999

www.wada-hostel.com

email: wadahostel@yahoo.com

If you are traveling on a small budget or as a backpacker, I strongly recommend you to stay at this hostel. The only disadvantage is that it is slightly far from all the tourist destinations and most of all the popular Pedestrian Street of Guilin, near the Li River.

Yangshuo - The Great Scenic Area

2011-10-08T11:10:00.001+08:00

In Guanxi people always say that Guilin has the most beautiful scenery of the world, and Yangshuo has the best of all. The whole place is covered with unique hills and stunning waterways. More than 20,000 hills and 16 rivers are named. Yangshuo has over 100 scenic spots, they are the Yanti scenic spot on the Li River, scenery area of Fuli, scenery area in Gaotian, Xingping, Liu Park on the Li River and Yangshuo town itself, just to name a few. And the most popular way to visit all these places is by bicycle. Others include Motorbikes and electric public buses. You can easily rent a bicycle all along the popular West Street or from your hotel itself. Alternatively, you can also opt for cheap and all inclusive holidays here.

During the evening, West Street is the most visited place in Yangshuo. All kind of goods and foods can be found. Local and Western food are available everywhere. Bars are also plenty. My only advice is to ask for price before you order because everyone in this town are tourists. Including shopping, bargain to your lowest price as much as 80% discounts and beware of pick-pockets.

Countryside Tour At Yangshuo

2011-09-18T06:48:00.001+08:00

Yangshuo Countryside Tour

2011-09-17T11:38:00.000+08:00

A visit to Yangshuo would not be complete without the countryside tour. The tour includes visiting the Yulong Village and Yulong Bridge. Also while strolling along the crystal clear river with a bamboo boat, the guests were brought to watch the Cormorant Fishing show. The scenery and landscapes are so beautiful as if seen on the painting. I'll let the pictures speak by itself.

Li River Cruise To Xingping

2011-09-16T07:05:00.000+08:00

The Li River cruise is another wonderful experience for me in China. The amazing picturesque scenery makes it more interesting for a solo traveler like me. I never get bore even alone as I was too busy 'clicking' my camera. Obviously I wasn't the only one enjoying the cruise. It seems like everyone was having fun too. I strongly recommend this Bamboo cruise to anyone travelling to Guilin.

Li River Cruise

2011-09-15T22:59:00.001+08:00

Cruising Li River is a must if you visit Guilin. You can either take the Deluxe Boat or the Bamboo Boat. The Deluxe Boat package includes the bus which picks the tourist at about 8 am from the hotel. It takes 45 minutes by bus to reach the Zhujiang Pier. The boat will leave the pier at 9.30 am. It takes 4 hours on the boat and arrives Yangshuo at around 1.30 pm. You will have a few hours to tour Yangshuo, depending on the water level during the cruise. At 6 pm, the bus will drives the tourist back to Guilin. This package cost RMB 480 per adult and RMB 300 for children which includes bus, boat ticket, Chinese lunch and an English speaking guide.

During my trip, I choose the cruise by bamboo boat which is more interesting and cheaper. Our bus came to pick us up at our hostel at 10 am sharp. The group from our hostel comprises the largest group with almost all westerners except me. Then we also have a family of three Chinese from other hotel. As such our tour guide have to use English explanation followed by Chinese explanation.. After about an hour journey by bus, we arrived at Yangdi Pier. The motor bamboo boat was actually a boat made of PVC pipe.

The bamboo boat cruise along the Li River took about 2 hours from Yangdi to Xingping. It was beautiful scenery all the way with karst hills, caves and scenic spots. The water was crystal clear too. At Xingping, the bus took us to Yangshuo, dropping us at the famous West Street. I pay RMB200 for all. And the service by the tour guide was excellent !

Trekking Up To Longsheng Rice Terrace

2011-09-13T18:18:00.000+08:00

The Longsheng Rice Terraces 龙胜梯田 are located in Longsheng County, about 100 km or 2 hours drive from Guilin, Guangxi, China. And it takes about 45 minutes to trek up the Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields.The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountain top. The terraced fields were mostly built during the Ming Dynasty, about 500 years ago.

Longji (Dragon's Backbone) Terraced Rice Fields received their name because the rice terraces resemble a dragon's scales, while the summit of the mountain range looks like the backbone of the dragon. Visitors standing on the top of the mountain can see the dragon's backbone twisting off into the distance. In an early morning, when the weather is fine, the sunrise on the summit of Longji Rice Terraces is magnificent. They are often considered most beautiful in early June. At this time, water is pumped over the rice paddies and young plants are transferred to the main terrace.

Longsheng Tour To See Da'zhai Village And Longji Terraced Field

2011-09-12T23:22:00.001+08:00

Our six seater van came to pick us up at the hostel at 8 am sharp. It was arranged by our Hostel. The charges is RMB120 per person for the transportation and RMB 80 for the entrance fee. It takes about 2 and half hours from our hostel to the base of the Longji Terraced Field. From there, we have to walk up to the three peaks on our own.

Since there weren't much tourist to this place, I followed the Chinese group of 17 from Kwantung. They choose the signage to Xinzhai Village as they are putting a night there. This is the toughest trek among all. I didn't realize I follow the wrong route until half the journey when I asked around. It was tough as the climb was very steep all the way up.

After half an hour, I slow down and let those group to go ahead leaving me behind on my own sweet time. I took the opportunity to relax and enjoy the scenery and photography. When I was inform by a local guy who was walking up the same peak as I am, that I wasn't even half the journey, I make up my mind to make a U-turn. I came unprepared and it was too tiring for me. It was a shame of me.

With so much extra time, I took the opportunity to visit the house of the hill tribes and had a chat with them in order to understand their daily chores and cultures. I also take the opportunity to practice my Mandarin with the local tribes along the way. Those local sellers were friendly indeed.

We were supposed to meet up at 4 pm as arranged earlier with the driver for the return trip but I end up waiting at the based at about 1 pm. So I slept until the rest of the group arrived. Perhaps I will try visiting this place again on my next trip to Guilin !!

Guilin 桂林

2011-09-11T17:09:00.004+08:00

Guilin 桂林 which is in the northeast of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of far Southern China sit on the west bank of the Li River. Its got it's name which means "forest of Osmanthus flowers", owing to the large number of Sweet fragrant Osmanthus trees located in the city during the ancient time. The city has been renowned for its unique scenery.

Guilin has enjoyed the reputation of having the most fantastic natural landscapes not only in China but also abroad. Its dreamy natural scenery and unique ancient architecture from the Qin and Ming Dynasties astound visitors from home and abroad. Visiting Guilin and discovering its natural wonders, such as its magical green pinnacles, crystal-clear water, picturesque rocks and intriguing caves, can provide a never-ending journey for every visitor. Now is the prime time to travel to Guilin and experience this charming and historic city in all its splendor.

Guilin is not only a perfect place for living, but also an extraordinary, eco- friendly tour destination.

With a total population of 4,951,100 in the city and surrounding areas, Guilin is currently home to 12 ethnic nationalities. 8.5% of the population is made up of 11 minority nationalities including Zhuang, Hui, Yao and Dong etc..

Guilin covers an area of 27,809 square km and has 5 districts (Diecai, Qixing, Xiufeng, Xiangshan, Yanshan) and 12 counties (Yangshuo, Lingui, Lingchuan, Xing’an, Quanzhou, Ziyuan, Longsheng, Yongfu, Lipu, Gongcheng, Pingle and Guanyang).

Guilin Backstreet Youth Hostel

2011-09-10T17:40:00.003+08:00

Take the shuttle bus from the airport to the second (last) bus stop. Than, walk along the Li River or take a taxi which cost 9 yuan instead. The hostel is easily recognize as it is opposite Sheraton Hotel and within the Pedestrian Street. In fact Backstreet Youth Hostel is in the city by itself where every tourist spot is within walking distance including eating, shopping and bars. Local and western food are easily accessible. As for me, I prefer to look for fast food chain such as Pizza Hut, KFC or McD before I adjust to Chinese food and they are all available within walking distance from my hostel.

For those who are interested, here's the contact:

桂林后街国际青年旅馆

地址:桂林市人民路3号(喜来登大饭店隔壁)，

电话:0773-2819936,2827116

Guilin Backstreet Youth Hostel

Guilin Backstreet Youth Hostel,

3, Renmin Lu.
Guilin,
China

Tel: 0773-2819936 / 2827116

e-mail: guilinhostel@hotmail.com

Most of the travelers especially westerners who share common interest stay at this Hostel. The staffs speak fluent English and are helpful. You can get all the information you need from the staffs here or from other travelers. They have single rooms, double rooms and even dorm beds. I pay RMB120 for a single room.

The famous Elephant Hill and Shanhu Lake are within walking distance. But what I enjoy most is walking along the Li River as most of the local activities are along the river bank. The Chinese like to exercises, relax and chatting along the river especially during the evening. The elderly meet up for a chat, play cards, practicing Kung Fu, Tai Chi or even playing some musical instruments. There are also plenty spots for a swim and fishing. I stayed at this hostel for the first two nights before proceeding to Yangshuo.

Guilin, Longsheng and Yangshuo

2011-09-10T10:11:00.001+08:00

After 'google' for Guilin, I found that other places of interest nearby Guilin includes Longshan and Yangshuo. Then I came out with my own itinerary. I wanted something more relaxing and ample time to enjoy myself at this far and foreign land. A place that gives me more time to interact with the locals and to practice my illiterate Mandarin language. And here's the plan:

Day 1. Left KB by night plane. Hang around at LCCT airport for the next morning flight.
Day 2. Flight to Guilin in the Morning. Free and Easy in Guilin.
Day 3. To Longshan to visit the hill tribes village at Da'zhai.
Day 4. Bamboo raft along Lijiang River / Li River to Yangshuo.
Day 5. Yangshuo
Day 6. Yangshuo
Day 7. Yangshuo to Guilin
Day 8. Guilin
Day 9. Guilin - LCCT - KB.

And things that I must do in Guilin / Yangshuo is to watch 'The Impression of Liu San Jie" and the "Cormorant Fishing Show". I knew 8 days there is not enough. I have to move fast. And the most logical way is to take up a local tour package while I'm there. The first thing I need to do is to book a hostel room. Any other plans will be decide later once I establish my contact with the hostel staffs there. My accommodation in Guilin will be at Backstreet Youth Hostel which is opposite Sheraton Hotel, within city center and close by to Li River and the Pedestrian Walking Street. The queen bed room is RMB120 /night with bathroom attached.

Guilin 桂林 - A solo Tour

2011-09-09T14:57:00.004+08:00

When I first booked the flight ticket to Guilin, I have no idea how the place look like or what to do there. All I know is Guilin looks picturesque from photos in the Internet with lots of Karst formation, rivers with bamboo rafts scenery. The scenery must be so beautiful that it even appears on the 20yuan note
As usual I always plan my work leave and book only cheap fares. And I always wanted to explore more of China since it has so much to offer, especially the natural landscape and it's culture. I immediately booked the Guilin tickets six months in advance when Air Asia had the cheap fare promotion for a 8 days trip. Details as below:

14th August 2011 - Flight AK5295 KBR-KUL 10.35 PM depart. 11.30 PM arrive Fare: 53.00MYR
15th August 2011 - Flight AK102 KUL-KWL 6.25 AM depart. 10.25 PM arrive. Fare: 234.50MYR
22th August 2011 - Flight AK103 KWL-KUL 11.10 AM depart. 3.20 PM arrive. Fare: 234.50MYR
22th Augsut 2011 - Flight AK5294 KUL-KBR 9.15 PM depart. 10.10 PM arrive. Fare: 53.00MYR
Agency fee for China Visa: 100MYR
Total Cost: 675MYR

That was my initial cost for the trip. If you are concern and looking for low fares and cheaper hotels, you may always compare holiday prices over here. Follow me on my next posting on what I did and where I stayed at this magnificent place called Guilin 桂林 !

Perhentian Islands

2011-07-24T12:55:00.006+08:00

The Perhentian Islands or also commonly called Pulau Perhentian lie approximately 10 nautical miles (19 km) off the coast of northeastern Malaysia in the state of Terengganu. But the Islands are closer to Kota Bharu if you are flying in. The distance takes about 45 minutes by road from Kota Bharu to the Jetty in Besut.
The two main islands in Perrhentian Islands are Perhentian Besar (Big Perhentian) and Perhentian Kecil ("Small Perhentian"). The small, uninhabited islands of Susu Dara (Virgin Milk), Serenggeh and Rawa lie off Kecil. The Perhentians belong to Pulau Redang National Marine Park which means that fishing, collecting coral and littering are strictly prohibited. Like Besut, people here generally speak Kelantanese dialect.

Journey to Perhentian Island from Kuala Besut jetty takes about 30 to 45 minutes by speed boat and 1½ hours by slow boat. There are a number of boat operators in Kuala Besut jetty offering boat services to Perhentian Island. The return boat ticket cost RM70.00 per person for speed boat and RM40.00 per person for slow boat. During our recent trip, we took the boat from Lovely Travels and Tours Sdn. Bhd. The service was excellence. It was a day trip where we left the jetty at about 10.30 am and returned at 4.30 pm for the last boat. If you are interested, you may contact them directly for boat services and tour packages as well at:

Lovely Travels & Tours Sdn. Bhd.,

Contact Person: Mr. Ong Bu Hang,

79, Jalan Pantai,

22300 Kuala Besut,

Terengganu.

Tel: 09-6974297 / 09-6975422

Fax: 09-6975337 / 09-6975563

H/P: 012-9819135 / 019-4475135

e-mail address: lovely_tours@yahoo.com

There are plenty of hotels, chalets and restaurants available. And of course it depends where you drop off. The price of each accommodation rooms varies from RM150.00 to RM300.00 per night. Food and drinks are fairly priced too. You can also move around the islands by hiring a smaller boat called taxis. My favorite beach is The Long Beach as they are closed to snorkeling spot and lesser people. But whichever spot you are, the sea water are mostly crystal clear with fine white sandy beaches. For kids and snorkelers lovers, the water by the beaches are mostly shallow with lots of rays, cuttlefish and parrot fish.

One can enjoy a number of activities on its beaches and forests. The most popular are Scuba-diving, snorkeling, turtle and shark-watching and swimming . For divers, there are dozens of dive sites around both the main islands, as well as several off-shore sites. Diving lessons are also aplenty for those who are keen.

Apart from all these, other activities such as camping, fishing and jungle trekking are also available. During the evening, some hotels offer barbecue parties by the beaches. The island is closed during the Monsoon seasons from October to March the following year.

Jaipur, Rajasthan

2011-06-12T00:49:00.000+08:00

Jaipur or also called the Pink City has more attractions to offer as compared to Delhi or Agra. The Tourist Agency recommended sites include Albert Hall Museum, The Jal Mahal (Water Palace), Amber Fort & Palace, The Palace Complex, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. Of course we didn't visit all. My most favourite is the Amber Fort and street shopping. At Amber Fort, do look out for decorated Elephants. You can either walk up or take an elephant ride up to the fort. And you can also shop along the street of Jaipur where goods are much cheaper than Delhi especially near Hawa Mahal area. They have plenty of souvenirs such as T-shirts, blouse, traditional costumes, leather sneakers and sandals, hand made decorative items and etc, offering at reasonable prices. We stayed 3 days / 2 nights in Jaipur before leaving back to New Delhi.

Agra, India

2011-06-10T16:49:00.001+08:00

After Delhi, we moved on to Agra, where The Taj Mahal is located. Agra is a small town. Our hotel receptionist warned us to only consume bottled water in Agra because tap water is not safe there. I found that it is quite true because the tap water taste salty and does not produce foam when mixed with ordinary soap. I presume they use hard water. There are a few places to visit in Agra which includes Agra Red Fort, Fatehpur Fikri and of course the most popular, The Taj Mahal. It took us about 4 hours to reach Agra, including a few refreshment stops along the way.

The entry to the Taj Mahal cost 750 rupees per foreign visitor, which is the most expensive of all. But we were fortunate as it was the World Heritage Day on that day. As such there is no entry fee for that day. However, since it is free, the place is fully packed with local tourist.

Since it was free for all on that day, we took the opportunity to visit the Agra Red Fort as well immediately after the Taj Mahal, even though it was a very hot and tiring day. We didn't actually tour the entire complex but to take a few photos from the outside as the temperature were almost 40 degree Celsius at that time.

Delhi

2011-06-10T10:13:00.001+08:00

The Humayun's Tomb

When visiting North India such as Delhi, it is also recommended to visit Agra and Rajasthan which are consider the golden triangle of India. Any tour package will suggest the same even though they are quite far apart, about 4 hours drive from each other. During our recent trip, we bought the local tour package for 15000 rupees which includes accommodation, a car, toll, petrol, parking charges and a driver for 4 days 3 nights starting from New Delhi and ends in New Delhi as well. As for our 1 day tour around Delhi, it cost us 1000 rupees which exclude entrance fees but includes of petrol and 8 hours tour around the city.

The Lotus Temple

If you are planing to tour the Golden Triangle, I suggest you to pick up only some of the interesting places as entrance fees are quite costly. Perhaps a few photo shoots from the outside is good enough since the tour package are already included. We did the same too. Most tour will include Raj Ghat the cremation site of Mathatma Gandhi, Jama Masjid, Red Fort, Lotus Temple, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate, Laxmi Narayan Mandir Temple, President's House, Parliament House and the Government Secretariat's Buildings.
When choosing the tour package, terms and conditions have to be stress out with the agents. Such as taxes, toll, parking charges and to include shopping or not, because normally the driver will try to gain some benefits out from the tourist. As in our case, the driver insist that he brings us to his shopping site instead of our choice of places. I dislike shopping at places which the tour claims to belong to the government as the prices are too much higher from the normal market. These are places that gives commissions to the introducers.

The India Gate

The Laxmi Narayan Mandir Temple

Flea Market at Chandni Chowk

As for shopping, there are many such as Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place, Meena Bazaar and etc. I prefer to shop around our hotel area in Karol Bagh.
Overall I think Delhi has nothing to offer except good curries and shopping especially cotton clothing and camel leather slippers. Where food is concern, beware of it's cleanliness.

The Gardens In Srinagar

2011-05-31T20:36:00.000+08:00

There are a few gardens which was built by Jehangir Khan for his wife Nur Jahan during the 1600's. These Mughal Gardens are Shalimar Garden and Nishat Garden. And the most recent garden is the Tulips Garden which is open to the public for about 2 months in a year. We only visit Shalimar Garden and the Tulips Garden as Nishat is quite similar to Shalimar, both are Mughal influenced. We took a half day tour before leaving for the airport for the plane to New Delhi.

Pahalgam, Kashmir

2011-05-27T09:47:00.002+08:00

It takes about 2 hours to reach Pahalgam but we enjoyed the journey as the scenery was beautiful all along. Pahalgam is situated at an altitude of 2,133 metres and there are a few hill resorts nearby, surrounded with pine forest and clear water stream from the snowy mountains nearby. You can either do the horseback riding or just walking and treking the green mountain, but most tourist choose horse riding. There are a few routes to choose for horse riding, from the simple and relaxing route to tough and adventure route. We chose the later simply for the sake of fun and experience. But it's more dangerous as we have no experience at horse riding, and riding along the very side and steep mountains which is about 90 degrees up and down the terrain and muddy soil. Compare to our horse riding in Sonamarg the day before, this one seems more risky and dangerous because we are riding at the very edge of the mountains. Just imagine what if the horse makes the wrong step or skid. And going up and down the very steep terrain is like taking the roller coaster without having any safety protection. The ride took us about 2 hours. Pahalgam is famous among Indian tourist and of course it is more crowded than any other tourist spot in Srinagar. Anyhow, there are sufficient horses to cater for all. So you can imagine the number of horses available there.

kbguy..trekking The Himalayan Montains

2011-05-25T18:16:00.002+08:00

Due to time constraint, we choose Sonamarg instead of Gulmarg. Gulmarg is more popular among foreign tourist and widely promoted by the Indian Tourism because of it's availability of electric cable cars. Both offer breathtaking scenery and natural landscape, but we choose to go trekking to get the feel of the snowy mountains in the most natural way. The moment I was told about cable cars, I can imagine the huge numbers of visitors flocking the mountains just like our very own Malaysian hill resort at the Genting Highland. Moreover trekking with horses is something we wish to try and look forward to.

We left after breakfast at our houseboat. It was quite a long journey from our place to the mountain base. It took us about 3 hours with jeep. Our camera never stop clicking the moment we hop onto our jeep until we reached the base. We did had a half an hour stop for tea and some photography along the way. Yellow flowers can be seen all over covering the land before reaching the base. We were told that the flowers were use to produce Mustard oil.

At the base, we changed mode of transport from jeep to horses. Each of us rode on a horse with two local gypsies as guide. It was a long journey but worth the trip. It took us about 3 hours to reached the top and return. The guide told us they had snow storm recently and the place was closed to visitors, and was reopen just two days ago. As such the place was covered with pure white snow all over. Even though it was cold and snow everywhere, we were trekking at an altitude closer to the sun on the Himalaya mountains. After an hour trekking, we can feel our skin burning. At the end of the day, our face looks more tanned and the nose, ears and lips area got sun burnt.,,, and backache.

The Dal Lake and Shikara Ride

2011-05-22T17:32:00.000+08:00

One of the famous place to visit in Srinagar is the Dal Lake. To tour the lake, try hiring a local boat called Shikara. It is actually a decorated boat with cover. The Dal Lake which is surrounded by snow mountains is one of the famous tourist attraction here. With the Shikara, you can actually cruise around the swimming area at the lake, floating garden, floating market, lotus garden and etc as claim by many travel agents but in fact it is all in the vicinity of the Dal Lake. Frankly speaking, if you happen to be there and plan to tour the Dal Lake, just tell them you want to cruise for how many hours instead of naming so many places. The water in the lake is make up from melting snow from the mountains surrounding it. During the day, many traders by boat can be seen selling a variety of goods, from sundries to souvenirs items. And there are plenty of houseboats for rent at the Dal Lake too. I suggest you make an attempt to stay at the houseboat for a night or two although for experience sake. The price may range from 1000 rupees to 1500 rupees per night for a two/three beds room. Remember to clarify what are included in the price such as taxes, drinks or meals. During our stay, we asked for all inclusive price such as taxes and meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) but we forgot to mention 'drinks'.

New Lucky Star Houseboat

2011-05-12T21:53:00.000+08:00

We booked out hotel in Srinagar through it's web site. It was the New Lucky Star a.k.a. Young Lucky Star boathouse at the Dai Lake in Srinagar. After all it's the houseboat which is famous for among most tourist in Srinagar. There are a lot of houseboats at the lake. And of course the price varies from one to another too. I don't suggest you to book your houseboat through the website if you plan to visit Srinagar, if you are the price conscious type. I wasn't as lucky as the other group of travel mates from Bangkok. They got their houseboat at half our price by scouting from one agent to another in Srinagar town itself.

Usually I will recommend my readers the hotels I have stayed based on many reasons. But in India, I wouldn't recommend any of the hotels I stayed including this one. I noticed that in India, most of the people in the tourist related industry are ignorant on their service quality and would try to squeeze every penny out from their guest. As long as you are a foreign tourist, they'll try hard by hook or by crook. In actual fact, their services is darn poor and lousy. They even sweet talk you during the beginning of their services with empty promises.
At New Lucky Star, the whole family will serve you. They'll tell you, you are one of the family members. They'll invite you to their home. They'll offer you phone and Internet services. All these are hidden charges to be bill later. Breakfast, lunch and dinner which we asked them to include on at an agreed price per meal are actually included. But at the end of the day, they asked for extra charges which was not actually mentioned, such as mineral water, tea and apple juice which was served during meals. I was actually annoyed because drinks should be serve with meals. They only informed us at the end of our holiday and the prices was doubled from the outside price.
There was one incident when we wanted to buy 2 bottles of drinking water from the boatman. Our houseboat owner quickly grab the bottles from the boatman who was about to hand to us. He asked the boatman to return later. We wanted to gave him the money as we knew the price was only 15 rupees per bottle. He asked us to pay at the end of the 4 days. From that day onwards, he handed us 3 bottles of drinking water every morning, and during every meal. At the end of the 4 days, he charged us 35 rupees per bottle. Of course we feel cheated. To make things worse, the whole family who served us during the 4 days including the driver and owner himself reminded us to give tips when making payment as if we owe everyone of them. To us, this is extremely rude.

Also in Srinagar, there are a lot of police and soldiers everywhere especially on the road side, tourist spot and airport. I notice that these security officers and civilian can't get along very well. In actual fact, they dislike each other. That was what our tour guide from New lucky Star informed us. From my personal opinion, the Indians are annoying, and disobey rules. That is why the security officers are stringent, rough and rude to them.

To cut the whole thing shot, I think Srinagar do have the opportunity to attract more tourist as they offer wonderful, beautiful and breathtaking scenery except the people themselves especially those in the tourism industry who do not know how to grab or take the opportunity to treat their clients and guest with care and improve their services, and most importantly to deal business honestly and with trustworthiness.

Namaste India Pt. 2

2011-04-29T18:14:00.000+08:00

Our plane is expected to stop at Jammu for transit before proceeding to Srinagar. After taking off from IGIA for about 30 minutes, the pilot made a special announcement. "Due to some technical problem with the plane, we'll have to return back to IGIA, Delhi because there is no technician in Jammu". Everyone kept silence for a moment until refreshment and lunch was served. That diverted passengers from getting worry for a short while. But it was a quick serving as the plane was about to land in about 30 minutes. Not much choice of food were given. We were served vegetarian food.
Even though everyone were busy eating, I can tell most of the passenger were still worrying. I watch some of the guys stop the Chief Steward to find out the problem. I did too, but they didn't seems to have any answer. They say it's just a slight problem, and only the pilots knows about it.
Even though my sons were making some jokes in the plane, I can tell they were just as worrying too. It was scarier when the engine starts to make loud noise about 10 minutes later. Looking at the condition of the plane, you can tell it is a very old plane, maybe more than 20 years because the color of the interior already turn yellowish instead of white.
Thanks God somehow our plane landed safely at IGIA. We waited inside the plane while a team of technicians try to repair something. It was quite sometime that my son insisted a reason from the stewardess about the plane. The stewardess replied that she is not sure. He was annoyed and raised his voice that if the plane is not safe, we should changed the plane. 2 hours later, they decide to ship us to another plane.

We arrived Srinagar Airport late that evening. After passing the customs check point, we were approached by some plain cloths police personnel. They recognize us as foreigner from our outlook. We are obviously the only alien out of the whole lot. The Man who claim that he is the CID says it is the standard procedures for all foreigners to fill the form, and asked us to be quick as we are the last batch to arrive at the airport. No photography allowed at the airport. He escorted us to our hotel representative who were there waiting to received us at the exit. Latif is the name of the hotel representative from New Star Boat House at Dai Lake. Everything was quick and rush. It was police and soldiers everywhere from outside the airport and all the way to the Dai Lake. Our first impression about Srinagar ? Since there are tight securities everywhere, it's really a terrorist state and unsafe. The old buildings which is uncompleted and unpainted most of them, it's people and soildiers hoilding guns, Srinagar does remind me of Afghanistan as seen on TV back home.
But everything gets better and the feeling of relief as we approached tourist area especially at the Dai Lake with so many boats awaiting. Our tour starts after our check-in at New Star Boat House that evening.

Namaste India Pt. 1

2011-04-28T21:42:00.001+08:00

Before our departure, many friends warned us about India. The most common one is the unhygienic street food and lack of public toilets. Friends told me people do their big job at the road side and street food is extremely dirty. Because of many advice, I brought along lots of medicine and wet tissues in case of emergency. We left Kota Bharu by Malaysian Airline for KLIA. We arrive KLIA just in time for lunch at the KLIA food court before taking the airport bus to LCCT which cost us RM$2.50 per person for a direct trip for about 30 minutes journey. It didn't take long for us to wait for the next Air Asia X flight to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi as we were over excited for the trip. Our flight took of as schedule at about 5.30 pm.
India is 2.5 hours ahead of Malaysia. Our flight landed about 8.30 pm ( Indian time). Upon arrival, everything was fine and Indira Gandhi IA was absolutely huge and a beautiful complex. Everything seems fine except for some stringent security check.

After collecting our luggage, we move around the airport arrival complex. It was a plain but huge and clean hall. The toilets were very clean indeed. Since there is nothing much for us to do hanging around, we decides to get out of the airport building. We were unaware that once we walk out of the Terminal 3, we are unable to get in back into the airport. The securities are everywhere at the exit and entry point. Our plan is to sleep over night at the airport for the next domestic flight to Srinagar by Air India. So now we have a big problem as the weather outside the complex is so warm. As such, without wasting time, we take the opportunity to explore a little bit of India from the airport compound. The city is still far and the next Metro train is the last to the city. It was about 11 pm than. We had hot dog for dinner cum supper with a bottle of mineral water each.
We were deny entry to the departure complex as our flight is about 11.30 am the next day. Only those with flight departure of 3 hours before the schedule and 'ticket owner' only allowed to enter the airport. That's why the airport is clean and safest place to be around at. From one gate to another, we try entering the airport but deny entry by the security personnel's whom I think are Indian Police. After a few attempts, we manage to get in trough one of the gate out of the 5 gates, by giving many excuses, reasons and showing some documents. I think the police got confused at that time because of the many documents we shown them.
Thanks God we finally get to find our way for a good sleep inside the air conditioned complex. We look for the best spot with less people and many long bench to lay our back. The airport was busy 24 hours, bright and cold but many mosquitoes.

We checked in for the departure hall once the gates opened, 3 hour earlier. At the departure hall, everything inside are totally different from the outside. There are many shop lots, boutiques, cafes and even food court. It's like a shopping Mall. What a waste to allow shoppers to only spent 3 hours inside. Our first destination is to the food court for the taste of India.

The food looks fine and of course for airport standard, they do look clean, not so delicious and slightly expensive outside compare to outside food. And they do have Mc D and Subway too beside other Indian fast food which I totally don't know off. They also have resting chairs for long distance travellers like me, just what I needed most at that time. Our Air India flight took out as schedule at 11.30 am. I doze off as the plane took off. Everything went on fine until about 30 minutes later in the sky, suddenly the pilot made a special announcement ...

to be continue..

Coming Soon - India !

2011-04-09T20:44:00.000+08:00

Will be flying off to India soon. This will be my first trip for 2011. Destination : Kashmir, New Delhi, Agra & Jaipur.

Schedule as below:

Day 1 - KB to KLIA to LCCT to New Delhi
Day 2 - New Delhi to Srinagar
Day 3 - Srinagar
Day 4 - Srinagar
Day 5 - Sinagar to New Delhi
Day 6 - New Delhi
Day 7 - New Delhi to Agra
Day 8 - Agra to Jaipur
Day 9 - Jaipur
Day 10 - Jaipur to New Delhi
Day 11 - New Delhi to LCCT
Day 12 - KLIA - KB

Initial Cost for 3 Persons:
Flight to and return : KB - KLIA - RM 684-00
Flight to and return : LCCT - New Delhi ( including baggage ) - RM 2346-00
Flight to and return : New Delhi - Srinagar - RM 1757-49
Visa for 3 Persons including service charge by agent - RM 600-00

Will be sharing the photos after my return. Namaste !

A Day Before CNY

2011-02-05T11:24:00.002+08:00

The only non-halal market in the heart of Kota Bharu town will open during the night 3 days before CNY. It is the only market in the whole of Kelantan that sells pork openly in the public. Over at the outskirt there are other individuals who sells pork discretely as a respect to their Muslim friends and neighbors. The Market will open at night two days before the CNY eve and close on CNY eve as most of the seller themselves are Chinese. During these 2 nights various kind of delicacies, meat, fruits, imported vegetables, flower and ingredients for preparation are sold. Some of the prices may escalate especially seafood such as large prawns and fish. Hot items that people usually buy are flowers, pork duck, chicken for prayer a.k.a. ‘seng-lay ‘ in hokkien, duck, pine apples, mandarin orange, mee a.k.a. noodle, large size prawns, traditional delicacies such as sticky cake and ingredients for preparing Traditional dishes.

The CNY activity starts a day before CNY itself. This is a very important day for most of the Chinese as it includes prayers during the morning and the re-union dinner during the evening. As our family members are small, our food preparation starts as early as 4 am in the morning on the CNY eve. Most of the family members help up in the preparation of Traditional dishes such as peeling of onions and garlic and other herbs. By 8 am, most of the dishes are already almost completed. At about 9pm we proceed to the Temple to offer prayers to our God and also my late dad and mom’s altar. At the temple, we can only offer Vegetarian food. As such things are simpler over here.

Back home, we need to perform prayers to our ancestors before noon. As such after the Temple, we rush home hoping that there is no traffic jam. At home is where our traditional and customs dishes are served as prayers to our ancestors.

There are certain dishes that we do not miss to offer to our ancestors ever since I was a little kid. It includes ' seng-lay Chicken' which include a complete 'kampung Chicken' that come with the head, and slaughter from the neck and a sliced of pork meat, both steamed served with a glass of rice wine. Another traditional dish is the 'hong-bak' which includes pork and chicken cooked with plenty of chopped onions, herbs, 'gula-melaka'. And my most favorite Peking duck with salted Vegetable soup. Other traditional food includes 'Sticky Cake", Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges. All these food carries a meaning, representing or symbolize some story behind.

Flowers, Joss sticks or incense and candles are usually a must in any Buddhist or Taoist prayers. Chinese tea is also served in the the custom including prayers and weddings. And there are ways to serve them to show our gratitude and politeness.

The 'seng-lay Chicken' served with full chicken from head to feet and internal organ, sliced pork meat and a duck egg together with a glass of rice wine.

The 'Peking duck soup with salted vegetable'. A traditional dish.

The 'hong-bak'. It includes pork, chicken, 'gula melaka' cooked with herbs.

The prawns can be cook in many ways and is polular now a days among the later generation. According to the Cantonese customs, it symbolize happiness as prawns in Cantonese is called 'ha'. So with a lot of prawns means 'ha ! ha! ha!' all the year.

Fish symbolize prosperity. In Cantonese or Mandarin, fish is called 'Yu'. It represents "Nian, Nian You Yu". Can someone translate this ?

Long Noodles represents Longevity, which is served during most customs such as birthday, weddings and prayers.

And of course the Mandarin Oranges which represent gold and is usually given to friends and relatives during the visit.

All is not over for the day. To mark the end of the Chinese Calendar, a Re-Union dinner is held on the evening before the Chinese New Year. This is a grand occasion where most of the family members who traveled afar for work or studies will come back for the grand Re-Union dinner with the older generation especially with the grandparents and their parents. At the grand dinner, alcohol is also served and all grudges among family members are forgotten and forgiven.

'Yee Sang' popular among the Cantonese is served in most restaurants nowadays. Even though we are not Cantonese, we do absorbed-in the culture, whatever is best for us and for fun. For the past few years we celebrate our Re-Union dinner at the Renaissance Hotel. The price for a table cost RM688++ which served all halal food.

And here is one family photo for the album. Happy Chinese New Year and Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my blog buddies and friends. May the year of the Rabbit give you Peace in your Heart, Health in your Body, Wealth in your Life, Joy in your Home and may you and family always be blessed with these priceless treasures throughout the year. Again, Gong Xi Fa Cai, Wan Shi Ru Yi 恭喜发财，万事如意 ! from a simple kbguy and family.

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Wan Shi Ru Yi 恭喜发财,万事如意

2011-01-18T19:47:00.000+08:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai, Wan Shi Ru Yi

恭喜发财,万事如意

Wishing all my blog buddies, readers, friends and family members from far and near Gong Xi Fa Cai, Wan Shi Ru Yi 恭喜发财，万事如意 ! May the year of the Rabbit grant everyone the most happiest year ahead, more prosperity in wealth and luck and everyone stay healthy as ever. This year Chinese New Year falls on 3rd. of February 2011.

The Bangkok Kingdom

2010-12-31T20:20:00.001+08:00

Our next destination is Bangkok. We took the overnight bus from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. It was a comfortable double decker bus with drinks, meals and snacks provided. I have never felt so comfortable taking a long distance bus especially when traveling over night. May be it was because it was with the companion of my family. I used to travel overseas alone and usually I need my Mp3 player and camera to accompany me. This time, I don't have the opportunity to play with them during the whole journey.
Bangkok needs to further introduction. It's a city of lots and lots of happening and attractions. They have everything there from Mega Malls, shopping's, attractive architectures, famous Buddhist temples, good food, massage parlors and go go bars. It is the hub for most of the commercial and economical activities of the Kingdom. Whilst Taxi fares are very reasonable, most of the sightseeing can be reached by Skytrain (BTS) or Underground train (MRT). Sight seeing, shopping, food and accomodation can easily be found in the city of Bangkok. A few interesting places where one should not miss whilst in Bangkok is the Silom Street, Pat Pong, Sukhumvit Road, Siam Square, China Town, Khao San Road and the Grand Palace.

Sunflower Place,

39/17-19 Soi Anuman-Rajdhon,

Surawong Road, Bangkrak,

Bangkok 10500.

Tel: +66(0) 2235-9080 Fax: +66(0) 2235-9081

www.sunflowerplace.com

email: booking@sunflowerplace.com

Sunflower Place is a budget hotel closed to the city and a walking distance to Silom, Pat Pong and the BTS sky train station Sala Daeng Exit and MRT Silom. It is comfortable, clean, new and feel safer with wifi facilities

Li Peng Festival In Chiang Mai.

2010-12-31T19:12:00.003+08:00

We took the morning van to Chiang Mai. We left Pai at 8 am. It took us 5 hours to reach Chiang Mai. Even though we were quite reluctant to leave Pai so soon. we do not want to miss the Li Peng festival in Chiang Mai.. Li Peng is celebrated in grand occasion in Chiang Mai every once a year along with Loy Kratong festival. The whole city of Chiang Mai is celebrating this occasion. And it is impossible to miss this occasion once you are there because Chinese Lanterns were lighted and let to fly off to the sky everywhere. There were floats and beauty contest to pick the Miss Loy Kratong for the year. Thousands of Lanterns similar to balloons were flown up into the sky. And in the same city, flowers laid with joss stick and candles were laid along and left afloat the river during this Loy Kratong festival. Fire crackers and fireworks were lighted everywhere. It's a special festival and the whole city is partying. Tourist from all over can be seen and enjoying themselves too. This is an event worth attending.

Pai @ Thailand

2010-12-24T19:55:00.003+08:00

Why I think Pai is a nice place for vacation:
1. Nice cooling weather during November to February.
2. Scenic and lots of Mountains.
3, Variety of local and Western food at reasonable price. And they look clean too. Beer are cheap too.
4. Many range of hotels to caters to all kind of tourist. Our room cost 300 Baht per night. And there are lots of resorts too.
5. Very easy to move around especially if you can ride a motorbike. A motorcycle cost 100 Baht per day for rental.
6. The population there is not very high. But there are lots of tourist. And the tourist places are clean.
7. Lots of things to shop especially nice and quality T-shirts at reasonable price.
8. The town is clean.
9. Less traffics as compared to others cities in Thailand.
10. Not many Go Go Bars. In fact I don't see any. It's different from other places in Thailand. It's a good place for relaxation..
11. Lots of camping ground especially those who enjoy camping. Most Thais come here for camping during the winter season..

From Bangkok To Upper North At Mae Hong Son And Pai.

2010-12-19T21:50:00.001+08:00

When my elder cousin came to fetch us with his Fortuner, I didn't know he was taking us to the Bus Terminal in Bangkok. The other cousin has pre-arranged for the bus trip to Mae Hong Son. He bought the bus ticket much earlier prior to our arrival. The Thais called the long distance air conditioned bus a 'VIP Tour'. The bus will leave for Mae Hong Son at 3 pm. Thanks goodness, the Bus Terminal has proper toilets with shower facilities, cafe and lounge. We took a short rest and shower before hopping on to the bus for another 15 hours journey, an overnight journey to Mae Hong Son. Meals and drinks were provided during the whole journey. No wonder it's called a VIP tour. We arrived Mae Hong Son at 6 am the next day. We waited until the sun rises before booking a Thai Style taxi for a half day tour. Our first destination is the Morning Market to look for food.

Next, we went to the hill top where there is a Buddhist Temple. Most of the Buddhist Temples in Thailand appears almost the same to me. We went to the top most spot to view the whole scenic of Mae Hong Son. Mae Hong Son is a small town with hills, mountains and rice field. Seems like we seen the whole city. As such we decide to proceed to Pai, our next destination for a night stay. Before that, we stopped by the Forest Reserve Park to visit the Long Neck Village and a Waterfall near by.

On the way to the forest, you can see a lot of Elephant trainers with their elephants with many camps nearby. We also stop by a hot spring resort along the way and have facial spa treatment as refreshment.

Tasting every food is a must in every destination in Thailand. Before we leave Mae Hong Son, we stop by another popular eateries for lunch. Our bus stop is right in front of our food stall. At about 1 pm, we managed to get a bus to Pai, without realizing it was the last bus for the day.

This is the bus which we managed to hop onto to Pai. Even though Pai is just about a hundred kilometers away, it took us about 5 hours to reached there. The without air conditioned bus was tourist packed and we have to stand all the way with many turns and curves, and up and down route. However, the bus trip is truly a memorable one, and the most adventure too, but surely we do not want to experience it again. Haha..
Let me share with you my photos and story about Pai on my next posting.

Thailand Again, And Bangkok Here We come !

2010-12-18T22:38:00.002+08:00

2010 seems to be like 'Visit Thailand Year' for me. I didn't go overseas except the neighboring Thailand. Can't really recall how many times but anything further than Sungai Kolok, I think it's more than 5 times. Well, at least I went to Kok Samui twice, and Bangkok and Chiang Rai twice, not including the one I'm blogging about right now.
This time I brought the whole family along. It was five of us. I bought the return ticket on Thai Air Asia from Bangkok - Narathiwat for 7859.50 THB. It wasn't really cheap but I need to return on that date. Instead we took the train to Bangkok, which cost 977 BHT for the lower berth and 907 BHT for the upper berth. Our trip begin on 17th November and ends on 26th November 2010.

For us the train journey was an enjoyable one as we seldom get to travel together, even though it takes about 20 hours. The most important thing is that the bed and the toilet must be clean, and it is. I didn't plan much for this trip and we want it to be a relax trip, and as free and an easy one. So, I didn't bother to check the net on places of interest, and let my cousin over in Bangkok who insist on arranging the itinerary. So, I just let it be.

The first thing we couldn't resist in the train was to try out the food. They served local cuisine and also American Bread fast. And all the food served are certified Halal during the whole journey. I was told the South bound train serve only Halal food.. And of course the price is slightly expensive than outside. But you can also buy outside food when the train stops at the station.

This is my sleeping cubicle. The attendant came to prepare for the bed once past dinner time. With a curtain covered, you can have your own privacy all by yourself, not like the train I took from Xiamen to Guangzhou in China, where everyone passes by can see you sleeping !

This is the American Breakfast I was talking about. We also tried the Chinese-Thai style porridge. In fact we purposely ordered different menu for 5 of us in order to taste the variety. Well, the serving does look clean as they covered with plastic when served. The only disappointment I had is after the serving is that they left the plates and the left over under our seat, including the tomato sauce, soy sauce and the pepper.

Nakhon Pathom is about an hour to Bangkok. We reached Bangkok slightly an hour later from the schedule. Without hurry nor worry as compared to our past trips, we know what to expect in Bangkok now. We took our sweet time getting off the train, and spent sometime at the station taking photos, going to the toilet and eat at the food court before phoning for my cousins. This is truly a relax journey.

Chiang Rai @ Downtown

2010-09-24T20:29:00.007+08:00

Chiang Rai downtown is about 30 minutes away from the airport. Taxi fare is about 400 baht. The taxi which is non-air conditioned can accommodate about 6 to 8 passengers depending on the amount of luggage. It's sort of difficult to recognize the taxi as they don't have a taxi signage. Their taxi is actually a van and it is advisable that we check the price first before boarding one. However, I noticed that most of the people in Chiang Rai are friendly as it is just a small town.
It is easy to move around within the town of Chiang Rai as most of the tourist spot within the town are quite near to each other. There are sign boards everywhere showing the location and the distance. And best of all, there are restaurants everywhere. And food in Chiang Rai are reasonably priced.
It was in May when I was in Chiang Rai. The weather was quite hot even during the night. I was told that the best time to visit Northern Thailand is during November to January as the weather will be cooler.
Actually what I enjoy most of Northern Thailand is the scenery and food.

Ko Samui

2010-09-17T13:32:00.003+08:00

One of my favorite place to go when on vacation is the local market. I always make it a point to visit these places during the early morning or during the evening as most of the activity take place during these time. At the market you get to see typical or common food which the local people eat. Some market are huge and some are small. And usually I end up with my hands full of local stuffs especially local food. Also at the market, you get to taste local fruits, dishes and delicacies. 'Somtum' seems to be the most common food in Thailand which come is many varieties. It is a kind of spicy salad made from shredded unripened papaya, mix with chillies, lime, tomato, sugar etc. In fact it is the market too where you can buy cheaper souvenir items than any other tourist spot.

Koh Samui, Lover's Island

2010-08-12T17:36:00.021+08:00

Before we started our journey by Car to Koh Samui, I did some research about the places of interest and the route to get there. Most of the information I got from friends weren't that accurate. They told me to get myself a GPS, as it is easily available now a days. I had no idea how Kok Samui would look like and what people would do over there. I presume it's another tourist attraction in Thailand and Night life over there should be really hot ! What I mean is people go for discos, pubs and clubbing. But actually I was totally wrong. Koh Samui is not as wild as any other tourist places in Thailand which I have been.

I had my documentation ready a few days before I get there, like car insurance and entry permit. And I got myself a Thai Highway map. A little old fashion but I think that is more practical for me. At least I get to learn the route and know the direction where I am going first instead of just relying on the instruction given by a GPS machine. We'll be driving about 500 kilometers from Sungai Kolok to the Koh Samui jetty in Surat Thani. Together with my twin sons, we took the coaster road from Sungai Golok to Narathiwat, bypassing the Narathiwat town, than to Patani, Songkla, Nakhon Si Thammarat and straight to the harbour in Surat Thani. The ferry charges for a private car is 450 Baht including the driver. A passenger cost 120 baht for the ferry service. The distance from the harbor to Koh Samui takes about one and half hour and is available hourly. There is a separate ferry that goes to Phangan Island. Phangan Island is famous for it's full moon party. And this will be my first time driving the longest distance in Thailand after Hadyai.

We left the house at about 6.30 am and reached Sungai Kolok around 7.30 am, which is already bright by then. Thailand is an hour behind Malaysia, so we are still 6.30 am again at Sungai Kolok. It was still early, so the road is a little quiet except many road blocks by the armies and the police all along the way until we reached Nakhon Si Thamarat. We had noodles for lunch at Nakhon. A bowl of noodles with some fish balls there cost only 25 baht. Since it was our first time driving there, we stopped a few times for photography and refreshment along the way after we past Narathiwat, Patani and Songkla. Southern Thailand is still consider an unrest place and it's political situation is still uncertain. Many bombing and attacks by the terrorist were reported now and then. Even two days before our journey, there were news report the bombing near Yala town by the terrorist.

Koh Samui is a small Island. You can't get loss traveling around the island. Driving around the whole island is about 100 kilometers. Most of the activities is around half of the coast. Nathon ( Main Town), Bor Phut (Big Buddha), Chaweng Beach (Chaweng View Point) and Lamai Beach (Hin Ta – Hin Yai Rock), and the other half of the coast or the island is mostly fisherman's village. If you don't have your own car, the best mode of transportation or to move around the Island is to hire a Motorbike. Thai Tourism Authority or TAT promotes a few attraction there but I think Kok Samus is beautiful just the way it is. Those tourist attraction just come along the way as activities while you are there. There are a lot of foreigners who invested in properties especially in hotel business . And there are even more who stayed there on long term basics to enjoy it's way of life. As I said earlier, Koh Samui is not as wild as other part of Thailand. It's best suitable for newly weds and couples who enjoy beautiful scenery and slow pace of life. There are some big malls and hyper markets there such as The Big C, Macro and Tesco which offer a lot of imported food and goods to cater for these foreigners.

We stayed at Ananta Lamai Beach Resort which is owned by a French man who settled there with his Thai wife. Our standard room cost 900 Baht. If you intent to stay there, you may contact them at:

Ananta Lamai Beach Resort

Eddie & Pim Lancry

Mobile No: 083-3947852

125/10 Moo 3, Hin Ta-Hin Yai

Koh Samui, Surathani 84310.

e-Mail: eddy.lancry@hotmail.fr

web site: www.anantasamui.com

If you intend to stay there for a short period, I suggest you plan for a 3 days trip to complete the entire island. We stayed there for three days but I intent to make a come back with the whole family again very soon.

Still.. Nakhon Pathom

2010-08-05T18:20:00.009+08:00

Even though we stayed 3 nights in Nakhon Pathom, we only get to tour the place for 2 days as our our flight on the last day was at about 9.30 am. We covered quite a lot of places during the two days with the guide of my cousin. Thanks to him a lot for the free meals, accommodation and transport.

Other interesting places we visited in Nakhon Pathom includes:

The Wax Museum which houses many famous politicians and monks.

Phra Pathom Chedi - Towering over the low-rises of central Nakhom Pathom, at 120 meters, this massive brick stupa is the largest in the world. It also makes a respectable claim to being Thailand's oldest Buddhist temple, dating back to the 6th century AD, although the present structure is mostly the handiwork of King Mongkut (1853) and his successors. There is no entry into thestupa itself, which is said to house a relic of the Buddha, but you can circumambulate the stupa in the inner courtyard and admire the giant golden Buddha on the southern side (always packed with worshippers). Also take some time to look around the many smaller temple halls around the chedi. .

Thonburi Market Sanamluang - the second largest market in Thailand after the one in Bangkok, which is also called Chatuchat. Over here you can get almost everything you need or want, from clothing, vegetables, meat to flowers and pets. You name it, they have it. It's a very large market and you only need to pick those that interest you and skip the rest if you only have a day there. As for us, we have half a day so we skipped most of them.

The Ancient Street - as the name goes, they sell mostly antiques and local fruits . It's is an old town of Nakhon Pathom and the road is very narrow. It's is also famous for Thai dishes. So, you can expect lots of old restaurants there. No wonder a lot of local tourist visit there.

And before our return I took a few photos of the new Suvarmabumi International Airport. This is the same airport which was attacked by the Yellow Shirt protesters in Bangkok recently.

Last but not least is our final destination for our trip, the Narathiwat Airport before we hired a van back to Sungei Kolok for our home sweet home. For more photos, kindly visit my Face Book at http://www.facebook.com/kbguy

Coming next is.... Kok Samui.

Nakhon Pathom - Cheap And Good Food in Thailand

2010-08-01T14:44:00.014+08:00

Nakhon Pathom is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It's neighboring provinces are Suphan Buri, Ayutthaya, Nonthaburi, Bangkok, Samut Sakhon, Ratchaburi and Kanchanaburi.

Nakhon Pathom is known for its abundant fruits varieties and famous dishes.

It is a small province located just 56 km from Bangkok. It is drained by the Tha Chin River (also called Nakhon Chaisi river), a branch of the Chao Phraya river. The urban area of Bangkok has already grown until the provincial borders of Nakhon Pathom. It is easy to get there by car from Bangkok city. All you have to do is to drive along a newly constructed highway leading straight to Nakhon Pathom. It was said that the highway was funded by the king himself. Nakhon Pathom served a lot of good food and most importantly much cheaper than any other places in Thailand. It is no wonder a lot of city folks drive all the way from Bangkok to Nakhon Pathom just for food . And one of my favourite places to visit while I was there is the Food Market which is located in between a Buddhist Temple and along the Tha Chin River. There are a few cruise boats along the river which carry the passengers while enjoying their packet food from the Food Market with just some small charges to enjoy the scenery bypassing fruit farms and villages.

Saswadee To Bangkok ...

2010-07-22T12:54:00.017+08:00

We arrived Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok about 10.30 pm. But the time we get off from the airplane to the exit area and the time waiting for our luggage took us about an hour. My cousin was there to receive us and drove us to China Town for supper. It’s was already past midnight, and the traffics in Bangkok was still heavy and jammed. I totally forgotten about the unrest situation in Bangkok. I was told that we are just about 2 LRT stations away from the anti-government protest zones. But life seems to be normal from where we were and no curfew nor army to be seen as reported by the media except nearby the airport area.

After supper we moved on to my cousin’s house located at Nakhom Pathom. For the next 3 days, we’ll be staying and visiting most of the places in Nakhom Pathom to avoid the troops and the Seah Daeng also called the anti-government red shirts protesters.

Our first destination is the Dumnoen Saduak Floating Market. We left the house at about 6 am because the activities at the Floating Market starts during the early morning.

From Chiang Rai to Bangkok

2010-07-20T15:45:00.010+08:00

On our last day in Chiang Rai, we decide to go for street photography. My son carrying a Canon EOS 400D and me a Canon EOS 550D. Our target place is the main market in the city as we heard that there will be a lot of monks during the early hours. We walked to the market which is just a few streets away from our hotel at 6 am. As expected there are already a lot of people there to offer food to the monks. WE took a lot of shots there and around the market non stop until we reached our hotel front. We had our breakfast at a mobile stall just a few steps away from our hotel, serving western breakfast.. . scramble eggs, toasted bread and hot coffee.
Our flight to Bangkok is at night about 9 pm, but because of the heat in Chiang Rai, we decide to leave for the Chiang Rai International Airport at about 3 pm, right after our lunch. The porter at our hotel offer us a special rate for the taxi to the airport at just 400 Baht.

Motor Tour On Day 2, Change Of Plans

2010-07-15T18:09:00.010+08:00

I thought we have missed the road to the Long Neck village for that day. My discussion with the Baan See See hotel owner on that night before we left gave me valuable information on the route we suppose to take for tomorrow morning. We were told that there is another route down the mountain where we can detour to visit the Long Neck village called Yapa. And the sight is even beautiful and less traffics.

We started early the next morning just before the sun rise. It was a long but interesting journey down the mountain. The road condition was good and the scenery was excellent. Since it was early, we took our time to ride down slowly and take many pictures along the way.

We followed the direction given by the hotel owner. It was about 60 kilometres journey. Initially we had some difficulty locating the Baan Yapa village. Somehow we managed by asking the local folks along the way. It’s worth the finding. There is a charge to enter the Long Neck village at 250 Baht per person. We have to walk down the slope of the hill for about 300 metres before reaching the village. Along the way, there are other hill tribes as well trading souvenirs items. We were the first visitors for the day.

The Yapa Village where it belongs to the long necks and other hill tribes..

After Yapa, we head for Mae Chang, than Chan Saen and towards the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle is where the three countries Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet separated by a common river. The distance was about 100 kilometres. Than we returned to Chan Sean for lunch before starting our long journey to Chiang Khong, which is the border town to Laos. That took us another 100 kilometres. We stop at Chiang Khong for a very short while taking some pictures here and there. The scene along the way was beautiful too but we have to rush for time as we intent to reach Chiang Rai town before the sunset since we are unfamiliar with the place and route. My skin over my face and hands are getting sore and numb because of the heat, wind and the motorbike vibration. I have to look for some lotion available at the local shop. We managed to buy an old stock of ‘Vaseline cream’. I don’t know whether it helps or not but that is the only cream available. By now the three of us are already tanned and overheated under the hot sun.

At the Golden Triangle once famous for Poppy planting and drugs distribution..
Kbguy on the road..

The twins on the road..

Opposite the river is Laos

The journey from Chiang Khong to Chiang Rai is about 120 kilometres. Just about 40 kilometres before downtown, I had trouble with my scooter. The tyre punctured! Thanks God, the repair shop was nearby. It seems like the harrier you need, the more problems you encounter. Anyway, we reached our hotel at Chiang Rai city just about dusk.

That night we celebrate our achievement for the two days Motor Tour and for reaching back our hotel safely at the Night Bazaar with sumptuous food and shopping for the last night at Chiang Rai.

Motor Tour on Day 1

2010-07-08T13:27:00.010+08:00

We returned the rented bicycle the same day just before dusk as we intent to tour by motorcycle for the next two days. We made the reservation on that evening and came back the next morning to collect the automatic scooters.

Our plans are as follows: Day 1 - Chang Rai City to Doi Mae Sa Lorn ( about 80km), and Day 2 - Golden Triangle, Chiang Khong, Chiang Sean (to visit the Laos border) and back to Chang Rai city ( about 250 km).

We started the journey early about 7.00 am. This is my first return to the motorcycle experience after more than twenty five over years, with the assistance and an intensive training from my twin sons..

It was a long ride and an adventuring experience even though dangerous most of the time riding along the highway and half of the journey riding up the steep and winding mountains. But the best part is that we have fun together as father and sons which we rarely have the opportunity to get together and the scenery was beautiful too all the way.

As we approached our destination Doi Mae Sa Lorn, we looked out for a restaurant for our lunch . Doi Mae Sa Lorn is a small little town occupied mostly by the Chinese who came during the early 1960's lead by General Tuan during Chang Kai Sheik's era. Most of the Chinese here still speak Mandarin among themselves. We took the opportunity to taste Chinese dishes over here as we already had a lot of spicy food during our stay. This time we ordered the famous Dongpo Pork and some Yunnan dishes. For dinner, we had the famous Halal Northern Curry Noodles called Kao Suoy prepared by the Yunnan Chinese.
Below is General Tuan's Memorial which is Chinese oriented.

The hill tribes village called Mae Tur which is located border to the Burma mountains.

The Chinese Martyr's Memorial Museum and a Chedi with a Thai Temple near it.

And our hostel Baan See See (Telephone: 66-53-765053). The rate is 400 baht per room during off peak season which can accommodate 3 persons, without air conditioned. ... And the photos showing the scenery surrounding our hostel, the interior amd exterior room and the view during sun rise.

Bicycle Tour Chang Rai

2010-07-03T12:44:00.005+08:00

To rent a bicycle is easy in Chang Rai. There are lots of advertisement by the road side placing bicycles, motorbikes and various types of cars for rent. We can't resist the temptation to rent one even though one of my son suggested that we shoud rent the motorbike on one of the days. So we compromise on the bicycle first and the motorbike on the next day.

A day rental for a bicycle is RM8.00. We rented 3.

We had so much fun having being able to travel much further instead of walking. This time we will cycle to the river side which they called the Chang Rai Beach. The trill we had is not just the destination but the fun all along the way during our journey. And the reward for the long journey under the hot sun is the delicious Thai food waiting to be served along the Chang Rai Beach. Anyway, in Thailand, our trip is all about fun, shopping, photography and food after all.

Chang Rai Down Town

2010-06-30T20:30:00.008+08:00

We shifted to the hotel downtown instead of staying at the hill top at my cousin's house. I asked my cousin to recommend me a hotel which is clean, reasonable price and strategically located where buses, taxis and food is easily accessible. He brought us to a nice business class hotel called Suknirand Hotel (Telephone number: 053-711055 / 053-711801. The room rate is amazingly cheap at RM40.00 per night, with one queen size bed and one single bed. Just nice for me and my two sons. The hotel has been repainted and my only comment is the air conditioned which is not so cold especially during the hot season.
The hotel is strategically located as it close to everything I wanted. There is a Night Bazaar just about 10 minutes walk where you can get lots of local food, shopping and at the same time watching cultural performance every night.

The Wet Market is also closed by our hotel where local dishes, fruits, flowers, clothing, vegetables and meat can be obtained.

Another attraction nearby is the new Clock Tower. At each hour, the light at the tower changes with musics can be heard.

Other attractions around down town are the Buddhist Temples such as Wat Phra Singha, Wat Phra Kaew and Wat Jedyod.

Wat Rong Khun, Chang Rai

2010-06-23T20:55:00.006+08:00

Wat Rong Khun or also commonly called The White Temple among non Thai speaking tourist is about 12km away from the Chang Rai city. It's easy to find and easily identified. This is a new tourist attraction destination in Chang Rai as the Temple was built just a few years back. This is one of my must visit place even before I arrived Chang Rai as I have seen the photos from the emails circulated about a year ago.

Wat Rong Khun is different from any other temple in Thailand. It is designed in white color. Chalermchai Kositpipat is the famous Thai artist who volunteered his service to carry out the construction of Wat Rong Khun at his own expense.

Memorial For The King's Mother

2010-05-16T15:46:00.004+08:00

Not far from the Doi Mae Salong village is a Memorial for the King's mother. It's on the other route down the mountain. We stopped for a couple of hours to take some photos and to watch the ranges of mountains and the other villages from the other side.

Doi (Mountain) Mae Salong

2010-05-15T14:46:00.005+08:00

My cousin's wife prepared for the breakfast. She cooks Chinese porridge and some Thai style dishes. The meal taste yummy, spicy hot and delicious. The Thai way of saying very delicious is 'aloy mak mak'. Short while after breakfast, we proceed for our tour around Chang Rai.

Our first stop is The Doi Mae Salong.

The peak of Doi Mae Salong has an elevation close to 1,800 meters. Many hill resorts, large and small can be seen as we approached the little town on top. Pine trees, Oolong tea plantation and beautiful panorama are everywhere to be seen.

It is said that the origin of the Mae Salong community goes back to 1949. During that time, after the Mao Zedong's communist party victory in China, the defeated KMT army escaped to Taiwan except the 93rd Division. They instead fled to Myanmar (Burma). From there, they were later expelled and granted asylum in Thailand. The 93rd Chinese division settled in Mae Salong and built village right on top of the mountain. As a result, most of the villagers today are ethnic Chinese and direct descendants of the KMT.

We stop for lunch at the Chinese township. I noticed that most of the people there speak fluent Mandarin or also called as 'Pu'dong Hua'. They serve excellent Chinese dishes from Yunnan province. The most popular dish is the 'Red Pork Legs'.

Many Chinese products can be found here especially tea leafs and tea pots. Of course there are other souvenirs too made by the hill tribe people who lived nearby.

After lunch and some shopping along the road stalls, we proceed to our next stop at Wat Rong Kun ( The White Temple )

Too Steep Terrain

2010-05-14T07:20:00.006+08:00

We arrived Chang Rai town past mid night. We stopped for dinner before meeting up with the other cousin who came down to meet us somewhere along the way to lead us to his house. The meeting point is at the front entrance of a Buddhist Temple along the way. Surprisingly, there are so many large Buddhist Temples all along.

My first plan was to stay at my cousin's house for a few days in Chang Rai. But looking at it, the road which lead to his house is a few kilometers away from the main road. I have doubts about the availability of public transport to get in and out from his place. I was told that the only way is to ride his motorbikes when my elder cousin and the family is back to Bangkok. That does not deter me. After about 5 kilometers from the main road and with many turnings to left and right, we came to the end road. Now we have to go through dirt road. For a short distance we reached a very steep terrain. That's where the 4x4 is useful. The terrain was so steep almost 75 degree, and that worries me. However after changing gear, with his driving skill, we make it after many bumps.

We reached the top of the mountain where my cousin's house is located. It's a small farm house-like uncompleted. The weather is cold during the night, as I was told. WE didn't get to see much at the surrounding as it was dark. We chatted for about an hour before going to sleep.

I woke up early to explore the surrounding. We were at the peak of a mountain which I don't even know where. I was told that we are close to Myanmar and there are a few Myanmar settlers and villages nearby. Surrounding us are mostly fruit farms such as lychee's, oranges, pamelos and mangoes and tea plantations although some have converted to rubber trees as they fetch better prices. The panorama from his house was great and I anticipate a lot of adventuring activities to take place for us after the elder cousin is back to Bangkok with his SUV 4x4 Toyota Fortuna.

Great views, fresh air, cool weather, variety of fruits and lots of interesting places to explore by tracking and motor bike .

Narathiwat To Bangkok

2010-05-13T19:51:00.007+08:00

We left home at about 6.30 am when the sun is about to rise. We stopped half way for breakfast at the one of the famous 'nasi lauk' (rice with curry fish and chicken) stall in Pasir Mas. It's almost 7.30am when we arrived at the Rantau Panjang check point. We crossed the Malaysian border immediately and walk across to the Thailand check point without wasting much time. There was some delayed at the Thai side as the Immigration counter didn't offer any deportation forms. We have to use the local service to fill the forms by paying RM$2.00 each for each forms. This is one of the way the Thai Immigration Officers earn extra income by employing the local Thais to fill forms for travelers. Than we later took a motorcycle each for the service to reach DD Tour Agency for our next transportation to Narathiwat Airport. Each motorcycle cost us RM$3.00 for a distance of about 1 kilometer. We were slightly early. The van service left for the airport at 8.30 am. The van service cost RM18.00 per person. The distance is about 45 minutes and there were many road blocks along the way by the Thai armies because of the insurgencies at the Southern Thai area.

And here is the interior of the luxury van we took to Narathiwat Airport which can accommodate 11 passengers.

The departure hall for the waiting guests before boarding the Air Asia flight. There were only 2 flights per day from Narathiwat. The other is 1-2-go airline. The announcement came informing that our plane will be 1 hour delayed while inside the hall. That's the usual Air Asia's stuffs.

The sky view from our flight.

Bird's eye view before approaching Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The view when we almost landed at Suvarnabhumi International Airport. We were received by my cousin at the arrival hall. Stopped at his house to fetch the family before proceeding to Chang Rai with his Toyota Fortuner SUV 4x4.

Saswadee To The Northern Most of Thailand !

2010-04-26T20:17:00.008+08:00

Water lilies are common flowers in Thailand, and can be easily found or seen in or around most Buddhist Temples, at the wet markets and even floating markets. The Thais mostly offer them as prayers and during other cultural or Buddhist religious event. The most commonly seen are the pink and white.

And soon, I will be visiting the most Northern part of Thailand, Chang Rai. It's a long journey from my place, Malaysia. My targeted destination is Doi Tung.

I will be taking various mode of transportation to reach there. My itinerary will be as follows:

Day 1 : Leave home by car for the Malaysia-Thai border at Rantau Panjang - Sungei Kolok. After passing the immigration Check-Point, take a motorcycle transit for a van service to Narathiwat Airport. The journey will take me about 45 minutes. Than take the Air Asia flight to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport.
Reaching Bangkok, my Thai cousins will be there to drive us to Chang Rai. The distance is about 700 over kilometers.

Day 2 to Day 8 : In Doi Tung, Chang Rai, free and easy. Expecting some tracking on my own and lots of photography. I was told the weather is quite hot at the moment, so I will bring lots of cotton T-shirts but no Red Shirts, and a pair of sports shoe.

Day 8 : Night, leave Chang Rai by Air Asia in the evening for Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International Airport

Day 9 to Day 11 : In Bangkok. Haven't decide which cousin's house to stay yet.

Day 11 : Leave Bangkok ( Suvarnabhumi International Airport ) for Narathiwat with Air Asia. From Narathiwat Airport, take a taxi to Thai - Malaysia border at Takbai, than by boat to Pengkalan Kubor, Malaysia for home sweet home.

So during this time I will be away from my PC, meaning no Internet Connection and better for my eyes. And the best part is to be away from work and closer with the family.

Saswadee krupp !

Using Zoom Lens For Macro Shot

2010-04-23T21:44:00.003+08:00

Here's another test I just did on My Canon EOS 550D with my Canon EF 70-300mm USM zoom lens. Personal opinion: I think the zoom lens is suitable for larger objects but small objects may also do, but need to stabilize. I tried with aperture and speed, but to be safe I think I still need to use the automatic Mode setting when opportunities are rare or when time does not permit. It's easy to snap the picture of the cherry but very difficult to get a sharp image of the worm because of it's tiny hair and the wind blowing.

Canon EOS 550D, Moon Watch !

2010-04-22T23:49:00.003+08:00

The advantage of a 18.0 Mega pixels camera with a zoom lens is that you get to crop the photo but still getting a fine picture.

My New Canon EOS 550D

2010-04-18T19:13:00.004+08:00

I know I shouldn't spend any more extra this month as I have exceeded my budget. Even canceled two of my credit cards because of the RM 50.00 Service Charge. I didn't bother to pay the charges as I never use the cards either, but the late payment charges and interest got me hot. The matter was made worst when I spoke to the call center who are just not well verse in handling these type of cases. He suggested me to cancel the cards. Thanks to him, anyway. Well, what has it got to do with my EOS 550D ? Actually, all I wanted to say is I am charging this new gadget to my other card.
I have given away my EOS 400D to my son who just got back from his semester break. He wanted to take up photography as his new hobby. So I've been so generous to give away this 4 year old camera because of the temptation I had for a newly launch EOS 550D. I knew about the price range and the smart seller from a local photo shop gave me a good offer which I can't resist. I didn't expect he would slaughter me with the accessories, such as the lens hood, screen protector and the UV lens filter. That is so common in the retail business nowadays.
Anyway, I would like to show off my new photo shots from the new EOS 550D using the Canon EF 70-300 mm zoom lens. And for the coming three months I will have to put aside my Credit Cards, and on stricter budget. No more shopping unnecessarily !

Qing Ming ( 清明节 )

2010-03-31T06:20:00.007+08:00

We were there just before the sun about to rise. There were some people who are already there much earlier than us, using torch light to locate the grave of their loved ones. I believe everyone are there early to avoid the heat when the sun is at the above. The group from the Buddhist Kelantan Society were already there chanting and offering prayers at the small temple on the hill top.
Qing Ming festival or Qingming Jie in Chinese is also called Grave Sweeping Day. Qing Ming, which also means clear and bright in Chinese falls on Apr.4th, 5th or 6th every year. In 2009 it falls on April 4. And this year it falls on April 5th. According to modern Chinese, there is no fixed rules to attend Grave Sweeping Day as long as it is convenience to all family members. Usually a group agreement among family members will be made so that those from far and near could attend at the same time to clean and sweep the graves of the ancestor and also worshiping and offering of food to the deceased and to burn joss papers. It is a festival to be conduct at any day one week before the actual date. It is a memorial ceremony for their loved ones and time to express one's grief for his lost relatives.

After praying at the Temple to seek permission for Grave Cleaning, we proceed to my mom and dad's grave. First we pray to the Guardian God which is next to every Chinese Grave. Only after permission, we continue with the ceremony. We start off by clearing away weeds and touching up the fading gravestone inscriptions. After the grave are cleaned, than the joss papers are laid on top of the graves.
This year our sons couldn't make it for the festival. As such only my wife and my daughter attended. I believe the young ones should be taught to pray to their ancestors. As such I leave some of the duty and responsibility to my 16 year old daughter to assist in the ceremony.
At the end of the ceremony, the money or joss papers are lightened for the deceased to use in his after life. In addition to this, food laid out in front of the headstone includes steamed whole chicken, hard boiled eggs, sliced pork and sometimes cut roast pork with crunchy skin attached and others according to the offeror's liking or their loved one's favorite. Besides these, 3-sets of chopsticks and 3 Chinese wine cups are arranged above the food to be used by the deceased.
The family head usually performs the ceremony, followed by each member of the family. The families often eat the food there at the grave site after the ceremony, as if having a picnic with their deceased relatives and ancestors. Chinese have a strong notion that by doing this, it will bring good luck in the family
Qing Ming ceremony can take a few days for a family to complete because of the distance of one cemetery to another and to some who have too few children but too many deceased relatives. Me for instance attended my mother-in-law's last Friday, and yesterday was for my late mom, dad, sis and aunt. On this coming Friday, we will perform for my grandma's, grand dad's and great grandma's and at the same time attending at my late aunties whose graves are at the same cemetery. This time, there will be a huge gathering as most of the cousins will be there including from overseas.
Even though many Chinese Customs and Traditions has changed, forgotten and left aside by the younger generation, I believe that Qing Ming should be preserved and maintained in order to maintain relationship and harmony among siblings, cousins and other relatives. It is a day of gathering and should be consider as family obligation and a heritage to be kept. To all Chinese, I wish them Happy Qing Ming or Grave Cleaning on this auspicious bright and clear week. And have fun !

Qing Ming Season Take Off

2010-03-26T14:06:00.004+08:00

I think Qing Ming season take off a bit early this year over here. The actual day for Qing Ming falls on 5th April. Probably because of the 2 days public holiday which falls on the 30Th and 31st March in conjunction with HRH The Sultan Kelantan's birthday, many people take the opportunity to go for vacation elsewhere. For the Kelantanese, this is the best time to go holiday as the hotel rate is cheaper in other states since it is not a holiday. The most popular places among the Kelantanese during these time are Genting Highland, Penang and Hadyai, Thailand.
Qing Ming is the day the Chinese go to visit the graves of their loved ones for cleaning. Most family members from far and near will return on this particular day for the grave cleaning and for a reunion. Usually a day is fixed among the members so that all are able to attend at the same time. The actual day for this grand occasion falls on every 5Th of April. But there is no fixed day for the cleaning as long as they are within the season and convenience to all members.

Qing Ming has become a grand occasion nowadays and to some, it is like a party celebration having all kind of foods at the grave yard.

When The Sunrise

2010-03-11T19:53:00.005+08:00

When the monsoon season is over, the sky looks beautiful during sunrise and sunset, even though the days are hot at noon ! This one is taken while driving to work just before and on top of the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge. Everyday the traffic got jammed before the bridge and this has been going on for decades. This is because of the two lane road leading to a one lane bridge.

Anyway, watching the beautiful sunrise is enough to freshen up my mood for the day... unless some idiot spoil it.

Hot Summer Time @ Pantai Sri Tujoh

2010-03-10T20:12:00.008+08:00

Wat Machimmaram, Tumpat, Kelantan

2010-03-07T21:46:00.006+08:00

Wat Machimmaram is located at the Pengkalan Kubur district in Kelantan, and border to Southern Thailand, Takbai. It has the largest Sitting Buddha in Southeast Asia. It is 30 metre high and 47 metre wide and is frequently visit by tourist from near and far. Occasionally there are many Buddhist celebration and festivals held over here. One of the main event is the New Year celebration held every year.

To get there from Kota Bharu, you'll have to drive across the Sultan Yahya Bridge (near Tesco Hypermarket) to Pengkalan Kubor. The distance is about 21 km from Kota Bharu, or alternatively you may also contact or phone below:
Wat Machimaram
Chief Abbot: Ven. Phrakhru Vithest Thammanad
Address: Kg. Jubakar, 16200 Tumpat, Kelantan
Telephone: 09-7256769
While you are there, you may also visit other Buddhist Temples around and also visit the 'Free Trade Zone' at Pengkalan Kubur or also view the trading activities of the Malaysian-Thai trader along the river next to Takbai town, border to Malaysia-Thai.

What We Did on NY Eve..

2010-02-17T19:46:00.005+08:00

During the day, offering food and prayers to the ancestors. After prayers, we took a short nap or break, followed by house cleaning again and more decorations. Red is the custom color and a must around the house with meaningful Chinese wordings and characters such as 'Fook' which means prosperity are pasted at most of the walls. Other decorations include 'pineapple' which mention in hokkien dialect means 'Ong' literally means 'Luck'. In the evening we proceed for the reunion dinner at the Renaissance Hotel. Various hotels and restaurants offer CNY package for dinner varies from RM688 to RM988 per table. Our dinner cost RM688.00 ++ which include salmon fish, yee sang, sharks fin and etc.
For those with big family members, they usually cook and have their reunion dinner at home. Dinner usually ends at about 11.00 pm to 11.30 pm with lots of beer, wine, whisky or brandy. The celebration usually adjourn to home with fire crackers and fireworks display take places just as the clock strike at 12.00 mid night sharp.

Chinese New Year Promotion At A Local Mall

2010-02-16T10:04:00.006+08:00

The Chinese population is less than 4% in Kelantan with majority of the younger generation resides in the other part of the states in Malaysia because of furthering education and job opportunities elsewhere. However, Chinese New Year is celebrated by all Chinese over here as a grand occasion. Even shopping complexes and the only mall does promote the occasion in quite a grand scale when the season approached.
Come CNY, most of the family members will be back to their hometown to celebrate the reunion dinner with their loved ones and to pay respect to their elderly.

14th. February 2010, Double Celebration !

2010-02-11T16:47:00.004+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year or Spring Festival to all ! When you drive, don't drink. When you drink, don't drive. May you have a great family re-union. This new year will be the year of the Tiger. And on this 14th February 2010, we will be celebrating CNY and Valentine day. Have fun with your loved ones and do not forget the less fortunate..
Happy CNY and Valentine day to all my blog friends..

Going Home

2010-01-14T19:33:00.007+08:00

Shuangliu International Airport is just about 30 minutes from Chengdu city. It's a very large airport but simple. There aren't many restaurants there and the only fast food available is the Kentucky Fried Chicken which is usually packed.
We took the Airasia airbus and the journey took us about 6 hours. This time we are lucky because our flight is on time as scheduled. Not as our earlier flight from KLIA to Chengdu where most of the passengers are almost 95% Chinese citizens, our return flight is a fair mixture of Chinese and Malaysians.
Not as during my younger days, now I seems to enjoy flying even on a long distance because I love watching out. In 2009, I have flew overseas the most within a year.
I traveled with family and even solo. I also brave myself to travel as an independent budget traveler on my own in a foreign country, taking buses and train without been able to speak fluently the native language. Most of my friends already asked where is my next destination for 2010. Frankly, I have not plan anything yet. Maybe this year I will travel on land, i.e. by train, bus and maybe driving..

Other Places Of Interest - Chengdu

2010-01-02T20:51:00.009+08:00

Chengdu Dreams Travel Youth Hostel is about 30 minutes away by taxi from the Chengdu Shuangliu airport I like our hostel because of it's strategic location which is near to most of the tourist attraction. Tibet Street is the street behind our hostel and Wu Hou Memorial Temple is right across the street of our hostel. Next to Wu Hou is the ancient Jinli Street.
Tibet Street is behind Dreams Travel Youth Hostel, and they offer good delicious Tibetan food. A lot of Tibetan stuffs, people and monks can easily be seen along the street.
Just in front of the hostel is a famous restaurant serving hot pot, a famous Chengdu dish which is quite similar to steam-boat in Malaysia. The restaurant is usually packed and they offer a variety of soup for dipping in hot flavour to medium hot. Most of the Sichuan people prefer it hot with lots of pepper, that makes your mouth numb. And the best part of this restaurant is that they serve good delicious food at reasonable price, good service and the place looks very clean too.
On the left to Wu Hou Memorial is a beautiful park whereby a lot of elderly people gather to do their morning exercise in the form of snogging, dancing and various art of self defence.
Wu Hou Memorial Temple is just across our hostel and is a land mark by itself as you can see many tourist at the entrance from a far.
Chungxi Street is the busiest walking street in Chengdu. It is located at the downtown of Chengdu and most of the fast serving food stalls and brand name products can be found here. You can take a taxi from the hostel to Chungxi Street at about 10 to 15 yuan one way.
Sanxingdui Museum is located in Northeast of Sanxingdu archaeological site, west of the famous cultural city of Guanghan, on the bank of Jian River (commonly called Yazi River), 40 kilometers (about 24.9 miles) north of Chengdu City. Covering an exhibition area of 4,000 square meters (about 1544.4 square miles), and opened in October 1997 this is an archeological museum with excellent modern facilities. The cultural relics in the museum were mostly unearthed from the Sanxingdui site.
Sanxingdui Museum is only worth the visit if you are interested in history and about ancient studies.

Ancient Cities of Chengdu

2009-12-27T12:43:00.014+08:00

On our 2ND last day in Chengdu, we decided to rent a 12 passenger van for 550 yuan inclusive of petrol and a driver to take us to the two ancient cities.
Huanglongxi is our first destination. an old town with traditional architecture of West Sichuan. It is about 50 kilometers from Chengdu. It is a popular scenic spot in recent years. The Qing Dynasty style buildings here are well preserved and attract many film makers. The typical streets and government court yard from ancient Sichuan are very attractive.

There is a river running across from the town of Huanglongxi, a southern suburb of Chengdu, the capital city of southwestern China’s Sichuan Province. The town, located at the intersection of three counties, is where Gushu (ancient Sichuan) residents and have lived 2,000 years ago.
Luodai Ancient Town - Is smaller or about half the area size of Huanglongxi. It is situated in Longquan of Chengdu City. Luodai Ancient Town is closer to modern city of Chengdu. Luodai was established in years of the Three Kingdoms and is a provincial level ancient town with profound culture. In this town, most of the existing architectures are in the style of the late Qing dynasty. It's Hakka culture is well preserved.
Luodai Ancient Town is about 20 kilometers away from Chengdu. It takes only half an hour from Chengdu to Luodai. And there is no entrance charge to both the ancient cities.
The houses, courtyards and streets in Luodai are all in the ancient style of Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) or the Republic period (1912-1949). The Guangdong Guildhall is the landmark of Luodai Ancient Town. Originally named Nanhua Palace, it is the masterpiece among Hakka architecture as well as the best preserved and the biggest guildhalls in China. It was built during the reign of Emperor Qinglong in Qing Dynasty (1746) and consists of three halls, with a total of 3044.75 square meters. It is the place where the Hakka people gather, meet relatives and friends, settle disputes and make sacrifices to ancestors and gods. Several other guildhalls, such as those of Huguang, Jiangxi and Chuanbei also remain in good shape.
There is one 1,000-meter-long main street and seven alleys in the ancient town. The dwelling houses along the main street are all enclosed courtyards with an open area in the middle and a main building decorated with carvings of turtle and flower. The roofs of the houses are all covered with small black colored clay tiles.
We left for our Hotel just before dusk.

Mt. Emei, Sichuan, China

2009-12-18T21:47:00.006+08:00

Emei town, Sichuan is about 150 km away from Chengdu and about 28 km from Leshan city. After the Leshan Grand Buddha, we leave for Emei Town and put a night at one of the 3 star rating hotel at the base of Mt. Emei which cost us 200 yuan per night before proceeding to Mt. Emei the next day.

In the morning, from the balcony of our hotel, we could see the snow at the tip of the mountains nearby. That was what we were actually hoping for at Mt. Emei. Our driver told us to be prepared with thick clothing when we are up there. He sent us to the local bus station where we took the public mini bus to the entrance of Mt. Emei. Upon reaching one of the hill top, we changed for a cable car for Jinding a.k.a. The Golden Summit.

From the cable car station at the top, we need to walk up the steep stone stairs to the tip of the mountain for another hour depending on our capabilities. The snow makes our walk more difficult and slippery. It was tiring too walking up the steep stairway.

Along the way, we see many pine tress, birds and monkeys. But most amazingly is the beautiful scenery. Emei Shan or Mt. Emei is a UNESCO World-Heritage site featuring many temples, natural wonders and breath taking scenery. Some of the trees are more than 1,000 years old. There are over 30 temples at Emei Shan.

After about an hour walk from the cable car station, we reached the Golden Summit (Jinding). There are two temples here, the Golden and Silver colored.

At 3,099 m or 10,167 ft, Mt. Emei is the highest of the four Sacred Buddhist Mountains in China.

Not only that the scenery is amazingly beautiful, the other wonderful thing to see at the top is that the Golden Summit is above the clouds. And I'm glad that I make it to the top of the Golden Summit.

Leshan Giant Buddha, Chengdu

2009-12-17T19:48:00.009+08:00

After visiting the Chengdu Research Base Of Giant Panda Breeding, we proceed to visit The Leshan Giant Buddha. It took us about 2 hours to reach our destination using the highway. Our driver parked right in front of the restaurant near to the entrance to the Giant Buddha. Seeing that the restaurant is nearby and was recommended by the driver, we took the assumption that the food must be either good or reasonably priced. We ordered something simple but famous in the area, i.e. 2 kind of tofu (bean curb) and 2 types of simple vegetables and a 1500 grammes fresh water fish, some kind of a cat-fish species cooked Chengdu style, hot and spicy.
To our surprise, the bill came to a hefty 1000yuan. We know we had been slaughter by the neck but we have no other choice except to pay for the bill. Some advice to travellers, never eat at the restaurant nearby tourist spot, unless you enquire for the price first before you order.

The entrance fee to the Leshan Giant Buddha is 90 yuan per person. I personally feel that the charges is a bit too high especially when I have to pay for 5 persons, and not forgetting the hefty lunch bill. However, after seeing the amazing size and height of the Giant Buddha, everything is forgotten.At 71 metres (233 feet) tall, the statue of the Buddha with his hands resting on his knees. It's shoulders are 28 metres and it's smallest toenail is large enough to accommodate a seated person.
The stone sculpture faces Mount Emei, with the rivers flowing below it's feet. It is the largest carved stone Buddha in the world. The Leshan Giant Buddha Scenic area has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. It wasn't damaged by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.

The Lingyun Temple which was at the same scenic area with the Leshan Giant Buddha was built during the late 7Th century. As an addition to the grand Giant Buddha, the temple is said to be the most magnificent building in the Southwest.
After the Leshan Giant Buddha, we left for Emei county for our overnight stay before going to Mt. Emei.