Sorry folks. It's been a while since my last posting in November 2011. Been busy with work. I read an article in the newspaper on Malaysia's life expectancy for Malaysian males is 71yo and female is 76yo. OMG! That means i have another 33 years to live. How scary is that? I have to set myself a few places to visit or go before I die. For 2012, I'm planning the following trips:
1. July 2012 (Business trip to Saigon 1st - 3rd July). Am bringing my mum, my sister and my niece, Shasha. Saja nak bawa my mum jalan2 ke Vietnam. Planning to buy baju kurung to be sold during Raya time. Budget around 2k. will bring extra cash in case banyak choices of baju kurung.
2. July 2012 (Pleasure trip to Bangkok and Pattaya 12 -16th July). Hehehe. Ya lah. Booked the hotels already. Will drop by Platinum Fashion Mall to do some shopping spree for me and kids clothes for business. Me and friends planned to go to the Madame Tussaud in Bangkok and then visit the Ocean World nearby. I believe it's nearby Siam Paragon. Tickets are quite pricey though. Best to buy a Combo tix for both Tussaud and Ocean.
Well that leaves zero trip for remaining of Q3 2012.
Up next in Q4 2012. Planning to go to:
1. Singapore (Universal Studios Singapore), OR
2. Mulu, Sarawak (Pinnacle / Gua), OR
3. Kinabalu trip (Normal trail+Via Ferrata+Maliu Basin) + drop by Brunei, OR
4. Bali (again for the 3rd time).
Monday, May 21, 2012
Monday, November 21, 2011
Vietnam 101
1. 1st trip was in 2010 from 22 Jan to 27 Jan with my friends; R and S. This trip was more for leisure as we visited 2 cities; Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) – southern Vietnam and Hanoi (northern Vietnam). We spent 3 nights in HCMC and 2 nights in Hanoi. HCMC and Hanoi were totally contrast in many ways from the people, the hospitality, the weather, the food, the buildings, the language.
2. 2nd trip was this year (2011) between 29 Oct to 31 Oct. But the trip was more for non leisure as I went with the ‘Pemborong’ Group. I was looking for business opportunities; testing out what products might work and saleable here. Quite an eye-opening experience! The trip was OK but I am being me (in my T-shirt, short, and sunglasses as usual when I’m traveling). Hehehe! Segan juga lah coz I’m the only wearing short. But who cares. I am comfy with it anyway.
Ho Chi Minh City
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| HCMC: A view from above! |
That’s the view of HCMC from above. You can see the Mekong River surrounded the city. HCMC dulu dikenali as Saigon but was renamed to HCMC in 1976. It is the largest city in Vietnam eclipsing even Hanoi (the capital city of Vietnam). Very busy city OK. I was told by the cab driver that there are about 6 million motorbikes in the city itself. And it’s counting. A total of 16 million motorbikes in Vietnam alone. Ayooo! Speaking of motorbikes, most of the motorists wear this stylish helmet but not necessarily ‘safety-friendly’ helmet like us Malaysian. Look at the craziness of the motorists. Siap bawa raga rotan and the worst part, besi. Ayooo!
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| Motorbikes at HCMC |
Airports:
HCMC: Tan Son Nhat International Airport: Tan Son Nhat International Airport operates from two terminal buildings - Domestic Terminal 1 and International Terminal 2. The International Terminal is wayyyyyyy better than Domestic as the latter looks so run down, so gloomy even though it is just next to each other. Since Hanoi is quite far from HCMC, we decided to take a return flight. We took Jetstar to Hanoi. The experience was a bit funny as I saw a few weird characters in the plane.
- A man who puked the moment the flight took off and the moment the plane landed. The whole plane can hear him puking. So freaking loud!
- A man who wears a helmet throughout the journey.
- A few people bring chicken (in a cage of course). I thought no animals allowed in the cabin. Hmmm! Interesting.
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| Tan Son Nhat International Airport, HCMC |
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| Scenes from HCMC |
What I like most of Vietnam is the buildings too. With a little touch of colonialism meet Asian. Fusion-infused buildings. The colonial touch is more apparent in Hanoi compared to HCMC. Below is the pictures of buildings in HCMC.
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| Scenes from HCMC: Buildings |
Cu
Chi Tunnel
This tunnnel is a must visit place when you come to HCMC. Situated Northwest
of HCMC in Cu Chi District. The tunnel dibina in 1955 and was used during the Vietnam War by Viet Cong as a hiding spot. Sampailah 1975. About 121km long. Ada booby trap with bamboo spikes macam pics below. There also have shooting
range – but I did not try but R did. It was insanely loud and tense so I’m afraid to
try it out. The noise from the gun shot was insanely loud. Couldn’t stand it.
Wondered how it felt during the War. Thank God!
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| Chu Chi Tunnels |
Food:
Vietnamese food is pretty authentic, very soupy. Banyak guna fish sauce, soy sauce, pickled. Masam2 kinda thing.And of course rice.yang popular obviously noodle, noodle soup (chicken pho), sticky rice, and wrap thingie. Ada a few muslim restaurants in HCMC: Restoran Shamsuddin, Kak Zaidah, VN Halal. Ada yang kita boleh call and order to be sent to our hotel. Let's not forget about the coffee. Boleh minum hot or cold. Dua2 sedap. I bought the coffee and the coffee maker too. The smell of the coffee is so unique and different from our Starbucks Coffee or Tongkat Ali. Should try it.
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| F&B |
Hanoi
1,760
km to the north of HCMC. Capital city of Vietnam. It is very scenic and
panoramic with lots of colonial buildings. Bring your camera and snap as many
pictures possible. It was cold when we went there. So check the weather before
u plan to visit Hanoi. Else you may need to buy sweaters or jackets. Wake up
early to watch the people exercise by Hoan Kiem Lake (It’s the same scenario in
HCMC too.)
Halong
Bay, to the north of Hanoi, is one place that you should visit. About 2,000
limestone karsts. The view is just spectacular. I feel like I was taken away to
a secluded place surrounded with big stones and ‘weird looking stones’ along
the bay. Funny thing is was the time when this one Vietnamese lady who is the
boat’s helper, suddenly told to my face ‘Dog’
(literally to my face OK). Of course I’m so furious that I said ‘What Dog?’. She was actually pointing to
a stone whose shape looked like a dog. I am so maluuuu (ashamed).
OId
Quarter – stay in this area and capture the pics of colonial buildings.
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| Hanoi |
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| Halong Bay |
Pictures of some of the hotels that I've stayed in Vietnam:
1. Sophia Hotel, 36 - 38 Thai Van Lung
C/In: 22 Jan
C/Out: 24 Jan
1 room triple sharing (2 nite)
RM566.58 for 3 pax ~ RM188.86 each (RM94.43 per nite)
2. Hanoi Luxor Hotel, 59 Hang Cot, Vietnam
C/In: 24 Jan
C/Out: 26 Jan
1 room triple sharing (2 nite)
RM511.99 for 3 pax ~ RM170.66 each (RM85 per nite)
3. An Tam Hotel, Near Ben Thanh Market Area.
Waking distance from Ben Thanh Market less than 2 minute. Tersangatlah dekat.
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| Hotels |
1. Change
RM to USD and also Vietnam Dong siap2 before you go to Vietnam. Try Mid Valley
moneychanger or around Masjid India area. The rates for Masjid area are
slightly better than Mid Valley.
2. When
shopping, the shops do accept RM. But if you are bargaining, ask for the prices
in each currencies i.e. RM, USD, Dong. Only then you decide which currencies
gave you the best price for the item(s) that you wanna buy.
3. Avoid
street hawkers as they may rip you off.
4. Bring
your ear plugs if you can’t stand the sound of motorbikes horns.
5. Bring face mask since it may get dusty esp. during non-rainy season.
6. Get the hotels to arrange any trips / transports or go to a proper travel agencies in case u wanna visit touristy places. Try to go to a few agencies coz the offering and the rates might each be different.
7. In my experience, Hanoi people are generally not as hospitable as those in HCMC. So, don't expect niceness in Hanoi.
8. Try the local coffee if you are a coffee lover.
9. If you haven't booked any accommodation, there are plenty hotels around Ben Thanh Market. Or alternatively, you should try agoda (www.agoda.com.my).
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Thailand trip 2011
Me any my friends (R & S) went on a 5D4N trip to Thailand, visiting 2 cities i.e. Bangkok (again...hehehe) and Pattaya. What to do guys... I love Thailand so much that Bangkok is practically my 2nd home..Ahaks.. Rasanya ini my trip ke 8 to Bangkok since 2007.
Pre-trip activities:
1. Expenses paid included:
a. Return flight via Air Asia = RM238
b. 1 night stay at Le Fenix Sukhumvit, Bangkok = RM175
Total pre-trip expenses = RM413
2. Tukar duit RM to THB = RM2,500 ~ THB24,800.
Day 1 -1 July 2011 (Friday)
Malaysia
1. Depart to LCTT:
a. Naik STAR LRT from Bukit Jalil to Bandar Tasik Selatan = RM0.70
b. Took ERL from BTS to Salak Tinggi and amik LCCT shuttle to LCCT=RM10.80 (way cheaper than RM65 for a taxi ride from my house to LCCT. I actually saved RM53.50. Yay!)
2. Dinner at Mary Brown: RM12.75
Bangkok
Check in at Take a Nap Hotel. My favourite B&B hotel. We paid for the Pinky room at THB1,600 per room for triple sharing with 1 queen size bed and 1 single bed. Biasalah, i amik the single bed. That's about THB533 or RM53 each. Amazingly cheap for a beautiful room decor. Breakfast is included ya. What i love the most about this hotel is that you can actually book via e-mail and no upfront payment. You only pay when you check in. And you can actually choose which types of room you prefer. Plus, the hotel is within walking distance to Sala Daeng BTS about 600m. Also nearby to Patpong (just right behind the hotel). So if you like the night life of Patpong, you can actually stay here. Check out the room pics below.
Trip date: 1 July 2011 - 5 July 2011
Country: Thailand
Location: Bangkok and Pattaya
Pre-trip activities:
1. Expenses paid included:
a. Return flight via Air Asia = RM238
b. 1 night stay at Le Fenix Sukhumvit, Bangkok = RM175
Total pre-trip expenses = RM413
2. Tukar duit RM to THB = RM2,500 ~ THB24,800.
Day 1 -1 July 2011 (Friday)
Malaysia
1. Depart to LCTT:
a. Naik STAR LRT from Bukit Jalil to Bandar Tasik Selatan = RM0.70
b. Took ERL from BTS to Salak Tinggi and amik LCCT shuttle to LCCT=RM10.80 (way cheaper than RM65 for a taxi ride from my house to LCCT. I actually saved RM53.50. Yay!)
2. Dinner at Mary Brown: RM12.75
Bangkok
Check in at Take a Nap Hotel. My favourite B&B hotel. We paid for the Pinky room at THB1,600 per room for triple sharing with 1 queen size bed and 1 single bed. Biasalah, i amik the single bed. That's about THB533 or RM53 each. Amazingly cheap for a beautiful room decor. Breakfast is included ya. What i love the most about this hotel is that you can actually book via e-mail and no upfront payment. You only pay when you check in. And you can actually choose which types of room you prefer. Plus, the hotel is within walking distance to Sala Daeng BTS about 600m. Also nearby to Patpong (just right behind the hotel). So if you like the night life of Patpong, you can actually stay here. Check out the room pics below.
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| Take A Nap Hotel, Bangkok |
Summary of expenses of Day 1
1. Total RM spent = RM24.25 (Transportation + Dinner)
2. Total THB spent = THB1,038 (Drinks+Cab to hotel+Take A nap room fare+Supper)
Day 2-2 July 2011 (Saturday)
Pas breakfast aje, terus head out to Chatuchak Weekend Market. Naik BTS (commonly known as Sky Trains). Amik day pass aje. Costs me THB120. Amik dari Sala Daeng Station and turun di Mochit station. Kebiasaannya every time i go to Bangkok, Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must-to-do list. What i love the most about pasar ni is coz you can get absolutely everything from handicrafts, souvenirs, apparels, and even animals. Ada 27 sections and more than 15,000 shops.
Some tips when you plan to go to Chatuchak:
1. If you plan to shop, bring your own big plastic bag or trolley bag.
2. Dress simple and comfortably coz it's freaking hot in and outside the market. Less is more. Tshirt, short and sandal would do.
3. Don't forget your sunglasses.
4. Bring tissues
5. Drink lots of water
6. Try remember the sections (to avoid you from 'sesat'). Bring map or print or take notes of the shops number in case you wanna go back to the shops. Remember any landmarks or shops sign.
7. Bargain... please do so. Don't be surprised as some of them can speak Malay.
8. Come early 9ish is just perfect. The market opens at 6am over the weekend.
9. Try to eat at Kak Jah restaurant. She can speak Malay. her green curry is amazing ya. Location dia dekat dengan Clock Tower.
10. Beware of pick pockets.
We spent almost 4 hours kat Chatuchak alone. Bought some shirts for me and kidswear for business (sambil menyelam sambil minum air.... hehehe). It's time for us to go back to Take A Nap Hotel and pick up our bags and headed to Pattaya. About 2 hours taxi ride. What is Pattaya famous for? Pattaya is essentially about beaches and the nightlife. Jomtien Beach is quite nice. We stayed at East Suites Serviced Residence at Jomtien Complex, Soi 2. It's a loft, very cozy. Sesuai for lovebirds / couple. but for single pun tak apa. refer pics below for the room pics and Jomtien Beach.
Summary of expenses of Day 2
Summary of expenses of Day 4
1. Total THB spent = THB5,493 (Transport+Drinks+Meal+Shopping+Sundries)
Pas breakfast aje, terus head out to Chatuchak Weekend Market. Naik BTS (commonly known as Sky Trains). Amik day pass aje. Costs me THB120. Amik dari Sala Daeng Station and turun di Mochit station. Kebiasaannya every time i go to Bangkok, Chatuchak Weekend Market is a must-to-do list. What i love the most about pasar ni is coz you can get absolutely everything from handicrafts, souvenirs, apparels, and even animals. Ada 27 sections and more than 15,000 shops.
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| Chatuchak Weekend Market, Bangkok |
1. If you plan to shop, bring your own big plastic bag or trolley bag.
2. Dress simple and comfortably coz it's freaking hot in and outside the market. Less is more. Tshirt, short and sandal would do.
3. Don't forget your sunglasses.
4. Bring tissues
5. Drink lots of water
6. Try remember the sections (to avoid you from 'sesat'). Bring map or print or take notes of the shops number in case you wanna go back to the shops. Remember any landmarks or shops sign.
7. Bargain... please do so. Don't be surprised as some of them can speak Malay.
8. Come early 9ish is just perfect. The market opens at 6am over the weekend.
9. Try to eat at Kak Jah restaurant. She can speak Malay. her green curry is amazing ya. Location dia dekat dengan Clock Tower.
10. Beware of pick pockets.
We spent almost 4 hours kat Chatuchak alone. Bought some shirts for me and kidswear for business (sambil menyelam sambil minum air.... hehehe). It's time for us to go back to Take A Nap Hotel and pick up our bags and headed to Pattaya. About 2 hours taxi ride. What is Pattaya famous for? Pattaya is essentially about beaches and the nightlife. Jomtien Beach is quite nice. We stayed at East Suites Serviced Residence at Jomtien Complex, Soi 2. It's a loft, very cozy. Sesuai for lovebirds / couple. but for single pun tak apa. refer pics below for the room pics and Jomtien Beach.
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| East Suites and Jomtien Beach - Pattaya |
Summary of expenses of Day 2
1. Total THB spent = THB5,825 (Transport+Shopping+Drinks+Meal)
Day 3-3 July 2011 (Sunday)
Still in Pattaya. So today kitorang plan to go to the Jomtien Beach and enjoy the scenery. It was a bad timing coz we went during the Thai election so practically most of the shops are closed. Notice the spelling error. Sanday instead of Sunday. Hehehe....Just strolling along the beach and then headed to the town. We decided to go to the factory outlet - Outlet Mall Pattaya, Tepprasit Road. The selections were ok. I did buy T shirts at Playboy shop. Petang tu hujan plak so we decided to chillax at a cafe shop called P2 (opposite our apartment). Guess what... We were the only customers at that time. So Day 3was a bit boring lah.
Summary of expenses of Day 3
Still in Pattaya. So today kitorang plan to go to the Jomtien Beach and enjoy the scenery. It was a bad timing coz we went during the Thai election so practically most of the shops are closed. Notice the spelling error. Sanday instead of Sunday. Hehehe....Just strolling along the beach and then headed to the town. We decided to go to the factory outlet - Outlet Mall Pattaya, Tepprasit Road. The selections were ok. I did buy T shirts at Playboy shop. Petang tu hujan plak so we decided to chillax at a cafe shop called P2 (opposite our apartment). Guess what... We were the only customers at that time. So Day 3was a bit boring lah.
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| Pattaya |
1. Total THB spent = THB6,227 (Transport+Drinks+Meal+Shopping+Sundries)
Day 4-4 July 2011 (Monday)
Time to pack our bags and headed to Bangkok. This time we stayed at Le Fenix Sukhumvit Hotel. My room no is 719. Ingat tu. The hotel is very chic with bold orange and red color and coolmodern urban interior. The room is not that big but just nice for 1 people. It even has a swimming pool on the top floor - the same floor I was in.
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| Le Fenix Sukhumvit, Bangkok |
Today, we decided to go to Platinum Fashion Mall for more shopping. Basically i bought lots of kids apparel for sale. tempat ni memang canggih with lots of sections from men, women, kids, sports, etc - all for a wholesale price i.e. if you buy more than 3 items you can get good discounted price. Banyak fashionable apparel. No wonder lah Thai guys are stylish. :) Ada dedicated floors for each segments. So just follow the directory for which segments that u wanna go. It's a fashion heaven.
Summary of expenses of Day 4
1. Total THB spent = THB5,493 (Transport+Drinks+Meal+Shopping+Sundries)
Day 5-5 July 2011 (Tuesday)
Time to pack our bags and headed home. Bosannya. I'm gonna miss Bangkok. Overall, it was a good trip. Looking forward for the next trip. Khob Khun Kha!
1.Total THB spent during this trip = THB22,271
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Jalan-jalan cuti liburan
Assalamualaikum semua. Hi All.
Selamat datang ke my blog. All about my adventures / mis-adventures during my trips to local destination as well as overseas. Aku ingin coretkan apa jua aktiviti sepanjang percutianku sama ada yang indah atau kureng indah. Biasalah tu kalau travelling, there must be hiccups (a lil bit) or anything that stood out during the trip. I am going to write about my previous and current trips as well with a lil bit of traveling tips.
Enjoy!
Selamat datang ke my blog. All about my adventures / mis-adventures during my trips to local destination as well as overseas. Aku ingin coretkan apa jua aktiviti sepanjang percutianku sama ada yang indah atau kureng indah. Biasalah tu kalau travelling, there must be hiccups (a lil bit) or anything that stood out during the trip. I am going to write about my previous and current trips as well with a lil bit of traveling tips.
Enjoy!
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