Itinerary: Trip to London & US [Part 2]

Day 2 & 3 in London.

Visited quite a bit of places and tried a lot of new food! As there are too many photos to share, this 5 mins video would make a good summary =)

The real solo trip is coming up soon in NYC! Wait for Part 3!

Itinerary: Trip to London & US [Part 1]

Finally gonna post on my trip to London and USA! I've written halfway for the previous Japan trip and decided to move on to London/USA trip. Memory is fading and better for me to record down.
A lot of people asked me for itinerary and I've decided to make it into a video! (Just being lazy to type and upload photos one by one...)

Enjoy the video! Part 2 will be upload soon (I hope...)

Where to Hike in KL: Taman Eko Rimba, Bukit Nanas, Kuala Lumpur

If you are looking for a photogenic hiking spot......

If you are trying to be healthy and a beginner hiker......

If you are in KL area and didn't want to travel far for a hike......

Then, this post is for you!

A hike with KL Tower view. This is very touristy but its my first visit.

Fail Malaysian XD

This place is called Taman Eko Rimba(Malay)/KL Forest Eco Park/Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve. It is one of the oldest forest reserve in Malaysia. I didn't notice its existence until I search for places to hike in KL. A forest reserve right in the heart of the concrete jungle. It just feels like going to Central Park in New York City. Good to have a breath of fresh-er air here!

This is the place where you can take a photo with KL Tower as the background.

Suspension bridge with KL Tower view. 

I didn't take any photos during the hike as it is quite easy. My friend and I thought that we were overdressed for such a hike. We should wear prettier for photos instead. Haha! Oh well, this place is worth recommending as it is a good place to visit, especially for tourists. More importantly, it is FREE to enter! It is open daily from 7am to 6pm. I will definitely visit this place again as I missed the most photogenic spot! >.<

Anyway, share two of my favourite photos taken in KL Forest Eco Park here to wrap up this post! More posts coming up!

Johor: Day Trip to Kangkar Pulai Blue Lake

I'm back in action! Life has been rather happening and I forcefully stopped blogging for a while. Just got back from a work trip in Johor and I can't wait to share my experience and nice places that I found. The idea of sharing the nice places brought me back to this blog! 

I will start of with a hidden gem near Johor Bahru -- Kangkar Pulai blue lake! I wanted to visit this place since 2017 but it was closed at that time due to leptospirosis breakout at Gunung Pulai waterfall and also the land owner complained about the rubbish that was left on the trails. I was attracted by the stunning blue of the lake, which I would like to see it myself, if the colour is real or edited. 

On a Friday morning, I drove an hour from Simpang Renggam to Kangkar Pulai to search for this hidden gem with two of my colleagues! I studied a lot of blogs to check the location of the entrance. In fact, the entrance is searchable by Waze (search for Kangkar Pulai Lagoon) but I doubted myself a while when I reached. It doesn't really look like an entrance to a lagoon.

The rocky roads to walk towards the entrance of the blue lagoon

Basically, you will need to hike for about 10 minutes to reach the first viewpoint, which is the only hike that I did for this trip. I felt that this point is good enough for me to take good photos and sun was getting too hot that time. XD 

(Tips: Go earlier to avoid hot sun. I reached around 9.15am, which isn't too ideal)

This view definitely worth 10 minutes hike. Easy with good view!

The hike can be a bit steep. Just need to make sure you have a pair of shoes with good grips. My kampung adidas from Mr. DIY works pretty well! Thank goodness!

The blue lake was formed because of the iron ore quarry nearby. Copper sulphate is the mineral that is forming the blue colour. 

Yours truly with inappropriate outfit for hiking.

Never expect to hike during this work trip!

Life is too short! Don't wait and start exploring wonderful places now!

This is one of the landmark that you could confirm that you are walking towards the entrance. One of the blogs called it the "Big Tangki"

Tips: If you are unsure, look for cars and human beings! I confirmed that I was at the right place by noticing that there are a lot of cars stopping by the roadside. Then, we followed a couple who were also walking to the entrance. 

After hiking, it's time to search for good food! Yes, still need to feed the stomach although the hike was just 20 minutes in total with 1 hours plus of photo taking session. After googling, we found a stall that sells clam (la-la) noodles which seems quite interesting. The stall is located inside Restoran Atson. 

This looks like a fairly normal kopitiam. Can't wait to try local coffee here too!

I always like to try local coffees at local coffee shops as they usually surprise me.

Ta-daa!!! My fried noodle with clams (la-la) (RM7)

They served the noodles with very generous amount of clams. Yumssssss! 

The taste is satisfactory for me. =D The iced Cham (Coffee +Tea) that I ordered was decent.

This wrapped up my Kangkar Pulai blue lagoon exploration perfectly. 

Fed my eyes and cameras, then stomach! Weekend is always better if you do something different and indulge with good stuff. 

Address             : Restoran Aston
                                  1, Jalan Inang 1, Taman Nesa, Johor Bahru
Opening hours: 6am-1pm (closed on Thursdays)

永别了，宝贝

I would like to dedicate this post to my love - Dong Dong, who already left us last week.

宝贝，谢谢你十三年来的陪伴

还记得你第一天加入我们家，我有多么的抗拒

在家追逐了好几个礼拜，我妥协了

因为你那可爱又兴奋的样子，我决定用爱来对抗我对动物的恐惧

我还记得第一次摸你的感觉

感觉就像是昨天而已

宝贝，姐姐从来没有想过我再也抱不到你的那一天那么快到来

你永远都那么活泼

即使病了还是会蹦蹦跳跳

你从来不让我们担心

只会让我们看到你那可爱开心的脸

看你病倒了

我们只能心疼

看你用心的吃了两年多的药

我们只能在旁支持

小小身躯需要吃四五种药

我们除了定时喂药

也不知道怎么帮你

你有你的脾气

你有你的个性

没有狗比你更会听话

更会享受生活了吧

吃蛋糕也会选好吃的来吃

不合胃口你绝对碰都不碰

出门走走绝对是你的最爱

认路也是蛮不错的哦

宝贝，我会很不习惯没有你的家

我很遗憾没能在你离开前陪伴你左右

我要你知道我很想见你最后一面的

可是我无能为力， 对不起！

宝贝，不要担心我们！

在天堂要照顾自己

交多点朋友吧！

记得我们真的很爱很爱你

你是很棒很棒的家人

感恩，这一生有你相伴

爱你

永别了，宝贝

2018 New Year Japan Trip Itinerary: Day 2 Osaka - Tokyo

****Day 2: Osaka - Tokyo****

Shinkansen experience was really nice. It took us only 3 hours to reach Tokyo and the journey was smooth. When we reached Tokyo station, we went to search for subway pass before we check in to the Airbnb place. We bought the 2-day Tokyo Metro pass with JPY 1,200 (~RM45). The 2-day pass is only available for tourist as you need to show your passport in order to purchase the pass. Luckily we bought this pass as traveling out from the Airbnb place to Tokyo city would cost us more if we didn't buy this pass. 

The Airbnb place was near Nakano-Shinbashi station and it was hostel-like. The room was very small tbh but I guess that was why the price was much cheaper than other hotels/hostels. After unloading our luggage at the Airbnb place, we headed back to Shinjuku area for lunch. First meal in Tokyo - super large bowl udon @ Tsurutontan Shinjuku. 

Why they have such complicated crossing??

It was quite difficult to find the restaurant as it was at basement. We reached the place and didn't realized that it was just right in front of us. XD But was fated to try as we thought to randomly try the udon shop in front of us and realized it was the shop that we were searching for when we were queuing. There was a long queue and waited for about 20 minutes.

I ordered a bowl curry katsu udon, with 1.5 portion of udon. 

Sorry for not taking care of my image XD Yours truly was really hungry!

After that, we walked around Shinjuku area before meeting up with my friend's friend. We went to check out Omotesando area near Harajuku station before heading to Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu). This is a major luxury shopping destination and the trees along the street are famous for street photography. However, as it was winter, it wasn't as beautiful as the photos taken during spring. 

Oh well, trees during winter are still worth enjoying. Where do you find this scene in Malaysia?

And that was my OOTD for new year eve! Loving my Aldo boots as it is so comfy and only costs me RM200! Such a brilliant consumer. =P Behind me was a long queue for either Garrett popcorn or gyoza. I don't understand why the queue was that long! 

After a few photos, we walked to Meiji Shrine (Meiji Jingu, 明治神宫). It is usually close at 6pm but for new year eve and a first few days of new year, they open till midnight. Especially that they have prayers at midnight for new year. But we did not join that ceremony.

2018 New Year Japan Trip Itinerary: Day 1 KL - Osaka

It is always my dream to travel to Japan. Never thought it would happen so soon and with a friend that I've never thought of. But well, it was a wonderful and memorable trip! Japan is really a beautiful country and rather huge to explore! Can't wait to visit Japan again!!! 

So I'll start with detailed daily itinerary and then a summary. =)

Day 1 (30th Dec): KL - Osaka

Departed to airport around 9.30am for afternoon flight to Osaka. Spared some time at airport to grab brunch and collect the wifi router from Travel Recommends counter. I would suggest to rent one wifi router as it is necessary and cheaper than getting SIM card in Japan. The one that I booked cost RM200 for 9 nights (RM100 per pax). This saved us from getting lost in Japan! XD 

View from the flight. This is so beautiful!

We reached Osaka airport around 9.45pm and started our adventure! We tried to grab a midnight train to Tokyo, which we couldn't managed to book online. Rushed to JR office to change our JR pass and tried to book the train. It was freezing cold! Unfortunately, it was fully reserved and we had no place to sleep at night =( Lesson learnt -- Don't try your luck especially during peak season like New Year.

So, we decided to go with Plan B, which is to find a place to stay in Osaka for the night and also to hunt for supper. Instead of wasting one day of our JR pass, we bought the train ticket to Osaka station, which costs us JPY 1190 (~RM45) each. The train took about 30 minutes to reach Osaka station, reached there around 12.30am.

Ticket for the last train to Osaka station from airport! 

Suit up to combat the cold weather for the night! Don't know where to sleep yet XD

As we were starving that time, we decided to grab a bowl of ramen as supper before we hunt for a place to rest. Hence, Ichiran Ramen @ Umeda which opens for 24 hours was our first food stop in Japan. My friends have been telling me how great it is. So excited to have it as my first meal. =D

Guess what, there were people queuing at midnight for ramen!

Once we got into the restaurant with our huge luggage, the waiters helped us to store the luggage aside. Then, we ordered our ramen using the machine. Once you paid, the machine will give out a receipt. After that, proceed to the seating place to wait for a seat. You will then pass your order to the kitchen for ramen preparation once you are seated. The procedure is so systematic and the ramen was served quite soon that day.  

Ta-daa! Ramen served with soft boiled egg (JPY 1020 = ~RM38). You can choose the flavour of the soup and also with toppings. So individualized! And, they also have individual seating. I love the concept so much! Eating alone wouldn't be awkward anymore! 

After our supper, we went to hunt for place to stay. Found a kind-of-weird hotel and rested for 3 hours before we catch the 6am Shinkansen to Tokyo. That 3 hours stayed cost us JPY 8000, which was the cheapest that we could find. 

Less than RM1800! Hanoi 5D4N Itinerary Part II with Budget Breakdown

****Day 4****

4th day in Hanoi and we finally get to tour the city! First stop -- Tran Quoc Pagoda. We called for Grab to pick us up from hotel and it costs us about RM5 for a trip. It wasn't too far of a distance but traffic is really bad in Hanoi. If you have the energy, some attraction places are actually walk-able. 

Arrived at Tran Quoc Pagoda 

Tran Quoc Pagoda is the oldest Buddhist temple in Hanoi, dated back to the 6th century. It was originally located on banks of Red River and was relocated to an islet within West Lake in 1615 due to the river's encroachment. The main pagoda is made up of 11 levels and surrounded by an incense burning house and a museum housing historic relics. 

Entrance: Free

Opening hour: 7.30am-6pm

Attire: Suggest to wear conservatively

A huge tree near the incense building

Next stop: Ho Chi Minh Museum

Tourist photo right in front of the museum =)

After exploring the pagoda, we took another Grab ride to Ho Chi Minh Museum. It is located in the Ho Chi Minh complex where you can visit the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, One Pillar Pagoda, Ba Dinh Square and the War Memorial all together. The museum is an elaborate description of Ho Chi Minh's life with collections of artifacts, miniatures and various gifts gathered nationally or internationally. The museum was huge and you might need to spend a morning here to really explore the history. We did not manage to read all in details but glanced through quickly in 1-2 hours.

Entrance Fee: VND 10,000 (~RM2)

Opening hours: Everyday except Mon and Fri - 8 - 11.30am and 2 - 4.30pm

Next: One Pillar Pagoda

This pagoda attracted me the most from its name. XD The pagoda rising from one pillar in the centre of a lotus pond and it is said to represent a lotus flower growing up out of the water. It was built between 1028-1054 during the Ly Dynasty. The little temple is constructed based on a single stone pillar crafted into the shape of a lotus blossom. The shrine inside the pagoda is dedicated to the Vietnamese Buddhist deity Quan Am.  

Entrance Fee: FREE

Opening hour: Daily 8am-5pm

Next stop: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum

This is the final resting place for Vietnamese Revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh in Hanoi. It is a large building located in the centre of the Ba Dinh Square. You can visit the mausoleum but we did not check it out as we were rushing to the market. And it was too tiring for grandma to walk around the HCM complex already. 

After a few photos, we decided to check out Dong Xuen market. Heard there a lots of things to buy!

Next Stop: Dong Xuan Market

Dong Xuen Market is the largest, four-storey Soviet-style, indoor market in Hanoi. Here you can find wholesale traders selling everything from clothes to food. Being a wholesale market, you need to bear in mind that it would be packed with people and you will be offered cheaper price when you buy in bulk. For us who are just checking things out, it is a little messy for us to shop. I would think it is much nicer to shop in Ben Thanh market in HCM. 

Crowded market - the clothing area. 

We managed to shop for some dried fruits and lotus seeds to bring home. Then we gave up jamming in the crowd and went out to check out interesting stuff.

Spotted a stall selling local dessert/snacks (looks like our Malaysia's kuih). I decided to buy 2 to try but totally can't understand what the lady tried to explain to me. I bought two which looks safer and I was trying to relate them to any of our kuih. Well, pretty much similar! Hoho.. But I guess the fillings wrongly. XD

Their bikes can sell everything! From desserts to flowers to pots. I was really amazed!

After getting kuih without understanding what we bought, we went to a fruit stall to check out if they have any local fruits. Amazingly, we bought a fruit that we are clueless but it costs RM12 for a piece. Wonder what is that? Continue reading this post and it will be shown towards the end!

After buying from the fruit stall, we were tired of having language barriers and our stomachs were growling. Lunch time! We took Grab to a restaurant that I found, which seems to be very popular among the tourists -- Quan An Ngon.

It is a restaurant with street-stall style within the garden courtyard and interior of an imposing French colonial villa. It serves authentic Vietnamese cuisines and we decided to order 5 dishes to try!

Spring Roll -  is a must!

Banh Xeo Tom Thit - Fried pancake with pork and shrimp

Fried Rice and Pork Chop with rice

Chao Tom - Grilled shrimp on sugarcane

The whole meal costs us around RM120 for 4 persons. And we ordered fruit juices each! I would say it is cheap and nice!

Was too bored waiting for the driver and mom decided to take a photo of me at the restaurant's front gate XD

Next Stop: Temple of Literature

After lunch, we proceeded to Temple of Literature (文庙), the temple of Confucius. This temple hosts the Vietnam's first national university -- Imperial Academy. The compound is huge and surrounded by greenery. It is definitely a nice place to study. When we reached there, there were lots of people taking graduation photos. It is a good experience for us to observe how they dress for graduation.