Welcome to the Second Half of 2015

It's July! Which means that we are already halfway done with the year. Pretty soon, we'll be bidding 2015 goodbye and welcoming 2016.

So, how was your first half of the year? Where did you guys go for holidays? Did you visit any new places or were you exploring and discovering new sights on familiar cities?

As for me, the first half of the year was rather slow, travel-wise. Work and study took most of my times away. However, I still managed to go for 2 vacations. The first was back in January when I went to Boracay, Philippines.

Pristine white beach in Boracay, Philippines

It was supposed to be trip with another travel blogger but she had to bail out due to family commitment. I'm not much of a beach person so the most I can spend are 4 days by the beach doing nothing. However, Boracay is more of a "since I'm here, might as well" for the main highlight for me is the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo. What a colourful and lively festival it is.

Colourful parade of the Ati-Atihan Festival

The second one was my South Korea adventure in April with my friends. I was amazed and fascinated with the country, what with the constant import of Korean cultures in Malaysia, and I came back in love with it. The food, the people, the heritage, everything is just a delight. Plus, we went during spring, which means being surrounded with the lovely sakuras all the times. What a perfect way to spend my birthday.

Sakura trees everywhere

Street foods are aplenty in Seoul

Table full of Korean delights

I'm looking forward to the remaining half of the year, with tentatively 3 more trips to go. I say tentatively because these 3 trips are already all locked up and ready to launch and I'm considering another one during Christmas break. Let's see how it goes on that one.

Hotel Review - Eight Acres Resort, Raub

We live in a world where technologies have become an essential part of our lives, to the point where we seem to forget what truly matters; human connection. It's not quite unusual to see families or groups of friends, sitting together and yet, they have never been more further apart from each other as they focus more on their electronic gadgets than one another. It seems that these days, words and laughter are exchanged through texts and emojis, not verbally.


Uncle Kam, resort manager and proud father of the resort, noticed such predicament and has every intention to instil that connectivity among humans as well as with nature back in his guests. That's why there's barely any coverage throughout Eight Acres, so that we can unhook ourselves from the abyss that's the Internet and focus on people around us. Even the yellow man will not follow you to the resort, so, you have been warned.

Eight Acres

Now, what to do in a resort located deep in the estate plantation with the nearest town about 40 minutes away? Plenty. Boredom does not exist in Eight Acres for there are many activities to fill up the time.

One such activity is the traditional kampung games such as guli (marble balls) and gasing (spinning tops). These recreational activities were popular among children back in the olden days. I remembered playing guli when I was a kid growing up in a small town. It must be more than 15 years since I last touched one of those tiny little marble balls that I immediately start to play with it. In fact, all of us are sporting a gleeful smile on our faces throughout the session as our childhood memories start rushing back.

I doubt that youngsters these days know what these games are or how to play. Angry Birds and Candy Crush, yes, but gasing and congkak? This is really a good initiative to reintroduce back traditional games to the young generation.

Traditional games await you

Indonesia - Prambanan

Again, I'm back after another hiatus which I hope will be the last one in near future. Now, I just want to finish the story about my Yogyakarta trip that happened 2 years back which I started writing about almost a year ago. Talk about procrastination.

Prambanan

So, after our Mount Merapi jeep adventure, we moved on to next attraction in Yogyakarta: Prambanan. Other than its gorgeous islands, Indonesia is also famous for its historic religious sites and Prambanan is one of the many.

About 30 minutes from city centre, this Hindu temple is the largest in the country and among the biggest in the region. Dedicated to the deities Brahma (Creator), Vishnu (Preserver) and Shiva (Destroyer), the complex was inscribed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991, together with Borobudur.

Upon entering the complex, you will notice that not all of the buildings are still structurally intact. A lot of the smaller candi on the outer ring are either damaged or in a rumbled state. In fact, the main temple, the worship site for Shiva, which is located at the centre of the compound, is still considered unstable and they only allowed 50 people to enter at one go.

Some of the damaged structures

Warning sign for Shiva temple

All these has nothing to do with poor management but rather the fury of Mother Nature. Recent earthquakes and volcano eruptions have caused major damages to the complex, some of which are simply irreparable.

You have to wear safety helmets before going to the temple

You should take your own time slowly exploring the complex and admiring the craftsmanship of the olden days. I think we spent about 2 hours, more or less, before our grumbling stomachs drew our attentions. Our driver, Saiful, took us to a nearby restaurant we had some simple and traditional Indonesian cuisines.

Such detailed craftsmanship 

Group shot

After our lunch, we were clueless as to where to go. We did stop by Ratu Bako, another cultural site but we decided not to enter. We went back to the city centre around 6 and did a quick walk before calling it a day since we have been out since 8 in the morning.

Fried chicken

Toufu

The following day was rather free and easy with nothing planned except for our flight home. After breakfast, we were all ready to be back home.

*THE END*

Indonesia - Mount Merapi

When we bought the flight tickets to Yogyakarta, I had every intention to hike the fiery Mount Merapi. I did some research about the possibilities of hiking to the peak and it seems to be doable. When we reached the city, there are even tour packages that will bring you to the top of the mountain. However, the weather was not really conducive for such an adventure, what with the regular rain during our stays. Hence, the hiking expedition was cancelled.

Mount Merapi

However, we did ended up going to Mount Merapi, admiring the majestic mountain from a safe distance. We departed early in the morning with a hired car recommended by my friend. It was quite a deal to rent a whole car plus driver if you come in a group. We decided to rent the car service for half day, starting our journey at 7 am.

Maximum capacity of the Jeep, excluding the driver, is 4 persons

Our first destination was Mount Merapi. The driver, Saiful, brought us to this tour agency,Jeep Extreme Adventure, that offers Jeep ride, as advertised, up to the mountain. It was quite reasonably priced, I think, for a 3 hour Jeep ride and much fun than I expected, heading up the rocky terrain with the vehicle. It goes without saying that the journey was a bit bumpy which was rather exhilarating, to say the least.

Mount Merapi serving as our background

We made a few pit stops along the way to the highest possible point before reverting back. We noticed that we were not the only group who explored Mount Merapi in a Jeep. Apparently, it is quite a popular activity and a preferred way of going through the terrain of the volcano.

Cloud has decided to gather by the mountain, a cue for us to go

When we reached our final destination, Bukit Glagahsari, the view of Mount Merapi is simply majestic. We stood there admiring it. Of course, while absorbing its beauty, there is the background music of shutter clicking non stop, of which I'm the guilty one. We spent about 10 minutes plus before heading back down as clouds began to gather around the mountain.

What Left of My Possessions Museum, loosely translated from its Indonesian 

Before we reached the base, we made a last stop. It is a museum of sort, one that showcase the aftermath of the eruption of the volcano few years back. All the items on displays are what left of it, melted to its irregular shapes and sizes. Some still retain its original looks while some rendered before recognition, leaving us wonder what these items were back then. It was quite depressing to see how life can make a twist to the worst in just a matter of minutes. Entrance is free but donations are welcome.

Melted possessions

Jeep Ride Adventure
IDR 450,000 (per person)

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - Taman Sari

Wow, I just realized that the last entry was dated back in September 2014. 6 months of MIA! Studying takes a large portion of your times away, especially after works. Well, I'm going to better manage my time and start writing again because, I really do like to write.

Walking to Taman Sari from the Palace

Let us continue with the story. It was in April 2013 that I went to Yogyakarta with my fellow uni-mates and we had visited Dieng Plateau, Borobudur and Kraton, the city palace. On the same day that we explored Kraton Ngayogyakarta, we also dropped by Taman Sari, a ruined complex used to be the bathing pools for the Sultan.

Taman Sari

Walking distance from the palace, Taman Sari served as a pleasure recreation for the Sultan. It is said that one of the bathing pools will be crowded with his ladies while the Sultan would be sitting in his tower, overlooking the scene and making his pick for the day. Such a scintillating lifestyle, won't you agree?

Tower (left) is where the Sultan made his pick from the ladies in the pool

As we listened to the story, out of nowhere rain started to fall heavily. We were stranded in the water castle, taking a shelter as we waited for the rain to stop. The irony, to be in the ancient water complex yet afraid to get drenched by the rain.

Nothing to do but to take photos as we waited for the rain to stop

After a while, it seemed that the rain was unlikely to stop. So, when the torrent slowed down a bit, we quickly got ourselves a tricycle or two to get us back to the hotel. April is not exactly a good time to visit Indonesia as it is the raining season. We spent the rest of the day hiding in our rooms before heading out for dinner.

Taman Sari
Entrance fee: IDR 7,000
Camera fee: IDR 1,000

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - A Glimpse of Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta (commonly called as Jogjakarta), one of the biggest cities in Indonesia, is famous as the country's fine art and cultural centre. This is the city to go to for those hunting for authentic batiks, mesmerising wayang kulit (shadow play) and traditional music and dance. And Yogyakarta is where we were all heading to after Borobudur.

Malioboro St., the place to shop for batiks

We took a local bus from Magelang to Yogyakarta, about 30 minutes to an hour of ride. The ride itself was entertaining. Besides the fact that it's a local bus, one without air-conditioned and crowded with locals, halfway through the journey, a few musicians boarded along the bus and started singing! Their performance was rather good and when it was over, you can tip them for it. Quite an experience, I have to say.

Like any Indonesian cities, you will see the locals playing a game of chess along the road

Once checked into the low budget hotel we booked for the night, we went to explore the city for a while. Honestly speaking, Yogyakarta is like any other Indonesian cities and when night comes, you have very little things to do. We practically just walked through every nooks and hooks, every bends and crooks, before calling it a night, resting for tomorrow's exploration.

Some sort of dessert we had along the road

Food and music is the perfect match

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Indonesia - Borobudur, the Second Round

OK, back to recounting my Yogyakarta trip. Where did I stop last time? Oh, yea, we were still in Dieng Plateau, exploring Telaga Warna and Kawah Sikidang before rain cut short of our visit, forcing us to proceed to Magelang where we will be staying for the night.

It was another 4 hours of long drive from Dieng Plateau to Magelang and by the time we reached Manohara Hotel, we were practically spent. We had been travelling for close to 9 hours since arriving Semarang and in need of a good shower and dinner. 

It was the second time for me and my roommate, staying in Manohara Hotel. The reason why we chose back this spot was that it was really good and worth every penny. Plus, the close proximity to Borobudur doesn't hurt as well. However, the room we got this time around wasn't as spacious as the one last time. After dinner, we retreated back to our room and called it a night. It had been a long day, after all.

Love the serenity Manohara Hotel offers

The next day, we woke up early for Borobudur. Guests of Manohara Hotel can enter the UNESCO World Heritage Site for free as the entrance fee is already included in the accommodation. The day was rather misty, giving the temple a mystical appearance. 

Borobudur temple

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Street Arts, George Town

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

***

Bring out the name Ernest Zacharevic and chances are everyone will be raving about his mural paintings that decorate the streets of Malaysia. While these days, his works can be seen across the country with Ipoh being the latest town painted by him, there is no doubt that George Town will always be linked to him or that the  “Little Children on a Bicycle” will be his most famous piece.

One of Ernest's work, "Boy on a Bike"

The beauty behind this piece of art is that it manages to capture the simplistic childhood moment and the thrill and excitement of riding a bicycle together with your siblings or friends. You will feel nostalgic when looking at the painting. Even though the mural has been there for more than a year, it remains to be among the most famous of them all in Penang, with tourists, both locals and foreigners, queueing up to take pictures with it.

Someone pasted Ernest's infamous work in Johor Bharu in one of the streets

George Town will never be the same again thanks to him. He definitely has left an indelible imprint in the art scene of Georgetown. Besides contributing to the city's art revival, his works also encourage other artists to do the same. 

Georgetown has become an unofficial patron city of street arts, with more and more new pieces popping out along these narrow streets. Most of these artworks, delicately painted by local artists, fuses with the vibe of the city. There are some that are more of an oddity. I mean, the popularity of minions has an expiry date.

Wonderful creation that showcases the cultural beauty of our country

Regardless whether you see them as work of arts or pure vandalism, there is no denying that thanks to these mural arts, George Town has become much more livelier and bursting with energy. Tourists would flock to the city in hunt for these hidden treasures, walking around the narrow streets of the historic city centre in search of them. 

Another gem by local artist, I think

However, if you are planning to see these mural arts for yourself, you better do it quick for some of them has faded beyond recognition. One of Ernest's creation, “This Old Man” mural along Armenian Street, has faded with nothing but the palest outline of a face can be seen while the “Children in a Boat” mural, another one of his works at Chew Jetty, is barely recognisable as the painting peeled off due to the brutal forces of Mother Nature.

Even these arts are not safe from passerbys. The aforementioned “Little Children on a Bicycle” mural endured few vandalism acts back in the early days. Luckily, the locals managed to save the painting and restored it back to its original self. Therefore, do visit the island quick if you are planning to do a mural hunting. It might no longer be there come the next day.

"Little Children on Bicycle"

 Info Box

Street arts along the narrow streets in the historic city centre of George Town. Most of the mural arts are clustered along Armenian Street and its surroundings. 

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

***

It's already halfway through 2014 which means I have already written almost 26 entries on places to go in Malaysia. Hurray me! Granted, the entries on the past two months were rather insipid and short but what to do? I'm currently in Warsaw and I can't get to explore around the country. But, I will be back soon and there will be better written posts then.

A lot of walking in Labuk Bay sanctuary

As of now, let us shift our focus back to Sabah. Or, to be precise, Sandakan. This town is well known for its two main attractions. One of them is the Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre (which was already featured here) while the other being Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary.

Proboscis monkeys

Proboscis monkeys, which coincidentally is the mascot for the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, are endangered animals. Also known as the long-nosed monkeys, this species of primates can only be found in the Borneo island. Hence, when you are in Sabah, chances are you will see at least one of them if you visit the national parks.

You can also go to the sanctuary, located about an hour from Sandakan town, for an up close and personal time with them. A former palm tree plantation (and still a functioning one), this piece of estate was turned into an animal shelter when the owner of the plantation witnessed the destruction of their habitats when he was deforesting the land and decided to keep a part of it remained untouched. 

Watching them so close can be such a worthwhile and educative experience. We were told that it is the males that are with the long noses and that the noses are what attract the females. The longer the noses they have, the more females will swoon over and fall head over heels for them. 

They usually live in a group, with one male and his many wives. Other male monkeys are not allowed in the group as the leader often fears that he will be ousted by the other competitors. Even their own sons will be kicked out of the tribes once reached maturity. 

They usually come in a group

Besides proboscis monkeys, you can also find other types of animals here such as silver-leaf monkeys, hornbills, and so on. The silver-leaf monkeys are really adorable and they usually hang around the platforms so you get to interact with them. 

Hornbill

Silver leaf monkeys

They really like her as they kept dangling around her hair

Be sure to make it in time for the feeding time which is at 9.30 am and 2.30 pm for Platform A and 11.30 am and 4.30 pm for Platform B. You would want to attend both as the locations of these two platforms are different. 

During feeding time, they would all come out from their habitats

Info Box

Labuk Bay Proboscis Monkey Sanctuary,
Off Jalan Labuk, Sandakan.
Open daily.
Entrance fee is at RM 15 for adult (RM 60 for non-Malaysian) and RM 5 for child (RM 30 for non-Malaysian). There is a RM 10 charge on cameras.
For more information, you can go to Sabah Tourism Board here.

Visit Malaysia Year 2014 - Pasar Karat Memory Lane, Ipoh

To support Visit Malaysia Year 2014, I will be writing on various tourist attractions in the country. Let us work together to bring in tourists to our lovely Malaysia.

***

Another city, another morning market. This time around, it's the antique flea market in Ipoh. Affectionately known as the Ipoh Memory Lane, this is the place to be in Sunday morning if you want to be immersed within the crowd. 

Welcome to Memory Lane Ipoh

Located along Jalan Horley, right besides The Store supermarket, it might be hard to find some conventional items to buy but if unconventional is what you are looking for, this is definitely where you should be. From secondhand electronic goods to shirts of questionable origins, stamps to minted old notes and coins, ancient plastic toys to antique furnitures, you can find these and many more in this market.

 

 

Some of the antiques and old treasure troves you can find here

Just like the Sunday market in Kota Kinabalu, the road is closed off from vehicles early in the morning untill around noon to make ways for these hawker stalls to open. Between the two morning markets, the items in Kota Kinabalu are more varied compared to this flea market. Yet, you should not brush it off especially so if antique items are what you are looking for. You might find some great bargain here in this Sunday market.

People watching is also a good activity here in the flea market

Info Box

Pasar Karat Memory Lane,
Jalan Horley, Ipoh, Perak.
The market opens from early morning to about 2 p.m. every Sunday.