Category Archives: Travel & Places

Manila Trip By Philippines of Tourism – Media FAM Tour, Day 1 – Villa Escudero and Bonifacio Global City

Posted on by
4

Few weeks weeks back, on a Sunday night, 28th November 2010, was the first time I boarded a bus express at KL Sentral..

Was at Kl Sentral at 9pm, bought bus ticket to LCCT for check-in at 11pm for my Manila-bound flight at 1.20am via Cebu Pacific, Philippines largest airline..

Been to LCCT numerous times but it’s my first time to board a plane in LCCT, and my fourth time to fly on a plane (not including return)..

There I boarded Cebu Pacific, got to know 4 new friends who were in the FAM trip with me, all first time meeting each other..


*Boarding Cebu Pacific*

Although Cebu Pacific being the largest airline in Philippines, it’s a low cost carrier airline..Well I can’t compare it much with other low cost carriers but I was pretty satisfied with the plane, the service, and of course the journey :)

The flight from KL-Manila is about 3 hours and 45 minutes..I snoozed all the way from KL to Manila and we arrived Manila slightly earlier than scheduled..

The plane touched down at about 4.30am (Manila and KL have the same timezone) so we had to wait for the tour guide for a little while..

Due to tight schedule, we were brought to a 24-hours spa and massage center to freshen before the real deal began..


*Wensha Spa Center*

Wensha Spa Center is located at Cultural Complex of the Philippines (CCP) area near Starcity..

It has shabu-shabu buffet, shower, pool, sauna, locker, and all kinds of massage..The price range from 500 Pesos to 2,000 Pesos..

I guess the one we had was 680 Pesos, inclusive of the buffet, pool, shower, sauna, locker and a full body massage..On top of that, one can hang out in there for as long as 8-hours!

Since we were on tight schedule so we just had about 45-minutes of sleep in the massage room after the massage session..

After that, we had to head out to Villa Escudero Plantations and Resort at San Pablo City, about 2-hours drive from Makati City..


*AERA Memorial Museum at Villa Escudero*

That’s the AERA Memorial Museum and the front yard, founded by Arsenio and Rosario Escudero..

It houses alot of rare items, especially the religious arts of silver altars, gilded carrozas, ivory santos, embroidered vestments and intricately carved inages, all dated back in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Spanish colonial era..

Other than that, there are also lots of sculptures, Oriental ceramics from China during its Dynasty-ruling period, items and weapons from World War 2, and things that reflect the Filipinos, from the traditional clothing to some of the modern ones’ worn by important figures..

Camera is not allowed in the Memorial Museum so I couldn’t show you anything here..I can say it’s quite an eye-opener..


*The journalists with me*

Okay I know this photo is failed..So let’s move on..

Continue reading →

Going Up Broga Hill, Semenyih

Posted on by
5

on 4th September 2010 was the day I put myself to challenge none other than myself, that is, by going up the much famous and crowded Broga Hill..

Yeah, being known for choosing sleep over waking up at freaking 4am and don’t even have the stamina to last for a full 1-hour of futsal match, I’m indeed putting myself to a challenge..

So on that very night, I mean morning, I had like only 2-3 hours sleep and waking up at 3.30am is not fun, considering I slept at 1am :P

Accompanied by Daphne, I went with Hiew, Hikaru, Carmen, Darel, and Apple and friends..

For Cheras residents, if you are planning to go to Broga Hill, there’s no need to get up THAT early..

You’ll only need about 45-minutes to reach the foot hill from Plaza Phoenix a.k.a Batu 9 toll plaza, and about 1-hour to walk climb up the hill..

How to get there? Easy..

Take the Cheras-Kajang highway follow Semenyih..If you are not sure whether it’s Kajang or Semenyih, just go all the way straight, don’t exit anywhere..Just go all the way until you come to a highway..

On the highway you will see lots of BIG turning to Kajang Silk and/or LEKAS..Before you reach a toll plaza you will see an exit to Rinching if not mistaken, that’s also the same road to go to Nirwana Memorial Park and also Nottingham University..

Before you reach the toll plaza, turn left to follow the Rinching exit..

After the Rinching intersection, go all the way straight, passing bout 2 traffic lights if not mistaken..You will come to a Petronas on your right..

When you see the Petronas, get ready to make a left turn immediate after the Petronas..

From there go all the way straight until you come to a rabbit farm..If you see some shops and an arch saying “Welcome to Negeri Sembilan”, you know you have overshot the Broga Hill..Make a u-turn and look around the bushes or plantations..

It’s just somewhere there.. :)

From the oil palm plantation, just follow any group or light you will eventually reach the top, depends which peak you want to stop at..

There are about 4-5 peaks and I’ve managed to reach the second highest peak and I’m satisfied already..

The others departed and went up to the highest peak..So most of the photos you will see is only me and Daphne :P

broga hill semenyih
*Broga Hill at 6.55am*

Well nothing much to do there though..All we can do was to wait for the sunrise..

Heard from most people, hardly we can have a perfect view of sunrise due to thick clouds and all..

And for the same reason, we didn’t manage to see the sunrise either..

broga hill semenyih
*The peak*

Behind me is the highest peak, which I think I should leave it out this time, train my stamina, and go up again should I go there again :P

broga hill semenyih
*The view down hill*

By the way, the items or necessities that you should bring when you go Broga Hill or any other hill..

- Torch..Big is is better but small one should be fine as well..

- Shoes which have good grips for hiking..Sneakers can be used but not recommended, though I saw few people wore Crocs wtf..

- Fine material of T-shirt (such as football jerseys or Nike’s Dri-Fit) is recommended as those materials would allow sweat to evaporate faster than normal cotton shirts so that you wont feel heavy..

- Small towel for the sweaty hike..An extra shirt for a change when you heading back home..

- If you are not a heavy drinker or don’t really sweat a lot, 1-litre of water is sufficient enough..Bear in mind they have no toilet up on the peak!

- A windbreaker or jacket is optional as sometimes the weather can be quite windy up on the hill..

broga hill semenyih
*I came I saw I conquer*

Lots of awesome views for some creative shots depending on your creativity and angles..

broga hill semenyih
*Cool breeze*

Continue on the full entry for more photos and a silly video that I’ve recorded when we were going down hill..

Continue reading →

Random Outing At i-City @ Shah Alam

Posted on by
6

Few weeks ago I had a random outing to i-City in Shah Alam, bordering to Klang, with Daphne, Jason, Tony, Grace, and Oscar..

The i-City, a retail and commercial hub with advanced information-communication infrastructure in Section 8, has installed millions of LED lights to brighten up the night..


*#1*

It’s also tagged as No.1 Technology City..Not sure how they want to rank themselves..No.1 in Malaysia, perhaps..

It’s not quite an outdoor photoshoot, but rather a fun outing for some random photo-snapping..

i-city shah alam
*#2*

It’s my first time there and it’s VERY easy to go..Just follow Federal Highway Klang bound all the way, pass the Subang toll and just follow i-City all the way..

Just somewhere before the Klang toll plaza there’s a i-City exit on the left..Traffic light turn right at the underpass..

All the way just follow i-City..When you’ve reached the entrance you might enter a under-developed building carpark, very dark and all..

Find the exit/entrance to go to another level..Go all the way up until you reach another exit where you’ll see shoplots and all..

There’s another entrance other than the abandoned carpark entrance but I’m not too sure how to get there..

i-city shah alam
*#3 – Whee*

i-city shah alam
*#4 – Blek*

A cute lovely pic with Daphne wtf :P

i-city shah alam
*#5*

i-city shah alam
*#6 – Shy*

I love to take candid shots because they are natural and you will expect the unexpected..

i-city shah alam
*#7*

The perfect time to be there is around 5-6pm, depending on what you want to shoot..

Any time earlier than 5pm is not too ideal due to Malaysia’s hot weather so just set your timing right..

Night time is good with all the colorful lights but do read on why day time is nice too..

i-city shah alam
*#8*

My signature pose for my header image and one of the photos is heading its way up as my new header image..I’m still processing it :P

Continue on for more vibrant and colorful photos..

Continue reading →

Malacca Day Trip With Family – Jonker Walk

Posted on by
8

Well it was about 4 weeks ago where my dad had an impromptu plan to visit the historical state of Malacca on a 1-day trip..

It was our first family outstation trip after my mom had passed away in 2006 and not like we traveled a lot when my mom was still around back then..It’s like a first-timer thingy..

So off we went off early in the morning for some breakfast before the 1-hour plus 2-hours trip..

A big mistake was we took the LEKAS highway via Kajang route, where we thought passing by Seremban would be faster as Cheras is nearer to LEKAS (Lebuhraya Kajang-Seremban)..

Once we reached Seremban we had to take a detour and exit to PLUS highway to follow Johor Baru, which is the very same highway if we were to follow KL-Seremban highway..

So a reminder to first-timer to Malacca, unless you are staying in Kajang-bound area, keep off LEKAS highway to go to Malacca..Always take KL-Seremban highway..

So on the highway it’s all the way follow road sign on the highway and we exited at Alor Gajah if not mistaken..By the way, my family is not a keen user of GPS-device, though we did try it on my phone for that trip..

Once you’ve passed the toll plaza, follow Pusat Bandaraya Melaka or something like that..

Straight away we headed to Jonker Walk (or some say Jonker Street) as most people know there’s nothing much to do in Malacca other than going to Jonker Walk..

kedai kopi chung wah hainanese chicken rice ball
*Kedai Kopi Chung Wah – Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball*

Our first stop in Jonker Walk, to find Kedai Kopi Chung Wah, the Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball shop..

It’s located at the end of Jonker Walk connecting to the famous red colored Christ Church Malacca..

There were a few chicken rice ball shops but I’ve heard of good reviews on Chung Wah so we decided to queue up despite the long queue under the hot sun..

The queue was not like freaking long but I guessed we’ve waited at least 30-40 minutes, standing under the hot-burning sun..

Coincidentally, while we were queuing, I bumped onto Akira “Jian” ceo, Jacquelyn, and Alex..

kedai kopi chung wah hainanese chicken rice ball melaka malacca
*The chicken rice balls*

kedai kopi chung wah hainanese chicken rice ball melaka malacca
*Steamed chicken*

I would say it’s not like superbly delicious but it’s way better than a lot of chicken rice..The rice balls are to die for..

It’s difficult to find any chicken rice that you can eat just the rice without putting any sauce or gravy on it..In Chung Wah you can..

The steamed chicken is quite tender and not too salty, which is just right and just dip into the chili for better taste..

kedai kopi chung wah hainanese chicken rice ball melaka malacca
*Both my sisters Min, Eshan and my dad*

Once again I wouldn’t it’s especially great that you have to travel so far just for it but if you are already there, why not?

malacca jonker walk christ church
*Walking distance*

In Malacca town, where Jonker Walk, Christ Church, and few other places are all just walking distance..

malacca trishaw rental
*Trishaw rental rate*

Other than walking around you can also rent a trishaw which is equipped with sub-woofer audio system blasting on Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and Bon Jovi’s “It’s My Life”..

malacca jonker walk christ church melaka
*Walk walk*

We opted to walk around instead of taking the trishaw..

Reminder, do apply sunblock lotion and take necessary pre-cautions to deal with the heat in Malacca..

malacca jonker walk christ church ice kacang
*Ice kacang*

After the long-haul under the hot sun, it’s best to sit down and have a bowl of ABC a.k.a ice/ais kacang before you leave..

We didn’t stay for the night nor stayed for satay celup dinner due to fatigue and the heat is hitting us..

So off we went back to KL at about 5pm..

It’s a good journey and definitely will be there again..

Larut Hill 4×4 Challenge 2009 – SS1

Posted on by
3

Larut Hill 4×4 Challenge is a 2-days event where the first day is somewhat a qualifying day..

By getting through all six SS (so-called circuit) without getting disqualified, participating team would get to take on the real challenge, going up Larut Hill..

There were about 22 teams or so participated in 2009..

larut hill 4x4 challenge taiping perak suzuki vitara oris
*Oris Ladies Team*

So the starting point was at Taiping Lake Gardens where the participating teams got to exhibit their cars to the public..

Well I kid you not, there were lots of people there early in the morning especially families..

larut hill 4x4 challenge taiping perak
*A classic MG TD2000 car*

This classic MG TD2000 car is owned by one of the organizers..It’s quite an eye-catching car especially when it’s in red color..

I have no worries looking at this car being driven around in Taiping but absolutely no in KL..I don’t think it’s a good idea for driving a convertible car in crime-prone KL..

larut hill 4x4 challenge taiping perak
*Mitsubishi Storm*

One of the Mitsubishi Storms in this challenge..Some cars looked so nice just like a new car where some others look rugged due to dirt and mud..

larut hill 4x4 challenge taiping perak
*The Ng Family*

This is Wilson‘s family, from his parents to his wife to his younger sister and husband..All of them are rooting for the Oris Ladies Team..

Read on for more photos..

Continue reading →