TRAVEL & FOOD

Penang - Agriculture Expo

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:13:00 +0000

Last month, I went to this agriculture expo which was held at Batu Maung, Penang. I was busy the whole day with my part time business and went to this expo around 6pm. Too bad I was late. Nothing much I could see and share them here. Even the aquarium was closed at 6pm. I think they should not close it so early when there is an expo. Hmm, just sharing my opinion.

I saw a turtle!

Oh great... coming...

Chak! (but too bad the picture was bad)

See ya...

... and I read this.

Not many stalls opened when I reached there.

The whale. It was very funny when a mom told the kid that its dinosaur's skeleton.

Some turtle babies. Cute aren't they? :)

Kelantan - Beijing Mosque

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 11 May 2013 02:49:00 +0000

Chinese Mosque, Rantau Panjang or Sultan Ismail Petra Silver Jubilee Mosque and Beijing Mosque (Malay: Masjid China, Rantau Panjang or Masjid Jubli Perak Sultan Ismail Petra and Masjid Beijing) is a Chinese-style mosque in Rantau Panjang, Kelantan, Malaysia.

I was mesmerized by the architecture. I never think that we could build something like this. Very creative and I like it so much.

Kelantan - Wan Khadijah Market

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:03:00 +0000

Wan Khadijah Market is a famous hexagon shape market in Kota Bharu. It is one of the most widely photographed market in Malaysia and mostly manned by local female entrepreneurs. Bargaining is one of the essential skill that one finds it useful in Kelantan as Kelantanese loves and enjoys bargaining.

Here was where we parked our cars.

The palace.

The small canon. Cute isn't it?

The banner :)

This is how the market looks like. Nice!

More... inside the building.

Here you can eat whatever you want, and it's pretty hard to choose since they are too many! Oh. There was an incident where we ordered drink and they did not want to serve us. Just because we bought the rice from another stall. Weird thing was some of my friends bought the rice from them! The food stall was the one at the end of the food court, where there were only tables. It was very frustrated to run a business this way. I surely ban this stall forever and for sure will give my friends a warning if they plan to come here. Whose lost then?

The buildings around this market. Pretty interesting :)

Overall, I love this market. To see how hard they work and variety of foods. Its different from what I got in Penang and for sure I like them too!

Just I'm a bit upset with the behavior of the hawker which sells the rice. You must have faith. God is always fair, so don't be so self centered. I was choke and had to run to some other stall to buy drink :(

So, apart from that it was a great experience! :)

Kelantan - Wakaf Che Yeh

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Thu, 02 May 2013 17:02:00 +0000

Wakaf Che Yeh is a small town in Kelantan, Malaysia. Located about 7 kilometres from Kota Bharu town.

The town is famous for its daily and weekly market. Wakaf Che Yeh has been progressing well for the last ten years. A small supermarket can also be found at the area. The Lee Rubber which used to be a landmark for Wakaf Che Yeh ( because of the smell) has been relocated to South of Kelantan. Radio Television Malaysia ( Kelantan ) is located at the area.

Its like a usual night market just that its big and more things sold.

Instead of food, they sell many type of clothes too.

I'm not a type who loves window shopping, shopping and bargaining. I didn't buy anything but I did enjoy the place.

Kelantan - Pantai Cahaya Bulan (PCB)

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:36:00 +0000

Visitors to Kota Bharu must visit its famous beach, Pantai Cahaya Bulan (Moonlight Beach). It used to be called Pantai Cinta Berahi (Beach of Passionate Love), a name reputedly given by a lovelorn British soldier in a moment of fantasy while he was at the beach during World War Two. Today, some locals still use the old name, although many now prefer to just refer to it as 'PCB'.

With a long, wide and sandy beach, it is a popular spot for local family outings especially during weekends. The beach is well-developed for visitors' convenience, with a resort hotel, chalets, restaurants, food stalls, a camping ground, public restrooms and changing rooms.

The journey to the beach from Kota Bharu will take you through quaint, traditional Malay villages. This area is famous for the small industry of traditional handicrafts. Look out for simple advertisements along the roadside as you pass through, indicating batik printing, songket-weaving, brassware and kite making shops. You can buy these handicraft items directly from these producers at a good price.

I have been here before, but it was like 20 year ago or more when I was still a kid. My grandma was still alive, and the place was not like now. Less stall and even less chalet.

Somehow, I prefer the way it was before rather than now. Maybe I'm a bit conservative, lately.

If we are talking about PCB, people will talk about its beautiful beach and also the food here. The crispy food including seafood which are cooked with some flour (deep fried). They are yummy of course! I can't write much about the beach since I could not take any picture of the beach at night.

You can see many stalls and small restaurants opened at night.

The yummy crispy dish!

I will come again here if I come to Kelantan because my visit this time was short and many places to visit too. Sorry for can't share with you the view in the day time. I promise I will if I visit PCB again :)

Kelantan - Nasi Kerabu Golok

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:45:00 +0000

Nasi Kerabu is my favorite dish! Usually it's hard to get it in Penang except at certain night market or during Ramadhan (fasting month). But of course the nasi kerabu you can get in Penang can't defeat the original one in Kelantan.

So, when I was in Kelantan I didn't miss the chance to eat it. The place that I went for nasi kerabu was Nasi Kerabu Golok.

The menu. They sold other dish too but of course I chose my favorite!

The yummy nasi kerabu! This one was Keith's nasi kerabu not mine. Mine was with grilled beef.

For me, the nasi kerabu was good. I like it so much, and so did Keith. But the rest said not so good. So, maybe you can try it and share with me whether it's good or otherwise :)

If it happens that I go to Kelantan again, I will definitely eat here again.

The address : Lot 341, Kampung Huda, Jalan Sutan Yahya Putra 15150 Kota Bharu Kelantan.

Belum Forest

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:57:00 +0000

Recently I attended a friend's wedding in Kelantan. Yeah, I guess it's the farmost friend's wedding I've ever gone. Instead of went to wedding, I explored more of Kelantan even though I've been there before but it was long time ago.

After the wedding, I went back the next day. Guess what? I saw this Belum Forest and stopped here.

Pretty interesting to explore, I suppose. Actually, I stopped at Banding Lake earlier to eat lunch and explore the place but too bad, there was no food sold and nothing much to see.

The place was breezy and I feel fresh when looking at those green trees. Love it!

Yeah... here I am.

Banding Lake

Time to order food. I was starving! :)

Nice decoration. Unique.

The restaurant.

A nice place to eat with beautiful view.

Keith told me that this one suppose to be near the sunlight, so that they will shine!

Keith's fried rice.

My black pepper chicken.

Amri's lamb chop.

Heaven, resting with teh tarik!

Resting here was like heaven. I wanted to stay longer but time was flying fast. If you go to East Coast Malaysia, you must stop here for lunch, some refreshing cold drinks or coffee. Maybe, someday I might even stay here for 2 days. A place that can give me a peace of mind!

Nasi Ayam Budu

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 10:45:00 +0000

I know many people just can't resist the temptation of the food, and me too! So this time, I'm going to share with you one of the special meal you can get in Penang -- Nasi Ayam Budu.

Don't get it wrong, it's not the chicken rice, but they simply put in one sentence 3 main things in this meal nasi/ayam/budu. Which means you get plain rice, fried chicken and budu (a sauce made by anchovy). At first when I heard about it, I thought it was chicken rice but when I tried it, I was wrong.

If you come to Penang, you MUST try it. Instead of this Nasi Ayam Budu, you can also eat some other Malay-Thai foods which are also good but Nasi Ayam Budu is the signature there! :)

This is how it looks like.

The yummy fried chicken with a lot of onions!

The budu which you eat it with some chilies and lime. Yummy!

How to find this place? Yes, it's a bit hidden from the main road. If you know where is Old Town in Bayan Baru and where is Sunshine Square, it will be much easier for me to give the direction. Opposite the Old Town, you will see a Char Koay Teow stall which is Char Koay Teow Liz. Turn into that junction and go further in, and you will find this shop.

Click here for the direction.

It's a must TRY if you come to Penang :)

Bon Appetit...

Picnic at Batu Ferringhi

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:12:00 +0000

This post has been pending for so long since I could not wait to post about my travel and share with you. Sharing about the travel experience is something you cannot find in the travel website including the Astro channel -- Travel & Living :P

I mean the website and the tv channel usually get paid promoting the good thing about places where else I'm sharing not only good but bad things that happen there not to scare you but to advise.

So, instead of telling you about my other travel trip I will share with you this picnic which was not planned properly and it was a very last minute plan and preparation. Thanks to Keith, Miza and Fariza for making it happened.

The last time I came here was with Cik Wanie, Mama and another blogger. To my surprise, it was a bit crowded and I hardly find a good place for us to sit and enjoy the food. Oh yes, I did not plan to swim there since I have swam in the clearer water in Thailand and Mabul :P

We just reached and could not wait to eat the Nasi Lemak. Starving! Haha.

The menu! So tempting isn't it? Most of them prepared by Miza except the fruits and chicken helped by Fariza and thanks to my sister for the nasi lemak (coconut rice).

The mayonnaise omelet. Prepared by Miza.

The mixed spices chicken. Finger licking good! Prepared by Miza and Fariza.

Taking picture...

Busy with handphone or busy preparing???

Oh ok, injured my foot when I was busy taking pictures and I didn't see the coconut tree root was hidden underneath the sand and I accidentally hit it and scratched my foot. Look not so serious but it last for weeks. Pretty deep the wound.

The host :)

The yummy sambal bilis and sotong!

I went to the stall nearby for coconut! Not a good one if I compare with the one I had in Bali!

Relaxing my mind by looking at the sea... how serene...

It's cool to just hang out with friends for a picnic like this. Talking, laughing and eating. You just enjoy yourself and it can help to release your stress too.

Life should be this way... it's short and you just need to be happy and enjoy. Appreciate every moment you have and don't be sad. Bad things might be happen to you (like some incidents that happen to me: car got stolen, dengue fever, reschedule exam alone, back pain and cramp, dad admitted in the hospital, sister with some virus attack and admitted to the hospital too and many more) but you must accept it and if it is a problem you just need to solve it one by one, don't run and hide.

Be happy! :)

Phuket - Promthep Cape

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:38:00 +0000

Promthep Cape is the island's most photographed and perhaps best-known location. Every evening, large tour buses, scooters and private cars sweep through Rawai Beach and up the island's southern hill in order to watch the sunset at its peak. On the top of the hill stands a busy car park where vehicles disgorge crowds of people from every corner of the world. Cameras flash, fingers point and lovers cuddle as Phuket's most fabulous free show is re-enacted nightly – the sunset.

That's all? No.

Promthep also has a lighthouse that houses interesting historical maritime artifacts and commands spectacular views over the east and southeast of the island and its environs. The lighthouse/museum is air conditioned inside and if you go up to the outdoors viewing balcony you can see the distinctive shapes of the Phi Phi Islands, Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi on a clear day and of course a whole raft of nearer islands such as nearby Koh Kiaow with its Buddhist monastery. The view from the cape is like a huge eternity pool from which you can mentally project the far-flung shores of Sri Lanka and the Indian Subcontinent. Some people make the rather demanding trek down to the end of the cape’s promontory but most stay up in the viewing part for sunset. By the car park there is a handicrafts shop and a series of stalls that sell shells, batik, snacks, sarongs, shawls, toys and beachwear.

Thailand flag.

The path to see the sunset.

Beautiful! I was so amazed by this great view.

Dusk.

Thank you to my tourist guide for taking me there. It's breathtaking and amazing. I didn't speak much except keep taking photos more and more. I just love the sunset so much!

Phuket - Thai's Pineapple

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:48:00 +0000

Thai's pineapple is so different. They so different size which are small and big and the taste is totally different too.

They might look the same as Malaysia's pineapple but you must trust me when I tell you that they are much sweeter than ours!

For my observation, the small one is crunchy but less sweet but the big one is very sweet and less crunchy. Of course I prefer the big one.

You will be surprise if I tell you the cost for one pineapple is only about RM0.50! Yes, I'm not kidding and it's unbelievable, I know... Compared to ours, the quality is better and the price is a lot cheaper.

I'm not a fan of pineapple but for Thai's pineapple, I'd definitely eat them a lot. So, every time I go to Thailand by van, for sure I won't miss the chance to eat it. That is the disadvantage if you fly to Thailand. You won't have this kind of experience like looking at some rural area, villages along the road and eat this sweet pineapple!

I will definitely eat it again when I go to Thailand this July! In fact, I already missed it so much :)

Phi Phi Island, Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 15:24:00 +0000

Phi Phi Island is Thailand's island-superstar. It's been in the movies. It's the topic of conversation for travelers all over Thailand. For some, it's the only reason to touchdown in Phuket. Even with all the hype, it doesn't disappoint. Phi Phi's beauty is a large chunk of the allure. The islands, when approached by boat, rise from the sea like a fortress. Sheer cliffs tower overhead, then give way to beach-fronted jungle. It's love at first sight.

But too bad I could not spend so much time there. It was because of the big boat package for Maya Bay and Phi Phi Island. The boat spent 2 hours at Maya Bay and just an hour for Phi Phi Island. It was include lunch time! Do you think I have much time to spend since I need to hurry to get the seat or else I won't have a seat to sit for the whole journey back to Phuket.

When I reached there, I was starving. The buffet was so good!

Then I just walked to the beach with my friends. Just for the sake of taking some pictures.

...and Keith got this! Haha.

Blue skies.

Walking back to our boat.

I wish I could spend more time in Phi Phi Island rather than 2 hours at Maya Bay. I want to go there again, but this time different trip and different plan. I want to enjoy the beautiful scenery there as much as I could :)

Phuket - Bangla Road At Night

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 07:13:00 +0000

I did not explore much at Bangla Road even though I stayed at Aloha Hotel which was located exactly at Bangla Road. Maybe because I was tired and did not feel like walking so much after a long day full with some activities.

The only things I did were window shopping and foot massage. Ahhh... so relaxing! I love Thai's massage so much. If I'd like to compare Thai's massage and others, I'd definitely choose Thai.

Don't forget to try Thai's pancake. It's so delicious! They sell in many flavor and the ones I tried were Banana Nutella and Peanut Butter. Simply delicious! But I warn you, do not expect the pancake looks like the pancake you used to eat :P

To those who really enjoy the night life, you should stay here at Bangla Road. There are so many pubs, restaurants and cafe around. After all, why should you stay far away from town, right? :)

Maya Bay, Thailand

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 07:51:00 +0000

Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay that's sheltered by 100-metre high cliffs on three sides. Inside the bay there are several beaches, most are small and some only exist at low tide. The main one is around 200 metres long with silky soft white sand, underwater colourful coral and exotic fish in exceptionally clear water; the whole bay is one big reef.

Maya Bay has become the main tourist attraction of Phi Phi since The Beach was filmed here in 1999. It was always very popular before the film but now people around the world who haven't even heard of Phi Phi have certainly heard of Maya Bay.

The best time to visit Maya Bay is between November and April during the high season when seas are calm and access to the bay is easy. Rough seas from May to October may hinder access but rarely deny entry.

The bad news: as it's so beautiful and so well known many boats are required to ferry all the visitors in and out. On any given day at any time there will be 30 + speedboats and longtail boats on the beach, with large ferry boats carrying hundreds of snorkelers and sightseers moored in deeper water. Beautiful it is, secluded it isn't – thousands of people visit each day. Try to visit early in the morning or after 17:00 and you'll avoid the crowds.

Please note that if you enter the bay on your own there is a National Park entry fee of 200 baht. This cost is included in the price of a tour.

My fault was choosing the big boat.

Why I said so?

First you have to share the big boats (it is huge with 3 floors) with so many people where the seats are limited and the air conditioner is only placed in front of the room.

As you know, the weather is very hot and what you need the most is the cooling air conditioner to keep you feel good and not sweating all the time.

The problem with the big boat is it cannot go near to the beach as the small boat could. So, you cannot capture the view at the beach with your camera or step and enjoy the sand. If you plan to swim to the beach, it is very far. Imagine how are you going to swim back to the boat and what about your camera?

Then you have to queue for the snorkeling equipment. A very long queue I'd say. During snorkeling for 2 hours, the air conditioner will be turned off and the toilet will be locked! 2 hours... it is a very long time to stay there and worse for those who just want to capture the scenery and not doing snorkeling. If you do snorkeling then it is just between so many boats around you. Most of us might dream of walking at the beach and run to the sea just as what you have watched in The Beach, don't you?

Next time, I will surely go with small boat which can keep you happy, go anywhere at Maya Bay you want and take your own time. The tourist guide did not inform us about the small boat at all. I don't care about paying more if it's worth it rather than pay less and you have to stay in a big boat with so many people like a can of sardines.

Worst part is so many self centered people in the boat and mostly Indian. I'm not racist but I guess the Indian in the boat that day were rich based on the outfit and so on. Just that the behavior. I was in front of the air conditioner and the Indians could just take off their shirt and drying their arm pit in front of the air conditioner! Oh man! Isn't that an idiotic act and very self centered. Sorry but true the smell was not as nice as your preferred perfume, at all!

Another thing is, do not go from Phuket. Go from Krabi.

The boat and snorkeling session was totally a bad experience for me. I have learned a lesson :)

Phuket - The Food

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:12:00 +0000

I want to make a different for the Phuket post. This time, I want to just post about food that I ate in Phuket. Be prepared for the mouth watering food ok?

Why I took this picture? I'm kinda fed up with some people who always have negative thought about other people action including what they eat. If you have problem with food in other countries and always have doubt about their Halal status, so don't travel and just go to states in Malaysia. So this picture is for you!

I ate this when I was on the way to Phuket. This breakfast was so delicious. Sticky rice with fried chicken. No wonder Thai people are so slim.

I used to see this glass bottle in Malaysia but now hardly find

The menu

The banana which were ready to be cooked

Seafood fried rice

Lobster at Bangla Road

Iced coffee

Seafood!

Buffet at Phi Phi Island

Buffet at Fantasea

Overall the food in Phuket were good. In comparison between Phuket and Krabi's food, I'd definitely choose Krabi. Hmm, maybe because I was frustrated that I couldn't eat my favorite dish in Thailand -- Salad Fried Rice :)

Sayonara Satria GTi (2000-2013)

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:23:00 +0000

This picture is taken from my previous blog post. Seriously I miss my car so much. The look inside and outside, the memories, the plate number, the CD changer and many more.

Why I blog about it?

Because my got stolen in front of the house last Sunday. I'm so sad. So heartbroken. Helpless.

I drove my car to Kulim Inn for my thesis class. Then I followed my group for lunch. I reached home around 4.30pm and parked my car. It was my last drive.

I saw it at 2.30am after coffee with some friends at Old Town, Bayan Baru. These few days, the rain was heavy.

I could not sleep after that. I fell asleep around 6am while playing Clash of Clans on my phone. Still I did not hear anything outside.

I woke up at 11am because my phone rang. It was my friend woke me up for overtime. I rushed to shower and grab a slice of bread and ran out of the house. Opened the gate and... my car was not there anymore.

Guess how did I feel at that time? I just couldn't believe it. I couldn't breath properly. I just want to scream and cry. My mind was confuse. Maybe because I have to get trough so many barricades this year started with dengue during my examination weeks and I couldn't sit for 3 papers and some classes. Because of that I couldn't do my presentation for my thesis too and no extra mark for me. My sister admitted to Pantai Hospital because of viral attack. My dad almost passed out at school when he couldn't breath and was sent to the General Hospital at Bukit Mertajam by the ambulance. His heart swollen and there was some water in the lung caused by the overdose liquid intake which was suppose to be water. I was lucky my car was still with me so that I could visit him and across the bridge.

Then, this big surprise.

Some friends and people asked me: How did it happen?

I don't know how to answer this as if I knew how it happened, I'd surely tell the police exactly how it happened and of course I could prevent it from happen. It just doesn't make sense at all.

Oh yes, I'm done with the report with police and insurance company. I just hope that I could get the money as soon as possible as I need the money to buy a new car.

Not that I easily forget about my lovely car, come on... it was with me for 13 years! It was with me sharing my bittersweet memories. Writing this, already given me watery eyes.

I supposed to do a major repair and painting in Perlis last March but I missed the date and I already booked the dates in May. But then... sigh.

I just can't imagine how human is so self centered and could do this kind of thing.

Satria GTi 1.8 with registration number PER 9281. I miss you... and forever will be missing you and I love you so much.

Sayonara...

Good bye.

Phuket - Fantasea

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:57:00 +0000

At first I did not plan to go to Fantasea because we had decided not to go after a discussion in the Travel Kakis group. But when in the van, suggested by the tourist guide I wanted to go. Since I already in Phuket and don't know when I'm going to go there again, yes I was sure to go.

I did check about it before I came to Phuket. Not many pictures I could see because taking picture in there is prohibited.

I changed my mind when I watch the show in the van. Then, I decided why not I just give myself a try. Just forget about the price. At least, I can tell and share the experience with others :)

You can see the big rock at the entrance.

This is the entrance.

A lot of fish in the pool at the entrance. I wonder how is it feel if I fall into that pool!

Some stalls that you can see when you enter at the entrance.

Nice isn't it?

The buffet.

You can ride the elephant.

The entrance to see the show. You have to keep the gadgets here including camera and mobile phone. Too bad I could not take any picture inside. The show was a fantastic. It was worth of money and I suggest you to watch it if you are in Phuket. You must watch this! I enjoyed the show so much and I was amazed with the idea and creativity that the Thai could offer. Great job!

I really enjoyed the show. If you have doubt about going or not going, I suggest you to go. You must watch the show!

Phuket - The Bus

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 15:16:00 +0000

Ok, I was pretty shock when I saw this at Fantasea in Phuket. The buses there were so different. They had so many lights with loud songs played in the bus. You could even see people were dancing in the bus! :)

How cool isn't it?

Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 19:02:00 +0000

I love cake.

I eat it when I'm stress.

I eat it while reading.

I eat it after meal.

What is your favorite cake?

Bali - Bali Hyatt Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 03:10:00 +0000

I stayed in Bali Hyatt Hotel which was located in Sanur.

It's a big and unique hotel and the service there is good. Just that you don't have wifi connection in the room. Yes, you must stay away from gadget as much as you can while you are on vacation but I can only text my family at night before sleep and I need internet, of course.

The only way you want to get the internet is go to the lobby and there is an internet cafe for free.

Overall I love the hotel so much.

This is the lobby. When you reach at hotel, they will play Balinese song and a hit to the gong. The security is very tight. They will check your bag every time you want to enter the hotel. Oh! I love the drink given by them upon registration.

The entrance of the hotel. There is a security house here and they will check the vehicle including taxi. I mean, really check.

The view from my room.

The map. So, you get the idea how big it is.

The beautiful garden.

The private beach.

The small bridge across the pool.

The sacred flower.

Some self pose, haha!

Push up at the beach?

Ok, about the pool. There are 2 pools which 1 is like normal pool you can get in other hotel and another one is the one I went into it. I liked this pool so much because it was so different and yes, I love nature. The water was so cold and refreshing. Do not worry about the coldness because beside the pool, there is jacuzzi. Heaven!

Another pool beside the one I swam.

The view at the back of the hotel at night.

I wish I did take more pictures of the hotel. I was busy visiting so many places in Bali and my time in the hotel was very limited. If you want to enjoy the hotel and also the places in Bali, 5 days 4 nights is not enough. Not to mention that I did not go to Lovina to see the dolphin and white water rafting. Next time, I surely go there. I have to stay at Lovina as it's far away from other town like Sanur and Kuta.

Bali - Kecak Dance

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 02:41:00 +0000

This is another Bali Dance instead of Barong that I blogged about it before. Kecak Dance is not like Barong which the show can be chosen as the performance are at a few different places. Kecak Dance only performed at Uluwatu. That is the only place where you can see the dance in Bali.

Kecak Dance is also known as Ramayana Monkey Chant.

I did not miss the chance of course since I was at Uluwatu.

When I reached at the show place. It was pretty empty. So, I guess I would have a very comfortable seat and I could move around taking some pictures. But I was wrong. The place was getting crowded in no time. If you are going to watch this, please do not sit at the back. You must sit as in front as you could, especially those who love photography.

The performance began with a man in white clothes lighted up fire.

Then came a man in black who spoke many languages including Japanese. He explained about the story to give us understanding and clue about the show. They did pass us some pamphlet about the plot but seriously, when you watch them all coming with different type of clothes and character, you will get confused.

There, the Kecak Dancer came in with chanting "Cak" non stop. Somehow I felt funny with the "Cak" as it was the same as the local show in Malaysia hosted by Azwan Haji Ali. But I did not laugh.

The sun was about to say goodbye.

The spiritual performance continued. As for Kecak Dance, chorus of about 50 male of the strip to the waistis is highlight.

Prince Rama and Princess Shinta.

The king of demon - Alengka Pura.

The bird Garuda, king of all birds, was appeared to help.

The abduction of Princess Shinta which led to a war called Bharata Yudha between Prince Rama assisted by the fleet of monkeys soldiers and the demon fleet of Rahwana of Alengka Pura.

White monkey Hanoman, a good friend of Prince Rama. He jumped up the wall which made people shocked.

Laksamana as the legal heirs of the throne. Prince Rama's brother.

People enjoyed Hanuman's performance so much!

Until I did not realize he was in front of me and I accidentally snap with a shout "Oh my God!". I was shock!

Hanuman was helping Princess Shinta

The bad guys.

... and Hanuman got caught.

Hanoman's fire dance was very compelling！

The bad guy was joking with the audience.

The climax. Alengka Pura got killed. Hanuman with his acrobatic performance again, jumped high to the top!

My favorite character in Kecak Dance.

This is to teach people that everything of big or small conflict can be started by a woman that a man overprotects even to leave the throne and pampering life, and for a woman this is a learning that loyalty will win in whatever condition.

The theme of the epic which was presented with Balinese spirit is very suitable for any age of Balinese, that is why actually Kecak dance has been reaching so much popularity compared to any dances that Bali has so far.

If you go to Bali, please... I beg. Watch this! :)

Bali - Uluwatu

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 09:29:00 +0000

Uluwatu is a place you must visit. If you are in Bali and not going to Uluwatu, you really miss one of the most beautiful place in Bali. See the pictures below. Breathtaking!

I will tell you what you can do at Uluwatu in the next post. My favorite part! :)

Bali - Padang Padang Beach

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 17:09:00 +0000

I would say that this beach was beter than Dreamland. It looked like a private beach because the location was hidden. I did not know about this beach until my tourist guide showed it to me.

Of course, I did grab the opportunity to see it clearly rather than watching it from the hill.

It was the view from the hill.

The path to the beach was pretty long and through the 2 big rocks.

Beautiful isn't it?

Oh! Sorry I did not take any picture of people laying naked on the beach. I just think it was inappropriate :P

If you go to Bali, this place is a must! Trust me. It's much better than Dreamland. Please it has no parking fee like Dreamland. It also has some shades if you are afraid of too much sun :)

Bali - Dreamland

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 10:45:00 +0000

When I reached there, I was amazed by the beautiful beach and the sea. So blue!

I was speechless and just smile enjoying the scenery. Oh, I forgot to take pictures of the surfing board! You can rent the surfing board and surf there. So cool!

Too bad I did not bring my surfing pants along as we I did not plan earlier to go to this beach. But since I was on my way to the place that I will post in this blog next, so I just went there and enjoy the scenery instead jump into the water and rent the surf board! Such a waste.

Hope you enjoy the pictures.

Bali - The Turtle Island

noreply@blogger.com (Faisal Admar) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 19:43:00 +0000

I guess, not many of you have visited this place?

Why I say this? It is because Turtle Island is not like other places which are famous as Bali's signature. When people mention about Bali, those places like Tanah Lot, Paddy Terrace and Kintamani Volcano will be appeared in your mind. Not the Turtle Island.

Luckily, I read about it on internet and asked to my tourist guide.

I wanted to touch turtle since I was a little kid. My family even brought me to Rantau Abang, Terengganu to see turtle, but you can see them only if you are lucky. I was not lucky then since the turtle did not come to the beach and it was 1990 if I'm not mistaken. Dad booked the chalet at the beach and we were waited for the turtle together. Such a sweet memories.

So, I had the opportunity again. I did not miss it this time, of course.

We took the boat from the mainland to the Turtle Island. I was very happy and anxious.

You can see many boats on your way to the island. Even weird fishing boat like the green one in the picture.

Our happy face on the boat.

You can see some activities like parasailing, jet ski and many more.

I forgot to mention, our boat was a glass-bottom boat. So, we could see underwater creature and corals.

...and there you go!!! We reached the island!

The python :)

Monitor lizard

...and some birds too :)

You must try the coconut. It was huge!

It is a must thing to do if you visit Bali. The people in the island were friendly.

It's 3:35am (Sunday) now and I got to go. I got wedding to attend later. I will write about the next place that I had visited later. I hope you enjoy the post :)