TL Chua's blog

Kalibo-Jul-2017

2017-08-13T17:04:00.002+08:00

5.Jul to 6.Jul.2017

What's Kalibo famous for? What's to see there? Hmmmm...! Let me think.

For me, Kalibo was a transit point to Boracay or a jump-off point for my trip back home to Malaysia. I first arrived at Kalibo International Airport on the 1.Jul.2017. In a van, we passed through Kalibo town, without stopping, on our way to Boracay. Then on 3.Jul.2017, I split from the group and left Boracay, again passing through Kalibo town, on my way to Iloilo City. That trip took 7 hours. On 5.Jul.2017, I had a choice between Roxas City or Kalibo. I decided to bypass Roxas City and stay a night in Kalibo for a much needed rest. I arrived in the center of Kalibo at about 2:50PM on 5.Jul.2017, after a grueling 4 hours 20 minutes, ride in the Ceres Luxury Bus.

On the island of Panay, only Kalibo and Iloilo has international airports. If one needs to travel overland between these two cities, one in the north and the other is in the south, it will take hours.

Most people will know about Kalibo because of its proximity to Boracay. Like Iloilo, Kalibo has a bit of history. Being the provincial capital of Aklan, it has good schools, shopping, accommodation and food. Kalibo will be packed with tourist during the Ati-Atihan Festival held every mid-January.

Overland transport from Kalibo to other towns and villages are good. One can use the Celes bus line, van, taxi or the jeepneys. Within the town, one can use the trikes.

I didn't book any accommodation with Agoda so I went hunting for a place to stay overnight. After asking the locals where to stay, I managed to locate RG Travellers Inn, which is practically in the center of town.

I climbed up to the first floor of the building, that's where the reception was, inquired about the charges and settled for a corner unit facing the main road for PHP600. On this floor, there's a communal lounge area that has a 3 piece settee set, a dining table with 4 wooden chairs and a TV set. Inside the Spartan small cubicle of my room, there's a cable TV on the wall and all the wires connected to the sole electrical outlet. Where am I to charge my handphone or camera batteries? I approached the reception and reluctantly, he went searching for a multi-plug. After 10 minutes or so, he came back with a extension cable with 2 outlets. Using a bit of my grey matter, I managed to connect it to my charging unit. Great! For a cheap overnight stay, it's OK for me since it's in the center of town and very near to Roxas Avenue.

Feeling hungry, I asked the receptionist where I can get good food. She suggested Mang Inasal, a fast food chain near the police station at Pastrana Park. Fantastic! That's where I was going as well!

Northwards I went and passed this school...

When I was young, at school, I studied about Dr Sun Yet Sen, the founder of the Republic of China. How is it that there's a school named after him in Kalibo? According to the internet, this is a popular Private Elementary school near Pastrana Park.

Next I past this Police Station on my way to Pastrana Park.

This police station also houses a public library on the top floor. The local museum is somewhere across the Pastrana Park from this police station, according to the Google Map. I then walked to the center of Pastrana Park to capture this 200 degrees panorama representation of the park in the form of little planet...

If you look carefully at the little planet, I'm sure you could figure out where the Police Station was as well as the Kalibo Cathedral.

From the park, I took this picture of St John Cathedral, a.k.a. Kalibo Cathedral, one of the more well known attractions of the town.

Closer view of the church

Interior of the church

Hunger prangs set in and that made me look for the Mang Inasal outlet that the receptionist told me about. I know it's around here somewhere and went looking for it. Found the outlet which is just behind the Police Station.

4:03PM - About to walk into the modern and clean cafe

Their well-known 1 piece chicken set at PHP99 plus addition fried spring roll

Crema de Leche Halo-Halo - A weird combo for me!

OK. Now time to survey for a good spot to shoot sunsets. What did I want? Must be near water and facing west. OK then, I headed for the Aklan River which, from Google Map, was quite near to Pastrana Park.

I walked along a small road which looks like the poorer part of Kalibo. The tiny shops had mesh grills to prevent snatch thieves and a small closable opening to dispense goods in exchange for cash. It's quite common in small villages all over the Philippines especially in the poorer parts of the town or villages. The hairs on the back of my neck started to stand on ends. Be brave! I hope they will leave me in peace.

Finally at a L-shaped road junction, I reached a barrier; an inclined wall, 4 meters high, used for flood control. Damn! Now, how to climb up this wall? There were steps set into the wall every 100 meters apart but they start at 1.5 meters from road level. From the junction, I looked south. On my left were wooden squatters. Along the tarmac road were lots of people chit-chatting, kids playing, scooters, bicycles and trikes, but very little cars. About 300 meters away, I saw a short make-shift ladder leading up to the start of the steps. Excellent! Bravely, with a smile, I walked towards that area. When I reached that part, again smiling at the people around me, I climbed the wall.

At the top of the wall, I surveyed the place. The wall is about 1.5 meters wide at the top which widens to about 3.5 meters at road level. On the side facing the river, it slopes down and flattens at 2 levels, about 3 meters apart from the top down to water level.

I settled down at a nice sunny spot waiting for the sunset, all the while the kids were disturbing me. It was about 5:40PM then. Heck! Have to wait 45 minutes for the sunset. The kids did make my time fly past very fast.

The view at the top of the wall.

These fearless kids were pestering me all the time when I was at the top of the wall. Notice the steep incline.

I didn't expect to do a sunset shot when I left the hotel so I didn't bring along my tripod. My camera bag will do to stabilize long exposures and bracketed shots. Took a few test shots and waited for the correct time.

6:08PM - HDR, Sunset, Aklan River, Kalibo

6:26PM - HDR, Sunset, Aklan River, Kalibo

I stepped down to almost water level to try catching a fisherman with a net but he moved away from me. Anyway, I asked the kids to posed for me and they gladly did.

Kids dancing on a log set on the shallow riverbed

OK. Time to call it a day. Said my goodbyes to the kids and left for the hotel.

6.Jul.2017

Today will be the last day for me on Panay Island. As usual, I woke up around 4:30AM. Along Roxas Avenue, I hailed a trike to take me to Lambingan Beach, which was east of Kalibo town. The driver must be a lucky man because I paid him PHP150 at this early hour. I walked along the dark-brown sandy beach looking for a spot to take the rising sun.

5:31AM - Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

5:33AM - 270mm, Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

5:38AM - Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

5:54AM - Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

5:57AM - near the jetty, Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

6:04AM - Jetty area, Lambingan Beach, Kalibo

While I was shooting the sunrise, I was constantly harassed by sand-flies. More than a month later, I still bear the scars of the bites from these sand-flies. My new flip-flops, that I bought in Iloilo, created blisters at the top of both my feet forcing me to quickly end my photo-shoot. I managed to hitch a ride on a scooter who took me to the outskirts of town, along Bougainvillea Road. It was time for students to go to school or workers to their jobs. Shortly, I managed to flag down a trike which took me to Roxas Avenue where I walked back to the hotel.

10:45AM, I checked out from RG Travellers Inn and hailed a trike. "Ramboy's" I told the driver.

The founder must love Rambo... :))

Ordering reception. Ramboy's is supposed to be serving good Liempo.

Grilling the liempo

Grilling the chicken

One of the workers grilling and cutting the liempo or chicken.

The Liempo was too large for me to eat solo. Had to give half away to the next table.

Well, what's my verdict? It was generally better than the others that I had eaten over the past few days. The crusty skin was crunchy in most places. However, the meat was a bit drier than the others. Overall, I'll rate this at 5.5/10. In Malaysia, I could get much better roast pork. The one I had in Cebu was much better, at 6.5/10 but still lose to Malaysia.

By the time I finished my early lunch, it was only 11:30AM, still too early for my AirAsia flight at 3PM. Anyway, better to be early than late. Not sure if there's a long queue at Immigration?

Took a trike and headed for the airport which was about 4km away from Ramboy's. Along the way, I bought a small bottle of water. As expected, there was a long queue at Immigration. Why can't the Philippines Immigration Dept organize their schedules to coincide with the number of take-off and landings?

One thing that I didn't expect from an international departure lounge are 2 massage outlets. Excellent thinking! However, I didn't use either one. Next time perhaps.

one of the two massage centers inside the departure lounge

At about 3PM, AirAsia flight 608 landed and became 609.

In Summary

Kalibo is a big town but most tourist will just use this town as a transit point. If you intend to witness the Ati-Atihan festival, you will need to book your hotels very early because there are not many hotels there. If you have time to spare, in addition to the Kalibo Cathedral, go visit the "Museo It Akean" nearby for Kalibo's history. If you want a family outing, go to the beach area east of Kalibo and check out Sampaguita Gardens. Another family fun area is Tigayon Hill and Cave which is about 5km southwest of Kalibo. Kalibo do not have good beaches like Boracay but Kalibo has good restaurants serving seafood.

Generally, as a tourist, 2 days should be enough in this place. Try finding this pillar as shown on the left. Most people will not notice it when they are in Kalibo or passing through the town.

If you find this blog helpful, please write a comment. Thanks for your visit.

I am ILOILO

2017-07-27T17:38:00.002+08:00

3.Jul.2017 to 5.Jul.2017

Iloilo, I thought was "i-loy-loh", is actually pronounced as "ee-low ee-low" by the locals. On the map, Iloilo City on Panay Island, Visayas, is quite central to Philippines. On the island of Panay, there are only 2 international airport, one in Kalibo and the other is in Iloilo. Other domestic airports are in Caticlan (very near Boracay) and Roxas City.
As at 2015, the official population of Iloilo City was 500k.

Why did I choose Iloilo City?

Simple. Its about people, heritage, culture, history, food, way of life, among other things. It's one of the bigger cities other than Manila (Luzon), Cebu (Cebu) and Davao (Mindanao). It's populated mainly by Christians and the Dinagyang Festival is held annually in January in this lovely city.

One thing for sure. One cannot see all that a place has to offer on only one trip. Every time I revisit a place, I'll find something new that I didn't see the last time. For a trip that lasted only 2 nights, it's a lot to ask to see and experience all Iloilo City has to offer.

Many times I'd smile whenever someone tells me "Oh! That place. I've been there before." I really wonder what that person saw and experienced. Very often, that person hardly notices what's outside the window of the car. Go take a walk on the streets and see how the locals live. Be brave. It's a part of traveling. The bigger a group of friends you travel with, the less you will see of the locals because you tend to congregate among your own group.

As a solo traveler, I need to research the place even before I start going there. When I come back and develop the photos and write a blog, I'll need to do even more research on what I saw so that I'll understand the reasons why people do it. I believe many of the locals do not even know that. The main disadvantage of going solo is that it'll be more expensive to do so because many costs cannot be shared.

Home to the Dinagyang festival every 4th week of January. Pix by Dinno Sandoval.

Queen City of Philippines

Queen Regent Maria Cristina of Spain raised the status of Iloilo as a Royal City, on 5 October 1889, in the name of her son, King Alfonso XIII. As one moves around the old quarters of Iloilo City, one will be able to see the influences of the Spanish, especially the churches and mansions, many of which are considered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
From 1900 onward, the Americans brought their Protestant influences to the city.
The Japanese didn't leave much impact during their short occupation between 1942-1945.
Post-WW2 period saw decline and didn't see much development until after 1976.

Transportation

Bus - are usually for long distance like intercity travel
Jeepney CPU - are numerous, have fixed routes and fares are regulated in this city.
Taxi - are also regulated. The moment you enter, the charge is PHP40. Fares are reasonable.
Trikes - motorized tricycles.
Sikads - human powered tricycles.

New and Old Iloilo City

The modern part of the city now occupies the old airport area now renamed as Megaworld Boulevard area. Smallville, the entertainment area of Iloilo City is nearby Megaworld Boulevard.
The mainly old part of Iloilo City is south and northeast of the Iloilo River.

3.Jul.2017

It was around 5PM that I arrived in Iloilo City and checked into Harbor Town Hotel. I used Agoda.com for reservation and checked into room 405 without any incident. WiFi was fast and the window aircond was cold.

The hotel seen at night.

This small hotel, with only 34 room, is located in the heritage part of the city. It's diagonally opposite this lovely heritage building as shown below. SM Delgado and Robinsons are two big department stores within walking distance from this hotel. Chinatown is also within walking distance. It's a perfect place to stay during the Dinagyang Festival.

This iconic building is located along JM Basa Road

Since I intended to visit the casino, I didn't bring my DSLR. JM Basa Road is quite a busy road and is one of the arteries of this city. On the corner of Arroyo Road & JM Basa, I spotted this...

Ah...ha! Liempo! Must try!

OK. That's the piece of Liempo that I consumed after he had it chopped up into smaller pieces. Cost PHP185

I quite like the thick sauce that came with this Liempo, a bit sweet and sour. The meat was a bit dry and the skin was a bit tough. Almost finished that substantial piece all by myself. Not much a choice due to hunger. Haha!

There's sort of arrangement between the stall just in front of their establishment. They sold me SM Pale Pilsen and that cost me only PHP40.

It was much later when I came back that I found many places selling Lechon, Liempo and Batchoy on the Google Map. Oh! Well! Perhaps next trip I'll try some more.

After I finished dinner, I had conversation with the guy sitting alone at a table behind me. I got to know that he was working in the engine room of ships and for years were attached to ships. Now in his golden years, he's now teaching in a nearby college on the subject of marine engineering. It's from him that I got to know about the Jeepneys and their use of the term CPU.

OK. Need to continue to the casino. 5 minutes away by foot, I reached Amigo Terrace Hotel that houses the casino. Went up to check it out. I didn't expect to see a big casino since most Casino Filipino joints are quite small. Unlike the others, this particular casino was a bit clean and smokeless. Ah... Ha...! Smoking Not Allowed. No wonder! Since gambling can be a bit stressful and smoking helps me to reduce stress, I left the joint without trying my hand at the games.

15 minutes later, after passing a few shady joints on the same side as my hotel, I was already back in my room preparing my route for the next day.

4.Jul.2017

Woke up at about 5AM and found that the lens on my camera were very cold, so I tried placing the lens over the bulb but was of no use because they were low wattage energy savers. Went downstairs and got my bearings and walked along JM Basa Road towards the Fort of San Pedro area. took me about 20 minutes to walk the 1.5km route.
Used my cigarette lighter to warm up my lens, after which I took this shot.

5:50AM - Christ the Redeemer at dawn.

Fort San Pedro; there were no remnants of the fort at all as I surveyed the place. Only stalls surrounding an open plaza selling food and curious. However none of the stalls were opened at this time of the day. I then went over to the other side of the fort to take this one...

5:58AM - Out Lady of the most Holy Rosary looking at the sunrise

Then I swung the camera towards the entrance of Iloilo River and captured this...

5:59AM - The monument of Christ looking towards Guimaras Island. Rain clouds over the horizon.

As I headed back towards my hotel, I came across this interesting capture...

6:15AM - A broken bridge with many houses on stilts over the sea as background.

6:22AM - A big Cristian College along General Hughes Street. Earlier I passed this place but it was too dark then.

Walking further north, I turn into Plaza Libertad, a lovely park just in front of the City Hall.

6:27AM - Monument Of Dr Jose Rizal with the City Hall in the background

The Lin-ay Sang Iloilo (The Lady of Iloilo) is an 18-foot bronze statue, weighing 1.7 tons, which presently stands atop the dome of the new Iloilo City Hall at Plaza Libertad, Iloilo City. It was commissioned by the Honorable Mayor of Iloilo City, Jed Patrick Mabilog, in 2011, after a visit to Washington D.C. where he was able to gaze in admiration at the Lady of Freedom, the bronze statue atop the Washington Capitol, one of the iconic statues symbolizing the United States of America. Thus when the Honorable Mayor returned to his city he outright thought of creating as well an icon for the City of Iloilo which was to stand on top of the dome of the new City Hall being constructed at the time. Although the statue was meant to be an icon for Iloilo City, after its completion the whole countenance of the statue symbolized not only the City of Iloilo but also the Province as well. The Lin-ay was unveiled on August 25 2011 on the occasion of the celebration of the Charter Day of Iloilo City.

What you see is the graceful figure of a beautiful peasant lady standing valiantly and proudly on a harvested field of rice. Lin-ay wearing the traditional bandana usually worn by farm ladies to protect them from the heat of the sun. On her neck she wears an ethnic necklace, symbolic of her ancestry. Her right arm cradles a bunch of harvested rice, symbolic of the region's prosperity. Her left hand holds another symbol of prosperity, the scythe or “garab” which has long been the traditional harvesting tool in the region. She wears an embroidered blouse, symbolic of one of the popular traditional arts of the city and province. On top of it is a “sablay” of a “hablon,” the textile which contributed to Iloilo’s becoming the second city of the Philippines, next to Manila, at the onset of the 19th century.

The Lady of Iloilo

I then swing the camera to the right and shot this...

6:28AM - San Jose Placer Parish Church. A Sikad waiting patiently for customer.

6:34AM - Inside the church

Felt a bit tired and hungry, so had a quick breakfast in a Jollibee outlet not far from here, after which I proceeded to my hotel. Near to my hotel, this is another iconic building, Javellana Building (1922), but oh...! those overhead wires... Urgghhh!

7:29AM - Javellana Building at JM Basa Road

Tour of Iloilo City by Taxi

Taxis in Philippines are usually white in color. In Iloilo City, they are plentiful. I hailed one just outside Harbor Town Hotel. I told him I wanted to see all the attractions in this city starting with "i am ILOILO" signage, in the new part of Iloilo City, for a photo shoot. Refer to the second photo from the top. That's my first stop at 7:45AM.

Next stop was Iloilo Convention Center built over the old Iloilo Airport. The architecture made it look like a crown from the front. Built on a 1.7 hectare lot, this state-of-the-art building was completed in Sep-2015. This 2-storey structure has a total floor area of 11,832 square meters. The main hall on the ground floor has a 3,700-seat capacity and 500-seat function rooms on the second floor. A rooftop of 1,500 sq.m is available for outdoor functions.

8:05AM - ICC with the Richmonde Hotel in the background

After this, I went across town to Jaro area to see their iconic cathedral. The following were the photos captured around that area.

8:24AM - At this traffic junction, there's a small monument dedicated to all the Unborn Victims of Abortion.

8:24AM - Jaro Belfry (Bell Tower) [Leaning tower of Iloilo] Unusual for a bell tower to be separated from the church. The other function of this tower is it acts as a look out tower during the Spanish days.

Jaro Cathedral (Church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary) was built in 1864. It was destroyed in the quake of January 1948 and restored by order of the first archbishop of Jaro in 1956. The cathedral’s style is basically Baroque, with the addition of Gothic elements over many renovations.

The Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria (Lady of the Candles) is the only rose among the all-male collection of statues which line the walls of the cathedral’s interiors. The Lady of Candles is perched on a glass encased shrine carved out of the facade. The limestone is said to be continuously growing, and in fact had become too large to fit into its original niche just above the present one.

Her shrine is visited often by many devotees who believe the statue to be miraculous. This 400-year-old image is the focus of an annual Jaro Fiesta held every February 2.

8:26AM - Jaro Cathedral

8:31AM - Inside the Jaro Cathedral

After leaving this place, I wanted to view the beaches of Iloilo. On the way, I spotted this lovely old but well maintained mansion, Nelly's Mansion...

8:47AM - Nelly's Garden. Built in 1928 by Don Vicente Lopez and his wife Donya Elena Hofilena, the Nelly Garden is one of Iloilo City's original heritage homes. The Beaux-Arts mansion has recently been opened to the public for tours, weddings, photoshoots and other events.

The beaches near and around Iloilo City were not nice, like I wrote in my earlier blogs about beaches in highly populated areas. Saw a nice food outlet by the side of the road and decided to check it out. When come to food, we can be lucky or unlucky since we do not have food experts to show us around and I only had to depend on a taxi driver's experience.

Frankly, Tatoy's Manokan & Seafood can accommodate more than 6 busloads of customers. Food were neatly arranged in a long row, glass separating the food on offer in buffet style. Ordered beer, Lechon and shrimps here and they're good. Highly recommended to come here unless you wanted Halal food. Prices are reasonable. Service was fast.

9:29AM - Tatoy's Manokan & Seafood, an unexpected good food place!

Lechon - Skin was hard but crunchy. Meat was tender and juicy.

OK now with a satisfied stomach, again, I continued onward to the Molo Church and Mansion.

10:40AM - Molo Mansion - Selling memorabilia to foreigners and Filipino tourists.

The sight as you enter the main door. Clean and tastefully decorated. Things sold here were made in Philippines.

More choices... I bought a T-shirt here. Usually I don't buy anything but the things sold here were reasonably priced.

Outside the Molo Mansion. Just in case you want to have a selfie.

My taxi was parked in Molo Mansion and I walked across the road to Molo Church, passing through the lovely Molo Plaza.

Google Map showing the location of Molo Mansion, Molo Plaza and Molo Church

The Molo Plaza, about 9000 sq.meters, was restored in 2012. It's a lovely place to rest and picnic. Great for couples and families alike. It has a big children playground and wide pathways. From 2012 till now, I think it's time for another minor restoration work. (Had to do some repair work in PhotoShop, hehe!) The landscape was well maintained.

The gazebo shown here is very Greek. Hmmm...! Has 6 statues of female Greek goddesses. Why? Spanish, I'll understand. American or Filipino, I'll also understand, but why Greek?

When I was there, they were doing some restoration works on the exterior. The interior of the church was very dark as they did not switch on the lights. I presume there was no services on that day or they had to close for a period of time for the renovation.

Molo Church of St Anne is considered as a feminist church unlike the Jaro Church where male saints were prominently displayed. There's a very good write-up about this church at Molo Church Blog.

10:44AM - The church under restoration

Even though it was dark, the lights from the windows were sufficient for this HDR shot.

Only ambient lights from the windows. HDR pix taken with very high ISO and lots of denoising.

A cropped and close-up of the colorful window.

About ready for lunch. Checked my Google Map and GPS. Decided to check out Ortiz Wharf.

11:31AM - Ortiz Wharf. It's from here that you catch a ride to Guimaras. The fare is PHP150 only a trip.

11:35AM - Entrance/Exit of Ortiz Wharf. Notice the 2 types of Trikes. (A) bike at the side. (B) bike in the front.

Onward to La Paz Market to check out the Original La Paz Batchoy...

The earliest known story about Batchoy originated in 1945 by a hawker from this market.

What's Batchoy all about? The broth is made from the bones of beef, pork and more often than not, the shells of shrimps or shrimp paste. In the case of Netongs, they used thicker yellow noodles. Others used thinner noodles. The basic ingredients when served includes crispy fried pork skin, thin slices of pork, liver, intestines, fried garlic and a dollop of bone marrow.

11:48AM - Netong's Original La Paz Batchoy shop inside the market

The Batchoy served by Netong. Crispy skin was missing!

Verdict: Netong's Batchoy, a dish you should definite try.

The other establishments competing with Netong are Deco Original La Paz Batchoy (acquired by the Mang Inasal Food Chain) and Ted's Oldtimers La Paz Batchoy. The newer kid in town will be Toto Batchoy. When in Iloilo City, if you really open your eyes, you'll be able to find many places selling Batchoy in shops, stalls by the roadside and malls.

Would you believe me that I ate Toto's Special Batchoy at 5:30PM on the same day, just to compare with the original? Haha!

By 12:30PM, I was very tired. Paid PHP1k to the taxi driver and went up to my room to rest. Was up by 3:45PM and went out looking for slippers. Went around Chinatown area and found one. Chinatown? Except for the few Chinese restaurants, that place looks like any other place in Iloilo.

When I'm on a tour, I tend to eat a lot. Not surprisingly, I found myself eating Batchoy in Toto, near the Jaycees Monument.

4:13PM - Iloilo Jaycees Monument with the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Arch in the background.

I think that by the time I walked back to the hotel and after bath, it was 7PM. So tired...! K.O.!

Such an inviting bed. With TV & aircond on, within minutes was K.O.

5.Jul.2017

4:45AM and I'm already on the street walking to my destination for a dawn capture along the Iloilo River. To shoot dawn photos, one has to be early and very patient. I found a good location, took a few test shots and then waited and waited for the correct color to come out.

5:35AM - Good Morning Iloilo! HDR of 5 frames.

As I packed up my tripod for the journey back to the hotel, I saw a battalion of Police Cadets jogging.

5:56AM - the male cadets were waving at me. I was flattered that the female cadets were also waving and smiling at an old man like me. Haha!

6:00AM - Customs House with the sun blasting at it.

6:00AM - Iloilo City Ferry Terminal for RORO and passengers

6:04AM - A memorial in dedication to Nicholas Loney - HM Consul for Iloilo Port.

6:30AM was back at the hotel, still too early to check out.

6:41AM - A Filipino minced pork and eggs combo for breakfast.

Checked out. Hailed a taxi and was at the Celes Tagbak Bus Terminal by 9:45AM to catch the Luxury Coach to Kalibo.

Conclusion

Frankly, it was a world-wind tour of the heritage city, a place that offered many more things than I could visit for the short duration of 2 nights. I'll definitely come back during the Dinagyang Festival in January.

If you liked my post, please write a comment. I know this is a very long blog.

Thanks for your visit.

Cheers!

Discover Boracay

2017-07-23T00:37:00.000+08:00

Part 2 - 2.Jul to 3.Jul.2017

It's time to forget about business or the office. It's time to "Hang Loose" and discover the "Best Island in the World" according to "Travel & Leisure - 2012".

Boracay is approximately 7 km long, dog-bone shaped with the narrowest spot being less than 1 km wide and has a total land area of 10.32 square kilometers. At it's highest peak on Mt Luho, it's only 100m high. It's very densely populated by about 30k+ residents or about 1.2k/km2. It's one of those special places that's administered by the Philippines Tourism Authority as well as the local authorities (according to Wikipedia). Boracay has an International School and a 18-holes golf course.

Accommodation

Please take this advise from me seriously when you book a hotel in Boracay. Many hotels have access to the main road but not to White Beach. Those at the beach may not have access to the main road. Only very very big hotels have access to both beach and road. Normally, guest of hotels located at the White Beach will have to walk some distance from the road. Those with mobility difficulties need to understand this before they book the hotel.

Those who wants trouble-free transportation from Kalibo airport to Boracay and the hotels they serviced, check out MyBoracayGuide.com.

Island Transport

Motorized trikes such as these are the most common mode of transport on the island and they are numerous. The most I've ever paid for point-to-point charter of the trikes was PHP150 per trip and that was from Station 2 all the way north to Puka Beach.

I asked a driver how much he earns a day on average. He told me about PHP2000+ but can go up to PHP3000+ during peak periods. That's very good income!

At the jetty, I spotted electrically powered trikes. There are also buggy, van and vehicles that looked like jeepneys operated by the resorts or by charter.

Bicycles, trishaws and scooters are also available for hire but they are expensive when compared to Thailand. Prices are always negotiable and it's best to negotiate before you hire them. I also saw trucks but not buses.

There's only 1 main road on the island and it's called "Boracay Central Highway" Highway? What a joke! Haha! When it rains, it floods. During normal times, it's congested.

Activities Available

Beading - I seldom see girls offering this type of service all along the White Beach Pathway. Being cheeky, I asked them to do my hair. Joker!
Massage & Spas - Beach Massages as well as indoors are very common and are plentiful. Even though they advertised the prices, they are subject to negotiations. Depending on the service required, it starts from PHP300 upwards. If you want to indulge, go to a spa.
Island Hopping - Prices ranges from PHP500 and above. It will depend on season (Peak or Normal) as well as what's thrown in, example food, drinks, snorkeling gear, type of boat etc. Better check with your hotel first and get their recommendations.
Sea Activities - Para Sailing, Wind Surfing, Kite Surfing, Skim Boarding, Waterskiing, Banana Boat, Glass Bottom Boat, Helmet Diving.
Scuba Diving - around PHP3k p. pax and includes food and drinks.
Slide N Splash Water Park - on the Bulabog Beach side. PHP1.8k p. pax.
Helicopter Beach Tour - 10 minutes of eye-opener @ PHP5.2k p. pax
ATV off-road experience @ PHP1.25k for 1 hour.
Mermaid Costumes by the sea.
Fishing @ King Fisher's Farm. There's a restaurant at the inlet surrounded by mangrove swamps. They will cook your fish for you.
Bar Hopping & KTV, Drinks on the Beach, Drinking while watching Fire Stalkers at night
Sunset Sailing and Sunset Dinner Cruise
Waterjet Skiing - 15 minutes at PHP1500

Cliff Diving - For those without fear of heights and drowning, for a price, you'll be able to do it here at Ariel's Point, which btw, is 30 minutes boat ride from Boracay. I didn't have the time nor the balls to do this activity. It's not cheap anyway!
Reverse Bungee - I was wondering what all the screaming was all about? Had noticed the tall steel towers not far from Bamboo Beach Resort. At PHP1500 a pax, minimum 3, you'll be screaming your lungs out and probably leave your heart on the ground. Not a good idea for people with heart problem or had just consumed their food.
Swimming, eating and shopping,
Sun Bathing and the list goes on and on ...

OK. Now on to the good stuff!

Day 2 - Woke up to a Rainy Day

At 5:45AM in the morning, I woke up to the sound of rain. Oh! What the heck, no sunrise shots today!

The previous night, I had planned to cross over to Bulabog Beach to catch the sunrise. That's the problem about staying with budget time. Not many days to spare!

Ordered breakfast. While waiting for it to come, I took this photo of the well stocked bar. Beer sold here was PHP80 per bottle. That's expensive. At Boracay Sand, a first class hotel about 50 yards away, it was PHP100 for 2 bottles and I could sit on a cozy chair on the beach listening to a young girl singing on stage.

6:25AM - The empty bar in the morning. They had to use a screen to prevent rain from coming in.

Had this Filipino breakfast at 6:38AM in the morning that's included in my accommodation price. Quite a hearty meal while waiting for the rain to whither away. Don't know when that will happen!

About 7:10AM, the weather changed to very light rain. OK! Time to get going. Off I went with my camera bag and tripod slung over my shoulder.

Stepped outside the hotel, I surveyed the White Beach Pathway. White Beach? Not really white sand. Unless the sun is high overhead, the sand may appear white, otherwise it's more sandstone color.

This White Beach is quite long, about 4 km in length. It's a good place to jog, laze on a beach chair and build sand castles. The texture of the sand is very suitable for compacting into sand castles.

Just outside the hotel, I spotted some young artist, armed only with plastic buckets and bamboo spatula carving their sand sculpture very early in the morning.

7:15AM - Jhon and Marco busy at work sculpting at the packed sand while security guard watches

7:18AM - Beach chairs for hire! Gloomy weather!

After I took this picture, the rain came again. I shook my head and went back into the hotel again. Will the Gods in Heaven give me a break soon? Nope. Not yet. I went to my room for a catnap!

7:48AM - A mother and her daughter watching the rain. Took this while sitting on a stool by the bar.

8:01AM - A view of the White Beach Pathway under rainy condition. Notice the open drain.

8:01AM - Frontal view of Bamboo Beach Resort in the rain.

8:15AM - Colorful linen hung to dry (or to get wet?) Still no let up in the weather.

Come 8:40AM, still raining. I'm not going to wait for the bloody rain to stop! So without any umbrella or any waterproof material over my head, I proceeded towards the D'Mall area using the White Beach Pathway. Anyway, it was only drizzling.

8:45AM - Handphone capture of the White Beach Pathway showing the hotel.

As I passed Nigi Nigi Nu Noos, I peeped inside to see if my friends were in the bar/cafe. Nope! I presume still sleeping. Those guys can really sleep! I wondered what time they went to bed or were they having company? Haha!

Bulabog Beach

I used the D'Mall pathway to go to the main road. Using my GPS on my handphone, I proceeded to Bulabog Beach.

10:23AM - Light drizzle. The beach not as sandy as White Beach. Here, I saw many tourists boarding the boats for the island hopping tours. Definitely quieter then White Beach and lesser activities here. Not so many hotel than its sister beach.

10:28AM - The hotels are modern here. Could spot some under construction.

10:33AM - Boys fishing with just nylon lines spun around plastic bottle.

10:35AM - Saw this place. Looks like have activity. Went in to check it out. Wasn't disappointed. Pix courtesy of the hotel. Spent 2 hours here. Had drinks, lunch and dessert here. Place looks like a western resort. Very clean. Staff is nice and helpful. Food is not Michelin class but is good. Good place for people who wants peace and service!

10:45AM - A long cool Levantin Mango Shake. Did quench my thirst. This photo taken at maximum zoom to make a bokeh, blurring out the sea and sky. Because the background was so bright on the sensor, had to do lots of editing to bring out the color of the mango shake. The water droplets on the table did make the composition interesting. Water on the table was due to the rain. Cost PHP120

Compared to the other resorts which seems to have no guest or they were probably sleeping, the Levantin seems like having more activities. People did come and go. Saw a boat carrying supplies coming in as well as more guests moving in and out.

The Levantin built their bar cum restaurant open air style. That's great because I could feel the sea breeze.

Still raining. Now what to eat as appetizer? Pulled out their menu and spotted something I rarely eat for breakfast so I ordered it.

That's right, crispy fried bacon. The smell will surely kick up some appertite.

There happened to be a westerner sitting in the next table. Had to use him to shoot some photos of me and he was most obliging. The header photo of me resting in the hammock was taken by him. Really forgot his name.

The rain doesn't seem to want to stop. Grrrrrrr...!!!

So what to do? Thinking and looking around, undecided. OK. Ordered lunch. Lunch came...

12:33PM - Roast Pork with salad, I think. My memory is getting bad nowadays!

1:10PM - Mango ice-cream with fried bananas. (Mango turon a la mode) Eh! Why the cherry?

Appetizer, lunch, Iced Lemon Tea and Dessert cost me PHP700+ in total. I think the water was free, if not mistaken.

After lunch, what's next...

Relax and enjoy the breeze!

OK. OK. Can't stay here too long. Time's short! Asked for directions the shortest route to the main road and off I went.

Puka Shell Beach (or Puka Beach in short)

Hailed a trike taxi near the main road. Told him where I wanted to go. No Problem. PHP150 only. We passed through the narrow main road, sometimes winding, up and down hills, through 2 stretches of flooded roadway, passed schools and many resorts and finally ended at my destination.

I noticed there's hardly any resort on this beach. Fantastic!

1:59PM - The path to Puka Beach. Those who come to this beach by boat would probably not see this.

2:01PM - Once you reached the beach, you'll see this. On the right side of this, you'll see lots of warning notices, one of which is "NO SMOKING!"

2:01PM - Same monument but at a side angle.

2:03PM - the left side of Puka Beach. The huts are for you to rest but you need to buy their products. Many island hopping boats will come here. You'll spot them here. Boats and equipment are for hire.

2:04PM - The right side of Puka Beach. I noticed the sand is just a good as White Beach. The sea is even calmer here. Great for swimming and water sports. You'll notice that the sun is out, finally!

A close-up shot of the water's edge. Clear, warm, clean and inviting.

2:06PM - 2 girls in the water followed by a horny horse.

Personally, I feel that Puka Beach has clearer and cleaner water than White Beach. Why? White Beach has too many resorts. Where do they discharge their waste water? Whenever it rains, where's the run-off? Remember that Boracay has a very high population density! Here at Puka Beach, there's no road, hotel or resort. Didn't see any houses as well. Only huts.

OK. It's getting too hot for me now. Better go back to White Beach and meet up with my friends from Malaysia.

White Beach

Paid PHP150 to the trike taxi driver and walked White Beach Pathway to Nigi Nigi Nu Noos. Met up with the guys having beer and as they were talking to the guard.

San Miguel Pale Pilsen beers flowed freely on the beach outside Nigi Nigi Nu Noos. Pix by Wen Po.

3:29PM - Someone showing off his trim body whereas the other one sucking in his tummy.

3:30PM - Two lumbering lords emerging from a refreshing dip in the sea. One holding up his pants.

Lots of activities at White Beach

3:41PM - Kite surfing with hydrofoil board.

Interesting to see that person flying over the water at speed. Good control of the direction and the kite.

The wind must be blowing towards land at this time. The waves can be a problem if one tries to stand up in the water.

Notice the rubbish at water's edge? Lots of debris. Puka Beach is definitely cleaner.

I've traveled to many beaches in Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia. Wherever there's a big concentration of human inhabitants, the beach will not be clean. The exception was the beaches of Haadrin, Ko Phangan where the Full Moon Festival occurs. The beach operators will have their staff clean up all debris on the sand, even pick up cigarette butts.

On the last day of my stay on Boracay, I saw the beach sweepers compile all the organic wastes, dig a hole near the water's edge and buried them. All non-organic materials, they'll throw into a bag. These sweepers are not meticulous in their work and I'll see patches where they missed sweeping.

More action on the sea.

Sailing and para-sailing, anyone?

Night Time at White Beach

Yes. At night, most people will come out to eat and roam the streets or pathways, drink at pubs, watch the fire play on the beach or do crazy things like Reverse Bungee.

I didn't join the group because of the next day's long trip from Caticlan to Iloilo City. I had to wake up early. Anyway, I had an appointment with this...

5:56PM - Freshly supplied Lechon for the buffet dinner at Bamboo Beach Resort

As guests of Bamboo Beach Resort, I only need to pay PHP240 for the buffet dinner, which includes Lechon. A real value meal. Since the clouds had formed over the horizon, there will be not be any spectacular sunset to shoot. Therefore, better to catch the front end of the queue for dinner. Already, a long queue formed when they unwrapped the Lechon. What's it like eating this Lechon? Well, the skin was really tough but the meat was really nice and tender. Half hour later, the Lechon was gone!

Had I stay one more night, I would have gone for the Buffet Dinner of Paradise Garden Resort Hotel and Convention Center. At PHP750 p.pax, it's still value for money because the array of food available were really good, especially their seafood selections. Well, there's always the next time.

With some time to spare, a beautiful female voice singing an English song beckons my attention.

Pix from the hotel's gallery. They had built a temporary canvas roof at the front porch.

With a guitar tuck against her chest, she strums a lovely melody while she sang. Heck! 2 glasses of San Miguel Pale Pilsen promptly appeared on my table. Cost me PHP100 only. The waiter was attentive and charming as well. Spent an hour or so here listening to her renditions.

Not far away, some loud music blasted. Finished my beer and went over there.

Ah! Fire dance. Seen many so I went back to my hotel.

I was so tired by the time I unlocked the door to my room that sleep came easily.

3.Jul.2017

4:30AM and I'm already up. Went downstairs, the guards were sleeping. I witnessed at 4:45AM 2 open trucks picking up the garbage, one for organic waste n the other recyclables. Still dark. Too lazy to go over to Bulabog Beach to shoot the sunrise. Went back to my room to doze off again.

5:45AM came downstairs again. Can't sleep anymore.

5:52AM - Cleaning crew on the beach

6:30AM, went inside the hotel. This time they're all awake. Can't wait to have my breakfast. Saw a truck picking up fallen vegetation. 7AM came and so did my breakfast and the damn rain.

9AM, rain or not, I checked out from the hotel and walked to the main road, my shoes soaked because of the lousy drainage system of the roads. There, I managed to get a trike to the Cagban Ferry Terminal. The story continues in an earlier blog, Bus Journey from Caticlan to Iloilo City.

Conclusion

Boracay is a place for all sorts of tourist, be they young or old, male or female. The infrastructure and accommodation are already there. Workers and services are in place to accommodate all types of people. If fun is what you want, it's there. If peace is what you want, it's also there.

Most visitors go home with good impressions of Boracay. I'm one of them.

If you find this blog useful, please comment.

Thanks for your visit.

RnR @ Boracay-1

2017-07-21T23:17:00.001+08:00

Part 1 - 1.Jul.2017

People go to Boracay for many reasons. For me and my friends, we go there for a change of environment from our daily routine. For some of us, we just want a change from a boring, stressful or complicated way of life. For me personally, it's a chance to explore a place people say "that's nice to go".

Why Boracay? For me, it's relatively cheap. 4 hours by flight, is a short sacrifice in time for some R&R. The AirAsia return flight ticket cost me less than MYR500. Accommodation in Bamboo Beach Resort for 2 nights was MYR218. For the group, they wanted to stay 3 nights in Boracay. For me, used to travel independently, it was 2 nights in Boracay, 2 nights in Iloilo City and the last night in Kalibo.

This blog is about my 3D2N in Boracay.

As a solo tourist, before I travel, I need to get in shape because I will need to do lots of walking. I've learned my lessons that if not "in form", my muscles will ache. The exercise came in useful because in Boracay as well as in Iloilo City and Kalibo, I had to do lots of walking.

Before traveling, due to the restriction of maximum PHP10,000 cash allowed into the Philippines by any single person, I bought USD200 over and above the PHP10k allowance. Usually, PHP10k will not be sufficient for 6 days of travel, so please take note of the restriction. It would also be prudent to inform your bank that you'll be using your Debit Card should the need arises over there.

At around 8:30AM, I parked my SYM Evo 250i in KLIA2 parking area. I had my boarding pass printed in the International Departure Lounge before going through the Immigration and Customs formalities. Guess what? I was the first at the departure gate. Slowly, the group came to the gate.

This is what normally happens at the departure gate when people had to kill some time.

10:17AM - 7 members of the group with 1 no show and 1 taking this picture.

Fast forward to the arrival in Kalibo International Airport. Philippines time same as Malaysia.

2:56PM - Arrival at the airport - Runway side.

Quickly I passed through Immigration and Customs and exited the terminal. Immediately I approached the Globe counter to buy a SIM card. Cost me about PHP300 for 7 days usage. The other telco is SMART. Shit! Forgot to turned off my Malaysian telco data. Got screwed for MYR10 by U-Mobile. Some friends came to meet us at the Arrival Gate. Hellos, hugs and greetings exchanged.

3:16PM - Outside the Arrival Gate.

8 of us plus 3 Filipinos boarded a van. Very tight fitting all of us inside the van. Off we went to our destination, passing through Kalibo on our way to Boracay. I was sitting in front with the driver, all the time observing where I should go when I'm on my own here.

The weather forecast for today was rain. Hell! No rain. Perfect bright sunny day for our journey!

As usual, there will always be someone asking, "Are we there yet?" That person wasn't me as I was checking out the Google Map. That's the main reason I got a data plan from Globe.

It was about 1 hour and 30 minutes later, the day still bathe in bright sunshine, that we reached the Caticlan Ferry Terminal. Heck! A big crowd was at the entrance of this ferry terminal. PHP75 for Environment Tax, PHP100 for Terminal Fees and PHP50 for the Oyster Ferry. Oyster Ferry (aircond) shoves off from the jetty every 40 minutes.

4:48PM - The crowd patiently enters the terminal only to be greeted by 2 personal detector machines.

Once you enter the terminal, there will be two lines, each line goes to a body checking machine while your bags goes through the X-Ray machine. Security not as tight as in the airport. After that, you're required to fill in a Entry-Form to go to Boracay. You then pass a turnstile to be counted, exit the building and enter the jetty. Officers and staff are usually very helpful. Porters wear a blue singlet stating they are porters. Police are spelt as PULIS here.

5:05PM - The boats from Boracay disgorging its passengers at Caticlan Ferry Terminal

5:08PM - The so called Luxury ferry ... Oyster Ferry

5:08PM - From the boat looking towards the Caticlan Terminal.

5:10PM - Cebu Pacific Air flew past the ferry.

5:11PM - Chartered boat ferrying passengers across to Boracay

5:12PM - The cheaper ferry. Cost PHP25 to cross over to Boracay

5:13PM - This photo in FaceBook got some female admirers commenting about his handsome looks

5:38PM - These 2 "Taikors" ... nobody dare to comment about them in FaceBook

5:40PM - Approaching Cagban Ferry Terminal

5:41PM - Observe the wind turbines in the background on the island of Boracay

5:44PM - Docked at this terminal in Boracay

5:45PM - Another angle on the terminal

The way they operate the ferry terminals was very smooth and efficient. When I exited the Cagban terminal and started looking for trike taxis, a female officer approached me and asked me where I wanted to go. I replied, "Bamboo Beach Resort." She turned around and pointed me to a group of smaller trikes and told me to approach them, stating the price should be PHP120. When one came my way, she gave directions to the driver where to drop me.

The trike moved through narrow and congested roads speedily. He dropped me outside a hotel and I was puzzled I could not see my hotel. He said that his bike could not travel the sandy path to my hotel so I needed to walk. Walked I did. Along the way, I asked someone where's my hotel and they gave me directions. 5 minutes later, I checked into the hotel and was given a Welcome Drink.

Quickly I freshened myself and rushed to the beach to catch the setting sun. Over here in Boracay, the sun sets at 6:30PM, unlike in West Malaysia where it sets at 7:30PM.

6:36PM - After the sun had gone below the horizon. Taken with my handphone.

6:44PM - Sand Sculptures. Beware. The young sculptors will demand payment for taking photos.

OK. Time to meet the guys over at Nigi Nigi Nu Noos. What a name for a hotel! We all assembled in the bar/cafe. After finishing a beer and when all were accounted for, we all went to the fish market nearby.

7:45PM - at the fish market for tourists.

This photo was taken during the day by Elin Chow, a blogger. It will give a perspective of the size of the wet market.

The idea is, you go buy the fish etc here and approach any of the nearby restaurants or food outlets surrounding this market. They will cook for you at a small price. They will also supply you rice and other dishes you may require.

Our problem was, which restaurant to approach to cook for us. Being lazy, we went to the nearest one. What a let-down!!! Anyway, we should not complained. We're only tourist having a good time here. Cost us more than PHP1000 a pax for dinner and beers.

At small outlets, San Miguel Pale Pilsen could cost anything between PHP40 to PHP100 depending on the establishment you patronized. The beers sold at Bamboo Beach Resort are expensive when I compared to the others nearby. However having said this, the beers are definitely cheaper than in Malaysia.

I went nearby to buy a stack of Malboro Gold. Cost me PHP800 for 10 packets. Cheap!

I'm an early riser and usually sleeps at around 9PM when I go travel. I bid "Good Night" to the guys as I split from the group. I heard they spent the whole night drinking and talking "Cock" in the Nigi Nigi Nu Noos bar.

This blog will stop here as the other parts are quite long as well.

Part 2 continues at Discover Boracay

Have a nice day!

If you have comments, please insert into the comment box below.

Thanks and Cheers!

Boracay to Iloilo City by bus

2017-07-21T01:16:00.002+08:00

3.Jul.2017

Boracay (ferry) - Caticlan - Kalibo - Passi City - Iloilo City (Tagbac Station)

A photo journal of my trip from Boracay to Iloilo City on 3.Jul.2017 using CERES bus line from the Ferry Terminal area in Caticlan to the CERES Line Bus Terminal in Tagbak, Iloilo City. I wrote this blog because I found very little information on the internet for bus routes between Iloilo City and Caticlan. CERES Liner does not promote well on the NET.

The route in blue was the route taken by me. Red dots represents the stops.

Ignore the estimated travel time stated on the map. It's almost impossible to attain that timing by bus. My bus trip took me 6 hours 45 minutes to cover the 220+km from Caticlan bus terminal to Tagbac bus terminal. If you're doing the journey the other way round, it's the same.

My journey started from my beach hotel in Boracay. It was a miserable start as it was raining lightly and I had to carry my bag along the sandy, waterlogged road to a point where I could hitch a ride on the Trike Taxi. Along the way, my shoe got soaked while walking over a puddle of water along the poorly designed drainage system of Boracay roads. Yes. The roads of Boracay are easily flooded even with light rain. Since I stayed between Station 2 and Station 3, I paid PHP120, the same price it cost me from the ferry terminal to my hotel, I reached the Cagban Ferry Terminal at around 9AM. I think the Trike Taxi fares are regulated. The most I paid for a trike ride is from Station 2 to Puka Beach and it costs me PHP150 for a single-trip. After paying PHP25 for the boat ride and PHP100 for the Terminal Fee, 15 minutes later, I was in Caticlan Ferry Terminal.

From my experience, don't take the "Fast" or "Express" ferry service. They are meant for tourist and are actually slower than the "Slow" boats because these local boats (plentiful) move from the ferry terminal more frequently than the tourist class boats. The moment they are full, they move off from the jetty, unlike the tourist class that has a time-table. However the seats on the tourist class boats are better and has aircond cabin. Hack! The seats on the cheaper boats are wooden bench type and 12 minutes by local ferry from jetty to jetty is no big deal to sweat it off!


9:35AM - The modern Caticlan Ferry Terminal - Raining lightly

Vans, buses and private taxis (expensive for solo travelers like me) are available from this spot. I chose bus because of comfortable ride. Vans, slightly more expensive than buses, tend to be uncomfortable for long journeys and they're cramped. If the person beside you has strong BO, god help you!

9:35AM - In case you're stranded in Caticlan, there's hotel, restaurants and shops to service your needs.

While waiting for the bus to start its journey, I chilled out around this place, literally!

9:35AM - CERES Liner Bus Terminal

Just diagonally across the Caticlan Ferry Terminal, I found the bus terminal easily. It's very hard not to notice the bright yellow bus of CERES. If you come out from the local ferry from Boracay, it's just opposite the Arrival Gate of the ferry.

Google Map of Caticlan showing the location of the bus terminal

There are two types of CERES Liner buses, namely the non-aircond and the Luxury Class. I chose the Luxury Class with WiFi and Toilet facility. The non-aircond bus just moved off when I reached this terminal. The CERES bus service are very regular, well maintained, clean and their service is well organised. I believe their staff are also well trained in their jobs. If you need WiFi, just ask the conductor and he will be pleased to help you.

A little history here - The CERES company was founded in 1968 by Ricardo B. Yanson and his wife, Olivia Villaflores Yanson. He started with the purchase of 1 jeepney and then ventured into jeepney-assembly business. In the early 1970s, the couple decided to diversify into a small bus line which plied the Bacolod City-Valladolid-La Carlota route and Ceres Motors became Ceres Liner. Now I know why their logo has a "Y" within a circle.

9:38AM - Jolin (bus conductor) doing a Welcome Jump

I spoke to both the driver, Joseph, and the conductor, Jolin. It's from them that I realized that Iloilo is known to them as "ilo-ilo" and not "e-loy-loh".

Spacious, clean and comfortable seating, Wifi available and toilet facility. Watched 3 movies on this route.


Clean airplane class toilet. Press the button and it vacuum clears the waste. However, it's very hard to do business when the bus is on the move! Most passengers will hold till pit stops at bus terminals or eating joints.

Promptly at 10AM, the bus shoved off the Caticlan Bus Terminal. The conductor began to collect the fares, commencing from the back rows.

Fares are payable on the bus only. The conductor collects the fare using a hole puncher perforating the tickets showing the locations and fare charged. Looking at me, Jolin asked, "Senior?" Quickly, I replied "Yes" and got special fare. Paid PHP303 for the Caticlan-Iloilo journey. Very reasonable price to pay. But... Ah... ha... there's a catch. All their buses are not stage or Express buses. They pick-up and drop passenger all along the route. There's also many points where the bus picks up and drop bus inspectors and they are many of such inspectors all along the route. That's why it took so long to reach Iloilo City!

I can't help but notice the number of Ceres buses on the road between Caticlan all the way to Iloilo City. Damn! Malaysia could learn from the management of Ceres, the efficiency of their operations. If I were to stand on the roadside, I would see a yellow Ceres bus passing by every 15 minutes in both directions.

I'm not sure why people vomits on the bus trip. The bus suspensions are really good and the ride is very comfortable. Yet I saw and heard people vomiting. Perhaps it's because of the gentle swaying of the bus as it moves.

About 1 hour and 35 minutes from Caticlan, the bus dropped passengers in the centre of Kalibo. It quickly continued its journey southwards.

11:53AM - Located just at the outskirt of Kalibo, we stopped here to drop and pickup passengers

With a 10 minutes stopover at the Kalibo bus terminal sited just outside town, the bus continued southwards. Puzzled why there's no canteen or food and drinks outlet, Jolin, the conductor, informed me that the bus will stop at a restaurant 20 minutes away further south. Hearing his comment, well, at last my hunger for food and quenching my thirst could be satisfied shortly.

12:45PM - Pit-stop at a restaurant (on the left) south of Kalibo.

It was actually 45 minutes later that the bus finally reached the place where we could eat. Entering the spacious restaurant designed simply with attap roofing, no walls, many tables and chairs - some plastic, some wooden, it could easily accommodate 6 bus loads of passengers. I surveyed the array of food laid out in buffet manner, looking through the glass separating the food warmer and me, the food on offer did not impressed me, so I decided to go across the empty space separating the restaurant and a small stall selling bottled drinks, fruits and packet junk food. I settled on 1 bottle of fruit juice, 5 bananas and 2 packets of local crackers. Sitting comfortably in the aircond bus, waiting patiently for the other passengers to re-board the bus, I happily and quickly consumed 2 bananas and opened a packet of salty crackers. Over time, traveling towards Iloilo City, I would finished the drink and food.

Just to remind readers, from Boracay to Iloilo City, smoking is not allowed in hotels, restaurants, bus or bus terminals or any public places covered with roof. In open spaces, ah... that's where you can smoke in peace!

A half hour later, the bus continued its journey southbound. From my observation, the seats in this bus is usually fully occupied for most of its journey, often picking up and dropping passengers along the way. For the most parts, pretty Filipino girls would be sitting beside me, probably because of my elderly gentlemanly looks, haha!

About 2+ hours later, we landed at Passi City Bus Terminal, which is behind the City Mall. Ah... can feel the heat of the sun, finally! Quickly, food and drinks peddlers surrounded the exit of the bus, trying to sell maize, pies, crunchies and light packet food to weary travelers. For the non-aircond bus that comes in here, the peddlers would try to sell through the open bus windows.

3:18PM - Passi City Bus Terminal. The non-aircond bus compared to the Luxury Class.

Passi City - Passengers waiting in the airy Bus Terminal.

Passi City Bus Terminal - Lots of pineapples for sale. Must be good!

At left is Jolin posing with two of the female paddlers, trying their best to push their products. The pies looks tempting!

On most occassions, don't know why, people will pose for me, especially young ones and girls. Maybe it's due to my charming looks. Haha! Unfortunately, I didn't try the temptations.

This one, I took with my Honor (Huawei) phone.

At this bus terminal, I didn't buy anything.

I believe this was a 20 minutes stopover at this terminal before the bus continued its journey southwards. Can't wait to end my journey in Iloilo City. It's already 5+ hours into the journey.

Passi City is the place where you'll be able to catch many Ceres Liner buses. All the buses plying between Caticlan, Kalibo, Roxas City and Iloilo City must pass through this town. Ceres has many buses going from Iloilo to Passi City and all those towns mentioned here. Gosh! Ceres Liner has probably a thousand buses running all around Panay Island.

About how the Philippine Government define "City" is quite confusing to foreigners. Passi City is a small town, yet it's a "city". As one travel all over the Philippines, one will wonder why they used "city" to append to their towns. Same goes for Roxas City. It's only a small town.

As I journeyed along this route, I saw padi fields (many), sugar cane fields and pineapple fields. I didn't spot any rubber tree or oil palm plantations. There are lots of trikes, jeepneys and buses on the roads. There was only 1 road block manned by the "Pulis" (police) somewhere near Sapi-an. I believe the people on Panay Island are not as fast moving as in Manila or Boracay.

The roads taken by the bus are generally quite good. Basically, they're tarmac roads with wide concrete shoulders for the most parts. When I was there, they were upgrading the roads. If not mistaken, there were about a dozen sections where the bus had to stop at upgrading sections to wait for the traffic from the opposite direction to pass. For most part of the route, the bus averages about 50kph.

4:36PM - Ceres Liner Tagbak Bus Terminal

Finally, at 4:35PM, after an uneventful but comfortable journey, the bus arrived at a ultra modern terminal in Tagbak, about 15 minutes by road from the centre of Iloilo City. The Arrival Area is on the left of the building where the passengers disembark and catch the jeepneys or taxis into town. The central part of the building is the Departure Area where taxis and jeepneys drop off their passengers.

Departure Area. Taken on the day I left for Kalibo. Yes. A sunny day compared with the day I came here. Behind this area are rows upon rows of yellow Ceres buses waiting for their time to operate.

Upon arrival, jeepney drivers or agents tried to solicit my patronage with offers of PHP200 for a trip into town which quickly dropped down to PHP150. I believe, if I were to haggle with them, I'll probably get cheaper fares. Anyway, I felt tired and wanted a cool ride into town, so I hopped into a an aircond taxi.

By the way, Iloilo City Jeepney CPUs are regulated with fares of PHP6.50 per trip and for seniors and students, the fare is only PHP5 per trip. What I didn't like about jeepneys are their low ceiling and every time I used them, I had to hunched. Very uncomfortable ride for long distances but OK for short distances.

I forgot the road my hotel was situated but I showed him the following photo. He quickly recognized the building since it's a well known old building in the centre of the city.

Harbor Town Hotel is just diagonally across from this landmark building.

The taxi meter fare was less than PHP150 but I paid him that amount. Happily without any complications, I checked into the hotel and was relieved that a nice comfortable queen sized bed in a cool clean room awaits my use.

Since this blog is about my travel on the Ceres bus, I shall not include herein my exploits in Iloilo City. It'll be another story!

If you find this blog useful, please comment below. Don't ask me about how they calculate the fares or the bus time-table because I really don't know.

For more photos of mine on Boracay, Kalibo and Iloilo City, go to
Photo Album of Boracay, Iloilo City and Kalibo

Thanks for your visit.

Discovering Koh Mook (เกาะมุก)

2017-04-12T13:36:00.001+08:00

28.Aug.2016 to 30.Aug.2016 - Discovering Koh Mook (Thai for Pearl Island) เกาะมุก

General map of Koh Mook

Prelude

This blog forms part of my solo motorbike travel from my hometown, Subang Jaya, (near Kuala Lumpur) to Koh Lanta and back, a journey of more than 2,500 km. Koh Lanta is a lovely island I've visited many times. Koh Mook was new to me. This journal is my observation and experience of my moments in time while I was on the island of Koh Mook.

I've traveled down the coast of Trang a few times and often wondered if this Thai province have any lovely islands on the Andaman Sea for me to explore. I did my research on the internet and decided that Koh Mook should be an interesting and beautiful island for at least 2 nights, if not more.

Why Koh Mook (Pearl Island)? I just couldn't resist the attraction of the picture shown below.

To me, this looks like Paradise!
Next time, don't pin your hopes too much on TAT's photos... haha!

Getting There

I chartered a boat from the pier direct to the resort

I left the hotel in Hat Yai at the godforsaken hour of 1:00 AM. Yeh... Yeh... I couldn't sleep, thinking about Koh Mook... Haha! Before starting the journey, as usual, I'd programmed my phone GPS (Google Map) for the "Khuan Tung Ku Pier". As I was about to leave Hat Yai, I spotted a stall next to 7-11 and had Thai Chicken Broth for supper/breakfast. One observation I have about Hat Yai is that one can eat anytime of the day or night.

Chicken Congee @ 1:12AM in Hatyai

Traveling on a motorbike at night is cooling and I could see approaching traffic from afar, be it from the front or rear. Traffic at this hour would be light and I could speed. I need to use my common sense and also sense of direction whenever I use Google Maps GPS. Depending on the mode I'm on, it can guide me through village roads or take me via extra long journey. If I depend too much on the GPS, occasionally I would miss the direction signboards. Many times, the signboards would show different direction than my GPS and guess what, I'd follow the signboard and the GPS had to recompute the route.

Not surprisingly and to the bewilderment of the locals there, I arrived at Khuan Tung Ku Pier at around 5:45 AM, THT (Thai Time). At the pier, I asked around for the ferry departure to Koh Mook. An elderly lady replied that it's now "Off Season" but during "Peak Season", it will be about 1:00 PM. Huh! I read somewhere on the Net that it should be 11:00AM. Damn! Many hours to wait!

I had coffee and Thai mini "Yeow Char Kuay" at a stall next to the pier while thinking what next to do. Weighing my options, with time on my hands, I decided to go to Pak Meng, about 18km north of this place.

Going back to Highway 4008, heading north, I saw Koh Mook from this beach at Chao Mai National Park.

The beach was nowhere near the white sands of Chao Mai National Park as shown on the internet.
Koh Mook is the 2nd island (the big one) from the right in this picture.

Moving further north to Pak Meng, about 2km south of the town, I took this picture of the manatees...

The 3 Sea Cows
Partly hidden, Koh Mook is the land mass on the far left.

While resting after this shot, not wanting to wander too far from the pier, I decided to go back and check out what other options the boat operators have to transport me to the island.

THB800 was the price to pay to charter a long-tail boat from the pier direct to Koh Mook Resort. Sounds reasonable and I agreed. 8 minutes later, the driver of the boat came and off we went to the island.

The boats parking at the Khuan Tung Ku Pier.
Taken as the boat was leaving.

Our boat followed the river out to sea. I could feel the sea when the boat crossed at the junction of smooth flowing brownish river water and the rougher bluish sea water. The swells of the sea was only 1 meter and the ride to the island was bearable on a slow moving long-tail boat. The crossing took about 30 minutes.

As the boat approached Koh Mook Resort, about 100 meters from the shoreline, the propeller caught a submerged anchor line and the engine seized. Fortunately, the owner of the anchor-line swam out and disentangle the rope from the propeller and the boat slowly drifted to shore.

The bow of the small boat touched the shore. Timing the movement of the wave, I jumped down on the beach with the camera bag and tripod slung over one shoulder and my luggage on another arm. No unforeseen incident on my landing... Phew! (Must be my acute sense of balance... !)

A person disentangling the rope from the propeller of the boat that took me to the island.

I used my sports camera, Olympus TG-2 and took a picture of the "resort." Expecting a welcoming party to come out to meet me, there was none. Never mind that. Carried my bags to the reception and there were 3 staff, one of whom was the manageress. The other female was a housekeeper and the man, I presumed a the maintenance man. Showed them the Agoda.com confirmation letter and the manageress quickly acknowledged my booking.

I didn't realize the sad condition of this "resort" until I developed this picture.

At the time I arrived at this "resort", there was only one other guest. Yes... the one seated and facing the sea. Expecting the usual "Welcome Drink", which never came, I engage in small conversation with the European (Italian I think but can converse in English), I was told that this "resort" only serves breakfast. Food and drinks, I need to get elsewhere. He recommended Coco Lodge, a 12 minute walk along the coastline south to the jetty. Anyway, from my conversation with him, he wasn't very happy with the "Resort". Over the next couple of hours and days, I came to know the reasons for his unhappiness.

The Resort Manageress showed me the chalet. Looks nice from the outside. Found that the aircond wasn't working, so she changed to another one near the swimming pool. TV... looks like only 1 channel was working... an advertisement only channel. Grrrrrr....!!! WiFi... only at the reception area.

After settling down, I checked out the pool.... OMG!!!

Pool was not properly maintained. Dog shit were found near the pool. Shower not working. No Chlorine smell.

Curses to Agoda.com from where I booked the 2 nights. Come on... if the place does not serve food and the place is in such bad condition, don't accept bookings. The other resorts near this one were closed for the season.

I managed to hire a scooter for 2 days from the maintenance worker at THB300 a day. I took it out to discover the island. Found that the bike was not in good condition, especially the front steering. The small road from this resort to town was narrow and a bit dangerous. As I approach the town, the road widens and became easily maneuverable.

At the jetty, I took this picture.

The Koh Mook Jetty. It was drizzling with light rain as I took this shot.

Roads

The following map shows clearly the roads on the island. The roads around town and up to Hill Top Resort were paved in concrete and could easily cater for a single lane. Since the most common form of vehicle were motorized tricycles, the roads could easily handle this form of traffic. I couldn't spot any cars or trucks. From Hill Top to Charlie's Resort, only sandy roads.

I ventured to the perimeter of Charlie's Resort only to find that it was under heavy renovation. I back track up to Hill Top Restaurant and the waiting lady boss was so happy to welcome me in. While I was having lunch, I was told by the proprietor that Charlie's Resort was operating. During my calories intake, 4 tall German girls (any person above 5'6" is tall to me... haha) and looking like models, sat down and from what I overheard, they were staying at Charlie's Resort.

Thai Style Steamed Sea-Bass @ Hill-Top Restaurant

After lunch, I wandered around town on the scooter and found that many shops and restaurants were closed for the season. Damn!

With not much else to see or do, I decided to ride back to Koh Mook Resort for a rest. Come dinner time, by walking, I followed the coastline to town and took a chance on Coco Lodge's restaurant. If not mistaken, I had Thai Green Curry Chicken with rice for dinner. It was good! The manageress gave me a complimentary dessert. Later on, I was to find out that she was the sister of the owner and during her vacation period with the Thai government, she would come and help out her brother.

Not wanting to walk in pure darkness, I hastily walked back to Koh Mook Resort in semi-darkness. For the rest of the night, I had to settle with the advertisement TV channel or catch up with whatsapp and email. Since I started the day extremely early, sleep came easy.

29.Aug.2017

Woke up around 6 AM THT and with not much to do this early in the morning, went out to shoot some photos around Koh Mook Resort. No one was around at the reception.

At Koh Mook Resort, looking out to the sea with gloomy skies for a sunrise.
Notice the slant of the roof! 6.24AM THT

The smooth sea, facing north ... image stacking of 19 photos. 6:32AM THT

Looking south, smooth sea ... stack of 9 photos. 6:33AM THT

7:08 AM THT ... Extremely Spartan Breakfast...!

By the time I came back from my photoshoot, one female staff came and prepared the above breakfast for me. Looking at it, I shook my head... "What? No eggs?" (Grumble... grumble... grumble!) A bit odd... 3 slices of bread!

My gloomy feeling must have passed on to the sky and it started to rain... "What a start to a new day at Koh Mook!"

I returned the scooter to the staff and told him that I didn't want to continue the rental and only paid him THB300. With that, tummy half full, I went back to sleep!

The weather cleared somewhat at around 10:30AM. With camera-bag slung over my shoulder, I walked along the coastline towards town. My aim was the jetty. As I approached the end of the jetty, the sky suddenly poured water over me and I had to seek shelter under one of the jetty's roof. While waiting for the rain to stop, I realized that a few of the anglers were still fishing.

This guy was fishing under heavy rain. Tough buggers! Salute! 9:27AM THT

One and a half hours later. The Rain Gods decided to give me a chance to continue my photoshoot. Bless him!

From where I stood on the jetty, this was what I love about this place... My illusion of Paradise...

Sivalai Beach Resort seen from the jetty. 10:46AM THT

The following 3 picture were taken at the jetty...

2 taxis and a moped at the edge of the jetty

The sky is clearing, somewhat...!
At the tip of the jetty looking towards the town.

Not sure if it's a fishing boat, tour boat or a ferry boat!

After this, I decided to walk to Sivalai Beach Resort...

Sivalai Beach Resort

Yes, the picture of this resort was what attracted me to this island (refer to the first picture of this blog).

Not what I was expecting, the beach with barricades!
Compare this with TAT's advertising picture... Duped!
11:15AM THT

After shaking off the illusion of Paradise, I must say that this Resort has the most beautiful beach on the island and has well equipped facilities. Actually, this resort has two beaches, one on each side of the peninsular. The restaurant was functioning. At the time of my visit, this resort only charges half the normal rates for low season and is closed for the month of September. Occupancy rate during my visit was low. I was the only guest at the restaurant when I decided to have a drink there.

Cheers! @ 11:39PM THT Only pineapple juice
HDR image of 5 frames

Gloomy skies at the tip of the horn of Koh Mook

Inside the Sivalai Restaurant looking out to the mainland.
HDR image of 5 frames

After quenching my thirst with the juicy drink, I walked back to town for lunch at Coco Lodge.

Coco Lodge

This resort is owned by an interesting character who is commonly known as "Chest". This resort has Family Bungalows, Bamboo Huts and even tents for rent. Servicing this is a restaurant and a beach bar. He also provides tours on his boat. For more info, go to his website, http://www.kohmook-cocolodge.com/

I like this place. Good food and helpful people.
What more you want?

Unfortunate for me, I was having such good times at his place that I always forget to shoot photos there. In all, I had 1 lunch and 2 dinners at his restaurant. I used his boat to ferry me back to the mainland.

At around 4:25PM THT, I again ventured out to Sivalai Beach Resort hoping for better weather. My perseverance paid off. Good weather! Along the way, I took some more photos.

Low tide at Koh Mook Resort sea frontage.

Sea Snails on a rock. They make weird sound!

Koh Mook Resort at low tide

A Heron (I think) at maximum zoom (270mm)

Rocky sea front at Koh Mook Resort sea front.

A fisherman's house by the beach.

A fisherman busy repairing his net

Boats at rest near the jetty

Chest and his friends in front of his beach bar

Little ones on a taxi.

Cute sisters (I presumed)

Sivalai Beach Resort ... again!

The resort taken from the tip of the "Horn"

Sivalai Beach Resort - northern beach

Sivalai Beach Resort - southern beach

Empty beach chairs at the tip of the "Horn" waiting for customers

The sun is setting. Better get back!
Sivalai Beach Resort - northern beach @ 5:52PM THT

On the way back, made a pitstop at Coco Lodge for dinner. Spoke to Chest about my ferry trip back and he agreed to pick me up at 7:30AM THT on Koh Mook Resort beach front. It should be high tide around that time.

Back at Koh Mook Resort, nothing much to do except Whatsapp, email and looking at the damn advertising TV channel, which was my sleeping pill for the night.

Going Back to the Mainland

The last scenery shot before going back. 6:43AM THT
In front of Koh Mook Resort sea front. The tide was coming up.

The position of the camera that took the above shot

Promptly at 7:30AM THT, Chest and his boat, with his friends around him, came and pick me up for the trip back to the mainland.

Interesting places on Koh Mook that I missed

	Even if one has all the opportunity to stay and discover, one will not be able to see everything a place has to offer. 2 places I wanted to go but couldn't... (1) Emerald Cave (top left picture)
	and (2) Hat Sabai (bottom left picture), both of which are located on the other side of the island, which can be easily accessible only by boat.

Summary

Don't go to Koh Mook during low season even though the room rates are much cheaper during the months starting from mid-August to mid-October unless you just want to hang out on an island with little activities. I seriously do not recommend staying in Koh Mook Resort. If you can afford, stay in Sivalai Beach Resort which is not far from the jetty. Charlie's Beach Resort is a bit harder to reach but should also be an interesting place to stay. Coco Lodge, located near the town, is also a nice place to stay on the island the whole year round. During low season, interesting places like Emerald Cave and Hat Sabai are not easily accessible because tour operators don't go there due to the restrictions from the Park Rangers or due to poor response.

The island only have motorized tricycles as "Taxi". You may also rent scooters but you must be aware of the condition of the bikes. Mostly, you will need to do lots of walking if you want to discover this island.

Sometimes, even when one is having a "Not-So-Good" time at a lousy resort, providence guided me to the character "Chest" and his Coco Lodge. I would not have met him if I was staying comfortably in a good resort.

Drop me a line if you have any comments to add. Thanks for your visit to my blog.

Cheers!

Crossing at Chong Mek into Laos

2015-08-11T23:45:00.001+08:00

4.Apr.2015

Chong Mek Border Crossing

This was my experience of the immigration and customs procedures for a motor-biker (I presume the same will apply for car owners as well), moving from Thailand into Laos on 4.Apr.2015. This border crossing connects Highway 217 (Thailand) to Highway 16W (Laos).

I chose to go into Laos at the most southern border crossing because it was the most established crossing
between the two neighboring countries for a very long time until the other crossings became more popular.

An aerial view of the crossing point. The Thai complex in red highlight and the Laos complex in green highlight.
The Laos government were not too happy that the Thais chose to build their complex on the Lao side.

Other Thai-Laos Road Border Crossings

Listing from south to north, excluding crossings by boat are;

Mukdahan & Savannakhet (Friendship Bridge 2)
Nakhon Phanom & Thakhek (Friendship Bridge 3)
Nong Khai & Vientiane (Friendship Bridge 1)
Chiang Khong & Huay Xai (Friendship Bridge 4)

The Journey to Chong Mek

Starting from Ubon Ratchathani, my next destination for the day was Pakse. Along Highway 217, for about 30km to the border, was new triple lanes on each side with broad shoulders. Riding along this road was lovely especially passing the northern parts of Sirindhorn Lake.

Beautiful & straight Highway 217 on the Thai side

At the end of Highway 217, a very impressive and uniquely designed immigration and customs complex will greet your eyes. There are shops lining the road leading to the Thai government complex.

A view of Chong Mek town as seen from the Thai immigration complex

A view of the immigration complex as seen from the Thai side

The Thai Customs House for commercial vehicles

After passing Thai immigration and customs, this was the view from the Lao side.
Cars and motorbikes uses the booths on vehicle lanes for passport and customs forms.
Since there were not many vehicles crossing so early in the morning, formalities were processed quite fast.

Documentation Required

Passport & Entry Card into and out of country
Valid Driving License (citizens of member ASEAN countries can use license issued by own country. Actually, they don't check your license at all.)
Vehicle Registration Card (better to bring original otherwise photocopy will also do)
3rd party vehicle insurance (can buy around entry points)
Simplified Customs Declaration Form for Temporary Import Permit for vehicle (Thai and Lao practice similar forms.)
Permit for vehicles for driver at entry/exit. (Not required in south of Thailand but required here. It's a simple form as a declaration that the driver is bringing a vehicle into the country. If you did not get this form in southern Thailand, you can fill up this form when you exit Thailand at this place, but the officer will not like it.)

Payments

Ah ha! At the Thai side, unlike the officers in southern Thailand, the Thai side did not charge "Overtime", if you know what that means!
On the Lao side, hmmm...! The customs forms will cost you LAK10,000 (as per receipt) but you need to pay THB100. Bloody awful exchange rate. Then filling up the Entry Card and processing your passport will cost you another THB100. (This was small compared to my departure from Laos.)

Going over to the Lao side

The moment you crossed into Laos, unmaintained roads and dust greets you.

Also, do not forget that you'll be driving on the right side of the road when you cross over to Laos.

Even though you can see officers here, this was not the processing centre.
The building under construction is the new Immigration & Customs House.

This was the Lao Immigration and Customs House that I had to go.
The front part was the Visa application. I needed to go to the rear of the building for documentation.

At the rear of the building was the Immigration Counter (left of photo)
and the Customs Counter (right of photo)

At the rear of the building, in front of the Customs Counter were the booths selling vehicle insurance.

Opposite the Immigration House was Phongsavanh Bank where you can exchange for Kip.
Don't remember seeing ATMs there.

On the Road to Pakse

Having cleared all the formalities and documentations, I proceeded to Pakse.

Taxis awaiting customers. They transport cargo as well as passengers.

Long line of container vehicles waiting to cross into Thailand

Good road from the border towards Pakse for about 10 km. After that, the road was not so good.

In Summary

On the Thai side, the building, roads and facilities were well maintained and operating efficiently. The Lao side was a different matter. Long queues could be seen and the building looks old. Have in mind that Laos is still a Communist country and the people still have their old ways of doing things.

If you like this blog, write a nice comment please.

Thank you for coming and reading this blog.

Have a nice day!

Kuang Si Waterfalls

2015-05-23T04:10:00.000+08:00

18.Apr.2015

Kuangsi Waterfalls, Luang Prabang, Laos

One of the most beautiful multi-level waterfall in Laos.

The entrance to the park

Entrance Fees: Kip 20,000
The ticket was available at the counter of the building with the open window in the picture above.
No vehicles allowed into the park except authorised ones.
Remember to bring your swim-wear. The water is cool, not cold.

The Legend of Kuangsi Waterfalls

According to a local legend, a long time ago, a wise old man dug a deep hole and out flowed the Nam Si River. A while later, a beautiful golden deer made its home under a big boulder that protruded from the falls. The sound of the water falling on this bolder created an enchanting echo that drew people from as far away as China to this site.
Tat Kuang Si got its name from this legend. Tat means waterfall. Kuang means deer. Si means dig.
The big boulder was dislodged in December 2001 after an earthquake.

A signboard of the map of the park

Based on this map, I used the path, marked with black dots over yellow line, from point 1 up to point 4. The area marked in red indicates the Bear Rescue Centre, which I didn't enter because I was too early. I arrived at this park before 8 AM. Already in the park were a few people who entered the park before me.

You will enter the waterfall area after passing the Bear Rescue Centre

This is the lowest part of the waterfalls after passing the signboard.
Note: The bridge shown here was closed.

This photo was taken from the bridge that was closed.
No one saw me, so I squeeze through the grill gate.

Referring to the photo above, this photo was taken from the tree hidden by the bamboo trees.

About 100 meters from the earlier spot, I took this shot.

As I moved towards point 4, another lovely shot.

A picnic area near the lake.

Another lovely spot to swim.

A nice spot for photography

A small fall feeding the main falls.

Almost near the point 4 is this water-wheel

At Point 4, the main waterfall flows majestically down multi layers of boulders.

That's me appreciating the beauty of the waterfall

This photo was taken from the end of the bridge.

As I walked back to the main entrance gate, I spotted this mile stone marker.

Leaving the park, I passed through this small village located at the entrance of the park.
Further on down this road, you can visit the butterfly park.

SUMMARY

Kuangsi Waterfalls is a "must see attraction" if ever you visit Luang Prabang. Budget about 3 hours, at least, to enjoy the place. Travel time from Luang Prabang by taxi is about 45 minutes. I came here by scooter with the help of Google Map. It is quite easy to locate this park.

I hope you enjoy this blog. Drop me a note on what you think about it. Cheers!

Thalad Park

2015-05-19T16:36:00.000+08:00

29.Mar.2015

Thalad Park, Nakhon Si Thammarat

Talad Park, also called “Somdet Phra Sri Nakharin 84 Park”. This park covers an area of over 490 acres. It was originally part of Ratcharuedi Park during the time of King Rama V. The park has an open zoo, a bird park, a health park, and a lake which is home to waterfowls that migrate here during January to March every year.

The signage in the center of the park

Also known as Somdet Phra Sinagarindra 84 Park in Google Map

Southern Entrance Area

Kuan In monument

a small stupa

Stone carvings of Buddha

Buddhist monument

A section of the lake at the south side

Centre of the park

City Pavilion [the sun was behind the building]

At the children's playground

At a picnic area near a lake

Water activities at another lake

Yet another lake in the park

a stunt rider practising for the big biker event a few weeks later

Same rider and bike super-imposed

At the pony ride area

The northern part of the park have not been really developed except for a building there. Used mainly by cyclist and joggers.

SUMMARY

A lovely place to spend quality time with family and loved ones.

Note: Photos are my copyright.

Please write a note on your thoughts on this posting. Thank you.

Songkhla Lake East

2015-05-15T13:20:00.002+08:00

Date: 29.Mar.2015

Travelling from Hat Yai to Nakhon Si Thammarat

Choosing the coastal Highway 408, I was riding on the eastern side of the Songkhla Lake.

I've visited Thale Noi, the northern part of Songkhla Lake as well as the western part of the lake.

Please refer to my earlier blogs on those.

During this run to Laos, I was curious to find out what was on the eastern part of the lake.

To make it easier for your understanding, please refer to this map.

Wat Di Luang
easy to find along Highway 408

Wat Pha Ko

Wat Pha Ko - A new complex to make easier for visitors to go up to the temple.

Using Google Map, I managed to go up to the temple at the top of the hill

The door to Wat Pha Ko

Figurines beside the steps to the temple

Intricate artwork of one of the windows

The chedi atop the hill

Buddha statues at the base of the chedi

The lifts that connect the new structures at the base to this hilltop complex

Wat Pha Ko - as see from the elevator platform

Reclining Buddha - Wat Pha Ko

Happy Buddha - hidden by trees

Krasaesin Peninsular

The following were sighted around the Krasaesin Peninsular on Songkhla Lake.

Wat Ko Yai

Not far from the temple was this exercise area facing the lake.

A shack by the side of Songkhla Lake

Just opposite the site of the photo above is this canal.

Nice country road with plenty of cow droppings

My bike and me at the southern edge of the Krasaesin Peninsular

A lookout hut at the edge of the lake

The kitchen of the restaurant where I ordered my brunch

The large restaurant area at the edge of the Songkhla Lake

Spotted a bird on the lake

I am sure you would have difficulty locating the bird!

My brunch of fried rice with large prawns. Not cheap!

Ranot

Proceeding north to my next destination, I was also curious to find out what was available in Ranot

Ranot Arts and Cultural Center
A small lake provides a nice area for local gatherings.

This small roundabout was located outside the post office and fire dept.
Do not know what this female statue represents.

SUMMARY

The areas visited in this blog is not a major tourist attraction but for those who like "out of the norm" sites, there will be always some surprises for you should you decide to discover these areas.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

Tinsulanonda Historical Park, Songkhla

2015-05-08T14:55:00.000+08:00

Date visited: 29.Mar.2015

Tinsulanonda Historical Park, Songkhla

Most tourist, in their rush to go to their next destination, would miss this lovely park. I must have passed this location a few times until I saw what was inside the park and had to reverse back.

Location: via Google Map (click here)

As you enter this lovely park, this landscaped roundabout would be the first thing you would notice.

This park was dedicated to General Prem Tinsulanonda

The entrance to the park. The gate opens quite early in the morning for people to exercise.

As you enter, on the left of the entrance, they were building this structure.

My Sym Evo 250i with the park as background

A general view of the park

A walkway to a buddhist structure

A closeup of the building

A building housing buddhist paintings and statues

A closeup of what was inside the building

The lake surrounding the buildings

Flowers and birds found in this park

structures depicting flames of life

Reflections of the sky through the long grass

As you exit to the main road, this would be the view.

Just beside the park is this lovely hall

In conclusion;

This park is a lovely place to visit, both for the casual visitor or the residents around this place.

Showtime at Koulen Restaurant

2014-08-02T01:01:00.001+08:00

24.Apr.2014

Dinner & show at only USD12 but does not include drinks. Drinks can be ordered when you sit at the table and pay when they bring your order. The array of food at the buffet tables were good and plentiful. Includes desserts.

Dinner started at 6PM and showtime promptly started at 7.30PM as advertised.

The following were mainly taken at the Koulen Restaurant with the fast EF 50mm f1.8 lens using the Canon 70D body. Some were taken with the slower Tamron 18-270mm lens and 1 was taken with the Olympus TG2. During editing, major issues were exposure, noise reduction and color correction.

The advertisement at the front of the restaurant.

My driver and I came at 6PM and were shown to our table which was quite far from the stage.

@ 6.02 PM with the musical instruments on display

The entrance and the parking area of Koulen Restaurant

At 7.05 PM, the musicians sat by their instruments. Classical music filled the hall as guests ate their dinner

Promptly at 7.30 PM, the musicians shifted their instruments to the side of the stage.
The girls moved in with their coconut shells and tap it with their fingers in tune with the musicians.

The men joyfully trooped in with their coconut shells.

The dancers tapped the coconut shells in tune with the music

The tempo of the music picked up speed as they danced to the faster tune.

You can see in this picture the audience sitting near the stage.
Most of the time, I had to hold the camera above my head.

This dancer had to move in a slow graceful manner.
Her hands and feet moved with purposeful manner.

In come the villain!

I believe they were playing out the story of Ramayana.

Their costumes were intricate and colourful.

Dancers using fishing traps and rice shivers;

Interesting and fierce looking character

The female character with the above devil

A different dance routine...

... with a happy ending!

The show ended at about 9.23 PM.

In Summary

In my opinion, the dinner and show was worth more than then USD12 I paid.

Visit to Taman Rekreasi Gunung Lang

2014-07-29T23:02:00.000+08:00

I was invited by some members of Gear Nation Motorbike club to join them on a tour of Ipoh and food fest. This was what I saw and captured at this nice Recreational Park.

27.July.2014

How to go there?

click map for larger view

A pictorial album of the Park

At time of visit to this place and throughout the trip, haze clouded the scenery. Thus very difficult to make the pictures sharp unless the subject is near. I also did not buy a CPL filter, which perhaps could have cut down the glare and perhaps give better contrast. My apologies.

Approaching the entrance and jeti of the lake.

A closer view of the entrance to the lake

The plague at the entrance

The view of the lake from the jeti.
The bad haze and the position of the sun does not help in this photo.

The counter where you can purchase your tickets.
At the left of the photo is where you queue for boarding the boats.

Select Members of the Gear Nation Motorbike Group.

The boats that ferries passengers to the other side of the lake.

Lots of fish at the ferry pier

A boat on the move to the other side of the lake.

Iverson and partner

The other side of the lake.
Note the bad haze condition!

The view from the jeti

The view as I came out from the Jeti

Turning back as I walked into the park

A typical Malay house inside the park

An open area for functions, I presume!

Another sample of Malay house

At the gardens

Two pillars at the gardens

At the gardens

The tower in the gardens

Taken for fun!

A pathway leading somewhere!

On the other side of the open gate

People resting to cool off

Pathway leading to the cave

Riding partners posing

The cave

Walking away from the cave, I spotted this scene.

Another angle of the tower

Heading back to the Jeti

OK, OK. Hurry up and take my photo... LOL

Leaving the park

Summary

A nice place to spend quality time with friends and family at a cheap price.

Discovering Ratchaprapha Lake

2014-07-25T22:00:00.000+08:00

6.May.2014 to 7.May.2014

{a.k.a. Cheow Lan Lake, Chiao Lan Lake, Khao Sok Lake or Rajjaprabha Lake}

อ่างเก็บน้ำเขื่อนรัชชประภา

Ratchaprapha, meaning "the light of the Kingdom", was named by the King in May-1987 on his 60th birthday. Previously, it was known as Cheow Lan Project.
This lake measures approximately 165 sq.km. (64 sq.mi.)

Location:

Approximately 48 km west of the city of Surat Thani.

Nearest Airport: Surat Thani

How to go there?

Follow the scenic Highway 401 from Asian Highway #2 (AH2) a.k.a. Highway 41. At a traffic light junction in Ban Ta Khun, there's a big signboard directing you to the lake and dam. From the Ratchaprapha Pier, which lies a few Km east of the dam, you can tour the whole lake or go to any of the floating chalets.

If you plan to go to Khao Sok National Park HQ, you need to go another 38 km west, along Highway 401 and enter at location "B". There's a big signboard pointing you to the place as well. At the park's HQ, you can visit a few waterfalls and enjoy other land/river activities.

Motivation

I've read a few blogs and also the visitor comments in Trip-Advisor. All gave double thumbs-up. On my way back to Malaysia, I made a point to visit this place.

6.May.2014

I started riding my bike at about 6.30 AM. Highway 401 was quiet at this time of the day and the route was very scenic. I turned off at Ban Ta Khun and headed towards the dam.

At the dam @ 7.50 AM

The Hydro-Electric Power Generation Plant at the base of the dam

Moving upwards to the viewpoint, I took the following shot.

Peeping through the trees and shrubs

The View Point

8.13 AM, at the View Point

I believe she must have devoted her life towards education

The monument at the top of the hill @ the View Point.
You need to walk up the steps to take this picture.

Moving back towards the dam, I spotted the low hanging clouds floating over the land at the base of the mountain.

My bike stood out strong against the background

Boats for hire at rest in a creek

A boatman pushing his boat out

The Lake Tour

Tour rates published on a wall

I approached a man sitting by a desk in the hall. Told him I wanted to tour the whole lake. He replied that the charge was THB2,500. I asked for discount. An elderly women approached me and we haggle over the price. Told her I was touring solo. We agreed at THB2,000.

The building with beige colored roof houses a restaurant, a souvenir shop and a convenience store.
You can book your tour here. Look for a guy sitting at a desk, waiting for customers.

Ratchaprapha Pier where the boats depart for the lake tour

You have to pay THB200 to enter the lake.

This young man was the boatman and guide

The start of the lovely lake tour

The dam as seen from the lake

Guilin... hidden amongst the islands.

My guide posing in the shaded area of Guilin

Approaching one of the many floating chalets resort

Found the fishes behind the restaurant

Chalets for rent

A view of the interior

Chalets for rent

Continuing the tour... an island in the middle of the lake

Accomodations

Located inside the Park.
I came here to inquire on accommodation. No luck!
Instead they recommended a few. I checked their recommendations. Also no luck.

Stayed here. THB500 per night chalet. Bed come with complimentary bed bugs.
Located outside the Park near a road junction opposite a restaurant.

7.May.2014

6.01 AM. At a beautiful resort west of the dam.

5.51 AM. HDR

6.14 AM

6.21 AM. HDR

6.24 AM. HDR

After taking these sunrise shots, I went back to the motel, packed my things and left for Khao Lak.

Recommendations

Duration of stay: 2 nights would be better.

Activities

Great place for swimming, fishing, jungle trekking and cave exploring. At the Park's HQ, you can try the elephant ride and check out a few waterfalls.

Summary

A great scenic place to chill out with friends and family.

If you find this blog informative, G+ please. Thanks.

Thanks for visiting.

Mae Klong Railway Market

2014-07-01T23:07:00.001+08:00

11.Apr.2014

Sometime in early of 2014, I saw a documentary of a train slowly moving along a track that passes through a market. What that documentary did not tell me was the location of that place. So in this blog, I shall let you know how to go to this interesting location and show you in pictures what's available there. It's like being there without the heat and humidity of the place... armchair travelling.

How to go there?

Proceed to a town called Samut Songkhram as shown in the map above. It lies between Bangkok and Hua Hin. Once you are there, proceed to the Mae Klong Railway Station. Ask any policeman for directions. They'll be proud and happy to guide you there.

You may also want to go to Amphawa Floating Market

Mae Klong Station

When you arrive at the station, this is what you'll probably see.

Inside the railway station are stalls selling drinks, food, souvenirs, clothes etc as shown below.

Time-Table, which hangs over the station-master's office, showing the arrival and departure times. Not sure if it still applies.

More stalls inside the station.

At the end of the station are houses.

As you move away from the station, you will see the Mae Klong River.

At the end of the railway line, at the edge of the river, on your right, you'll see this...

A regular ferry will take you across to the other side of the river bank should you want.

and on the left, you will see this...

The river flows out to the sea not far from here.

Mae Klong Railway Market

a.k.a. Rom HUP Market, Samut Songkhram Market

After coming out from the railway station, just across the street is the Mae Klong Railway Market.

First impression... many would think that it's just a row of stalls until you follow the railway line inside the market.

The following pictures are scenes as you walk along the railway line;

At 10.50 AM, it was showtime...

The boom gate comes down, cameras come out and people prepares for the arrival of the train.

The stalls will remove any items on the rail and the vendors will stand, holding the movable canopy, parting a clear path so that the train could pass. The sound of the train horn could be heard and slowly the train appears, moving at a jogging pace.

The following is an interesting YouTube clip uploaded in 2008. It is still the same when I was there.

Drop me a line if you find this blog interesting and informative.

Thanks for your visit.

Battambang Bamboo Railway Line

2014-06-23T22:35:00.000+08:00

28.April.2014 - Bamboo Train Ride, Battambang

I was in Battambang from the 27th to 29th of April-2014. The Bamboo Railway Line was on my "Places To Visit" wish-list. Sometimes, this type of carriage is referred to as Bamboo Train but I find the word 'Train' a misnomer here because one engine could only push one carriage, not a series of carriages.

When I first heard of Bamboo Train, I had the wild impression of a locomotive pulling carriages made of bamboo. Frankly, the only bamboo used on the carriages were the floor-boards.

To get to the start of the Bamboo Railway Line is quite simple if you have a Smart-Phone with Google Map installed on it. Just type "Bamboo Train" as the search words and it will show you where it is. Basically, it is located about 5 km southeast of the Battambang Central Market. Alternatively, you can try their motorbike taxi who would probably charge you about USD5 for the ride.

Since I was riding a big scooter with the phone attached to the center of the handle, I did not have much of a problem locating it. If you are walking, just walk along the disused railway line from the Battambang Railway station to the disused little train station. I understand that the Cambodian Railway does not use this line for a very long time.

On my way to the start point, I spotted this horse-driven carriage. You can also see that the road was only paved with gravel so I had to be a bit careful riding my scooter to the station.

Ah... finally I arrived at the starting point. If you expect to see a nice clean place, you'll be disappointed. The Bamboo Train is so famous that there is a Train Station Master there to greet me and who will also suggests I pay to the Bamboo Train operator the standard USD20 for the charter of the carriage. I understand if you have more people, they may charge you USD5 per person.

He was dressed in uniform and I'm not sure if he gets a cut from the operator. He speaks passable English and he told me that he once worked for the UN.

The photo at the top of this blog was taken by the "Station Master" at the start of the journey.

Seated on the "Bamboo Train" getting myself ready for the journey, not sure what to expect from the ride, I took out my Canon 70D with an all purpose Tamron 18-270mm lens, I could hear the driver start the motor. Yeap! That's him (shown below) giving me his "Peace" sign.

The motor was probably meant for pumps. It drove a belt which connects to the drive shaft below. Very simple engineering.

At the station, lying on either side of the railway line were empty "Bamboo Train" carriages waiting for customers. I understand that April to June are low season, so not many customers during my visit. Well lucky me!

Passing the station with the carriage slowly pick up speed, I took this picture.

Ah...! Those shoes. Lost them on my journey back somewhere in Ratchaprapha Lake area. They were inside a waterproof bag and the bag fell off my bike. Grrrrr...!

As the carriage picked up speed, sometime travelling as fast as 30 kph, the repeating sound "Kleng-Klark" of the metal wheels crossing the metal joints echos across the surrounding padi fields. The railway line is not straight like normal rail tracks, so whenever it crosses those crooked parts, my body will sway side-to-side and if the line is not level, my butt will be air-borne for a split second. Fun maybe, like a roller-coaster ride on a straight line. For approximately 7 km, I'll be riding like that, sitting on a mat over the bamboo board.

Then come on-coming traffic. That's when the magic show starts.

Could you see from this picture how crooked the railway line was? If a normal train uses this line, sure to derail!

A family, from on-coming traffic, waiting for the magic show to start.

Both drivers will become the magicians. The rule is, whichever side has the bigger inertia will have the right of way. That meant, since I was the only passenger on the carriage as compared to the 4 passengers for the on-coming traffic, I had to get down from the carriage.

The 2 top photos shows the 2 drivers disassembling my carriage. Then they pushed the other carriage to a point past my carriage as in the 2 middle pictures. Then they reassemble my carriage as shown in the 2 lower pictures. That's the ingenuity of the creator of this Bamboo Railway Line.

The approximately 7 km of railway line from the station to the small village passes through padi fields such as this one. Since it was dry season, the fields were parched.

The line passes through this concrete bridge. Notice the break in the middle whereby the driver had to pass slowly over that section. Also note the drop at the end of the bridge of about 30 cm. That's when my butt was airborne for a millisecond.

A very small bridge over a ditch as shown below. Note the condition of the railway sleepers.

The end of the line is a small village selling souvenirs to tourists.

Whilst waiting for my driver to appear, I managed to convince this salesgirl, who was staying in the village, to pose for me.

After taking the picture and saying my goodbye, I found my driver. The journey back was not as exciting since I already experienced the ride earlier.

In Summary;

Whilst the railway line used by the bamboo carriages are potentially dangerous, some people may find it a fun ride; sort of roller coaster ride. As for me, once is quite enough! For those who have not experience this type of 3rd world country fun ride, you should try it.

Hope you find my blog informative. Have a nice day!

:)

Beautiful Koh Lipe

2014-01-17T09:35:00.001+08:00

Honestly, I didn't plan to spend so many days on Koh Lipe. I actually wanted to go to Koh Tarutao to explore what the island that the TV series, Survivor-Thailand, made famous. Unfortunately, or fortunately as circumstances dictated, Koh Tarutao was still closed to tourist on 2.Nov.2013. So this is my journal of my sights on and around Ko Lipe from 2.Nov.2013 to 5.Nov.2013.

Ferry jump off points from Pak Bara (TH) and Telaga Harbour (MY) to Ko Lipe
To go to Ko Lipe from Ko Lanta, Ko Pipi or Krabi will be a very long journey.
The only way to go to Ko Lipe is by ferry.

2.Nov.2013

As usual, I started very early from my home in Subang Jaya. By the time I reached Changlun, it was before noon. Got my insurance done up for my bike, exchanged Ringgit to Thai Bahts, filled up my tank to maximum and reached the Thai border town of Dannok by noon. Got stuck at the Thai Customs for more than 3 hours and still no sign of getting the customs entry permit for my bike done, so was really pissed off with the way the Thai Customs allotted only 2 booths to cater to hundreds of applicants on a holiday as well as a Saturday. Furious, I stormed away from the immigration centre and switched on my Sygic GPS system and entered Pak Barra as my destination.

Happily, I followed my GPS and got a surprised when the GPS pointed me to Padang Besar border crossing. Huh!?!?!? I spoke to an officer guarding the entry post to the immigration station and he explained to me that if I were to use the Padang Besar to Pak Bara route, I may get lost and if I were to use the major highway, it will be much further than the more direct Satun road.

Puzzled, I followed my GPS guidance and crossed back into Malaysia and headed for the Wang Kelian border. The Thai immigration and customs station at Wang Kelian was very small and even though there were not many people, it took me about 30 minutes to get the customs permit for my bike done. I headed north to Pak Bara.

Reached the ferry terminal in Pak Bara by 4.45 Thai time (5.45 Malaysian time), I was told that Koh Tarutao was still closed to tourist until mid-November. So what's next? As suggested by the information desk, I went across the road and booked a return ticket to Koh Lipe for THB1,200 from Adang Ferry Service. At the same time, booked for 2 nights at Baan Kasirin 2 for THB1,600 with the same agent. Since Pak Bara looks quite serene, I wanted to spend 1 night in Pak Bara on my return journey.

After parking my bike in a house, as recommended by the travel agent, I was taxied to the ferry terminal on a tri-bike used for carrying goods. I bypassed the interior of the lovely ferry terminal and only had to walk about 10 meters to the boat.

The ferry terminal as seen from the speedboat

The ferry was a big speedboat. It was able to carry about 50 passengers. It had twin 200HP outboard engines. The journey took about 1.5 hours from Pak Bara to Ko Lipe.

Moving out from Pak Bara

Speeding away from Pak Bara

Sunset as seen from the speedboat

Warning: Wear shorts unless you want your long pants become wet. The reason being, Koh Lipe does not have a pier. From the boat to the beach without getting your feet wet is not an option - unless you happen to be a lovely girl and a strong man volunteering to carry you to shore on his arms. You need to jump into the sea when you reach Pattaya Beach. If possible, travel light. If you bring along a big bag, you'll probably have to drag your bag along sandy roads and you know how tough it is to do so.

It was dark when I reached Ko Lipe. The first thing I did was to look for food. I had TomYam fish and rice with beer for about THB280. Couldn't finished it because I suddenly realized that I had lost my new Nikon AW110 compact waterproof camera of less than 2 weeks. The last time I saw it was on the seat of the ferry. I had to do so because I had to roll up my jeans before jumping to the beach.

After checking into Baan Kasirin 2 hotel, I was very disappointed that the shower only trickled water in small volume. Using the pipe used by muslims to wash their backside after shitting, I showered with it. Went to see the lady boss and she promised to change my room that had better water pressure. (Empty promises!)

Ko Lipe is a very small island of about 2 km from end to end. There was only 1 main road which I can best describe as half sand and half cement. Most parts was sand and some parts was cement. The main road was named "Walking Street". Yep! Everyone walks on the island except for locals who travel on scooters. During high season, they do not rent out motorcycles. During peak season, everything goes up - room prices, food and drinks.

Exploring Walking Street @ night

The bar @ Pooh's Bar

Pooh's Massage

probably the only clinic on the island

You can find food aplenty!

A muslim restaurant

Lots of shops along this street

One of the few massage centres for tired feet and body

You can also get marlin!

This type of food is reasonably cheap

Walking Street is quite active between 6PM till midnight

Pattaya Beach @ night

Notice that at high tide, the water's edge is pretty near the shops

Plenty of restaurants along the beach selling sea-food, some are 'halal'

Bars are plentiful along the beach

If you are lucky, you can see some fire play

Ko Lipe Sunrise @ Sunrise Beach

6.20 AM, 3.Nov.2013

6.26 AM, 3.Nov.2013

6.35 AM, 3.Nov.2013

6.41 AM, 3.Nov.2013

6.03 AM, 4.Nov.2013

6.08 AM, 4.Nov.2013

6.42 AM, 4.Nov.2013

6.47 AM, 4.Nov.2013

6.54 AM, 4.Nov.2013

Baan Kasirin 2

The expensive and poor water-pressure budget hotel that I stayed.

Other interesting sights around Ko Lipe

The only postbox I saw

Reputed to be the centre of Ko Lipe

I must have walked this street more than a dozen times during my 4D3N stay on this island. After a while, you'll be able to remember the shops and stalls along this street.

This was taken during the daytime at the entrance on Pattaya Beach. This Walking Street stretches almost all the way from south @ Pattaya Beach to north (somewhere passed the centre of the island).

Probably the only motorcycle workshop on the island

A little mosque in the centre of the island

Red line was on 3.Nov.2013. Blue line was 4.Nov.2013

3.Nov.2013 ~ island tour # 1

The paying tourist on the longtail boat with me - going out from Ko Lipe

Pattaya Beach - the western part (can notice 2 construction sites)

Deep blue colours of the open sea

The emerald clear waters around a dive site on Koh Hin Ngan

OK, that's me looking at someone's creation.

A dive site on Ko Rawi

Longtail boats at the Ranger Station on Ko Rawi

Do not feed the monkeys!

Ko Rawi Ranger Station ~ taking a rest while waiting for the group to come back

the girls from Bangkok

Northern part of Ko Lipe

The shallow parts - north-east of Ko Lipe

Nice coral formation

Coming to Sunrise Beach at low tide.

4.Nov.2013 ~ island tour # 2

If you do not have 2 days to island hop, go for this tour instead of the tour#1. Unfortunately for me, my 2 batteries for my Canon 550D "konked" out because I brought the wrong charger. Therefore in this series as follows, the pictures were taken with my cheap 5MP handphone camera, so not so good quality.

Rock formation @ Koh Hin Sorn

Pristine water of Ko Tong

@ Ko Tong and the little island in the centre is Ko Pung

Climb up the path to go to the view point

The sight from the viewpoint at Ko RokRoy

Panorama view of the small beach @ Ko RokRoy

On the way back, saw this interesting island - Ko Jabang

Varin Beach Resort

Stayed at this lovely resort for the last night on the island, a far different feeling than Baan Kasirin 2

Lobby area of Varin Resort

The chalets @ THB1300, one of which I stayed for 1 night only.

Other Information

Time-Table and Prices

Summary

If you like sun and pristine seawater, good food and nice relaxation, Koh Lipe should be able to provide you what you want.

Leave a comment if you like this blog.

Thanks for your visit.

Have a great day!

A solo traveller. If you like to know more about my motorbiking adventures, go to http://tlchua99.wordpress.com.

:)

Full Moon Party @ Koh Phangan

2013-09-15T20:06:00.000+08:00

21.August.2013

Full Moon Party

The one that I'm going to write is probably the most famous, i.e. held every Full Moon in Haad Rin, Ko Phangan. You'll find people all over the world coming here to party!

There are tons of blogs and videos on this subject and what's so different about this one? For a start, this is a photographer's viewpoint of the event so you get lots of photographs right from 6 PM until the next morning. Then this blog is quite comprehensive and can be considered as your free guide to this event. By the time you finished reading this blog, you'll have a pretty good idea what to see and expect for the party.

How to get there?

Ko Phangan can only be accessible by sea. You can go to this island from Chumphon, Surat Thani, Ko Samui or Don Sak. There is also a merchant ferry from Bangkok.

The fastest way is to fly to Ko Samui and take the 50 minutes ferry ride from Big Buddha Pier in Bo Phut. This passenger ferry cost you only THB200 a pax and takes you directly to Rin Nai beach (Sunset Beach), Haad Rin which is only 5 minutes walking distance to the party venue. The ferry leaves Big Buddha Pier at 9.30 AM, 11.40 AM, 2.30 PM and 5.30 PM.

There are other ferry services from Ko Samui and other parts of Thailand but they end up at ThongSala, the main town of Ko Phangan, which is 16 Km from Haad Rin. Then you need to take a Van or Taxi to Haad Rin.

During the few days prior and post Full Moon dates, they can be quite packed.

You can get from Ko Samui to Ko Phangan at this point for only THB200

Where to stay?

If you are taking the ferry from Big Buddha Pier, the boat will berth in the South Beach of Haad Rin, 5 minutes walking distance to the party venue on the North Beach.

Haad Rin is a small but well developed tourist town. You can get all types of accommodation here, from budget to First Class. My advice to you is to book your hotel way ahead of your arrival. I find booking through Agoda.com very useful. I made the mistake of trying to confirm my booking through Agoda 1 week before my arrival and found no more rooms. "OK" I thought to myself, "I'll try to book when I arrive." BIG MISTAKE! Really no more rooms in Haad Rin!

It is interesting to note that for the stay in Haad Rin for the Full Moon night, it can cost you triple the normal rate. Example: for a dormitory bed, it can cost you THB800... ridiculous price! Once the full moon date is past, it drops to THB250.

So what I did was to rent a scooter for THB150 per day, YES, so bloody cheap. Then with the scooter, I went asking around and finally landed in a family ran motel/hotel, about 2 Km from the party venue, which I would normally not stay, at twice the normal price.

For party goers who intend to to party the whole night through, you may want to stay at the hotels near the venue, but be warned, the loud music may keep you awake the whole night through until about 9 AM the next morning. For those who wants to sleep, you may want to find a quieter place far from the beach. As an example, I was staying about 1.2 Km away from the venue and I could hear the beat of the music.

OK, for those who really do not have a place to sleep, the Mayor of Haad Rin had allocated a sleeping area on the beach under the open sky for you to rest, Free of Charge!

They do not have a place to keep your valuables or luggage.

If you still insists on staying in a hotel when Haad Rin's hotels are fully occupied, you can try Ban Tai, a small town about 6 Km away to the west of Haad Rin or the main town of ThongSala, about 16 Km away.

Internal Transport

Didn't see any big buses, but there are big vans and Taxi or Tuk-Tuk. Then there's the bike and scooter rentals. Motorbike rentals range from THB350 to THB150 per day. Hint: The further you are from the pier, the cheaper is the rental of scooter. If you want to rent a motorbike, you'll have to surrender your passport as collateral or give a big cash deposit. For checking into your hotel, you can ask for a photocopy of your passport.

Caution: For those who thinks riding a scooter is easy, well I've seen many riders falling down at corners mainly because of the sand covering the road. If you damage the bike, you'll have to pay for the damages. On the ferry back to Ko Samui, I saw 2 passengers with bandages on their arms and feet.

Please note that on the island, price of gasoline can be as high as THB51 per liter for RON91. You can refill your scooter's tank at big gas service station or buy in bottles at stalls or shops at a higher price.

Roads

Along the west and south of the island, the main roads are well maintained, BUT... some roads will have parts that are not paved. I've personally experienced riding my scooter along the coastal road and after the crest, found the road suddenly ended. Some parts of the roads may look like sandy patches but are actually sand covering the road, thus making the road slippery for scooters.

The island is hilly, so many parts of the roads require you to really throttle up the gas so that your bike can go up the incline. Some parts can be scary for the uninitiated, especially coming down the hill.

Haad Rin town

The town is pretty packed with small retail shops, restaurants and budget hotels. The roads and streets are quite narrow. The resort type hotels are found along the beaches.

Haad Rin has many narrow roads and streets so riding a scooter would be ideal.

Food

You can easily find good Thai, Asian or Western Food in town or at the beach. Seafood is a good choice but not cheap. I'm not a food connoisseur so I can eat practically anything.

The Full Moon Party Stage

The location:

Haad Rin is the place where the party will be held. This town is located at the south eastern tip of Ko Phangan. For the party proper venue, it is in the Sunrise Beach.

The town in the centre of this map is Haad Rin

The Origin:

According to Wikipedia, the party started in 1985 as a Thank You to about 20~30 tourists. It started when the full moon appeared. Since then, there will be about 20,000~30,000, from all over the world, on the beach, celebrating this event. From what I saw, the figures appears about right. Really packed.

According to Paradise Bungalows at the southern edge of the beach, they claimed that the party started from their hotel.

However, Tommy Resort is more aggressive in pulling the crowd through advertisements and more party stages and area.

Therefore, for all intended purposes, the party stage is the stretch of beach between Tommy Resort and Paradise Bungalows.

The Beach:

The beach faces the east and consists of whitish-cream coloured fine sand. It is well maintained by the beach-front property owners' staff. After the party, I could see them filtering all the rubbish from the sand. I, for one, do not like to go to a dirty beach for sure! No small wonder people still come back for the party.

Prelude to the party:

Starting from about after lunch time until party time, the vendors and beach-front owners will prepare the beach for the party. During those times, people will be lying down catching some sun, chatting or become an early drinkers. I guess the best way to show you what's there is through a slide show as follows;

What is most noticeable is body painting with luminescence washable paints. In some stalls, when you buy a bucket of their drinks, they will help you do the body painting. Most will wear T-shirts with "Full Moon Party" theme and usually, those T-shirts will be very bright colours.

Interestingly, you can get beers at THB40 the whole night long. Thai Whiskey or Vodka are usually mixed with other soft drinks. A warning: Mix too many alcoholic drinks and you'll be flat on the ground fast.

Party Time:

The party will start at 9 PM on full moon night.

Promptly at 9 PM, some brave ones will start the ball rolling by dancing on the stage. Soon, others will follow and the momentum of the party picks up after that. I could see most participants enjoying themselves dancing or watching others. It is hard not to sway your body to the rhythm when you see others dancing and the boom-boom sound of the big speakers pumping into your head. The whole idea of coming to this party is to enjoy!

A note of caution; be prepared to get burnt should you attempt the jumping loop of fire.

Other Venue for the party:

Coral Bungalows at Sunset Beach will also have a pool party organised during the the Full Moon Party. I was there and saw the pool, restaurant and bar packed with revelers.

After the party:

Ah ha! The party continues until 9 AM the following morning. The consequences of too much alcohol could be seen as many would sleep on the beach. And... yes... lovers would be necking out, couldn't be bothered with prying eyes.

And for the men, they will show their manliness by pissing in the sea.

Other Parties Organised by People of Ko Phangan

With the success of the Full Moon Party, the island also have;

Half Moon Party
Pool Party
Lighthouse Party
Waterfall Party
and What Nots

I guess the main business of Ko Phangan is partying! Frankly, I believe that this island's economy, without the tourist, would collapse.

Conclusion

I believe this Full Moon Party will continue to pull in the crowd as more people will come to know about this happy event. To anyone with a young heart, like me, it was an experience not easily forgotten.

I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed my experiences there. Please note that the pictures are copyrighted. You will find more of my pictures in my Flickr a/c.

If you find this blog interesting and informative, please let others know.

Have a fun life! Cheers!

Sukhothai Historical Park

2013-01-04T17:13:00.000+08:00

25.Nov.2012 & 26.Nov.2012

The Sukhothai Historical Park is about 12 km west of Sukhothai city.

I was here during the Loy Krathong festival where this lovely city celebrated the Sukhothai Loi Krathong and Candle Festival.

I arrived in Sukhothai at about 3pm and checked into a guest-house (on the top map, the red dot was where I stayed).

After getting directions from the receptionist at the guest-house where I stayed, I rode my motorbike to this easy to find attraction.

When I arrived here in the late afternoon, about 5 pm, there were already thousands of people in festive mood. Many stalls were set-up along the roads leading to the historical park.

As I entered the park from the east, a lovely pavilion and temple in the middle of a man-made square lake greeted my eyes as shown below. During the time I visited this place, surrounding this lake were dozens of stalls selling food, clothings and souvenirs.

Since I came here after 5 pm, the sun was setting to the west and many of the images were facing east. However, these were the images that I managed to capture that were facing west.

When I was at this place, there were about a hundred or so performers, mainly high school students, getting ready for the night's festivities.

one of the lovely performers who smiled for me

I didn't continue into the night there because I was hungry and returned to the city and had my dinner before calling it a day. I didn't want to watch the fireworks as the crowd was getting too thick.

The following dawn, I came back to capture the photos below.

A close-up of the Buddha's image

Monument of King Ram Kham Heang

After taking the above picture, I left for the Si Satchanalai Historical Site which is about 50 km north of Sukhothai.

Please comment. Thanks.

Petaling Jaya Museum

2012-10-02T21:38:00.000+08:00

Yes, Petaling Jaya, southwest of Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, was itself given city status on 20.Jun.2006. The museum, located at Jalan 10/7, Taman Jaya, 46000 Petaling Jaya, opened its doors to the public in November 2007 (The Star Online).

The museum has its own webpage in Bahasa Malaysia at Muzium PJ. This blog will be a tour of this place from a photographer's point of view. There are 22 photographs in total in this blog about this museum.

Admission and Operating hours;

Open to the public between 9am to 5pm daily.

Close on Fridays and public holidays.

Admission is FREE!

See the picture on the left for their rules.

Cameras allowed but the interior lighting requires high ISO settings or tripod.

How to go there?

Access to this museum can be from the Taman Jaya area or from Jalan Gasing using Jalan 10/1, the road next to the Siamese Temple. I used Jalan 10/1 as I can park my vehicle just next to the museum.

The view outside the building.

As you approach the museum, you will notice this monument, "Searching the stars".

A HDR view of the monument and the museum

The playground beside the museum

Side view of the museum from Taman Jaya

The Mayor's car

Just in case you want to buy 4D, Kuda or Sports Toto

A mural at the front of the museum

Front view of the museum

Inside the museum

When I went in, the guard manning the reception table pointed to the visitors book for me to sign, which I wrote my particulars. Visitors can also make use of their storage cabinets to keep their helmets or bags at this reception counter. Usually, visitors were encouraged to turn left at this reception area, but since the wall was so attractive, I turned right instead.

The display at the right side of the entrance.

Gallery F - The development of the city

Gallery F - The development of the city - another angle

History of security and enforcement division of the City Council

The corridor leading to Gallery C, the reading room and administrative offices.

Gallery C - showcasing shadow puppets of Wayang Kulit

The reading room for research

Personalities responsible for PJ's success

Morning market during those days

How PJ developed over the years...

A close-up of PJ's first cinema

Sir Gerald Templer, mooted the idea that the slums of Kuala Lumpur should be moved away from the city. It was one of the ways to control the people from helping the communist during the Emergency Years.

In order to create this satellite township, 486 hectares of Effingham Estate was acquired to develop Petaling Jaya. Until the end of 1953, Petaling Jaya was administered by the Kuala Lumpur District Officer. The PJ Town Authority under Mr N.A.J. Kennedy took over the administration of PJ from 1954.

Conclusion

For both the young and old alike, those who love history will observe the development of this city from pictures on the wall and articles on display with unbiased inference.

If you like this article, please write your comments below.

Thanks for your visit.

Tasik Kenyir - A lovely place!

2012-09-11T21:50:00.000+08:00

On Thursday, 6.Sep.2012, my friend, YS Lee, called me up and asked me where to go? I told him Tasik Kenyir would be a lovely place to visit if he wants fishing. Without hesitation, he replied in an easy going way, "OK, let's go!".

At 6.45am on Saturday, 8.Sep.2012, I was already at his front gate, but alas, he still was not ready, so I went to a nearby mamak stall to have roti telur and teh tarik. Was back at his place at 7.20am and now, he was hungry and we went to SS17 for breakfast. Char Koey Teow was what he ate. After that, we drove his old Proton Waja towards Kuantan using the Karak-Kuantan Expressway.

It was a lovely drive along the E8 Expressway. Driving even at 160kph was not a problem, but I stuck to 130kph most of the time. If drive slower than that, I'll probably fall asleep because the road was so boring! We stopped at Temerloh R&R for a drink and a very short rest and then continued the journey!

Click map to view in large. Red Arrows shows direction going to our destination. Green shows return journey.

Just before Kuantan, we had no choice but to exit the E8 and went on the coastal road to Dungun where we used the GPS to connect us back to the East-Coast Highway. We had lunch in KFC, Kuala Berang before reaching Pengkalan Gawi at Tasik Kenyir.

The first thing we did when we arrived at this place was to get accommodations and hire the boat for the next day. All the things arranged, deposit paid. My friend rented a tent and since camping other than at designated areas are free (designated area was actually fully occupied till Monday catering to a big group from Kolej Komuniti), we went looking for a nice spot to pitch up the tent. We also checked out the Tourist Centre as well as the lovely Resort nearby. See my previous post on this place for more details ~ Central-East 4D3N Bike Run 2 (also lots of photos).

The weather on the day we arrived was quite cloudy and gloomy. Doesn't look like a promising calm night. I was hoping it won't rain!

One of the jetty at Pengkalan Gawi. Note the sky.

Since my friend does not know, or pretend not to know, how to pitch a tent, he got assistance to put up his tent. I brought my own tent, so mine looks better than my friend's tent. It would be advisable to bring your own tent because the rented tents may be dirty!

After pitching the tent, we went hunting for food and we got our first surprise! None of the food outlet, at Pengkalan Gawi, for the public, serves dinner! We had to drive about 7km out of Pengkalan Gawi to get some food. The assistant (later our boatman) gave us a small Toman (actually there were 2 Tomans but we only took one) so we gave the fish to the cook to prepare it in sweet & sour style.

After dinner, we went back to out tents and with nothing else to do, we called it a night. But for me, since the scene in front of me was quite nice at night, I took a very long exposure capture of the sight before my eyes.

f6.3, 3 minutes 21 seconds, ISO-200 @ 18mm on EFS 18-135 IS lens

Around 10pm, strong wind blew across the lake, rattling the leaves of the trees which sounded somewhat like rain. Wow! I thought! It would be a breezy and cool night, perfect for sleep! So with towel over a couple of T-shirts, I placed my head to rest and soon doze off to sleep. I awoke to wetness on/at my feet and saw a pool of water near where my feet were and looked at my clock. 12.15am. It was raining heavily I guess. I saw a pool of water building in the roof of my porch and pushed the water away otherwise my miniature porch of the tent would collapse. Then went back to sleep.

Woke up at about 7am and took the following shot outside my tent area.

Almost the same spot as the shot taken at night.

As I was to leave the area to look for some interesting place to capture the sunrise, my friend called out to me, scared probably that I leave him... LOL He also complained that he couldn't sleep the whole night. He's probably not used to camping!

Quickly, he packed his things and brushed his teeth and joined me. We went hunting for food and locate a nice area to capture the sunrise. We went to this place to check it out.

A big parking place with a restaurant near the boathouse berthing area.

7.16am, 9.9.2012 @ the boathouse berthing area.

Other boathouses at the same place. This shot facing west.

Policemen coming for their breakfast

With nasi lemak inside our stomachs, we went looking for our boatman and boat. We were told to wait at the jetty as shown in the third photo above.

That's me near the assembly grounds where participants from Kolej Komuniti held their gatherings.

Here comes our ride and guide.

The following are the sights while we were in our boat touring the lake. [requires Flash Player]

The main activity on this lake would most probably be fishing. You can hire boathouse or boats to take you to your fishing destinations. Boathouse starts at about RM200 per person per night which comes with food etc but must have a minumum of 10 pax. Alternatively, you can stay in the resort or tent and hire a boat with guide for a minimum of RM100 per day excluding petrol of RM60 per canister plus guide for RM50 per 3 hours. This was the option we took.

Our guide also fishing

A new boathouse on the lake cruise

Saok Waterfall can be reached only by boat so get your boatman to take you there.

Middle part of Saok Waterfall

Nice cold splash at the bottom of Saok Waterfall

At the mouth of Saok Waterfall. A new boathouse was parked there.

Pulau Herba is the place to go if you want to view the botanical gardens of Tasik Kenyir. Visitors can try Tongkat Ali brew for free.

Recreational jetty at Pulau Herba

You can judge for yourself how bitter Tongkat Ali drink was from the look on his face

By the time we reach back to the jetty at Pengkalan Gawi, it was about 1.30pm. We went to the tour shop to pay the balance and went to out camping site to pack up. We then decided to go to Kuala Berang for lunch.

After lunch, we turned off at Ajil and tried the new E8 Expressway linking Ajil to Bukit Besi. For about 30km, the drive was smooth on a 4-lane road with broad shoulders where if one wants to speed, can run at 180kph. Once off the E8 (because the road was not complete), the driving was slow.

Click map to large view. The line in white is the new E8 Expressway.

At Al Muktafi Billah Shah town, you can see a very big and beautiful mosque.

Comparison between the East Coast Highway (also known as Jalan Jabor Al Muktafi Billah Shah) and the coastal road.
East Coast Highway - mostly narrow 2 lanes road and lots of timber lorries. Hard to overtake. Mainly plantations beside the roads.
Coastal Road - pass through towns. Some parts are 4 lanes. Nice scenery.

For more reading and photographs on Tasik Kenyir, go to Central-East 4D3N Bike Run 2 . Nice advice and details for those approaching Tasik Kenyir from Gua Musang (or from Simpang Pullai).

My advice for those going to Tasik Kenyir for fishing. If you have the money, try the boathouse. If you do not want to stay on the boathouse, you can stay at the Resort. For those who wants to save, bring a tent and hire a boat with guide. You'll probably need to stay a minimum of 2 nights.

Thanks for your visit.

Your comments appreciated.

T L Chua

Chin Swee Temple, Genting Highlands

2012-09-01T18:38:00.002+08:00

30.Apr.2012

Earlier, after having a short tour around Genting Highlands on 30.Apr.2012, my friends and I drove down to check out Chin Swee Temple between 5.10pm and 6pm. This temple complex is about 10 minutes drive up or down the main Genting World Resort. You can go to this temple either on your way up or on your way down as both ascending or descending roads are connected to this temple.

The pagoda on the left and the main temple on the right

Chin Swee Temple, located 4,600 feet above sea level, is a Taoist temple and a popular tourist attraction for visitors to Genting Highlands. This temple complex, covering 28 acres of rocky land, was opened to the public in 1994. It was built by the Genting Highlands Resorts' founder, Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong at a cost exceeding 12 million Ringgit.

Map extracted from www.csc.org.my. Cick to enlarge.

Buddha on the top floor of the main temple

Below the main temple is the cave temple where the image of Reverend Chin Swee sits.
Image extracted from wikimedia.org.

The view of Awana, Goh Tong Jaya and Kuala Lumpur from the main temple

Beside the main temple is Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong Hall. This is almost the top floor.
Devotees and visitors can stay here in one of the 110 rooms at reasonable prices (about RM120++ I think).
There's a good vegetarian restaurant as well as herbal medicine shop in this location.

The 9 Dragon Wall is located near the entrance to the temple.

My cool friends above the 9 Dragon Wall.

The statue of Kuan Im is located 1 level above and behind the main temple.

The statue of Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong behind the main temple

A statue of a Buddhist saint made famous in the story "Journey to the west."

The giant sitting Buddha statue located behind the Goh Tong Hall.

View of Genting World Resorts from the temple complex.

For more information about Chin Swee Complex, go to their homepage.

The best time to visit this temple for photography is in the early morning since the temple face east.

If you find the information relevant or interesting, please write your comments below.

Thanks.

Magic of the Night 2012 @ Putrajaya

2012-07-09T10:11:00.000+08:00

7.Jul.2012 - Putrajaya

In conjunction with the FLORAL and GARDEN FESTIVAL (FLORIA 2012) held in Putrajaya, the city also organised a grand activity for the night called "Magic of the Night 2012" where they displayed lighted and decorated floats from various states and bodies of Malaysia and 2 countries on man-made lake at Precinct 2.

My friends and I reached the destination at about 5pm and walked around the areas marked for the Floria 2012. After viewing the displays, we had to queue up to 30 minutes at KFC for dinner. Then we looked for a vantage spot to sit and waited for the "Magic of the Night 2012" to start!

At about 9pm, the activities started with introductions of the VIPs at the event and the prize giving of the Photography Competition. After that, the beautifully decorated and lit floats moved on the water passing our location.

These were the shots taken during the night;

The lit bridge and the stage on the right.

The Suzhou (China) float

The float from Kenya's Ministry of Tourism

The float from Langkawi Tourism Development Authority

from the state of Johore

from the state of Melaka

from N. Sembilan

from the state of Pahang

from the state of Perak

from the state of Perlis

from Sabah

from Sarawak

from Terengganu

from Putrajaya

from Tourism Authority of Malaysia

The dancing girls at the stage area

from the Ministry of Tourism

Fireworks ended the night

Interestingly, there were no floats from Kelantan, Penang, Kedah and Selangor. Not sure why they did not participate. Either they were not invited or didn't have the budget for the 7-days extravaganza!

Note: These pictures are the property of the owner. Please observe the copyrights. Thanks.

Discovering Broga and its hills

2012-06-11T12:26:00.001+08:00

10.Jun.2012 - Sunday

Broga village sits on the border of Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Broga Hills is a hiker's attraction and is in the state of Selangor.

I've read in a few blogs about this hills, so my friend and I decided to check it out. I met my friend, YS Lee, at his house in SS2, Petaling Jaya at 5am on 10.Jun.2012. To my surprised, he was already waiting for me at his car, a Kancil 660cc. Immediately, we took off and used the Federal Highway, followed the North-South Highway until Mines Wonderland and than used the SILK Highway to Semenyih. Getting to the popular starting point was easy since I've read so many blogs on this attraction.

click map for more detailed view of the starting point

The starting point is directly opposite the "Rabbit Fun Land". You can park along the road or pay MYR2 to park inside the palm oil estate. We parked inside the estate, after searching with slight difficulty, a parking spot since more than a hundred cars were already parked there at 5.20am.

The distance from the parking spot in the palm oil estate entrance to the first peak is about 1.3km

What to wear and bring?

climbing or running shoes (or track shoes)
track pants or short pants, preferably track pants since it can protect you to a certain extent some bruises if you slip.
a small torchlight or better still a head band torch since you can use both hands for the climb
a bottle of water (some snacks if you want).
a camera to catch the sunrise.
handphone since there is mobile phone coverage.

When not to trek up this hill?

During rain or just after rain since the track is sandy and some parts rocky and will become slippery.

Best time to trek/hike up this hills

Since the top of the hill is a clearing, it's going to be hot if you start late.
Best is 5am in the morning to start. You'll be surprised at the crowd climbing this hill ~ so many people!.
I don't recommend a sunset hike since coming down will be problematic at night.

Advice

Best if you hike up with your friend. If you have an accident, he/she can get help.
If your friend is more fit than you, hike up at your own pace. Don't play catch-up as you will find yourself out of breath fast!
Don't chase your friend to speed-up. He/She may have a heart attack if they are not fit. Be patient!

The hike is not very difficult since I could see many less fit hikers going up the trail. Along the way, I spotted Semenyih at blue hour, so I took a shot!

Semenyih @ 6.53am

7.25am - Made friends at the slope of the first hill-top

7.32am - A clear view of Nottingham University - Malaysian Campus

7.32am - Climbers making their way up

7.33am - Climbers making their way up

7.49am - Spotted some hikers at the 3rd peak

7.53am - at the second hill top

7.56am - Broga village from the 1st hill top

My observation on the hill climb

I quite like this hike but I wasn't fit enough so had to suffer the consequences, i.e. lots of muscle pains during the climb down and after the climb. So, I'll probably be visiting a good massage centre after the hike.

After the hike

It was 9am when I was back to the car at the palm oil estate. We jumped into the car and headed for Bogra village for some food and drinks. I understand there are some good coffee-shops for breakfast. We went to one in that village. I had packet Nasi Lemak plus 2 half-boiled eggs. I understand that shop had good curry pan-mee. Anyway, the stall owner forgot about my friend's order and he got angry and decided not to wait for his mee and paid for what we got. When we left the shop, we spotted a eating place at the market and decided to check out the food. It seems this one had good curry-laksa.

Broga village - The market is opposite the Police Station and the entrance arch to Sak Dato Temple

9.59am - My friend enjoying his curry-laksa with 2 new friends at the market

The 2 new friends, in orange T-shirts, told us about Sak Dato Temple so we went to check out the attraction after this.

click map for detail view

The temple is about 1km from the arch. Along the way, we saw a few roadside stalls selling durians. When we reached the place, there were stalls lining the road and I saw 2 tour buses parked along the road. Hmmm... I didn't know this place existed!

10.21am - The Sak Dato Temple

10.26am - Broga hills as seen from the temple

A suspension bridge connects the Monkey King Monument to the temple

The main attraction of the temple

There are other attractions in this temple which I didn't post here. You just need to visit the place to find out more! If it is not nice, there will not be any tour buses coming here!

There is also a mild hiking trail at the top of this temple which is very easy to perform. Not much effort but sure to sweat! I'll do this one for my sunrise shot when I come here next.

Conclusions

Broga Hills is not a very difficult hike but you just need to be fit to climb this one.
The Sak Dato Temple route is very easy to do so older people can get some exercise on this one.

If you like my post, write a comment please.
The photos are copyright by me, so please do not use them without my permission.
Thanks for your visit.

Hat Yai Municipal Park

2012-06-02T17:11:00.000+08:00

26.May.2012

This park is located at the eastern side of Hat Yai city. If you want to go to the standing Buddha, you need to hop-on a powerful tut-tut otherwise the vehicle may not be able to go to your destination. Self-drive in a powerful car or powerful motorbike are also other options. Just go in the direction of the standing Buddha which could be seen from miles away.

This park encompass a beautiful lake where you may want to rent the boats or a simple picnic under a shady tree by the lake. The park boasts of many structures as listed in the map below.

Click map for large size.

Since I was alone, I went to this park using a small motorbike taxi. I paid THB300 for the trip there and back plus a 1.5 hours waiting time included. It could be cheaper since I didn't haggle at all.

At the entrance of the park, you can see the Hat Yai Municipal Park on the entrance wall. Going in, I went straight up to the Standing Buddha complex where I also found the Cable Car Station. In this station, the first thing I did was to buy a bottle of water for the taxi rider and also for myself as the sun was shining strongly.

At the entrance of the station

I took this panorama from the cable car station

The cable car system connects the Standing Buddha Complex to the 4-face Buddha complex.

After taking a few photos, I went over to the Standing Buddha complex which is just 100 meters or less away.

A complete view of the complex from the steps leading to Kuan Im Temple

A panorama of 11 portrait frames taken handheld. On the left is Hat Yai city and on the right is Songkhla.

After that, I went over to the Planetarium.

External view of the Planetarium

This chapel is located just by the side of the Planetarium

The gallery on the ground floor of the Planetarium

The equipment on the observation platform

The Planetarium also has a 80 seater theatre showing Nat-Geo documentary about our universe

After that, I went down to the Kuan Im temple site by the chartered bike-taxi. The first thing that grabbed my attention was this gateway to the Happy Buddha.

I estimate the height of the Godes of Mercy to be about 10 meters tall.

As I was running short of time, I had to rush back to the hotel to meet my friends for dinner.

Update ~ 21.Nov.2012

On 21.Nov.2012, I made a trip from Subang Jaya to Hat Yai by motorbike and the first place I went was to this Hat Yai Municipal Park. During my stay in Hat Yai, it rained, so the sky was not very suitable for nice photography. Nevertheless, I managed to take some photos on the spots I've missed out previously so that this page becomes as complete as possible on the attractions this place had to offer.

King Rama V monument

My bike at the monument

A close-up of the monument

4 Face Buddha

To get to this location, there is a steep road where you can walk, bike or travel in a car/taxi/tut-tut/bus or you can go in the cable car from the Standing Buddha cable car station.

The pavilion housing the 4 face Buddha

The cable car station at this location

The 3 headed elephant next to the cable car station

The Main Park

This area is where most of the locals hang out. It has food & drinks outlets, toilets, small gazebos for you to rest or picnic.

A view of the lake in the main park area

Another view of the lake

Conclusion

To really enjoy this place and to see all the sites in this park, you will need about half a day here. Budget for 4 hours or so. If you want to shoot sunset shots, you may spend even longer time here. In my opinion, this place should not be missed by first timers to this city.

Note: All photos are mine, so please respect my copyright. Thanks.

If you think this was helpful, please write your comments. Thanks.