Bali, Indonesia.

Bali is well-known for its beautiful beaches especially for surfers. Well, me, I am no where near a surfer but I still fell in love with the small island. On contrary to the popular belief that Bali is a honeymoon spot, I actually felt that you can simply enjoy it with family and friends too. It has more to serve than just romance. Besides, depending on how you travel, the travel can be reasonably cheap too. My expenses for 4 days 4 nights there was approximately RM 900.

*This is an itinerary especially catered for those who will be staying at Kuta

Accomodation:

JOCS Boutique Hotel, Kuta- 3 stars

I will recommend it especially for those who are on budget-comfort. I manage to grab the plane + room with breakfast promotion from Air Asia Go with just RM500+/- per pax for 4 days 4 nights trip (my plane arrives at night on the first day).

Their breakfast is repeating from 3 choices: American Big Breakfast, Continental and Asian. The portion is huge and it comes with various beverages so all you need to worry is to choose your favourite options the next few days if you book with their breakfast.

It comes with rooftop jacuzzi which operates from 8am - 8pm and bar.

Website: http://www.jocshotel.com/

Few general points:

• BARGAIN when shopping / ANYTHING ELSE. If they start their price as high as 100K, you can actually minimize it to 30K by saying you buy a few more pieces. Trust me, I did it.
• If you are going in a group of youths and seeking for an adventure/on budget, I recommend renting the BIKE/SCOOTER/MOTORCYCLE. The cost is greatly reduced as the driver + car costs about 500-800K / 10-15 hours and they will bring you to popular tourist place for dinner such as Jimbaran Beach with hidden costs. I compared it to the ones that went there by local tours and the one that I went by myself, it is huge difference. A day of full rental of a bike is 60K. Petrol(bensin) is around 15K for a full tank. You can get a local sim card with 2GB data for GPS purpose for 67K (BARGAIN). Basically, bike is really common in Bali so you don't really have to worry about safety but honks are common too. 

• I'm very cautious about water especially during travelling as I do not want to fall sick so I usually only drink mineral water. Of all the marts around such as Indomart, K Mart, Mini Mart etc, Indomart has the cheapest mineral water and Mini Mart sells it almost by double the price.
• SUNBLOCK & ALOE VERA GEL. If you are riding on a bike and following my itinerary, you'll be happy to have a jacket/cardigan.
• Try out their Magnum ice-cream. They have really good flavours compared to Malaysia. I personally love their Black Espresso.

*All NER is as of July 2015 10000 rupiah ~ RM 2.80

Day 1: Tanah Lot - Lunch: MG Bakmie - Nusa Dua Beach - Tirtha Chapel - Uluwatu Temple - Dinner: Jimbaran Beach (Lia's)

Tanah Lot - Beautiful pura (temple) by the beach. It is very well known which is slightly north from Kuta. Being a tourist, this is a why-not place!

Entrance fees: 15K / pax ~ RM 4.20

Bike's parking: 2K ~ RM 0.56

On the way back to Kuta, you will passed by Denpasar. If you are a noodles person, MG Bakmie is famous for the Indonesian noodles. It is most well-known for chicken mushroom bakmie (50K ~ RM14) and ginger tea (10K ~ RM 2.80)

MG Bakmie

Address: 108A, Jalan Raya Puputan (Google Map - MG Bakmie)

Nusa Dua Beach - I wouldn't recommend you to go here unless you are a surfer or you would love to enjoy a drink by the sunny beach(you can do it by Kuta Beach too so really, no need to travel so far). There is no water sports activities here. In Bali, you can only find water sports activities at Tanjung Benoa beach where you can get the packages from tours along the road. You will have more information on Day 3 for water sports activities.

Tirtha Bali Chapel - It is a famous place for weddings. No pictures are allowed here but if you have spare time, why not? It is indeed beautiful. Upon arrival, you will be asked to fill in a form where you can say maybe your relatives or even yourself is interested to held a wedding there. Then, you'll have a guide bringing you around. Mind you, it's beautiful.

Website: http://www.tirthabridal.com/

Uluwatu - Yet another beautiful pura by the cliff.

Entrace fees: 20K / pax ~ RM 5.60
Parking: 1K / bike ~ RM 0.28

Kecak Dance is at 6pm daily. Entrance fees is 100K ~ RM 28 / pax.

Here is a video that will give you an idea on how to explore the secret place in Uluwatu which I discovered.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzFoW2kQsQs

Dinner: Jimbaran Beach. This is a must try. Having a candle light dinner with stars to gaze over by the beach. I'd recommend you to come over here about 5.30pm - 6pm where you get to witness the sunset. If you would like to sit closer to the beach, for Lia's Cafe, you'd have to reserve in advance. They are one of the most famous cafe along the beach. Seafood package was reasonable at Lia's Cafe. For 10 big prawns, white squid, tuna fish, clams, rice, vegetables and 2 local coconuts, it only cost us about 275K ~ RM 77. Mind you, it costs way more if your driver or tour brings you here.

Total spent for Day 1: 644K ~ RM 180.32 for 2 person.

Day 2 - Pura Taman Ayun - Lunch: Kintamani - Krishna (Denpasar) - Dinner: Puri Bali Indah

Pura Taman Ayun - 50 mins ride from Kuta. It is average but has historic feeling if you are that type of person.

Time: 8am - 6pm
Entrace fees: 15K / pax ~ RM 4.20

Alternatively, you can opt to go to Pura Ulun Danau @ Bratan Lake which I did not go as it was the opposite direction of where I will be heading next.

Kintamani - Highly recommended but you will definitely need a sweater for this place especially if you are riding a bike. It's cooling like Malaysia's very own Cameron Highlands, only cooler with strong wind. I went there for a lunch buffet by Lakeview Restaurant with its magnificent view. 1.5 hours from Pura Taman Ayun.

Entrance fees: 30 K / pax ~ RM 8.40
Buffet lunch at Lakeview Restaurant: 100 K / pax ~RM 28

We were lucky to passby a local ceremony on our way back to Kuta. From the ceremony, you can see how united these people were.

On the way back to Kuta, you will pass by Pantai Lebih, If you are riding a bike, you'll probably need a break because it's another 1.5 hours back to Kuta from Kintamani.

Pantai Lebih
Parking: 2K ~ RM 0.56

Krishna - On the way back, you can drop by at Denpasar to visit Krishna which is a local store that you must visit. They sell all kinds of souvenirs, batik, clothes, food and basically everything else with a much cheaper price and you can save your time on bargaining. There are a few branches, the one that I went to is Denpasar and I passed by one on the way back to airport. You can google for the branches nearest to you. Be sure it's the Krishna you are looking for and not some mini marts as they have many shops named under Krishna. This is their website: http://krisnabali.co.id/

Dinner - Puri Bali Indah Restaurant, Kuta. They serve pretty good Chinese cuisines with reasonable price.

Address: Jalan Melasti, Kuta

Phone: + 62 361 751644

Operation hours: 11.30am - 10.30pm

Total spent for Day 2: 1.5mil~ RM 430 for 2 person. (inclusive of water sport activities reservation for Day 3)

Day 3: Water sports activities - Lunch: Lemongrass, Kuta - Ubud - Dinner: Naughty Nuri's Warung

Tanjung Benoa Beach - The only place for water sports activities at Bali to prevent their beaches from being contaminated. How smart of the authorities! I will recommend you have to visit this website: http://www.bali-water-sport.com/ to have a rough idea on the price list of various water sports activities you want before you head to bargaining with those tour people.

Tour package includes parasailing, donut, fly fish and transportation to-fro from hotel: 350K / pax ~ RM 98. It is much cheaper if you compared it to Malaysia's price. You can rent Go Pro camera at there or you can simply bring your phone with waterproof casing just like what I did. You wouldn't want to miss the camera moments!

Here is a video of my paragliding experience (Totally worth it!): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C9_4WHhC3o

 Donut

Fly fish

Lunch - Lemongrass Restaurant, Kuta. This is a restaurant near my hotel which sells Thailand cuisines. Although the Tom Yam soup is just ordinary as I prefer the creamier ones, the food is actually recommendable. It is usually packed between 1pm-3pm and they are expanding so I guess it's worth a try.

Price: 200 K for one tom yam soup, one green curry pork, one banana juice, one pot of ginger tea and 2 pots of rice. ~ RM 56

Website: http://www.lemongrassbali.com/

Ubud- We then head on to Ubud which is well-known for the royal palace and SPA HEAVEN. There are 2 spas recommended namely Botanical Garden Spa and Zen Spa. As I went there during the summer break, both spa bookings were full for their famous massage + mandi lulur package. Fortunately for me, one of the customers bailed from Zen Spa and I manage to get in. Hence, you might want to consider reserving if you are going during the peak season. It is actually very happening here so you might consider coming here during the noon as I missed out a lot here especially the evening Ubud Market.

Zen Spa

Price: 200 K / pax ~ Rm 58 for 2 hours inclusive mandi lulur, Balinese massage, body scrub, yogurt moisturizer and fruits + ginger tea.

Website: http://www.zenbalispa.com/

Dinner - Naughty Nuri's, Ubud. Famous for it's ribs, THIS IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Price: 300 K for ribs, pork chop, banana juice and orange juice. (Their ribs and pork chop are of large portion so it is actually really worth it) ~ RM 84

Naughty Nuri’s Warung

Jl. Raya Sanggingan (Across the road from Neka Museum)

Ubud, Bali

Phone: (361)977547

8am-10pm daily

As I went back to Kuta, I was approach for a pedi-mani session by one of the therapist of many spa shops along the road. As I did not have chance for pedi-mani session that I wanted to do in Zen Spa, I thought why not and their price is really cheaper.

Price: OPI Pedicure and Manicure inclusive of 2 nail arts, polish, cleansing and hand/feet lotion is 150 K ~ RM 65.

This kind of spa shops can be easily located throughout Kuta. I will not really recommend this service. If you want to do it, book it from Zen or Botanical as they have trained therapists for these services. They are not really trained to do pedicure and manicure but rather massages. This is just another service for them to earn more. Their nail art is really bad too. They do not have a dryer and every time they accidentally scratch my fingers while doing the others, they had to reapply everything. Eventually they lose patience and the product ended real bad close up. 

Total spent for Day 3: 1.2mil~ RM 344 for 2 person.

Day 4: Kuta Town and Beach - Bali Cake, Denpasar - Airport

The final day was just walking around Kuta town and beach. I also finally had the chance to visit the jacuzzi of my hotel. 

Lunch- Bloody Sweet, Restaurant and Bar, Kuta

We just walked around and feeling hungry. The name of this restaurant attracted us and so, we walked in. It's basically a Indo-Chinese Restaurant with variety to choose from. If you are from PJ area and aware of a restaurant known as Piccadily, this is the Indonesian version of it.

Price: Approximately 200K includes a set of burger with chocolate milk shake and Indonesian soy sauce chicken rice with banana smoothies.~ RM 56

We then took a taxi to Bali Cake, Denpasar to buy the famous layer cake. The one that I bought is nothing fancy and it costs like 135K ~RM 40 per cake. Although the peanuts that they sell is quite amazing, I'd recommend you to explore others and let me know if you found the good ones! Apparently, Ixora is more famous over there so you might want to try that one.

Total spent for whole trip inclusive miscellaneous such as taxi to-fro airport, sim card & groceries: 5.5mil ~ RM 1600 for 2 person.

Alternative activities & to-be-back reason:

1. White water rafting

2. Sukawati Market

3. Sky Garden

4. Cliff Bar - Ayana Resort

5. Ubud Market & Town

6. Pura Ulun Danau @ Bratan Lake

7. Mt. Agung

8. Dolphin Tour

9. Restaurant Ibu Oka, Ubud - Opposite the Royal Palace (Selling the famous Babi Gulung)

10. Kopi Luwak

You just got to look around for a place where the sun shines so bright that it dims your worries.

Kg. Koh / Pangkor Island / Setiawan / Damai Laut (Perak)

Another travel to Perak but this time it's not Ipoh but rather the places less traveled by many even for locals. This is definitely a place for cheap seafood and those who just like to escape the urban life.

Kg. Koh - A Chinese village famous for its local made chili with garlic. Basically, you'll see every shops near Kg. Koh will be using their very own bottled chili.

Restaurant Liu Xiao Fu- A non-halal Chinese Dim Sum Restaurant at Kg Koh before I head to Pangkor Island which was famous for its dim sum and curry puffs. Although both of that tasted really nice, their 'Kai Woh Pau' (Loh Mai Kai wrapped in a pau) was really disappointing. No sweet sauce for children, only their proud Kg Koh Chilli Sauce.

Address: 14, Lorong Jati 1, Taman Jati (On google map, the location was slightly inaccurate. It should be further straight up from this road and the shop will be easily spotted on your left)

Pangkor Island - A small island surrounded by beach. You can pay for water sports activites by the beach and some really cheap seafood. Very little place to visit, basically it's just the fish satay factory and the famous lovers tree on stones (which requires some hiking or stones-hopping) near the temple. I've been here 2 years back so I only went in for a few hours. Souvenirs are cheaper near the town rather than the factory as it's very touristy. For ikan bilis, I'll advise you not to buy here  unless you have no choice as the price is more expensive compared to places like Setiawan. Also, there are 2 jetties to enter Pangkor. One is the Lumut Jetty (RM 10 for to and fro) per pax - 30 minutes , while the other is Marina Island Jetty (RM 10 for to and fro) per pax + RM 10 annual membership (at least one person need to sign up) - 10 minutes. Upon arrival, you are advised to rent a bike / car / van and don't worry, a whole bunch of people awaits you. You can easily tour the whole island in less than an hour (without stopping).

Pasar Malam Sri Manjung- A Malay-centred night market on Saturday and Sunday only from 5pm - 9pm/10pm. Mostly selling food and malay clothing.

Address: In front of Giant Sri Manjung. (Or you can simply google Pasar Malam Sri Manjung)

Sitiawan- Good yet super cheap food.

Pasar Awam Sitiawan - Here sells the cheaper rate of ikan bilis and local goods.

Address: Jalan Senawi, Sitiawan, Perak.

Sitiwan Cheong Gia Gong Pian - A traditional old shop which is very famous for its Gong Pian (A crispy biscuit filled with onions that is baked like a naan) priced at RM 1.10 each. Alternatively, you may want to try its red bean paste (hei) / lotus paste biscuits (bai) priced at RM 0.90. As for me, the best is the Hap Dou Sou biscuits, pre-packed and homemade from Kg Koh which costs RM 8.50 for 10 pcs. Highly recommended!

Address: 12, Jalan Tok Perdana, Sitiawan, Perak

Hei Huang Tornado Cafe - This cafe is famous for its Black Bean Tau Fu Fah (Bean Curd) and Soya Milk which are priced at Rm 2.50 and RM 3.00 respectively. Also, this shop serves really good seafood baked cheese rice at RM 13.80 which is really fulfilling and even has a huge mussel in it!

Address: 36 & 38, Jalan Lumut, Sitiawan, Perak.

ABC Kopitiam - One of the best iced coffee only at RM 1.60 while the noodle has a rather special texture, it's rather plain, only with a few slices of meat but still, it's only RM 3.20 for the standard size of small. The locals highly recommended this place for breakfast. Also, if you're wondering why is it called ABC Kopitiam, try ordering their ABC and be amaze of its height! I saw it although I didn't order.

Address: Jalan Lin Chen Mei, Sitiawan, Perak.

Restaurant Michelin Star - The best place you can find for a nice and comfortable dinner at a very reasonable price! Coming from KL, the food prices here are really cheap and this is a classy restaurant. The prawns are really fresh and it's only RM 9 / 100 g, Signature Fried Rice(comes with really huge scallops) is RM 12 for the smallest portion they have (It's sufficient for 3 or even 4 pax if you are a small eater) and RM 10 for a small portion of vegetable dish of your choice. Portions are reasonably huge. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Address: Lot 14781-A, Jalan Lumut Besar, Kampung Sitiawan, Perak.

Tua Pek Kong Temple - Before you leave Sitiawan, you may want to visit this place if you are a Buddhist or simply want an experience of local culture. These Gods are facing the ocean and its believed to bring good luck. Many came here to fill the miracle water flowing out of the God of Kuan Yin and wished for lucky jackpot numbers.

Address: Jalan Pasir Panjang, Kampung Pasir Panjang Laut, Kampung Sitiawan, Perak.

Damai Laut - I basically came here because I got a free room from the previous purchase at Matta Fair and I never regret the escape.

Swiss-Garden Beach Resort - It's located deep inside and require approximately 45 minutes of travelfrom Sitiawan. It has a nice private beach which was closed due to jelly-fish incident and a fun beach where you can play watersports activities. It's facilities are quite complete with golf course, swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, gym and other recreational activities. You can check it's daily schedule for complimentary or paid activities like hiking, archery or night fishing. Once you arrived here, you most likely will just stay there and enjoy the countryside. You may want to bring your own snacks as the convenient store is quite pricey. I had Thai Cuisine for dinner with my partner and it was RM 55.00 nett for a seafood tomyam soup, omellete, mixed vegetables and braised chicken with cashew nuts which I find really reasonable. Alternatively, you can choose to opt for a seafood buffett by the beach or western buffet by the pool. For breakfast, it's only buffet so you may want to call in earlier to get a better rate.

*All prices are as of April 2015 and you definitely need a car to travel to these places more conveniently.

Travel now, just make the money work.

Singapore.

Went to Singapore from 13/2 - 15/2 and it was my 2nd time there. Previously never really had time to explore Singapore as I spent my time at Universal Studios and my friend's place. This time, I had chance to celebrate Valentine there but that's not the main aim but rather I was invited to attend the ASEAN Career Fair with Japan at Singapore EXPO (They paid us subsidy of SGD 100) so there's really no reason not to go.

I touched down at Singapore around 4pm on the first day. After settling down, we went to Orchard Street. Most places at Singapore are reachable by their MRT & LRT system so it's really convenient and not forgetting to mention, efficient. Also, you can simply take their buses to your nearest MRT if you are lazy to walk.

Orchard Street - It's basically filled with branded stuffs like Prada, Burberry and etc. According to Singaporeans, it's suppose to be more lively during Christmas season. Out on the streets are the famous block ice-cream with waffle biscuits or bread which only costs SGD 1.20. Price differs among stalls so do look for the cheapest ones.

Chinatown- I then head on to Chinatown which was really happening at that time as Chinese New Year was approaching. This restaurant is across the busy street of Chinatown, passing a mall.You can totally feel the festive mood among the crowd. Jason's uncle brought us to a buffet-style Korean restaurant and it was really good. Their chicken wings especially. (And yes, it comes with beer too if you order)

Also to highlight: The famous claypot porridge which is before the Korean buffet.

Singapore EXPO- This is usually the place where conventions and exhibitions are held in Singapore. Still, reachable by MRT, it's just a station before Changi Airport. There are a few cafes such as Coffee Bean inside if you happen to head there.

Bugis Street-  Nearby there is a temple which is really famous among locals. This street is an outdoor and indoor marketplace selling various items from apparels to food. A nice place for tourists like me! I manage to bought a Cheongsam here for only SGD19.90

International Seafood & Teppanyaki Buffet Restaurant - We then head on to our Valentine dinner. This place was really crowded and it usually requires booking in advance to guarantee a nice seating, near to the food or you'll probably need to wait for hours or sit outdoors (away from food which is really sad). The combination of foods here are really awesome. Basically as the name goes, it really does have all kinds of seafood and teppanyaki food (and more!) Service was good too! They had this free polaroid service on special occasions like this.  The 2nd picture is the ambience outside of the restaurant (waterfall and lights).

Just one more dream.

Ipoh en route Cameron Highlands.

This time around I will talk less about Ipoh since I've already did that previously. Refer here if you are doing a trip like mine to know more of what to explore at Ipoh! You can do either first. For us, it's Ipoh - Cameron Highlands via Simpang Pulai. Simpang Pulai is the new road and in my opinion, less curvy turnings and a safer road.

I started off the journey from Ipoh and visit the usual spots. I added a few spots which are the cave temple, Sam Poh Tong and further up along the road before you turn towards the cave temple, the place which sells pamelo. I got the cheapest of RM 10 for 3. History of Sam Poh Tong is that there are a few monks which were trapped due to flood and died. Ever since, it was maintained. Donations can be done by purchasing bread, tomatoes and kangkung to feed tortoises and fishes.

Big Strawberry Farm en route Cactus Valley. This farm is a must visit. It's not so famous but it's definitely a hidden gem. If you are walking up, you'll pass by the Cactus Valley first which sells really cheap potted plants starting from as low as RM 5. Walking up the hills, you'll see strawberry plantation, salad and grapes if its on season. Highest up on the hill is the toilet (if you are urgent, drive up as there is a parking on top of the hill) and its wonderful cafe. The strawberry feast overlooking the plantation view is really pleasing not forgetting sweetylicious. :)

Charcoal Steamboat Dinner- This is very famous at breezy cold Cameron Highlands especially at night. You can find this at any streets during night time but they usually close around 9.30pm - 10pm. This shop is opposite the row of Jasmine Hotel, Rainbow Hotel, Parkson Hotel(many hotels along the road so it should be quite noticeable). Once opposite, there's one similar shop but this one is behind that row of shops. Price for 4 is RM 18 per pax. It's reasonable and really fulfilling! Note:The less people you have, the higher the price.

Lavender Garden- This is the newest garden established along the Simpang Pulai way. You'll have to pay RM 5 entrance fees to witness the beauty of various flowers. There is a comfortable cafe and fresh jam factory inside. If you love to witness the beauty of flowers in a whole lot, do go!

Water Cress Farm - RM 1 entrance fees. Fresh water cress for sale at RM 5/kg. It's really fresh.

Night market / morning market - The night market is getting smaller than before in my opinion but it's probably because I went there late. Anyway, you might still want to go to purchase some fried mushrooms or dried strawberries. Note: Fresh strawberries in Cameron Highlands are usualy sour-sweet. As for the morning market, if you want to avoid the jam, go early. Further in the morning market, there's a vegetables farm that sell to you on the spot if it's on season. RM 5 for a large round cabbage (pesticides free). Home stay is also available there.

Tanah Rata- Usually a night spot for people from Western. The AA Curry House has really nice teh tarik which you should try. It's really smooth and has a strong tea scent that's definitely worth a try for RM 2!

Definitely a nice place for a weekend getaway or simply away from the hot weather. :)

Life is like flowers. At times, it dies but most of the time, it blooms as long as you do not pull off its roots.