Trio Visit to Kota Kinabalu Wetlands Centre

The spontaneous visit to the Kota Kinabalu Wetlands Centre, Sabah was by far, the first amazing trip I hitched on with these guys. It was in October 2017, but the memories stay. We still keep on talking about the trips and crazy things we did throughout the days we spent in Sabah. 

The Kota Kinabalu Wetlands Centre was located just near the centre of the Kota Kinabalu and it costs us RM 3 per head. In October 2017, it was the monsoon season in Sabah, so basically, the decision to walk in into a mangrove forest wasn't a rational idea to do. But we had nowhere to go since most of the attractions in Sabah were closed temporarily due to constructions and floods. We arrived at the centre when it was raining cats and dogs. We ran inside just to find out that we were the first to arrive for the day and that reminded us that we were in that place, perfectly at the wrong time, the wrong day. 

We walked on planks while trying to figure out the task given for the journey. It was peaceful and calming since the rain just stopped. We were excited to be able to see the "popping shrimp", but eventually we only managed to see a dead shrimp. But we saw lots of crabs. Well, we weren't that sure either whether those are crabs. 

We wanted to see the shrimps, any fishes if possible, birds or perhaps any other reptiles. Sadly, we didn't. It was a magnificent place, surrounded by nature and therefore highly recommended to those who love the nature and wouldn't mind sparing their patience to wait for the right moment when all these flora and fauna brings the forest into life. 

We didn't. But we had fun. 

We walked on barefoot on mangrove swamps. We fell. We laughed. We shouted. We grabbed each other's hands. We hold each other's flip-flops. 

It was moments of laughter. 

It was nature that brought us together. 

So, if these kind of things are what you guys are into, look up for the centre here and plan your visit!

Cheers~

Lunch In Casa Do Brasil, Eilat

If you are a meat lover like I am, you should never hesitate to ask for more. 

A little sometimes, I do miss my recent visit to Israel. I love the food. I love the environment. I love the chilly wind with just the right amount of sun. 

My first day in Eilat, we were brought to a Brazilian steakhouse, Casa Do Brasil. The food was great. The meals were very appetizing, even the first dish got me craving for more of it. We were served with the salad as an appetizer. 

I loved how friendly the staffs were, they treated us well and very polite. They knew just what we wanted! They appreciate you as the customers that every time they see us, or whenever they passes by our table, they would ask if there is anything they could help us with. 

I was so in love with the interior design of the restaurant. The atmosphere inside and outside was amazing. They really gave us the Brazilian experience, with the tracks playing in the air, the food tasted better with them. The lighting, furniture and even the cutleries provided were well matched. 

We were served with tasty salad, bread, white rice and some delicious potatoes, well roasted. There was nothing we could complain about. Every meal was perfect. In short, every meal was served in the Brazilian way. Then....*drumroll*... was the main dish. 

I wasn't so sure what's the name of the dish, but I could tell, it was a plate of fats. Meats served in different ways, in which each of them tastes just great. Luckily, I was seated with some quite old folks, so meaty food wasn't their likings, I ended up eating a lot of meat. There was chicken, sausages, roasted meat and more. Constipation the next day.  

Even the way out looks great! It was a great experience to start our first day in Israel. 

I was so happy to see flowers along the paved path. Roses, bougainvillaeas, they were all blooming. Perhaps they knew I was coming. 

So, in short, if you love meat just as much as I do, make sure you visit this place the next time you come to Eilat...because I will. 

Check out their website and facebook page for more information! 

Cheers~

45 minutes in Semenggoh Wildlife

On our way back to college after a short trip to Kuching, Sarawak, we stopped by the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. We were told that there are many Orang Utan in the centre and if we are lucky, we might be able to see them. As soon as we get there, we were just in time for the feeding time. The feeding time was about 9 am to 10 am or 3 pm to 4 pm in the evening. 

The entrance fee was RM 3.00. After all the payments at the ticketing counter, as we were in large groups, only some of us managed to hop on the shuttle van. It was quite a long journey going inside, which took us about 20 minutes. It was tiring because we had to rush for the feeding time. The paved road got us panting going up and down the road. 

Along the way to the feeding centre, we came across many areas such as the botanical garden, wild fruit area, bamboos, wild plants and etcetera. However, we were in a rush, so we did not have the spare time to visit those places. 

When we arrived at the feeding spot, a lot of people were already heading back and yet, the place was still crowded with tourists, all excited to visit the Orang Utan. Sadly, upon our arrival, the Orang Utan was done with the meal and he was just hanging on the line with nibbling on his food. We had the chance to see one. But it was okay because it's not every day that we get to see Orang Utan this close. 

After about 5-7 minutes walking through the jungle, we visited the gallery and information centre. It was situated just outside the entrance gate to the feeding area. 

The information displayed in the gallery tells a lot about the history of the place, as well as the purpose of this establishment. It was an excellent work to save the almost-extinct Orang Utan. In the gallery, the most interesting that took my attention was birth and death certificates of the Orang Utan in the Semenggoh Wildlife Centre. It was a proud work and tells a lot about the purpose of the centre itself. 

Before leaving the place, I took the chance to capture myself a memory with the replica of Orang Utan around the entrance gate. 

It was surely an adventure, especially for a nature lover like me...and if you are too, I recommend you to visit this place too. 

That's about it. 

Love nature. Protect. 

Cheers~

Colors Of Dusk

To most photographers, we appreciate the beauty of the orangish, purple and blue skies at dusk. To us, such kind of breathtaking view worth our full attention for captures. The beauty of it is that we had so limited to capture the view before the darkness swallows the beauty of the sky. 

There's special quality to the loneliness of dusk, a melancholy more brooding even than the night's.

The skies at dawn hold so many secrets of the day, marks the end of the day, to conclude whatever the pain and honey we felt throughout the day. The colors of the spots and stripes were so beautiful they tell us all the sins and kindness we did for the day. A reflection of how much we have lived the day to its fullest. 

A short visit to Kuching a few weeks ago got me into a realization of how beautiful and mysterious the dusk is. I was taught during one of my photography class on capturing the colors of the dusk. How limited the period of about 1 hour to work with our camera because those are the golden hours, where the skies are finally in their best alignment. 

We got ourselves a balloon with fairy lights for RM 15 around the Kuching Waterfront. We hopped on the Darul Hana Bridge and the view was spectacular.  It was so mesmerizing we spent too long on the bridge for pictures. Other than us, other people seem to be in excitement and rush for photos too. The picture above was taken exactly at the best spot for photography on the bridge. The neon lights of the bridge itself were so beautiful, they appeared good in photos. 

I know I don't look good in the photo, but gosh, would you look at the colors. 

We had so much fun capturing photos and walking around under the neon lights. It was better because I had my friend with me. A year from now, I know, these are the kind of moments that we will miss.

I need to work on my photography and editing skills. Do leave your comments on what you think of these pictures.

Cheers ~

The photos were captured with iPhone 6, edited with Lightroom CC. 

2 hours in Sarawak Cultural Village

I was in Kuching, Sarawak for a quick visit last week. We had so many things to do, so many places to visit, but so little time to spend. Luckily, we managed to squeezed in a short visit to Sarawak Cultural Village for about 2 hours. It was a short visit, but we gained a lot from the visit itself. 

Frankly speaking, the journey to the Sarawak Cultural Village from the Kuching Waterfront took us about 30 minutes, probably because we were using the bus, so it took a bit longer to reach there. Next to the Sarawak Cultural Village is the Damai Beach Resort. So, if you're veer think about having a chill out on the beach, as well a little spice of the culture, you may bunk yourself in one of the rooms in the resort. Upon our arrival, we were kindly greeted by the staffs, fully dressed in Orang Ulu traditional clothing. They gave us the Sarawak Cultural Village stamp on our arms upon entry. We went as a group of students, so they charged us just RM15.90 for the ticket. Lucky us!

The village has about 7 types of traditional houses, each represents the different ethnic in Sarawak.

The first house that we visit was the Malay house. I love the design of the house, and today, we seldom see houses with such details of carvings and building designs. However, we didn't have the time to go inside for a look. But, I will next time. Heee~

We also managed to visit the Melanau longhouse. The house was built with strong poles of the good quality wood to support the house. Below the house, we tried to had a hands-on experience with the aluk, which were used in the paddy process. The aluk is often used in the Melanau's cultural dance too, the Alu-Alu. 

This is my partner for the whole short visit to Kuching. We had too many laughs and too many gossips en route to our destinations. I loved her company throughout the trip, she's very easygoing and funny too. Oh, we are classmates too! The picture was taken in front of the Orang Ulu longhouse. This particular house is very fond to me because I am an Orang Ulu too, and visiting this kind of place makes me feel like going back to my hometown. 

On our way into the Orang Ulu longhouse, I found out that the planks for the stairs were a bit old and I got myself paranoid of the planks breaking into two. To get into the house, we may enter either from the front or the back of the house.

Another reason for me to like this place is because there were so many monkeys around the house. They behaved well, except when it comes to food. Haha.. My friend in the photo above has been trying to get a closer photograph of her and the monkey. Along the 15 minutes being in the longhouse, this is the closest she can ever get to the monkey because everytime she gets closer, the monkey might think that she was offering food. 

This is a photo of me holding a tool to process the paddy. The pole was made of a good quality pole and it was heavy so that it will be more effective to function. 

This particular painting on the wall is very popular among Orang Ulu. This is because it is related to the idea of the "Tree of Life". The "Tree of life" contains the elements of the traditional Orang Ulu, in which they believed that the nature, has lives and must be honoured.

This is the view in the Iban longhouse. There were things hanging on the walls and the ceiling. All these hanging materials were also related to their beliefs, etc. In this longhouse, we will be able to try out a few Orang Ulu clothing and gears too.

We managed to arrive on time for the cultural show! These are my friends who joined along in the trip. 

The performances were fun and engaging. Every session ends with the curiosity of whats next.

Overall, it was a fruitful trip. I learned a lot, especially about the cultural identity of the different ethnics in Sarawak.

If you want to know more about the Sarawak Cultural Village, drop me some comments. So how about you? What's the best cultural place you every visited?

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Why I Travel and Why You Must Too

Nowadays, people often see the idea of travelling as a trend and merely luxurious holidays. We often find ourselves feeling jealous of famous Instagrammers around the globe with their skin tight bikinis or fluffy winter coats wrapping their figures.

So what actually is it with travelling?

I knew a lot of people who have been leaving their footprints here and there across the globe. Every time they came back after each journey tells a lot about the wonders and amazing things hey encountered along their journey. Each and every story are evident in the photographs they showed.

Most of the times, people often find themselves browsing for cheap flights and booked them straight away because spontaneous plans are always the best. The decisions to travel itself were pushed by the genuine emotions to let off whatever that is pulling them back. For the past few years, most of my travels were spontaneous. There was a countless time I find myself sobbing and crying while typing in my payment details for flight checkout. There were times too, I found myself crying walking along the departure bay while dragging my luggage...and it was more than once, I arrived in places I don't know, without having my luggage to me. Because at those moments, I was so desperate to let off the pain and hurtful things around me. So, I flew.

Some people travel because they are so in love with the cultures and amazing people they might meet. When we are in the places we do not know, we love the idea of roaming around without any specific destinations. The day couldn't get better. We fell in love with the fresh flower garden, well-lighted cafe and restaurants, carvings on the wall, sweet smell of street foods, friendly vendors and more. When we came back, these little things will make us feeling homesick for the journey we were in.

I have a particular fondness for architecture as well as the interior and landscaping designs. Every time I came to places with such beautiful places, I'll make sure I capture them for safe keeping. I often share the photos with my friends, especially friends who have been travelling with me, who shared the same interests.






In short, what actually is it with travelling? What happens every time we decided to go on a trip? Is it the feelings of travelling that we love? Or is it the people we will meet? Perhaps it is the foods that we are drooling for on the trip? Or simply the joy of being in places we do not know.

Perceptions. Experience. Wonders. Knowledge. Culture. Feelings.

These are the little things that keep us wanting to travel for more.

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~Andre Gide