Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Khao Lak

Ok this post is long due, but I gotta do it no matter how late it is. So where do I begin? Ok, the night before I had to fly off, I didn't sleep at all. I packed and repacked numerous time and it baffled me how my sack kept getting heavier. By the time I fixed the problem, it's time for me to leave.

I spent S$20 on cab fare from my place to the Budget Terminal, grabbed a trolley, dumped my bag on it and I swore I slept while standing and leaning on the trolley. Yes my other friends were late. But they brought breakfast so all's forgiven :)

Then comes the dreadful waiting for the flight to take off. Duty free iz evil I tell ya. The flight itelf was alright as I was asleep most part of it. Touched down @ Phuket International Airport and we went for a quick lunch before raiding Dunkin Donut next to the Burger King. After which the drama began. The locals were touting to bring us to our destination, mind you, it's like 1.5 hours away from the airport. We walked around a bit before settling on this guy whom my friend swore looked like Awie *shrugged*.

The driver's English wasn't that good but we managed to have a few laughters now and then at his antics. He did us a favor and stopped us outside some supermarket so that we can buy some groceries and snacks. We were pretty glad that the area we'll be staying in didn't look very touristy. In fact when we checked in, we counted the number of rooms that were occupied and I could count them with 1 hand.

The room is awesome. Pool access room @ Ayara Villa rocks! We settled down and since its pretty late, we just got ready for dinner. Before which we checked out the beach and we were kinda disappointed with the condition it was in. I blamed it on Mr. Monsoon and he hated to get all the blames and started pouring on us. We manage to reach a nearby restaurant before we got completely drenched. Dinner was good for a place that's hardly patronised by anyone for that matter.

The next day, we wasted no time after breakfast and jumped in the pool. We spent hours in there just swimming, taking photos, bitching and the works. Oh actually after brekkie we did walked about and there's practically nothing. So I shall not waste much time typing about that part.

We went for a slightly overpriced Swedish massage at the hotel cos' we don't feel like going anywhere. Before the sun sets we were already out looking for a new place to eat and we were greeted by a beautiful sunsetscape (is there such a word?).

Everyone's contented with the food and then the drama began. As we were walking back to the hotel, we heard dogs howling nearby... like 500 meters away? And the sound got nearer and nearer. I didn't have a good feeling about it and decided to detour and turned in to another resort nearby to just 'hide' for a bit. The staff approached us and we told them what happened. After which the howling dogs caught up with us and 'waited' for us near the gates. As freaked out as we were, we took the risk and slowly walked out, past them, and 2 of those damn dogs came chasing after my friend and I.

Yes, I screamed at the top of my lungs and the dogs continued to chase me. The locals thought it was funny but I almost passed out cos' my heart was beating so fast. The security caught the dogs but those fucking canines were too strong for the guards. Once they got a good grip, they signaled for us to leave and once we were about 100meters away from the gates, those stupid guards let them go! Anyway I shall skip the scary details and yes, we manage to get back to our room, safely, somehow.
On the 3rd day we decided not to explore the island anymore as we fear the dogs from the night before might be back for 'revenge'. So we booked a private can and travelled 2 hours to get to Patong Beach, Phuket so that my girls could get some retail theraphy. I love Patong, I dunno why, but I'm effing sick of that place. I feel comfortable when I'm there, like 2nd home? Hmm...

I brought them to some back lane for pigging out session that's good for the tummy and the wallet. Before we knew it, we had spent a good 8 hours there! On the way back I kept thinking why the hotel staff kept telling us to come back before 8pm and I had to go through 2 hours of stomach turning van ride through narrow roads with no street lights!! If I have balls, I can safely say they're never coming down again!

I'm like writing a freaking essay here! Anyway on the the 4th day, we took the same van out to a nearby town and just walked around. We walked into this street and ended up having our lunch cum dinner at some resort and YES they have dogs! Still pretty traumatised at that point of time that we played safe and requested the hotel people to let us hire their van to get us back to our hotel.

We were still early (not yet 8pm) when the van dropped us outside the hotel so we thought it's the smartest idea to hang out by the beach to catch the beautiful sunset. We took pictures and stuff before realising we were surrounded by, not dogs, but frickin' mozzies! We had to scrambled outta that place as those damn blood suckers were feasting on us!

Instead of jumping into the showers, we jumped into the pool and poured ourselves a well deserve self concocted cocktails and just being silly till we fell asleep eventually.

We had to wake up at 5am just to be able to reach the airport in time to catch our very early morning flight. I wasn't feeling too well by then and I swore I could throw up anytime. Since we got time to kill at the airport, they got me a hot cup of tea hopefully it'll make me feel better. I'm sure it's not food poisoning of sort but my tummy felt weird and my head was heavy. I can also blame the drinking and the insufficient sleep. So I was totally knocked up on the plane and occassionally woke up to take pictures. See, camwhores like me can smell a lens before the flash :P

Oh, forgot to mention that morning was the first time ever I tried Air Asia, another budget plane. It's Jetstar standard I'd say but it's free seating. Lucky for us the plane wasn't full and we occupied 3 rows just for the heck of it. We reached Singapore near lunctime and what better way to end the trip with a hearty meal at Popeyes :)

That's all folk. Thank you for reading this super long entry and till my next trip... but I'm still gonna be blogging about other stuff. Check out the links below to see the rest of the photos. To the ladies that went on board with me, thank you for the awesome girly fun.

Labels: travel

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Saturday, May 31, 2008
I will keep doing this...

The time has come for me to take the opportunity to let you know that I will be away from this island for a bit. 5 days to be exact. Don't be jealous and I'll fill you in when I get back. I have a good 4 hours to go before I have to make my way to the airport. Don't miss me...

Labels: happiness, travel

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Thursday, May 15, 2008
If...

If Fahmy and I can jetset anywhere in the world right now, I'd prolly drag him to Australia. I've always wanted to go there but never had the chance too due to so many excuses a person could come out with. Other than the fact that I can visit my friends who had parked their asses there permanently, I can also break my habit of going to Thailand ever so often. I've gotta explore the rest of the world you know.

Like if I were to go to Sydney right now, I will definitely want to check out Luna Park and of course the famous Bondi Beach (you know I'm a sucker for beaches). I bet I can hunt for a couple of Sydney hotels that will not make me crap in my pockets. Their hotel rates are generally cheaper than that as compared to Brisbane hotels or Melbourne hotels. At night, we can take a romantic walk overlooking the beautiful Sydney Harbour or go all artsy-fartsy and watch a musical or something.

I've checked online and to fly there in comfort *cough*SIA*cough*, I have to fork out slightly more than a grand. But the budget airlines might work better for me :P. It's hard to plan a trip whereby you can afford the accomodation but not the flight. It gets really frustrating!

So let's see... if I were to save a dollar a day....

Labels: travel

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Sunday, April 20, 2008
Do you speak English?

I dedicate this entry to my dear colleagues, who are Liverpool fans, and they will be making their way in Europe in 4 months, with a budget of S$4,000, in hope to kiss the gate of Anfield *sheesh*.



Most people would choose to touch down in London. Liverpool is is a roughly a four-hour drive away from the airport. National Express coaches run to Liverpool from major British cities such as London, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester. Lime Street Station is the end of the line for a number of regular train services from Manchester (1hr) and London (3hr).

Now what? Liverpool accomodation can be as affordable as £15.00, depending on how rugged you want to be. I will not even mention what you can do there. They know what their main focus is, and the rest is miscellaneous.

After you're done with UK and maybe you'll like to see Europe a bit before you go home, I'd recommend you make your way there via Eurostar. Their fares start at £59 return from London to either Paris or Brussels in 2nd class, or £149 return in 1st class.

If its my own trip, I will attempt to venture northward to Scotland (or maybe Ireland?) I can safely say it is possible to afford Edinburgh accomodation (and maybe Dublin accomodation if I decide to pay Boyzone's hometown a visit); some going for as low as US$30. Glasgow accomodation can be a little more pricey, roughly about US$60 or so.

But the most important question is... How long will it take for me to explore the whole of You Kay? LOL!

Labels: travel

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Sunday, April 06, 2008
I got me golden ticket!

After weeks of breathless experience online to book the cheapest ticket to fly me out of here, I finally got settled on a date that is favorable to everyone involved. Pretty pricey but you gotta sacrifice for the dates you wanna go right?

So we've fixed the dates, we got the air tickets, but we still got no accomodation. We did fell in love with one but its pretty hard to get a slot! The other resort is not up to par. I'm praying that some kind souls out there will cancel their reservation like this week, so that I can proceed with mine.

Oh by the way I'm going to Khao Lak.


And yes, I'm getting the withdrawal symptoms from my previous trip. I missed having white sand stuck in between my toes day in day out! That reminds me, I've yet to upload all the photos from my Perhentian trip. There's too many photos (not just of me!) to put up online and its taking ages! Procrastination is sweet right now :P

I think I have beed traveling alot this year. Almost once per quarter! Amazing? I can't be more excited!

Labels: travel

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Wednesday, April 02, 2008
What have I been up to?

I seriously have no time to upload the massive amount of photos I have on hand. These will be sufficient for my keepsake here. Toodles~

Labels: birthday, friends, happiness, travel, work

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Monday, December 31, 2007
Annual Report 2007

Well, if you had forgotten, I had scrapped the idea of having resolutions since last year. Mainly due to the fact that I never fulfiled them and I tend to not care about them at all.

But I did mention I wanted to pick up a new skill. Well...

1. I can play a full song on my crummy ol' guitar
2. I CAN make cupcakes, they're edible alright!
3. Workwise, I did pick up a couple of new, useful skills *YAY*

So let's do a brief rekept for 2007. Honestly speaking, I've been very brief on my entries for this whole year. Sadly, my camera did not get that much abused from me this year.

I guess I did tried to do better in life and work. I remember having all this self-realisation, self-discover shitzz for a couple of months. I blame it on my quarter life crisis. For once I notice how much I've grown and I've also realised how precious time is.

Charly, the french fry, came down to Singapore again for his internship. I wished I had spent more time with him but I didn't. He was here for like 6mths and I met him like 2-3 times? pathetic eh? But that's more frequent than I meet my own folks, so...

Lindsay came and I met up with her for that one day... just one day! I will do better for your 2008 trip, I promise!

I met so many new people... like SO MANY! I made myself sit down and listen to them to really get to know them better before passing off judgement. Yeah, a whole different Fida coming your way. I'm still the same person really, just takes a much longer time to unleash the negativity now. Haha!

Am I happier now? I guess you can say so. But deep inside there's a tinge of sadness in me for the fact that I wish I could meet up with my present, long-time-no-see friends again to catch up on old times. Just having you in my phonebook is not enough... unless I've chosen to avoid you already? Muahaha!

Let's talk about vacations. I went to Phuket, Bangkok, Bintan and JB. That's like using my passport for 4 times! Like woah~ This has to be some kind of a record! Usually I travel like twice max.

Pricely possession of this year includes:

1. Nintendo DS-Lite (pimped out version)
2. Nokia E65

That's it? Wow! I guess I didn't spend as much as I used to! But then again, I made up for that in the travelling department.

I almost lost my PC but a good friend told me he'll fix it at no cost... just a Burger King meal! That was a close call but I'm glad he manage to salvage everything back. I have no clue what I'll do if I loose all the data inside! I should now consider investing in a Hard Disk Drive to backup all my data!

I did blogathon again this year and once again, I fell asleep for a bit. It was a lot more organised this year as I've had previous experiences. Haha. I didn't raise that much money but I'm glad I did my part to help the less fortunate. Should I look forward to Blogathon 2008? Meh... we'll see about that. It kinda gets a tad too old... we need fresh ideas people!

As I mentioned I won't be setting resolutions but on the other hand, I started new projects/hobbies.

1. I Must Do This Daily - Project 365 Blog (Where I post a picture once a day from my mobile phone)
   
2. Roll - Lomo/Holga blog (Yes I will be a proud owner of a Holga in a week's time. In the meantime I'll stick to my Action Sampler)

These are just the few I'm starting. I hope to keep myself more occupied in 2008 with all these projects, new and present, in hand. At the same time it gets my creative juice running... some of you may have noticed I've not designed my own template for a while.

So what's gonna happen in 2008? Settle down? Hmmm....

Labels: blog, food, friends, happiness, money, rant, relationship, shopping, singapore, travel, whatever, work

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Monday, October 22, 2007
Time for an update... yay!

To do:

1. Upload photos from 3 trips I had in September
2. Remind myself aging doesn't matter
3. Clear schedule for some decent social life
4. Plan another vacation
5. Save money
6. Gear up for December issue (my magazines)
   
7. Lose weight
8. Earn a promotion... muahaha!!
9. Reach advance level for Sudoku
10. Spend more time with my digital camera

Accomplishment:

1. Change layout - although Fahmy wasn't too pleased with the underlying message; I thought it was nice!
2. Be more efficient at work over the years - too long in my previous place does wonders to my productivity level... not in a good way
3. Planned my leave till the end of the year
4. Got in touch with many long lost friends
5. Bought new toys to keep me occupied at home, in the bus, etc etc
6. Met my annual travel quota
   
7. Thank God, I manage to go through fasting month peacefully
8. Improved my baking skill
9. 'Pimped' my hair
10. I had proven to myself that I CAN save money... like for real!
    

Updating in point form is like sooo much easier... haha!

Labels: blog, fitness, friends, happiness, money, relationship, travel, vainpot, whatever, work

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Sunday, September 02, 2007
Should I Sydney?

I got a e-newsletter from a budget airline company showing promos after promos for their uber cheap rates to fly to various parts of Australia. One that caught my eye was Sydney. I know many of my friends have gone there... more than once, and I'm still contemplating if I should join the bandwagon. Variety of Sydney hotels to choose from to suit your lifestyle and budget!

I think the major pull factor for me will be the numerous white sandy beach like Bondi Beach for example. When I travel I love to check out their beaches and of course, the nightlife. The city area is the place to be where I can do all that plus other stuff to like shopping, sightseeing, relaxing, wine and dine and take part in the numerous festivals held at various times throughout the year.

The most popular spot to be seen in the city will be at Darling Harbour, even with the closure of the Sega World Sydney, I could make do with the myriad of entertainment venues. Accomodation in Sydney is affordable and public transportation is very convenient to use, even for tourists!

So lets pray the annual year end bonus I'm getting will be at least 3 times what we got last year, I'll definitely answer my calling and make my way there, no doubt about it! I'll be on the look out for cheap hotels in Sydney from now!

Labels: travel

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Saturday, September 01, 2007
Summertime in the land down under

Adelaide, or often known as the City of Churches, has its own pull factor despite the unpredictable downpours throughout summer. Take a leisure stroll along the many beautiful lakes they have and if the weather's against you, take the chill pill and just people-watch as they scramble to seek shelter from the rain. Hotels in Adelaide can be as cheap as AUD$75 and below. If architecture is your thing, this is the place to be.

Eventhough Melbourne is known to have hot, dry summers, with maximum temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, there'll never be a dull moment when you're there. Other than pretty parks and cultural events, the locals go all out to make your nap time history. Melbourne accomodation can go as low as AUD$50. Don't bother splurging on an expensive room. With beers going dirt cheap, you won't even bother if your bed is covered in bugs!

Ahhh Perth.... many I've known preferred to go here than anywhere else in the land down under. They're all about the dining pleasures, ka-ching movers, the outback and of course, the sun and surf. Every summer, a he-yooge event called Perth International Arts Festival, pulled many tourists and locals, where they showcased only the best in the industry. Make sure you oick the right hotels in perth where it won't cost you anything above AUD$70... yes, it's possible.

Labels: travel

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Friday, August 31, 2007
Oui oui!!

Do not kid traveling to a country that uses Euros. For an asian like myself, its very important not to splurge unnecessarily since the foreign exchange is not very friendly in a sense. So today I'll be looking at some Hôtels en Paris that is worth checking out for poor tourist like myself.

Paris is all about culture, arts, architecture and atmosphere. Its a waste to be in France and not visit this vibrant capital. There's so many Hotels in Paris, which one should you choose?

Make sure you check out the many Paris Hotels close enough to the party zone so that you can easily stumble your way back to your room and not someone elses :P

Labels: travel

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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The land down under

Good day kiddos, today's travel edition, let's virtually fly to Australia. Haha! Again, lets look at accommodations that we I can afford, you know, for budgeting purpose.

Perth Hotels - Under AUD$80!!
Criterion Hotel Perth (AUD $60): Convenient location, right in the city area, a baby in the industry only opening doors on June 1996 but the best place to hunt for the best price even at the last minute! Walking distance to many places you're sure to be going to and also in close proximity to the airport.

Sundancer Backpacker Perth (AUD $62): 2 star accommodation but 5 star in price and location. Look out for a 110 yr old award winning historic building in the heart of Fremantle for a guaranteed good time to wind down, chill and get to know your fellow travellers and not forgetting also the beach located about 500m away!

Billabong Backpackers Resort (AUD $67): Just like the name, this backpackers accommodation tagged with 4 frickin' stars. Located in Northbridge, a good distance from both the nightlife there and Perth!

Sydney Hotels - Under AUD$50!!
Bernly Private Hotel Sydney (AUD $15): From the airport you need not waste your moolahs on cab fares as shuttle bus are available to drag your jetlagged arse and oversize backpacks right to the reception area opened 24hrs. For the price you pay, you'll be sleeping in bunk beds but top it up a little and you'll get your own 'suite' with an attached bathroom.

Manly Guest House (AUD $40): Not burly kind of manly but that's where its located, Manly. That town is known for the beach, only 100m away!!

Eastend Lodge Sydney (AUD $45): Very centralise location, high in security and most importantly its well kept clean. Its only abour half hr walk to the Opera House, Harbor Bridge and the Rocks.

Adelaide Hotels - Under AUD$80!!
Raglans Backpacker (AUD $62): This accommodation is a heritage hostel with central location and clean and comfortable to suit travelers from all walks of life. I love the place just by looking at the building! Location wise, its very very near to the Adelaide Bus Station, Central Markets, Rundle Mall and Hindley Street.

Glenelg Motel Adelaide (AUD $69): Its just 5 mins walk away from Glenelg beach where the sand and water is so inviting, you can never say NO! Its gonna set you back a bit on cab fare from the airport though. Other than that I'd say this is the place to stay!

Plaza Hotel Adelaide (AUD $75): Pretty colonial styled building amidst the business district of Adelaide can offer you awesome discount even on last minute requests. In case you might get mixed up, this is Plaza Hotel and not The Plaza. It has a pretty extravagant price tag for a 2 star though, therefore this is not my first choice... only if I have to.

I think I should set a separate blog for my obsession with travel planning :P

Labels: travel

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Monday, August 20, 2007
Fida, travel advisor... for real!

Many times I've stressed the importance of doing an in depth research on your travel planning and do not just rely on travel agencies. They'll rip your pockets, I tell ya! Here's a few pointers from me.

DISCOVER
Influences on places you might want to visit will come from many sources like TV, magazines, internet and friend's recommendation. But that is not enough. They might like it but you don't. Mass media portrays good elements of the place but it may be a hassle to you. Things you must consider includes...

1. Are you on a tight budget?
2. What do you intend to do there?
   
3. Are you prepared to live on the edge?
4. How troublesome will it be for you to get there?
5. Who are you going with?

LEARN
Once you've identify your needs, now is the time to evaluate from the many countries shortlisted earlier. Use the internet where you can find many online trip planner that will offer you good reliable tips to aid your planning. But the best method of all is to join their communities and interact with many experienced traveler like yourself to exchange information and experiences.

PLAN
The moment you've roughly firm up the first 2 parts, its time to lay it down. Plan your itinerary in detail but give yourself some flexibility to be fickle, cos it WILL happen!

1. Places you wanna go to/visit/see
2. Transportation - how can you get to those destinations and how much time will it consume
3. Food - proper sit-in dining or street stalls will do
4. Photography - what kind of pictures you wanna capture to show you're actually there
5. Always set aside time to rest. Nothing spoils a vacation when you end up being fatigue, cranky
   

SAVE
Here's a few way to pinch the pennies...

1. Make your booking purchase (accommodation, flights etc) to enjoy their early bird deals
2. You can take advantage of off-peak season to travel. Not only you save $$ but you will avoid excessive crowds too
3. The bigger the group, the more money you'll save! Trust me on this
4. Don't bother staying in expensive hotels... think about it.
5. If that place is not big on food, live on food like sandwiches etc... you'll live, don't worry
6. Travel light if you're planning to shop a lot in case it might be heavier than the baggage limit
7. If possible, avoid taking cabs... try their public transportation frequently used by the locals
8. Get to know the locals and they'll be of use to introduce non-touristy area that charges you touristy prices
   

SHARE
This is not compulsory but it'll be nice to setup a nice website online and show the world what you've learned and discovered and help your fellow travelers too in this way! Have an awesome vacation!

Labels: travel

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Sunday, July 01, 2007
Hotels in Spain... cheap?

On the contrary to what people think, hotels in Spain need not necessarily burn a whole in your travel wallet. A lot of people rely on tour agencies to make all the arrangement for them when you can actually save hundreds of dollars if you DIY. I always tell this to my friend, and they're a convert now.

Let's look at hotels in Madrid:
For 25 Euros you can stay in the quaint Sud-americana Hostal Madrid, budget hostal acroos the street from the Prado Museum, close to Thyssen Museum and Reina Sofia Museum also.Just in the cultural heart of Madrid and a few minutes to the best tapas and nightlife area.

Now for hotels in Barcelona:
For 19 Euros you can stay in the lovely Sun & Moon Hostal Barcelona, a youth hostel room, in the city centre, near the Cathedral, the Gran Teatre del Liceu and most of the museums of Barcelona. Moreover, you can visit the harbour or go to the beach in summer in a short walk.

Now who says traveling in Europe will necessarily be costly? You just gotta travel smart!

Labels: travel

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Thursday, May 24, 2007
Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand

Check out this video!

Yes... thats me... and my annoying voice.

Labels: travel

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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
My vacation photos... like finally!

Day 1
Reached the airport about 8-ish in the morning and was granted an early check in. The day was wasted getting over the fact we hadn't sleep for 20hours. Towards evening, we ventured out for a hearty seafood dinner, my treat of course since we're kinda celebrating a certain someone's birthday :P

Click here to see more

Day 2
I knew this day would come... we searched for an alley worthy of our 'bahts' and we found it. I mostly shopped for Fahmy. The weather was so humid I can feel my whole t-shirt totally drenched at the back. We were prolly there for close to 3-4hours. After running out of money, we knew its time to stop, so we took a little breather @ Burger King, Jungceylon for a drink. You have no idea how good Coke felt slipping down your throat at that moment where I swore the temperature was like 32 deg celcius!

We went back to the room, freshen up and went across the road for another roun of seafood dinner and some booze over at Mai Tai Bar owned by the people of Phuket-Info. Didn't get to meet Nicke, the owner, but his wife entertained us throughout our stay. I walked back to our room tipsy that night.. *eeks*

Click here to see more

Day 3
Since the weather looked very promising, we hit the beach. I got a good amount of sun and swimming was impossible. I couldn't even get deep enough. Rough waves keep hitting me and I kept stumbling back to the shore. Its madness I tell ya. That day was our first day trying out the tuk-tuks. Twas fun... bargained the fare like crazy of course.

Click here to see more

Day 4
Went out for a late lunch and we also drop by a 'spa' nearby. Siti went for a manicure and I got me a 1 hr thai massage and a foot scrub. We drop by the beach again for a 'walkabout' eventhough it looked like its gonna rain. The waves were inviting us to come closer and closer. Its too beautiful to resist.

At night we walked past bangla Road, decided to skip the boozing and went back to the beach again. We're crazy like that but the sound of the crashing waves was too soothing.

Click here to see more

Day 5
We had to check out on time as we didn't have enuff to extend. Our flight is close to midnight so you do the math!

Click here to see more

Labels: travel

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Friday, May 18, 2007
Take me away!

Was talking to a friend today and she's planning a trip for her 1st anniversary end of June. She had Maldives in mind and I thought I would suggest to her Maui instead. If you go to Hawaii you better checked yourself in an accomodation that will make you fart roses!

So I started surfing for that perfect accomodation that will not necessarily burn a huge hole in your pocket. There are many cities within Maui itself and today I'll bring ya to Wailea. Welcome to Wailea Oceanfront Condo! Where the view is magnificent and now I can't wait to go there! It is just steps away from the Ulua/Mokapu Beach. This is an excellent beach for families too.

For a romantic getaway for two, maybe you'll love Wailea Elua, a 1 bedroom condo apartment with an ocean view.



For a bigger group consider the Grand Champion Villa, a 2 bedroom accomodation with the ocean view of course. It's not called champion for no reason.


You see, this place caters to every visitorship profile to ensure everyone will have their ideal vacation nad of course, unlimited fun! So which condo will you pick?

Labels: travel

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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Welcome back, me

I'm back at work now. Wanted to update last night but blogger's giving me the cold treatment so I'll make it quick here.

My plane landed in the Budget Terminal about 1.30am yesterday and I've never felt so tired in my life. My backpack is just yelping for mercy. Dropped by Pasir Ris cos' I miss Fahmy too much and finally got to lay down on my own bed about 3.30am.

I will write a proper entry maybe later in the night with photos if I can upload them all smoothly. I've got like 200 photos (as I last counted) and 2 videos to be nicely photoshop-ed and edited for viewing pleasure... yours and mine.

Fahmy commented I've improved on my photography skills in a sense there isn't much of me cam-whoring and you can actually see Phuket instead. Haha!

Come back again in 12hrs!

Labels: travel, work

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Friday, May 11, 2007
Baht why...?

I'm using blogger.com in Thai. No idea how to switch it back to English but what the heck, I know where everything is... blogger whore I am. Second day here and I'm already running out of baht and luggage space. It hadn't rain since the morning that I arrive and I do hope the weather will stay this way as I've yet to hit the beach! I blame the awesome cable channels in the hotel room that prevented me from getting outta bed.

Yesterday didn't manage to do much as I was feelin' kinda tired but today, although we only manage to leave the room about 3.30pm, I manage to find me some good buys. Its tiring to shop here... all the haggling and plastering a smile on my face and the heat and the.... whining? Hehe... whatever. I'm happy, but tired. Feelin' blessed with such awesome weather... i <3>

Can't wait for dinner... feelin' a lil' hungry right now... toodles~

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 6:31:00 PM.
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Thursday, May 10, 2007

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 10:22:00 AM.
1 comments from  orang laut,

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Waiting to fly

Blogging from the free internet access terminal at the Budget Terminal. I have approximately 50mins before I board the plane and 12mins to use this terminal. I'm fucking sleepy right now... and hungry. There ain't much eateries that I'll even consider patronising. Should I starve till I reach Phuket? Errr... I'm thirsty too. No liquids allowed in your hand carry luggage so I guess I'll have to purchase the overpriced Coke or something before I dehydrate like crazy. Ok... enough ranting... Fida... out!

Labels: rant, travel

Fida wrote on 6:09:00 AM.
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Monday, April 30, 2007
Travel without a tight wallet

Tis' the season to pack your bags, grab your passport and head to your dream destination. Of course you know that you'll have a blast but how much are you gonna have in your wallet? I am the kind of traveller who'll will not waste money on flight, accomodation etc but use them for awesome activities like snorkelling, island hopping, dining and of course, shopping. Travelling in Asia isn't so bad on the pocket but what if one day I would like to venture further into the west? It'll cost me a bomb but I found a website that'll minimise the preparation cost to ensure I won't be broke by the time I'm set to go.

Hotels: I've always wanted to go to New York and I heard the hotel rates can make you cry like a baby. With the search engine, I manage to find some good ones below US$120! Not only do they tell you the best rate for your preferred travel dates but they also give you a rough idea on the location, nearby places of interest and offer help on how to get around. My favourite part about browsing for accomodation is to look at the pictures of course!

Flights: If I am in US, I would not want to stay put in one city. I would venture to other parts of the country as well. With a click of a 'search' button I got me a one way ticket to Miami for less than US$90! I'm pretty sure it beats a bus ride there where the ticket will cost about that much or even more expensive than that!

Vacation Rentals: Did you know that this website also offer good rates for vacation rentals all over the world? I beamed when I saw Koh Samui on their location map! Less than US$70 a night is a bargain! But since right now I've virtually flew to Miami, I searched for one there, again, I found a good spot for less than US$90 a night where your room will overlook the beach!

Ok let me calculate my total expenditure so far... New York $360, flight $90, Miami accomodation $270... thats a mere US$720 for a good 7 days trip! If you're travelling with a partner, it'll only set you back US$360.

So, who wants to travel with me? One with driving license preferred so that we'll be able to explore the city in a car.

God help me save money!

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 11:06:00 PM.
1 comments from  www.HotelReservations.com,

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Monday, April 23, 2007
Party?

On Friday night, about 30% of my colleagues stayed back to throw a farewell party to 3 of my other colleagues who'll be leaving, Carebear, Charger and erm... a fruit. Haha... I use nicknames cos I felt like it. What? Other bloggers are doing it so why can't I! Anyway the party's B-O-R-I-N-G but at least I gotta play Nintendo Wii Tennis! Addictive like no words can describe. I don't suck... and I'm no expert but practise is the key word. That's the only bit of the part that I enjoyed the most. Oh ya... the pizzas... and my homemade cuppies! I didn't even bother to whip my digicam out!

17 more days till my trip... estatic? OUI!

Labels: games, party, travel, work

Fida wrote on 12:22:00 PM.
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Friday, April 20, 2007
Define exotic travel

All the while I thought Thailand would make an exotic kinda travel pick but I had arguments about this that Europe should be it. So it got me thinking... how exotic can Europe be? So I select a few to argue with.

Amsterdam... the capital city of the Netherlands, located in the south of the province North Holland. Not only they're noted for their museums *yawn* but also for the red light district. Exotic? Ooh yeah... prostitution is legal there by the way and also in the city area, cafes sells cannabis. This is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of cannabis (up to 5 grams) are involved. Exotic? Hell yeah!!

Barcelona... the second largest city in Spain known for its immense cultural history to the tourist like their architectural buildings and museums. They are also known for their beaches. Exotic? Erm... lukewarm, I'd say. Barcelona is also home to the Sónar Music Festival which takes place around June every year - something like Full Moon Party I guess. Exotic? Getting warmer...

Rome... is the capital city of Italy, the city which surrounds the oh so famous Vatican City. Rich in culture and history, but what's so exotic about the Colosseum or the Pope? Maybe if I'm an appreciator of art and architecture, I'll have a visual feast.

In conclusion, given a choice I'll definitely flee to Amsterdam for obvious reason. What's your pick?

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 10:33:00 AM.
2 comments from  Orang Laut,  Fida,

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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Online travel bookings

Personally I prefer to DIY my own travel plan. I never liked those ready packages unless they offer flexibility in the intenary. Important bits of DIY-ing your vacation is to find the best bargain for your air ticket and accomodation. There's no better place to hunt then the internet. I have a few favourite portals and one of the latest one to join my "GOOD" list is Travel.com.au.

They have a good list of cheap flights ranging from Qantas to Singapore Airlines to United Airlines and even my favourite Jetstar! The prices they quote doesn't have any hidden cost. Air ticket price and tax value all written in black and white.

The variety for the cheap accomodation listed is just too awesome. I gave the search function a shot and when I tried to search for a good deal for a hotel in Singapore, I almost peed in my skirt when some 'branded' hotels here are listed below the normal rates I've seen from other online booking site!

So now you know you can save a good amount of money for awesome deals you can cook up yourself and maybe use that extra cash to pamper yourself with a wholesome shopping spree. Be smart, always hunt for the best deals online. I gurantee you no regrets!

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 10:06:00 AM.
0 comments from

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Saturday, March 24, 2007
Quick update

Flight :
Booked + paid (remind self to printout confirmation email)

Hotel :
I foresee a lengthy ping pong game with reservation issues but I'm all set; free pick-up from airport... NICE! Its pretty awesome that they actually saved my particulars in their database since in my email I didn't state my particulars at all. All I did was to check room availability. Sucks that they still refered me as Mr. Rafidah Amran, since I've already corrected them during my last trip there and they conveniently switched my room to a double instead of a twin.

Yay-ness:
I got me a new fragrance/s from Body Shop and its so befitting since its specially mixed to fit the summer mood. Yes, I can mix and match two fragrance together to find one that suit me. Hopefully I won't find one that will be some kind of a catalyst to make me barf.

Labels: travel

Fida wrote on 10:10:00 PM.
1 comments from  Lindsay,

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Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Decisions, decisions...

Bangkok or Genting Highlands?
I love them both and I have the budget for either one of them. But I have to choose!!! Time is running short... have to sleep on it for a couple of nights more :(

Free Movie
Gonna watch Firewall tomorrow. Hope its good, or at least interesting enuff to keep me awake. Its free anyway, so why not?

I'm bursting with yoo-hoo
As what my colleague call it, erm... "Bomb Japan Syndrome". Yes, after a lousy beer over the weekend, I've been bombing Japan every other hour. I dare say now that Japan has ceased to exist on earth. Next I'll bomb China!

Work
I have soooooo many things to learn and my manager is in Bangkok right now!!! Yes I'm green with envy but she's there for business. Hmmm... Khao San operates at night... AAAAAARRRRGGGGHH!!!

Photos...
.. I have many, yet to upload, why? cos I'm so bloody lazy... pfft!

Will update again soon... promise!

Labels: movies, sick, travel, work

Fida wrote on 3:08:00 PM.
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Saturday, December 18, 2004
Long n lengthy...

Last time I updated was like 10 days ago but you have no idea how much I have had gone thru in that 10 days. Lemme tell all of you the story...

10th Dec : I departed for Sofitel Palm Resort, Senai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

That place was awesome. We got the ground floor rooms and my room had a view of the swimming pool. I thought mine was the worsst til I learnt that the others had the view of the golf course. Well, not really, more like the bushes. Hahaha..

What did I do when I was there? Hmmm... good food, awesome swimming pool, bowling, threw some darts, table tennis, OH! THE JACCUZZI AND THE SAUNA!!! Gosh... wish I could stay there forever. Also we had some teambuilding activities over at the olympic/wading pool. Good times....

11th Dec : Bye bye good life...
Most of them followed the tour bus back to Singapore but a couple of us called for a cab and made him drove us all the way to the city. Wish I had more money to splurge but its all good. I think we only reached Singapore around 10-ish.

14th Dec : Marche wit Mui Hong

Its her 1 yr anniversary after being baptised. Congrats... and boy, she can really eat!! At the same time managed to check out the Christmas deco in Orchard Road.

16th Dec : Had dinner with my Darling.
We went to Newton Hawker Centre and he made me eat a plate of Sambal Stingray all by myself. Its brutal but felt so good later on. So what if our breaths smells a lil fishy!! Good times...

17th Dec : Johor Bahru trip

More like a nightmare... in a good way. Chop off my long locks, turned blonde, so sooooo tired...

Labels: food, friends, relationship, singapore, travel, vainpot, work

Fida wrote on 1:55:00 PM.
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Wednesday, December 08, 2004
Long n lengthy...

Last time I updated was like 10 days ago but you have no idea how much I have had gone thru in that 10 days. Lemme tell all of you the story...

10th Dec : I departed for Sofitel Palm Resort, Senai, Johor Bahru, Malaysia

That place was awesome. We got the ground floor rooms and my room had a view of the swimming pool. I thought mine was the worsst til I learnt that the others had the view of the golf course. Well, not really, more like the bushes. Hahaha..

What did I do when I was there? Hmmm... good food, awesome swimming pool, bowling, threw some darts, table tennis, OH! THE JACCUZZI AND THE SAUNA!!! Gosh... wish I could stay there forever. Also we had some teambuilding activities over at the olympic/wading pool. Good times....

11th Dec : Bye bye good life...
Most of them followed the tour bus back to Singapore but a couple of us called for a cab and made him drove us all the way to the city. Wish I had more money to splurge but its all good. I think we only reached Singapore around 10-ish.

14th Dec : Marche wit Mui Hong

Its her 1 yr anniversary after being baptised. Congrats... and boy, she can really eat!! At the same time managed to check out the Christmas deco in Orchard Road.

16th Dec : Had dinner with my Darling.
We went to Newton Hawker Centre and he made me eat a plate of Sambal Stingray all by myself. Its brutal but felt so good later on. So what if our breaths smells a lil fishy!! Good times...

17th Dec : Johor Bahru trip

More like a nightmare... in a good way. Chop off my long locks, turned blonde, so sooooo tired...

Labels: food, friends, relationship, shopping, singapore, travel, vainpot

Fida wrote on 1:55:00 PM.