Osaka, Japan

We’re finally leaving Kyoto (reluctantly) and headed towards Osaka.

Kyoto part 3, Japan

Here we go, part 3 of Kyoto. Given the amount of interesting locations in Kyoto alone, we ended up spending quite a few days here. Plus, we're loving the countryside and friendly atmosphere of Kyoto.

Sydney, Australia

After numerous arrangements and scheduling, we finally got ourselves a family trip. It's also a trip to visit my niece and sister, also my brother in law in New Zealand.

After the tiring flight, we had around 6 hours of free time in Sydney, Australia. We contemplated if we should head out and visit some places or we should stay in the airport. 

Though, after checking with the lady at the information counter, we had an idea of roughly how long it'll take for us to visit a few places and still had enough time to catch our next flight. 

We also checked out our transportation options and decided that the four of us would be cheaper to get a cab. And boy, it's anything but cheap. 

We got in the cab and the middle eastern cab driver seemed nice. After knowing where we're from, he seemed eager to share his cab experience in Malaysia. Heh, I guess we all knew where we're headed in this conversation. 

He talked about how he was charged RM80 for his ride from the hotel to a restaurant not too far away. And that he told the taxi driver that he's a muslim too and he's fine paying but he do not condone such behavior. 

After all that, we got off the taxi and boy, it was literally the most expensive taxi I've ever ridden before (after currency conversion). The ride was around 10-15km and the fare was approximately RM120 lol.  

We decided to check out Circular Quay which was recommended by the nice lady at the information counter. 

The weather was nice, not too warm not too cold. The place was not too crowded as well. But other than the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, there's nothing much. 

 But it's still better than sitting on a bench in the airport for 6 hours.  

Creepy face. I guess it'll look awesome during night time when everything is lit up. Too bad, can't wait. 

With around 45 minutes before our next flight, we fetched another cab and headed back to the airport. It's gonna be another 3-4 hours of flight to Christchurch, sigh. 

Koh Lipe revisit Part 2, Thailand

It's day 2 of my revisit to Koh Lipe, Thailand. The main activity will be snorkeling and some island hopping!

This is our ride. We don't usually use a tour guide when we travel but the perks of having one here is to have the entire boat to ourselves. We get to stay at a location as long as we want without dealing with other visitors. 

Koh Lipe revisit Part 1, Thailand

After that long, noisy and bumpy ride on the speedboat, we're finally reaching the much anticipated Koh Lipe. 

Hat Yai part 2, Thailand

After one whole day of messing around and trying out local delicacies, we dozed off and called it a day. 

On the following day, the guide took us to a nice Dim Sum place for breakfast. The weather wasn't looking very good, it rained quite a bit in the night and the weather looked gloomy. 

Hat Yai part 1, Thailand

It's been 2 years since we last visited the beautiful Koh Lipe, Thailand. So we and a couple of friends decided to check out the place and also Hat Yai in a 6 days 5 nights trip. 

Once we got off the airport, we were starving for some local food. The guide (click here for itinerary info, cost and more) brought us to his favorite restaurant. 

Old Tricycle BBQ YongTauFu, Malaysia

It's been a while since we tried something special for dinner. We looked around, unsure where to go and remembered that there was a special place that serves BBQ YongTauFu. And off we went.

Nara, Japan

Today, we're visiting Nara to check out some temples and of course, the famous free roaming deers. Legs are still sore as hell from all the stairs yesterday.