7 useful websites to help you plan your trip to Gold Coast and Sydney

Our 8-day trip to the land Down Under took over 6 months in planning. We bought our tickets at the Matta Fair way back in March for the trip in October. At RM2200/pax for return tickets, that's a pretty good deal if you're travelling with Malaysian Airlines. However, many would consider that quite steep since a return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Brisbane/Sydney/Melbourne can go as low as RM259 per person with AirAsia! But to each his own.

Frankly, both Mie and I did not regret one bit for splurging on our plane tickets as we truly enjoyed their 'Malaysian Hospitality' with generous luggage allowance (20kg per person), included meals (meals+snacks served 4-5 times, unlimited drinks), ample legroom and their great selection of in-flight movies on our personal screens (at the back of the headrest) made the 8 hours flew by fast.

For this post, I would highlight seven websites I relied on heavily to plan our itinerary for Brisbane/Gold Coast and Sydney. I love that Australia is so accessible online, be it their attractions or public transport schedules. I can't stress enough though how important it is to be patient to score a good deal. That's why it's always good to plan early. The websites, in no particular order of importance:

1. Groupon Australia
I've been subscribing to Groupon Malaysia for more than a year now and have scored a couple of good deals in the past. The way Groupon Australia works is the same as the one in Malaysia, you just need a credit or a debit card to make the payment. No address in Australia is needed. Through this website, I managed to snag a great deal on Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The regular entry price to the sanctuary is AUD$49 per adult but I got 2 tickets for a total of only AUD$45! That's right, AUD$45 for TWO adults! That's a saving of more than 50%. They have many different deals for CWS on and off and the one I bought included Green Challenge Adventure Parc. The deal came on some time in August but I'm pretty sure CWS deals come up pretty regularly as it receives outstanding responses. Do be wary of shady looking deals as Groupon does have its fair share of complaints from customers who never got their goods/deals.

2. TripAdvisor
Questions about/reviews of hotels? Are the places of interest listed in the travel magazines really a must visit? Need help with your itinerary? Is the Moonshadow Cruise in Nelson Bay better than Imagine Cruises? Are there free tours for those on very limited budget (and yes, I found out from here there is one in Sydney actually)? If I had to choose only one website to plan my travels, this would be IT.

The ever friendly and helpful forum members of TripAdvisor would help you. This website saved me from a lot of possible grievances as one of the things I like about it is, it shows 'Traveller Photos' apart from the 'Professional Photos' of hotel rooms. Feeling frustrated that the BigMac your ordered doesn't turn out like in the menu? Same idea. Except you can choose beforehand to cancel your booking at that seemingly too good to be true new hotel based on the as is photos and member reviews. Do use common sense when reading the reviews though, a few negative reviews out of many good ones could just simply mean those people are simply impossible to please!

3. Journey Planner | Translink
This awesome journey planner is available for the whole of Queensland. To be able to use this effectively, you should have some idea of the name of the places you're going to. Not only does it give you the bus or train stations nearest to the places you would like to go to, it also provides the journey time, the schedule (very punctual!) and the cost for each of the journey. Apart from that, it includes the station changes you need to do (if any), and how much walking would be involved. Several options are provided for each journey with difference in schedule, time and distance. For ease of traveling and changing between the different mode of public transports (train to bus or vice versa), you should try to get a GoCard. GoCards give you tickets at discounted prices and can be bought at many places. I bought mine at the International Train Station ticket counter, just 100m in front of Brisbane International Airport. You would just need to swipe the card every time you get on and get off the bus/train. No more rummaging through your purse to look for small change while eyeing every local suspiciously, just in case they attempt to snatch your bag.

In Sydney, you need prepaid tickets for ALL public transportation so don't do as we did: ran after the bus with our heavy backpacks after walking all the way from William St to Oxford St, clambered on the bus breathlessly only to be told to get a ticket first. Individual prepaid tickets can be purchased at any news agent or you could get MyMulti passes for the whole week.

4. Google Maps
Sometimes distance and space look a whole lot different on maps than real roads or buildings. Thus, I used Google Maps concurrently with some of the websites I mentioned in this post to find out the distance and time taken to get from one place to another and most importantly, the landmarks I can see on the way from point A to point B. And how do you know how these landmarks look like? Just use their 'Street View' feature. To use it, just drag the little yellow man you can see on the left side of the map ('b' in image below), below the panning button, to any road you would like to 'see'. In 'Street View', you can 'walk' on most streets, go back and forth, turn left or right or even look around, all thanks to the awesome people of Google Maps. While we didn't get lost much, not that I was hoping to, having used the 'Street View' saved us from entering the wrong street one time in Brisbane in the middle of the night because I recognised a building. One time wasn't much but hey, it could have been a life saver, you'd never know! It was kind of freaky but cool as I felt it was a feeling of deja vu as I was walking around, like I've walked the streets before even though I've never been to Australia in my life. In big cities such as Sydney, Google Maps even lists out the types of public transportation you can use to get from one place to another while also showing the route on the map. Apart from the walking and public transit mode, you can also choose the car and bicycling routes ('a' in image below).

Choose different types of transportation modes and drag the 'yellow man' onto a road for the street view

The buttons are available for any maps you search for but like I've mentioned before, public transits are only shown on maps of bigger cities. Otherwise it just says 'Public transportation coverage may not be available in this area.' On a side note, I think their camera looks a lot like the sphere-shaped light saber practice thingy. Compare this...

Google Maps camera

With this...

Luke and his... orb-for-lightsaber-practice thingy

Image sources:
http://dvice.com/archives/2007/05/dodeca-2360-camera-on-top-of-a.php
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News-Comments.asp?NewsNum=3318
http://www.technovelgy.com/ct/Science-Fiction-News.asp?NewsNum=3391

5. Skyscanner
Although we got our tickets via a travel agency, we still needed to get tickets to go from Gold Coast to Sydney. We were a bit apprehensive about buying them on our own and ask the awesome promoters of CIT Travel if they could book them there and then for us during the MATTA Fair. They said that if they were to do it for us, it would cost us at the exorbitant rate of RM800 per pax and suggested that we do it on our own as the tickets can be as cheap as AUD$80 (approx. RM250) per pax. Hesitantly we agreed. Thanks to Skyscanner, which pools ticket prices from many airlines and listed according to their rates (or times), my job was made extremely easy. I checked Skyscanner obsessively daily regularly for cheap tickets and finally in September, just a month before we were to fly to Brisbane, Jetstar was having promotions for flights between Gold Coast and Sydney at the mind blowing price of AUD$49 (approx. RM160) per pax. I bought it right away! Calculate the savings yourself *proud of myself*

6. Booking.com/ Wotif/ Agoda
These websites at no. 6, like what Skyscanner does for flights, do the same for hotels. There are many similar websites like these two but I most prefer Booking.com for its easy to use layout. However, using any of the websites on its own does have its cons as it doesn't list out ALL the options of hotels available which could mean you might be losing out on unlisted cheaper hotels. For example, I was looking for the cheapest hotel I could find with a private bathroom and within walking distance to Roma Street Station in Brisbane as we would reach the CBD at 10.30pm from the airport. I found Hotel George Williams in Brisbane (AUD$99 per night, with ensuite bathroom and breakfast provided) via Wotif, not Booking.com. At that time, the cheapest hotel (with private bathroom) in Brisbane according to Booking.com was AUD$100++ (without breakfast) so go figure. You know what they say, "A penny save is a penny earned" or in this case a dollar and breakfast! ^_^ So the best thing to do would be to look at different websites to get the best deal that works for you.

7. Blogs
I don't have specific blogs to recommend as I read many but I particularly liked Kaki Berangan's (Malaysian) blog who wrote a very detailed travelogue and even the expenses incurred. Totally awesome for those on a limited budget like me. His posts on his travels to Gold Coast and Sydney gave me a lot of ideas of where to go and where not to go. The same goes for RedMummy (also Malaysian) although I had to admit that I didn't believe her when she said the Harbour Town Outlet in Gold Coast was expensive, even for her standards. But it really was (expensive)!




Happy planning!

*Disclaimer: Do use the websites/book tickets or rooms at your own risk, I will not be responsible for any untoward incidents (which I hope would NEVER happen to you) from deals done over these websites above.

Snorkeling at Pulau Tenggol

It took me almost 2 years of living in Dungun before I got to set foot on the island that I can see every day from the shore of Dungun while on my way to work. Ask any locals and I bet 95% of them haven't been to Tenggol, which is only 45 minutes away from Kuala Dungun jetty. The reason most likely being "But it is SO close! I can go there anytime", which they probably wouldn't. I guess it happens to most of us, I mean, when was the last time you visited somewhere really popular in your hometown? Don't worry, you're not alone. :)

This being my first trip to an island after such a long time, the last one was Langkawi in 2004, I was very excited. I went there with my friends who are here as English Teaching Assistants to a school in Dungun and of course, Mie, who wanted to try diving for as long as I could remember. Kate (one of the ETAs) hooked us up with Zul, a guy who works for Tenggol Island Discovery Divers. Click *here* to go to their Facebook page.

Our first impression of Tenggol; Paradise!

Before going there and rates:
Call Encik Zul at +6019 327 4093 to book and pay the deposit for your return boat transfer and snorkeling/diving package. The rates for the service provided by Tenggol Island Discovery Divers are as follows:
Snorkeling: RM50 - if you would like to rent their snorkeling gear + life jacket
Scuba Diving: RM150 - Discovery package, all diving equipment provided + coolest instructor ever + certificate of completion
Return boat transfer: RM100/pax
Lunch at resort: RM30/pax - recommended (good spread of local homemade style dishes)

The Discovery Divers office. Collect your snorkeling and diving gears here.

Getting there:
By Bus
There are regular and daily bus services from most of the major cities and towns within Peninsular Malaysia. The nearest destination is Dungun town. Journey normally takes 5-6 hours from Kuala Lumpur. There are boat operators and travel agents at Kuala Dungun jetty that provides boat and tour packages to Pulau Tenggol.

By Air
There are daily and regular flights to the nearest destination of Kuala Terengganu. Malaysian Airlines, Air Asia and Firefly ply direct routes either from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. There are taxi and car rental services at the Kuala Terengganu Airport. Journey takes an hour to Kuala Dungun Jetty.

By car
The drive from Kuala Lumpur to Dungun takes about 5-6 hours. Take the Karak Highway to get to Kuantan. From there, follow the sign board to Dungun town. Dungun town is 79 km before Kuala Terengganu. Departing early in the morning should be convenient as one reaches Dungun around noon. The boat services starts as early as 8.00 am and last boat usually by 5.00 pm but it depends upon the weather condition. It is advisable to catch the early morning boat. There are few hotels and resorts around Dungun town should one wish to spend a night or two in Dungun or should one prefer to arrange a day trip to the island.

Source: http://tourism.terengganu.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=59%3Aislands&id=111%3Akapas-island&Itemid=299&lang=en

Mie and his instructor getting ready to dive in deeper waters.

Where to stay:
The Terengganu Tourism website listed two resorts which are Tenggol Island Resort and Tenggol Island Beach Resort & Spa. A simple Google search would show you the rates. We didn't stay there as the next day we were working. Actually everyone we met on the boat had made it a day trip, preferring to stay in Dungun where there are a good selection of reasonably priced hotels and places to eat. Everyone (me, the boat skipper and Google) agreed that the accommodations are very basic, not the kind of rooms where you would want to hangout all day with your loved ones. There is a third resort but Tanjung Jara Resort uses it exclusively to drop off their passengers for the day and shuttle them back again.

Other things you should know: 
There are very limited amenities on the island as it is pretty much a scuba-diving and snorkeling enthusiasts heaven. There is nothing much to do there as the attractions are not so much on land but UNDERwater. The beach itself is a thin strip of sand with the other parts of the island being enveloped by rocks, a natural fortress against the harsh waves of the South China Sea. All the resorts share the same strip of beach. The island has the clearest water I've ever seen and the whitest, powdery soft sand! I've to admit though that I've been to a grand total of two, TWO, islands in my entire life. Har-har.

My experience as non-swimmer snorkeler. 

Phew. I'm a bit tired with all the typing I just did so can I just plagiarise my own article on my snorkeling experience I wrote for our department's bulletin? 

Recently I was pushed out of my comfort zone and surprisingly, it was not as bad as I thought it would be. You see, I’m not a swimmer and the deepest I would go in the water is where I can still stand on my two feet comfortably with my chest up being safely above water. My ‘swimming’ memories mostly involved having a gigantic inflatable tyre tube around me as I bobbed around the shallow parts of the sea at Santubong beach many, many years ago.

In early October, my husband and I decided to go to Tenggol Island before the 6-month monsoon hits Dungun. We went with a couple of friends who were both excited to see the beautiful island and snorkel. I quickly agreed to take up the snorkeling package too, only to question my decision upon reaching the white sandy beach. It’s a gorgeous place no doubt,  water’s so clear you can see somber-coloured sea cucumbers dotting the coral landscape.

I decided I would just stick around the shallow parts, walking unstably in the water while taking photos of schools of pale coloured fishes that almost blended in with the sand, as I thought it really couldn't get any better than this. However, my friend, K, kept on telling me how beautiful the fishes and corals were at the deeper end. She told me to get my life jacket on and she would ‘pull’ me in the water. Dragging my feet towards the beach to get the lifejacket, I was trying to decide whether the plan was totally ingenious or ridiculously stupid. I went with it anyway.

K decided to give me her lifejacket too to support myself so I could lean forward while I also had my own on. I would not forget the moment I felt my feet left the reassuring sand as we moved into deeper waters. I inhaled sharply through my mouth via the snorkeling gear and held tightly to my two lifejackets while my legs flailed rather  awkwardly and uselessly. K told me to kick higher and I obeyed. I could hear and feel the water splashing behind me and rather surprisingly, I propelled forward!

The distant beach while we were floating amidst colourful fishes.

Within just a few meters beyond the barren shallow seabed, I could start seeing corals of different red and purple hues, which grew in numbers till they covered the whole ocean floor as we went deeper. Vibrant coloured fishes darted below the corals as we glided above them. It certainly felt like I was watching National Geographic on HD TV except that, it was live. My initial ardent fear of drowning melted as soon as I realized that it was actually quite impossible while I still had my life jacket on. We spent quite a while just watching the fascinating underwater life. Every now and then I would look up and watch the distant beach, feeling a shiver of delicious adrenaline running down my spine before I immersed myself in the underwater world again. I returned to the beach a changed person.

Hmm, that was easy and oh, carpe diem!
All photos taken with Olympus Tough TG-1. 

7 things you need for a (Muslimah) snorkeling trip

Non-swimmers can't snorkel right?

WRONG.

Wearing a hijab/scarf would hinder you from snorkelling right?

WRONG.

Let's start from the beginning how this non-swimmer and hijab wearing female got to go snorkelling...

First things first, I can't swim. Just can't. No history of almost drowning or being dunked into the pool or anything. Nothing. But the fear of the water is there. Because I can't swim.

Secondly, I agreed to go snorkeling as I trust my friends and hubs and was confident of their swimming ability. You know, just in case an emergency arises.

And finally, I've never gone snorkeling before so why not do it just to see how it feels like. Further research on the Internet also proved that even those who can't swim can snorkel.

So muslimah bloggers or blogwalkers who intend to go snorkeling for the first time, you've come to the right place! I would do my best to describe everything I wore, important, since I don't swim and thus I have no appropriate swimwear. I would like to clarify something, even if you're not going to ask, I've been playing in the water a lot both in the swimming pool and beach but I've only started to wear the hijab pretty recently so finding a suitable attire that covers my aurat took some research. I didn't want to purchase a burkini as I don't play in the water much so I wanted to wear whatever that I already own. AND because some burkinis look just plain ugly for the price you have to pay (average RM100 and above for the nicer ones) and I can't find any shops that sell burkinis in Dungun. There I said it.

List of things needed for a non-swimmer and hijab wearing female to go snorkelling:

1. Tudung Syria - don't go for the awning type, you won't be able to put on the snorkeling mask without letting water in the mask as the awning would create a teeny weeny gap. Can't breath = not good!

The clearest photo I have of myself wearing the mask with tudung syria.

2. Waterproof long sleeved top -I finally gave in and bought one also after trying on Mie's top that he bought from a sports store. It costs RM59.90, pretty pricey but I thought I could also use it for my netball games. I'm sure you can get one at any other sports store e.g. Al-Ikhsan. If the sales people don't know what you're talking about, ask for a cyclist top. That should give them some ideas. Nike has a few too but all those cost more than RM60. An alternative would be your inner long sleeved tops that muslimahs normally wear underneath their tees. I wanted to do that but since I fell in love with the the waterproof top would be lighter and dry faster.

Gambar sekadar hiasan. But this is the waterproof top I'm talking about. Source: here.

Note: This waterproof top type would normally be skin-tight. Too loose and you'll have curious fishes swimming up your armpits and you don't want that. So the solution to the skin-tight top problem is...

3. A loose shirt to wear on top of the waterproof top - Or any loose tops that you think would make wading in the water easier. I used my husband's old football jersey because of the quick drying material.

4. Tights - I wore my Simply Vera by Vera Wang zipped tights. Classy, I know. You can choose to wear other dark-coloured tights. The reason to wear tights (in my opinion) is again, you don't want no curious fishies swimming up to your you-know-what and it has to be dark-coloured so it won't be transparent after you come out of the water. See, I think of everything!

5. Track pants -I just wore my loose fitting light weight track pants over the tights. I did take them off before I went in the water though. This is totally up to you :)

6. Snorkeling gear - life jacket, goggles and that mouth piece for you to breath in. These are normally provided by the diving company you go with or the resort you stay at. I tried using the mouth piece a few days prior to our snorkeling trip (Mie bought two sets when we just moved to Dungun nearly 2 years ago) under the shower, just to get a feel of what it's like to breathe through your mouth. Automatically I stopped breathing (normal apparently) and gasped for air after that. Hahaha! It took a few practice, even after we were in the water on the island but you'll get used to it after a while. And oh, I didn't use my own snorkeling stuff in the end because the mask was cracked. :(

7. Guts - let's face it, being out of one's comfort zone is scary, no matter whether you're 8, 18 or 80. Being out in the water where my feet didn't touch the sand was definitely not something I was looking forward to but having a friend who can swim and life vests helped alleviate my nervousness A LOT. Plus, when I was already on the deep end, I realised it was actually quite impossible to drown with the life vest on.


Upcoming post on where we snorkeled + tons of underwater photos soon!

On a (very) short hiatus

Much as I like to make travelling and writing my full time job, the reality doesn't permit so. At the moment things are a bit hectic, although we did manage to get away for a week to the land Down Under very recently, and to an island for a day trip early last month, which I can't wait to write about. So just a preview of what's coming up:

1. Snorkelling for Muslimah Beginners at Tenggol Island
2. Close Encounters in Brisbane+Gold Coast
3. Sydney in a Day
4. Air yang tenang jangan disangka tiada ikan paus (whale-watching at Nelson Bay)

Let's hope I can write everything before the end of the year! :P

Leaving you with this awesome 'school': http://matadoru.com/. Thinking of getting into travel journalism. Let's see what will happen in the next couple of months.

Revisiting: Willis Tower

In my revisiting post this time, I would like to write about Willis Tower (formerly known as and STILL fondly called Sears Tower). According to its website, at 110 stories, it is the tallest building in the US. After its completion back in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world but only held this rank for about 25 years (Wikipedia) before our Petronas Twin Towers took over the title in 1998. As of 2012, it is the ninth tallest building in the world.

The Willis Tower from the ground. I almost broke my neck taking this photo.

I went there when my sister came down to visit me from Minnesota during her spring break. We stayed at my old friend's house at Bolingbrook that week and took the train to Union Station. I really wish that I actually jot down all the details such as ticket prices and the time it took to get from Lemont station (nearest train station from Bolingbrook to go downtown) but thanks to Google Map (LOVE IT) I can say that it'll take about 1 hour 7 minutes to reach Union Station by Metra Heritage Corridor line and costs $5.25 for a one-way ticket (for other ticket prices click HERE).

From Chicago Union Station, it's an easy 5 minutes walk to Willis.

View Larger Map

Our sole objective of going there was to go on the Skydeck, where we would be able to see the whole city from the 103rd floor! Just a tip before going up there, make sure you check the weather forecast as a cloudy day would definitely put a damper on how far you can see, if at all.

50 miles... and 4 states!

The Skydeck is open 365 days but the opening hours vary. It's open from 9am - 10pm in April to September and 10am - 4pm in October to March. It costs $17.50/adult for a basic admission. For other ticket prices or available discounts, do visit their website or perhaps subscribe to Groupon?

Our tickets. There have been 1,782,330 visitors before us -_-

At the lobby, you would go through various informative titbits about the tower. Such as these...

Try to spot KLCC!

Prior to going up, I was thinking of how much time it would take to reach the top by elevator. But guess what, it would take us less than a minute,! According to their website,"Willis Tower elevators operate as fast as 1,600 feet (488 meters) per minute - among the fastest in the world". More fun facts here.

The main attraction of Skydeck is The Ledge, a glass balcony which extends 4-feet outside the 103rd floor. I'm normally afraid of heights but hey, it's not every day that I get the chance to have a bird's eye view of Chi-town! My sis and I were holding on to each other until we saw a toddler who just walked onto The Ledge and leaned on the glass wall nonchalantly, enjoying the view. We instantly felt braver by 15%. We spent a good half an hour just taking in the view and taking photos of each other while sitting/leaning on the glass floor. I was tempted to have my trademark jumping photo taken but decided against it as more visitors started pouring in. I don't want to be the cause of so many deaths when the glass breaks y'know. Meh.

Yay we made it! Even though still takut-takut. hahah

Spot the John Hancock building, another famous building where you can go up and get a bird's eye view of Chicago

See if this guide can help you.

Definitely something you shouldn't miss when you visit Chicago!

Revisiting: Art Institute of Chicago

This is a 2-year backdated post about my visit to the amazing Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) where I got my first glimpse of Van Gogh and Monet masterpieces. My drawings are pretty limited to stickmen types, so it was mind blowing to be looking at the paintings with my own eyes. However my favourite wasn't by either artists, I forgot whatshisname by the time we left the museum. Heh.

*Random. Talking about masterpieces reminds me of the conversation between Will Smith and the Robot in the movie 'I, Robot': 

Detective Del Spooner: You are a clever imitation of life... Can a robot write a symphony? Can a robot take a blank canvas and turn it into a masterpiece? 
Sonny: Can you? 

My friends and I took the train from Elburn to Chicago Union Station and walked 10 blocks from Union Station to the museum in winter! Ok it wasn't really as bad as it sounds as it was a sunny day. It was a straight walk, made very enjoyable as we walked as a group. Map below:

View Larger Map

We all got in for free as the museum's entry fee was free for the whole month of February. It still makes me happy thinking about it. The free part. Must be an Asian thing, no? Regular price for tickets should be USD20 (approx. RM65) per adult but there are also free days weekly thus it's advisable for you to check their website regularly prior to your visit. Anyway I remembered that I really wanted to go again the same month before coming back to Malaysia in May that year but sadly never got the chance to. I went round Chi-town for the last time in March with my sister who came down from Minnesota but she wasn't keen on looking at dead men's paintings.Well, she didn't exactly say that but we had a great time at The Field Museum in March. Ah, a story for another day.

Willis shrouded in clouds.

This ceramic figure was actually really small. Around 15 cm in height.

 

A gay dance! As in joyous!

 

Self-potrait of Vincent Van Gogh, 1887. Left ear intact.

Bedroom in Arles by Van Gogh. According to Wiki (yah, I've been to the museum and I still had to wiki this information) this is the second version of this painting. The first and third version are in Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam and Musee d'Orsay, Paris respectively.

 

Oooh luckily I snapped a photo of the name of the artist and it's in the caption of this painting below. This photo doesn't do it justice. You just have got to see it in person. The painting seemed to come alive the longer I looked at it. I must have stood there for a good 15 minutes, just looking at it. I was certainly wasn't the only one because as soon as I snapped out of the awed-zone, I realised that there were also at least a couple of visitors also enthralled by the painting and stood looking at it behind me.

Fisherman's Cottage by Harald Sohlberg, 1906. Oil on canvas.

While there are many sculptures/paintings/installations that made me go "WAHHHH", there are also equally as many that just didn't make sense, especially in the Modern Art wing. Maybe because I'm just not artsy-fartsy enough (even though I dressed the part that day: beret, check. sling slouchy bag, check. graphic tee, check. scarf slung carelessly, check). Like these:

Looks like telur ulat.

This is a tissue paper box with a... vent? :-/

I dragged my two Indonesian friends across 2 different wings just to find the American Gothic. I mean, how could you miss this iconic image when you're already here? Ok, now you guys can go home.

American Gothic by Grant Wood, 1930.

I didn't take many photos as I've always felt that, sure photos are great for us to reminisce about the trip in the future, but most times I rather not experience my trip just through my lenses but rather remember the feeling, the sights with my own eyes, the sounds or even the smell of the place. Or I'm just too lazy at times.

More revisiting posts coming up!

Muzium Negeri Terengganu

As I've mentioned in my previous post, there are tons of photos of places we visited but yet to be uploaded except for in Facebook. I would like to post them here and describe what I felt when we were at those places before the memory escapes me, growing old thingy you know.

Last year after our 1st Anniversary celebration with a weekend at Ri-yaz Heritage Resort, we spent the entire afternoon upon check out at the Terengganu State Museum. I won't admit it to my 'cool' friends but I love museums and old buildings!

According to Terengganu Tourism, the museum is the largest one in Malaysia. Other sources like here and here mentioned that it is actually the largest museum complex in South East Asia. I would say all the sources are correct, as the museum main building itself may not be the biggest in South East Asia, but the 27 hectares complex sure is! Also known as 'Muzium Losong' by the locals, as the area is known as Losong (and particularly well-known for their keropok lekor, which I never tasted), the complex houses the Main Museum, a Maritime Museum, a Fisheries Museum, 4 traditional houses and botanic and herbs gardens.The entry to the Main Museum and most of the complex cost only RM5 per person, very meager sum compared to what you can see there. For those with young children or the elderly, there's also a train that goes around the complex. I think it costs RM2 per ride.

To be honest, on its own, the main museum isn't as impressive inside as it looks from the outside. I certainly can't compare it to the museums I've visited while in Chicago and Washington DC, but put it together as a whole with the other parts of the complex, it is definitely worthwhile to visit even if you're a first timer to Terengganu. Both of us particularly enjoyed the keris and sparkling paraphernalia of the females of the royal family sections. The other sections displayed various kinds of songket, fashion of the past (harem pants were the in thing!), silverware, wood carving and tons of photos of Terengganu royals, past and present.

The Main Entrance

This was at the lower ground part of the museum. We both loved the walls.

Bridge that connects the main building to the rest of the complex.

While we were there, there was an archaeology exhibition going on with a special focus on the Perak Man. I've already heard about the Perak Man (a 11,000 years old human skeletal remains discovered in 1991 in Lenggong, Perak) so I was pretty psyched to see it with my own eyes. Entrance fee is already included in the RM5 fee so that makes it a super sweet deal. However what we got was a huge let down. Make that humongous. Any word that means bigger than humongous? Ok, a King Kong sized disappointment as the only things that were on display at the so-called 'archaeology' exhibition were replicas. EVERY SINGLE THING. And tons of photos and newspaper cuttings. I would have understood for the need of a Perak Man replica, as the original one is very, very valuable but please, make the other parts of the exhibition interesting. Oh I don't know, perhaps a video or audio commentary. Or we could at least be allowed to take photographs, since all the things were replicas anyway. No reason to fear camera flashes. Rant over.


For more information on how to get there, visit this website *CLICK*

All photos taken with Nikon D3000.