Nov

27

Island Hopping in Langkawi

Filed Under travel, photo, fun, family | 12 Comments

It is my second visit to Langkawi as I have visited this island in Nov 2006, yeah, exactly two years ago. I went with my close friends back then and I found it enjoyable. Since my parents have never stepped into the island before, well, why not?

During the Matta fair, I almost booked the island hopping basic package as it was RM58 if I book on the day. But if I walk-in, it would cost me RM68! Luckily I didn't book it!

My housemate told me that it was only RM35 when she went last year and I couldn't remember how much I paid for during the my previous trip (coz I didn't blog much about it - only 2 paragraphs for the whole trip! - which I regretted now and so I am going to write long, grandmother posts for this trip! So bear with me! :P )

So when I was at the airport, this guy approached me and offered me RM40. I bargained as I have 4 persons and I got it at RM35 too! Yay! I didn't pay on spot and tell him that I would call him the next morning, in case I could get RM30 from other company. He laughed and said he would refund me if I got it at that price! Anyway, I did find a RM30 package on the last day, after the island hopping trip. :P

 On the 2nd day morning, we went to Pulau Dayang Bunting (Pregnant Maiden Island, I think :P ), where you have to climb up the stairs and descend to a lovely lake. It was a little difficult for my mother to climb up or down as she always have knee pain problem. But slowly and steadily we made it!

  
The bear-in-the-photo-idea was stolen from Keone & coincidentally this is the bear that he bought for my birthday about 8 years ago which I almost lost and I was scared he would be mad but he didn't; and knowing him well, I bet he remember none of it. =)

We have an hour in the island. You could kayak/canoe or rent the paddle boat there or simply relax and dip your feet into the lake where there are garoupa fishes 'cleaning' up the dry skin on your feet for free!

It is like those fish spa in KL. If you buy some fish food and throw them on your feet, all the fishes will come swimming around your feet! It feels ticklish to have them touching you. My mom, bro and I tried but my father wouldn't! My father bought 3 keychains there (see, he is like me, like to buy small useless small stuffs).



There were many monkeys at the island too and one should be watchful of their belongings. We stopped to eat some breads and those monkeys wanted to snatch the food from us too! We fended them off with umbrellas. By the way, there are toilets in the island too. 

Next we went to see eagle feeding nearby an island (which I forgot the name, or never knew the name, in fact). I was told that they feed the eagles with chicken skin! Yikes, high cholesterol, birdie! It was amazing to see some big, strong eagles swooshing about! Beautiful! 

Lastly we went to the lovely island of Pulau Beras Basah (Wet Rice Island?) which is a stretch of beach with fine sands and no water supply, which means no toilet. If you have to do your business, you go to some bushes and do it there. :P




There is a small hut where a lady was selling some cold canned drinks and hot beverages (I had coconut there before too) and chips too. Very pleasant and relaxing island with beautiful girls in bikinis as well as obese ladies in skimpy bikinis too! Ooops! 1 hour there.

You could go swimming, play sands or go for banana boat. 

The whole island trip takes around 3 hours only, do bring your own foods. Wear shorts and sandals (and hats and umbrella if you are scared of sun like me). It was the first time seeing my father wearing shorts when we go out. He is always in his long pants! ;D

Nov

27

Air Asia VS Firefly @ Subang Airport!

Filed Under travel, photo | 11 Comments

Most of us are familiar with the LCCT as most of the time; we took Air Asia flights as it is rather affordable. And for the first time last week, I took the Firefly instead and have to go to the Subang airport, or also known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport.

It is an old on airport, built back in 1965 with the longest runway in South East Asia! Most of the places are under construction to turn it to an ultra modern hub, SkyPark.

Currently there are only banks, a diamond shop (who does diamond-shopping while waiting for flight?!) and the competitors, Air Asia counter in the airport! Not to mention, a small "mamak stall"-café known as 'Makcik Café', selling prepacks food!

And flying back from Langkawi, I was surprised to see the 'baggage claim' area which is at the entrance of a door. People were standing there, waiting for the flight officer to put our luggage at the door. The respective owners would then take their own bags. I saw a small conveyer belt by the corridor, which was for baggage claim in the future I suppose.

 
Well, although it was a little empty and boring and 'traditional', I find that it is more convenient to go as it is in Subang. I could take a cab from my house in PJ and it cost me about only RM25 per trip. I have to buy taxi coupon from the counter on the way home and it cost me only RM22 to go back to PJ. Much more affordable and save time on travelling to the airport compared to KLIA and LCCT.

And the Firefly plane was quite ok too. It was small planes like Air Asia's and it could seat 52 people. Check In baggage is free (oppose to AirAsia's baggage charges) and they even give refreshment in the plane. Just some biscuits and orange juice but still better than Air Asia.

And you get seat numbers in the plane as well. I am not sure if the numbers are assigned during booking or check-in though. :D  

Another thing that I like about FireFly is there is not as many passengers like in Air Asia, which means less queue and less crowd. But then again, it doesn’t fly to as many places as Air Asia. So yeah.. =)

Nov

27

A Picture Speaks A Thousand Words..

Filed Under photo, me, life | 3 Comments

I have become photography maniac when I got my 3rd current digital camera (Canon Digital Ixus 75) that enables me to take great pictures! I practically snapped everything new in sight, food, people, events and stuffs!

I took pictures of my new shoes, small silly or fancy stuffs that I bought, the flowers, people, anything! Whenever I have dinner/lunch during weekend, I took pictures of them even though I have dined at the same restaurants many times.

Whenever I go for trips, I would take a minimum of 500 pics, sometimes more than 1000! It is easy to take photos, just snapped on a button. It is digital, so it is free to take as many as I want.

But the thing is to organize, select and keep those pictures that I have taken! I tried to put every picture in respective folders with the date taken. Next, I have to delete those duplicates pictures, blurred pictures and ugly pictures. After that I have to reduce the size of pictures that I will never develop so it wouldn’t be too huge in size.

Then, I touch up those dark and dull pictures! That is plenty of work! There is more work when I want to develop some of the pictures, I have to select from the hundreds.

Not to mention for blogging purpose, choosing those pictures, arranged them nicely and put captions. Man, it is tiring! I spent four good hours last Sunday, arranging and organizing some of my photos taken in the last 5 months and it is still not completed yet! 

After I am done, with it, I will have to burn them into DVD for backup, not one copy but two! *tired*