Archive for the Category »Travelling in SE-Asia «

Universal Studios Singapore
11
September

Went on another whirlwind weekend with bf, this time to… SINGAPORE!! Being Malaysian and all, I don’t have a very good perception of Singapore in general – it can’t be helped, it’s in my upbringing!! ^_- hAHa! Despite the low expectations, the trip went extremely well – to the point I wouldn’t mind visiting again =)

Universal Studios Singapore

One of the reasons for enjoying myself so much was the day spent at Universal Studios Singapore!!! Since it only opened around March 2010 not all the rides and attractions are functioning/open for visitors which is a bit of a bummer, the guys were also a bit hungover so we didn’t go on many rides ^^;;

Universal Studios Singapore - BattleStar Galactica: Cylon!

Even with the lack of queuing for rides, it took us the day to go around the whole park (express pass is recommended if you plan on going on many rides – just not worth the queues!). Thankfully the day we chose was actually quite decent for a humid country like Singapore, sunny with a few clouds… it became quite stormy towards the evening just as we were leaving and finishing up our shopping though.

Universal Studios Singapore - Shrek Babiess

We could have probably spent more time in Universal Studios, but the weather quickly drains your energy and makes walking around in the humidity quite uncomfortable even with plenty of air-conditioned breaks. Overall it was a good experience with lots to see, many photo opportunities and great company. It would have been a little nicer if more of the attractions were actually OPEN or functioning though… I would recommend others to wait for all the attractions to open before planning a visit~

Category: Photo Blog, Reviews, Travelling in SE-Asia  Tags: ,  One Comment
Crazy Week …
07
August
Packing for Siem Reap - Dental Donations
many thanks to A (OralB) and S (DHAA) for their significant contributions!!

Mum (and I) tried to pack this way and that way 找一个办法带那么多牙膏和牙刷去 Siem Reap Angkor Hospital for Children. (Ref: Pre-travel Research)

At the end of the day, it looks like I’ll have to hand carry all my clothes because the bag is a bit over 15kg and AirAsia wants me to pay for an upgrade to 25kg?!! Geeze… I only wanted a bit of leeway incase I was overweight, not an upgrade. If they took body mass into consideration, I should be given at least 10kgs extra! Anyway,  I’m going to assume J isn’t utilising the 15kg and bum off her excess weight~

Other than packing there’s also been a lot of movement.

Hauling all the furniture off the carpet meant I had to box all my belongings and sleep Japanese style…

You don’t realise the number of possessions you have until you have to pack it all away! At least now I know I can survive on minimal number of clothing.

The repainting of the walls sure makes a room look new….

But it’s the re-carpeting that makes the room feel new!

Anyway, I suppose all the stress prior to departure will make me enjoy the trip even more friends

Category: Travelling in SE-Asia  Tags: ,  Leave a Comment
Pre-Travel Research
30
July

As many of my friends know, I like to research. It sounds harmless enough, researching is handy to make sure you know exactly what you’re talking about, or eating, or seeing, or getting into etc. The trouble comes when you research excessively to the point you think the stuff is rubbish and write your own account… I’m just a tad like that, not that far gone yet.

It wasn’t always like this, but the 6 years in tertiary education rewired my brain in it’s quest for knowledge (and I suspect a touch of PD too). Prior to this I was quite content with the answer of “Just Because”.

Anyway, this is my round-about excuse for my lack of updates as of late. I keep getting lost in my Pre-Travel Research for Cambodia and Thailand.

After you decide on a destination (which takes some research in itself), there’s a whole list of things to look into for each location (less countries = less research):

  • Accommodation – location, hotel vs hostel, reviews
  • Activities – type (leisure or extreme), location, cost, reviews
  • Dates – availability
  • Government Warnings – smartraveller
  • Insurance – budget vs comprehensive
  • Itineraries – self plan vs tour
  • Payment Options – Cash, Credit, Direct, Deposit, T/T
  • Registration - smartraveller
  • Safety Precautions – reviews, smartraveller
  • Sites to See – wikitravel, Canby (Cambodia)
  • Vaccinations - Chikungunya fever, Dengue fever, Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis, Hepatitis, Cholera, AIDS/HIV, Giardia, Salmonella, Typhoid…

To be quite honest I haven’t looked up much for Phuket because it seems to be well travelled. Siem Reap on the other hand has lots for me to look into… And now that it’s near my departure date, I’ve found myself some extra things to organise.

Cambodia itself has an extremely harsh history, and even now it is still struggling to form solid foundations for their most basic of needs.

I stumbled across the Angkor Hospital for Children, established by a NGO called Friends Without a Border, either through a review site or travel log… As a health professional, Angkor Hospital for Children really hits close to home because I know first hand how ignorance to the most basic preventive measures (washing hands, brushing teeth! etc) can affect someone’s life.

Anyhow, I’ve somehow turned my planned trip to see the Angkor ruins into a more meaningful experience. It’s a bit last minute but I’ve scrounged up some toothbrushes, toothpaste and my clinics old instruments for donation.

Now let’s just hope I get everything done on time with no hiccups!

Category: Dental Blog, Travelling in SE-Asia  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
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