Going places : Quick tour of central Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX)

 Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX) means capital of Mexico.. a very colorful city which always being misunderstood by outsiders. Thanks to its high altitude, the weather is always cool and chilly all year long. You may notice the changes of four seasons but never too extremely hot or cold.. it is just nice and perfect for a daily stroll or bicycle ride. If you are a first timer, this is a list of must go places in central CDMX:

                                                    Aquario Inbursa - similar to Aquaria 

1) Polanco : Avenida Masaryk, Lincoln Park, Museo Sumayya, Aquario Bursa

Stroll around the posh Avenida Masaryk street lined with designer boutiques and artesanal stuff. Have a coffee or visit the morning market (every Saturdays) at Lincoln park. Walk a bit to check out the Antara shopping mall (it has a public play ground infront of Hamleys), Museo Sumayya and Museo Jumex. Bring your kids to enjoy the fish at Aquario Bursa.

2) Chapultepec : Park, Zoologico, Chapultepec Castle

Check out the huge Chapultepec Park for a picnic, a jog or even a boat ride. There is a train inside the park for you to enjoy the scenery and a merry go round to entertain the kids. A lot of local merchandise and food are sold here. Don't forget to visit the free public zoo.Also visit the Chapultepec Castle up on the hill to learn about Mexico history and enjoy the view.

Outside Palais de Bella Artes

Inside!

Pretty wall at Calle de Condesa (near Calle de Madero)

Calle de Madero is always alive !

3) Centro historico: Zocalo, Palais de Bella Artes, Calle de Madero, Avenida Reforma, Ciudadela

Get on the Avenida Reforma towards Zocalo by car or the various tourist buses to enjoy the historic and modern buildings assimilate together. Stop near Palais de Bella Artes (Palace of Beautiful Arts) and enjoy the many historic buildings around it. Walk through Calle de Madero (Wood Road?) to find small shops selling beautiful handcrafts and rows of coffee shops... at the end of this road you will find the famous Zocalo - a place where they declare independence and a center of various celebration. This place resembles Dataran Merdeka and its colorful, historic buildings around it. A MUST SEE. And its free! If you're looking to buy souvenirs, go to none other than Ciudadela, you can find all sorts of souvenirs here.

4) Condesa & Roma Norte

These two are photo worthy places which are lines with lots of hipster coffee shops and bars.

Some traveling tips :

1)Best public transport to stroll the cities will be the hop on hop off buses and metro line buses. 

2)Rent the public bicycles to enjoy the historical buildings and amazing views. 

3)The metro subway train connects most important places in the city but beware of pick pockets.

4)Wear your most comfortable shoes and clothes - usually shirts, jackets, jeans and sneakers are sufficient

5)Always check the weather forecast! The weather changes are sometimes quite extreme in CDMX.

6)Always alert with your surroundings - either from unwanted bad attention (thief, pickpocket) or the earthquake alert (sismo). Be in a green zone (safe zone) when you stroll around this humongous city. Best to keep yourself at the touristy places and avoid the shabby and small alleys

7) Learn few basic Spanish language ;) it may be extremely beneficial for you.

HK Quick Guide

updated with photo!

Hi all J I managed to squeezed this family vacation in November amidst a hectic schedule and an away husband. The plan had been made months earlier, and this time a record was set – all 9 members of the family (including 1 toddler and 1 infant) joined the vacation! So glad hubby decided to join too, or else he will miss the fun. Just to share some guides, perhaps some of you might land there very soon.

1) The flight is just around 3-3.5 hours, hence suitable to bring your children along.

2) Public transport are very efficient. If you plan to stay for long, please get an Octopus card (similar to Touch n Go) so you may move gracefully via public transport. Other means to pay is via bank notes and coins, but please remember busses won't give you change when you're overpaying (read : always keep your coins with you!!) Busses and subways (read: MRT) are every where, in HK Island you may even found a tram rail. Cabs are expensive.

3) If you plan to bring along a baby/small toddler and carry a pram around, perhaps it is easier to move by bus instead of subway because some subway does not have lift/escalators.

4) Beware : a lot of walking needed in HK! Almost everyone walks and uses public transport. If you're quite unfit, please prepare yourself before the journey!

5) Halal food is very hard to find. If you travel with families, please bring the necessities from your home country. So far our periuk/beras/maggi/sambal bilis experienced zero problem with the immigration.

6) If you don't want to enroll for tour packages, fret not. I believe you can plan your own movement (via public transport) provided you are equipped with maps and many hours of researching beforehand. Many major hotels provided half/full day tour so if you want to go to specific tourist attractions, you may approach them to book a place.

7) There are 2 major amusement park in HK, namely Disneyland and Ocean Park.

8) High end shopping districts including Causeway Bay, Wan Chai and Lan Kai Foong (here is also where Hard Rock Café is located – for all HRC hardcores out there). If you want authentic designer bags with lower prices compared to retail shops, you may want to locate ISA boutique (oh we loveee this boutique!) around HK Island and Kowloon area.

9) For souvenirs, head to the various flea/night markets available – Temple Market (MRT station: Jordan), Ladies Market (MRT station: Mong Kok), Stanley Market ( HK Island) to name a few. Don't forget to bargain, people! Among the best bargain available in Ladies Market is 6 souvenir HK shirts for HK$100. Keychain/fridge magnet can be obtain at HK$10 each or less J

10) Generally, hotel rates are expensive. So choose your hotel wisely and make sure it is near to MRT/bus station.

11) Among popular attractions are Symphony of Lights (MRT station: Tsim Sha Shui), Victoria's Peak, naik sampan in fishing village ( ni memang dah tak ingat ape namanya, tapi in HK island la), cable car in Ngong Ping etc.

12) If you want to avoid the pricey hotels in HK Island, you may opt to stay in Kowloon (mainland area. Among the best hotel locations are Tsim Sha Shui, Jordan and in Mong Kok because all are accessible via bus and MRT and the roads are so easy you will hardly lost.

13) According to the locals, the best time to visit HK is during Autumn and Winter simply because the air is cool and nice. Spring is not good since there will be thick fogs while during summer, it can be very hot and humid so not suitable for sight seeing L

Of Brunei and a bit of Labuan

This cute ornaments greeted us upon our arrival at the hotel

I spent the whole weekend including cuti Hari Wesak visiting my husband in Bandar Seri Begawan and a quick getaway to Labuan. Hence, some quick summary and tips in case you/me will need it soon.

Day 1
As soon as I arrived, we went to the hotel in Bandar (as the locals used to call it in short) for a quick clean-up and travelled via car to Kuala Belait(KB), to fulfill the invitation to attend Malaysians gathering and tadabbur Al Quran there. At first I was quite reluctant, but hubby insisted because he felt the importance to extend the networking to the fellow Malaysians in Brunei as he'll be staying here for quite some time.

The journey of 94 km to KB took about 1 and half hours (termasuk sesat dan simpang kecik)..Eventually when we arrived, they were half way through the tazkirah. We received a warm welcome from them and we chatted the whole night. They loved the fact that real PETRONAS people finally join them here..by the way most of them are Shell workers and O&G related contractors/consultants. We parted around 10.30pm and went back to Bandar.

Day 2
Our plan today is to drive straight to Muara and take a ferry to Labuan just for one objective - borong coklat! I heard it is far cheaper compared to Langkawi.Also the fact that I never step a foot to Labuan makes me very curious although everybody tried to convince me that I'll regret my trip there.Tapi takpelah, since I am already in Brunei and it's located very near to Labuan, then why not? Apparently the Bruneians also love to go to Labuan(on trip day) on public holiday just to enjoy the beaches and restock their chocolates :) The ferry trip took just about 1 hour (about 52 km-so solat jama' qasar is not allowed!).

We went straight to the shops,the only mall then makan.Since the weather is extremely hot, we went to the nearest hotel for some shelter..in the end kami terus pinjam toilet dan solat di sana, haha. Kemudian, we went back to the pekan for a last minute shopping of chocolates and kain batik jawa, then we waited to board the ferry at 4pm. The weather, however was not on our side as we faced a rough sea on the journey back to Muara..alot of people even puked on the boat! It took almost 2 hours for us to reach the jetty.

Some random fact that I note in my short trip to Labuan :

1. The pekan is very small, and the only mall was located opposite of Grand Dorsett. If only you could categorize it as mall, that is. However,there is one supermarket 'Parkson Ria' in there if you wish to buy some necessities.

2. To buy chocolates, you really need to compare the prices at few shops before you buy coz the prices might vary. Among the cheapest were at the mall (ground floor, near the taxi stand) where you can get alot of freebies (normally chocolates that are near expiry).The ones in the jetty are not bad too. Just try to avoid buying at the bigger and more established shops e.g. the airport :)

3. The shops operated half day on Sunday. So grab your things fast coz last minute shopping sometimes is not the greatest idea :)

4. Some recommended food place around town including Malindo(nasi campur) and Mawilla(for a scrumptious sotong tepung and black pepper crab).. I didn't get to enjoy Anjung Ketam (macam lah I makan ketam kan, I mean to enjoy other barbecued seafood delicacies there) and its alike though coz it opens only at night :(

5. The taxi charges were unbelievable. No metres were used, they just use their instict. For a journey about 4km they charged RM10 in average. So bring extra money or rent a car instead.
6.I secretly believe this island has potential to grow. If only it has the same chance like Langkawi.

Day 3 and Day 4
Not much on these days coz hubby is working. I just had a walk around the mall connected to my hotel and stayed in the room, enjoying the unlimited internet access-hence the post :)! At night, hubby drove me around Brunei for a sight seeing around town – including Kampung Air, Istana Nurul Iman, the magnificent gold domed mosques, up until near the boarder of Limbang! On Day 4, I was scheduled to go back to KL via the morning flight and leaving him.. :(

OK lets skip that part, just to share some guide and facts about Brunei :

1. This is a wealthy country and the ruler practically own everything. You will spend some time gawking at how beautiful is the mosques (especially the one with real gold domes) and how enormous are the palaces and even the massive royal car garage!

2. The locals pun boleh tahan hebatnya. You will see huge houses of the locals with average 5 or more cars in each compound. In short, they are living an easy and wealthy life.

3. Since the currency is high, you will find alot of things as costly. First to be noticed is the hotel rates and house rental rates. An average hotel will cost about 200 Brunei dollars per night. If you look for a nice and cozy hotel (but surely not cheap either:), The Rizqun (wah nama macam kat arab!) in Gadong area is highly recommended:) It has majestic interior and connected to a mall,and eateries are everywhere around this area.

The Gadong Pasar Malam is just a walking distance from The Rizqun..and it opens daily!

4. Food is never an issue here. If you crave for cheap and hawker style food, just go to the daily night market (near the Rizqun,also in Gadong area) that starts from 6pm onwards. Some of the must try local favourites are Nasi Katok, Nasi Pusu, Pais Ikan/Daging/Udang, roasted chicken and many more with average price of just 1 Dollar each! The tastes are heavenly good and great for your pocket too.

This cute little nasi bungkus cost 50cents (about RM1.20) each..but of course you wont be full by just eating one kan.

5. The favourite fast food here is Jollybee. However KFC, Mc Donalds, Pizza Hut and Coffee Bean is around too (just to name a few).

6. The locals looked alot like our own Sarawakians. You may recognize them by the way the ladies wear their tudung..its like, hurm have you seen the Brunei's Queen wearing tudung? Macam tu lah fesyen diorang. Darjah kebesaran dan 'Haji' is very important to be addressed too, hence pay special attention if you need to communicate with one.

7. Kuala Belait is among the famous town in Brunei because of the oil and gas industry-although it is a very small and quiet town. It is also very near to Miri -bear in mind that the border closed at 9pm, hence plan your journey well.

Likes : alot of tasty food, peaceful and wealthy country, alot of Islamic signage e.g. Subhanallah, Alhamdulillah,Allahuakbar on the roadside, no traffic jam. I met Malaysians who are so comfortable living here and taknak balik Malaysia.

Dislikes : High cost of living, not much modernisation, too slow-paced jadi kurang kena dengan jiwa saya haha

Quick Perth Summary :)

Managed to run away from work hassle (last minute!) and followed hubby for a company trip to Perth early this month. Company trip to Perth!! I know I'm jealous too, normally my company trip ke Kerteh,Melaka,Bintulu ajer but his...!! Like Hazel put it `biasenye company trip ke tempat2 best bos2 je yang pegi, kita takde harapan'.Ok lah tu babe ko dapat gi Africa business class lagi. Hehe ok just want to share a simple quick guide to Perth. Mine was quite smooth because my parents just went there last December and alot of friends studied there before. Since I just went there for a short while I only managed to cover Perth city area and not the suburbs :( So here it is!

1.Upon arrival,catch connects airport transfer to hotel.AUD18/person one way.Will drop you right at your hotel's doorstep.Taxi from airport to town will cost you approximately AUD40.

2.Criterion hotel(Hay St) is very near to Perth CBD,cheap rate(AUD110)with welcome drinks n free wifi.situated next door to Oleh2 Cafe(indonesian cuisine restaurant).Recommended and many Malaysians stayed there too because of the location.

3.Restaurant Indonesia Indah (halal restaurant) is at the roadside of barrack st,near to perth CBD.

4.Perth CBD consists of 2 large shopping malls with aisles n alleys in between..Myers and David Jones are among major tenants. Train station(komuter like) is just nearby.Hop to the nearest CAT(blue,yellow,red semua ada around this area) for a free bus ride.

5.Among must-go places:

1)Harbour town mall

-a mall with various branded stuff with factory price.there is halal food outlet: ISPA kebabs and Nenem's turkish cuisine.ride yellow CAT to harbour station

2)Fremantle

-a small fishing town with many historical places.go to Shed Market for a good bargain of souvenirs-walking distance from frematle train station.ride the train from perth train station for AUD3.7 perperson/return ticket.you can get good price of AUD9(family rider-5adults n 2 kids) on sunday:)it will take about 30mins to fremantle by train.other means:via cruise or bus.

3)Rottness island

-a beautiful island to enjoy scenery,history and snorkelling.Various tours to choose-main ferry operator is Rottness Express.Ferry can be taken from St barrack jetty(Perth city) or Fremantle.We just love the buffet spread at Rottnest Lodge,their pasta n cheese is delicious!

4)Northbridge

-you can find many restaurants here.Check out the famous apple strudels at Corica's.Ride blue cats to Aberdeen St,and you'll find the cafe on your right.

5)King's Park

-a beautiful park along the Swan River. Sadly I didn't get to go here sebab dah pulang awal sebab cuti 2 hari saje~! Pastu hubby shared pictures he went there siap fine dining sekali ngan consultant.Nyampah.

Some useful travelling notes:
1)Shopping hours is short,normally 9am-5pm.Weekend is even shorter,11am-5pm. Nightlife is almost none.
2)Convenience store and restaurant usually open until 10pm

3)Airport tax for KLIA-Perth-KLIA for both ways is about RM900 (incase you want to redeem your Enrich points, they just covered the airplane fare.Tax is on your own :( Or Airasia obviously offers a better deal though )
4)Equipped yourself with CATS transit maps n a simple perth map to ease your journey.Many of the places are accessible just by walking!
5)Australian visas to be applied electronically
6)Hotels are generally expensive over here with poor facilities.Even a 4 star hotel may cost AUD340 and didn't provide mineral water!WiFi pun kena bayar mahal.
7)Avoid bringing any food from your home country as australia is very strict.its either u need to declare the food you bring or they will rampas straight away.Don't worry about food in perth, there is plenty to choose from :)

Loved most : The beautiful scenery, the friendly and polite people, the excellent and FREE bus services, easy access to halal food

Don't really fancy : Expensive hotels and poor facilities! Even the internet fees is very high (we are so used to free WiFi in Malaysia)