Europe Calling

Europe’s Calling

2012. A perfect year to chase my ultimate dream – an Euro trip!! For me, age 25 is just nice. So, why should I take so long?? Yes, people would say Europe is relatively expensive, but there should a cheaper way!

I have been waiting all this while and saving every penny that I earned, read around the travel tips mostly about Europe, subscribed many types of travel magazines through newsstand, study the globe map, make friends so that I know the local culture, browse through the internet and the best part is to follow the Nomadicmatt travel blog so that I know the tips on how to save money for long travel trip.

So last week when I found out that Matt is giving away 12 days of Euro Trip, I felt like jumping from the chair. Yay! It’s my great opportunity. Well, who doesn’t want to travel for free, isn’t it? This is really cooollll, since I wanted to go to Europe soooooooooooo mmmmuuuuccchhh. Not in the other year, I want it to be an amazing and fantastic year of 2012!! Let’s see if I could make it this year (finger cross)

Nelly, please get back into our core business. Why do I want to go to Europe by right, and what am I going to plan while I am there. Hurm… I have plenty in mind, since I am so fascinated about Europe long before and always. I even bought the used Europe travel guidebook for MYR 20 (approx. 5 euros), printed in 1997, which was long and old enough. I know that I can’t rely on this, “it’s out dated”!

Apart from its cultural diversity, history and mouth watering food (sorry Matt, I copied this from you :P), Europe has lots to offer and still keeps its hidden secrets, I mean the breathtaking nature. I love nature and ancient city  (not to say that I am a traditional girl.lol) but it’s something very different from my hometown, not even likely in SE Asia. Here, we don’t have 4 seasons, and the only thing I could do to see the stunning autumn by using my iPad (while dreaming as if I’m going to Europe). I remember my friend from France told me that maple leaves vary greatly from one country to another across Europe and it’s beautiful especially during fall when the colours are changing.  So, my initial plan is to collect few maple leaves that fall down during the autumn from each city that I hit (maybe nobody wants it, but for me it’s very beautiful and valuable). I am so curious to see the difference between each of them (well, curiosity kills the cat). Next, I will pin them with the dates and place attached together into my personal travel book as the best memorable souvenirs from the countries I have visited in Europe.  I would like to appreciate the wonder of nature because for me going to Europe itself is a wonder. Oh, I can’t wait!!

To my surprised, Prague, Vienna and Budapest are listed in the World’s Top Walking Cities. So, what could I do when visiting all these 3 cities, I would put on a pair of comfortable shoes and walk around including the outskirt of the city as well. By walking, I believe that I could emerge myself into a local culture and experience it by myself.  From what I have read, these 3 cities are also known as “coffee culture” especially in Vienna. Being in each city for 4 days, I would like to try the “Kaffeehauskultur” (traditional way to drink a cup of coffee) in all the cities I have been to. We have some kind of coffee culture in Malaysia, but I want to feel different while drinking coffee in Europe!!

Vienna indeed is the 2^nd place for the World’s Most Livable Cities.  It’ll be my great pleasure if I could enter and visit Vienna’s Kaffee houses at least one, (but of course I want more, maybe twice a day so I can have more chances to taste more coffees), where I can sit down, relax and enjoy the view with refreshment while planning my visit. After all, Vienna is 2^nd World’s most livable city!!! It must be something even more surprising is waiting for me during the night; perhaps I could go to Hard Rock Café to enjoy life music and make friends. I want to see how the people here make Vienna’s so alive especially at night! The only Asian countries listed in the ranking are Japan (Osaka #12, Tokyo #18) and Hong Kong #31. European countries have conquered the list. Thus, this is the main reason I want to go to Europe, to experience the livable environment, which I may only get once in a lifetime.

Budapest – known for its reasonable budget city. Walking on the bridge, spending time in charming café’s with lively atmosphere always in my dream ever since. Apart from walking around the city, enjoy the night in Hard Rock Café, I want to ride out of the city as well (which I never did in Malaysia. lol). On the other hand, we always heard foreigners to teach English in Asean (South East Asia) countries for volunteer, but I want to do something opposite. How about I spend one day in any high school around Budapest (if I get a chance), and teach English for free? I would love to experience teaching in Europe where English is a second or foreign language. Okay, I know it’s not going to work, but still it’s great if I get that golden opportunity – mingle with the local people as well as gather a priceless traveling experience!

Renowned as a very ‘walkable city’, I would love to enjoy Prague’s sight and magical atmosphere by myself. Apart from walking and trying coffee in different café houses and again spending my night at Hard Rock Café, I want to try one thing that I have never tried before in my life, but I want to do it here, in Prague. Bungee Jumping from Zvikoske pohdradhi!!!! I bet it must be crazy and the best of all in my life!! It is the climax of my trip to Europe, where I have to risk my life. lol. If I have done things that I dreamt all this while, I think I have found a trip of a lifetime – traveling to Europe with bittersweet memories!!! I’m sure with the maple leaves pinned in my travel book; I could always look at them and smile all over again. It is a remark of each city I have been in Europe with it’s own unforgettable memory and valuable experience – in 2012.

What Should I do When I Miss Traveling?I Can Go Nowhere But Here

With my Couch Surfing friends from Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Brazil

My last trip was in January (end of January) but I can’t wait to travel more! However, my job makes me difficult to travel (sigh). So, what should I do when I am so into traveling but I can’t? so I decided to join the Couch Surfing community, and get as many friends as possible. I got it right when I would be able to welcome and meet new friends who came to my hometown – Besut, a place for living J

Where do I live? That would be an essential question. I live nearby Perhentian Island, about 8kn from the jetty. FYI, Perhentian Kecil is rated as Top 10 (#6) in CNN GO World’s 50 Best Beaches. So, could I give reasons why I should be bored and not meeting the tourist around the globe for coming here. Lol. This is the best opportunity to make friends and I feel like traveling again. SERIOUSLY! Most of the tourists I could notice so far are from Europe, but there are also from Japan, Tunisia, and so forth. Therefore, I have a better chance to learn about Europe – especially in terms of traveling tips, climate changes, cultural diversity and of course the hot spots should I hit while in Europe. Ah, not to forget, the do’s and the don’ts.

By far, I have met quite a number from England, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Finland, Tunisia, France, Italy and others. In fact, I hosted twice in 6 months, a Holland and an Australian girl. They are extremely friendly, polite and kind. Thanks for coming Saskia and Ebba! I love to have both of you here indeedJ. The rest, I just met at the jetty and have drink together while enjoying the conversation in the middle of gentle breeze in the late evening. Nearby the sea. I love it that way!

CS friend from Holland

Since I’m planning a serious and long period trip in future (which I don’t know when.lol), I’m making as many friends from Couch Surfing. Lots of them, so when I’m on my trip, I could meet and visit them in person(crossing fingers – my wish). It would be great (I believe so. Oohh! I cant wait!). not only from Europe, but I also make friends from Egypt, Turkey and Pakistan as well, Husan Zeb. He lives in Swat, (known as Switzerland in Asia). That would be my great pleasure to visit his place one day!

Husan is a good friend, and will always be. He keeps inviting me to his hometown (of course I wanna go, but I cant travel alone at the moment), offering me to be his guest. Thanks Husan, and all of you I have mentioned above or I missed out (my apology for that), for entering my humble life. You make my life even wonderful and meaningful J. I’d appreciate and cherish you for that (with my heartfelt gratitude from the bottom of my sincere heart)

CS friend from Adelaide, Australia

A bbq dinner, a night before we left the island

A Chinese friend, from Guangzhou

Altogether at once, we became close

Spanish couple, visited the bazaar during the Ramadhan

I Won The Special Prize from History Hidden Cities!!!

The certificate- the only thing I left.Hihi

It was awweesoommee!! I won the special prize from History Asia for winning a Hidden Cities contest back in January 2011. It meant everything for me, where I started to feel confident in writing my own travel experience at least. Hahaha.

I watched the advertisement on the television about 2 weeks before I departed to Cambodia on 17^th of November 2011. I went to Cambodia like for 8 days, covered Phnom Penh as well as Siem Reap. I got the idea to write about the life beyond the Tonle Sap, as for me it is kept hidden from the outer world.

Cambodia is a poor country as Pol Pots Regime not so long ago occupied it. So the people are still trapped under poverty until now. It was some kind of culture shocked for me as I saw so many people at night along the road during the weekends as it was the main and maybe the only entertainment that needed no money.

The best part was when we rode the “tuk-tuk”. It was like … aarrgghh! So funny but scary too! If you have the chance to come to Cambodia, you must try it! I bet you would remember it for the long time. (huuhu)

The proper food is quite difficult to find here, unless you went to the nice proper restaurant which a bit costly (they used US Dollars here).  Please be careful if you wanna buy the street food, but you might try it once J

From Phnom Penh, you might travel to Siem Reap (or vice versa) by air-conditioner buses that run everyday. It took about 6-7 hours, for only 6 USD (I found this very cheap. How about you?).and don’t worry about the hotels here. You may get the best deal; I thought it should be like 30 up to 50 dollars for nice double beds in a room.

In front of Angkor Wat

I’m so sorry, I cant give too much infos for backpacking style here or travel guide. I went there by travel agencies so I didn’t have a chance to survive on my own. Too bad isn’t it?hahah

Fish Spa in Siem Reap

In the Golden Hotel, Phnom Penh

Tuk - tuk in Phnom Penh

The market in Siem Reap

A school in Siem Reap

Nice hotel, Ta Phrom Hotel, Siem Reap

The child, asking for money by polishing the shoes

The sunset, at Tonle Sap, Siem Reap

The market on my way from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap

Angkor Wat - ancient city

Something i have never seen

Help the needs, i was touched by right

Enjoy the sunset at Tonle Sap

I love this photo!! Very much! the smile i mean

the village beyond the lake

Asian Pass - 7 countries, 9 cities and 11 days

Guangzhou City - on Chinese New Year

It sounds an adventurous trip for me. Yes it was but not only me, but also my 2 little brothers (now I feel that I have so much time to write about traveling- wow!). at first we only thought about traveling around Asean (you know it, South East Asia) but now we stretched our leg as Hanoi is near the Vietnam – Chinese border.

It was too challenging than we ever thought (although we knew it would be difficult at first). I started my study since July 2011 – as I was jobless at that moment. So I looked at any pages and websites that compares flight tickets, how to book hotel without paying- it needed passion and of course lots of work before hands. I didn’t want to give up. I found myself so into this traveling. I never gave up or felt bored. I learned so many things  and I started to take the reviews seriously ever since (where I always neglected before ..eee)

Too tired after walking full day non stop -
Hung Lom Station, Hong Kong

I know it! But it was a crazy idea even because we decided to visit 7 countries, 9 cities in 11 days. So which meant we were going to pull out our legs and use all the means of transportation provided. Our starting point would be Kuala Lumpur, then to Bangkok 

( see the link here – I wrote some tips as well our experience here too). Next we flew to Hanoi  (here) then cross the border to Guangzhou (well, this is the toughest part of all. You may read it here. Later, we took train to Hong Kong to watch the firework show on the 2^nd night of the Chinese New Year (look here) and jetfoil to Macau (see here) . In macau, I have to come back to Malaysia for my job while both of my brothers flew to Manila. Sorry guys, the time was not so right here. But, I would go to Manila, again!

Chinese New Year eve at Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi

p/s: thanks to my elder sister, for fetching me at the airport early in the morning after coming back from Macau. Love you sooo mucch!!!!

Enjoy our breakfast :)

In the cable car at Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Celebrating CNY at Yuexiu Park, Guangzhou

We love tuk-tuk, at Bangkok

World Heritage Park - Fisherman's Wharf at Macau

Glass Floor, Macau Tower

Brother-sister trip at Hanoi

We love Guangzhou!

Cruise and lights at night, in Guangzhou

Cheers, last night in Bangkok

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

It was Disneyland, Hong Kong

The Grand Canal Shoppe, Venetian Hotel, Macau

Colloseum, The Fisherman's Wharf, Macau

The view from top, Macau Tower

Enjoy the proper meal at Arabic restaurant, Bangkok

Travel - for a Start

Aww~Here it comes, my own travel blog!! I mean after 2.5 years thinking of one. Why is it now I choose to create it? I should have done this long before. No, it is the perfect time to write what I feel and what I have gone through, now I have that confidence – writing about traveling.

Born in a big family, not so wealthy and grew up in a village of Malaysia, I would never imagine myself to travel. My first nightmare was; traveling needs serious cash on the go! Wow! This is killing me, even anyone around me!

Nonetheless, everything had changed in 2010, when I succeeded completing my first overseas trip together with my university friends. Well, it was expensive but then not too expensive. We could control ourselves from overspending. Lol. It is all depends on what you wanna see and do while traveling.

My first trip ever has taught me so many things about values, how to respect other people’s culture, to be honest and discipline to oneself, and the most important thing is to be a part of the world – I mean as human being. It’s a great feeling that I could not describe here. Only travelers know~~hihi

Hurm.. what do I like about traveling?? Not to say it’s easy to answer, but I have so many things to describe here. Traveling is so addicted. Seriously! Maybe it’s about food (well, of course it’s yummy),  can I say for culture (yes, it varies greatly across boundaries) and perhaps PEOPLE itself (uuu..this is what I like the most – meeting unexpected people around the globe). Aha! I forgot to mention about places – some may opt to historical sites, or vibrant cities but I prefer the nature. (hope to go to Europe!!)

Oh,my! I am 25 years old this year! And I just traveled to only few places. (Okay, don’t be panic, Nelly. Your turn will sooner or later) however, I promise you, if you wanna travel around south East Asia region, I’ll try to help you as much as I could (I’m trying J). Just let me know, or add me on skype or facebook! See ya!