Dubai & Abu Dhabi: Full Itinerary

Assalamualaikum

Alhamdulillah, kami dah selamat pergi dan balik dari United Arab Emirates..read it as Dubai and Abu Dhabi only. Dear readers, sorry for the prolonged silence and lacks of entries, in fact, no entries at all. We went to UAE on 30 January 2015 to 4 February 2015 and we traveled there by MAS. Since we took the Free and Easy (more like shopping, I guess) promo MATTA Fair package from Mahola Travel, we thought it's going to be a hassle-free and stress-free. Fret not, we encountered too many money-incurred situation.

We have received too many comments and emails, but we were too busy to keep up with the emails whilst juggling with work-life situation. We will try to respond to your emails whenever available.

30 January 2015

KLIA - DXB

Abjar Grand Hotel

31 January 2015

Abjar Grand Hotel
Naif Market
Phulwani Textile Shop
Desert Safari Trip

1 February 2015

Abjar Grand Hotel
Abu Dhabi Trip
Ferrari World
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Atlantis Dubai
Burj Dubai
Burj Khalifa
Dubai Mall 

2 February 2015

Gold Souk
Textile Souk
Phulwani, again
Naif Market

3 February 2015

Abjar Grand Hotel
Dubai Mall
DXB Airport

4 February 2015

DXB - KLIA

Inilah itinerary kami sepanjang bercuti di Dubai dan Abu Dhabi. Basically, you don't have to spend many days in UAE. Our tips, just take a long transit in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and book your hotel earlier. It will be much cheaper that way. Trust me, UAE is one of the world's most expensive country - especially on its hotel. Phewww. Cekik darah yang amat. InsyaAllah. Till the next entry, please stay tuned! :)

p/s: Sorry for the outdated post. Peace! Do keep reading our latepost okay! #kssh #ishin.fam

KSSH Familia

Assalamualaikum!

I know it's been awhile but heyyy, here I am! If you are looking for new updates, new posts are coming soon. But, I can never promise you that the posts will be out very soon. We had so many entries that was left unpublished.

So..finally, we're on Instagram. It's our new family instagram..well, just want to ensure fast updates to you, our lovely readers! We don't have any other Instagram account since we're not a technology savvy nor a media social geek. You may look for KSSH or ishin.fam or I don't know how instagram works but I will try my best to keep you guys updated from time to time. Anyway, thanks for supporting us!

P/s: Please don't look for it now..since it's totally empty and we just registered. Please expect a newbie updates okay! :) Thanks for reading and good night!

Hong Kong & Shenzen Holiday: Part 1

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله تعالى وبركاته

Lama sangat kami tidak menulis peristiwa-peristiwa yang berlaku sepanjang tahun 2014 yang telah berlalu kerana kesibukan mengendalikan kursus dan bengkel di pelbagai jabatan. Kebiasaannya pada hujung tahun kurang permintaan untuk kursus, terlintas di hati mama hendak bercuti bersama anak-anak dan destinasi yang dipilih adalah Hong Kong dan Shenzen, China. Setelah membuat perbandingan harga antara MAS dan Air Asia, kami memilih MAS kerana perbezaan harganya RM50.00 saja.

Seperti biasa kami tidak menggunakan khidmat dari agensi pelancongan, pemandu pelancong kami, Ili akan menyediakan itinerari sepanjang berada di sana dari hari pertama hinggalah pulang semula ke Malaysia. Memasuki Hong Kong tidaklah memerlukan Visa tetapi kerana kami akan ke Shenzen yang disyaratkan mesti mempunyai Visa, mama mengambil Visa di Malaysia. Walaupun pada mulanya, kami hanya bercadang ke Hong Kong saja, tapi memandangkan Shenzen terletak bersempadan dengan Hong Kong, maka, termasuklah Shenzen dalam plan kami. Walaupun Macau juga berdekatan dengan Hong Kong, tapi mama tidak mahu ke sana kerana Macau terkenal sebagai tempat perjudian. Bersambung kembali ke permohonan visa China, tidaklah sukar untuk menguruskan Visa ini kerana borangnya boleh diisi melalui online di SINI (Click Me!) dan dicetak untuk dihantar ke China Visa Application Service Centre Kuala Lumpur yang terletak di Hamsphire Place Office, Jalan Mayang Sari dari pukul 9.00 am hingga 3.00 pm. Bagi penghantaran borang di tingkat 5 dan untuk pengambilan Visa di tingkat 6. Sebelum penghantaran borang kenalah pastikan ada sekeping gambar berukuran passport, passport asal yang sah lakunya melebihi 6 bulan, salinan tiket penerbangan dan salinan tempahan hotel semasa berada di China. Bayaran Visa yang dikenakan adalah RM85.00 untuk single entry dan RM105.00 untuk double entry. Satu yang mama puji cara mereka bekerja adalah cepat dan teratur, tidak perlulah menunggu berjam-jam seperti di kebanyakan pejabat yang menyediakan perkhidmatan kepada pelanggan. Ini merupakan kunjungan kali kedua kami ke China tapi yang membezakan trip kali ini ialah kami akan ke Hong Kong dan Shenzen. Trip pertama kami ke Beijing beberapa tahun dulu, kami mengambil pakej pelancongan kerana masih lagi tak confident untuk travel sendiri lagi-lagi di China di mana warganya tidak fasih berbahasa Inggeris. Beza visa single entry dan double entry ialah single entry hanya untuk anda yang nak masuk China sekali sahaja sepanjang percutian anda dan double entry untuk anda yang bercuti di China tapi mahu ke Hong Kong dan balik ke China semula. Sila pastikan anda mengambil visa yang betul kerana kadar bayaran juga berbeza.

20 Disember 2014

Kami bertolak dari KLIA pada jam 9.00 am dengan jarak masa hampir 4 jam dan sampai di Hong Kong International Airport pada jam 1.00 pm. Setibanya di Airport, anak2 mama mengambil brochure di Hong Kong Tourism Board. Tourism Board ini terletak betul-betul di depan pintu keluar airport selepas laluan kastam. Seterusnya, kami membeli Octopus Card di Customer Service Centre dengan harga 150HKD di mana 50 HKD adalah deposit yang akan dipulangkan semula setelah kita mengembalikan semula kad tersebut, bermakna hanya 100HKD saja amaun yang ada dalam card itu. Anda perlu keluar ke Terminal 2 HKIA barulah anda akan jumpa Customer Service Centre. Ada beberapa pilihan untuk ke bandar dan jika anda mahukan yang murah, bolehlah naik taxi, airport bus atau train. Mama dan anak2 prefer menaiki bas dari menaiki train kerana harga yang jauh lebih murah. Airport Bus terletak di Hall B Arrival Hall (level 5). Kami menaiki bas no. A21 (HKD33) menghala ke Hunghom station dan turun di Stop 13 Nathan Road. Jangan risau jika anda tak sure hentian mana yang harus anda turun kerana ada dipaparkan laluan hentian bus dalam setiap bas. Perjalanan mengambil masa 50 minit ke 1 jam terpulang pada keadaan trafik. Nasib baiklah kami tidak perlu membawa beg berat dan menempuh orang ramai kerana hotel yang kami duduk berhampiran dengan hentian bas airport. Kami menginap di Hotel Benito yang kedudukannya berhampiran dengan masjid. Agak strategik dan juga dekat dengan Exit B2 Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station.

Puas juga kami mahu mencari Hotel Benito walaupun dah yakin kami berada di lorong yang betul. Rupa-rupanya, signboard Hotel Benito agak tersorok dari pandangan kami dan jalan besar. Nasib baiklah kami berhenti betul-betul berhampiran hotel, sempat lagi bertanya dengan pekerja-pekerja kedai walhal hotel betul-betul di belakang kami. Agak kelakar jugalah sebab kebetulan Ili lupa untuk print out address hotel tersebut memandangkan Hotel Benito ini kami buat direct booking to the hotel kerana harga yang ditawarkan mereka lebih murah berbanding di Agoda dan lain-lain. Kadang-kadang lebih untung jika kita buat direct booking dengan hotel berbanding menggunakan agent. 

Bila dah jumpa hotel dan check-in, perut pun mula lapar balik walaupun kami baru saja lepas makan dalam flight. Sempat jugalah kami masak dalam bilik hotel dan untungnya apabila anda membuat direct booking dengan hotel, anda akan mendapat lebih banyak benefit seperti wi-fi, access to lounge @ cafe dan free breakfast. Cafe mereka ada menyediakan unlimited juice and instant hot drinks, jadi memang kami gunakan dengan sepenuhnya. Hampir setiap hari tak kira malam atau siang, mesti kami lepak di cafe ini. Bila perut dah kenyang dan solat pun selesai, aktiviti seterusnya adalah mencuci mata sepanjang Nathan Road.

Hong Kong Tourism Board

Sila keluar ke Terminal 2

Customer Service Centre turut menjual tiket-tiket masuk ke Disneyland dan tempat tarikan lain

Laluan keluar dari HKIA

Bus Terminal Info Board

View from connecting bridge of Chek Lap Kok island

Kowloon Mosque

Sogo

Sogo during Christmas Eve

The Peninsula Hotel

Before the Symphony of Lights

During the Symphony of Light..any different?

Nights along the Avenue of Stars

Symphony of Light di Avenue of Stars adalah tempat yang menjadi tarikan kepada pelancong dan kebiasaannya ia bermula pada jam 8.00 malam selama 10-15 minit sahaja. Kami berjalan kaki dari hotel hingga ke Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade dan mencari lokasi yang paling strategik sambil menanti Symphony of Light bermula. Mungkin nasib tidak menyebelahi kami malam itu, tidaklah terdapat banyak sangat pancaran laser dari tempat kami menunggu. Ataupun, mungkin hanya itu saja show mereka. Tidaklah seseronok yang orang cakap. Bagi kami, best lagi show di Banpo Bridge Korea berbanding di Hong Kong. Indah khabar dari rupa. Semasa perjalanan pulang ke hotel, sempat lagi mama dan anak-anak mencuci mata melihat barang-barang yang dipamerkan sepanjang jalan sambil tangan laju je mengambil brosur-brosur makanan halal yang diagihkan oleh pekerja-pekerja kedai itu.


Bersambung lagi di Part 2!

Review: Benito Hotel, Hong Kong

Assalamualaikum!

Sorry for the long silence, been carried away with life matters. Somehow, I guess I've lost the passion to write and where has all the passion gone? Whatever it is, let's continue with the not-so-fabulous-review-writing.

HOTEL BENITO (Click me!)

Okay, what's up with this hotel? First thing first, Hong Kong is known for its high-rises city and accommodation is one of the biggest expense to consider when travelling to Hong Kong. And, we, without doing further study about Hong Kong, bought a flight ticket for 5 days during the most busy and peak season while only few months left before the trip..luckily we don't go for more days since most of the hotel are fully booked. Apartments are done, hotels were mostly full and where should we stay?

Alhamdulillah, Benito has come to the rescue where they still have vacant rooms for 5 to 6 people and seeing from its price-wise and location-wise, we definitely gonna go for it. We would strongly recommend for you to book directly from their website since the price are wayyy cheaper than those offered by the agents. To spice things up, Benito offers more facilities to guests whom went through their website such as free breakfast, unlimited wifi and access to their lounge - completes with tidbits, juices and free refill of instant coffee and tea. Doesn't that makes you happy? As a Muslim, we can't just simply dine anywhere and having a free flow of hot chocolate drink after a tiring day really help us.  

Let me tell you something, their wifi were superbly fast and the location is good. I would say, if you're coming from the airport, both MTR (Tsim Sha Tsui station, Exit B2) and airport bus (A21) are convenient since the MTR station and bus station are just miles away from the hotel. You can ask for special arrangement with the hotel but it is advisable for you to just take a train or bus since it's cheaper.

Please do not expect something lavish when you book this hotel as this is not a 4 star or even 3 star hotel. For us, as long as it pays the price and worthy, we are more than satisfied. We book a room for 6 people and we get a 3 queen size bed with a partition that separate the beds and we called it a space for privacy, together with a separate shower and toilet. It is really comfy, spacious and clean too. Oh, we met other Malaysian staying at this hotel so do expect to meet fellow Malaysian in this hotel.

I'm bad at taking good toilet photos.. 

See? Separate shower and toilet

1st queen bed with partition. Extra privacy, isn't it?

2 queen beds on another partition side

Call it lounge, call it cafe, call it anything you like

Business center on each lounge corner

Last but not least, you'll get best price if you book early and fret not, their receptionist able to speak just the perfect amount of English. Oh, not to forget, to my fellow Muslims, you can perform your prayer at the Kowloon Mosque or dine anywhere nearby as Tsim Sha Tsui are famous for its halal restaurants. 

Attraction places are just around the corner but still, expect some tiring walking to these places:

• Nathan Road
• Kowloon Mosque
• Kowloon Park
• Jordan Road
• Avenue of Stars
• Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade
• Symphony of Light
• Park Lane Boulevard
• Mira Hotel (in case if you're looking for a hotel)
• Imperial Hotel (in case if you're looking for a hotel)
• BP International Hotel (in case if you're looking for a hotel)

Got to go! Thanks for staying with us! Happy reading and happy holiday!

p/s: Reminder to those staying at this hotel. Benito Hotel's entrance located at the junction of Cameron Lane. You might miss their entrance, so please look for pharmacy or Tissot Watch Shop if I'm not mistaken. Peace!

Will this time be different? Change your attitude but don't lose yourselves.

Review: Abjar Grand Hotel, Dubai

Assalamualaikum!

Sekarang tiba-tiba ada mood nak post as many entry as possible. Now, I'll introduce you to Abjar Grand Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Anything in Dubai is ridiculously expensive, just name it. From hotels to metro, everything costs you a dollar.

Abjar Hotel is a 4 star hotel located in Deira, just 5 to 10 minutes drive from Dubai International Airport. The nearest metro station is Abu Hail Station which only few miles away from the hotel. Keluar saja dari hotel, sudah boleh nampak Abu Hail station. Location, I would say just okay since it's nearby to metro station but quite far away from the local market. Please read local market as souq or shopping mall. The area are quite busy during the night but fret not, it's easier to get taxi or bus around the area. This is how Abjar Hotel looks like from far, so expect some noise during the day or night if you're facing the main road. 

We stayed here for 3 nights with breakfast and lunch provided. Foods are okay as they serve local cuisines and simple Western dishes but the seating area in the restaurant seems limited during the breakfast time on peak season. Wifi is chargeable on daily basis and no free wifi even at their lobby - which we hate this part so much! We really need free wifi access everytime we are away from home so this is one of the bad side.

Rooms are dark but spacious, and their interior looks classy with a gist of Arabic and modern Western design. They only provide free shuttle to Mamzar beach so don't expect any shuttle to shopping mall. One thing for sure, upon your check-in, receptionist would request for your passport and hold it until you clear up the Tourist Tax. Yes! Starting 2014, all visitors staying at any hotels in UAE are expected to pay Tourist Tax in conjunction with their upcoming Expo 2020. Save some money on this before you splurge em'. 15 dirham per night per room, so we had to pay 45 dirham for one room for 3 nights. 

Abjar Grand Hotel

Toilet

Entrance

Room interior for Superior Twin Room

Rest area

Twin Sharing Room

Looks classy and neat

Gelap kan?

Abu Hail metro station

If you plan to stay here, do visit their rooftop swimming pool. You can get amazing view of the Dubai city at night. There will be a non-stop flight departing from Dubai Airport and you can chill out on the rooftop while seeing the flights went off the runway. Till soon! Happy reading and happy holiday!

"Travel the world, it is your choice to live the moment"

Hong Kong & Shenzen Holiday: Full Itinerary

Assalamualaikum

Alhamdulillah, kami dah selamat pergi dan balik dari Hong Kong dan Shenzen. Kebetulan time kami pergi, kawasan pantai timur di Malaysia dah teruk dilanda banjir. Semoga semua mangsa banjir tabah dan bersabar serta banyakkan berdoa agar dipermudahkan segala urusan. Okay, back to the topic, since we keep on getting emails asking about our itinerary, cost, tips, dan lain-lain plus we need to write exactly the same thing, again and again, tapi kat orang yang berbeza...so, I decided to post our itinerary during the trip and will try to describe everything in detail for the upcoming posts. Confident je boleh tulis detail kan, nak tulis blog pon dah berbulan baru continue balik.

20 December 2014

KLIA - HKIA

Hotel Benito

Nathan Road

Parklane Boulevard

Kowloon Mosque

Avenue of Stars

Symphony of Lights

21 December 2014

Hotel Benito

Aberdeen Fishing Village

Central 

Masjid Ammar and Osman Ramju Sadick Islamic Centre

The Peak

Star Ferry Harbour Tour

Victoria Harbour Waterfront

Hotel Benito

22 December 2014

Hotel Benito

Central Exchange Square

Ocean Park

Mr Kebab Cafe

Ladies Market

Sneakers Street

Hotel Benito

23 December 2014

Hung Hom Station

Hong Kong - Shenzen Immigration

ZTL Hotel

Window of the World (WoW)

Dongmen Pedestrian Street

ZTL Hotel

24 December 2014

ZTL Hotel

Dongmen Pedestrian Street

Muslim Restaurant

Shenzen - Hong Kong Immigration

Sheung Shui Station

HKIA - KLIA

Ni lah itinerary kami sepanjang bercuti kat Hong Kong dan Shenzen. Part Star Ferry Harbour Tour tu, suppose kami memang plan nak ambil Harbour Tour tapi dah terlepas masa so inilah tempat-tempat yang sempat kami pergi. Costing untuk fees entrance dengan bus fare nanti kami cerita kat next entry okay! InsyaAllah. Till the next entry, please stay tuned! :)

p/s: This was written months ago so please bear with the outdated post. Peace!

ATCO: Part 2

Assalamualaikum

Entry ini just nak continue kesinambungan dari cerita ATCO PART 1 di mana bila dah lepas 1st stage, second stage adalah ujian PAC. Ujian PAC ATCO tidaklah sesukar ujian PAC PTD tapi agak berbeza sedikit dengan ujian PAC PTD. Make sure anda bersedia mental dan fizikal sebab bila dah sampai stage ini, possibility untuk anda terpilih adalah tinggi. Time ujian PAC ini lah anda akan jumpa dengan pegawai-pegawai ATCO dan akan melalui beberapa ujian saringan. I went through all the stage and yes, I didn't make it sebab I'm not ready yet. Tanggungjawab nak jadi ATCO ini sangat tinggi dan anda haruslah seorang yang yakin, focus dan positif since tugas yang anda akan galas sangatlah penting dan melibatkan nyawa orang lain. Kalau interested dengan kerjaya ini, anda haruslah fasih dalam berbahasa Inggeris sebab once dah jadi ATCO, anda akan seat for English related exam. One thing that you should know, even though the salaries is trulyyyy awesome, the risk that you have to bear is also high. ATCO adalah antara kerjaya yang menawarkan gaji yang lumayan but bear in mind that, bebanan kerja dan jadual kerja ATCO bukan macam normal office hour tetapi jadual kerja syif - 2 hari kerja dan 2 hari cuti dan seterusnya. As for me, I find it hard to work on shift basis timetable sebab I really need my weekend. So, please think wisely!

PAC stage ini usually akan diadakan di DCA offices seluruh Malaysia. First sekali adalah registration and please don't be late! After dah register, there you go - waiting time. Boring and nervous since you have to wait for your number to be called. First ujian adalah colour blind test. Memang tak susah tapi bagi sesiapa yang ada masalah rabun warna memang susah nak lepas. Ujian ini serupa macam time anda nak ambil ujian memandu. InsyaAllah boleh lepas sebab tak susah mana pun.

After dah settle buat colour blind test, waiting time lagi sekali. Then, you will be asked to perform the pilot-ATCO conversation with all the weird pronunciation and basic English. What makes it hard is when you're not that familiar with the aviation language. Just google it if you want to practice and make yourself knowledgeable with aviation phrases. At this point, be confident and speaks clearly. Do commit minimal mistake and please refrain yourself from stuttering while reading the dialogue. Act fast and response to your partner. Just work in a team, and never over-powered your partner though it is okay to outstand a lil bit over your partner. Once you're done with the dialogue, you'll be given a text to read and understand. Bear in mind that, you need to remember important points from your reading as the panel's questions will be related to the topics given. Topik untuk teks ni selalunya aviation related, macam hijacking, airport or anything that has to do with aviation. And for the questions, kadang-kadang common sense, dan selalunya boleh dapat jawapan from the text given. Focus at your own text sheet sebab you gonna get different text from your partner. Jawab dengan confident, even ayat dalam English kelam kabut till the end. Never give up during the test, especially when you're in the middle of it.

Last stage during PAC adalah group discussion. Choose a topic among your teammates - ini group besar tau, maka persetujuan bersama adalah penting. Once dah pilih topik, speak up your mind together with your teammates. Again, work together sebab you'll be evaluated on that. Never remain silent kalau tak nak markah rendah. Share your knowledge and ideas dengan team sebab at the end of the day, anda ditugaskan untuk present. Kalau anda ada masalah gemuruh dan segan, abaikan saja muka-muka teammate anda sebab kebarangkalian untuk anda berjumpa mereka lagi adalah rendah unless, anda dan teammate anda terpilih untuk jadi ATCO. So, do your best and speak for yourself. Kalau rasa nak support argument team member anda, sangatlah digalakkan tapi please do it ethically. I mean, janganlah provoke or against point dia, kesian team member anda nanti. Lagipun, anda bukan dalam debate competition nak kena oppose and propose. Pay your friends a little respect too. Dah present, selesailah program PAC anda.

Next, kalaulah ATCO memang rezeki anda, insyaAllah anda akan dipanggil untuk last stage iaitu The Interview! Interview ini macam nak interview kerja saja. Yang penting, prepare yourself dengan aviation knowledge in case panel tanya anda aviation related questions. Panel akan terdiri dari seorang wakil DCA dan seorang lagi wakil SPA. Just ready macam nak attend interview kerja - baca pasal DCA, airport, aviation, special event di Malaysia and OH! sila ambil tahu pasal current issue dan perihal Malaysia seperti menteri-menteri di Malaysia.

p/s: Jangan risau jika anda tiada background sains tapi berminat nak kerja ini sebab saya juga pelajar business dan lulus sampai ke stage interview, tapi ATCO mungkin bukan rezeki saya! :)

GOOD LUCK!

Tips: Musafir Travel Cooker

Assalamualaikum

Since ada yang bertanya, maka terjadilah entry ini. Sebenarnya, dah lama nak buat entry pasal travel cooker ni tapi selalu tertangguh...tertangguh ye bukan saja bertangguh. Oleh kerana, kebetulan semua laptop rosak, jadi, perfect timing untuk come out with new entry selalunya terganggu. Alhamdulillah, curi masa sikit nak post another entry. Kami bukan dapat sponsor pun untuk entry ini, just nak tolong travellers yang tengah sibuk mencari travel cooker untuk kegunaan semasa melancong. 

Bagi kami, travel cooker ini memang sangat convenient and reliable. Very compact and space saving. Actually, dapat tahu pasal travel cooker ni pun bila dalam misi food hunting with family. Kebetulan, bila nak bayar dekat cashier, nampak travel cooker kat display table mereka. Apa lagi, macam pucuk dicita ulam mendatang la. Haha. Boleh guna ke ayat ni? Tak kisahlah. Bila sesi soal jawab di cashier berlansung, rupanya mereka memang menjual travel cooker ni. Seriously, this travel cooker is highly recommended for travellers! Even kalau bukan travellers pun, travel cooker ni still convenient kepada mereka yang selalu outstation.

Front View

Side View - Sorry, most of the pictures are blurry!

Another side view - Travel cooker set

This is how it looks!

Maaf kerana gambar tak berapa nak clear sebab penulis blog gelabah nak cepat, konon-konon busy. Though the pictures was taken by slr, the outcomes wasn't that good. Siapa cakap pakai dslr, gambar mesti jadi cantik? Skill dan teknik juga penting kalau nak gambar jadi cantik. Tiada gambar close-up kerana "what you see is what you get". Gambaran yang diberi kat side view packaging travel cooker ini memang sama dengan apa yang anda akan terima. 

Bila beli travel cooker ni, anda tak perlu nak risau whether travel cooker ni boleh diguna atau tidak di negara yang berlainan voltage sebab travel cooker ini dilengkapi dengan dual voltage. Boleh adjust voltage sama ada 240V atau 110V, or more or less macam itulah. Travel cooker ni juga dilengkapi dengan adorable spoon-fork - hanya satu sahaja dan bukan set. Jadi, kalau nak guna travel cooker ni, it is advisable to bring your own spoon-fork set. Lagi senang dan tak leceh time nak makan sebab provided spoon-fork adalah sangat kecil. 

Berminat? Kami tak jual tapi boleh click SINI dan dapatkan satu untuk anda! Oh, kami dah beli 2 untuk koleksi family sebab travel cooker ni memang convenient. Sambil masak nasi, sambil panaskan lauk. Iyelah, time travel kan nak kejar masa. Bila dah penat sehari suntuk berjalan, mesti perut dah lapar. Tapi, kalau ada satu je, nak kena tunggu nasi masak dulu baru boleh reheat lauk. Boleh buat gaduh nak tunggu makanan ready ni. Haha.

Kalau anda stay area Selangor or Kuala Lumpur, maybe boleh pergi directly kat restoran Hj Sharin Low (012-373 1999) atau hubungi nombor yang tertera kat kotak Musafir Travel Cooker (03-5121 7719). Kami just pergi kat restoran je sebab alang-alang nak beli travel cooker, bolehlah alas perut sekali. Tiga iklan dalam satu entry. Haha :)

p/s: Alhamdulillah, dah ramai mula dapatkan khidmat consultant kami. Bagi mereka yang berminat untuk kursus-kursus perkhidmatan seperti MPKFM, terutama kepada jabatan-jabatan dan agensi kerajaan, bolehlah hubungi kami di sarismatc@yahoo.com :)

Tak salah berkongsi rezeki kerana dalam setiap bahagian rezeki kita 

terselit rezeki hamba Allah yang lain

How We Survive: Kansai Trip!

Assalamualaikum

Tak larat nak update entry pergi ke Kansai, Jepun sebab balik-balik je Malaysia, terus kena komited dengan kerja. Alhamdulillah, kami dah selamat pergi dan balik dari Jepun dan lega bila the most havoc family gathering at Vietnam pun dah selesai dengan jayanya. Nak handle trip paling ramai bila pergi oversea ni bukan senang tau, dah macam private travel agent dah time bercuti di Vietnam. Baiklah, bila entry suppose cerita pasal Jepun, tapi writer dah terpesong ke Vietnam, haruslah focus semula. Tips and travelogue akan menyusul kemudian, InsyaAllah, kami akan try update as soon as possible.

Entry ini actually nak promote and recommend travel pass yang available di Jepun. Untuk pengetahuan anda, Jepun banyak menyediakan tourist pass hanya untuk para pelancong yang datang melancong di Jepun. Bab ni paling best sebab dengan penggunaan tourist pass macam ni la anda boleh save dan jimat duit untuk melancong di Jepun, ehem, Osaka and Kansai area. Kami hanya sempat cover beberapa tempat di area Kansai sebab masa dan hari yang agak limited. For first-time-being-tourist-in-Japan, I have to admit that Japan railways network are massive and much more complicated than Korea or any other place. I even took few months just to find greatest tourist pass that fits for all the densha - 'train' in Kansai, and at the same time, cursing the map for being too tough and crowded. Sangat complicated berbanding subway di Korea. Em, baru study map Kansai dah pening, kalau tengok map Tokyo mesti lagi pening.  

Let's get back to the point. Untuk percutian kami selama 5 hari di Kansai - we stayed at Namba, Osaka - kami hanya beli dua jenis tourist pass which are KANSAI THRU PASS (2 days) and OSAKA UNLIMITED PASS (2 days). Bagi kami, among all the pass, both pass definitely gives the best value! Sesuai untuk percutian bajet dan tak nak pening-pening kepala beli tiket setiap kali nak naik train. Kami boleh siap keluar masuk station banyak kali sebab sekejap nak pergi tandas la, sat lagi nampak baju nak singgah la, so, dengan adanya dua tiket ni, tak perlu nak risau salah station ke or nak naik banyak kali dalam sehari.

Kansai Thru Pass ada 2 jenis, 2 days pass and 3 days pass. What's so special about this pass? Kansai Thru Pass cover 6 area di Kansai iaitu Wakayama, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Shiga dan Hyogo. Jika anda nak naik densha dari Osaka ke Kyoto, bolehlah naik Hankyu Line atau Kintetsu Line. Ada juga alternatif lain untuk ke Kyoto, just study saja provided map tu. Jika anda beli 2 days pass atau 3 days pass, anda boleh gunakan pass ini untuk 2 or 3 nonconsecutive days. Contohnya, kalau anda pergi ke Kansai selama 6 hari dari Isnin hingga Sabtu, so boleh gunakan pass ni untuk hari Isnin, Rabu dan Khamis or apa-apa turutan as long as anda guna pass tu ikut pass anda (2 or 3 days pass). Kami just beli 2 days pass sebab harga pass ni boleh tahan juga. Bila dah plan itinerary dan buat bajet, kami just beli 2 days Kansai Thru Pass dan 2 days Osaka Unlimited Pass. Nak tahu kenapa? Teruskan membaca :) 

Okay. Kansai Thru Pass ni memang berbaloi jika anda plan untuk cover area Kansai dan bukan hanya berjalan di sekitar Osaka. Kalau just nak berjalan sekitar Osaka, better beli Osaka Unlimited Pass sebab pass ni hanya cover Osaka City. Tapi, diingatkan yang kedua-dua pass ni tak cover JR Line dan jika anda just nak naik JR Line saja, boleh beli tourist pass yang lain. Pergi je kat Tourist Information Center once dah sampai di Kansai Airport dan tanya mereka tourist pass yang mana sesuai untuk itinerary anda. Anda boleh tengok di website jika nak tahu jenis kemudahan yang ditawarkan kepada pelancong yang beli tourist pass ni. Bila anda dah bayar dan register di counter mereka, anda akan diberi 1 tourist pass dan 1 guide book - boleh request nak English, Chinese or Korean - memang sah la akan ambil English kan. Dalam guide book pula akan diberi 1 map dan discount coupon untuk tempat-tempat tertentu. Harga untuk 3 days pass ialah 5,000 Yen dan 2 days pass pada harga 3,800 Yen. 

Osaka Unlimited Pass pula hanya cover Osaka city which means anda hanya boleh naik Osaka municipal subway saja jika anda beli 2 days pass dan certain train lines and Osaka subway jika anda beli 1 day pass. Agak membazir la kalau nak beli 1 day pass saja sebab harga tak banyak beza dengan 2 days pass. Please be aware that Osaka Pass can only be use for consecutive days, so plan your itinerary properly or else you gonna waste your money for nothing. The best part is, Osaka Pass ni bagi free entrance to many attraction place kat Osaka ni. Totally worth it! Sebab itu la kami still beli Osaka Pass ni hanya untuk dapatkan free entrance, dan nak bagi lagi excited, anda boleh naik cruise for free! Cakap sikit, negara mana ada bagi Cruise free? Memanglah kena bayar time nak beli pass ni tapi anda akan dapat jimat banyak jika beli pass ni. Sangat banyak beza jika anda beli tourist pass ni berbanding beli direct ticket dan entrance fee. Lagipun, cara perkiraan ticket subway dan train di Jepun agak berlainan dan mungkin akan ada kesilapan dalam membeli tiket. Prices for 1 day pass and 2 days pass are 2,000 Yen and 2,700 Yen, respectively. Bila anda beli Osaka Pass ni, anda akan diberi 1 pass, 1 guide book dan 1 envelope coupon seperti di atas.

Kami hanya spend RM215 untuk seorang bagi kedua-dua pass sepanjang berada di Kansai hanya untuk pengangkutan dan kami memang just bergantung kat pass-pass ni je untuk berjalan. Memang puas hati! Kalau anda nak ikut itinerary kami pun okay saja. Kami guna Kansai Pass untuk hari pertama dan hari keempat sebab nak save duit naik Nankai Line dari airport sampai ke Nankai-Namba Station.

Day 1: Osaka - Kobe - Mt. Rokko - Osaka

Day 2: Osaka City

Day 3: Osaka City

Day 4: Osaka - Nara - Kyoto - Osaka

Kedua-dua pass ini hanya boleh dibeli sekali sahaja sepanjang percutian anda dan hanya pelancong selain warganegara Jepun saja dibenarkan untuk membeli. Anda perlukan passport dan jangan lupa flight ticket in case mereka nak tengok. Jadi, jika nak belikan untuk orang lain, make sure anda ada passport mereka dan flight ticket. Tourist pass ni ada banyak jenis, so kalau anda rasa tak berbaloi, boleh la beli tourist pass yang lain. Kalau tak tahu nak plan itinerary, boleh tengok recommended course dalam website tourist pass ni. Let me remind you again, that you gonna walk all day long, going up and down the stairs just to catch the trains - surely drain you out cause that's what happened to us. Penat yang teramat sampai everytime dapat seat dalam train or subway mesti lepak habis. Itu tak apa lagi, yang bagusnya kat Jepun ni, di setiap station mesti ada lift or escalator. Lega bila dapat jumpa escalator bila kaki dah totally lenguh. Oh, both pass need to go through the usual lane and didn't work like Touch & Go card or T money card, so please insert the pass at the right place. Do visit their webs if you want to know more about this fantastic Osaka Pass and Kansai Pass!

What matters the most when travelling is not where you go, it's who you travel with instead.

Alhamdulillah - Thank you Allah for the happiness and blessing :)

Review: Osaka Floral Inn Namba

Assalamualaikum

Alhamdulillah, we safely arrived! We managed to survived in Kansai without getting any tour guide assistance, and yes, still within the estimated budget. As usual, accommodation would be the highest priority for anyone travelling away from their home country. Dan macam biasa, apartment memang jadi keutamaan kami bila travel negara yang memang susah nak cari makan...lagi - lagi bila pergi dengan parent yang memang perlukan nasi. Bagi mereka yang memang fasih nak bercakap dalam Nihongo, memang nak cari makan kat Jepun ni bukanlah masalah besar bagi mereka. Okay, back to the topic.

Since kami book hotel agak lewat - walaupun still few months earlier, tapi, most apartment are fully booked. Mungkin tiada rezeki kami nak stay kat apartment di Kansai ni. Though we managed to covered few places in Kansai, we still had our 4 nights stay in Osaka. Maka, disebabkan apartment dah fully booked, kami pun terpaksalah beralih ke hotel. Nak cari hotel with the finest spot and close proximity to subway station pun dah jadi satu problem lagi since kami memang focus untuk cari any hotel within the Namba district, sebab Namba itself is an attraction spot in Osaka. Lagipun, bila pergi dengan parent yang tak berapa sihat, keutamaan untuk cari hotel yang betul-betul dekat dengan subway station memang on top of the list. Mula-mula memang dah jumpa satu hotel yang affordable and Muslims-friendly, unfortunately, that hotel (Dotonbori Hotel) was fully booked. Please take note that we made the reservation few months earlier, as if 8 to 9 months earlier. Maknanya, memang laku hotel-hotel kat Osaka ni. Time-time tak dapat hotel ni la start nervous sebab pelik kenapa cepat sangat dah fully booked walaupun tengah winter season. Luckily, Alhamdulillah, dapat satu hotel yang quite close to subway station and located exactly in Namba area and Dotonbori street. Yeay, boleh shopping malam-malam.

A dalam map di atas refer to Osaka Floral Inn Namba. Lokasi business hotel ini memang strategik dan betul-betul terletak di antara Namba Walk exit B24 dan B26. The hotel were very close to Nipponbashi Station, Den-Den Town, Namba City, Dotonbori street, Kuromon Market, Ebisubashi-Suji and Shinsaibashi-Suji. If you're planning to go to Nara and Kobe, you can just take the train from Kintetsu-Nipponbashi Station. It's a very short walk to Nipponbashi Station and also Namba Station. Taking the Nankai Line from the airport to Namba? Definitely a Yes! since you can cut-off the waiting time and experiencing hassle free with no traffic congestion. Just take the Nankai Line from the airport to Nankai - Namba Station and follow the underground passageway to Namba Walk where it is easier for travellers with massive baggage. Mungkin bila tiba di Nankai-Namba Station, anda akan sesat tapi just follow the direction given. Dah sampai di Namba Walk, anda akan jumpa banyak exit, so sila cari exit B26 untuk ke Osaka Floral Inn Namba. Macam kami, bila banyak sangat buat research pasal laluan subway ni, ada orang cakap Nankai Line ni agak jauh dari Namba Station (padahal boleh ikut laluan underground straight sampai Namba Walk), so kami pun naik Nankai Line dari airport ke Nankai-Tengachaya Station dan transfer ke laluan subway Sakai-suji Line (Tengachaya Station) menuju ke Nipponbashi Station. Mana-mana laluan pun okay sebenarnya sebab bila turun di Nipponbashi Station, memang lagi dekat untuk pergi ke hotel.

Rate hotel boleh tahan untuk servis yang diberikan sebab hotel-hotel kat Jepun ni memang mahal-mahal pun. Tapi, diingatkan yang lobby hotel terletak di Level 2 jadi anda perlu naik eskalator menuju ke Lobby. The bad news about the hotel is, there will be only a one way escalator that will running downward till afternoon and they will change it to upward from afternoon till the next morning. So, jika anda tiba di hotel ini pada waktu pagi dengan luggage yang banyak, sila naik ke Lobby dan jumpa dengan Receptionist untuk request angkat luggage ke hotel. Nasib baiklah kami tanya dulu sebelum angkat luggage berat-berat tu naik tangga. Lega bila dapat tahu ada hidden lift untuk staff sahaja. Disebabkan time check-in hotel pada pukul 3 petang, so kami just tinggalkan je luggage dekat Lobby sementara tunggu waktu untuk check-in. Check-out time pula pada pukul 10 pagi.

Since kami pergi bercuti 1 family, terpaksa la book dua bilik and gladly, we got both rooms on the same floor. Phewww. Lega sebab nanti bila nak makan dan bersiap untuk berjalan, just lari pergi bilik sebelah je. Kalau anda bernasib baik, anda akan dapat room view facing bangunan-bangunan di Dotonbori dan jika anda tak kisah bunyi bising, kebanyakan bilik akan menghadap jalan besar yang agak sibuk tak kira malam atau siang. For Muslims, nanti boleh refer another blog post for halal food info's, InsyaAllah halal dimakan sebab kami pun dapat info dari kawan yang belajar di Jepun. Berdekatan dengan hotel juga terdapat banyak kedai-kedai makan dan shopping street sesuai untuk mereka yang non-Muslims untuk food hunting. Even kat bawah hotel pun ada Family Mart - lebih kurang macam 7E untuk memudahkan anda yang menginap di hotel ini untuk beli barang-barang keperluan. Kalau nak beli barang mentah dan barang basah seperti taugeh dan lain-lain, boleh la cari di Kuromon Market. Overall, the stay was okay for us and we met Malaysians staying at the hotel as well. But, if you're looking for a wider room space, you might consider another hotel around the Namba city. Pictures may not do the justice, so, please browse along the hotel reviews before sealing the deals with them.

Above pictures are double bed room which can occupy only 2 pax in one room. Bear in mind that, most hotels in Japan has strict policy on the number of person staying in a room. So, if you need to accommodate more people, it's either you pay more or just find another hotel. Bilik untuk bertiga tak sempat nak snap sebab dah totally exhausted bila check-in bilik malam tu. Bilik untuk tiga orang agak sempit kalau nak dibandingkan dengan bilik berdua. Tapi, kalau setakat nak rehat dan tidur, tak ada masalah even bilik sempit sebab price and service provided agak memuaskan. Rugi la kalau pergi negara orang tapi stay dalam bilik je kan. The best thing about the hotel, definitely, the location. Despite of the room condition, I would give extra marks for the strategic location and would love to stay here again. 7/10 :)

'Biasakan yang betul dan betulkan yang biasa'

Slipped Disc or Herniated Disc

Assalamualaikum

It's February, finally! Can't wait for the time to come. InsyaAllah, soon. Topic untuk entry kali ini khas untuk pesakit tulang dan urat, just teringin nak share something beneficial kepada anda. Since mama adalah salah seorang pesakit slipped disc, memang tak tahan kalau tengok mama bila sakit ni tiba-tiba datang. Mama selalu cakap biar sakit beranak lagi dari sakit slipped disc. Maknanya memang sakit yang amat sebab slipped disc ini tiada ubat, jadi pesakit slipped disc hanya boleh bertahan dengan pain killer atau buat rawatan fisioterapi. Tapi, ubat pain killer ini tak digalakkan untuk daily consumption sebab takut mendatangkan sakit yang lain nanti. Whatever it is, kurangkan bergantung dengan ubat selagi anda boleh bertahan sebab terlebih consume ubat adalah bahaya lagi-lagi untuk budak-budak. Okay. Back to topic.

According to Wiki, slipped disc or herniated disc is actually grown together with the adjacent vertebrae and can be squeezed, stretched and twisted, all in small degrees. It can also be torn, ripped, herniated and degenerated. Disc herniation can result from general wear and tear, and such as when performing jobs that require constant sitting and squatting. However, herniation often resulted from jobs that require lifting.- This was taken from Wiki, please do more reading on the Internet if you're eager to know more. If you require more info and what could cause the herniation, please seek and consult the experts! I mean, doctors! :)

What am I going to share here, are some famous traditional practitioner - Pakar Tulang Tradisional Cina dan Melayu. Kadang-kadang memang kita akan was-was dengan mereka tapi sentiasalah beringat yang kita hanya mencari ikhtiar untuk sembuhkan penyakit, tapi yang sembuhkan penyakit kita hanya Allah s.w.t. Jadi, tak salah kalau kita cuba nak cari macam-macam cara - biarlah yang rasional dan halal ye - asalkan tak melampau sangat sudahlah. Mama dah pernah pergi 2 tempat ni tapi dua-dua kat Johor ye. Agak jauh bagi mereka yang duduk kat Utara sana. Tapi, kalau anda bercuti di area Johor Bahru, bolehlah pergi di tempat pakar tulang ni. Sila jangan expect mereka - pakar tulang ni as doctor ye sebab mereka adalah pengamal perubatan tradisional yang guna herba-herba dan pakar urutan untuk tulang.

Pakar Tulang Tradisional Cina ni memang famous kat Johor. Kalau tak silap, pernah keluar tv lagi sebab ramai orang pergi sini untuk dapatkan rawatan. Bayaran untuk sekali sesi rawatan hanya RM25/seorang dan walaupun anda akan terkejut time sampai sebab terlalu ramai orang, jangan risau sebab masa rawatan mereka agak cepat. Memang ramai yang dapatkan rawatan kat sini, jadi kalau anda ada masalah tulang atau slipped disc dan seumpamanya, bolehlah try datang berubat kat sini. Beroperasi dari hari Isnin hingga Sabtu dan tutup hari Ahad. Tiada nombor untuk dihubungi jadi sila gunakan khidmat GPS sebaiknya. Bila dah sampai area Kg Ungku Mohsin ni, tanya je dengan jiran tetangga di sana, InsyaAllah mereka boleh tunjukkan. Alamat rumah (name card mereka sudah hilang, harap maaf):

No 6 Lorong 1, Kg Ungku Mohsin, Johor Bahru, Johor (Uncle Chong)

Lagi satu tempat yang mama pernah pergi, still dekat area Johor Bahru tapi uncle ni adalah Melayu dan tidak mengenakan bayaran yang tetap. Ikut anda nak bagi sumbangan berapa dan masa rawatan agak lama. Pakcik ni pun famous bila bab-bab tulang dan urut-mengurut ni. Tapi, bagi perempuan yang masih muda tak digalakkan pergi sebab cara rawatannya tak berapa sesuai untuk mereka yang masih muda. Alamat rumah:

Jadi, terpulang kepada anda nak pergi yang mana satu sebab dua-dua pun okay juga. Biasanya rawatan ni memerlukan masa yang agak lama, tak ada lah pergi sekali terus dah sihat kan. Yang penting kita usaha untuk merawat penyakit, yang menyembuhkan semuanya kerja Allah. Kalau rasa nak try buat rawatan di atas, bolehlah cuba di pakar tulang cina sebab memang senang nak cari rumahnya. InsyaAllah, kalau tak dapat sembuh, sekurang-kurangnya dapat kurangkan sakit anda. :)

"Sesungguhnya sakit dan ujian itu adalah penghapus dosa bagi seseorang muslim."

Tips: Hello Korea!

Assalamualaikum

Selamat menyambut Awal Muharram! Tahun baru dalam Islam yang menandakan bertambahnya lagi tahun dalam kalendar hijrah Islam, Alhamdulillah, masih bernyawa :) Disebabkan excited sangat pergi bercuti di Seoul Korea, so agak rajin nak mencari macam-macam info kat Korea ni. Mind you, tips-tips ni kami share dengan harapan dapat membantu anda yang nak travel without tour guide, so, we'll be glad if you find it useful - thanks! but if you're not, then - mianhamnida (sorry!). Haha. Sigh. Apapun, ini hanya pandangan kami dan terpulang pada anda untuk menilainya. Yang baik itu daripada Allah dan yang buruk itu daripada kami.

Shopping Tips: Pergi SINI untuk dapat discount ketika shopping di Korea. Good bargain okay sebab anda boleh save duit dengan adanya extra benefit ini. Website ni memang best sebab anda boleh print out sebanyak mungkin discounts and if you're lucky, you'll get a great offer from the participating outlet.

Currency: Korea hanya menerima Won tapi Japanese Yen tak sure. Sila tukar duit siap-siap kat Malaysia and the exchange rate would be around 1,000won = RM3.00 or more or less. Nasib-nasiblah sebab time kami pergi, RM tengah jatuh so agak rugilah sebab nak kena spend duit lebih sedikit.

Helpful Website and Apps: Memang banyak sangat website yang boleh anda jadikan guide and reference jika nak bercuti di Korea. Some of it boleh dapat through blogwalking dan juga through Korea's Tourist website. Dari link-link website ni, anda bolehlah start plan itinerary dan jadual sepanjang percutian anda. Kadang-kadang dari sini, boleh juga jika anda nak estimate cost supaya taklah lari budget anda nanti. Kalau anda ada smartphone, bolehlah install apps yang ada kat website-website ni.

• Visit Korea: A helpful website of describing beautiful Korea.
• Visit Seoul: A must visit web if you travel on your own. Seoul area only!
• Seoul City Bus: The best way to travel Seoul in a day - except if you're a truly healthy-fit-and-eager-to-walk in Seoul :)
• Korea Be Inspired: From this website, you'll get updated with latest events happen in Korea.
• Hi Seoul!
• City Discovery
• E Book: Dalam banyak-banyak website, yang ni paling best sebab boleh download Ebook for free. Ohhh, seriously. Even downloading the Ebook(s) makes me happy! There's too many and easy to browse too. Make sure you got your Ebook on your smartphone! What I did in Korea - tunjuk saja mana-mana building yang nak pergi tu kat siapa-siapa and for sure mereka akan guide anda since the Ebook provide both English and Hangul language. My sincere advices, go get this two Ebook - Korea Travel Guide and Restaurant Guide for Muslim Visitors.
• Another Ebook!: Recommended Ebook - Seoul Travel Guide, Seoul Tourist Map and Walking Tour Guide Map.

Food & Beverage: I guess, it's never be a problem for non-muslims to travel anywhere, huh? Foods are everywhere and to some extent, you might feel bored with Korean food. Maybe our tongue used to Malaysian food kot since we met some Malaysian, and of course, non-muslims who tired with the taste of Korean food and indeed, craving for some nasi lemak. Haha. Truly Malaysian, right? But, trust me, for those yang pernah try kimchi in Malaysia and tak suka, please try kimchi in Korea. Tasted better than what we have in Malaysia. Original from Korea la katakan, mestilah lagi sedap kan. Tteokbokki is a must try food kalau pergi Korea tapi halal atau tidak, wallahualam. Some said halal and some not, maka terpulanglah kepada anda. Tapi, kalau nak beli pon, make sure kedai tu tak jual benda-benda yang tak halal - pork and alcohol. Since kami stay di apartment, makanan tak jadi masalah sangat untuk kami. Tapi, kalau travel negara asing dan tak rasa makanan mereka macam tak puas je jalan kan. So, sometimes, we had our brunch or light breakfast at Lotteria and Paris Baguette. Oh, kalau nak try halal Korean food, bolehlah pergi ke Murree Restaurant di Itaewon sebab mereka ada serve Korean dish walaupun tak banyak mana. Too bad for us sebab time kami pergi, kedai ni tutup - mesti tengah sambut raya ni, jadi tak bolehlah nak komen whether sedap atau tak masakan mereka. Jumpa satu kedai turki - Mr Kebab kalau tak salah tapi memang sedap. Even Korean pun ramai makan kat situ sampai sempatlah owner kedai tu gelak ketawa dengan mereka. Go and check it out! Islam itu mudah tapi janganlah kita rumitkan lagi. Bila dah timbul perasaan was-was tu, baik jangan makan atau beli okay. :)

Paris Baguette: Halal Certs News, kalau rasa macam was-was nak makan kat sini, janganlah makan. Kami pun tawakkal je beli roti kat Paris Baguette ni, tapi roti kat sini memang sedap! Outlet Paris Baguette ni memang banyak. Jalan sedikit saja dah jumpa lagi satu outlet. A must try drinks kat sini is Caramel Macchiato, memang sedap! Kat Paris Baguette ni pun kami hanya beli roti yang berunsur vegetarian, jadi kalau rasa tak yakin, jangan beli roti yang ada meat based. Kalau rasa was-was juga, jangan beli kat sini. Ada lagi satu bakery yang InsyaAllah halal iaitu Salam Bakery yang terdapat di Itaewon. Please please please rasa baklava kat Salam Bakery ni especially yang baklava coklat. Seriously sedap sangat. Tak pernah lagi jumpa baklava coklat macam yang ada kat sini. Haih, teringat dah rasa baklava tu. Rugi tak beli banyak sebab memang sedap. Craving for chocolate baklava, where on Malaysia can I find it? Gulp. 

Lotteria: Lotteria ni sort of McDonalds or KFC la sebab outlet Lotteria ni memang banyak. Kalau nak order kat first-fast-food-brand in Korea ni, make sure order Shrimp Set or Squid Set sahaja. Again, kalau rasa was-was, jangan makan tau. Wallahualam.

Attraction:

• Lotte World: Admission fee are vary depending on your preference. Please click HERE for more details. 
• Everland: Adult admission fee is 44,000 won but they gives discount to foreigner. Please click HERE for more info.
• The Trick Museum: Similar to the one that we have in Malaysia - I City Trick Museum. But of course, this one is larger and more tricks to offer. Located in Hongdae and will cost you 15,000 won per person for entrance fee.
• Mount Seorak: Boleh pergi ke sini dari Express Bus Terminal, beli tiket bas ke Sokcho, dan dari Sokcho Terminal Bus, naik bas 7-0 or 7-1 ke Mount Seorak. Perjalanan dari Seoul ke Sokcho lebih kurang 3+- jam sehala sahaja, so please plan betul-betul jika nak ke sini. Ada orang prefer stay 1 malam di Sokcho supaya tak terkejar-kejar. Kalau nak pergi daytrip to Mount Seorak, kena bertolak awal pagi dari Seoul sebab perjalanan agak jauh. Paling penting, kalau hari hujan, batalkan saja niat anda sebab sangat bahaya untuk anda naik ke Mount Seorak.
• Aiins World: Miniature of attraction and historical landmarks / building from all over the world. Admission fee is 10,000 won and they got our Twin Tower here. Truly proud! Getting here is quite complicated though as it quite far from the city.
• Jeju Island: Beautiful island with breathtaking ocean view. Best enjoyed if you spend few days here. Will visit here someday, soon! Accessible by JEJU AIR. There's a Jeju Air counter in Seoul Station.
• Busan: Tourist love to sunbathing and relaxing at the Haeundae Beach - Busan's no. 1 beach. Busan is surrounded by mountains, beaches and seas. Thus, the best way to travel within Busan is riding the Busan City Tour.
• 5 Palace: Entrance fee for each palace - Gyeongbokgung 3,000 won, Changdeokgung 3,000 won, Deoksugung 1,000 won, Changgyeonggung 1,000 won, Jongmyo Shrine 1,000 won. Among all these palace, only two palace were awarded under UNESCO protection which are Changdeokgung and Jongmyo Shrine. Plan your visit as some of the palace will be close on Monday or Tuesday.
• N Seoul Tower: Also known as Namsan Tower, located at Namsan Mountain. The best building to watch scenery in Seoul. Some recommended it would be best viewed at night, but I prefer the daylight scenery. There are three way of getting here - either by Namsan bus, Seoul City bus or Namsan cable car. You can try the Namsan Oreumi for free while others will incurred cost. Admission to observatory is 9,000 won while the Teddy Bear Museum is 8,000 won. Return cable car from Namsan to N Seoul Tower is 8,000 won.
• Hangang River Cruise: Another best way to take a look at Seoul City either during daylight or night. The cruise fare are vary according to the place you board the cruise. There are 3 docks where you can board the cruise - Yeouido, Jamsil and Ttukseom port. The fare starts as low as 11,000 won for adult. Please refer HERE.
• Banpo Bridge Fountain: It's free and picturesque! The harmonious fountain together with the songs would soothe your mind and soul. Luckily it was just 15 minutes only. Nearby subway station is Dongjak station but advisable either to take the bus or ride the taxi if you go for the last show. 
• Namsangol Hanok Village: A cultural and heritage place where you can see hanok village - the traditional house located in the bustling and busy Seoul city. Why you must visit this place? Because it's free! And there's cultural show some more, free tea testing ceremony, free hanbok experience and lots more. Yes, all this for free! :)

Banpo Fountain Bridge

Transportation:

• Subway: Subway adalah cara paling senang nak travel kat Korea ni sebab banyak transit and various line. Tapi, disebabkan terlalu banyak line, make sure anda naik subway yang betul. Fyi, subway di Korea ni terlalu banyak exit atau gate. Jadi, kalau anda tersilap gate, maybe anda akan keluar di gate yang jauh daripada destinasi anda. Maka, dengan adanya Ebook di atas - Seoul Travel Guide, ada provide map with certain nearest subway to attraction places. Tapi, jangan risau. Kalau sesat juga, di setiap subway station ni ada signboard menunjukkan each gate menuju ke mana. Tak faham juga, tanya je kat siapa-siapa. But, let me remind you. This used to be my biggest concern as we went there with our parent. Please don't expect their subways are similar to us sebab there's too much stairs! Some of the subway are not senior-friendly though. Kalau pergi dengan orang tua anda, naik bus adalah cara yang paling selesa dan menyenangkan sebab tak perlu turun naik tangga ala-ala tangga di Batu Caves. Please don't tortured or bullied your parent with the stairs punishment - it's just too tired thinking about the stairs! Haha. Memanglah setiap station ada lift, tapi bukan semua exit ada sediakan lift or escalator. Bagi mereka yang dah biasa naik LRT kat Malaysia, subway ni bukan masalah bagi anda. Subway pun salah satu cara untuk jimat tapi setiap kali anda naik even hanya untuk 1 station, still akan dicas 1050 won. Jadi, kalau larat nak jalan, better jalan je. Macam dari Seoul station ke Hoehyeon station, walaupun hanya 1 station, anda masih akan dicas 1050won. Kalau dalam sehari tu, lebih sepuluh kali anda tukar-turun-naik subway, lebih dari 10,000won dah kena charge. Jadi, kalau nak jimat, macam kami, bolehlah naik Seoul City Tour Bus. Selesa, selesa dan senang :) Kalau nak pergi long distance destination, boleh juga naik Korail, sort of keretapi laju - macam dari Seoul ke Busan.
• Bus: Kalau nak naik bus, anda bolehlah naik di Seoul Station sebab Seoul Station ni memang macam KL Sentral. Bus, subway dan long distance train juga senang diakses dari sini. Kalau nak pergi long distance destination, anda bolehlah beli tiket bas di Express Bus Terminal. Express Bus Terminal ni macam Pudu Sentral. Nak pergi Mount Seorak, boleh beli tiket di Express Bus Terminal dan beli tiket ke Sokcho.
• Seoul City Tour Bus: The most easiest way to travel Seoul. Up till today, Seoul City Bus ni ada 3 courses yang bawa anda to different routes. Please refer HERE. And if I'm not mistaken, the fares are vary for each course and as for me, the night course bus is the most unworthy because you just gonna had your sightseeing tour in the bus without any stops. There will be 30-minutes interval between buses or sometimes, may be more or less than that. So, plan your trip wisely okay? :) Oh! If you pay the fare using T Money card, just get in the bus and you gonna pay it on the spot. No need to queue up at the counter ticket. Easy, right? Em. Some might think it is a waste for taking up the bus courses, but if you went to Korea with elders or children, you'll know why we prefer to rode the bus. Apparently, during our visit, that was the best alternatives for us, after looking at the very-busy-subway-and-super-high-stairs! Fuhhh.
• City Circulation Course: 12,000won (dah naik harga padahal harga minyak Malaysia yang naik, confused jap sebab budget dah lari)
• Cheonggye and Palace Course
• Night Course

Stopover for City Circulation Course

Accomodation: Walaupun kami tak stay kat tempat-tempat ini, we listed out hostels and guesthouses for our reference and comparison. We ended up choosing Brown Suite Residences for us to stay since the location is good and that's the best resort that we had. Since we're looking for a place where we can cook, some of the hotel listed below provide a kitchenette in hotel room. So, sesiapa yang nak cari bilik or hotel yang bagi anda memasak, bolehlah tengok senarai di bawah. Ada yang affordable, ada yang nearby to subway station dan ada juga yang near to shopping street. Do take a peek on their webs - please click on the link! 

• J Guesthouse
• Kimchee Guesthouse
• Hostel Korea
• Doo Guesthouse
• Beewon Guesthouse
• Malaysian Homestay Gangnam
• Seoul I Guesthouse
• Studio 41st
• Crib 49
• Family Housetel
• Pencil Guesthouse
• GOM Guesthouse: Mereka sangat friendly and response dengan cepat. Ada kitchenette untuk anda masak di dalam bilik.
• Hyundai Residence: Affordable. Quite far from main attraction and subway.
• Daelim Residence
• Brown Suite Residences: We stayed here and the city view is great!
• Gongdeok Stay 7 Residence
• Fraser Place Residence: Too pricey and luxurious stay. Near to Brown Suite Residence.

Shopping Spree: Tell me who doesn't loves shopping? Sometimes, travelling to other countries could awake the monster inside you, especially, ladies. Korea might be the best place for shopping at a very lower price. I got myself a facial mask and it costs me 10,000 won for 10 pieces. Ain't it cheap? I love to compare the merchandise sold in other country with Malaysia before purchasing it. And most of the time, things are slightly cheaper here than Malaysia. Cosmetic, beauty and personal care, clothes - depends on your preference and of course because the discount coupon provided on their webs, and bags. Only ladies would finds these stuffs interesting! Oh, I bought scarfs and shawls in Itaewon and Myeongdong for only RM10 per piece which I regret for not buying it more. The scarfs are wider and longer than what we had in Malaysia and super cheap too! I should grab more. Sigh. In Seoul itself, there's lots of underground shopping street and also those along the subway station. Gangnam also famous for their longest underground shopping street. We bumped into many shopping area along the street to Dongdaemun. Itaewon have lots to offer since its a place for foreigner and you shall see some foreign brand boutique in here. If you're looking for bedsheets, curtains and quality clothing at cheaper price, you can do so in Dongdaemun. For souvenir and gift - brooch, necklace, fridge magnet, keychain and nail clipper etc, you can get it in Namdaemun. For beauty care and accessories lover, you really need to see the streets at Myeongdong. Other than that, like Insadong and Hongdae, it's more to culture and relaxation place.

Souvenirs!

Must-go-places:

• Seoul Culture Centre: A place to experience Korean culture and free hanbok experience. Situated in 5th Floor, M Plaza at Myeongdong, in front of Innisfree Outlet. Need to do some reservation before 3 pm due to very packed slot. If you really want to experience the hanbok, please reserve one day earlier or you gonna miss the chance as there's too many demand for hanbok. Oh, crazy enough with K-pop dance? You can do so here by register yourself at the counter.
• Nami Island: A must visit place to complete your trip to Korea. Should spend few hours here, in a manmade island - great scenery with breathtaking view. Best time to visit are autumn and winter. There are 2 way of getting to Nami Island - by ITX train (from Yongsan Station / Cheongnyangni Station to Gapyeong Station) or Namiseom shuttle bus (all include package, click HERE). Naik train lagi murah tapi flexible, naik shuttle bus kena make sure anda punctual kalau tak nak kena tinggal bas. So, choose wisely. Admission fee is 8,000 won including return ferry. We booked the shuttle bus few months back but since we can't make it for the payment appointment, we just took the train. And, yes, glad that we took the train! Oh. Mind you that the train ticket is selling fast, so, please buy the ticket first upon your arrival to the respective station. You surely don't want to spent your time wandering around the subway station like we did, right? Sigh.
• Myeongdong: Fashion lover? Cosmetic maniac? Yay. It's a total heaven for youth and teenagers. Crazy about cosmetic stuff - BB Cream, Facial Mask etc? Just name it - there's too many of them. Banyak sangat accessories outlet, cosmetic and beauty outlet, cafes and shopping mall too. Bought several shawl and pashmina here, which is very cheap compared to Malaysia! Sampai sekarang still rasa tak puas nak cuci mata kat Dongdaemun. Haha. Couple dalam WGM pun pernah shooting kat sini. Woohoo! :) One great tips: Since there's too many outlet, most of them come out with good marketing ideas which is - free sample and various free gift for different outlet. Terbaik! Worth every won that you spent. What makes a girl happy? Free cosmetic gift! Kat Malaysia tak ada pun nak bagi free gift ni. I would say, free gift is the best way to attract more customers, especially for ladies. Ada kedai yang memang dah letak free gift dalam bakul, asalkan masuk tapi tak beli pun tak apa.
• Namdaemun: Best place to shop! Orang Malaysia selalu akan cari bangunan ni untuk shopping barang secara borong dan bawa balik Malaysia. E Lengdang or E World. Susah nak bargain sebab harga barang kebanyakan sudah murah.
• Dongdaemun: Clothes, clothes, and clothes! Another shopping spree time for fashion lover. Tapi tengok musim juga. Kalau pergi time winter, memang semua pun dok jual baju sejuk. Herm.
• Itaewon: Muslims definitely will love this place! It's a place for foreigner. Biggest mosque in Korea - situated in Itaewon. Route to the mosque is hilly and will drained you out, so take your time and take a break at any cafe here. Great place for shopping and dining. Banyak restoran halal terdapat di Itaewon - Murree, Siti Sarah, Mr Kebab, Turkish Restaurant and many more! Em. Masjidnya terletak agak jauh kat atas bukit, jadi kalau pergi dengan orang tua anda, sila bagi mereka naik taxi dan anda menapak sampai ke masjid. Hehe.
• Namsan Mountain: Seriously. You need to go here. Best place in town to watch the best view of Seoul. Some would say night will be the best and some will say during the day gives you the best moment. So, experience yourself! Dua-dua pun best. Ada 3 cara nak pergi sini. Naik cable car to Namsan Tower or naik Namsan Bus / Seoul City Tour Bus or exercise naik bukit sampai atas. Kereta persendirian dan taxi tak dibenarkan naik ke atas. Kalau nak jimat, sila naik Seoul City Tour Bus.
• Hongdae: I would say Hongdae as the youth street. Lots of cafes and clubs where to some extent, you might bump with an artist if you're lucky. Why youth street? Sebab terletak berdekatan dengan Hongik University. Memang tempat pelajar lepak dan bersosial.
• Insadong: My fave hangout place! I just love spending the night at Insadong street. Shall I compared Insadong to Central Market in Kuala Lumpur? I guess the 'feel' being at these 2 place are somewhat similar. If you're an art lover and eager to know Korean culture, please visit this street! You'll see many couples here. Insadong street tak sebusy dan sehavoc Dongdaemun tapi anda akan rasa tenang. The street musician will spice up the night at Insadong and of course, free music okay!

Nami Island

Nami Island

Must-have-and-bring-item:

• T Money: If you're on your own, getting yourself a T Money card is really handy. T Money works exactly like the Touch and Go card except this card is much better in terms of its usefulness. Going from places to places is easy as you can just touch it and go - applicable to all the subway station, buses and train and to add the value, you can shop at selected convenience store using this card. It's great right having a card that works for two?
• Maps and Guide Book: Upon your arrival at Incheon airport or any airport in Korea, there always a rack full of free maps and travel guide books. Make yourself comfortable by taking the free travel guide provided there. No worries as the language will be in English and Hangul.
• Umbrella: Be it short or long legged umbrella, it's good to have one. Weather in Korea tend to change rapidly. Now you're good to go and suddenly the rain falls. Precaution action helps your holiday plan, smoothly, right? And fret not, if it rains, you can grab one at the subway. It's available everywhere! A shocking moment to me where almost everyone, including men, crossing the roads while holding a colourful umbrella. A scene that you can't get in Malaysia, I guess. I could say umbrella is the trend during the bad weather in Korea.
• Handy calculator: Shopaholic? You gonna need this. Kalau susah sangat nak communicate, just type the figure you want. Even the owner used calculator when there is any communication breakdown.
• Dictionary: I bought one but we never had the chance to used our dictionary. But why? Cause we get eager everytime we arrived at the destination and it's hard to always carry around the books while your hand already full with maps etc. Instead, you can just highlight or remember few Korean vocabs so it easier for you. Annyeong - hello, kamsahamnida - thanks, pali pali - faster, aniyo - no, ne - yes, olma eyo - how much?
• Medicine: As always, please be prepared.
• Electrical Appliances: Travel adaptor - Korea use the 2 pin plug so it's either you buy the 2 pin plug adaptor or just bring the global travel adaptor. Since we always prefer to cook on our own, we had this convenient travel cooker that is really compact and easy to use to. If you need one, just drop a comment and we'll give you the contact number. :) I can promise you that it is handy and lighter too.
• Instant food: Pergi Korea ni selalunya tak ada halangan untuk bawa makanan kering dan instant food.

Travel Cooker

Travel Iron

Musafir Travel Cooker

Must-do-thing-before-boarding:

• Visa: Bercuti ke Korea antara top list destination for most people disebabkan oleh tarikan yang ada di Korea, lagi-lagi pada mereka yang memang mengikuti K-Pop. K-Wave inilah antara punca kenapa ramai sangat orang nak pergi bercuti di Korea. Fyi, Malaysia - Korea tak memerlukan visa jadi mereka yang nak melancong ke Korea, be happy and no worry! I don't know about other countries, so please check with your Korea Embassy.
• Passport: Again, for those who loves to travel, passport is no matter - sebab confirm dah alert dengan 6 months policy kan. Bagi mereka yang baru nak berkecimpung dengan dunia travel, bila dah beli ticket, make sure sebelum nak pergi tu, check passport anda. Passport anda kena valid for at least 6 month dari date anda akan berlepas or else memang tak dibenarkan terbang.
• Money: Selalunya travel cheque tak diterima di banyak tempat, jadi jangan susahkan diri anda dan sila ready bawa duit Won siap-siap. Kadang-kadang nak exchange duit ni, kena selalu buat comparison among money changer supaya kita tak rugi. Antara money changer yang selalu kami pergi - Mid Valley Megamall, Matahari Mall kat Taman Dato' Harun, Tropicana Mall, Giant Mall Kelana Jaya. Selalunya exchange rate kat sini memang berbaloi but still, sila buat comparison. Credit card boleh diguna bila travel and sometime, exchange rate adalah lagi murah berbanding exchange rate di money changer.
• Last sekali, before nak keluar rumah tu, bacalah doa supaya tak jadi apa-apa kat kediaman anda dan juga keselamatan anda ketika bercuti. Jangan lupa check duit, passport dan airflight ticket before keluar ye. Ini memang penting sebab pernah terjadi kat kami. Haha. Nasib baik sempat pusing balik tau. 

Hope you find this entry beneficial! Enjoy your trip to Korea and have a safe and sound trip! Annyeong. :)

P/s: Am watching Neraka Zionis at TV Al-Hijrah. Dokumentari mengenai perjuangan Palestin dan Misi Mavi Marmara. Perjuangan mereka dan kekuatan ukhuwah fillah abadan abada. MasyaAllah. A good cover-up and must watch documentary. Semoga roh mereka yang terkorban ditempatkan di kalangan mereka yang beriman :'(

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