Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge

Sydney Central Business District
Photo taken by Iphone

SYDNEY, Australia - My assignment in Melbourne was supposed to end on March 23, 2012. Due to additional procedures, it was extended for another week.

When I checked my travel agent, she advised me that all the flights from Melbourne to Singapore on March 23 up to April 7 were full because of Easter holiday. I tried to find alternate routes in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth. I waited for some days and fortunately, there's one more seat from Sydney to Singapore. This alternate route was more expensive but I need to extend anyway, so we took it. 

The Harbour Bridge - Sydney, Australia
Photo was taken via Iphone

I book a Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) domestic flight from Melbourne to Singapore and tried to have longer waiting time at the airport so I can still go out and visit the Opera House and Harbour Bridge which are very famous  worldwide.

I left Melbourne at 8:00 am and arrived in Sydney at 9:30 am. My next flight was at 4:00 pm  so I have enough time to go out. I quickly look for a shop where I can store my luggage and went to  the city via the double deck train. The fee to store a luggage was quite expensive in Australia. But who cares, this was the only chance I have at that moment to see these works of arts in real life.

Sydney Opera House
Photo was taken via Iphone

The Harbour Bridge was the first structure I noticed after I came out of the Metro Train Station. It was fascinating. I then walk further and followed the sign going to the Opera House. I was feeling excited while walking but was concerned on how to approach people to take me photos and have evidence that I went there. But once I arrived, it was natural to ask people around as most of them are also taking pictures. I met one local guy who talked to me for a while.  I then went back to the airport, had lunch and checked-in again. 

The extension of my assignment and the unavailability of the flights back to Singapore came out to be a blessing. I was able to visit another important city in Australia and see great structures.

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Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Truly Asia

 

Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - It was a sunny Saturday on July 17, 2011, when my colleagues and I decided to go around some famous places in Kuala Lumpur. One of the places we first visited (taking the taxi we meet the day before) was Istana Negara.

Wikipedia.com describes Istana Negara as the official residence of the King of Malaysia. It stands on a 13 acre (50,000 m²) site, located at a commanding position on the slope of a hill of Bukit Petaling overlooking the Klang River, along Jalan Syed Putra.  The palace is surrounded by a lush of green trees and grasses.



Petronas Twin Towers and Kuala Lumpur Tower

We then went to a place not-so far away from Istana Negara and were able to see two of Kuala Lumpur's iconic buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers (www.petronastwintowers.com.my)  and Kuala Lumpur Tower (www.kltower.com.my). 

Still, as per wikipedia.com, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat cosidered Petronas twin towers the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101. Kuala Lumpur Tower on the other hand, is used for communication purposes and features an antenna that reaches 421 metres (1,381 feet). The roof of the pod is at 335 metres (1,099 feet). The rest of the tower below has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city.



One of the government offices

We also went to some government offices with very nice ancient architectures. These were the results of British influence who colonized the country until they got their independence in 1957.

Why is Malaysia truly Asia? I don't exactly know the answer but I guess its because the country has all the 3 major races in Asia, Malay, Chinese and Indians, comfortably living together in the country.

Keep on following my travel blogs. Also, for all your travel needs (airfare, hotel, cruise package, holiday packages, car rental and more), please visit wow amazing holiday website.

Kota Kinabalu - the home of Southeast Asia's highest peak & amazing beaches

 

Mount Kinabalu
Highest mountain in Southeast
Asia on a cloudy day

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia - I met up with my 2 college friends in the Philippines last January 2011 and we decided to go out-of-the-country trips in May. First, they will come to Singapore on May 1 & 2 (where I am based) and then we will go to Kota Kinabalu on May 3-6. 

Only one of my two friends continued with the plan. He arrived in Singapore and stayed in my apartment. We then moved to Kota Kinabalu on the third day via Airasia (www.airasia.com).

After we arrived at the hostel - Lavender Lodge, we asked suggestions from the receptionist on available tour packages that we can take during our 2-day stay. She recommended us to take a day-tour to Mount Kinabalu National Park and then visit beautiful beaches at Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park. We booked the day-tour to Mount Kinabalu and we were the first passengers picked-up by the bus. The bus continued picking up passengers in other hostels and hotels until everyone came on board. The tour guide explained important subjects that we see along the way to Mount Kinabalu National Park - a UNESCO world heritage site.



Kawasan Mata Air Panas
Hot Spring

We reached Mount Kinabalu National Park but did not see the tip of the highest mountain in Southeast Asia. It was very cloudy on that day. According to Wikipedia.org, the mountain height is about 4,095 metres (13,435 ft) above sea level  and its surroundings are among the most important biological sites in the world, with 5,000 to 6,000 species of plants, 326 species of birds, and more than 100 mammalian species. Among this rich collection of wildlife are famous species such as the gigantic Rafflesia plants and the orangutan. After our informational tour to Mount Kinabalu National Park, we stop at a restaurant and had our lunch. The lunch was included in the tour package and it was sumptous. Rain pours heavily after we had our lunch so we needed to buy raincoat to continue with the tour. The next destination was hanging bridge, visit to Rafflesia and then to the hot spring.  The bus took us back to the hostel and we were the last passengers to drop.



Manukan Island, Sabah, Malaysia

There were 5 beaches to visit on Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park but we only selected Manukan, Mamutik and Sapi on the second day. These are 3 of the famous beaches in the area. We took the speedboat from Jesselton Point Ferry Terminal. According to wikipedia, Manukan is the most popular island with Kota Kinabalu residents. Manukan has some good stretches of beaches on the southern coastline. The best beach is on the eastern tip of the island. Offshore of Manukan are coral reefs, which is ideal for snorkeling, diving and swimming.

Out of the 5 islands making up Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park, Manukan features the most developed tourist facilities that includes 20 units of chalets, a clubhouse, and few restaurants and a diving centre. Recreation facilities include a swimming pool, football field, Volleyball and Sepak Takraw courts. Infrastructural facilities include support-water, electricity, desalination plant, sewerage system, and even a solar public telephone. It is covered in dense vegetation and has hiking trails.



I enjoyed coming to these beaches. The waters are clear that you can see a lot of fishes, the sands are white and its very relaxing to just lie down on the sand and sleep. We went beach hoping on these islands the whole day. I also met up with my former colleague who moved back to Kota Kinabalu.

Though initially, I didn't have knowledge about what Kota Kinabalu can offer, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable trip. I even recommended it to friends and family. I was able to book cheap direct flights for my mom, 2 brothers and sister-in-law in 2012 from Clark, Pampanga and based on their feedbacks, they told me that they want to come back. Kota Kinabalu is a nice place for nature and beach lovers. 

Keep on following my travel blogs. Also, for all your travel needs (airfare, hotel, cruise package, holiday packages, car rental and more), please visit wow amazing holiday website.