Not Your Ordinary Travel-girl

We gracefully exited Kota Kinabalu and now enters the island of Penang or in Malay, Pulau Penang, which means the island of areca nut palm. Two years ago, Penang was listed as one of the year's must-visits. It is often called as "The Pearl of the Orient". Hmmm, the Philippines was called that name in history books I had in grade school. Oh well.:-)

I would say that Penang has quite a different feel to it compared to Kota Kinabalu. You would sense an air of European influence and Asian traditions mixed with the natural beauty of its well-preserved ecology all around you. You can see it in the architecture, the streets, the people, their lifestyle, and the food, as well.

If you're a food enthusiast and a photo explorer, Penang is the right place for you to indulge in your passions to the fullest without hurting your pocket too much.:-)

...Penang's Capital.

...One of the cheapest places to stay in is YMCA.

...Penang Bridge, which can be likened to the Golden Gate Bridge. Once a year, this bridge is closed to hold the country's longest annual marathon run.

...the oldest fort in Penang, named after Charles Marquis Cornwallis, India's governor general during the 17th century and which was built to protect the harbour from the French attacks.

...one of the European architecture evident within the city.

...around Fort Cornwallis

...although we didn't get a chance to see what's inside, travelers who are fond of visiting traditional markets should definitely check out this place.

Penang is witness to a peaceful mishmash of different religions.

...from Buddhism

...to Christianity.

In fact, two very popular Buddhist temples that tourists visit in Penang are Kek Lok Si Temple
Wat Chayamankalaram.

...this is our driver, a Penangite, who became our instant best friend and protector.

here's a peek at Penang's nightlife.

...the biggest mall in the city.

...the bay walk in front of the mall.

...another night scene.

...just beside Gurney Plaza is a huge hawker center, a definite dining destination for all those visiting Penang for the first time.
...this is my favorite stand.:-)

...seafood and fried food.

let's go to where the real "partay" is...

...Hardrock Cafe Penang!!!\m/

...with the Beatles.

...great view around Hardrock Hotel premises.

...one of the super cool and super nice bartender dudes. great dreads, too!:-)

i guess that pretty much wraps up this post. more on Penang soon!

After a day on the island of Manukan, the most timely endeavor on the list is a food trip. And there's no better place to do this in Kota Kinabalu than its very famous seafood market/hawker center. It's really a market and a small hawker center combined...where fresh seafood are sold and cooked for you any way you like and ready-to-eat food, usually non-seafood, are sold, too. And when your orders are ready, then you're also ready to dine right in the middle of the market!

Just brace yourself with a little waiting time especially around 7 onwards since a lot of locals and tourists alike come by for an excellent food experience.

Note: We met several Filipino-Malaysian vendors who kept on trying their super broken Tagalog on us the whole time. One was even brave enough to take a picture with us!:-)

And now introducing our friendly friend, which I forgot the name of....

That my friends is where we exit Kota Kinabalu, a good 3-4 day R&R destination for those who want to be as close to the sea as possible and still be able to enjoy the beauty of the city.:-)

On to my next stop!

So from the previous post, we're crossing Jesselton Point via a small ferry boat and into Manukan Island Resort, a must-visit if you're in Kota Kinabalu and would like to experience the waters of the island.

...the boat we're riding.

...view during the boat ride which lasted about 20-30 minutes from the jetty.

...finally reached the shore of the island.

...the clear and deep greenish blue waters.

...the foursome, the brave souls, the female trippers.:-)

...another great view.

One of the things you need to try when you've already set foot on the island is their banana boat ride. There's nothing really extraordinary about it. It's just that since it was my first time, I found the experience exhilarating and dangerously exciting.:-)

...on the banana. our first attempt.

...out of the banana.

...and back to the banana again.

...on the banana, our second attempt. now with male travelers. our two girl friends backed out.

banana boat rides are fun but absolutely not recommended to people whose greatest fear is drowning.:-)

moving on with the rest of the beautiful pieces of the island.

........................................................................

The journey back to the city side was painful for I have just tasted the best of the place and would definitely crave for more if I stayed a lot longer still. Half-wet, arms sore from the banana boat ride, I along with my friends turn away from the island carrying a piece of it with me and thrilled to have yet another day to experience the rest of Sabah in all its glory.

island getaway done. food adventure next.

June of last year, my friends and I dared to backpack across three Southeast Asian cities for almost two weeks. Aboard Air Asia where everyone can fly, we started our exciting adventure and headed out to our first destination: the capital of Sabah State, Kota Kinabalu or KK.

Sabah has been a very controversial island and was once the highlight of dispute between the Philippines and Malaysia. When we were there, we met a Filipino in almost every shop, corner, and establishment we visited. Most of them were born there, sharing both Malaysian and Filipino descent.

...sudah tiba! (finally arrived)

...the view from our hotel.

..the city side of the island.

..the beautiful sight while walking around.

...a really nice and huge mall.

..one of the things we shopped were trinkets.

...within metres of the city proper is the sea.

...Kota Kinabalu has a lot of beautiful ornaments for women who love to accessorize.

..Jesselton Point, kota Kinabalu's main port and its previous name, during the British colony. You can take the bus from the city proper and you'll get there in just 15-20 minutes.

...this is one of the boats we'll be riding to reach our next small destination, which I will talk about on my next post.

See you then!:-)

here's a photojournal of Saigon..the way I saw it.:-)

..Notredame

..war relics

..Vietnamese traditional clothing

...around Saigon

...statue of their leader

...Mekong River's famous boat women

...Saigon's streets and trees

...inside one of the art boutiques

...one of the photographs inside the war museum